《Barbarian Quest》


 Chapter 1: Sky Mountains

    <h4>Chapter 1: Sky Mountains</h4>


    ¡°You are going to be a great warrior, Urich.¡±


    ¡°Hah, stop it with your nonsense, you old hag.¡±


    ¡°Heehee,¡± the tribe shaman snickered. ¡°I saw it in my nightmare, Urich. You were the Warrior of Light.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in that voodoo or fortune telling of yours; you¡¯re all high on your herbal drinks and whatnot,¡± Urich said.


    Urich was a sixteen-year-old tribe warrior. He had just gone through hising-of-age ceremony two years before, and he was also the strongest fighter among his age group.


    ¡°When are you going to step down as shaman? Isn¡¯t it about time you kicked the bucket?¡± Urich questioned the olddy while chewing on some deer jerky. His well-trained physique was as striking as a leopard¡¯s.


    The shaman smacked Urich on the butt with her staff. ¡°Tsk, don¡¯t rush me, you punk. I know I don¡¯t have much longer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you old hag!¡± Urich raised his fist in anger, but he couldn¡¯t let himself hit an elderly. Instead, he just finished off the rest of his jerky and got up.


    ¡°Where are you off to now, Urich?¡± the elderly woman asked.


    ¡°I n to go hunting with my brothers,¡± Urich answered.


    ¡°Oh yes, your fellow warriors seem to follow you around quite well. The chief¡¯s son must be jealous,¡± the shaman responded.


    ¡°That guy¡¯s just in his own head. I have zero interest in bing the next chief.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what everyone else seems to think. Your name is always in the discussion in that matter,¡± the olddy said.


    ¡°If I don''t want to do it, who can make me do it? You know what, whatever. Take care of yourself, Old Hag.¡±


    With that, Urich turned and left.


    ¡°Punk,¡± the shaman murmured as she watched Urich''s figure disappearing into the distance. She could see a faint light surrounding him.


    ¡°You are going to be a great warrior, Urich,¡± the shaman muttered as she got back to her herbal drink.


    * * *


    Urich joined four other young warriors from the Stone Axe Tribe who had already gathered.


    ¡°You¡¯rete, Urich,¡± one of them remarked.


    ¡°I was with the old hag,¡± Urich answered, scratching his chest and spitting on the ground.


    ¡°Why care so much about an old shaman who¡¯s staring at the face of death?¡± one of the warriors said as he let out a chuckle. Such was the cycle of life: aging and eventually departing.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad luck to let a senile olddy die alone. These asional check-ins are the least I can do,¡± Urich muttered as he took a look at the four warriors. They were his loyal followers.


    ¡°By the way, are we really going to ascend the Sky Mountains?¡± one of them asked, with visible doubt in his eyes.


    Urichughed in response. ¡°The chief¡¯s son recently brought home a wolf as big as a whole calf. We gotta go up and find a prey bigger and more impressive than that. We can¡¯t let him win, can we?¡±


    Urich pointed at the towering peaks in the distance with an air of confidence. The Sky Mountains was a ce no one had ever ventured beyond. Legends had it that the world of spirits was located on the other side of the mountains.


    ¡°But it¡¯s the Sky Mountains, Urich," a fellow warrior cautiously voiced out.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just hunt at the foot of the mountains like the grown ups do. If it still bothers you, it¡¯s not toote to back out,¡± Urichmented.


    If anyone backed out now, they would bebeled a coward and the story would spread among the whole tribe. That would be a massive disgrace.


    ¡°Eh, we are going to have to check it out eventually anyway. I¡¯m in,¡± one warrior said with firm resolve and raised his hand. The others raised their hands in agreement. The decision was made.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Urich proimed as he patted hisrades on their shoulders. ¡°We hunt in the Sky Mountains today, brothers!¡±


    In their tribe, those of the same age were not only friends, but brothers.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go! Last one there has to carry the game home!¡±


    The five young warriors sprinted away. They had grown ustomed to running by now, and not long after, they were well on their way through the forest to the snow-capped peaks of the Sky Mountains.


    Climbing the Sky Mountains was forbidden. The tribe believed that the spirits lived beyond these mountains, and the vige elders had warned that those who crossed the range would never return.


    <i>¡®Everyone goes to the foot of the mountains.¡¯ </i>Urich mused to himself. Technically, approaching the mountains was not forbidden. Even the grown-ups of the tribe resorted to hunting in the foothills when their hunting trips yielded little return.


    ¡°Urich, you really have no intention to be the chief?¡± a fellow warrior asked.


    ¡°I told you, I have no interest in that sort of thing whatsoever,¡± Urich snorted with visible annoyance.


    ¡°Then why are you always trying to one-up the chief¡¯s son?¡± the warrior asked again.


    ¡°Because he acts like he¡¯s better than me when he¡¯s not even anything special!¡± Urich answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why you have to be the chief, Urich. Do you think you can follow a guy you think so little of when he eventually bes the chief of our tribe?¡±


    Urich clenched his jaws shut as the weight of the warrior''s words sank in. The realization was troubling; he would have no choice but to bow down to the chief¡¯s son eventually when thetter took over.


    ¡°I¡¯d hate that,¡± Urich said.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to follow the chief, you have to be one yourself, no?¡± the warrior questioned.


    ¡°Shut up, that¡¯s a problem forter,¡± Urich snapped back as he shed the tall grass with his scimitar. He cleared a path through the thick undergrowth with swift, precise strikes.


    <i>¡®Urich is the best candidate as the future chief.¡¯</i> Urich''s loyal followers shared the same sentiments. Even taking the adults into ount, Urich was already the strongest warrior. He used the tribe¡¯sbat techniques with unparalleled finesse, and he had already secured multiple victories against rival tribes.


    Urich¡¯s name and bravery were already known throughout the neighboring tribes. Whenever he stepped into a vige, maidens would eagerly line up to be chosen as his bride and to carry the lineage of such a formidable warrior.


    <i>¡®The shaman always talks about how Urich is going to be a mighty warrior.¡¯</i>


    Even without the shaman¡¯s prophecy, everyone in the tribe knew that Urich was destined to be a mighty warrior. It was only logical that someone like him would be the next chief.


    <i>¡®The chief position is reserved for the most revered warrior. Urich will be our next chief, whether he likes it or not.¡¯</i>


    Suddenly, Urich, who had been leading the way, raised his hand to signal the rest to stop. The warriors instantly crouched low and held their breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bear¡¯s footprint¡ªa big one too. Enough to get us some bragging rights back at the vige,¡± Urich whispered as he stared at the footprint on the ground.


    ¡°By the looks of it, it¡¯s headed up the mountains. If we follow its tracks, we¡¯ll reach the midsection of the Sky Mountains,¡± a warriormented.


    ¡°It¡¯ll only take us a minute to hunt it down ande straight back down. Why, are you perhaps scared?¡± Urich responded with a sense of mockery. The warriors of the tribe risked their lives every day. Those who avoided challenges to preserve their lives were not deemed fit to be warriors.


    ¡°Scared?¡± the warrior smirked, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯m just cautious because you might break the rule.¡±


    Urich''s eyes narrowed into slits with a hint of skepticism within. ¡°Rules are meant to be broken. I only believe what I see with my own eyes, not what a bunch of oldies tell us.¡±


    Urich gazed at the snow-capped peaks of the Sky Mountains. The rays of sunlight reflecting off the pure white peaks were almost blinding.


    <i>Thump, thump.</i>


    Urich¡¯s heart was racing. He had always wondered whaty beyond those mountains.


    ¡°I¡¯m going up. You guys with me?¡± Urich asked his fellow warriors.


    The warriors exchanged nces and nodded in unison. They were like a wolfpack¡ªthe alpha¡¯s wish was theirmand.


    Urich followed the bear¡¯s trail up into the Sky Mountains. The grass was gradually getting shorter, and the air was getting colder.


    ¡°<i>Huff... huff...</i> this bear sure has great stamina,¡± one of the warriors remarked through panting breaths.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve just beenzy with training,¡± another warrior teased in response.


    ¡°I can see your face turning more and more red from the exhaustion,¡± the first warrior retorted.


    The young warriors began to feel the gradual increase in their fatigue as they bantered among themselves. Urich was the only one who seemed unfazed by the climb.


    <i>¡®Is this guy even human? Didn¡¯t we all grow up on the same food?¡¯</i>


    Urich had the stamina of a superhuman. Even the warriors who trained day and night had to squeeze everything out of themselves just to keep up with his pace.


    <i>Chomp</i>.


    Urich grabbed a piece of jerky from his pocket and took a bite. Even during a chase, his appetite still remained.


    ¡°Eat something, guys. You gotta eat to keep on moving,¡± Urich grinned as he looked at his group.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe for you,¡± the other warriors grumbled under their breath.


    ¡°This stench...¡± Urich sniffed out the distinct stench of an animal. The musky smell indicated that the bear was close.


    The warriors grew alert. The others had also picked up on the stench and nocked their arrows.


    Beasts were stronger and more agile than humans. When confronting these animals, humans had to keep their distance, which made bows and spears the preferred weapons.


    The warriors moved swiftly, but with extra caution to avoid stepping on tree branches.


    A bear was a challenging prey but also a prize worth boasting about. Hunting was a mark of a warrior''s achievements. The animals¡¯ hides were made into clothes, their meat consumed as food, and their fat melted to be used as oil. Being skilled in hunting was one of the greatest virtues of a warrior.


    ¡°It¡¯s a grizzly bear, Urich,¡± one of the warriors said in a hushed whisper.


    A chill went down their spine. But almost instantly, the tremors were gone, and a cold glint appeared in their eyes.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2</h4>


    The group spotted the grizzly bear through the thick bushes. It wasn¡¯t umon for hunters to lose their lives in their attempts to take down these fearsome beasts.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich drew his bow with a substantial force. The two extrayers of wood on his bow and the bowstring made of multiple twisted strands made his bow more than twice as thick as the average one.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    As he pulled the bowstring with every fiber of muscle in his entire body, the veins in Urich¡¯s arms bulged prominently and his face turned blood red from clenching his teeth.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    The enormous tension from the bow sent the arrow ripping through the cold mountain air with a sharp hissing sound.


    <i>Thuck.</i>


    Urich''s arrow was buried deep inside the grizzly bear¡¯s neck. But even a wound this deep wasn¡¯t nearly enough to bring down a bear like this.


    ¡°Shoot it!¡± The arrows rained on the grizzly bear at Urich¡¯smand. The bear simultaneously let out its beastly roar and charged toward the young warriors.


    ¡°Spears up!¡± The warriors scattered to surround the bear with their long hunting spears. ¡°Stab it!¡±


    Their strategy was to utilize the blind spots created by the bear targeting a single warrior at a time. The targeted warrior would draw its attention while the ones in its blind spots delivered the blows. The bear thus began umting spear wounds.


    ¡°Oh,e on, guys, you¡¯re damaging the hide! Go for the head, we only need one big blow!¡± Urich shouted at the other warriors as he swiftly dodged the bear¡¯s heavy swipe.


    ¡°You really think that¡¯s as easy as you¡¯re making it sound?¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± Urich retorted as he casuallyunched his spear at the bear¡¯s head, which was easily parried by the bear. But Urich wasn¡¯t bothered by this. Even though the bow and arrow and spear were a hunter¡¯s basic weapons, he strongly favored the double battle axes. For him, nothing beat running at his target with an axe in each hand.


    <i>Ting.</i>


    Urich pulled out a pair of battle axes from his belt.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Urich drew in arge breath to fill his lungs with as much fresh air as possible as he prepared for a moment of all-out effort, a frenzy of movements that would not allow him even a second to breathe.


    <i>¡®Right front paw.¡¯</i> Urich was now in a state of absolute focus. His eyes remained wide open and locked on whaty in front of him. Nothing was breaking his focus¡ªnot even dirt getting in his eyes.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    The bear¡¯s inurate swipe was only enough to touch Urich¡¯s hair as he closed the distance between the two of them.


    <i>¡®Left front paw.¡¯</i> Urich was seeing through every one of the bear¡¯s attacks. <i>¡®I can see its attacks. I just have to stay calm, then I can dodge them all.¡¯ </i>He rendered yet another attack useless with an acrobatic somersault that was almost too graceful for a warrior. The bear only managed to skim his chest with its rugged ws.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s my turn now.¡¯</i> The thrill of the fight made Urich grin with excitement. He had just yed a game of life or death to get to a position where he could go for a direct blow on the grizzly bear¡¯s throat.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Urich buried his axes deep inside the bear¡¯s throat. He then proceeded to rip out the axes, shredding the flesh and leaving a wide gap in its throat. The beast¡¯s blood sprayed out like a fountain.


    ¡°Back off, it¡¯s about to copse,¡± Urich said to his fellow warriors as he stepped away from the stumbling bear. Everyone present could feel the confidence exuding from Urich¡¯s voice. The bear soon fell at their feet.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Urich swung his axes to shake off the blood and flesh stuck on the des.


    <i>¡®Does this guy have no fear of death?¡¯</i> The warriors found themselves left speechless by what they had just witnessed. Running at an adult grizzly bear with only a pair of axes wasn¡¯t something that a sane man could do. What was even crazier was that Urich was sessful. It just didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Yeah, you are definitely our next chief, Urich,¡± proimed one of the warriors.


    ¡°Enough of that nonsense,¡± Urich retorted. ¡°y it and grab as much meat as you can. We¡¯ll leave the rest around for the animals.¡±


    Urich took a seat on a rock with disinterest. His shoulders were still tense from the battle and his stimted muscles were steaming from the intense exertion.


    ¡°This would be the hunt of a lifetime for anyone else¡ªa bragging right for years and years. This guy just made it look so easy.¡±


    The young warriors all looked at Urich with awe, respect, and envy. But Urich was never one to boast. He would just smile while casually doing the things that others couldn¡¯t dream of doing.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot,¡± Urich said as he fixed his disheveled hair. He looked up at the snow-capped peaks of the Sky Mountains. ''<i>We came all the way up here, but we haven¡¯t even ascended half of it.''</i>


    What could possibly be beyond these mountains? Was it really the world of the spirits? When people finally left their mortal coil, would they all find themselves on the other side of the mountains? Urich had a strong desire to see for himself what was beyond the white mountain tops.


    <i>Rustle~</i>


    The grass was moving.


    Urich¡¯s alert eyes caught the movement in the grass. His pupils contracted to pick out what was causing the rustle, then he detected a shiny object and immediately ducked.


    ¡°Duck!¡± Urich shouted to his fellow warriors¡ªbut the shiny object was quicker than his words.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Arrows ripped through the air toward the young warriors and they quickly dropped to the ground to find cover. Urich grabbed a fallen warrior and dragged him behind the cover of a tree.


    ¡°God damnit, who is it? Is it another tribe?¡±


    ¡°Get your bows out! We have to shoot back!¡± the warriors rapidly responded and quickly shot their arrows in the direction of the attack.


    <i>¡®These arrowheads are sharp and refined. I¡¯ve never seen an arrowhead this sophisticated,¡¯</i> Urich thought as he pulled out one of the arrows from the ground. The enemies were ruthlessly attacking from the higher ground. Urich and his warriors were undoubtedly at a massive disadvantage. <i>¡®The range of their attack is much greater than ours, and they even have the higher ground.¡¯</i>


    On top of their disadvantage, the unexpected ambush had already inflicted serious injuries to two of the warriors and had left them with severe bleeding.


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    Urich gritted his teeth as rage consumed his head. His eyes reflected his anger and murderous intent.


    <i>¡®I brought us up here. I have to take responsibility for this,¡¯</i> Urich thought as he assessed the number of warriors who could still move properly.


    ¡°Grab our injured brothers and go. I¡¯ll hold them here.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not, we¡¯re not leaving you here. We¡¯re brothers, Urich,¡± Vald, one of Urich''s loyal warriors, proimed with conviction.


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m better off without you guys. Besides, I fight better alone anyway. Saving the lives of our brothers is as important as dying together, so go before I crack open your dumb head, Vald.¡±


    Vald knew that Urich had already made up his mind. He showed a bitter grin. ¡°You better not die, Urich.¡±


    ¡°The old shaman did say that I was going to be a great warrior. There¡¯s no chance I¡¯ll die here, not today. I am Urich, the yer of thirty men!¡± Urich proimed as he charged, holding the hide of the bear over himself as cover. The arrows were piercing the hide but weren¡¯t able to get to Urich.


    Meanwhile, the other warriors rushed back down the mountain with their injuredrades. Urich took another look at his warriors to make sure they were on their way down safely.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urichunched his long spear in the direction of the enemies. His rather rash attack caught them by surprise, halting their attacks for a moment. Urich took this chance to ditch the bear hide and draw in a long breath, preparing for a counterattack.


    <i>Cling!</i>


    Urich drew his axes and charged at the enemies, using the tall trees as cover to swiftly dodge the arrows raining down on him.


    <i>¡®There you are.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s thighs were pumped as hard as a rock. He charged ahead in big leaps, almost as if he was flying through the woods. He closed down the distance in the blink of an eye and sprayed a handful of stones at the enemies.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    The enemies screamed at the stone shower and Urich was able to pick them out amidst the bushes.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve never seen outfits like this.¡¯</i> Urich was finally able to see the oddly dressed men. Unlike the nearly naked tribesmen, these men had only their hands and faces peeking out of their clothes. They were covered from head to toe in cloth as if they were embarrassed about showing their skin.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re from the other side of the mountains!¡¯</i> Urich¡¯s instinct screamed that these men were not from the same ce as him. They were people from beyond the Sky Mountains.


    The enemies were yelling at Urich, but he wasn¡¯t able to understand their words as they were speaking a differentnguage. It didn¡¯t matter anyway, as Urich had already made up his mind on what he was going to do with them. <i>¡®You¡¯veid your hands on my brothers. You will all die.¡¯</i>


    Urich circled the enemies while swinging his axes. The enemies scurried away from Urich as if he was a lion that had jumped into a herd of deer.


    ¡°What, you can¡¯t fight without your bow and arrows? Cowards!¡± Urich roared at the scattering men. But then, from among them, something moved toward him.


    <i>Creak. Creak.</i>


    A man in full golden te armor rose from the grass. He was waiting for the barbarian toe into his proximity.


    ¡°Sir Fordgal!¡± eximed one of the enemies.


    ¡°Good thing I had this armor on just in case.¡± Fordgal, the man in golden armor, drew his sword and shield to stand in front of Urich.


    <i>¡®What is that fighting stance...and that armor?¡¯</i> Urich was stunned by the amount of metal these men had at their disposal. Back at his tribe, there wasn¡¯t enough iron to forge into weapons, let alone a whole armor set. Their armor was made ofyered animal hides.


    Fordgal tossed his shield backward.


    ¡°You must keep your shield, Sir Fordgal!¡± one of the enemies eximed with concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s the axe of a barbarian. It¡¯s not getting through my full te armor.¡± Fordgal stood up to Urich with a strong sense of confidence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is happening right now, but ditching your shield? You¡¯re that confident in your armor, huh?¡± Urich muttered as he spun his axes. Neither could understand the wordsing out of their opponent¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3</h4>


    ¡°We¡¯ll take him down with our arrows, Sir Fordgal!¡± one of the bowmen suggested.


    ¡°No! We must capture this barbarian alive. Even I would have to retreat if the other barbarians came back with reinforcements. This one will be a great token of our newly discoverednd and an excellent gift for His Majesty,¡± Fordgal shouted as he held his sword upside down by the de. This maneuver of using the pommel and the grip as a blunt weapon was an imperial swordsmanship called degrip.


    ¡°You¡¯re fooling around with your sword in front of me? Do I look like a joke to you? You bastards are dead.¡± Fordgal¡¯s absurd sword-wielding left Urich dumbfounded. He then realized that the bowmen surrounding him had no intention of shooting their arrows.


    <i>¡®Are they trying to capture me alive?¡¯</i> Urich frowned in disbelief. He had always been the face of terror in every battle he was in, yet these strange men were giving him a sense of humiliation that he had never felt before.


    The anger made Urich clench his fist to the point where his arms became tense. Everything faded into the background.


    Fordgal gradually closed in on Urich as the other men observed with their eyes wide open, so as to not miss a single action.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urich was the one who made the first move. Heunched himself forward as he flung one of his axes at Fordgal. The axe thrown with momentum struck Fordgal¡¯s helmet.


    Fordgal¡¯s eyes widened as he realized where the axe had struck. <i>¡®He aimed the de at the gap in my helmet. Did he really intentionally aim for this tiny target?¡¯ </i>Fordgal was faced with the barbarian ruthlessly charging toward him, aggressively swinging his other axe as if he was about to split his head in half.


    ¡°You barbarian!¡± Fordgal let out a roar as he swung his upside-down sword, aiming to strike Urich¡¯s temple with the pommel of his sword.


    Fordgal and Urich exchanged their blows. Blood spouted from Fordgal¡¯s face. Urich had shed his cheek.


    ¡°Shoot him, now!¡± Fordgal shouted.


    The bowmen urgently released their arrows onto their target. Urich¡¯s back was soon covered with several arrows.


    ¡°Protect Sir Fordgal!¡±


    Fordgal assessed the wound on his cheek inflicted by the barbarian. <i>¡®He knocked my helmet off with one axe throw so that he could strike my bare head with the other.¡¯ </i>Even though Urich was a mere barbarian, Fordgal couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by his skill.


    ¡°Get him!¡±


    The other men surrounded Urich and battered him mercilessly with their blunt weapons. Urich could only crouch with arrows sticking out of his back.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, he must be captured alive!¡± Fordgalmanded his men and found Urich sprawled on the ground, beaten to a pulp.


    ¡°You got lucky, metal man!¡± Urich blurted out inughter. If Urich hadnded his blow just a little deeper, Fordgal¡¯s head would have been cracked into two.


    ¡°Shut it, you barbarian!¡± The men mocked Urich as they pped him across his face. Although they didn¡¯t understand each other, abusivenguage found its way into their exchange.


    ¡°Sir Fordgal, you must dress your wound as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Get that barbarian cleaned up as well. We don¡¯t know when the rest of them mighte back.¡± Fordgal told his men as he red at Urich, who didn¡¯t so much as blink an eye as they removed the arrows from his back.


    <i>¡®This barbarian has ridiculous guts and an impablebat skill to back it up... are the rest of them like this, too? We¡¯ve got to get out of here before theye back.¡¯</i> The barbarians that got away during the battle made Fordgal anxious. He knew that his men were only explorers and that they would not be able to withstand another barbarian attack.


    ¡°The arrows did not make it in as deep as they should have, Sir Fordgal. The quality of his muscles seems superior to ours. Otherwise, the arrows would have reached his organs and killed him. But these are still deep wounds, so they¡¯ll fester quickly if we make him move without proper rest and recovery. If he¡¯s lucky, he¡¯ll make it over the mountains. If he¡¯s not, he¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why I wanted to capture him without inflicting too many injuries on him. Oh well, if he dies, he dies. Let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    Fordgal got up after dressing the cut on his cheek. His men then removed his armor tes and shared the carrying of the parts.


    ¡°Get up, you barbarian!¡±


    Urich was forced to pick his wounded body up. There were ropes around his hands as well as his neck so that Fordgal¡¯s men could easily choke and knock him out in case of any retaliation.


    <i>¡®Am I climbing over the mountains? These men really are from the other side!¡¯</i> Urich¡¯s eyes widened. <i>¡®So, beyond the mountains is another world of men. It isn''t a world for the dead!¡¯ </i>Although he was captured, Urich¡¯s eyes brightened with excitement and inspiration. His sparkling eyes were already locked in beyond the mountains.


    ¡°Get moving!¡±


    The men tugged on Urich¡¯s ropes. Being dragged, he had no choice but to stumble along.


    <i>¡®Dammit, this hurts like hell.¡¯ </i>The pain from the arrow wounds in Urich¡¯s back grew more intense as he was dragged along. Some herbal remedies and rest would help, but that wasn¡¯t an option.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re taking me all the way to the other side.¡¯ </i>Urich¡¯s heart was beating out of his chest. His lips were twitching from the fear and excitement.


    ¡°Is that where your world is? Over these mountains?¡± Urich asked the men, but he wasn¡¯t understood, anyway. Instead, he was met with the cold re of Fordgal and his men as they marched on in silence.


    * * *


    Urich now understood exactly why the warriors of his tribe couldn¡¯t get over the Sky Mountains.


    <i>Click, Click, Click.</i>


    The significant drop in the temperature as they climbed the altitude made his teeth chatter.


    <i>¡®This is way too damn cold, god dammit!¡¯</i>


    The mountain was so cold that it felt as if even sound itself could freeze, and it was only getting worse as the men continued the ascent.


    <i>Woosh~</i>


    The sweeping frosty wind made Urich shiver vigorously as his exhausted breath left his mouth with a trail of steam. Urich was from the ins and forests where the cold was never an issue. The climate was warm enough to roam aroundfortably with very few clothes.


    ¡°Haha, look at this barbarian! He can¡¯t handle the cold at all!¡±


    ¡°Look how pale he is! How is he not going to freeze to death before we make it back?¡±


    The men dressed Urich with multipleyers of cotton apparel, which he had never seen before. They also looked after his wounds every day and made sure he was healthy throughout the journey.


    ¡°This barbarian must be kept alive until we deliver him to His Majesty.¡± Fordgal constantly demanded of his men.


    Fordgal¡¯s men were in thend beyond their side of the mountains, and they had even discovered its inhabitants.


    ¡°Sky Mountains,¡± Fordgal said in awe.


    The majestic disy of the mountains that seemed as if they were the solid foundation of the sky instilled admiration in whoeverid eyes on them. With this admiration, people gave these mountains the name Sky Mountains. The Fordgal expedition team underwent a ten-year preparation period to climb these mountains. Through several trial and error, they were able to ovee all obstacles and reach the other side. Their discovery of a newnd and the barbarians were the precious fruit of theirbor.


    <i>¡®Thisnd, these people, they are worth conquering.¡¯</i>


    Fordgal took in a small breath of the frosty mountain air. The chill soon diffused inside his lungs.


    ¡°rgh!¡±


    Urich vomited as he uncontrobly thrust forward. The men snickered as if they had been expecting it.


    ¡°Look at you, you barbarian! That¡¯s mountain sickness for you.¡±


    The same wasn¡¯t an issue for Fordgal and his expedition team. They had already spent months practically living in the mountains to gradually limatize themselves to the high altitudes. Urich did not know of such sickness and thus believed that the decline in his condition was solely caused by the wounds.


    <i>¡®This is only getting worse. I have to get out of here before it¡¯s toote.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s extraordinary resilience was the only thing that kept him moving without copsing. He continued to squirm his hands to prevent them from freezing. <i>¡®I gotta keep my hands moving. I have to keep them warm.¡¯</i>


    Urich felt the sharpness of his judgment declining rapidly. Along with his weakened mental strength, he noticed that even the small steps felt as strenuous as a full sprint. His surroundings became more and more blurry as if he was lost in a fever dream. These were all signs of mountain sickness caused by a decline in his blood oxygen saturation.


    <i>Huff... huff...</i>


    Urich was on the verge of going insane from the intense cold and the non-stopping dizziness and nausea, but he stayed patient. He was using all of his remaining energy to keep all his senses alert.


    ¡°My god, we made it! Through this goddamn blizzard!¡± the expedition member who was leading the line eximed with relief. The team had finally reached a rare nd where they had set up camp before.


    ¡°What a view this is.¡± The men remarked in awe as they stared at the endless green ins and forests below them.


    ¡°Come on, we have to set up our camp before sundown.¡±


    The men got busy setting up their camp for the night and momentarily lowered their guard against Urich. The ropes securing Urich¡¯s hands and neck were held only by two men.


    Urich assessed his surroundings with a quick move of his eyes. He noted the movement patterns of all the men in his vicinity.


    ¡°You made a mistake,¡± Urich said to the explorers. They couldn¡¯t understand him. ¡°You think you can hold me down with these flimsy ropes?¡±


    Urich forcefully contracted every muscle in his arms to the point that his veins engorged on his face. The ropes around his hands snapped like mere strings. The magnitude of his strength was beyond the level known to these men.


    <i>Snap.</i>


    ¡°Woah, hey! Pull! Pull on his leash!¡±


    Urich secured some room between the rope and his neck by sticking his fingers in between them. He knew that if he let these men tighten the rope around his neck, he would pass out from the loss of blood flow to his brain.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Urich used his strong torso to bend forward. The man who was holding the rope around his neck was dragged down powerlessly.


    ¡°Here¡¯s something you can brag about in the underworld. You were killed by the hands of Urich, warrior of the Stone Axe tribe!¡±


    Urich ced the helpless man¡¯s head between his knee and elbow, before driving his elbow into the man¡¯s head.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The man¡¯s head exploded like a watermelon. The cold mountain air froze his brain fluid the moment it touched the ground, and Urich was surrounded by the steaming off the warm blood.


    ¡°The barbarian got free!¡±


    The other men dropped what they were doing and quickly fell in to surround Urich. Urich pulled out a sword from the belt of the man he had killed just moments ago.


    <i>Cling!</i>


    The sword was drawn smoothly thanks to the de being greased with oil that was resistant to even the harsh mountain conditions.


    ¡°What an impressive sword, forged with impressive metal.¡± As soon as he held the sword, Urich was amazed by how well-bnced it was. He realized that the people beyond the mountains were much more advanced in metal maniption.


    <i>Woosh¡ª</i>


    The blizzard showed no signs of stopping. Urich swung his sword at the helpless explorers, ying them one by one. Most of these men didn¡¯t possess nearly enoughbat experience to protect themselves against Urich¡¯s ruthless swipes.


    Even though Urich was fatigued and ill, he was still a warrior with unparalleled skill and experience. Anyone who didn¡¯t devote their entire lives to fighting didn¡¯t stand a chance against him.


    <i>sh.</i>


    Five men were in by his sword in the blink of an eye. Before the blood could freeze, Urich wiped it off the de with his sleeve. No matter how good a sword was, it would be rendered useless if blood clotted or froze over its de.


    ¡°How did he get out of the ropes? Did he snap them off with just his strength? Well, I guess there¡¯s no point in asking him since he doesn¡¯t speak ournguage.¡± Fordgal mumbled to himself as he emerged from the snow. He had gone out to collect firewood for the camp. When he heard the screams of his expedition team, he rushed back to the scene of the incident.


    <i>Cling.</i>


    Fordgal drew his sword and lifted his shield. However, he no longer had the advantage of a full te armor that helped him in his initial battle against Urich.


    ¡°My name is Urich. Urich of the Stone Axe tribe.¡± Urich emphasized his name as he raised his sword. The message got through to Fordgal.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re just a feeble barbarian, ¡®Urich,¡¯ I¡¯m sure a warrior of your caliber understands honor. I am Fordgal Arten, the empire knight!¡¯¡±


    Fordgal expressed a sign of respect by crossing his sword and shield. The blizzard was growing to the point where it was difficult to stand still without losing bnce. The bodies of the fallen explorers were getting buried underneath the pelting snow.


    ¡°I know your name now, Fordgal Arten,¡± Urich said to Fordgal as he stumbled toward thetter. He had no intention of dragging this fight on as he was losing strength every second.


    <i>¡®You can¡¯t defeat me, Fordgal,¡¯</i> Urich murmured like a ghost as he wound up his arm. His sword tip prated the sliver of a gap that he spotted on Fordgal¡¯s shield.


    ¡°Keugh!¡± Fordgal extended his shield in an attempt to parry the sword.


    <i>¡®You foolish barbarian. You are not getting through my shield. Once I¡¯ve broken your stance with my shield, it¡¯s over for you!¡¯</i>


    Fordgal assumed that shields were not amon encounter for the barbarians, and he was correct. To Urich¡¯s people, shields were something used to protect them from arrows. They were not favored at all during closebats like this. But using a sword and shield in closebat was like bread and butter for knights like Fordgal. Ever since he was a young apprentice, he had poured his blood, sweat, and tears into mastering many different skills and moves that he was recalling at this moment.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Fordgal let out a dumbfounded expression. He wasn¡¯t feeling the force of the sword striking his shield as he expected. Urich had ditched the sword and was pouncing into Fordgal¡¯s side with a wound-up fist.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Urich buried his boulder-like fist recklessly into Fordgal¡¯s face. Fordgal felt the impact of the punch reverberate all the way up to his head through the tense muscles.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich grabbed Fordgal¡¯s hands and crushed his fingers. Fordgal was no longer able to wield his sword.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Urich¡¯s beast-like grip left Fordgal in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t believe that Urich was a human, just like himself, as his helpless fingers crumpled up like twigs. His hand was in no shape to hold a sword, let alone fight with one.


    Fordgal used his remaining hand with the shield to push Urich off of himself.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Even when momentarily repelled, Urich kept his brown eyes locked in on Fordgal. He picked up the sword that he dropped and swung it low.


    ¡°Keugh!¡± Fordgal screamed as crimson red blood spouted from his ankle. Urich had shed him straight through his leather boots.


    ¡°What an impressive sword,¡± Urich muttered as he stood over his defeated opponent. The battle was over.


    ¡°You fought well, Fordgal Arten.¡± With these words, Urich diffused his smoldering hatred and rage.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    Urich struck down and buried his sword into Fordgal¡¯s chest. He did so with reverence.


    ¡°Your skills weren¡¯t half bad, but your decked the bloodlust. That¡¯s what set us apart,¡± Urich said to his lifeless enemy. Fordgal¡¯s sword-wieldingcked the sweet, metallic smell of the battleground blood. It had taken the lives of only a few enemies. This gave Urich the certainty of victory.


    Fordgal was a skillful knight. However,pared to Urich, he significantlycked realbat experience. A bloodless sword like his was a child¡¯s y to Urich. A warrior grew stronger with each additional enemy in. To be a strong warrior, one must stand tall on top of a mountain of their enemies¡¯ corpses. Although Urich was much younger than Fordgal, he had already built a bigger mountain than Fordgal ever could.


    ¡°I¡¯m dizzy,¡± Urich sighed as he rested his tired body against a tree. The rigorous battle from a moment ago aggravated the symptoms of his mountain sickness.


    ¡°Blech.¡± Urich had nothing left to vomit. It looked as if all that was left of his face was just skin and bones.


    ¡°Sky Mountains,¡± Urich muttered to himself as he pointed above.


    ¡°Mothend,¡± he muttered again as he pointed below¡ªto his home.


    ¡°Over there is thend beyond the mountains,¡± he muttered onest time as he pointed to the other side of the mountain.


    <i>¡®The mysterious world.¡¯</i>


    <i>Thump, thump.</i>


    Urich¡¯s heart was racing. He hoisted himself up from the tree and cut his long flowing locks with his newly acquired sword.


    <i>Woosh</i>.


    He released his hair into the blizzard and watched as they flurried toward thend of his home. Urich was just a sixteen-year-old warrior from the Stone Axe tribe. He wasn¡¯t sure if what he was feeling was the mountain sickness messing with his head, the childishness of youth, or the natural curiosity of man¡ªbut he walked. Toward the foreignnd, with his back turned against his home.

 Chapter 4: My Name Is Urich

    <h4>Chapter 4: My Name Is Urich</h4>


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich chewed aggressively on the strange dried food he found among the expedition team¡¯s supplies as he tightened one of the explorers¡¯ cloaks around his shoulders. The arrow wounds were itching and aching at the same time, but he tried not to give them too much attention. He ced his faith in his youthful strength.


    Urich descended the Sky Mountains on what seemed like an endless trail to the bottom. He tripped and stumbled at times and even nearly fell off a cliff, which would have killed him.


    The mountains were showing him how difficult it was for an intruder to make it out alive. The cold and heartless treatment from the mountains made Urich realize that his presence was not weed. The Sky Mountains wanted him dead.


    <i>Schlup.</i>


    ¡°Kaagh!¡±


    Urich sensed a presence in his sleep. He quickly drew his sword and stabbed a wolf that hade too close to him for its own good.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m having wolf for breakfast,¡± Urich said as he snickered at the cluster of eyes of the wolves that red at him in the darkness. Urich was able to see the faint glow in their eyes from the reflection of the moonlight.


    <i>''There¡¯s five of them,''</i> Urich counted in his mind as he stretched his cold-stiffened body and turned his head left and right.


    <i>Crack, crunch.</i>


    His cold muscles warmed up rapidly. Urich was ready for another fight.


    ¡°Huff.¡± Urich¡¯s slight exhale created a trail of white steam that quickly dispersed into the cool morning air. He had descended a considerable distance, so he was feeling much less of the altitude sickness that had been bothering him. The wolves seemed to recognize that Urich was not prey and treaded back into the woods.


    ¡°Pretty smart for an animal,¡± Urich murmured as he watched the wolves disappear into the dusk. The sun wasn¡¯t going to rise for a good while, but Urich decided to resume his descent.


    <i>¡®The world beyond the mountains!¡¯ </i>Urich¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity and wonder, and he caught himself grinning at the new possibilities. <i>¡®I¡¯m going to see it with my very own eyes.¡¯</i>


    Urich now had the expedition team¡¯s supplies at his disposal. He ditched his battle-worn leather clobber and dressed himself in the clothes of the explorers.


    <i>¡®Their metal armor is stronger than ours, and their clothes are soft yet warm.¡¯</i>


    Urich was fascinated by every new object that he discovered in the supplies. He was headed away from his home without even letting his brothers know that he was still alive and well. His heart was about to explode from a mixture of emotions.


    <i>¡®This newnd has to be worth all of this trouble!¡¯</i>


    As the sun peeked over the snow-capped mountaintops, Urich was finally able to see what he had been dreaming about for as long as he could remember. The other side of the Sky Mountains.


    ¡°Oh, strangend, I¡¯m finally here!¡± Urich let out a powerful roar, one that was loud enough to scare the mountain birds away from their trees. He was feeling a new wave of fresh energy in his fatigued body.


    ¡°Hah... haha!¡± Urich cackled with ecstasy as he sprinted all the way down the rest of the mountains until he reached the ins without making a single stop.


    ¡°I knew that senile olddy didn¡¯t know what she was talking about! This is not the world of the souls. It¡¯s all the samend! With people like us!¡± Urich eximed as he grabbed a handful of grass from the ground and smelled the familiar scent of dirt. The grass, the dirt, it was all that he had already seen and felt in his mothend.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Urich¡¯sughter sounded almost insane. He was overwhelmed by the overflowing joy that he didn¡¯t know what to do with himself. Things that he had never seen before, never experienced before, were right there, waiting for him.


    ¡°I¡¯ming, here Ie! Urich ising!¡±


    Urich searched for a river. He knew that to find a vige, he had to find a river stream. Viges were always built along the body of watering down from the mountains because there wasn¡¯t a single person in this world who could live without water.


    * * *


    Somewhere on the outskirts of a town not too far from the Sky Mountains, a con man was being chased by three big gang members.


    ¡°Dammit! Get back here, you scummy scammer!¡±


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    The conman was a fragile-looking skinny man. He made his living off of rigged-up bets and unfortunately today, he was running for his life after he was caught red-handed by these three men.


    ¡°Ugh, hugh.¡±


    The conman was very quickly running out of breath. He was in no way in good shape.


    <i>¡®If they catch me, they¡¯ll kill me. Even if they don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll be beaten to a pulp.¡¯</i>


    He was, quite literally, running for his life. Then, a small rock just big enough to make itself an obstacle caught his desperate foot, and he copsed on the ground. Perhaps it was karma.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    The conman was covered in a cloud of dust as he rolled helplessly on the ground.


    ¡°Haha, you scummy son of a bitch, look at you now! Hey, bring the dagger over. We¡¯ll take care of his dirty little fingers first, sneaky bastard,¡± one of the gang members asserted as he grabbed the conman by his cor.


    The frightened conman desperately begged for mercy. ¡°Oh, please sir, please forgive me just this once, I¡¯m begging you! I¡¯ll never try to trick you again. I¡¯ll do anything you want, please spare my life!¡±


    ¡°Sir? I don¡¯t want to hear all this bullshit from a scummy lowlife like you.¡± The gang member cackled as he grabbed the dagger handed to him.


    ¡°No sir, please, not my hands! Ah!¡± The conman struggled aggressively in a feeble attempt to escape the grasp of the man who was much bigger and stronger than him, but it was no use. The men had him locked down by his shoulders.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    While the four men were busy causing a ruckus, another man approached them.


    ¡°Oh! P-please help me! I¡¯ll give you anything you want!¡± The conman called out to the mysterious man in desperation.


    One of the men then pped the helpless man across his face. ¡°Geez, just shut up before I cut your tongue out first.¡±


    The gang members took a look at the mysterious man. He was dressed in dirty clothes and only had a sword in his belt. By the looks of it, he seemed like a traveler.


    This traveler was Urich. These four men were the first people he had encountered since he made it down the mountains. He observed the men in front of him with curiosity.


    ¡°What the hell are you looking at? Get lost,¡± one of the men said to Urich, but just like with Fordgal¡¯s men, Urich didn¡¯t understand theirnguage.


    <i>¡®A bunch of them are going after that one man. What are they doing?¡¯</i> Urich wanted to know what was happening, but there was no way for him tomunicate with these men. He could only watch and see what they were about to do.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t understand me, but carry on. I just want to see what you¡¯re doing,¡± Urich said to the men as he folded his arms. The men were taken aback by the sound of a foreignnguage.


    ¡°Is he a... foreigner? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard thatnguage before,¡± one of them said to the others.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably a hillbilly from the south.¡± The gang membersughed among themselves as they shooed Urich away, but Urich had no intention of moving even an inch. He was determined to find out what happened next.


    ¡°Hey, man, can¡¯t you see what we¡¯re doing here? What, you want to die with him? Get lost, it¡¯s for your own good!¡± One of the men sighed as he walked up to Urich. He shifted his hand to grab the dagger that was as big as his forearm to try to intimidate Urich. But as soon as he put his hand on the dagger, something shed before his eyes, even before he could blink.


    <i>Crush.</i>


    <i>¡®Eh?¡¯</i>


    What had just happened was too quick for his brain to register. Everything suddenly seemed upside down for this gang member as his neck snapped like a twig. The other men jumped up, screaming at what they had just witnessed.


    ¡°What the hell? This crazy lunatic just snapped Max¡¯s neck!¡±


    ¡°Get him! Kill that bastard!¡±


    The two remaining gang members cried out as they pounced at Urich.


    Urich couldn¡¯t see what all the fuss was about. He¡¯d only snapped the neck of someone who was about to draw their weapon against him. It was easier than taking candy from a child.


    Urich looked down at the man on the ground. He was convulsing with a broken neck, so Urich finished the job by trampling on his head.


    ¡°You guys started this!¡± Urich shrugged casually as he looked at the men charging at him.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    Urich moved like lightning. As he breezed past the two other men, their lifeless bodies dropped to the ground like a couple of flies.


    <i>¡®What is this man?¡¯</i>


    The conman was shaking in terror. This strange man had just murdered three big men like they were nothing.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich walked up to the conman who was still trembling from fear. ¡°Bring me to your tribe,¡± Urich said to the man.


    The conman didn¡¯t seem to understand what Urich was asking for. Urich let out a tired sigh and took a seat on the ground.


    <i>Scribble, scribble.</i>


    Urich drew some houses and people on the ground with a stick and showed it to the conman.


    ¡°Oh, you mean the city! Of course, I can take you there, follow me!¡± The conman eximed as he nodded aggressively.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m safe. I¡¯m still alive!¡¯</i>


    The conman was as confused as ever, but one thing he knew for sure. Without this strange traveler, he would not be alive.


    ¡°My name is Donau, Sir, Donau.¡± Donau the conman told Urich as he pointed at himself. Urich picked up on his name and repeated it to himself.


    ¡°My name is Urich. Urich.¡±


    Donau took a quick nce at Urich. <i>¡®Is he really a traveler from the south?¡¯</i>


    The south wasposed of several regions that all spoke differentnguages. Donau assumed that Urich must be from one of those regions.


    ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t know what I¡¯m saying, Sir, but it would be good for you to learn Hamelian. It should get you by just about anywhere,¡± Donau muttered with a slight frustration in his tone because he knew this man wasn¡¯t understanding a word he was saying.


    <i>¡®Regardless, he is capable of snapping necks like they¡¯re dry twigs.¡¯</i> A chill went down his spine as he remembered what Urich had done just moments ago. He was trying his best to mask his nervousness as he guided Urich into the city.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Whaty before Urich¡¯s eyes was a city beyond the Sky Mountains. ¡°That must be your tribe!¡± Urich was awestruck by the sight. For the first time in his life, he saw buildings after buildings that were made of solid stone, not y like back in his homnd.


    ¡°We¡¯ve reached our destination, Sir! This is Ankaira.¡±


    Ankaira was the city closest to the Sky Mountains. Their prosperity sourced back to the discovery of copper veins near the foothills, making it their specialty and main export.


    ¡°The sheer size of this vige, it¡¯s breathtaking!¡± Urich¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t have a second to rest from taking in all the unusual sights. He noticed how the people in this vige didn¡¯t care to acknowledge the others, which was strange to him as everyone knew and greeted one another in his.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re here, so I guess my job is done! Take care, good sir! Argh!¡±


    Donau¡¯s attempt to get away from this murderous man was squandered as Urich grabbed his shoulder with what felt like an unbreakable grip.


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± Urich said coldly as he stared into Donau¡¯s face. Urich was well-versed in reading someone¡¯s intentions just by their facial expression and bodynguage.


    ¡°Eek!¡± Urich¡¯s determined gaze was enough to make Donau flinch.


    <i>¡®Damn, but he did save my life earlier... he¡¯s strong and knows how to fight, so maybe if I can get on his good side...¡¯</i>


    Donau was already scheming a way to benefit himself with the situation at hand, then he came to a realization.


    <i>¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like he knows his way around the world, even though he¡¯s a traveler!¡¯</i> Donau decided to bring him to a local bar that travelers were known to frequent.


    ¡°Hey, does anyone here speak whatevernguage this man is speaking?¡±


    Foreigners made up a good chunk of the traveler poption. Donau went around the bar using his coins to try to find a foreigner who could act as their trantor.


    ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m from the other side of the mountains,¡± Urich murmured as he watched Donau scurrying around the busy bar. He had no intention of making his origin known, not that anyone could understand him, anyway.


    <i>¡®They seem fairly harmless now, but that might change once they find out where I¡¯m from¡ªthey could very well be just like those men who attacked my brothers and I.¡¯</i>


    Urich conducted every action with caution. He didn¡¯t know anything about this new ce that he found himself in.


    ¡°I have never heard thisnguage. This Urich guy can¡¯t be from the south!¡±


    ¡°He must be from real far out, maybe a small outskirt vige. Or could he be from the north?¡± The men in the bar couldn¡¯t pinpoint where Urich came from.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, he does seem more like a northerner. He¡¯s got the size of the northern barbarians. The men of the south are short and weak, like little girls!¡±


    ¡°What did you say about us Southerners? You want to have a go? Huh?¡±


    ¡°Hah! I knew your skinny ass was from the south, kek.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you bastard!¡±


    The drunkards and the foreigners quickly lost their interest in Urich, and a fight broke out.


    Donau let out a tired sigh and turned his eyes to Urich.


    ¡°Where in the world are you from, Urich? Is it the south, or the north? Surely, you¡¯re not from the other side of Sky Mountains.¡±


    Urich was too busy looking at the drink that was in front of him. The drink was clear with a yellow tint¡ªit was beer. The only liquor that Urich knew of was fruit wine. The beer was a strange drink for someone who had never heard of using grain to make liquor.


    <i>¡®By the looks of it, this definitely is liquor.¡¯</i> Urich took a quick look around the bar. The lively banter, interactions, and even the smell of alcohol weren¡¯t too far from what his nights out with his fellow warriors were like back home.


    ¡°It¡¯s on me, Urich,¡± Donau incited Urich as he tapped his finger on his pint.


    <i>¡®Can¡¯t refuse a drink,¡¯</i> Urich thought as he downed the strange drink along with the others in the bar. The unusual bitterness of beer filled his mouth. Urich wanted to spit it right back out, but he decided to hold it down.


    <i>Burp.</i>


    ¡°Woah, look at this guy! You can drink! Then we go for another,¡± Donau called for another pint. It didn¡¯t seem like Urich had much of a choice other than to ept the new pint of beer.


    <i>¡®What is that?¡¯</i> Urich took another look around the bar when something caught his eye. People were exchanging something that he could only assume was their currency. These people were using money instead of bartering like the tribesmen did. Urich had never imagined something like this before.


    <i>¡®Everything here ispletely different from our home. We¡¯re living in twopletely different worlds.¡¯</i> Ecstasy. Any fear that Urich had from being in this strange ce was overtaken by excitement. He wanted to show his brothers whaty beyond the Sky Mountains.


    <i>¡®The world is massive. How much more will I be able to see?¡¯</i>


    Even the tant bitterness of the beer started to feel refreshing. New tastes, new architecture, and new people.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Urichughed. He was finally feeling good.


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯re liking the beer, Urich!¡±


    ¡°This tastes like shit, no, probably more like piss! This is probably what piss tastes like.¡±


    ¡°Haha, Ankaira indeed makes the best beer in the whole region. Alright, another!¡±


    The content of their conversation didn¡¯t fit whatsoever. Nheless, it was a conversation.


    Urich¡¯s eyes continued to shine bright as his face was flushed with alcohol. He made sure to remember what these people called ¡®money¡¯ that they exchanged with one another. Back home, tribes often bartered with dried meat, animal hide, livestock, and metals and minerals. Although it was an exchange of goods, the items did have a set value to them to be used in the trades, somewhat like this ¡®money¡¯ thing.


    <i>¡®I see how it is.¡¯</i> Urich understood what he needed. He needed money.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5</h4>


    A meal at the inn cost around five thousand cils. The cil was the Empire¡¯s unit of currency, meaning that it was practically epted pretty much anywhere on the continent. It showed how powerful and secure the reign of the Empire was.


    ¡°Come one,e all! Ten thousand cils if you win an arm wrestle match. Only two thousand to y! A more-than-amazing chance to quintuple your money!¡± Donau gathered a crowd on one side of the square. Next to him sat Urich.


    <i>Tap, tap.</i>


    Urich tapped his finger on their makeshift table as he yawned in boredom.


    <i>¡®A street arm wrestling gig.¡¯</i>


    It was a n that took Urich and Donau the whole night toe up with. To be more precise, half of that time was spent on trying tomunicate with only drawings as neither of them had a clue of what the other was saying.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the scammer Donau?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he supposed to be dead?¡±


    A few people in the crowd recognized Donau.


    <i>¡®Crap, I was supposed to be in a different city by now.¡¯</i>


    Donau was a wandering conman who went from city to city looking for the next victims of his scams. If it weren¡¯t for Urich, he¡¯d be long gone by now to a different city.


    ¡°Even that lowlife scum couldn¡¯t rig an arm wrestle match. Watch this, drinks are on me tonight!¡± A miner stepped forward as he rolled up his sleeve, exuding confidence. Ankaira was built on the copper mining industry. There were plenty of hard-working miners who had pride in their brute strength.


    ¡°Ah, finally, our first customer!¡± Urich grinned so big that his teeth showed.


    ¡°Alright, I got your entrance fee,¡± Donau assured the miner as he took the two thousand cils.


    ¡°If you run off with my money, I will kill you myself,¡± the miner warned Donau with a murderous re. Donau just smiled as he counted the coins.


    <i>¡®Urich¡¯s grip strength and arm strength are out of the ordinary.¡¯</i>


    Donau gave himself the role of judge and counted down to start the first match.


    ¡°Three, two, one, wrestle!¡±


    As soon as the match started, the miner¡¯s face turned bright red as he contracted his arm with all his might.


    ¡°Wait, what is this?¡± The miner was stunned by Urich¡¯s expressionless face. There was absolutely no sign of exertion in thetter, and neither did his arm budge. The miner felt as if he was pushing on an immovable boulder.


    ¡°It should be okay to end it now, right?¡± Urich murmured to himself, knowing that no one could understand what he was saying anyway.


    The n was simple. Don¡¯t beat them too easily, make it look like they¡¯d have a chance so people would want to give it a shot. asionally pretend like they¡¯re winning, only to ¡°just¡± beat themst minute.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    The miner¡¯s hand hit the table.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± the miner hung his head in embarrassment and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Next challenger! Do we have anyone who¡¯s actually strong here? I thought this was Ankaira, the city of miners! Where are all the brave men who mined copper in the treacherous mines day in and day out? Are they all dead?¡±


    Donau knew how to read the room and rile up a crowd. His derisive words pushed the buttons of the miners in the crowd.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me if I break your arm, Mr. Foreigner!¡± The next miner warned Urich. He was known as one of the strongest of the miners.


    ¡°Look at you, acting big and all,¡± Urich mocked the miner as the two men locked hands. He said everything with a smile, so no one knew that he was, in fact, insulting them right to their faces.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    It only took a second for Urich to smash his opponent¡¯s hand into the table. The miner stared at Urich in disbelief.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Get lost.¡± If anyone were to trante what Urich was saying to the miners, a massive brawl would have broken out by now.


    On top of the miners, many men who took pride in their strength joined the crowd. Urich decided to take a quick break after breezing through ten challengers.


    ¡°W-we beat all of them! That¡¯s twenty thousand cils, just like that! We¡¯re definitely eating good tonight!¡± Donau saw the big pile of hundred- and thousand-cil coins and couldn¡¯t contain his excitement.


    ¡°This is easy money!¡± Urich chuckled as he shook his pumped-up arm to cool it down a bit. The crowd had grown into quite a big mass.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll pretend to be tired.¡¯</i>


    Urich massaged his arm as if it was going limp from the fatigue.


    ¡°Look, he¡¯s getting tired!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time, he has already gone through ten men!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m next.¡±


    The miners who have been lurking for an opportunity slowly came forward.


    ¡°We take reservations as well! Just pay your fee upfront and you¡¯ll get your chance to take the winning home.¡± Once again, Donau read the room and encouraged the spectators.


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna let him take more breaks or anything after taking our money, right?¡±


    ¡°No, no, of course not! Starting now, we¡¯ll carry on with the matches with no breaks whatsoever. I promise!¡± Donau assured the skeptical crowd. The men were satisfied with his plead and threw in their fees. A long line soon formed in front of Urich.


    ¡°What a bunch of weaklings,¡± Urich chuckled as he watched the men line up not knowing they didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Foreigner! Thanks to you, I¡¯m going home with a chicken dinner... argh!¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    It was over for the challenger before he knew it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you how strong a tenth-year miner is... argh!¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    The back of the miner¡¯s hand turned red from being driven into the table.


    ¡°Ah, man, be gentle, would you? Eek!¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be tired by now? Keugh!¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    <i>Thump!</i>


    <i>Thump!</i>


    One after another, the challengers dropped to the ground, rolling around and clenching the back of their defeated hands.


    <i>¡®Oh right, I was supposed to go easy on them.¡¯</i>


    Urich got carried away by thepetition and stopped holding back his strength for a while. This wasn¡¯t exactly what he and Donau had nned, as the original n was to trick people into thinking that this was a winnable game.


    ¡°This is entertaining; let me give it a shot!¡±


    Regardless, they were still drawing in a crowd of men who wanted to defeat the undefeated man.


    ¡°The unstoppable Urich! The unbeatable arm wrestler! Who dares to challenge this man?¡± Donau continued to instigate the crowd. He wasn¡¯t a con artist for nothing. More men joined the crowd of challengers, but Donau ended the gig for the day.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for today, folks! Come find us again tomorrow, right here!¡±


    Urich and Donau walked into an alleyway. Donau looked at the jingling money pouch and raised his voice out of excitement.


    ¡°This is crazy, what a business this is! You truly are the best, Urich, the best!¡±


    They had made just over forty thousand cils. It wasn¡¯t a huge amount, but they were nning on raising the entry fee the next day. They would make a fortune just by bringing the fee up to five thousand cils.


    <i>Clink.</i>


    Urich grabbed a handful of coins from the pouch. It was only about ten thousand cils.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this as my share.¡±


    Urich let Donau keep the rest of their earning. After all, he did need Donau¡¯s help to adjust to the new life here, including finding a ce to sleep.


    <i>¡®Hehe, this guy is a bag of money. And he just fell into myp.¡¯</i>


    Donau had gotten a good idea of who he was working with.


    <i>¡®A brute traveler who doesn¡¯t know the ways of this world. He¡¯s probably a criminal who was exiled from his hometown.¡¯</i>


    It was true. Urich knew nothing about surviving in this world, and that was what piqued Donau¡¯s interest.


    <i>¡®I could get some good use out of this guy. I just have to be smart with it.¡¯</i>


    Donau eagerly assisted Urich. He put in more effort intomunicating with him by drawing detailed figures to exin their n for the next while.


    ¡°Hey, can I get my hands on some women with this money?¡±


    Urich pointed at his drawing of a person with breasts.


    ¡°Of course, Urich.¡± Donau nodded aggressively. He guided Urich into the red-light district of Ankaira.


    * * *


    Urich was only sixteen, but no one saw him as a teenager. Although his face was free of any wrinkles, the several scars and his rough and solid hands made him look like he was at least twenty years old.


    ¡°U-ugh, y-you¡¯re killing me,¡± the woman cried out in pain.


    The women of the red-light district often said things they didn¡¯t really mean to keep their customers happy. ¡®You¡¯re killing me,¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s too big,¡¯ ¡®No, please,¡¯ and ¡®I¡¯ming¡¯ were the staples. The newer women also learned some tips and tricks from the more experienced ones.


    ¡°Ugh, argh, ahh!¡±


    This was not one of those fake expressions. Not some fake words to please a man, but a genuine scream of pain that came out of the woman¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Nice work,dy! Haha!¡± Urich said to the hobbling prostitute who helped him with his manly duties as he lightly pped her behind.


    ¡°Animal!¡± The prostitute blurted out some curses as she took more money from Urich. Urich just let her take the money.


    Urich had just traded more than ten thousand cils for a moment¡¯s pleasure. The prostitutes in this city made a decent earning thanks to therge miner poption. In the poorer cities, it wasn¡¯t umon for women to sell their services for just a single loaf of bread.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of money, Donau,¡± Urich told Donau as he dusted himself off. Donau had also just finished doing the deed and was pulling up his pants.


    ¡°You had a noisy one, huh? I knew she¡¯d get more money out of you. She probably made her average day¡¯s earning from just you alone tonight. Hey, you wanna go somewhere even better?¡± Donau suggested with a creepy smile.


    They had about twenty thousand cils left in their money pouch. It wasn¡¯t enough to keep them going for the rest of the night.


    <i>¡®Hmm... well, if you think about how much we¡¯re going to make tomorrow...¡¯</i>


    Donau took out a gold coin worth a hundred thousand cils from his own pocket.


    The two of them headed to a higher-ss establishment where the courtesans could sing and dance. There, they ate, drank, and fucked as much as their heart desired.


    These women sent Urich over the moon. It was a different kind of festivity than what he knew from his tribe. The women dressed in colorful garments were breathtaking and their skin was unbelievably soft. Even their breaths held a sweet scent. They went so far as to bathe his fatigued body in a warm tub.


    The women hummed and seducingly swayed their hips to the sound of the instruments. They were as bewitching as goddesses in Urich¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Who needs those dirt-smelling tribe girls? Tell them to get lost!¡± Urich belched as the memories of the rather natural tribeswomen quickly faded from his mind.


    ¡°Teehee, tell them to get lost!¡± The courtesans mimicked Urich¡¯s words, even though they had no idea what he meant. Urich and Donau were as drunk as they could be¡ªnot just on alcohol, but also on the vibe. They continued to order more and more drinks and downed them like water, not that they could remember in the morning, anyway.


    When the morning dawned, Donau and Urich found themselves with their faces nted in a sticky mess of alcohol.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Donau groaned as he wrapped his hands around his head. He was severely hung over.


    ¡°That was amazing, haha! Last night alone was worth the hassle of climbing over the mountains,¡± Urich remarked as he stretched his chiseled body. He was surrounded by the naked women fromst night who had yet to awaken.


    <i>¡®Next time, I¡¯ll have to bring my brothers,¡¯ </i>Urich noted as he looked at the women. He couldn¡¯t keep a heavenly ce like this to himself. He knew of a ton of idiots from his tribe who would risk their lives in a second to climb over the Sky Mountains if they were told about this heaven.


    ¡°My head is killing me, Urich, I feel like I¡¯m gonna die, blegh!¡±


    Donau ran to a corner and vomited.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get some more of those cils. Those things are incredible!¡± Urich said in excitement, but his words made Donau remember something fromst night.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Donau stammered as he jogged his memory from the night. ¡°A... million... cils...¡± A depressed sob leaked out of Donau¡¯s lips. The women who were now awake left the room after kissing their two customers on their cheeks.


    ¡°Thanks forst night, sweetie!¡±


    ¡°I love big spenders like you two.¡±


    ¡°You guys were so cool!¡±


    ¡°Come again, Mr. Foreigner!¡±


    The women threw on some clothes without much care and left. Urich watched their behinds with a grin of satisfaction.


    Meanwhile, Donau¡¯s hands were shaking in despair.


    ¡°I spent a million cils in one night!¡±


    He had practically thrown his money around, drunk with excitement. He paid fifty thousand cils for every bottle of cheap watered-down wine and tucked gold coins between his legs, and had those women take them with their mouths.


    ¡°I was crazy, insane, oh shit, a million for a single night of women!¡±


    Donau was jumping around from the intense self-loathe.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s it. I have to get as much as I can out of this guy, god dammit.¡¯</i>


    Donau¡¯s eyes grew fierce.


    Urich cluelessly stood there naked, finishing off the leftover wine. His rugged body was a warrior¡¯s body in anyone¡¯s eyes. He was covered in tattoo-like scars from his head to toe, and his back still bore the raw wounds that hadn¡¯t healed yet. Donau deduced that Urich was a high-level warrior.


    ¡°Hey, Urich,¡± Donau called Urich over. Urich tilted his head in response.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The two still couldn¡¯tmunicate in their differentnguages, but they still exchanged words as if they could.


    ¡°How do you feel about making some big bucks?¡±


    Money was a good thing. The more one had, the better off they were.


    Urich had quickly learned this simple truth.

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6</h4>


    An Ankairan underground fight club. Contrary to the negative connotations of its name, it was apletely legal entertainment establishment.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s basically like a fistfight?¡± Urich shifted his body to loosen himself up.


    ¡°Urich, I¡¯ve told you over and over. You <i>cannot</i> kill anyone. Murder is against the rules here,¡± Donau repeated himself. He drew a picture of a man getting beheaded and crossed his arms to make an X.


    ¡°But what if they die from a really light hit? Eh, whatever. You don¡¯t understand me, anyway.¡± Urich chuckled at the thought. He had decided to join the fight club after learning that this was where he could get a lot of cils. Besides, he was quite confident in himself.


    <i>¡®The men here are all weaker than me.¡¯</i>


    To Urich, they were all nothing but fools with average bodies. This ce was full of weaklings who had never killed a single person before. It was hard to see them as fellow men.


    <i>¡®But the women, on the other hand, were amazing.¡¯</i> Urich grinned as he reminisced about his glorious night in the red-light district.


    ¡°On this side of the mountains, money is everything.¡±


    Urich stepped onto the sand. The lost teeth of countless fighters were visible through the grains. As he entered the arena, the crowd erupted in a mixture of cheers and whistles.


    ¡°Boooo!¡±


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the arm wrestler from the other day?¡±


    ¡°My money¡¯s on you!¡±


    People screamed as they looked at Urich. Urich couldn¡¯t care less about their stares. He was too busy thinking about what to do with his winnings.


    <i>¡®What should I do with the money I make from this? Some fun with the women again, obviously, but what else?¡¯</i>


    While Urich was busy daydreaming, his opponent entered the arena from the opposite side. The fighter was a gnarled man with knobby knuckles. He seemed like he had seen a fair share of action in the fight club.


    <i>¡®Should I buy an axe with the rest of the money? Their weapons were sturdier than mine. They must have better smiths here,¡¯ </i>Urich thought to himself.


    <i>Ding!</i>


    The bell rang to signal the start of the fight. Urich¡¯s opponent came flying forward.


    ¡°What an unlucky bastard, having me as the first opponent!¡± The fighter yelled. Urich dashed to the side.


    <i>¡®One hit, right in the ribs.¡¯</i>


    Urich dug into the fighter¡¯s nk. Even a seasoned fight club fighter felt as slow as a snailpared to the wild animals and warriors back home. The men here didn¡¯t fight for their lives. As far as Urich was concerned, there wasn¡¯t a single proper warrior in this room.


    <i>¡®Fordgal Arten, the man who crossed swords with me, was a warrior who was prepared to die in battle. Such men exist on this side as well,¡¯</i> Urich thought of the Empire knight that he had fought in the Sky Mountains.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Urich punched the fighter with just the right amount of power. There was an audible cracking from the fighter¡¯s ribcage.


    ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll live. If not, well, that¡¯s too bad.¡±


    Urich turned and raised his hand in victory without looking back at his fallen opponent. The fighter on the ground was showing the whites of his eyes and foaming at his mouth. Some men rushed into the arena to carry him out on a stretcher.


    ¡°U-Urich is the winner!¡±


    Urich looked around in boredom. This wasn¡¯t fun at all for him. If it weren¡¯t for the money, he wouldn¡¯t even have entertained the idea.


    ¡°W-what just happened? He finished him with just one punch?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you bastard, what is this? This is rigged, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You saw the other guyying there foaming at his mouth. It¡¯s not rigged.¡±


    The crowd was getting riled up and fights were breaking out. Many of them had bet on the fighter to beat Urich because this was his first-ever fight at the club.


    ¡°Hey, Urich won fair and square! Hand over the money, now!¡± Donau demanded the club manager.


    The manager pulled out his coin pouch as he clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Tell your guy to take his time in the next fight. If he ends it like this again, we¡¯ll lose the crowd.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I got it.¡± Donau nodded carelessly as he snatched the coin pouch.


    <i>¡®That one punchnded us a hundred thousand cils.¡¯</i>


    Donau couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it again, Urich!¡± Donau raised his finger as he looked at Urich. Urich then went on to win three straight fights. Their total winning for the day was half a million cils, which was way too much for a day¡¯s earnings.


    ¡°Hahahaha, what a day! You killed it, Urich! We just have to keep this up!¡± Donau eximed as he downed his drinks. Urich, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t lifting a finger and drank only what the women poured into his mouth.


    ¡°This truly is heaven.¡± Urich looked up at the ceiling with his flushed red face. Throw a few punches, make money, and spend that money on food and drinks¡ªnot to mention the women.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t believe I was running around the ins hunting for animals. What a fool I was.¡¯</i>


    The courtesan poured some more liquor into Urich¡¯s mouth. His uv twitched as he swallowed the drink.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it,dies. We don¡¯t have nearly as much money to waste today.¡± Donau sternly warned the courtesans who were roaming around the room in their translucent gowns.


    ¡°Oh, then, how¡¯s this?¡±


    One of the courtesans brought a hookah. They then dropped some weed in and lit it.


    <i>Bllgh, bllgh.</i>


    The woman took the hookah to her mouth first. The scented smoke flowed out of her mouth and nostrils.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that southern tobo? Weed?¡± Donau¡¯s eyes widened with curiosity.


    ¡°There¡¯s no extra charge this time, Mr. Donau.¡±


    ¡°Hah, I see what you¡¯re doing, but I¡¯ll allow it.¡±


    Donau put the pipe in his mouth without hesitation and drew in the thick smoke. He felt like he was levitating.


    ¡°Give this a try, Urich.¡±


    Urich took the pipe and took a big drag.


    <i>¡®This is...¡¯</i>


    His eyes widened. He recognized the scent.


    <i>¡®This is the thing that that old shaman always smoked.¡¯</i>


    Though the delivery mechanism was different, the scent was simr to the herbs that the shamans always smoked. He had smelled the same smell whenever he was with them. Warriors avoided weed. They thought it was something that only the old, soon-to-die warriors smoked. It was forbidden for young warriors in their prime, although no one knew why. It was just frowned upon for warriors.


    <i>¡®This isn¡¯t so bad. The oldies and shamans were keeping this to themselves this whole time?¡¯</i>


    Urich felt drowsy. His bright and sharp eyes sank low, and his focus was bing dull. Liquor was passing like water and food kept going in even though he was already full. The whispers of the courtesans sounded sweeter than ever.


    ¡°How does this feel, Mr. Champion of the Arena?¡± One of the women rhetorically asked Urich as she buried her face in between his muscr legs.


    ¡°Not bad, no, rather pretty good,¡± Urich murmured as he gave in to the wave of pleasure. When he woke up, a new morning had dawned.


    * * *


    Urich and Donau made their money from the fights in thete evenings and spent the nights drinking with the women of the Ankairan red-light district. The party would go on for the whole night. By the time they woke up the next day, it was alreadyte afternoon.


    ¡°Get up, Urich! Time to make some money,¡± Donau woke Urich up from his sweet sleep. At this point, he was treating Urich like his servant.


    ¡°Shut up, my head is ringing. You know I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± Urich muttered annoyingly as he got up with his hands wrapped around his aching head. He had been carrying on with his dissolute life with the help of Donau.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s the afternoon already, huh.¡¯</i>


    The sun was already on its way down. Urich¡¯s body felt heavier than usual.


    ¡°Phew,¡± Urich took a quick deep breath. He munched away on the leftover fruit from the night before and called it breakfast.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, my champion. Here¡¯s one for good luck.¡±


    <i>Smooch</i>.


    A courtesan kissed Urich¡¯s cheek with her red-tinted lips. At this point, Urich and Donau were practically living in the red-light district.


    <i>¡®How long has it been?¡¯</i>


    Urich couldn¡¯t remember exactly how many days it had been since he made it over the Sky Mountains. Was it thirty days? No, maybe closer to fifty. He hadn¡¯t really kept track of the days; he had only repeated the same day and night over and over.


    ¡°Donau,¡± Urich called on his partner.


    ¡°What do you want, Urich? We got ces to be and money to make. We got ourselves into a lot of debt so we can¡¯t afford to waste another second.¡± Donau snarked as he frowned. Theck of discipline and control in his life only made him spend more recklessly. He had debts everywhere, and even a loan from an Ankairan loan shark.


    ¡°My axe,¡± Urich muttered as he squatted down on the ground to scratch a drawing of a pair of battle axes.


    ¡°You want me to buy you some axes? What for? You want to chop some firewood or something?


    ¡°Axe.¡±


    Urich emphasized his demand once more by firmly pointing at his drawing. Donau was reluctant to spend his money on Urich, but he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Find, we¡¯ll swing by the smiths after the fights. But first, we¡¯ve got work to do.¡±


    Urich and Donau arrived at the fight club. The arena manager was already waiting for them.


    ¡°There you are, Urich and Donau! Everyone here is dying to see your fights.¡±


    The manager greeted Urich. Urich had be the main attraction of the fight club. The undefeated Urich. Since his debut, he hasn¡¯t lost a single fight. People didn¡¯t care whether he won or not. They just went crazy for him every fight regardless of the oue.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make this quick, Urich!¡± Donau said to Urich as he massaged his tight back and shoulders.


    <i>¡®You¡¯re my money, You cannot lose.¡¯</i>


    Urich sat there with his eyes closed, receiving Donau¡¯s massage. He was having a hard time shaking off his drowsiness even though he¡¯d had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°Oh, I guess we¡¯re starting now,¡± Urich said as he stepped into the sandy arena. It took him a second, but he was finally seeing his opponent now.


    <i>¡®He doesn¡¯t look very strong. Maybe I¡¯ll just punch him in the jaw and get it over with.¡¯</i> Urich thought to himself as he walked toward his opponent. The fighter lunged forward.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Urich looked down at the fist that buried itself in his stomach.


    <i>¡®I thought I dodged this one?¡¯</i>


    <i>Thump!</i>


    A series of punches mmed Urich out of his position.


    ¡°Wooaaah!¡± The crowd roared at the unexpected sight.


    Urich raised his arms to guard himself against the punches. He couldn¡¯t believe what was happening.


    <i>¡®Am I rusty?¡¯</i>


    Liquor, women, weed. Urich had never led such an unhinged life before. For the first time in his life, he realized that his fighting senses had be dull. Urich was only sixteen. He thought he was only getting stronger and that the opposite wasn¡¯t possible. He roamed the ins and forests hunting for animals and he battled against men on the battlefields.


    ¡°Fucking hell.¡±


    Urich was always calm in his fights at the club because he knew he was overwhelmingly stronger than his opponents. He felt like he was a lion ying around with his prey, but today was different. Urich didn¡¯t have the advantage. He cursed and raged in embarrassment and anger. He contracted every muscle in his body, not holding back a single ounce of strength.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    Urich¡¯s fist mmed into the fighter¡¯s face. The bones in his face shattered like they were brittle chalks, and his eyeballs protruded from their sockets from the pressure inside his skull.


    ¡°A-ah!¡±


    ¡°N-noo!¡±


    The crowd screamed in terror.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    The fallen fighter was obviously dead. His face was ruthlessly mangled, and the eyeballs that were severed from the optic nerves were rolling on the sand. It would have been worse if he had somehow survived in this state.


    The fight club in Ankaira was not a ce where people fought to the death. It was just a ce of entertainment for miners and gangsters to enjoy and gamble on exciting brawls.


    ¡°Ah, I got carried away. I killed him by ident,¡± Urich said casually as if it was no big deal and wiped the dead fighter¡¯s blood off his fist.


    ¡°Urich! I told you not to kill him, that it isn¡¯t allowed!¡± Donau snapped at Urich. Things quickly became extremely difficult. A man had been beaten to death inside the city. There were plenty of witnesses, so they wouldn¡¯t get charged for intentional murder. However, they still broke the rules of the fight club.


    <i>¡®They¡¯ll never let us in here again, damnit!¡¯</i>


    This was the real reason why Donau was so angry. The fight club was his source of ie. He had been spending a fortune as if he¡¯d already made all his money from Urich¡¯s fights, which meant that he was about to be buried under a mountain of debts with no way of paying them back.


    ¡°Donau, Urich, don¡¯te back here for a while,¡± the arena manager asserted. He said a while, but really, this meant a permanent ban.


    ¡°What just happened? Did he kick us out just because I killed one person? What, people don¡¯t die in fights here?¡± Urich jumped around, screaming in anger. The other men couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying, but they quickly realized that he was outraged. The armed guards slowly approached them.


    ¡°Stop it, Urich! We¡¯ve got to get out of here.¡± Donau urgently talked Urich down. If Urich got into a fight with the guards and identally killed one of them, that would really mean big trouble.


    <i>¡®This guy is a killing machine.¡¯</i>


    Donau knew the real Urich. He had seen it himself. He jogged his memory back to their first meeting when Urich treated the lives of three men like nothing. A chill ran down his spine. The fear he had for Urich a while ago slowly came back. Urich was a terrifying man.


    <i>¡®Maybe it¡¯s time for me to move on from this guy.¡¯</i>


    After all, Donau was a con man who thrived on betrayal and scams.

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7</h4>


    After being banished from the fight club, Urich headed to the red-light district. It had be a routine for him and his partner. The courtesans took his coat as if they had been waiting for him.


    ¡°The usual tonight as well?¡± One of the women asked Urich as she handed him the hookah pipe. Urich raised his eyebrows in annoyance.


    ¡°Get that thing away from me.¡±


    The woman knew what Urich meant just by the tone of his voice.


    ¡°What about some drinks?¡± The woman waved her ss in Urich¡¯s face. He snatched the ss from her hand and threw it against the wall.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The ss shattered. The courtesan¡¯s smile quickly faded away as she backed away from Urich.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Urich yelled out of frustration, and it wasn¡¯t because he had killed someone.


    <i>¡®I couldn¡¯t control my own strength.¡¯</i>


    There was nothing more humiliating for a warrior than letting himself get out of control and allowing his body to be dull and slow. This was a big problem for Urich¡¯s pride.


    ¡°Is this why you climbed the Sky Mountains? To get high and fuck women? Huh, Urich?¡± Urich yelled at himself in anger.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Urich kicked the table in front of him so hard that it shattered against the ceiling.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    The courtesans screamed out of terror and quickly fled the room.


    ¡°Damn, that Urich is causing another ruckus.¡±


    The thugs who ran the red-light district exchanged worrisome nces with each other. By now, Urich¡¯s name had been spread throughout the whole city. The undefeated champion, and now a man who had just killed another man with a single punch. The terrified thugs couldn¡¯t do or say anything to the raging fighter.


    ¡°Where is Donau?¡±


    ¡°He just said he had some errands to run and left.¡±


    Urich was left alone in the private room after the courtesans and thugs scurried out.


    <i>Cling</i>.


    Urich rummaged through his luggage to find his sword.


    ¡°Fordgal¡¯s sword.¡± After his battle against Fordgal the Empire knight, Urich kept his sword. The light of the room reflected off the smooth and shiny de.


    <i>¡®This sword is made of great metal. It almost makes my other weapons seem like dull stone weapons.¡¯</i>


    A good weapon makes a warrior feel euphoric. It bes a partner that saves their lives. If a weapon breaks in the middle of a fight, its warrior soon faces the same fate.


    <i>Swish</i>.


    Urich closed his eyes and got into his fighting stance. He traced his memory back to his fight with Fordgal. In the middle of the ruthless Sky Mountains blizzard, the two men fought for their lives. At that moment, there were no excuses or justifications. Survival was the only justice.


    Urich converged his mind on a single point.


    <i>¡®The reason why I left my home toe all the way here...¡¯</i>


    <i>Cling.</i>


    Urich wielded his sword in a slow but controlled motion. Sweat beaded on his muscles.


    <i>¡®...was to see what I did not know of with my very own eyes.¡¯</i>


    His vision was no longer blurred. The fog that had been upying the inside of his head had been cleared out.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent enough time here. It¡¯s time for me to leave.¡±


    Urich lightly spun his sword and slid it back into its sheath. Urich did enjoy his time in Ankaira. Every night was like being in heaven with all the liquor, weed, and women he could think of.


    ¡°Heaven is for the dead warriors, not those who are still living.¡±


    Urich was a man walking on the path of a warrior.


    * * *


    Donau called Urich, saying he found a new way to make them money. Urich saw this as a good chance to leave Ankaira with some traveling money.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to need money regardless of where I go.¡¯</i>


    Urich had already adapted to the new economic system that he was in.


    <i>¡®If anything, I could rob people... but it probably isn¡¯t the best idea to do it alone. It would¡¯ve worked if I had a couple more brothers with me.¡¯</i>


    Urich had the rity back in his mind for the first time in what felt like ages. After he was banned from the fight club, He had stayed away from women, weed, and even liquor¡ªbasically everything that had been dulling his mind and slowing down his body. His sharp senses drew an invisible circle around himself. He was ready to y anyone who dared to step inside it.


    ¡°This is a big one, Urich. If we pull this off, we¡¯ll be set for months doing whatever we want.¡± Donau smirked as he patted Urich on the back.


    <i>¡®You¡¯ve helped me a lot in my time here.¡¯</i>


    Urich was nning on parting ways with Donau once he made hisst bit of money.


    <i>¡®Without you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to adapt to this ce.¡¯</i>


    If Urich hade to Ankaira by himself, he would have been arrested and jailed for public disturbance a long time ago.


    ¡°An arena?¡±


    The two men arrived at an arena. Urich looked at Donau with a questioning look on his face.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be fighting with just your bare hands today. You get a sword. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s only a wooden sword.¡± Donau said to Urich with no expectation for him to understand any of his words. He was just hoping for Urich to go with the flow.


    ¡°There¡¯s no crowd.¡±


    The stands were empty with the exception of a handful of spectators, some of them armed.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Urich was intrigued by the sharp gaze of the men in the stands.


    <i>¡®They have blood on their hands.¡¯</i>


    Men who have killed other men have a distinct bloody odor. These men would kill again without hesitation.


    <i>Clink.</i>


    Urich¡¯s fingers twitched involuntarily, inching toward the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°He¡¯s not bad, look at him getting ready to grab his sword right away. He¡¯s got good battle experience,¡± one of the few spectators pointed out.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. From a quick nce, he seems like he¡¯d be a good purchase. I do have a good eye for these people,¡± a mboyantly dressed middle-aged man agreed. He was a ve trader who specialized in diators.


    ¡°No need to keep your voices down. He doesn¡¯t speak Hamelian,¡± Donau remarked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take that into the price consideration,¡± the ve trader replied with a slight grin on his face.


    ¡°Since when did you start caring about whatnguage your diator ves spoke? Just watch how he fights first.¡±


    A wooden sword was sheathed in the center of the arena. A diator walked onto the arena holding another wooden sword.


    ¡°Go on, Urich, show them what you got!¡± Donau demanded Urich as he pointed at the wooden sword in the middle of the arena.


    Urich narrowed his eyes in skepticism.


    <i>¡®So that¡¯s it, huh. They¡¯re testing me.¡¯</i>


    Urich drew the wooden sword. Its little weight indicated that it was hollowed out, not nearly heavy enough to kill anyone.


    ¡°A new diator ve. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson, rookie,¡± the free diator said to Urich.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    The two fighters walked in a circle, both with a wooden sword in their hand.


    <i>¡®Come on, Urich, please give him a good beating. You have to drive your price up.¡¯</i>


    Donau had an insidious grin on his face. As a ve, Urich would easily fetch a few million, maybe over ten million cils.


    ¡°Huph!¡± The diator swung his wooden sword with intent.


    <i>¡®Good attitude, but too slow.¡¯</i>


    Urich jerked his upper body back and dodged the swing. His eyes remained locked on the wooden de.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich reached for his opponent¡¯s sword and snatched it out of his hand.


    ¡°H-huh?¡±


    The diator couldn¡¯t believe what just happened.


    ¡°Haha, you want it back?¡± Urich cackled at his dumbfounded opponent and tossed the sword back. The diator¡¯s face turned bright red from the utter humiliation.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    Urich threw his own sword on the ground and taunted his opponent by flicking his finger.


    ¡°Come at me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    The diator swung his wooden sword with all his might. Although he was consumed by rage, his technique remained under control. He was just unfortunate with the matchup.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    Urich snatched his opponent¡¯s sword once again, and this time, by snapping his wrist.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this child¡¯s y. I¡¯ve been wielding real des since I was five.¡±


    Urich threw the stolen sword on the ground behind him. This was no longer entertaining for him. His opponent was weak, and the fight didn¡¯t have the thrill of a life-or-death battle.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± the diator groaned in pain as he stepped back with his il wrist in his other hand.


    ¡°Stop right there! I¡¯ve seen enough!¡± The ve trader who was watching the fight from the stands shouted at the two men in the arena.


    <i>¡®What an amazing uncut gem.¡¯</i> The ve trader couldn¡¯t contain his excitement as a big grin spread across his face. He immediately called to Donau.


    ¡°How much!¡±


    Donau¡¯s weaselly brain spun the numbers as soon as he heard the ve trader¡¯s words. It was time for a negotiation.


    ¡°How about you give me your offer first, Horus!¡±


    ¡°Five million cils.¡±


    ¡°Are you joking right now? He is worth at least fifteen million. You saw him yourself; he is amazing! You¡¯ll never find one like this anywhere else.¡± Donau was giving all his effort to convince the buyer to pay what he wanted.


    ¡°Hah, it¡¯ll take months for me to train a ve who doesn¡¯t even speak Hamelian into a proper one. I¡¯ll give you eight million cils for him.¡±


    ¡°You know what, fine. I¡¯ll be nice and keep it under ten million. Nine and a half million.¡±


    ¡°Nine million and we have a deal here,¡± Horus the ve trader proimed as he set his final offer.


    ¡°Nine million... Very well. I¡¯ll take the payment upfront. I¡¯ll treat him well with a ton of food and a great ce to sleep for hisst night,¡± Donau giggled as he thought about the fortune that he had just made off of Urich.


    <i>¡®Thank you so much, Urich. Not only did you save my life, but you are leaving me with such a big paycheck.¡¯</i>


    Horus took out his shiny gold coins from his inner pocket.


    ¡°Here¡¯s three million cils, for now. You¡¯ll get the rest after we¡¯vepleted our deal, Donau.¡±


    Donau reached for the gold coins as he smiled at Urich.


    ¡°Look, Urich, we¡¯re rich now, hehehe. Let¡¯s have some fun with this, shall we?¡±


    The gold coins clinked as they shed together in Donau¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Urich spoke in an undertone as he scratched his head and took a look around himself.


    <i>¡®Two armed warriors.¡¯</i>


    Horus had two guards by his side. They were yawning as they were patiently waiting for the transaction to be over.


    ¡°Look at all this money, Urich! Haha!¡± Donau was blinded by the money in his hands. He didn¡¯t know how to stop himself from smiling as worldly greed took over his mind.


    <i>sh.</i>


    It only took half a second or maybe less.


    Urich snatched the sword from the yawning guard and drew it in the blink of an eye. His hands were faster than anyone else¡¯s.


    <i>ng</i>.


    The gold coins ttered to the ground. Donau fell to the ground as he let out an excruciating scream.


    ¡°M-my hand, my hand! A-ah... Ahh!¡±


    His right hand was cut off. Urich¡¯s de was covered in Donau¡¯s blood. No one was able to react to Urich¡¯s sudden movement. If he wanted to, he could have killed Horus as well on a whim.


    ¡°U-ugh, ugh!¡±


    Urich yanked the groaning Donau by his hair and threw him to the ground. The guards looked for a signal from Horus, but Horus stood by and just watched.


    ¡°Open your mouth, Donau. I¡¯m going to cut out your tongue now,¡± Urich calmly said to Donau. The wordsing out of his mouth were being spoken in Hamelian. Slurred, but it was clearly Hamelian.


    <i>¡®When did he learn to speak ournguage? Or has he always been able to?¡¯</i>


    Donau was speechless. He dropped his head as he trembled in fear and pain.


    ¡°Urich, sir, please have mercy on me. We were g-good friends, were we n-not?¡±


    ¡°Speak slowly and clearly. I can¡¯t understand you if you speak too fast,¡± Urich told Donau as he wiped his blood off the de.


    ¡°Let me live, please. I¡¯ll do anything, anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough talking. Just open your mouth.¡±


    ¡°U-ugh... Ugh!¡±


    Urich shoved his fingers inside Donau¡¯s mouth. He dug his nails into Donau¡¯s slippery tongue and pulled it out with force.


    ¡°Say goodbye to your tongue. It worked really hard for you!¡±


    <i>Snip¡ª!</i>


    Urich swung his sword lightly. Donau¡¯s slimy tongue fell to the ground. His deafening scream filled the entire room. Urich wiped his bloody hand on his pants as he got up.


    ¡°Ooh... A-ahh.¡±


    Donau wailed as he rolled around on the ground. He was bleeding out, but no one lifted a finger to help him. He was as helpless as a mere worm.


    <i>Sss.</i>


    Urich¡¯s eyes were as calm as ever after he had killed Donau. He felt no rage from the betrayal. He tossed the sword back to the guard whom he had stolen from as if he was just doing what he had to do.


    ¡°Nice sword. You must take very good care of it¡ªwell done. I used it well,¡± Urich said to the guard as he lightly shrugged.


    <i>¡®Scary bastard.¡¯</i>


    Horus broke out in a cold sweat. His clothes were sticking to his back from being soaked in his sweat.


    <i>¡®That is not a beast to be tamed.¡¯</i>


    Horus didn¡¯t even consider ordering his men to try to capture Urich. Even if they seeded, a mad dog like Urich would never listen to its owner.


    ¡°It seems like you two had a mimunication. We¡¯ll be on our way and don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t call the guards. It looked like self-defense to me,¡± Horus said to Urich as he scurried to pick up the gold coins near Donau¡¯s cold, severed hand.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Our negotiations aren¡¯t over yet,¡± Urich said to Horus as he set the tipped-over chair straight and took a seat with his armszily crossed.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The wrinkles around Horus¡¯ eyes deepened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work for you as your diator. Are you not one of those people who go around making money off diator fights?¡±


    Horus was a very calctive man. He took a seat across from Urich.


    ¡°A diator who is not a ve gets to keep half of the money they win from the fights. We¡¯ll take care of your food, drinks, and clothes, of course.¡±


    ¡°And the women?¡±


    ¡°That goes into the ¡®food¡¯. Was that not obvious?¡±


    Urichughed out loud at Horus¡¯ment.


    ¡°Hah, I don¡¯t mind that at all. Alright, let¡¯s shake on it, then.¡±


    Urich held out his hand. Donau¡¯s severed hand on the ground not too far from them made Horus hesitate to reciprocate, but he forced himself to do so as nonchntly as he could. The new partners shook hands in agreement to their new deal.


    ¡°Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Horus, and I am a broker of diator battles. I also dabble in ve trades.¡±


    ¡°And my name is Urich.¡±


    ¡°Wee, Urich.¡±


    The deal wasplete.

 Chapter 8: The Horus Gladiators

    <h4>Chapter 8: The Horus diators</h4>


    There were two kinds of diators. The first were the free diators. They were free men who had signed a contract with the diator brokers who werepensated in various forms and also had the right to refuse any fights they deemed too dangerous for themselves. The second was the ve diators. They spent their entire lives fighting for the brokers that owned them until they died. ves in the Empire, like these men, were mostly barbarians or foreigners.


    The Horus diators had set up a camp. A bonfire was burning through the night, and lively chatter loudly made its way throughout the camp.


    ¡°Hey, Urich,e eat your meal over here. That area is for the ves,¡± the other free diators called out to Urich.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine over here. I want to watch them for a while,¡± Urich answered as he waved his hands.


    ¡°Why would he want to watch the ves? What a strange guy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a foreigner too. Where did he say he was from? He has a really unique ent.¡±


    ¡°Judging by his size, probably from the north?¡±


    ¡°Is he trying to find a fellow northerner among the ves or something?¡±


    The diators chattered about the neer. Urich shrugged off the chatter and walked over to where the ves were gathered.


    ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re the rookie. Your name was... Urich, right?¡± The guard watching over the ves acknowledged him.


    ¡°Where is that ve over there from?¡± Urich asked the guard as he pointed at one of the ves. The guard shrugged in response.


    ¡°He¡¯s from the south, obviously. He¡¯s short, and he¡¯s got copper-colored skin. Guys like him are often from the south.¡±


    ¡°Really? So, you can tell the southerners and northerners apart just from how they look?¡±


    The guard widened his eyes in surprise at Urich¡¯s question.


    ¡°How could you not know that? Where are you even from?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from the middle of nowhere. Here, take this as a payment for this chat.¡±


    Urich tossed a ten-thousand-cil coin to the guard. The guard chuckled as he snatched the coin out of the air.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d rather have someone to talk to than just stand here staring at these ves. The southerners, like I said, are usually smaller¡ªshorter and skinnier. You¡¯ll see a bigger southerner asionally, but that¡¯s usually not the case. They alsocked the manpower because of their size, so it didn¡¯t take long for the Empire to take over theirnd. The problem was the northerners. You¡¯re not from the north, are you?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to do with the north. I¡¯m just a foreigner who doesn¡¯t speak Hamelian very well yet, so you have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I did hear that there were still some kingdoms that don¡¯t speak ournguage... oh well. Anyway, the north was a pain for the Empire. It took us ten years to conquer them when it only took us a year to do the same with the south. It¡¯s not like the northernnd was any bigger than the south, but it still took us ten times longer. To this day, we still have a lot of old people who grind their teeth in anger whenever they hear about the northerners. Their resistance was so aggressive that it caused harm to the Empire as well.¡±


    ¡°Is the big one over there a northerner, then?¡± Urich picked out a bigger ve from the group.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve got decent eyes. You managed to pick out the only northerner in our group. That¡¯s Sven, a ve diator who¡¯s managed to stay alive for over three years now. As big as they are, they¡¯re fierce and skilled in battle. Most of all, they are not afraid of death. They believe that those who die in battle go to heaven, which they call the Field of Swords. They also believe that dying of old age or illness doesn¡¯t get you into heaven like dying in battle does. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°This olddy that I know also said that you¡¯re treated well in the afterlife if you die as a warrior,¡± Urich remarked in response to the guard¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°You can¡¯t believe what old people say. You gotta know when to die when you¡¯re that old.¡±


    The guardughed at his ownment and Urichughed along. Urich was leaning against a tree as he watched the ves. The ves were shackled by their feet, so if any of them were to manage an escape, they wouldn¡¯t get very far. Also, if they were caught running, their fate was quite predictable.


    ¡°ves.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar term to Urich. Sometimes, the tribes that don¡¯t get along very well would go to war. They would try to kill all men and take the women as ves. Children were no exception. After all, boys grow up to be the same men who pick up a sword to fight.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    After watching the ves, Urich walked over to where the group of free diators were finishing up their meals.


    ¡°Hey, rookie, yeah you over there,¡± someone called Urich.


    ¡°My name is Urich, not ¡®rookie¡¯.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve never heard of you before, so you are, in fact, the rookie.¡± The group of diators cackled. ¡°Come here and introduce yourself. You¡¯re a rookie, so act like one,¡± one of the diators said to Urich.


    It was a ssic hazing. Urich approached them with an expressionless face.


    ¡°My name is Donovan. I¡¯m what you¡¯d call the face of the Horus diators, if I do say so myself.¡± Donovan was a diator with sun-tanned, well-toned muscles who exuded the aura of an experienced warrior. Calling himself the ¡®face¡¯ of the entire squad didn¡¯t seem like an overstatement. He was apanied by several other diators, showing that he was quite an influential figure within the group.


    ¡°My name is Urich. See you around.¡±


    ¡°Stop right there. Where are you from?¡± Donovan asked Urich as one of his entourages stopped thetter.


    ¡°Hey, when Donovan asks you a question, you answer him, Mr. Rookie. U-ugh!¡±


    Urich grabbed the diator¡¯s arm and jerked it back. The diator screeched in pain as his muscles and ligaments gave way.


    ¡°Just a little more bend and you¡¯ll be crippled for the rest of your life. No more diator work for you either, of course. How does that sound?¡± Urich chuckled heartlessly. The diator¡¯s heart sank. At the end of the day, these diators were just glorified gangsters whose only talent was being handy with a sword. With a crippled arm, they would have no means of earning a living.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re joking, right?¡± The diator broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m just joking, buddy.¡± Urich grinned at the diator as he shoved thetter back. The diator caught his breath as if he had just stared death in its eyes.


    <i>Munch.</i>


    Donovan ripped off a piece of the grilled meat with his mouth. He red at Urich as he licked his grease-covered fingers.


    ¡°You¡¯re a barbarian, aren¡¯t you? I can smell it. I know the smell from going around killing your kind back in the day, rookie.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What smell?¡± Urich snarked at Donovan as he strode over to thetter.


    ¡°The smell of the beasts that couldn¡¯t be proper humans, the smell of the ones that pretend to be humans on the outside. Which barbarian are you? The ones from the north? Or the south? What is a hillbilly like you doing here, pretending to be one of us?¡± Donovan cackled and the other diators quietly joined the mockery.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve got a hell of a nose. It¡¯s like you¡¯re a dog, not a man!¡±


    Urich¡¯s words stiffened the air. Donovan narrowed his eyes at Urich.


    ¡°If you¡¯re a barbarian, act like one. Put on your leash and clean up after us civilized people and stop pretending like you can be one of us.¡±


    Urich made no secret of his identity, but he wasn¡¯t expecting anyone to recognize it. There wasn¡¯t much separating Urich from the people on this side of the Sky Mountains, especially with the right clothes. But Donovan detected the distinct barbaric aura from Urich.


    ¡°When I was in the army ten years ago, we were sent out to conquer the barbariannds in the south. I¡¯ve seen and killed countless barbarians like you; Animals who still reek of beastly odor,¡± Donovan snarked with significant hatred.


    Urich let out a light chuckle.


    ¡°What is this, are we just introducing ourselves now? ¡®My name is Donovan. I was a soldier in the army, and I¡¯ve ughtered a lot of barbarians. Animals!¡¯ What, you want me to introduce myself too?¡± Urich mocked Donovan with a mimic. Donovan¡¯s face turned bright red from the embarrassment.


    ¡°Sleep with one eye open, rookie,¡± Donovan said with a malicious tone, but Urich shrugged off his threat like it was a joke.


    ¡°In my barbarian experience, there¡¯s something critically wrong with you people.¡± Urich opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. ¡°You guys talk too much with those busy tongues of yours, and I¡¯ve been thinking about why... It¡¯s because you don¡¯t get your tongues cut off for talking so much, and because your necks and tongues are still intact, you can do all that talking again.¡±


    Urich drew his sword from his belt.


    <i>Cling!</i>


    At the sound of Urich¡¯s sword, the diators screamed and rushed to draw their weapons.


    ¡°H-he pulled out his sword! You really want to do this? Huh?¡± The diators shouted at Urich.


    Urich lifted his sword and got into his battle stance. His muscles warmed up in preparation for the imminent fight. His eyes took on the color of a stone-cold killer.


    ¡°You insulted a warrior, and now you¡¯ll pay for it with your lives, you loudmouths. I¡¯ll split all your heads into two.¡± Urich¡¯s ruthless words didn¡¯t have a slight hint of humor. He was as serious as he had ever been, and his murderous intent filled the air with a distinct stench.


    <i>¡®Is he actually trying to fight me?¡¯</i>


    Donovan widened his eyes in surprise. He had no intention of bringing this to an actual fight. It was almost ritualistic for a rookie, a barbarian one at that, to go through a haze like this.


    Urich was unlikely to win against a group of diators. And even if he did get through all of them, he¡¯d just be surrounded by the armed guards anyway.


    <i>¡®Does he really think he can win this? Or is this just a barbarian¡¯s foolishness?¡¯</i>


    Donovan drew his sword. As a veteran soldier and diator, he would never shy away from a fight. If he had to fight, he¡¯d do so without hesitation.


    The two men were about to cross their swords.


    ¡°Stop! Stop it, you idiots!¡± Horus rushed toward the two diators in a standoff. Someone must have reported the situation to him, or he may have been keeping an eye on the situation as he knew a fight had been brewing for some time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop them, Horus! The barbarian drew his sword first. Where the hell did you find a barbarian to be your diator? He should be a ve like the other ones,¡± the other diators demanded of Horus. Urich silently prepared to counter the attack.


    <i>¡®I have to parry the swing and slice his neck. I have to sh more than one with my first movement.¡¯</i> Urich was actually intending to fight these diators.


    ¡°Stop it! You can¡¯t die before you pay off your debts. If you really want to fight, do it in the arena! Urich, you took a hundred thousand cils from me upfront. Donovan, you already owe me over a million! Put your swords away. Otherwise, I¡¯m turning the winner into a ve, regardless of who it is.¡±


    Horus was furious. Donovan sheathed his sword without much rebuttal.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what the leader wants, I¡¯ll let you keep your pride,¡± Donovan muttered as he signaled the other diators. They all followed suit and withdrew their weapons.


    ¡°You got lucky, barbarian.¡±


    The diators turned away.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the lucky one?¡± Urich muttered as he plunged his de into the ground. His sweaty muscles glistened in the reflection of the bonfire.

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9</h4>


    The Horus diators arrived at the city. The promoters roamed the city¡¯s taverns to spread the word of a diatorial tournament. The sound of bloody entertainment quickly caught the attention of many people in the city.


    Horus made an arrangement with another diator squad for a fight, and the rest of the scheduling waspleted smoothly.


    The diators, including Urich, were given some personal time. Urich was a bit short on money, so he took an advance of five hundred thousand cils from Horus so he could explore the city and see all the new sights.


    <i>¡®This diator thing makes decent money.¡¯</i>


    Urich watched the city bustle with the news of their arrival. Everywhere he went, he heard people talking about their tournament.


    ¡°What is this long, dark thing? It looks like a dick.¡±


    The sausages at the street stalls caught Urich¡¯s attention. The perfectly grilled and colored sausages smelled delicious.


    ¡°This is stir-fried pork intestines and meat. Would you like one? It¡¯s only three thousand cils.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s expensive,¡± Urich grumbled, but he bought one regardless and took a bite. His mouth was soon filled with the savory juice of the sausage.


    ¡°Delicious, so delicious. This is really good!¡± Urich eximed in awe with each bite. The cuisine in this city had a strong taste thanks to their heavy use of salt and other spices. The variety of cooking methods was also iparable to what Urich had seen in his tribe.


    ¡°Damn, aren¡¯t I d I climbed over the mountains,¡± Urich said in his ownnguage. As he wandered the streets, he was drawn to a familiar sound and smell.


    <i>Ting! Ting!</i>


    A cksmith¡¯s forge was busy with their hammering.


    <i>¡®A cksmith.¡¯</i>


    Urich entered the forge. He nodded to the smiths as a greeting.


    <i>¡®cksmiths are men worthy of my respect.¡¯</i>


    These men were responsible for forging the lifeblood weapons of warriors. One good smith was worth dozens of warriors.


    ¡°Wee,¡± the apprentice cksmith said to Urich. His face was red from being scorched by the hot furnace all day long.


    ¡°Is that all the weapon you have?¡± Urich asked the apprentice as he looked at the weapons that were disyed on the shopfront. They didn¡¯t seem to have the axes that Urich preferred.


    ¡°We can make you anything you want. Master, you have a new customer here!¡±


    A middle-aged man walked out from inside the forge. He had a strong stench of sweat as if he had just been hammering away at the metal.


    ¡°Is there anything you want in particr?¡± The master asked Urich.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a pair of axes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we have all sorts of axes on disy here. You must be looking for something special?¡±


    ¡°Well, the ones over there are too heavy and I don¡¯t like their weight distribution.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re looking for something you can throw! That¡¯s odd, not a lot of people ask for something like that,¡± the master smith said as he scratched his head at the unusual request. Urich described his ideal axes with hand gestures.


    He described an axe that could carry a lot of momentum when thrown. This was Urich¡¯s favorite weapon because of how great it felt in his hands and its ability to create unexpected variables in battles.


    ¡°Something like this. Can you do it?¡± Urich went through the motion of throwing his imaginary axe. There was no better axe thrower than Urich. He could pick a target and choose exactly where he wanted the de and hilt to strike it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a veryplex order, but making it is no problem to me. What about the money?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you three hundred thousand cils in advance and the rest after I get the axes.¡±


    ¡°And one million after I¡¯m done.¡±


    Urich wasn¡¯t sure if what the smith was asking for was a fair price. He scratched his head in hesitation for a bit but soon nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Very well, this is going to take me around three days, soe back for them around then.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, can you also sharpen this thing for me? It¡¯s getting pretty dull,¡± Urich said as he pulled out Fordgal¡¯s sword. He had been using it since the day he fought Fordgal in the mountains.


    <i>¡®This is a good sword.¡¯</i>


    Even Urich, who had never preferred swords, took a liking to this one.


    ¡°This is...¡± The master smith¡¯s eyes lit up as Urich handed him the sword.


    ¡°Hey, I like that sword so be careful with it,¡± Urich sternly warned the smith.


    ¡°This sword was forged with imperial steel. The small engraving on the de... It¡¯s the marking of the Hiern forge. You have something special here.¡±


    ¡°Imperial steel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a type of metal that only the Empire royalties have ess to¡ªthey have the monopoly. Its quality is far superior to any other ordinary metal, hence the name steel. Only a handful of forges authorized by the Emperor can use imperial steel to forge their weapons. These weapons are usually reserved for the Imperial knights, with a few asionally making their way into the hands of civilians, but they are very hard toe across.¡±


    Urich briefly closed his eyes to picture what he remembered of Fordgal, the warrior in strange armor.


    <i>¡®He must¡¯ve been one of those Imperial knights.¡¯</i>


    Since his arrival, Urich had gotten a vague idea of how this side of the world worked. The world beyond the Sky Mountains was dominated by a powerful nation called the Empire.


    ¡°The imperial steel is stronger and sturdier so it can withstand much greater forces than the regr metal we often use. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get to see a weapon forged with it. What a day for my eyes,¡± the master smith remarked in admiration.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying it¡¯s a really good sword, right? Haha!¡± The smith¡¯sments only made Urich happier.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never be out weaponed with this sword, that¡¯s for sure. I have an idea of how you got your hands on it but that¡¯s none of my business... One advice for you, a lot of people will try toe after this sword if they recognize its value,¡± the smith said to Urich as he honed the sword.


    ¡°Oh? How much is this thing worth?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but at least twenty million cils? If you¡¯re looking for a buyer, I¡¯ll give you some extra on top of that as well.¡±


    The master smith was being honest. Just seeing and holding a sword made of the rare imperial steel was enough to make him happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s not for sale. I was just wondering,¡± Urich replied, unable to contain his grin.


    <i>¡®Everyone¡¯s going to die of envy when I return to the vige with this sword.¡¯</i>


    Urich took the finished sword. The well-oiled de was shinier than ever.


    ¡°It¡¯s on the house. In fact, I should be paying you for showing me such a fine sword.¡±


    ¡°I like you, master cksmith man. Swing by the diator tournamentter. I¡¯ll be fighting.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a diator? I wish you the best of luck.¡±


    The cksmith nodded in respect. Urich did the same in return and left the forge.


    * * *


    ¡°All I get is eight hundred thousand cils for fighting for my life? That is so stingy.¡±


    ¡°If we all got paid for risking our lives, everyone and their dogs would be filthy rich. Hah!¡±


    Horus sneered at Urich¡¯sint. The arena was bing a frenzy of bloodthirsty people waiting for the next fights to begin.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your armor and shield?¡± The armory keeper asked Urich. In the corner, there were old armor and shields avable to use for diators who didn¡¯t have their personal armory. A few of them were trying on the ragged armor to find the ones that fit them best.


    ¡°Hah, wearing that heavy clobber only slows me down,¡± Urich answered as he cleaned his de. He was sitting alone, away from the rest of the diators. They ignored Urich as if he didn¡¯t exist.


    Donovan, the man with whom Urich had shed, was a veteran diator with great influence over many other diators within the Horus squad. No diator was willing to befriend a rookie who had gotten himself on Donovan¡¯s bad side.


    ¡°You should at least wear a chest te and a helmet, young man,¡± a ve diator who had just been released from his shackles said to Urich. His hair and beard were unkempt¡ªshowing the obviousck of care¡ªbut his eyes were serene. He carried arge, two-handed battle axe.


    ¡°You must be the old man they paired me up with. Was it Sven?¡±


    Urich sat down next to Sven. Sven was a ve diator who had been paired with Urich topete in the tournament. ve diators and free diators were seldom paired, but not a single free diator volunteered to be Urich¡¯s partner.


    ¡°You have a fine sword.¡± Sven showed an interest in Urich¡¯s sword.


    ¡°I was told it was forged with imperial steel. Look, you like it?¡± Urich said to Sven as he swung his sword around. A metallic sound cut through the air.


    ¡°Imperial steel? Is that true?¡±


    Sven¡¯s surprised words caught the attention of the other diators who were checking their weapons. They all looked up at Urich¡¯s sword, even though they had no way of telling it apart from their regr swords.


    ¡°I¡¯ve shed it a few times, and it¡¯s definitely different from the average sword. The de stays sharp, even after cutting through people.¡±


    ¡°If that sword is really made from imperial steel...¡± The diators swallowed in jealousy. All of them had heard about the famous Imperial steel. Any warrior would kill to get their hands on a weapon forged with it.


    ¡°No way that¡¯s an imperial steel sword. You were probably scammed by an idiot scammer. You think just anybody can carry something like that around?¡± Donovan mocked Urich as he tightened the straps on his leather armor.


    <i>¡®No way a barbarian like him has a sword made of imperial steel. What a joke that would be.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Hah, Donovan¡¯s probably right. No way.¡¯</i>


    The other diators all seemed to agree with Donovan¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough chit-chat, go out there and fight! Go make some money, like a diator!¡± Horus entered the preparation room and eximed to his diators. The diators simultaneously released a battle cry as they all raised their weapons.


    The paired Urich and Sven stood in the doorway moving their limbs around to warm up along with the other diators.


    ¡°Where are you from? You don¡¯t seem like you were born and raised within the Empire borders,¡± Sven asked quietly.


    ¡°You would freak out if I told you where I¡¯m from.¡±


    ¡°You look like you¡¯ve seen a fair share of fights, but don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    The arena gates opened as the pulleys moved. The pair of diators slowly stepped into the sandy arena ground.


    <i>Waaaaah!</i>


    The scream of the crowd was deafening. They had already been riled up to the point of no return by the blood spilled in thest match.


    ¡°People of the Empire don¡¯t get to see the wars with their own eyes. That¡¯s why they go so crazy over these diatorial tournaments,¡± Sven murmured as he stared ahead. Their opposing pair had also entered the arena.


    ¡°Gramps, you take the one on the right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not old enough to have someone call me ¡®gramps¡¯ just yet.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Then trim your beard or something. What, you¡¯re gonna take it with you when your head gets chopped off?¡± Urich cackled and swung his sword in a circle. Their opponents were a pair of diators with swords and shields.


    ¡°You came out here with just a sword? Cocky,¡± The diator said to Urich as he faced him. The battle naturally began as a one-on-one. The first diator to kill his opponent and help his partner would have a much better advantage in making it out of the arena alive.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Urich ignored his opponent¡¯s words and scanned him from his head to toe. He was wearing leather armor and carried a circr shield that covered half his body.


    <i>¡®His defense is solid.¡¯</i>


    Urich lightly hopped in ce. His body bounced as his stic muscles moved in harmony. His muscles were supreme in both flexibility and strength.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Urich rushed forward. The diator firmly raised his shield against him.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Urich leaped into the air and surpassed the height of the diator, easily jumping over his sword.


    <i>Shunk!</i>


    The airborne Urich stabbed the diator in between his corbones. The sharp de sliced through his lungs and pierced his heart in an instant.


    ¡°U-ugh.¡±


    The diator copsed as his blood poured out of his body.


    ¡°See, this is why you shouldn¡¯t wear those heavy armors; they just slow you down. Your reaction was slow. So slow!¡± Urich said to his fallen opponent as he wiped his blood off the de. The fight ended in a single blow, but the crowd erupted, going crazy over Urich.


    ¡°D-did you see that? His jump was higher than the other guy¡¯s height!¡±


    ¡°Did they find this guy from a circus?¡±


    Urich¡¯s moves were mboyant. No other diator in the tournament would even dare to emte his athleticism.


    ¡°Hey, gramps, need some help?¡± Urich called out, looking at Sven who was in the middle of his fight. The other diator started to rush his attacks in fear of the imminent two-on-one battle.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Svenughed out loud as he puffed out his chest as if he were asking his opponent to stab him right in his heart. He seemed defenseless.


    The diator aimed for Sven¡¯s chest with his dagger. He figured that no matter how quick Sven was with his double-handed battle axe, it wouldn¡¯t be as agile as his dagger.


    <i>¡®Sounds about right.</i>¡¯


    Urich was certain the next blow would decide the result of the exchange.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    The other diator had made a sound judgment, but Sven¡¯s axe was out of the ordinary. It was much faster than the diator¡¯s dagger. The heavy axe de sliced through the helmet and the head inside it altogether. Sven lifted his blood and brain matter-covered axe to show to the ecstatic crowd.


    <i>Waaaaaaah!</i>


    The roar of the crowd raised the hair on Urich¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need your help just yet, my little friend,¡± Sven said as he pushed past Urich. Urich let out a weak chuckle.


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s ¡®little friend¡¯ now? I thought I was ¡®young man.¡¯ I¡¯m definitely old enough to not be called either of those, old man!¡±


    ¡°Hah, that kind of bluffing only works on people around here. You look like you¡¯re seventeen? Eighteen, at most. My son would be around your age¡ªif he was still alive.¡±


    Sven was spot on. Urich was only sixteen. Sven was a barbarian from the north. His eyes, unlike the people from the Empire, were able to see exactly how old Urich was.


    ¡°Anyway, I live to see another day. I suppose my time to head to the Field of Swords is still a long way off,¡± Sven snickered as he slung his axe across his back. He did not look or sound like a typical ve diator.


    <i>¡®He has guts and the skills.¡¯</i>


    Sven¡¯s finishing move was ingrained into Urich¡¯s memory. He opened his chest to draw in the opponent¡¯s attack, then, with an even faster swing, hended his blow straight down his opponent¡¯s skull. This was only possible because he was absolutely certain that his double-handed battle axe could move quicker than the diator¡¯s dagger.


    <i>¡®A bold fighter like him is living as a ve?¡¯</i>


    Urich spat on the ground as he walked back to the preparation room. The other diators murmured among themselves as they watched Urich enter the room.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s not an ordinary diator.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®No one jumps that high, not even without any armor weighing them down.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10</h4>


    The first day of the diatorial tournament came to an end, and the free diators lined up to receive their share of the winnings.


    <i>Tinkle, tinkle.</i>


    Horus counted the coins one by one. It was Urich¡¯s winnings from the earlier match.


    ¡°Here¡¯s two hundred thousand cils, after deducting the advance I gave you earlier.¡±


    Urich, who still reeked of blood, frowned in disappointment.


    ¡°Are you kidding me right now? I can get more than this from just robbing a random person on the street.¡±


    ¡°Hey, watch it. I take pride in my integrity when I¡¯m doing my math for you. You took six hundred thousand cils from me as an advance. You won eight hundred thousand,¡± Horus red and said to Urich.


    ¡°I need a million, no, two million more, just to be safe,¡± Urich pleaded to Horus as he counted with his fingers.


    <i>¡®I need at least a million to pay the cksmith and find a nice woman¡ªnot some random whore that everyone and their dogs bang.¡¯</i>


    Horus leaned back and locked his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m going to start taking interest from now on, Urich. Consider your first advance as a simple favor.¡±


    ¡°Interest?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you take two million cils from me right now, you¡¯ll have to pay me back with an extra two hundred thousand on top of the original two million.¡±


    ¡°Book me a lot of matches. I¡¯ll pay you back in no time,¡± Urich proimed with confidence.


    Horus smirked. <i>¡®I thought he was smart, but he¡¯s just a simple barbarian like the rest of them. He¡¯s a fool who only cares about what¡¯s right in front of his eyes. He¡¯ll be easy to manipte.¡¯</i>


    By now, it was no secret that Urich was a barbarian. Even though they can be difficult to tell apart just by looking at them, it quickly became obvious when living under the same roof. Their behavior and mannerism was not like those who were from the Empire.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll use you as much as I can, then I¡¯ll let you die a razzled death.¡¯</i>


    Horus took out a few gold coins from his pocket. Urich¡¯s face brightened up.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯de through, Horus,¡± Urich said as he took the gold coins from Horus¡¯ hands.


    ¡°Your interest is ten percent, Urich.¡±


    ¡°Book me about three matches in a row. You¡¯ll have your money back before you know it.¡±


    The other diators snickered at Urich¡¯s cocky words.


    ¡°He¡¯s basically a monkey who has no idea what he¡¯s doing. He won¡¯t live long,¡± Donovan said as he watched Urich walk away into the distance.


    Urich wasn¡¯tsting long because his senseless, barbaric childishness was going to get him killed. This was the consensus around Horus¡¯ diator squad.


    * * *


    Urich went through the tribaling-of-age ceremony at fourteen. In the tribe, a healthy boy bing a man meant that he was bing a warrior. Warriors were the shield and sword of the tribe, protecting them and attacking their enemies. To be a warrior, a boy had to prove that he had what it took.


    There were no set rituals or tests that had to bepleted. Anything that would be considered worthy of the warrior title did the job. This included surviving alone in the woods and ins for half a month or killing a lion by oneself. Even if what the boy aplished wasn¡¯t necessarily as brave as the examples above, they weren¡¯t stopped from bing a man and a warrior.


    However, the fourteen-year-old Urich shocked the entire Stone Axe Tribe with his ceremony. He went out into the ins alone and infiltrated another tribe¡¯s territory. He then proceeded to behead three of their warriors who hade out on a hunting trip. A boy, not even fully physically matured yet, returned to the vige with three adult heads swinging by his belt. At that moment, the tribesmen all knew.


    <i>¡®Urich is going to be a mighty warrior.¡¯</i>


    Urich did not disappoint their big expectations. It took him less than two years as a brand-new warrior to umte a pile of achievements of things that other average warriors couldn¡¯t even dream of. Whenever an enemy tribe heard that Urich of the Stone Axe was going to be fighting against them, they would often retreat.


    <i>¡®The 30-man ughter fest was pretty fun.¡¯</i>


    Urich reminisced about the past. About a year ago, a tribeswoman whom Urich frequently got intimate with was kidnapped by another tribe, gang-raped, and killed in the process. It wasn¡¯t like Urich was in love with the woman. They had only slept together every now and then because they werepatible, and she had liked the idea of receiving the seeds of such a strong warrior.


    Regardless, he was enraged. He infiltrated the territory of the tribe that murdered his woman by himself and ambushed their men for three straight days. He beheaded thirty of their warriors and hung their heads on the nearby trees as a sign to the rest of the tribes in the area. Since that day, no tribe has attempted to kidnap a woman from the Stone Axe Tribe.


    What Urich did was insane to any normal human being¡ªeven to his own tribespeople¡ªbut no one pointed their fingers at him. In the world of warriors, the more insane you are, the more respect you earn¡ªas long as you survive.


    <i>Crack, crunch.</i>


    Urich twisted his neck from side to side as he reminisced about his time back home. He wiped the blood left on the corner of his mouth with his forearm.


    ¡°Woahhhhh! Urich! Urich!¡±


    He heard the crowd roar his name as he looked down at the corpses of his opponents on the ground.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, five hundred thousand cils per head. One, two, three, four, that¡¯s two million. That¡¯s the debt covered, then.¡±


    The matches were already over. Urich hade out on top from two consecutive two-on-one battles.


    ¡°Is he crazy? He¡¯s not even one of the ve diators. He voluntarily takes on two-on-one fights. Is he <i>trying </i>to get himself killed?¡±


    Even the opposing diator squad had plenty to say about Urich¡¯s seemingly insane approach to the tournament. Only the spectators were amused at the situation. Urich mercilessly trampled on every diator he faced with his unparalleled force. His skills were so superior that the spectators could barely make out what was happening as he defeated his opponents one by one.


    ¡°Urich! Urich!¡± The crowd continued to chant his name. His poprity was through the roof because of his acrobatic win on the first day and the consecutive two-on-one victories on the second.


    <i>¡®How could he not be popr after all that? The crowd yearns for reckless diators, anyway.¡¯</i>


    Horus clenched his fist. He had received five million cils for the arrangement of Urich¡¯s fights. Even if Urich had lost his matches today, he wouldn¡¯t have lost any money.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s a gem... A gem,¡¯</i> Horus muttered under his breath as he watched Urich. Urich had exceeded every single bit of his expectations. Even for someone with no experience wielding a sword like Horus, Urich¡¯s greatness was as in as day.


    ¡°You¡¯re not an average barbarian, impressive!¡± Even the diators who gave Urich the cold shoulder earlier were expressing their amazement.


    ¡°We thought you were going to die, but you came back in style.¡±


    When Urich returned to the preparation room, the other diators approached him for the first time to talk to him and pat his back.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I got to move like that. I thought I was getting rusty. Ah, this is delicious!¡± Urich said as he sat himself down in a chair. He chugged a pint of lemon water that was on the table in front of him. He came across as a bit cocky, but the diators liked that about Urich. Anything was eptable and forgivable if one had the skills to back it up.


    ¡°Where did you learn your swordsmanship?¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about learning? I taught myself through ying men. I heard some idiots train by beating on scarecrows; what a waste of time! You master the art of ying men by literally ying men,¡± Urich boastfully said to the diators as he spun his sword before sliding it neatly into its sheath.


    ¡°Exactly that, I like it. My name is Bachman. I used to be a sailor from an eastern port city.¡±


    ¡°A sailor? I¡¯ve never seen the sea before.¡±


    Urich¡¯s words lit up Bachman¡¯s eyes. He became excited and began to describe what the sea looked like.


    ¡°Just picture ake as big as the sky, with no end in sight.¡±


    Urich opened his eyes wide and shook his head in disbelief as he listened to Bachman describing the sea.


    ¡°No way, you¡¯re pulling my leg. There¡¯s no such thing as an endlesske. You¡¯re just making it up, aren¡¯t you? Just because I¡¯ve never seen the sea doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m an idiot! I¡¯ve crushed a lot of people¡¯s heads for lying to my face,¡± Urich scowled with a stern look on his face. Bachman and the other diators broke out inughter.


    ¡°Wow, you really are a hillbilly. If you¡¯re ever in the east, you have to check out the sea and see for yourself if I was lying or telling the truth.¡±


    Bachman and several other diators introduced themselves to Urich. Most of them didn¡¯t care about what Donovan thought of them or had already gotten on his bad side.


    * * *


    During their stay in the city, the Horus diators rented an entire tavern to use as their quarters. The tavernkeeper had a difficult time containing his joy because the diators devoured everyst bit of meat and liquor he had to sell.


    ¡°Sven? He¡¯s an odd fellow. I¡¯m sure Horus would let him be a free diator if he would just ask, but I¡¯ve never seen him try to escape his very,¡± Bachman answered Urich¡¯s question. The two diators downed their meat with beer, surrounded by the loud chatter of their fellow diators.


    ¡°I would rather die than be a ve.¡±


    Urich was familiar with the life of a ve. They were not treated as human beings, on either side of the Sky Mountains.


    ¡°I heard that Horus was the one who saved Sven¡¯s life when he was about to die from being stranded in the sea. He helped Sven recover and even gave him a job, so it¡¯s no wonder he sees Horus as a man worth his loyalty, as a northerner.¡±


    Urich tilted his head in curiosity.


    ¡°As a northerner?¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of the ¡®Field of Swords¡¯? It''s where the northern warriors believe they go after they die. They can only get in by dying in battle. It¡¯s a ce where their great ancestors and warriors await, where they can drink and eat all they want while testing their skills against each other day and night. It¡¯s basically their heaven. What the northerners fear the most is dying of diseases or idents because they believe that dying from anything other than a battle doesn¡¯t get their spirits into their heaven. Instead, their spirits have to wander the world of the living.¡±


    The Field of Swords. A little different, but not too far off from the legends of Urich¡¯s home. In his homnd, a warrior must live faithfully as a warrior to reach the world of spirits when they die. To achieve peace in the afterlife, a warrior must carry his weapon until his body is no longer able to.


    <i>¡®The oldies told us that the world of spirits was on the other side of the Sky Mountains.¡¯</i>


    But that was a lie. Beyond the mountains were people, just like Urich and his tribespeople.


    <i>¡®So, when we die, where do our spirits go?¡¯</i>


    Urich chugged his beer in frustration. He was deeply troubled by the thoughts about the afterlife.


    <i>¡®What¡¯s going to happen to me after I die?¡¯</i>


    Urich stared at Bachman as if he was asking him for the answer.


    ¡°So, when you die, where do you go? You¡¯re a civilized man, not a northerner.¡±


    The people living within the Empire borders called themselves civilized to differentiate themselves from the barbarians of the north and south. Those people were barbarians, and they themselves were civilized men.


    <i>Cling.</i>


    Bachman pulled a ne from under his shirt and gently shook it in front of Urich.


    ¡°The sun?¡±


    The sun ornament on the ne rattled. Urich had seen the same symbol a few times.


    ¡°My spirit will go into the warm embrace of Lou, the god of the sun. then, I¡¯ll be reborn. You should convert to Srism.¡±


    Srism. It was the most widespread religion among the civilized men. The Empire and the kingdoms under its jurisdiction all had Srism as their state religion.


    ¡°I believe in the sky. The sun is just one part of the sky, isn¡¯t it? My religion is bigger than yours!¡± Urich remarked as he clicked his tongue. Bachman chuckled.


    ¡°Well, you believe in whatever you want to. Just be careful not to say that kind of stuff in front of the extremely devout believers. If they heard what you said, they¡¯ll tremble in rage.¡±


    Bachman didn¡¯t seem to be a very devout believer. He tucked his sun ne back under his shirt.

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11</h4>


    Urich decided to stick with Bachman for the time being, and Bachman didn¡¯t mind Urich at all.


    <i>¡®He may be a barbarian, but he has guts and the skills to back it up.¡¯</i>


    Bachman enjoyed having Urich by his side, especially because of how much he hated Donovan.


    The next day, Urich and Bachman headed to the forge.


    <i>nk! nk!</i>


    The two men could already hear the sound of strong hammering from quite a distance away. When they arrived at the forge, Urich looked at the apprentice cksmith and lightly nodded to greet him.


    ¡°Look who it is! I enjoyed your match the other day. You were amazing!¡± The master cksmith greeted Urich. He quickly washed his face and hands with the water from a bucket.


    ¡°Do you have the axes I ordered?¡±


    The master cksmith took Urich to the inner forge yard. The inner yard was a ce for testing out the newly made weapons. There were several scarecrows scattered throughout the grounds to be used as targets and wooden board shooting targets on the walls.


    ¡°Ah-ah, the rest of the payment, first. I don¡¯t want you asking for a refund or anything.¡±


    Urich grabbed a handful of coins and handed it to the cksmith, who counted them carefully and grinned with satisfaction.


    <i>Cling.</i>


    The cksmith brought out a pair of battle axes. The des shined beautifully in the sunlight, and the woodgrains of the sturdy shafts had a glowing brown tint.


    ¡°The shafts are made with ash. The des have been well-oiled, so you shouldn¡¯t have to do any work on them yourself. They¡¯re no imperial steel, but I used the best material I could find. The profits aren¡¯t great for me on this one,¡± the cksmith said with such profound pride and satisfaction that even Urich could sense it from his tone.


    Urich epted the axes. The axes he used to have forged back in his tribe were no match for the pair that was in his hands in terms of build quality and craftsmanship. He could see the detailed work in the smallest spots. The de and the shaft were bound together tightly with leather straps to prevent them from separating.


    <i>¡®The weight distribution is the important part.¡¯</i>


    Urich wanted a pair of axes he could throw. He got into his throwing stance and aimed his new axes at the wooden targets on the wall.


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    He extended his arm behind, waking up his resting muscles.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Even a small throw looked grandiose because of his sheer size. The axe ripped forward as it spun in the air.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The de buried itself in the target, cracking it in half. Urich chucked the other axe and repeated it until he was smiling with satisfaction.


    ¡°Good, I like them.¡±


    There was no issue whatsoever with the weight distribution, but Urich felt an unfamiliar sensation due to the axes being freshly forged.


    ¡°It would be my honor if a great diator like you fought with my weapon. Here, take this as a gift.¡±


    The cksmith tossed a scabbard for the axes to Urich. The leather scabbard was meant to be attached to the carrier¡¯s thighs.


    ¡°Hey, this is amazing! It¡¯s sofortable,¡± Urich said in awe as he bounced around with his new axes housed next to his thighs. The securely fastened scabbard stayed well attached to the thighs even with his aggressive movements. It was built with a sp, so it was easy to pull out with just a quick wrist movement.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the cksmith. I¡¯m due for a new spear shaft myself. The wood is starting to split even when I grease it up,¡± Bachman said with curiosity as he stroked his chin.


    ¡°Bring it to me, I¡¯ll give you a nice deal,¡± the master cksmith said with pride.


    To diators, their weapons equated to their lives. The performance of a weapon was a matter of life or death, so, many of them invested several months¡¯ worth of their earnings into better weapons.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s this; You do my spear shaft for free, and I¡¯ll introduce your forge to the other diators. I have quite a few friends here,¡± Bachman bargained with the cksmith. Meanwhile, Urich was busy testing out his new axes in the yard, swinging them, and sheathing and unsheathing them.


    ¡°Hmm, if at least three diatorse to my forge and tell me they were referred by you, I¡¯ll do your spear shaft at no cost.¡±


    ¡°Three? That¡¯s nothing for me, why don¡¯t we say five?¡± Bachman said confidently and shook hands with the master cksmith in agreement.


    Bachman was a sailor before he became one of Horus¡¯ diators. His seafaring background made him well-liked among the rugged diators. He wasn¡¯t a leader by any means, but he had the ability to befriend many people with ease. As he promised the cksmith, six other diators visited the forge with his referral, and Bachman was able to get his free spear shaft. Urich paid close attention to Bachman¡¯s ways.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s clever.¡¯</i>


    Bachman knew how to make the best of his environment. He had his street-smartness and was quick at thinking on his feet.


    <i>¡®A guy like this wouldn¡¯t just befriend me for nothing.¡¯</i>


    Urich continued to observe Bachman¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Hey, Urich! Come over here and roll some dice with us.¡±


    In the corner of the tavern, dice gambling was in full swing. Bachman called Urich to help him get better acquainted with the other diators.


    <i>Click, ck.</i>


    A pair of dice spun in the cup. It was a simple wager of guessing the number that was in the cup.


    ¡°7.¡±


    ¡°9.¡±


    ¡°5.¡±


    <i>Click.</i>


    Bachman opened the cup.


    ¡°Ah, shit.¡±


    The faces of the dice drew a mixed reaction from the diators. Urich joined in, wagering small pocket changes to get himself in the group.


    ¡°Hey, those are some nice axes! Maybe I should treat myself to some new weapons too.¡±


    ¡°Dumbass, how are you thinking of buying anything with all that debt you have? Just take better care of the ones you already have.¡±


    Urichid his brand-new axes on the table, which had not tasted the sweet battle blood yet. The other diators could only express their envy toward his shiny new purchase.


    ¡°Urich,¡±


    After the small gambling session, Bachman called Urich out of the tavern, away from the others.


    In the barn next to the tavern, the ve diators were snoring away. The guards who were watching over them nced at the two men standing outside the tavern.


    ¡°What do you want? You want to go getid or something?¡± Urich asked Bachman, who shook his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to think about women, I lost money today. Anyway, are you getting the gist of how things are among the diators, Urich?¡±


    ¡°What, Donovan¡¯s ass-kissers and the others?¡±


    Bachman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    <i>¡®He has a good eye. So fighting wasn¡¯t the only thing he was good at.¡¯</i>


    Bachman nodded in approval.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Donovan¡¯s people make up the biggest group in the entire Horus diators squad. Ten out of the twenty-one. So, basically half of our entire squad is practically in Donovan¡¯s hands.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen him fight, yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope, and I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Bachman scratched his cheeks.


    ¡°Donovan came out of the military. Apparently, he was a part of the unit of a Swordmaster called Ferzen¡ªthat¡¯s what he says, anyway. Whether that¡¯s really true or not, Donovan is undoubtedly the most popr diator out of all of us. He¡¯s skilled and mboyant when he¡¯s battling, so it¡¯s no surprise when someone watches him once they continue to buy tickets to see him again without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°I already know that he¡¯s the face of our squad,¡± Urich said as he crossed his arms. The sun was going down, and the air was getting colder. He shivered slightly, as he had a weakness for the cold.


    ¡°Donovan making his own little fan club is not an issue. The real problem is that he has his hands on how the diators are being run, most importantly, the matchups. The easy fights that are practically free money go to him and his followers, while the tough opponents are all assigned to the rest.¡±


    ¡°Who cares? We can reject the tough fights, anyway. Isn¡¯t that what¡¯s so great about being a free diator?¡± Urich scoffed at Bachman.


    ¡°How are you going to make any money when you¡¯re turning down fights left and right? It¡¯s true that Donovan¡¯s an annoying prick, but there aren¡¯t many ces that treat you as well as the Horus diators. Some even treat free men like us as ves.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you trying to tell me, Bachman?¡±


    ¡°When I saw you fight, I thought ¡®Ah, this guy might be able to push Donovan out and be the new face of our squad.¡¯ If you somehow manage to attract even more crowd than Donovan and make them go crazy over you, Horus would have to listen to what you have to say. If you be more influential than Donovan, he won¡¯t be able to y around with the matchups anymore.¡±


    ¡°If you hate him so much, why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡±


    Bachman shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I would love to, but I don¡¯t have the skills that it takes to be the star diator.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I hate people who aplish things by begging others to help them do what they can¡¯t by themselves,¡± Urich said to Bachman as he narrowed his eyes to show his distaste. This made Bachman feel a chill run down his spine. He nearly drew the dagger that was hanging by his belt.


    <i>¡®So, this is what being intimidated feels like.¡¯</i>


    Bachman became tense like a prey that was facing its predator. He suppressed his instinct to draw his weapon and retaliate.


    ¡°But the fox taking down a wolf with the help of a lion is also a part of life,¡± Urich said to Bachman as he patted thetter¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°And I like you, Bachman. You were the first person to approach me and show me kindness ever since I came over to the civilized world. What goes aroundes around; regardless of where you are in the world.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it,¡± Bachman slurred his sentence from the embarrassment.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s hear this grand n of yours.¡±


    Urich bared his teeth and grinned.

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12</h4>


    Horus was in the middle of organizing the matchups for the next diatorial tournament.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to need some death row prisoners this time. I can¡¯t believe the Varacal diators only gave us three matches, stingy bastards,¡± Horus said as he read the list of the diators up for the tournament from the Varacal diators.


    ¡°Then how about we give Wallen, Asval, and Kartan the matches with the death rowers? They¡¯ve been pretty out of formtely, and I think it¡¯ll be a good turning point for them,¡± Donovan suggested to Horus as he sipped on his wine. Whenever it was time to organize the matchups for the next tournament, Donovan sat right next to Horus, offering him his advice. It was his unspoken authority as the face of the squad.


    ¡°Wallen, Asval, and Kartan...¡± Horus scribbled the names of the diators to be matched up with the death row prisoners to fight them one-on-one.


    <i>¡®A fight against these prisoners is basically free wins.¡¯</i>


    It was practically an execution match. The diators yed the role of executioner, brutally killing the condemned men to entertain and satisfy the blood-thirsty public. The diators seldom lost in these matches. Many diators sucked up to Donovan, and in return, they received good matches like this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll book you in for thest fight. You¡¯ll go against one of the ve diators of the Varacal squad.¡±


    ¡°Leave that to me, Horus. I¡¯ll ughter him with so much blood that it will make the crowd pass out.¡±


    Donovan was known for his gruesome battles. Even when it was clear that he had won, he toyed with his opponent, slowly cutting the life out of them. He was well aware of the fact that the goal of these fights was ¡®entertainment,¡¯ rather than winning or losing.


    <i>m!</i>


    Suddenly, the door burst open. Donovan and Horus turned around. Urich was standing in the doorway.


    ¡°Urich?¡± Horus questioned as he slightly frowned at the unexpected visit, while Donovan openly showed his hostility.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here, rookie.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m a free diator, just like you, Donovan,¡± Urich said slyly as he approached the two men at the table.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not the same. I¡¯m the face of the squad while you¡¯re just a nameless diator.¡±


    ¡°Hah, then I¡¯ll just be the new face of our squad! Problem solved.¡±


    Urich pulled up a chair and sat across the table from Horus.


    ¡°If you two are going to fight, take it outside. I¡¯ll let one slide if you promise to only use your hands,¡± Horus sighed as he shook his head.


    Urich drank the wine on the table andughed.


    ¡°Hey, Leader Horus, I¡¯m not here to fight with this guy! I was just interested in the matchups, that¡¯s all.¡±


    As soon as Urich¡¯s words left his mouth, Donovan mmed his fist against the wall. The loud bang<i> </i>startled the diators that were outside the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about sticking your nose in the match arrangements. Now, get lost before I kill you,¡± Donovan said in anger as the veins in his face started to rise. Urich put his foot up on the table with his arms crossed.


    ¡°Was I talking to you, Donovan? I don¡¯t think so. I was talking to Horus.¡±


    Horus considered the situation for a moment, then looked at Donovan.


    ¡°Rx, Donovan. Let¡¯s see what he has to say.¡±


    Horus was a clever man. He had been feeling more and more unsettled by the growing influence that Donovan had over his diators.


    ¡°Put me in for thest match,¡± Urich said to Horus. Donovan immediately threw a chair right past Urich.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The chair shattered against the wall, spraying its broken pieces in all directions.


    ¡°Horus, are you just gonna sit there listening to this bullshit?¡±


    Horus approached Urich.


    ¡°Urich, thest match is Donovan¡¯s, not yours. It¡¯s the most important match of the day.¡±


    ¡°I know thest match is supposed to be the most mboyant and interesting. It¡¯s supposed to be the hook that makes people want toe back for more, right?¡± Urich responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Now, if there¡¯s nothing else, go. Be on your way,¡± Horus said to Urich as he patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Five of them,¡± Urich said as he put up all five of his fingers. Horus slowly turned his head.


    ¡°By five, you mean...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight five of them; diators or prisoners.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough nonsense.¡±


    ¡°If you make a big deal out of a single diator going against five opponents at once, more people wille to see the fight, even if it¡¯s just out of curiosity. And let¡¯s say I win. Even the people who don¡¯t usually watch these fights will dly pay their money to watch a diator who won against five men.¡±


    ¡°It would be our embarrassment if they kill you with ease.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m gonna die? Who do you think I am? I will win. I¡¯m Urich. Urich. I¡¯ve never lost a fight. Not against one man, not against ten men.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one thing to fight multiple opponents outside the arena, it¡¯s quite another to fight the same fight inside it. You have no structures to use to your advantage¡ªnowhere to hide. It¡¯s a small and open space, and you have to deal with several weaponsing at you simultaneously. You have the makings of a popr diator. You don¡¯t have to take such big risks like this. This is almost suicide.¡±


    Horus thought highly of Urich. After all, he had won two consecutive two-on-one matches. He was a diamond in the roughs.


    <i>¡®You¡¯ll take Donovan¡¯s spot in no time. There¡¯s no need for you to rush anything.¡¯</i>


    Horus already had Urich in mind for the next face of his squad. Donovan was getting old, and he was bing more and more difficult to control. Him sticking his nose in the match arrangements didn¡¯t sit quite right with him either.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let him do a five-on-one. Maybe he¡¯d won a few of that outdoors where he had a lot of coverage and structures to use to his advantage and that¡¯s why he¡¯s so confident, but he doesn¡¯t understand that things are not the same inside the arena.¡¯</i>


    Horus shook his head.


    ¡°You know what, Horus, I¡¯ll concede this time. Put him in for thest match and make it five-on-one like he asked.¡±


    ¡°Donovan!¡± Horus rapidly turned his head to Donovan.


    Donovanughed, revealing his teeth. Urich red at him with a cold gaze.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know that our number one diator was so generous, thanks! Now, Horus, there are no more problems, right? Get me a decent matchup! Advertise the hell out of it, too.¡±


    Horus frowned.


    <i>¡®God dammit, I¡¯ve been too soft of these diators. They¡¯re starting to forget their ce.¡¯</i>


    It was toote for Horus to intervene.


    <i>¡®I mean, if you think about it, it really is a marketable strategy, given that Urichsts a decent amount of time. I don¡¯t see him winning, but it¡¯s what he asked for, so...¡¯</i>


    Horus waved Urich over.


    ¡°Urich, I¡¯ll give you thest match like you asked.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d I came here. I don¡¯t have a singleint yet!¡± Urich said as he patted Horus¡¯ beer belly. Horus let out a long sigh.


    * * *


    In the backyard of the tavern where the Horus diators were staying, the diators were busy with their individual training. Everyone knew that neglecting the duty of training would cost them their lives in the arena. diators who don¡¯t take care of themselves properly died off quickly.


    ¡°One more drop of sweat, one less drop of blood.¡±


    This was a saying that resonated throughout all fighters¡ªdiators, soldiers, and warriors alike.


    ¡°Urich, it¡¯s good to get yourself a high-profile match, but that was a bit much,¡± Bachman said to Urich in the middle of his spear training. He was a fisherman who hunted whales with a spear back home.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Urich asked as he did his calisthenics. With every repetition of a push-up, every muscle fiber throughout his entire body rippled.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about your five-on-one match. Everyone¡¯s already talking about it. Doing that in the arena is practically suicide. Back out of it now, before it¡¯s toote. I feel bad because it feels like I drove you into this.¡±


    Bachman¡¯s n was to get Urich to take on more spectacr fights than Donovan. Urich then would be the new face of their squad, taking over Donovan¡¯s influence. Thanks to Bachman¡¯s connections, more and more diators supported Urich as each day went by.


    ¡°You guys have no idea who I am and where I¡¯m from. Well, how could you?¡±


    Urich leaped to his feet, kicking the ground at the end of his single-armed push-up. He spun in the air using the momentum from his superior strength. His flexibility and agility belied his size.


    ¡°I love the confidence, Urich, but you have to be able to differentiate your confidence from recklessness.¡±


    ¡°The people in the civilization live with a lot of fear. They¡¯re scared out of their minds before they even try.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that we don¡¯t have to actually try something to know what¡¯s going to happen. Look at the northern barbarians. Their futile resistance of ten years left theirnds in ruins. The south surrendered in just one year and now they¡¯re thriving, prospering in civilization.¡±


    ¡°What if I beat all the odds, and win?¡± Urich spun his axe around in his hand. He was loving his new axe.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t ever question your decisions again and just follow you.¡±


    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re going to regret saying that. Keeping up with me is not going to be easy,¡± Urich said as he chuckled. He then threw his axe hard at the tree in the backyard. The de sank deep inside the tree.


    ¡°Hey, asshole! Watch it! You almost hit me,¡± the startled diator who was doing his pull-ups by the branch yelled at Urich.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, my bad. I didn¡¯t hit you so we¡¯re good, no?¡± Urich said nonchntly as he waved off the angry diator.


    * * *


    ¡°A five-on-one? We¡¯ll be lucky if hests more than a minute.¡±


    ¡°Did you not see hisst fight? He won two two-on-ones back-to-back. He¡¯s no ordinary guy.¡±


    ¡°Urich, was it?¡±


    The arena was a good entertainment venue. No one wanted to bleed themselves, but they absolutely enjoyed watching other people¡¯s blood spouting out of them. They sat above the walls, watching the diators struggle for their lives in thefort of their spectator seats with pleasure.


    <i>Chatter, chatter.</i>


    The crowd streamed into the arena after paying for their admission. Among them were wealthy merchants and nobles of the city. The dignitaries sat in the reserved seats above the regr crowd, looking down on both the diators andmoners.


    ¡°Mr. Horus, Mr. Varacal, I¡¯m looking forward to some great matches today,¡± the governor of the city said to the two heads of the diator squads. The two leaders bowed to show their respect.


    The governor weed the visits of diator squads, as their tournaments were a great way to vent the public¡¯s frustration. The more gruesome and bloodier the matches were, the happier their people left the arena.


    ¡°Although, I don¡¯t really understand the final match. A five-on-one? If it ends too quickly, you will be disappointing a lot of people,¡± the governor said with a slight concern in his voice, and Varacal red at Horus.


    ¡°It was Horus¡¯ idea. He was very confident that it would be a killer match,¡± Varacal answered as he tossed the majority of the question over to Horus.


    Horus hesitated for a moment, then said to the governor, ¡°Urich is an exceptionally skilled diator. Whether he wins or loses today, it certainly will not be a boring match.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to keep that word, Mr. Horus. The marketces are empty today because everyone came to the arena, probably to see that five-on-one match to see how one man can take on so many alone.¡±


    Horus bowed his head as he spread his hands.


    ¡°You can look forward to it, Governor.¡±


    The governor then finally nodded and poured the wine for Horus and Varacal.


    <i>¡®My eyes for talent have never deceived me,¡¯</i> Horus muttered as he sipped on his wine. He saw great potential in Urich. <i>¡®I¡¯m good at gambles like these.¡¯</i>


    Horus looked down at the deste arena.


    The sand was burning from the hot rays of the sun, the crowds were getting rowdy, and the diators were readying themselves for another day of fighting for their lives.

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13</h4>


    Amotion broke out in the diator preparation room.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡±


    ¡°Is that charcoal dust?¡±


    The diators chattered among themselves as they watched Urich.


    ¡°Shut up, all of you. I have to concentrate on this.¡±


    Urich made a cut in his palm and squeezed his own blood into the bowl which he filled with charcoal dust.


    <i>Drip, Drip.</i>


    The dark red blood dripped into the bowl. Urich mixed the two substances with his finger.


    <i>¡®That should be enough.¡¯</i>


    The ckish-burgundy mixture of charcoal and blood looked viscous. Urich examined the color and felt the viscosity of the mixture with his fingertips.


    ¡°A war paint... It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen one,¡± Sven muttered under his breath as he watched from a distance. Along with him, a few others realized what Urich was doing.


    ¡°Hah, look at that barbarian scum thering that shit all over his face, that goddamn war paint,¡± Donovan grumbled as he spat on the ground. He had seen enough of the tribal war paint from his barbarian-exterminating days.


    ¡°Phew.¡± Urich held the bowl and knelt on his knees. He then closed his eyes andthered the dark liquid on his face. He spread the darker, more charcoal-heavy portion around his eyes to make it look dark and used the red portion to paint a hoop around the nape of his neck.


    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s pretty intimidating,¡± the watching diators remarked as they saw the progress of Urich¡¯s war paint. Urich ignored their words and concentrated on finishing his job. With deft strokes, he painted a picture on his face. The dark bloody lines on his face resembled a demon. It was just an borate face paint, but it raised every single one of his senses, making him want to grab his weapon and charge at the enemies out of pure exhration.


    <i>¡®I might very well die.¡¯</i>


    Urich knew fully well what he had gotten himself into. He knew what fighting against five men alone meant from his past experiences.


    <i>¡®But I have no intention of dying here, at least not yet.¡¯</i>


    He wouldn¡¯t have suggested the idea if he didn¡¯t think he had a chance. Five-on-ones were difficult, but it was nothing that he couldn¡¯t do.


    ¡°You¡¯re up, Urich,¡± someone in the room announced his turn.


    Urich opened his eyes from his medication. Amidst the dark bloody war paint, only his white eyes and teeth stood out. As he opened his long-closed eyes, he felt bathed in the bright light to the point that it felt painful. Urich stared at the spreading afterimage of the light.


    ¡°Dammit, Garold died.¡±


    ¡°Man, I knew he was going to die. He¡¯s had diarrhea since this morning, that unlucky bastard.¡±


    The blood-covered diators said as they returned to the preparation room. With them, all of the matches for the day were finished, except Urich¡¯s.


    ¡°Win, Urich,¡± Bachman solemnly said to Urich as he patted his back.


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    The battle gates opened, and Urich stepped into the sandy arena, swinging his sword.


    ¡°Ohoho, look at this weather. It¡¯s nice,¡± Urich remarked as he spread his arms like wings and stared up at the sky. The crowd went berserk as soon as they saw Urich¡¯s war paint.


    ¡°What is that on his face? Is it blood?¡±


    ¡°He looks like a monster, a monster!¡±


    The crowd couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the strange painting on Urich¡¯s face.


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    The gates on the opposite side opened, and the five prisoners walked into the arena.


    ¡°Keke, so if we kill that guy, we get our sentencemuted.¡±


    These prisoners were not death rowers. Instead, they were long-term prisoners who volunteered for the fight under the condition of having their sentences reduced. All five of them were convicts who had been servingbor penalties such as mining and logging.


    <i>ng</i>.


    The prisoners drew their weapons. Unlike the death row inmates who have no choice but to fight, these men volunteered to fight because of their faith in their own experience with weapons.


    ¡°Dammit, what a pain. These guys actually know how to fight. What the hell was Horus thinking with the matchup?¡± Bachman eximed in frustration as he watched from outside of the arena. Even he himself would have had a decent chance against five regr death rowers since not all of them knew how to fight.


    ¡°By the looks of their stances, they know how to wield their weapons. They probably put their names forward for a sentence reduction. Most of them are decent fighters,¡± Sven said while he put himself in his own shackles.


    ¡°Hah, look what he got himself into. They must¡¯ve run out of death rowers,¡± Donovan cackled with his loyal group, which made Bachman frown.


    <i>¡®If Urich dies here, Donovan¡¯s going to stick his nose in the matchmaking again.¡¯</i>


    Being lucky with matchmaking was an important part of earning a decent living as a diator. The more easier matches Donovan gave to his people, the harder the matches became for Bachman and the rest.


    ¡°Oh? I see you all have decent stances with your weapons.¡±


    Urich raised his sword as he got into a lower stance. The five prisoners exchanged nces as they gradually closed their distance from Urich.


    <i>¡®They were never trained to fight together. There might be five of them, but none of them want to jump in first. They don¡¯t want to take the risk.¡¯</i>


    Urich persistently assessed the prisoners. The outnumbering ones had every advantage to strike first, but they kept ncing at each other as if they were encouraging anyone but themselves to take the first attack.


    ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    Urich aimed for one of the prisoners as he shuffled sideways. He added the momentum of his sprint into the stab.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    The unfortunate prisoner raised his shield, but Urich didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    <i>¡®I can do it with this sword.¡¯</i>


    Urich tightened his grip on the hilt.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    He leaped and stabbed. The sharp imperial steel de prated the natural grain of the wood all the way into the prisoner¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Hah, that is unreal! What an amazing steel.¡±


    If his sword was made of the average, dull metal, it would have bent. But Urich¡¯s imperial steel de managed to pierce through the wooden shield without a nick.


    Urich swiftly pulled the sword out of the dead prisoner and kicked him to the side.


    ¡°Attack him!¡± The panicking remaining prisoners yelled in unison as they finally rushed toward Urich together. Their spears and swords rained down on Urich, but Urich rolled on the ground several times to dodge every one of their futile attacks. His vision was spinning, but even when his sense of direction was breaking down, he didn¡¯t take his eyes off his opponents. He grasped the axe that was sheathed by his thigh.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Urich threw the axe to the ground with so much force that it bounced off the sandy ground. The prisoners were unable to react to its unexpected trajectory.


    ¡°A-ahh!¡±


    The ricocheted axe buried its de in between the legs of one of the prisoners. The prisoner screeched in pain as he grabbed his mutted groin, immediately dropping his weapon.


    The rest of the prisoners¡¯ attention broke for a brief second.


    ¡°Where are you looking? I¡¯m right here.¡±


    Urich grabbed his sword with both his hands and swung with all his might. His sword struck the head of the other prisoner like a club.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Even though the prisoner was wearing an iron helmet, the sheer force of Urich¡¯s swing was enough to break his neck.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t believe how good this sword is.¡¯</i>


    If it was any other average sword, the de edge would have already gotten ruined or just bentpletely. Neither was the case with this imperial steel sword.


    ¡°It really is... imperial steel...¡± Donovan said in shock as he scrambled to his feet. Back in his military days, he had a few opportunities to see the weapons forged with imperial steel. Weapons forged with steel that excels in hardness and ductility were one of the crucial reasons the Empire was able to dominate the entire continent.


    ¡°So that really is an imperial steel sword? That barbarian really has that?¡± A diator voiced out.


    ¡°Try what he¡¯s doing with the swords we have. They¡¯ll snap in a second. Do you want to test it out yourself? Huh?¡±


    Donovan rolled his eyes. The diator who asked the question drooped his head in shame.


    <i>¡®Where the hell did a barbarian like Urich get his hands on one of the finest swords known to man?¡¯</i>


    Imperial steel weapons were almost impossible toe by in normal civilian life unless one was a noble. It wasn¡¯t something amon diator could carry.


    ¡°You already got two down, Urich! Keep going!¡± Bachman eximed in excitement. Victory was close.


    ¡°If those five prisoners were trained men, maybe the remaining ones would still have a chance. But they¡¯re just a ragtag bunch who are already terrified from the earlier attacks. Perhaps the war paint is doing its job, too.¡± Sven continued to watch the match with his arms crossed.


    It was exactly as Sven said. The beastly roar of Urich, whom the war paint made look like a real demon, made the remaining three prisoners hesitant, giving Urich more time to reorganize and prepare his attacks.


    ¡°He dominated them with verve. That young man already knew how to deal with multiple opponents. He asked for this match out of confidence, not arrogance,¡± Sven belched out augh.


    Urich was dominating the match despite the fact that he was severely outnumbered.


    ¡°Woaaaah!¡± Urich roared, swinging his sword wildly.


    The prisoner raised his sword to block the blow.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The skin of the prisoner¡¯s palm was ripped off by the force of Urich¡¯s strike. His helpless sword flung into the air.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Urich swung his axe with his other hand. Blood poured from the prisoner¡¯s throat as it was ripped open. Covered in blood, Urich¡¯s eyes darted about in search for his next prey.


    <i>¡®Two left.¡¯</i>


    There were only two prisoners left. The remaining two were trembling in fear. Even if they knew how to swing a weapon or two, at the end of the day, they were only street fighters. Urich was a warrior who devoted his life to battles and wars. It was not a fair match.


    ¡°Come on,e at me! You have no choice anyway, right?¡± Urich mockingly said to the prisoners as he flicked his finger at them. He was right. Forfeiting was not an option for these two men. It was either victory or death.


    ¡°Ugh, ahhhh!¡±


    The terrified prisoner darted toward Urich. His movement was unsteady like a newborn fawn.


    Urich let out a deted sigh.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t even worth all the effort. Boring.¡±


    He shed the prisoner¡¯s belly, spilling his guts out onto the ground.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urich lightly tossed his axe at thest standing prisoner. The de sliced through his head with ease.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    He then bent over to pull his axes out of the fallen prisoners¡¯ bodies. The des glistened in the sunlight with their blood.


    ¡°Woaaaaah!¡±


    The crowd lost their heads at what they had just witnessed. Urich responded to their cheer by raising his sword. He had in five men with only purely brute attacks. It was no wonder the crowd was so excited. Even the nobles in the audience apuded his efforts.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Bachman eximed in excitement as he pumped his fist in the diator preparation room. A few other diators joined him in the celebration.


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    After the battle, Urich returned to the preparation room. His blood-covered face no longer resembled that of a human. The enemy¡¯s blood on top of his already-terrifying war paint made him look even more demonic.


    ¡°What are you guys looking at, huh?¡± Urich chuckled as he wiped the blood off his weapons first before anything else.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Donovan walked up to Urich. Urich rolled his eyes to look at him, without turning his head.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m the face of the Horus diators now, aren¡¯t I, Donovan?¡± Urich said casually. Donovan tweaked his lips and spat on the ground.


    ¡°Hah? We¡¯ll see about that. But for now, congrattions. You are the official rising star of our squad,¡± Donovan said as he offered his hand for a handshake. Urich took the hand and rose to his feet.


    <i>¡®A truce for now.¡¯</i>


    Donovan chose to not pursue conflict. Instead, he decided to recognize Urich¡¯s new position in the squad. Otherwise, one of them would have to die.

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14</h4>


    The Horus diators wandered through the Imperialnds, hosting their diatorial tournaments wherever they went. Every city they stepped foot in from west to east weed their visit.


    <i>¡®This is goodnd.¡¯</i>


    This was Urich¡¯s first time seeing a vast farm belt. The people of thisnd supported a thriving poption by cultivating theirnd, unlike back in his tribe where they had to rely on hunting and gathering.


    ¡°The further east we go, the vaster these farm belts get. The east is wealthier than the west,¡± Bachman said as he walked alongside Urich with his spear hung over his shoulder.


    As they traveled further east, thend grew tter and more fertile as the Sky Mountains remained further behind. The faces of those living on these prosperousnds radiated happiness and contentment.


    <i>¡®Thisnd is different from thend back home. It¡¯s rich and fertile.¡¯</i>


    The ins that Urich was used to were rocky and harsh. Growing crops was not possible, no matter how hard one tried.


    ¡°So, they sow the seeds into the soil and harvest the crops...?¡± Urich mumbled his thoughts. On the other side of the mountains, food sources were always scarce in the ins. It was difficult to obtain a stable food supply by relying solely on hunting and gathering.


    <i>¡®Farming.¡¯</i>


    When animals left thend, even the most skilled hunters had no choice but to return to their homes empty-handed, and gathering was an act entirely at the mercy of the sky and earth. Hunting and gathering were two things that humans could not control. When the wills of the sky and earth did not align with the needs of the tribes, and food became scarce, the children and elders were the first to die off.


    ¡°This way, we can sustainably harvest valuable crops, year after year,¡± Bachman said as he gazed at the golden-brown wheat farm.


    ¡°Every year?¡±


    ¡°Yes. With farming, we can manage to get through a tough year, if it everes down to that. But several years of crop failures is a different story. It could turn into a famine, and people can actually starve.¡±


    Urich stared at the wheat field.


    <i>¡®Food can be cultivated in thisnd.¡¯</i>


    With farming, his tribespeople wouldn¡¯t have to worry about starving to death. They wouldn¡¯t need to spend days away from their home on a hunting trip, either. A single desire began to take root in Urich¡¯s heart.


    That night, Urich had a dream. In his dream, he saw himself leading the Stone Axe warriors over the Sky Mountains. Urich and his warriors marched on with dreams of a goldennd.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Urich woke up from his dream. He remembered that he was in a city after waking up to an unfamiliar ceiling.


    ¡°What was that dream?¡±


    His dream quickly faded into the subconsciousness the moment he awoke. Urich got out of bed as he scratched the itch on his head and groin.


    ¡°What a day, the weather is amazing!¡± Urich remarked as he burst open the windows. During his time with the Horus diators, Urich saw many things. Each day surprised him with things he had never seen or experienced before.


    <i>¡®I still have so much more I have to see!¡¯</i>


    Urich got dressed and buckled up his weapons belt around his waist.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    In the hall of their lodging, the diators who woke up earlier were already busy with their breakfast. A few waved their hands and greeted Urich.


    ¡°Hey, Urich,e over here and eat with us.¡±


    Urich grabbed a seat and ate a baked potato. After practically swallowing the potato whole, he proceeded to devour an entire chicken.


    ¡°Horus is calling you, Urich. It¡¯s probably about the matchups,¡± Bachman said to Urich as he tapped his shoulder. Urich wiped his greasy fingers on the ends of his hair.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Horus said as Urich entered the room. Donovan was already sitting next to him with a dissatisfied face.


    The Horus diators were now run with two top diators¡ªDonovan, the original face of the squad, and Urich, the new star. These two influenced the matchups of the diators, but since they were on anything but good terms, cooperation wasn¡¯t an option.


    <i>¡®This works great for me,¡¯ </i>Horus thought about the situation. Having two opposing top dogs meant a bnce, and a bnce meant that it was easier for Horus to maintain control over the squad.


    ¡°This time, there are going to be five Arigan diators, three of their ve diators, seven mercenaries, and also two champions sent by the nobles. The tournament is going to have twelve matches in total, and we¡¯ve been assigned five. One of those fights is against one of the champions, so we¡¯ll send out one of our ve diators as a throwaway card.


    Horus was an adept leader. He could easily control the pace of the tournament negotiations.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®throwaway card¡¯?¡± Urich asked, and Donovan scoffed.


    ¡°You want to beat a champion that was hand-selected by a noble? We¡¯re better off sending in a ve diator that we can afford to lose,¡± Donovan answered as if he had seen this countless times. Horus followed up with an easier exnation for Urich.


    ¡°These matches are why we have the ve diators, Urich. Sometimes, we just shouldn¡¯t win the match.¡±


    ¡°Hah, is that right?¡± Urich scoffed as he picked his ear.


    Losing matches like this was what the ve diators were for. Matches where a win seemed very unlikely, or matches that they should lose on purpose¡ªwhatever the reason may be¡ªwere where most ve diators met their fate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s send out Bauman. He¡¯s been getting some dark spots under his eyes, and he isn¡¯t eating as much as he used to. He¡¯s probably picking up a disease or something,¡± Horus said as Donovan nodded in agreement. ve diators who fell sick were often the first to be sacrificed.


    ¡°Looks like our matches are in the first half of the tournament.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the match against the Arigan diators,¡± Donovan dered. The matches between the diators of two different squads had significance as the diators fought for the pride of their squad. Whenever it wasn¡¯t a match to throw on purpose, the face of the squad was often the one to fight. The winnings, of course, were representative of the significance of the asion as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s a three-on-three match. I think you and Urich should be in the three,¡± Urich and Donovan instantly met eyes as the words left Horus¡¯ mouth.


    ¡°If you make us fight together, one of us is going toe back with a cracked skull. Isn¡¯t that right, Urich?¡± Donovan snarked as if Horus had just offered something absurd.


    ¡°I also object. I don¡¯t like that idea, Horus,¡± Urich said calmly as he shrugged his shoulder and raised his hand to show his objection. While the two diators wouldn¡¯t actually fight each other in the arena, their mutual dislike was going to make their cooperation a very difficult thing to achieve.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. I just had to put it out there. Alright then, Urich, you take this one. Pick any two diators you want to fight with. You¡¯ll each get one and a half million cils.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Horus!¡± Donovan was outraged. He had no intention of missing out on that much money.


    Horus narrowed his eyes at Donovan.


    ¡°We did it your way thest tournament, Donovan. Now it¡¯s Urich¡¯s turn. If Urich doesn¡¯t want to take this match, then you can have it.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I want to take it! I do have a suggestion, though. How about we use one of the ve diators as the third man and me and the other free diator each take two million cils?¡±


    Horus contemted for a moment, then replied, ¡°Which ve diator do you want to use?¡±


    ¡°I want Sven.¡±


    ¡°If you use Sven, you can each have 1.8 million cils each.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Then it will be me, Bachman, and Sven.¡±


    Horus wrote the three names on the tournament sheet. Urich carefully studied his writing.


    <i>¡®Writing.¡¯</i>


    Writing was what fascinated him the most recently. Leaving words as marks to record and remember things by¡ªthat¡¯s what civilized people did. They preserved their history through writing, rather than through verbally passing them down.


    <i>¡®If I knew how to read and write, I could learn so much more.¡¯</i>


    However, even the majority of the people in civilization were inept in reading and writing. Most of them only knew how to read and write their own names.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let it slide this time, Horus, but next time...¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, Donovan. We¡¯ll do it your way for the next tournament,¡± Horus assured Donovan as he patted his shoulder. Donovan showed a bitter grin. The nning of the remaining matches proceeded swiftly.


    <i>¡®This is going quite well,¡¯</i> Horus thought as he watched Donovan and Urich leave the room. Ever since Urich became a second influence, the match-rtedints from the other diators declined drastically thanks to the fairer process than before. While there was some dissatisfaction from the Donovan gang, they still got to keep some of the benefits they had always had.


    <i>¡®Donovan can¡¯t demand as much power over the matchmakings as before.¡¯</i>


    Horus stayed at the table and sipped on the rest of his wine. All the nning wasplete, and it was now time to make some money.


    * * *


    ¡°Hey gramps, why are you still a ve?¡± Urich asked Sven as he sat down next to him. The diator preparation room was reeking of sweat and stench.


    ¡°Because Horus gave me an opportunity,¡± Sven answered as he polished his two-handed axe. Unlike the other ve diators, Sven had his own special weapon. It was one of the signs that he was treated differently from the other ves. The free diators were aware of this, so no one ever looked down on Sven.


    ¡°What opportunity?¡±


    ¡°An opportunity to still make it into the Field of Swords. Horus rescued me when I was stranded in the ocean, and even gave me a ce to fight. Without him, my soul may have stayed in this world forever. Now, there¡¯s nothing I want besides dying in battle,¡± Sven said brokenly. His eyes beneath his dark brows were searching for something far away.


    ¡°What about your home? Your family?¡±


    ¡°I have nowhere and no one to return to,¡± Sven answered grimly. The northerners retaliated against the Empire for a long time, and all their farmablends had been taken away from them. The remaining northerners were forced to choose between making the harsh frozennds their new home or to pledge their allegiance to the Empire.


    ¡°My tribe was going to migrate to the east. If it were just men, we would have fought to the death, but we men had women and children to take care of. If we died in battle, their lives would be incredibly tragic. I¡¯m sure you know what happens to the women and children of the losers.¡±


    ¡°The women be objects, children shackled and enved unless they are fed to the wild dogs,¡± Urich answered as if it was obvious. Sven¡¯s eyes had lost their focus. He was looking back into the past.


    ¡°Our legends tell us that there is a newnd across the eastern sea. It is said that one of our ancestors stepped foot in that easternnd and returned and that the people of thatnd have ck hair and ck eyes.


    ¡°So, your raft was wrecked on your journey to this newnd and you became a ve. My eyes are filled with tears right now,¡± Urich said as he chuckled. He had an idea of what the sea was like now.


    ¡°You canugh all you want. It was a foolish decision. Now my only wish is to die in battle so that I may enter the Field of Swords.¡±


    Bachman, who was listening in on Sven¡¯s story, clicked his tongue in ignorance.


    ¡°Sven, there¡¯s nothing in the eastern sea. You¡¯ll only find cliffs at the end of it. Even if you had made it to the Edge of the World, you would have just fallen to your demise. I was a sailor, too. I¡¯ve never heard of anynd like that in the east.¡±


    Bachman¡¯s words made Sven twitch. He red at Bachman.


    ¡°The shipbuilding skills of the north are far superior to what you have in the Empire. Have you forgotten that the best woodes from the north?¡±


    It felt as if a fight would break out between them even before their match has begun. Urich stood in the middle of the two heated diators to ease the tension.


    ¡°Easternnd, the Edge of the World, I don¡¯t care about any of that. I don¡¯t even believe that the sea is as vast as you both say. I¡¯m sure that Edge of the World you¡¯re talking about would only take me a few days of swimming to get to, no?¡± Urich retorted, to which Sven and Bachman immediately responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s vast! Very vast!¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even be able to picture it in your head. You can sail for three straight days and nights, and you still wouldn¡¯t see the end of it.¡±


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    The door to the preparation room opened and a diator who had just finished his battle entered the room. He reeked of blood.


    <i>¡®The Edge of the World.¡¯</i>


    Urich became immersed in his thoughts. He was still yet to see the sea for himself.


    <i>¡®Is there really the Edge of the World on the other side of the sea?¡¯</i>


    The shaman of the tribe told him that beyond the mountains was the spirit world. But Urich crossed the mountains, only to find out that there was no such thing and only a different world of humans existed.


    <i>¡®I won¡¯t know what¡¯s out there unless I check it out for myself.¡¯</i>


    He opened his long-closed eyes. His eyes were bright with curiosity and certainty. He was an uneducated illiterate barbarian, but his knowledge of the joy of discovering the unknowns was greater than anybody¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big world,¡± Urich murmured, ¡°there is so much more to see.¡±


    Urich, Bachman, and Sven rose at the same time and stepped into the sandy arena. The scream of the crowd, which had be familiar by now, cheered them in.


    <i>Cling.</i>


    Urich drew his sword. The gates on the other side opened and revealed their opposing diators. They were real, well-armed diators, not some death row prisoners or ve diators.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m not dying until I see more of this world.¡¯</i>


    He breathed in the heated battle air. The fight was imminent.


    ¡°Oooh-ooooooh!¡¯


    Urich roared as he spread his arms like wings.

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15</h4>


    ¡°Wahahahaha!¡±


    Drunkenughter filled the banquet hall. The governor and nobles of the city had invited the diators to liven up their entertainment.


    ¡°The people loved your matches today, Horus. It was a great tournament,¡± the governor praised Horus. It was another sess for the diatorial tournament in this new city, and the Horus diators were yet again the standouts.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the blessing of the Count,¡± Horus humbly replied. He was well aware of how to behave to be in favor of the higher-ups.


    ¡°Oh my, look at that body.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even see my husband¡¯s thing because it¡¯s buried under his belly.¡±


    The nobledies chattered with their fans covering their mouths as they admired the diators¡¯ well-defined bodies. The ones who left their husbands at home were going to be bedding with their favorite diatorster that night.


    ¡°Hah, what a night,¡± Urich chattered away along with the other diators as he enjoyed the food and drinks at the table. The nobles were quite generous to the victors of the tournament.


    ¡°You must be Urich, the one who beat five men all by himself!¡± One of the nobles said as he recognized Urich from his famous match. Since then, his name has traveled far and wide. As he was entering the third month of his new diator life, there were always people recognizing him in the cities.


    ¡°I am indeed Urich!¡± Urich raised his ss as heughed.


    ¡°I thoroughly enjoyed your match, you were amazing! How about you show me your axe skills? Do you think you can do that for us?¡± the noble said excitedly. He then ced an apple on the servant¡¯s head.


    ¡°U-uhh...¡± the servant who was leaning against the wall with an apple on his head trembled in fear. The noble heartlessly scolded him to stay still so that the apple would stay in ce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, Urich¡¯s going to throw his axe! Don¡¯t worry about your head cracking in two¡ªhe¡¯s the master of axe-throwing, hahaha!¡±


    The noble¡¯s words made the banquet hall even more lively. All eyes were on Urich¡¯s axe.


    ¡°Pff, if you really want to see how good I am, sure!¡± the drunken Urich got up from his seat. He took the axe that he had left with a guard.


    <i>Woosh, woosh.</i>


    Urich spun the axe in his hand. His fingers were nimble and moved delicately, even in his drunkenness.


    ¡°U-ughhhh.¡± The helpless servant looked at the de of Urich¡¯s axe as he trembled.


    ¡°Hey, your head will actually crack into two if you keep moving like that. Just close your eyes, and don¡¯t even think about dodging my axe,¡± Urich said with annoyance. The servant then hesitantly closed his eyes as Urich said.


    ¡°Urich! Urich! Urich!¡± The nobles pped their hands and chanted his name.


    ¡°I see the people here know how to have some fun, hahaha!¡± Urich was having a good time.


    He was the best axe-thrower even back in the Stone Axe Tribe. It required an immense mastery of the skill as it was very difficult to get the de and hilt tond where one wanted them to. If the throw was sloppy, the hilt could hit the enemy and ruin the whole weapon.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Urich got into his stance as he exhaled lightly. The nobles held their breath as they stared at Urich and his axe, and the banquet hall became silent.


    <i>¡®The distance is about... 10 steps.¡¯</i>


    After eyeing the distance to the apple, he cocked his shoulder. As his muscles rumbled the axe left the tip of his fingers.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    The whole room stayed silent. The splintered apple fell to the floor in two perfect halves and the servant dropped to the floor in one piece. The axe was stuck deep in the wall.


    ¡°Wonderful, wonderful!¡±


    <i>p! p! p!</i>


    The room erupted in apuse. Urich retrieved his axe from the wall and shrugged as if he had just done nothing special.


    ¡°T-thank you, sir!¡± The servant expressed his gratitude and relief, still trembling from the leftover fear for his life. After all, he almost died for the sake of some rich people¡¯s entertainment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Urich helped the poor servant up and patted him on his back. The servant was about to go back to his station with his back drenched in nervous sweat.


    ¡°Stop right there.¡± A young noble grabbed the servant.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Trios?¡± The governor asked the young noble.


    ¡°My champion is also quite talented at handling his axe. I would like to show you what he can do.¡±


    Trios was one of the nobles who sent his champion to the diatorial tournaments.


    ¡°Hmm, yourpetitive spirit is sometimes a bit too much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only for our entertainment. There¡¯s no way my champion can¡¯t do what this average diator just did. Mogdi!¡± Trios called over his champion. A copper-skinned man stepped out of the crowd.


    ¡°You called, Master.¡±


    Mogdi was a southerner. He battled in diatorial tournaments to satisfy the entertainment needs of his master Trios.


    ¡°You know what to do, right? Get your axe ready. No way my champion can¡¯t do what this random diator can,¡± Trios said arrogantly as he picked up another apple from the table.


    ¡°Master, but this is...¡± Mogdi was visibly hesitant. He had been watching Urich closely.


    <i>¡®Judging by what I¡¯ve seen at the arena, and even just now, he is far more skilled with the axe than I am.¡¯</i>


    Mogdi did not have a single bit of confidence in the possibility that he could best Urich.


    ¡°Are you going to humiliate me, Mogdi?¡± Trios approached Mogdi and whispered under his breath. Mogdi swallowed hard.


    <i>¡®Damn you, you unnecessarilypetitive child!¡¯</i>


    Mogdi was about to lose his mind over his young master, but Trios was an extremely wealthy noble with a massive inheritance that he spent like it was nothing.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Urich became intrigued and leaned against a wall to observe what was about to happen. He looked at Mogdi with a faint smile as the other nobles began to wonder if Trios¡¯ champion could really do what Urich had just shown them.


    <i>¡®Eh, no way anyone here can throw an axe better than me.¡¯</i>


    Urich took pride in his skills¡ªespecially when it came down to the axe. He was confident that he would never lose to anyone in an axe-throwingpetition.


    ¡°Eeek,¡± the helpless servant put yet another apple on top of his head. Mogdi¡¯s nervousness was so intense that it had infected the poor servant as well.


    <i>¡®Well, that¡¯s not gonna be good.¡¯</i>


    Anyone with the instincts of a warrior saw right through Mogdi.


    <i>¡®His master is forcing him to throw his axe. Looks like that servant could actually die.¡¯</i>


    Urich had the confidence of someone who had mastered his skill. No one was a better thrower than him. Nobody could find even a hint of that confidence in Mogdi as he prepared himself for the throw.


    ¡°Mogdi!¡± Trios rushed his champion.


    <i>¡®I guess I have to leave this up to Lady Fortune.¡¯</i>


    Mogdiunched his axe toward the apple. It was just an average axe used for splitting firewood that wasn¡¯t even familiar to his hands.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    ¡°A-ahhhhhh!¡±


    The servant screeched as he dropped to the ground. The axe hadnded on his shoulder, and the floor around him soon became covered in his blood.


    ¡°We all saw thating. Consider yourself lucky that it didn¡¯t crack his head.¡± Urichughed as he clicked his tongue in judgment. He had noticed Mogdi¡¯s unstable stance even before he wound up for his unsessful throw.


    ¡°Ehem,¡± the Governor cleared his throat to express his difort. Trios¡¯ stubbornness hadpletely killed the mood of the party. The banquet music had slowed down and a few of the nobles were trying to be on their way out.


    ¡°Mogdi, how dare you embarrass me like that?¡± Trios dumped his shame onto Mogdi as he grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. Mogdi could only stare at the floor.


    ¡°My apologies, Master,¡± Trios shoved Mogdi to the side and red at the innocent Urich and Horus.


    ¡°You, leader, what was your name again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Horus, Sir Trios.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we fair our fighters against each other, right now, with their axes? It¡¯ll be a nice little entertainment for the nobles.¡±


    On any other day, the nobles in the banquet hall would have exploded in cheer and encouragement, but the banquet hall had already seen a terrifying blood spill from the earlier incident.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± it was a difficult request for Horus.


    <i>¡®This kid¡¯s a pain in the ass,¡¯ </i>Horus thought as he kept his politeness toward the young noble.


    The governor, who had been observing the situation, cleared his throat loudly.


    ¡°Ehem! It seems like we¡¯re nearing the end of the night. Trios, you better head out.¡± The words of the governor were practically a banishment for him. Trios¡¯ face boiled red in a mix of emotions. He bit down on his lower lip as he trembled his fists.


    ¡°Urich, you should head back now,¡± Horus suggested to Urich as he poked his side.


    ¡°Why? It sounded fun to me.¡±


    Horus expressed his annoyance at Urich who was chuckling raggedly.


    ¡°I want you to get back to our quarters, Urich.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I hear you, Leader. No need to frown like that, hah!¡± Urich left the room with a ss in his hand. The vibrant atmosphere of the banquet hall had dissipated, and everyone chattered on about Trios¡¯ foolishness.


    All the invited guests had left, and only the governor and his entourage remained in the room.


    ¡°That Trios. He already ruined his father¡¯s business, and he still hasn¡¯t straightened up.¡±


    ¡°I hear he still has quite a bit of wealth left.¡±


    ¡°Hah, I even thought about betrothing him to my second daughter.¡±


    The entourages chuckled.


    ¡°A man like him does more harm than good. It¡¯s good to avoid being associated with him in any way.¡±


    The governor nodded in agreement.


    ¡°From now on, don¡¯t bother sending out the banquet invitations to Trios.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Governor.¡±


    The entourages bowed and retreated.

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16</h4>


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh, dumping his champion like that just because he couldn¡¯t throw an axe as well as me,¡± Urich sympathized as he looked down at the arena with his arms crossed. He didn¡¯t have a match today as Donovan was given the highlight match this time.


    ¡°Well, a diator of that level can be bought pretty easily. The life of a diator like us alles down to money, anyway. Trios must be a noble with quite a bit of money,¡± Bachman said beside Urich.


    The arena was a cauldron of madness.


    <i>¡®Lion and man.¡¯</i>


    It was a rare matchup. Two male lions roamed the arena as they released their frightening beastly growls.


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    A diator emerged from the opposite gate. It was Mogdi, Trios¡¯ champion.


    ¡°U-ugh, ughh.¡±


    Mogdi carried his trembling body onto the arena grounds. His body was a mess from getting beaten to a pulp the night before. It seemed like he was having a difficult time even holding his weapon.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look too good,¡± Bachman remarked with a frown.


    ¡°Judging by the way he¡¯s moving; I¡¯d say his left arm ispletely broken. Looks like his leg is a bit fractured, as well.¡±


    ¡°What, you can see all that from here?¡±


    ¡°Eh, somewhat.¡±


    ¡°You really are not a human. You¡¯re a monster.¡± Bachman clicked his tongue at Urich¡¯s superhuman vision.


    <i>¡®Are we really the same species?¡¯</i> Bachman thought. The physical abilities that Urich asionally showcased were anything but human.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be able to take on two lions with a body like that. This is going to be a ughter show.¡±


    Mogdi¡¯s death was all but certain.


    ¡°Woaaahhh!¡±


    The crowd expressed their anticipation for the imminent gory spectacle that they were about to witness. Their roar called for Mogdi¡¯s execution.


    <i>¡®This is what you get for humiliating me, Mogdi,¡¯</i> Trios thought andughed in his seat with his legs casually crossed as he watched his helpless champion¡¯s inevitable death.


    The lion pounced on the wounded champion. The shield raised in the futile attempt to protect himself was shredded and shattered by the front paws of the beast.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    Mogdi swung his sword at the lion but failed tond a fatal blow.


    <i>Rip!</i>


    The lion bit off Mogdi¡¯s face. His painful screech echoed through the arena and the crowd roared with exhration. Some even copsed at the terrible sight.


    ¡°A-ahhhhh!¡±


    Mogdi struggled and screamed even as he was dying. His cry for help didn¡¯t seem to bother the lion at all.


    <i>Crack, crunch.</i>


    The sound of his flesh and bones being crushed and broken muffled his dying screech as Mogdi¡¯s life was being turned into meat. The crowd cheered for his death.


    ¡°Grrr.¡±


    The lion dragged Mogdi¡¯s lifeless body around the arena. Soon, skilled hunters entered the arena and captured the lions in theirs.


    ¡°That was horrible,¡± Bachman clicked his tongue at the sight of Mogdi¡¯s demise. Being fed alive to a beast was the worst of the many terrible ways to go as a diator.


    ¡°Donovan¡¯s up next, yeah?¡± Urich said as he bought a snack from the arena vendor wandering around the stands.


    ¡°There hees.¡±


    The metal gate opened, and Donovan walked out, heavily armed.


    <i>¡®Chainmail, a sturdy shield, and a sword of a length that is just right.¡¯</i>


    Donovan¡¯s armor was that of a typical heavy infantry.


    ¡°Donovan is solid. Even though his battle style is quite gruesome, his fighting strategy is textbook. He doesn¡¯t take any chances in a match,¡± Bachman murmured.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. He squeezes the life out of his opponent slowly, like a snake.¡±


    Donovan showcased a highly sophisticated match. His opponent was a mercenary diator of equal caliber. The fight was full of fierce back-and-forth as both diators looked for a sliver of opportunity to take get an advantage through mind games and trickery. Donovan was a seasoned diator with plenty of real-life experience, so he took the higher ground with better tactics.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    His sword dug into his opponent¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°That¡¯s that, then,¡± Urich remarked. Once Donovan had the advantage, he never let it go to waste.


    ¡°He¡¯ll probably drag that guy around and cut him up until he decides to ruthlessly finish him.¡±


    Bachman was well aware of how Donovan¡¯s matches went. Gory endings were what was behind Donovan¡¯s poprity.


    ¡°We¡¯re all done here.¡±


    The victorious Donovan raised his sword and roared.


    With the end of this tournament, Horus diators¡¯ visit to this city was also wrapped up and it was time for them to move on to the next city. Horus personally knew several Counts in various cities, and he had a full schedule of tournaments lined up for his diators.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I followed Horus.¡±


    Urich was enjoying his life as Horus¡¯ diator. He was making plenty of money and the endless fights were keeping his body from getting rusty. Most importantly, he was seeing so many new things as he traveled around with the squad.


    * * *


    ¡°Did we load all the cargo? Do another headcount.¡±


    ¡°What about the ves?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all gathered.¡±


    The Horus diators were busy preparing for their departure to the new city. They were traveling with more than fifty people including all the diators, ves, guards, and servants.


    ¡°This should be enough to get you settled here. Thanks for all your hard work, Vienne.¡±


    ¡°And best of luck to you as well, Master.¡±


    In a corner, several female ves each with full bellies said their farewell to Horus. They were the ones responsible for releasing the sexual desires of the men. The female ves who became pregnant were left behind in the departure city where they would birth their children and start a new life for themselves. They had their freedom back¡ªalthough most of them ended up back in the red-light districts.


    ¡°He¡¯s letting them go <i>and</i> giving them money. That¡¯s interesting.¡± Urich tilted his head in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we can bring all the pregnant women around with us, anyway. And this way, the remaining female ves have something to look forward to. Without a hope like this, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle what they have to do for us. Them being set free with a bit of money is the only thing keeping them sane through all the men. Horus knows how to handle his ves,¡± Bachman exined as he loaded his luggage on the cart.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Urich looked at the female ves. He¡¯d been in their quarters quite often throughout his journey, and since they were bound to that role in the first ce, they were always quite epting of his requests.


    <i>Cling</i>.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s about three million cils.¡¯</i>


    Urich took out his money pouch and walked toward the women.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much but share it among yourselves. Thanks for everything and take care,¡± Urich told the women as he tossed them the pouch full of coins. Their eyes widened at Urich¡¯s unexpected gift, and so did Horus¡¯.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve just given that money to me,¡± Bachman whined after seeing what Urich had just done.


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe one of them is carrying my child,¡± Urich grinned and showed his teeth.


    ¡°Hah, as if. What woman gets a full belly in just three months?¡± Bachman shook his head in disbelief.


    The Horus diators wrapped up their schedule and left the city. The diators took turns alternating between riding in the chariots and walking. The guards ced themselves on the edges of the marching group, and Horus yawnedzily from his horse.


    ¡°Hey Urich, where are you really from? You give off the vibe of a southerner, but at the same time, you sometimes feel like a northerner,¡± Horus came up to Urich and asked. Urichughed off his question.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m from the south. Besides, what does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right. That¡¯s not important.¡±


    Horus had been in the diatorial business for ten years. Over those years, he had seen countless diators.


    <i>¡®Urich is special.¡¯</i>


    It was hard to put a finger on it, but he was certain that Urich was out of the ordinary.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s not someone whose life would end as a diator under someone like me.¡¯</i>


    In many ways, Urich held a lot of potential. At first nce, he seemed like an arrogant young man, but after spending time with him, it was obvious that he followed through with his words. If he said he would do something, he did it. If he said he would kill someone, he killed them.


    <i>¡®It only took him three months to catch up to Donovan. A barbarian like him at that, too.¡¯</i>


    Urich had a lot of supporters. Many diators, including Bachman, were mesmerized by him. Even Donovan, who couldn¡¯t give him the time of day at first, hade to recognize his status.


    ¡°I really like this ce, Horus,¡± Urich said as he gazed at the wheat fields outside the city.


    ¡°Interesting. Out of all ces, you like the fields?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why I want thesends,¡± Urich said as he squinted his eyes. A strange life force squirmed around him.


    Horus shivered with an unexinable chill.


    ¡°When you have a lot of money, maybe you can buy somend somewhere in the countryside,¡± Horus replied gruffly as he sped the symbol of Srism near his chest.


    <i>¡®Oh Lou, the God of Sun, is it alright for me to keep this barbarian around?¡¯</i>


    Whenever Horus stopped by a city, he met with the local priests and made a donation. It was his attempt at atoning for the immoral sins that hemitted for his business.


    ¡°Where are we going next? When are we getting to the sea?¡± Urich asked Horus.


    ¡°The coastal cities are still a long way away. And our schedule is exactly as we discussed earlier,¡± Horus answered as he looked at Urich, who was paying close attention to what he was saying.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you know how to read and write, right, Horus?¡¯


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Teach me. Teach me the letters.¡±


    Horus frowned at Urich¡¯s request.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something you can learn overnight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you to teach me!¡±


    ¡°What, for free?¡±


    ¡°Fine. From now on, take ten percent more than what you usually take from my winnings.¡±


    Urich¡¯s offer made Horus chuckle.


    ¡°Alright then,e find me after dinner tonight. We¡¯ll start with your name.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°<i>Burp,</i> that was a nice meal.¡±


    After dinner, Urich broke off a thorn from a tree and used it as a toothpick.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going, Urich? We¡¯re ying dice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good. I don¡¯t even have money right now, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you idiot. I heard you gave away all your money to those female ves! What a saint,¡± one of the diators jokingly said to Urich.


    ¡°Would you like to have your skull cracked open by an idiot?¡±


    The diatorsughed at Urich¡¯s retort. He left them behind and headed to Horus¡¯ tent.


    <i>Chirp¨C</i>


    The night was deep, and the sounds of insects filled the cold evening air. The unlit outskirts of the campground were pitch ck. Eyes that have been adjusted to light could not see in the dark forest. The guards had their backs turned against the light and their gazes were locked on the darkness.


    ¡°Urich?¡± the guard saw Urich and asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the leader.¡±


    Horus, who had just finished his dinner, waved Urich over.


    ¡°So, do you really want to learn how to read and write? You probably won¡¯t have much use for it, anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for <i>me </i>to decide, not you.¡±


    ¡°You are a peculiar person, Urich.¡±


    Horus and Urich sat next to a campfire and took out a dagger.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started, Horus,¡± Urich said as he looked at Horus with bright and curious eyes. Horus scratched the ground with his dagger, spelling out each alphabet.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be lucky if you can memorize these letters and spell your name with them by the end of the night.¡±


    Horus didn¡¯t have much expectation. He was expecting Urich to give up soon enough.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Urich rested his head on his hand and took a careful look at the strange Hamelian alphabet. He read them out loud, repeating after Horus.


    <i>Pop, snap.</i>


    The bonfire was aze, and the embers floated around the two men.


    ¡°Urich,¡± Horus was stunned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve never learned this before?¡±


    ¡°If I did, then why would I be doing this with you right now? Did you suddenly lose your brain or something?¡±


    Horus¡¯ eyes widened.


    <i>¡®It only took him a couple of tries to memorize the whole alphabet?¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s memorization ability was phenomenal. It only took him a few repetitions to memorize what should have taken him at least a few days.


    ¡°U...rich... Is this how I write my name?¡±


    Urich scribbled his own name on the ground.


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    ¡°Haha, if I keep this up, I¡¯ll learn how to read and write in no time! This really isn¡¯t that hard.¡±


    Horus couldn¡¯t say anything. Urich¡¯s words didn¡¯t feel like an overstatement.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s really going to learn the letters in no time. His memorization ability is something else. I did hear that barbarians pick up on reading and writing surprisingly well, but this... this doesn¡¯t feel right.¡¯</i>


    Urich urged Horus to teach him more words, and it wasn¡¯t long before he had them all memorized.

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17</h4>


    ¡°So this is ¡®sword,¡¯ and this is ¡®spear¡¯... How do I write ¡®axe¡¯?¡±


    Urich¡¯s questions were endless, and his eyes sparkled with the joy of learning.


    ¡°¡¯¡¯Axe¡¯ is...¡±


    As Horus continued to teach him, Urich did not take long to copy after him. His focus and concentration were phenomenal. As the night wore on, the yawns of the guards watching over the tent grew more frequent. After all, no one ever really attempted a night raid on a diator squad unless they were out of their minds.


    <i>Thwip</i>.


    An arrow ripped through the cold night air. A guard who was roaming about with a torch in his hand fell to the ground after the arrownded on him.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Arrow after arrow emerged from the darkness. The diators and guards who were enjoying their rxation in their camp all scrambled to their feet.


    ¡°We havepany, it¡¯s a night raid!¡±


    ¡°Grab your shields!¡±


    ¡°Come on, get up!¡±


    The men shouted at each other and got into their battle formation.


    ¡°What kind of lunatics are raiding a diator squad? God dammit,¡± the diatorsined under their breath.


    diator squads were not like the typical caravans. The diators, who were considered the squad¡¯s ¡®products¡¯, were seasoned, experienced warriors. Even those who frequently raided the caravans didn¡¯ty a finger on these squads.


    ¡°A r-raid?¡±


    Horus moved swiftly, as he was just the man in charge of keeping the squad running, not an actual warrior like his diators.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrownded beside Horus, missing him narrowly.


    ¡°We gotta find you a cover for now, Horus,¡± Urich said to Horus as he grabbed him and ran, practically dragging him along.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t see where they¡¯re shooting from. They were smart to attack us at night.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s eyes were adjusted to the bright light in the camp so he couldn¡¯t pick out the enemies from the darkness. He proceeded to close one eye at a time. He was nning to adjust his eyes by alternating opening them.


    <i>¡®First, I have to make sure Horus can stay safe. Then, I¡¯ll join the fight.¡¯</i>


    Urich was aware of how important Horus was in keeping this diator squad running. Without him, the squad had no proper guidance. Horus was the one who always used his connections to secure their tournaments. Any diator could be reced, but their leader Horus was irreceable.


    ¡°Horus, you need to stay here for now... Shit.¡± Urich dove behind a boulder with Horus, then frowned once he came to the realization.


    ¡°K-kek.¡±


    Horus was grasping his neck. There was an arrow stuck in his neck, and his top had already been drenched in his own blood.


    ¡°Hey, let me see!¡± Urich inspected the wound.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s stuck in deep. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡¯</i>


    Horus¡¯ throat soon became filled with blood to the point of blocking his speech. All he could do was gasp for air to dy the inevitable.


    ¡°Listen to me, Horus. Look at me, and listen,¡± Urich said to Horus as he tapped on his cheek to retain his attention. Horus eventually locked his eyes on Urich as he trembled away. They could hear the screams and shouts echoing throughout the camp as their diator squad retaliated against the raiders.


    ¡°You are about to die. You don¡¯t have much time left. I suggest you stop shaking in fear and start praying to your god and prepare yourself!¡±


    Horus¡¯ pupils shook at Urich¡¯s words. He was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it other than ept it with what little time he had left.


    <i>Tinkle.</i>


    Urich pulled out the symbol of Srism from the inside of Horus¡¯ shirt and put it in his hand.


    ¡°The Sun god followers believe in reincarnation, right? Then I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see each other again in this world, Horus. You have nothing to be scared of.¡±


    Horus¡¯ trembling subsided as he nodded weakly to Urich¡¯s assurance. After assuring his leader, Urich drew a line from his eyes all the way down to his chin with Horus¡¯ blood.


    ¡°I came from the other side of the mountains, Horus. Yes, the Sky Mountains. On my side, it¡¯s all people just like me. I, Urich of the Stone Axe Tribe, swear to the sky on my name. The ones who attacked us tonight will not leave here alive. So, don¡¯t even worry about getting your revenge, and rest now Horus.¡±


    With his bloody hands, Horus grabbed Urich¡¯s. His eyes became still as he gazed at Urich.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Urich muttered under his breath. He reached out and closed Horus¡¯ eyes. Horus was dead.


    ¡°Promises must be kept.¡±


    Urich drew his axes. He had sworn vengeance. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness and finally, his enemies were now within his sight.


    * * *


    ¡°What insane people would do this? Kek!¡±


    ¡°Shit, get your shields up.¡±


    Night raids were one of the most effective forms ofbat. When sessful, it allowed a small group to take on a muchrger enemy. The Horus diators were hit hard with a well-nned night raid. There were ten men down already, and the casualty was only increasing.


    ¡°If you have a shield, step up to the front, dammit!¡±


    There was nomand to guide the diators, leaving them confused as they yelled at each other.


    ¡°Rallo, Paul, Bajorn, grab two more men and move up the right side! Giggs and Nelsey, you two areing with me,¡± Donovan gave his orders in his full armor. He was the only diator with military experience, so at hismand, the diators responded to the situation.


    <i>¡®The dark bushy hill, that¡¯s where they are shooting from.¡¯</i>


    Retreating was an option, as they did not know how many men they were up against. They were undoubtedly at a disadvantage.


    <i>¡®We can¡¯t run without trying. They shouldn¡¯t have that many men. If they did, they would have already surrounded us and came at us with their swords.¡¯</i>


    Donovan¡¯s judgment was purely objective. He climbed the hill with his shield in front of him until he started seeing the shadows of his enemies through the tall grass.


    ¡°Throw it!¡±


    Donovanunched his javelin ahead. A scream came from the bushes.


    ¡°Go, Rallo!¡±


    The diators that took a detour jumped into the bushes as Donovan and the others charged forward with a battle cry.


    ¡°Keugh!¡±


    A close-rangebat broke out. Those who joined the fightte illuminated the area with their torches.


    <i>¡®Are they bandits? Mercenaries? Never mind that, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯</i>


    It was not umon for mercenaries to turn themselves into bandits. The more prestigious, upper-ss mercenary organizations were somewhat fixed armies, but a small group like this blurred the line between the two professions.


    ¡°Keep going, kill them all! I¡¯ll pay you double!¡± Someone shouted from among the enemies. It was a young man dressed in clean clothes that didn¡¯t fit the asion at all.


    ¡°Trios?¡±


    Someone recognized the face of the young man. It was Trios, the noble who had been humiliated by his champion at the Count¡¯s party the other night.


    ¡°That bastard was the one who attacked us? For what?¡±


    The diators were dumbfounded at the unexpected discovery.


    ¡°Does he think that it¡¯s our fault that he humiliated himself in front of the other nobles? That crazy bastard.¡±


    Trios¡¯ men clearly outnumbered what was left of the diators. He had hired around thirty mercenaries to raid the Horus diators, who now had about twenty men left after being hit by their sneak attack.


    <i>¡®We¡¯re being overrun, we have too many injuries,¡¯</i> Donovan thought to himself as he mmed his shield on the enemy in front of him. His eyes were reading the flow of the battle.


    ¡°Die, you diator scums!¡± Trios¡¯ mercenaries shouted with a high morale. They seemed to be getting quite a big paycheck for this job.


    <i>¡®This would all be over if we could just grab Trios and hold him hostage, but he won¡¯te out of his cowardly hiding.¡¯</i>


    Donovan found himself surrounded by more and more enemies. A few of the guards and diators began to flee as they realized how outnumbered they were, not to mention the majority of the ve diators who had been released so that they could fight alongside them. Sven was the only ve who stayed behind.


    <i>¡®You can¡¯t me the ves for running for their lives. Tsk, maybe I should have gone with them.¡¯</i> Donovan started considering his options.


    ¡°Wo-woahhhh!¡±


    A beastly howl came from the bushes. A man leaped straight into the middle of the chaotic battleground.


    ¡°Urich!¡± The diators eximed once they recognized the man.


    ¡°We thought you ran away, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Me? Run away? Are you joking?¡±


    Urich grinned at them as he jumped into the enemies. He was, quite literally, in the middle of the enemy lines.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Blood spattered as heads rolled on the ground. Urich¡¯s pair of battle axes danced in his hands


    ¡°Urich, grab him! It¡¯s Trios from the party!¡± Donovan eximed at Urich. He was well aware of what Urich was capable of.


    <i>¡®He can ram through all of them and get to Trios.¡¯</i>


    The mercenaries distanced themselves from Urich out of fear.


    ¡°What? Who are you giving orders to, Donovan?¡± Urich yelled as he red at Donovan. They were not on good terms, and they never were. It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if they killed each other right then and there from all the bad blood they had umted.


    <i>Woosh</i>.


    Urich¡¯s shoulder moved. His axe ripped through the air toward Donovan.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Donovan quickly turned his head. Urich¡¯s axe had mmed into a mercenary¡¯s head who tried to sneak up on Donovan.


    ¡°Look behind you before you start barking orders at me, asshole,¡± Urich said as he drew his sword with his now spare hand. With his axe in one hand and sword in the other, he yed through anyone who wasid in front of him with his double-handed maneuver.


    ¡°W-what is that thing?¡±


    Urich was on apletely different level, both here and back home. He stood out wherever he went. In the enemy¡¯s eyes, Urich was not a human.


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    Trios screamed in terror. Urich sliced through all of his mercenaries and came straight at him.


    ¡°Look who it is, a familiar face!¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Urich mmed his head into Trios¡¯ face, who copsed backward.


    ¡°M-my nose!¡± Trios muttered as he sped his shattered nose. Urich tilted his chin up with the t of this sword.


    ¡°The man who is writing your paycheck is right there with our leader. Drop your weapons and surrender now!¡± Donovan shouted. The mercenaries flinched and dropped their weapons one by one.


    ¡°You sons of bitches!¡± The diators punted the powerless mercenaries and spat on their faces.


    ¡°P-please let me live. I¡¯ll pay for all the dead diators. I¡¯m a noble¡ªI have the right to pay my way out of this,¡± Trios said as he trembled in fear. Urich and the other diators finally caught their breath. There were about ten of Trios¡¯ mercenaries left. They all had their eyes closed, waiting for their execution.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s just take the money. He was going to spend a fortune trying to kill us, so I¡¯m sure he will be more than willing to pay us even more than that,¡± Donovan suggested as he wiped the blood off his face. The other diators nodded in agreement.


    ¡°If you kill a noble, the rest of them wille for you even if it was self-defence. It also won¡¯t be good for the image of our squad,¡± Bachman said to show his disagreement with Donovan.


    Urich hesitated to give them his reply. Instead, retrieved his axes and walked up to Trios.


    ¡°There¡¯s no more squad. Horus is dead.¡±


    ¡°Horus died? God dammit.¡±


    The diators fell silent at Urich¡¯s words, who was now standing before Trios as he wiped the blood off the de of his sword.


    ¡°I swore to Horus that I would avenge him.¡±


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    Urich didn¡¯t give anyone a chance to stop him. He stabbed Trios¡¯ stomach with his sword.


    ¡°Keugh, d- do you know who I am? I-I¡¯m...¡±


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich twisted his sword inside Trios¡¯ stomach. Trios¡¯ head dropped.


    ¡°Shit, why would you kill him!¡± Donovan frowned and looked at the captured mercenaries. They couldn¡¯t afford to leave any witnesses now that they had killed a noble.


    ¡°W-we won¡¯t say a word about this, no, we¡¯ll work for you! We¡¯ll do anything, just don¡¯t kill... A-argh!¡±


    Donovan beheaded the mercenary who was knelt before him. The other diators followed suit as they released a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, but we were both trying to kill each other just a minute ago, right? Don¡¯t me me for this,¡± Bachman said as he stabbed the heart of a mercenary. There were no survivors nor witnesses.


    ¡°Gather up the bodies and burn them all.¡±


    The remaining diatorsid the bodies out and collected their loot.


    ¡°Does anyone know the funeral prayer?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know it.¡±


    ¡°Good,e back in a bit and do one for them.¡±


    By dawn, the cleanup was finished. The survivors proceeded with the funeral ritual with their eyes bleary with exhaustion. They gathered some dry firewood,id them around the bodies, and covered it in oil.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, receive your sons with open arms as they return to your embrace...¡±


    The bodies burned as a few of the diators recited the prayer along.


    <i>¡®The Sun God Lou.¡¯</i>


    Urich watched the funeral.


    <i>¡®When people die here, their souls ascend all the way up to the sun where they are purified and reborn into a new life.¡¯</i>


    The solemn prayer was finished.


    <i>¡®I wonder if Horus is being reincarnated somewhere.¡¯</i>


    Everyone feared death. Urich also grew up watching his brothers die.


    <i>¡®My dying brothers and I said that we would one day meet in the spirit world beyond the Sky Mountains. But there was no such thing. Our souls cannot be here, or anywhere.¡¯</i>


    The afterlife that Urich had believed in all his life was gone.


    <i>¡®The reincarnation of Srism, the Field of Swords of the north.¡¯</i>


    Everyone else had somewhere to go after they died. Urich did not.


    ¡°Alright, so what do we do now?¡±


    The diators huddled up after finishing the funeral.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t be diators anymore. Horus was the one with all the connections, and now he¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get our money and go our separate ways.¡±


    ¡°A bunch of us don¡¯t have enough money to go back home. And what about the wounded?¡±


    The diators exchanged their opinions for a while. Urich watched in silence.


    He was deep in his thoughts as the dawn air was melting in the sunlight. Then, he finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°Mercenaries.¡±

 Chapter 18: Urich’s Brotherhood

    <h4>Chapter 18: Urich¡¯s Brotherhood</h4>


    <i>Crackle, crackle.</i>


    The piglet roast wasing along nicely. Urich stood beside it, sharpening his axe de.


    ¡°Can we not eat it yet?¡± Urich asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not even close to being done, Urich,¡± Bachman shook his head and scolded him as he turned the piglet over.


    ¡°Are we going to get moving anytime soon? My body¡¯s aching from doing nothing for too long. We¡¯ve been waiting here for three days now,¡± the other men asked.


    The ex-diators were waiting for a battle. The Horus diators was now a mercenary squad. Since the twenty-two guards and diators agreed to the career change, they had been making scraps by doing grunt work as securities and guards. No one wanted to hire a small nameless mercenary group for a big job.


    <i>¡®We can¡¯t keep doing this. We¡¯re not making any money,¡¯</i> Urich thought as he stared at the horizon while chewing on his nails. The small earnings from these jobs were barely enough to keep them fed and under a roof. On top of that, no one in their group was educated enough to look after their budget, so they couldn¡¯t even hold on to the little money they were making. The money that they had saved under Horus¡¯ leadership was already running out.


    This made Urich and the rest of the diators realize how crucial Horus was to their livelihood. When Horus was alive and well, they never had to worry about eating, drinking, sleeping, and having women.


    ¡°Are you sure about that intel?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much money I wasted at that tavern? If what the owner said isn¡¯t true, I¡¯ll go cut his head off myself.¡±


    The mercenary squad was camping out for three days based on a single tip about an imminent battle.


    ¡°Count Daggleton and Count Mondo are about to begin their territorial battle, and the first battle is taking ce not too far from here since this is the only nd around.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for three straight days based on that one tip,¡± the mercenaries said to each other as they exchanged concerned nces.


    ¡°Urich, if this fails, most of them will probably leave us,¡± Bachman said with concern.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it then why don¡¯t we just let Donovan be our leader?¡± Urich retorted. He was the temporary leader of the newly formed mercenary squad, due to the fact that he was the one who suggested the career change. On top of that, the situation was also in his favor. He had yed a crucial role in defeating Trios¡¯ mercenaries with his unparalleled battle skills.


    ¡°The only reason why Donovan even agreed to this mercenary thing in the first ce is probably so that he can eventually throw you out and take back what was his,¡± Backman red. At the end of his gaze was Donovan, peacefully admiring the sky in the grass field.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that we need Donovan. He¡¯s a goodmander¡ªprobably more of a captain material than I am,¡± Urich said as he shrugged. He admitted that Donovan had themanding skills that he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he stay in the military? Life as an Imperial soldier must have been much better than one as a diator,¡± Bachman questioned. It was obvious that Donovan was a very capable soldier.


    ¡°Mm, that smells good!¡± Urich smacked his lips as he stared at the piglet roast.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    Bachman dug into the piglet with his dagger, and the meaty juice drizzled down.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready now. It¡¯s time to eat, you hogs!¡±


    Bachman¡¯s words drew in the scattered mercenaries one by one. A delicious pork meal was about to be served.


    ¡°They¡¯re here! They¡¯re here!¡± The lookout called out. The mercenaries frowned in disappointment and annoyance.


    ¡°What, now? Why now? Fucking hell.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and armor up. We¡¯ll feast until our stomachs burst after we get this done.¡±


    The mercenaries got up as they grabbed their armory. Everyone was prepared with different armor and weapons, fitting the title of mercenaries.


    ¡°Urich!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ming,¡± Urich said as he stood on top of the hill. He squinted his eyes to look at the ins. His vision was out of this world.


    ¡°Ah, they are soldiers, indeed. The army on the right has a red bear on their g and the one on the left has a golden trident,¡± Bachman passed down the information to the rest of the mercenaries.


    ¡°The red bear g is Count Daggleton and the golden trident is Count Mondo.¡±


    ¡°They each have about a hundred soldiers. I think we can budge in.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡±


    The mercenaries¡¯ morale was high, and their eyes burned with eagerness. They had been waiting for this moment for the past three days. Each of them pressed their helmet down and raised their weapons and shields.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, my friends,¡± Urich drew his sword and eximed as he led the line.


    * * *


    Count Mondo did not wish for this conflict. A g with a golden trident fluttered behind him as he trod on his horse.


    ¡°That goddamn Daggleton, iming grandfathers¡¯ rights after all this time.¡±


    The area they were fighting over was a fringe farnd where their two estates ovepped. The administrative documents showed that thend belonged to Count Daggleton, but Count Mondo was the one who had been ruling over it for the past two generations.


    ¡°We must have bought thisnd from the Daggletons but there is no record of transaction. Probably because of those idiot scribes forgetting to do their job.¡±


    Both Counts brought fair and valid points for iming total control of the farnd to the table.


    ¡°May Lou be the judge of this conflict.¡±


    They believed that the Sun God Lou would be in favor of the righteous ruler of the farnd. All that was left was for them to battle over it. Count Mondo mustered his troops. He had an army of twenty men from his standing army along with around eighty conscripts.


    ¡°Count Daggleton¡¯s army must be in a simr shape as ours, Count Mondo. The victory will go to the army that has Lou¡¯s blessing,¡± a liege said to Count Mondo.


    Count Daggleton¡¯s army emerged from the horizon. Because of their simr territory size and poption, their armies were of a simr scale.


    <i>¡®If we lose this, we¡¯ll have to live under Daggleton¡¯s thumb.¡¯</i>


    Count Mondo lowered his helmet with determination. His chainmail nked with every movement, and he wore a suit of leather underneath his armor.


    The Count and his twenty standing troops were heavily armed, but those from the conscription army were dressed in woeful armor.


    ¡°Shit, why are we fighting for these snobs?¡±


    ¡°What does this even have to do with us?¡±


    The conscripts grumbled. All they had to protect themselves from swords and arrows were mostly regr cotton clothes, with the exception of a few leather suits that some wore as armor.


    ¡°Can we even fight with these dull-ded spears?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I¡¯ll dly take it off your hands if you don¡¯t want it.¡±


    They were given spears to fight with, but there wasn¡¯t enough to go around. Many of the conscripts had to bring their own plows or axes they used for firewood. The hunters took on the role of archers and brought their bows and arrows. Most of these conscripts were not warriors, but only farmers. So, naturally, their morale was on the floor. In small territories like Daggleton and Mondo¡¯s, the people were practically serfs, unlike the people of a more urbanized territory who had a much more stabilized life.


    ¡°If I am righteous, Lou will be on my side,¡± Mondo sped his hands together and quickly said a prayer. The battle was imminent.


    ¡°Count Mondo, someone is approaching!¡±


    The archers nocked their arrows.


    ¡°Did Count Daggleton send an emissary?


    ¡°Why would he send an emissary now? He¡¯s probably just telling us to surrender before the battle begins.¡±


    ¡°By the way he is dressed, he doesn¡¯t seem like an emissary of the Count.¡±


    Mondo and his lieges murmured as the strange man finally reached the army.


    ¡°I am a messenger from our mercenary squad. We heard the news of your conflict and were waiting for you.¡±


    It was a mercenary from Urich¡¯s newly formed mercenary squad. The messenger spoke to Mondo.


    ¡°Mercenary? Who is your leader?¡± Count Mondo asked the messenger.


    ¡°He¡¯s a warrior named Urich. We used to be in a diator squad called Horus...¡±


    Count Mondo made it obvious that he was irritated even before the messenger could finish his introduction.


    ¡°So, a nobody. Fine, how many men do you have?¡±


    ¡°We have twenty-two, all heavily armored and with plenty of battle experience.¡±


    The lieges murmured at the sound of a significant upgrade to the conscripts they currently had. Good mercenaries added as much advantage as well-trained standing soldiers.


    ¡°Twenty-two mercenaries would be more than enough to tip the scale in our favor, Count.¡±


    ¡°But how can we trust these mercenaries? They¡¯ve only just showed up, right before our battle.¡±


    Mondo felt uneasy about hiring a group of mercenaries that he had never seen or heard of before.


    ¡°If you, Count Mondo, refuse to hire us, our squad will fight against you under Count Daggleton. He should have received the same offer by now.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to ckmail me right now, you measly mercenary?¡± Mondo drew his sword and pointed its tip at the messenger¡¯s neck.


    <i>¡®Shit, I knew the extra money wasn¡¯t worth all this trouble. I shouldn¡¯t have volunteered to do this,¡¯</i> the messenger thought to himself as he did his best to look as unbothered as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it as a no and get out of your hair,¡± he said as he turned his back against the Count.


    The Count slowly parted his lips, ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear what you have to offer.¡±


    ¡°Fine. A million cils per mercenary. On top of that, we¡¯ll give you half of the loot to which you get the first pick.¡±


    Looting after a battle was another way to make decent money, especially when there were standing soldiers involved. A good chainmail from them went for more than ten million cils on the market.


    ¡°I will pass your offer on to our leader,¡± the messenger said as he ran back toward the hills.


    ¡°Mercenaries intervening in a situation like this, how did they smell the money?¡± the Count grumbled as he looked across the in. Daggleton¡¯s men had not moved since thest time they checked. It seemed like they were negotiating with the same mercenaries.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    The messengers ran back to the camp where Urich and the rest of the mercenaries were waiting. Urich, perched on a tree stump,ughed.


    ¡°What did they offer us?¡±


    The mercenaries who were sent as messengers took turns passing on the offer from the two Counts.


    ¡°Count Mondo offered a million cils per mercenary and half of the loot, to which we get the first pick.¡±


    ¡°Count Daggleton offered us two million cils, and possibly more depending on how much we contribute to their win.¡±


    The mercenaries murmured.


    ¡°Daggleton is much better. We don¡¯t need a deal on the loot¡ªwe can just take that for ourselves after the battle. Besides, selling those on the market is also a pain. He¡¯s offering us double what the other one is,¡± Bachman suggested to the squad. The other mercenaries nodded in agreement as they all preferred a higher guaranteed pay than having to look for good loot.


    ¡°Is that so? Alright then, we¡¯ll go with Daggleton,¡± Urich said as he got up from the tree stump.


    ¡°I disagree. I think we should go with Mondo,¡± Sven broke his silence as he looked to the side of Mondo¡¯s army.


    ¡°And your reason is?¡± Urich asked. Sven was a man of few words. Whenever he decided to speak up, it was for good reason.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Daggleton is going to keep his word and actually pay us the two million cils, especially when he offered to pay us even more than that depending on our contribution. He¡¯s only a small-time count with a small territory. I don¡¯t think he would be willing to risk losing that much money to an unknown mercenary squad like us. On the other hand, Mondo¡¯s offer is much more realistic. He would only have to pay us twenty-two million cils in cash and get it over with.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you don¡¯t think Daggleton¡¯s going to pay us?¡±


    ¡°I think he will either stall and drag out the payment or try to cut our heads off himself after the battle. I heard that he was the one who started this whole thing, so he sounds like an ambitious noble to me.¡±


    Sven had a point. His words stirred the mercenaries again.


    ¡°I think Sven raised a good point. What do you guys think? Raise your hand if you want to go with Mondo.¡±


    One by one, the mercenaries nced at each other and raised their hands in agreement. The majority had voted to fight for Count Mondo.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled, then. If anyone strongly objects, speak up while I count to ten,¡± Urich started folding his fingers and counted. There were no objections.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get started, then, shall we?¡±


    <i>Clunk, ng.</i>


    The mercenaries picked up their weapons and joined the army of Count Mondo.


    ¡°There theye,¡± Count Mondo remarked as he watched the group of mercenaries approaching them.


    ¡°They look like they¡¯ve seen their fair share of battle, Count,¡± a liege whispered to Mondo.


    ¡°We ept your offer. You give us a million cils per person, and we get the first pick of half of the loot,¡± Urich said as he stood before the Count.


    ¡°Are you the leader?¡± Mondo asked with a frown.


    <i>¡®A barbarian?¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s foreign ent and his beastly aura hinted at his barbaric origin. Mondo thought that he was from the north, given that there was a typical northern warrior among the mercenaries.


    <i>¡®Well, beggars can¡¯t be choosers, I guess.¡¯</i>


    Mondo reluctantly epted Urich.


    ¡°Oh right, how much do we get if we bring you Daggleton¡¯s head?¡± Urich asked.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill him. But if you manage to bring him to me alive, I¡¯ll give you half of his ransom.¡±


    In a battle between nobles, the only casualties were their soldiers. It was an unspoken rule that nobles could not kill one another, and they had their reasons as well.¡±


    <i>¡®If we killed Daggleton, his friends and family would use that as an excuse to try and steal my territory.¡¯</i>


    Urich tilted his head in question.


    ¡°The people here are obsessed with ransoms. Why don¡¯t you just kill them and take everything that they have?¡±


    Count Mondo and his liegesughed out loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you make it sound, Urich. There are a lot ofplications with the politics and family ties involved.¡±


    Urich shrugged.


    ¡°Well, whatever. Just remember what you said about bringing him alive,¡± Urich reminded the Count as he patted the horse that he was sitting on and returned to his group.


    <i>¡®Pff, bringing him alive? I doubt it. I wouldn¡¯t have even considered hiring these nobodies if we weren¡¯t on the brink of battle.¡¯</i>


    The two counts knew from their spies that neither side had hired any mercenaries. It would have been pointless spending to hire any for such a small piece of farnd.


    <i>¡®How unlucky are we to have to pay a bunch of mercenaries when we were so close to getting it done without them?¡¯</i>


    Count Mondo stared toward the edge of the in. Count Daggleton and his army were on the move. They had decided that the new mercenaries were not worth any dys.

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19</h4>


    The battle to determine the ruler of the farnd had begun.


    Count Daggleton gradually moved his troops in preparation for the battle. He looked at his army, and he was certain of his victory.


    <i>¡®Mondo, you fool. Did you really think that hiring a few nameless mercenaries was going to turn the tide in your favor?¡¯</i>


    The military under Count Daggleton¡¯smand had over fifty heavily armed soldiers. That was more than half of his entire army.


    <i>¡®You probably had no idea that my half-brother was the leader of a mercenary squad.¡¯</i>


    Out of the fifty heavily armed men, twenty were hired mercenaries from the Silver Lion Mercenaries. Daggleton and his half-brother had kept their contact behind doors to keep the strength of their army hidden from Count Mondo.


    ¡°That farnd shall soon be ours, my Count,¡± one of Daggleton¡¯s lieges, one that was rather soft-looking for a man, said to him in anguid tone.


    ¡°Oh, Allian, this war is for you. I will gift you that farnd once I have taken it from Count Mondo,¡± Daggleton said with affection. The two of them were in a homosexual rtionship, which was not umon in the noble society.


    Allian blushed and looked away for a moment, then said, ¡°I had no idea that the leader of the Silver Lion Mercenaries was your half-brother. The luck was in our favor.¡±


    ¡°Ten years ago, he ran away from home with ten other young men. Who knew he would be the leader of a mercenary squad? Not me, for sure.¡±


    ¡°The Silver Lion Mercenaries are one of the most well-known mercenary squads. They may not berge in number but their strength... I have heard their tales several times myself. Rumor has it that the Imperial Army had even tried to recruit them as their regr unit.¡±


    ¡°He was abandoned by our father, but he and I are on good terms. We spent a lot of time ying together growing up.¡±


    ¡°My Count, please back up for a moment. I think there are arrowsing our way,¡± Allian said as he gently pulled Daggleton back. As the distance between the two armies closed, arrows started flying. A few of Dagglton¡¯s men fell to the ground after being struck.


    ¡°Hmm, we¡¯recking in the number of archers. We better charge at them with our swords.¡±


    Count Daggleton drew his sword. He drew in a big breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°Chaaaaarge!¡±


    His men shouted along with their leader.


    ¡°They¡¯reing! Daggleton¡¯s army ising!¡±


    Soldiers with shields emerged from Count Mondo¡¯s camp. They swallowed hard as they braced for the imminent sh.


    ¡°Daggleton has twice as many heavy infantries as we do. What the hell is that? How did this happen?¡± Mondo yelled as he frowned in frustration. His lieges were speechless at his question. They had been defeated in the intel war leading up to their battle.


    In a smaller-scale battle like this, the number of heavily armed men decided the oue. The measly gear of the conscripts was nowhere near enough to cause any significant harm to the solid armor of the heavily armed men.


    <i>¡®If we hadn¡¯t hired those mercenaries, it would have been over for us before we even got started,¡¯</i> Mondo thought as he looked at Urich¡¯s mercenaries on the left nk. Even among them, only a few were heavily armed. Although they were experienced warriors, most of them were still only lightly armed.


    <i>¡®We have simr numbers, but we¡¯re clearly outmatched.¡¯</i>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    ¡°Wahhh!¡±


    ¡°Woooaaah!¡±


    The two armies shed. There were banging sounds of the shields ttering into each other and the warriors tangled ferociously. Screams and shouts intertwined, and the stench of blood spread throughout the field. Many lives fell helplessly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go make some money!¡± Urich shouted. The mercenaries who were in charge of the left nk moved forward.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t fought in a war in a long time,¡± Sven strode heavily forward with his two-handed axe. With each swing of his arm, he took down one of Daggleton¡¯s men. The spirit of the north flowed through him.


    Sven was a northern warrior whom even the Imperial soldiers struggled to take down for ten years. Even with their poor armory and environment, the northern warriors survived purely on their robust physique and hardy mentality.


    ¡°Come on,e at me. Send me to the Field of Swords, hahahaha!¡± Sven broke out of the formation and pounced into the thick of his enemies. His eyes reflected his berserk as he sliced through the enemies¡¯ spears like he was asking for death.


    <i>¡°The Field of Swords,¡¯ </i>Urich thought as he looked at the charging Sven. He was not afraid of death because of his certainty that he would end up in his heaven.


    ¡°Follow Sven! Their formation is broken!¡± Donovan did not miss the opportunity and ordered the mercenaries. The unmotivated conscripts of Daggleton were in a state of panic as the unhinged Sven charged at them. There wasn¡¯t a single farmer in the world who would dare to stand in front of a hulking northerner charging their way with a double-handed axe in his hands.


    ¡°Their mercenaries are destroying our formation, Count Daggleton!¡±


    ¡°I can see that! Allian, send the heavy infantry over there!¡± Daggleton ordered his men. The heavily armed men moved toward Urich and his mercenaries. The men in chainmail red at them. Their wooden shields were wrapped with leather and metal borders to add to their sturdiness, and their shoulder-to-shoulder formation was seamless.


    ¡°Those are their main warriors,¡± Urich said as he felt the hair on his arms stand. He could sense the imminent life-or-death battle, and no one knew who was going toe out alive.


    ¡°Give us life and victory, oh Lou.¡± The sound of prayer was heard. On the battlefield, the only things that could be relied upon were their own bodies, armor, and their gods.


    ¡°If Lou is on our side, then we¡¯ll make it out of this alive!¡± Bachman cried out as he kissed his pendant. He raised his spear and advanced on the battlefield.


    ¡°Good, good, let¡¯s go, my youngrades!¡± Sven nodded and licked off the blood stter around his mouth.


    ¡°W-woaaah!¡±


    The mercenaries fearlessly copsed on Daggleton¡¯s heavy infantry.


    <i>¡®Death is breathing down my neck.¡¯</i>


    Urich stabbed his enemies with his Imperial steel de. The sharp tip prated both the chainmail and the leather lining underneath it with the help of Urich¡¯s immense strength.


    ¡°Keugh!¡± The man in the chainmail coughed up blood and gazed up at Urich. The fire of the battle still remained in the bleeding man¡¯s eyes.


    <i>¡®These guys won¡¯t stop fighting until their heads fall off.¡¯</i>


    Urich was no amateur. He knew that any well-trained warrior fought until their breathpletely stopped. He had to make sure warriors like these werepletely dead before moving on to the next one.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    Urich buried the de of his axe into the face of his enemy.


    ¡°Huff, huff,¡± Urich caught his breath. His shoulders were vigorously shrugging from the heavy breathing.


    <i>Twitch.</i>


    Urich jerked his head to the side without looking back. A javelin grazed the side of his face.


    ¡°H-how?¡± The soldier who had thrown the javelin looked at Urich, stunned.


    <i>¡®Did he just dodge my javelin without even looking at it? Does he have eyes on the back of his head or something?¡¯</i>


    Urich never wore a helmet. It only pushed on his hair and blocked his ears. It also slowed down the speed of his head movement and narrowed his field of vision.


    When his hair was pressed down by a helmet, it felt as if his antennae were being disabled. Urich often felt as if he could detect the movement and location of his enemies by the twitch of his hair like insects do with their antennae. It very well could have been just an illusion, but it was important to a warrior like him regardless.


    ¡°Hey, you asshole! You nearly killed me!¡± The furious Urich pulled the same javelin out of the ground and chucked it right back.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    The javelin flew at the enemy and pieced his head.


    The nobles watching the flow of the battle were stunned. The mercenary squad who was mostly only in light armor was dominating the heavy infantry. Both Counts were awestruck at the prowess of Urich and his mercenaries.


    ¡°God dammit, how are we being outmatched?¡±


    ¡°They have great warriors on their side, Count Daggleton. Our formation is falling apart.¡±


    Daggleton shuffled his feet anxiously. The tide of the battle was turning against them.


    <i>¡®Dammit, dammit!</i>¡¯


    Daggleton could not bring himself to order a retreat. He stared out at the battlefield with a regretful tear in his eyes.


    ¡°H-huh? Stop that guy!¡±


    Urich leapt out of the chaos and the men in heavy armor could not keep up with his speed. Urich ran across the hill and toward Count Daggleton. His lieges rushed on their horses to stop him in his tracks.


    <i>¡®The horses here are something else.¡¯</i>


    Back in Urich¡¯s tribe, horses were not strong or big enough to carry people, let alone big warriors. The horses here, on the other hand, had long been bred for riding, making themrge and strong.


    <i>Rubble.</i>


    Urich bent over to pick up a pebble on the ground.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    He threw the pebble at the horse. It struck the horse right in its eye.


    ¡°Neighhhh!¡±


    The horses struggled as they were startled by the unexpected attack. Urich seized the opportunity and shed at the lieges¡¯ legs.


    ¡°Arghhh!¡±


    The lieges, now without legs, dropped from their horses and rolled around on the ground. Urich ignored them and looked ahead.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s Count Daggleton.¡¯</i>


    It was obvious who the Count was by looking at the colorful cloak. Urich drew his axe.


    <i>¡®Do I hit his horse to make him fall off? Or should I hit his head with the hilt to make him pass out?¡¯</i>


    While Urich hesitated for a split second, Count Daggleton turned his horse to flee the scene. This was his one and only chance at getting away.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Urich exhaled andunched his axe.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The axe was stopped in its tracks sooner than expected. Someone had intervened in its route.


    ¡°Allian!¡± Count Daggleton screamed out his liege¡¯s name. Allian, his loyal liege and lover, took the axe in his ce. Unfortunately, the de was buried deep inside his chest.


    ¡°Alliaaaaaan!¡±


    Daggleton tried to turn his horse around as he cried out his lover¡¯s name. Allian looked at the Count with his dying eyes.


    ¡°G-go, my Count. I l-love...¡± Allian let out hisst breath and dropped to the ground. Daggleton red at Urich with his rage-filled teary eyes.


    <i>¡®I will avenge you, Allian, my love! I promise, I promise!¡¯</i>


    Daggleton spurred his horse and rode away. Even Urich could not run as fast as the horse.


    ¡°Damn, he got away.¡±


    Urich stomped on Allian¡¯s head and retrieved his axe from Allian¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Your leader ran off without you, you damn losers!¡± Urich shouted as he nced behind him. Daggleton¡¯s men began to flee in disarray while some dropped their weapons and surrendered.


    ¡°Woaaaah!¡±


    Count Mondo¡¯s army¡¯s morale was through the roof. They chased after the losers as they roared their battle cries. Urich decided to stay behind and stared at the battlefield in silence.


    <i>¡®Where do their souls go? To the Sun god? To be reincarnated?¡¯</i>


    Urich wondered how great it would be if he could see the souls with his eyes. He wanted to know what was waiting at the end of death.


    ¡°D-did we win? We won! We protected ournd, how great! Hahaha!¡± Mondoughed in disbelief. After gathering himself, he told his lieges.


    ¡°Treat those mercenaries with your utmost respect. Treat them like our proper guests!¡±

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20</h4>


    Urich and his mercenaries received a grand wee at Mondo¡¯s estate for their crucial contribution to the victory. Count Mondo changed into his banquet attire with a big smile on his face.


    ¡°Did you see that Count Daggleton scurrying away?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for being greedy!¡±


    The lieges chattered as they gulped down their drinks.


    ¡°A toast for our brave mercenaries!¡±


    ¡°Here here!¡±


    The mercenaries joined them,ughing and chattering away as they devoured all the meat and liquor they could have hoped for. The treatment they were receiving for finallynding a big job was more than satisfactory.


    ¡°We would have gotten so much more money if Urich had captured Count Daggleton,¡± Bachman said with his face flushed with alcohol.


    ¡°I saw that too, Urich! I saw that leech Daggleton running his ass off with my very own eyes,¡± Count Mondo came up to Urich and praised his effort.


    ¡°I almost had him. So, is the war over, then?¡± Urich asked Mondo as he chewed on the hare meat.


    ¡°Yes, the war should be over, unless Daggleton try anything funny. The damage was quite significant for both sides. Thend that we fought over isn¡¯t worth all this trouble. But, if it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯d like for you and your mercenaries to stay in our territory for the next while¡ªat least until the danger is gone for sure. Don¡¯t worry about the expenses, I will cover them myself.¡±


    Mondo was hoping that the mercenaries would stick around for extra security, and as a message for Daggleton to stay out of hisnds.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s for the rest of our squad to decide. Did you guys hear that? He wants us to station ourselves here until things arepletely settled down. Those in favor, tap your sses.¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    <i>Clink! Clink! Clink!</i>


    The mercenaries tapped on their sses with their fingers. Urich grinned and looked at Mondo.


    ¡°Looks like they all agree. Very well, then, we¡¯ll stay for a while. But I do want our payment within the next three days. It¡¯s best we get the transaction over with as soon as possible, right Count?¡±


    Mondo nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    He intended to cater to Urich¡¯s needs and wants, as he had confirmed their value in battle with his own eyes. Even though they were small in number, their abilities were noughing matter.


    <i>¡®This squad is solelyposed of skilled warriors. They¡¯re not just a ragtag bunch.¡¯</i>


    Not all mercenaries were the same. There were plenty of ¡®mercenary squads¡¯ who were just a sorry group of street thugs.


    ¡°You seemed like you were pretty unknown for your level of skills and experience. Does your squad have a name?¡±


    ¡°Nope, we don¡¯t have a name. We used to be diators and we just made the career change.¡±


    ¡°diators!¡± Mondo eximed. diators were one of the highest-quality forces one could ask for. They were men who fought in arenas for a living. Their value in battles wasparable to that of ex-military forces.


    ¡°Of course, no wonder you were able to dominate the heavy infantry with only light armor.¡± The lieges allmented in admiration. The mercenaries quickly became giddy at the unexpected praise.


    ¡°Your earnings must have been quite nice as diators, why be mercenaries instead?¡± Some questioned their career change. Being a diator came with a high return. It was not umon for skilled diators to pocket one to two million cils from just a single tournament. There was no need to ditch that and take a higher-risk job as a mercenary.


    ¡°Our diator broker died,¡± Bachman muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Well, what does it matter! Don¡¯t worry about that and just enjoy the food and drinks.¡± Mondo quickly changed the subject and pped his hands. The hall doors opened and through them entered the scantily dressed women.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve missed these soft, silky hands.¡±


    ¡°Come here,dies.¡±


    The mercenaries released their flirtation techniques as soon as the women came within their sights.


    The atmosphere was vibrant. No one, including Count Mondo and Urich¡¯s mercenaries, had a single concern in their heads. Everything was going smoothly.


    Then, they heard the name ¡®Silver Lion Mercenaries.¡¯


    * * *


    Count Daggleton¡¯s bedroom was a mess.


    ¡°Allian! Oh, Allian! How could you... it should¡¯ve been me...!¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The table flipped over and shattered. Daggleton¡¯s frenzy went on for several days. The despair of losing his loved one had taken over his life.


    ¡°Ughh.¡±


    Whenever he closed his eyes, the moment of Allian¡¯s death became vivid¡ªthe image of his lover being struck by the axe thrown by the hulking warrior. The only thing on Allian¡¯s mind was Daggleton himself, even until the moment he died. He could still feel Allian¡¯s warm breath and sweet kiss.


    ¡°A world without you means nothing to me, Allian,¡± Daggleton wept on his knees. He then looked up at the symbol of Srism. Hung on the wall was a golden sun.


    ¡°Lou, oh, Lou, has Allian returned to your embrace? When will he be reborn ande back to mine? Please tell me, oh, Lou.¡±


    Daggleton¡¯s prayer was practically a wail. A soul purified in the embrace of the god of Sun would one day return to this earth.


    ¡°Ah, ahh!¡±


    Daggleton could not contain his grief. He wailed so hard that he could taste the blood in his throat.


    ¡°That nameless warrior murdered my Allian.¡±


    Daggleton was filled with just as much rage as he was in despair. He gritted his teeth in vengeance.


    ¡°My lord,¡± a servant called as he knocked on the door.


    ¡°Did I not tell you that no one was to disturb my mourning?¡± Daggleton shouted. But regardless of his scolding, a man kicked his door open.


    ¡°My brother, I am here.¡±


    The person standing by the door was a man with a sturdy build. Though he was hardly middle-aged, his hair was silvery-white.


    ¡°B-brother Garcio!¡± Daggleton scrambled to his feet. It was Garcio, his half-brother whom his father had abandoned early on. He was also the leader of the Silver Lion Mercenaries.


    ¡°My mercenaries, the ones that you hired for your battle, did not return. What happened?¡± Garcio asked as he pulled a chair.


    ¡°Mondo had hired his own mercenaries. A whole squad of them.¡±


    ¡°Mercenaries? There shouldn¡¯t be any squads here that are skilled enough to go against mine.¡±


    ¡°No, Brother Garcio, they were skilled... very skilled.¡±


    ¡°Enough to best my men?¡±


    Daggleton hesitated for a moment, then nodded to answer Garcio¡¯s question. Garcio let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯d better give up on that farnd. It¡¯s not worth all this trouble¡ªall this war. Send one of your men for a peace treaty. I haven¡¯t been home for a long time, and as soon as I get back, all I hear is bad news.


    ¡°The war is not over yet, Brother Garcio. I have someone that I must avenge,¡± Daggleton said with a strong re.


    ¡°Avenge who? Did your boyfriend die of something? You did chase those pretty-looking men ever since you were a child.¡±


    ¡°H-how did you... know?¡±


    ¡°Yourte father probably knew, too. He just didn¡¯t say anything because you ended up marrying a woman.¡±


    Daggleton gulped down his wine and sat next to Garcio after settling down.


    ¡°Your mercenaries, Brother. If I bring the famous Silver Lion Mercenaries to the battle...¡±


    ¡°It is true that I am the undisputed leader of the Silver Lion Mercenaries. However, the men in my squad are loyal to money, not me. If it werepletely up to me, then I would dly help you avenge your boyfriend in a heartbeat. But if I brought up a personal issue like this to my mercenaries, they would certainly remove me as their leader. If you are truly desperate for your revenge, you¡¯ll have to hire us and pay.¡±


    Garcio was not wrong. Mercenaries were individuals who were motivated by money, not loyalty like knights or lieges. It was not umon for mercenaries to refuse a job ordered by their leader if they deemed the pay insufficient for the required effort.


    ¡°As you probably know, Brother Garcio, the farnd to which I demanded my rights is not worth hiring the entire Silver Lion Mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why you only hired twenty for your battle since that was the reasonable amount of spending for the value of thend.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Brother. However, for my revenge, I am willing to spend everyst cil that I have to my name to hire your entire squad,¡± Daggleton said solemnly as he reached for a box behind his table.


    <i>Click.</i>


    The gold coins in the box shined in the moonlight in darkness.


    ¡°You¡¯ve saved up quite a bit,¡± Garcio showed his satisfaction through his sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Help me avenge him, Leader of the Silver Lions.¡±


    Daggleton and Garcio shook hands in their agreement.


    ¡°My brother¡¯s enemy is my enemy. I will not take my share. You just have to pay for the rest of my squad.¡±


    A small-time Count¡¯s territory and a nameless mercenary squad. In Garcio¡¯s eyes, they were nothing but a joke.


    * * *


    ¡°The Silver Lion Mercenaries? Daggleton must have lost his mind!¡±


    Count Mondo angrily retorted to his liege. It had been less than a week since they happily celebrated their victory.


    ¡°Is it truly the Silver Lion Mercenaries? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord, I am certain. It turns out Garcio the Silver Lion is Daggleton¡¯s half-brother.


    ¡°I had no idea that his father had an illegitimate son like Garcio,¡± Mondo sighed as he fell into his chair. The illegitimate sons of wealthy nobles were scattered throughout many different upations. Although they did not have the status of nobles, they were still people who were brought up in wealthy families, receiving quality education. Several were doctors, schrs, or merchants.


    Many well-known mercenary squads were led by abandoned sons of military families or nobles who had failed to inherit their family¡¯snds. Such mercenary squads were often the unofficial army of their noble families.


    ¡°Daggleton was keeping one more trick up his sleeve.¡±


    ¡°But, my lord, the Daggleton family is not big or strong enough to have a mercenary squad like the Silver Lions at their disposal. The Silver Lions also have no reason to offer their service to the Daggletons for free, either. Daggleton must have spent a fortune.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem! Why would he hire such an expensive squad for that tiny piece of farnd? He must bepletely out of his mind. He would have to exploit that farnd for decades to make the money back,¡± Mondoined and frowned because of a sudden headache. His stomach was starting to hurt, too.


    ¡°Our silver lining is that the Silver Lion Mercenaries are rtively small in scalepared to their fame. They have a hundred mercenaries, at most.¡±


    Most of the well-known mercenary squads were much bigger in numbers than the Silver Lions, some even surpassing four, five hundred men. Big squads like these were often contracted to different nobles and had their own garrisons in their territories. Mercenaries who belonged to such squads were as talented, if not more so, than the standing armies.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the Silver Lions can¡¯t afford to have more mercenaries. They purposely keep their numbers low so that they can continue to roam the different territoriespleting big jobs. A hundred is the perfect number for that. Any more than that would just keep them limited to a single territory. That¡¯s how they got their fame.¡±


    The Silver Lion Mercenaries were not like the typical traditional mercenary squads. Aste bloomers, they chose a unique management style. They kept their size small to stay mobile and traveled around the Empire to take up high-profile jobs with big paychecks.


    <i>¡®They are usually at the job site before the news of the job even reaches the big squads. And they always get things done.¡¯</i>


    Even a small-time noble like Mondo was familiar with the Silver Lions¡¯ reputation.


    <i>¡®Just because they are small doesn¡¯t mean that they are weak. Every man in that squad is armed to the teeth.¡¯</i> Mondo was both furious and frustrated.


    ¡°My lord, I think we should try to negotiate with them. It may be better for you to sell the farnd to them so that you at least have the money left,¡± one of the liegesid out realistic advice. It was a fight that they were not going to win.


    ¡°Hmm,¡±


    Count Mondo was only a small-time noble. Every acre of hisnd was precious.


    ¡°You must make a decision right now, my lord, whether to fight or to negotiate.¡±


    ¡°Summon the other lieges and the mercenary leader. We will have a discussion.¡±


    Mondo did not want to lose the farnd that he fought to keep. If there was any chance of winning this war, he wanted to fight.


    <i>¡®If my territory gets any smaller, the title of Count in the Mondo family may be lost in my next generation. I cannot let that happen.¡¯</i>


    If Count Mondo were to lose, the impact of the battle would take at least twenty years to recover from. The war expenses and reparations could very well bankrupt the Mondo estate.


    <i>¡®Daggleton is riding the same risk.¡¯</i> Mondo clenched his teeth.


    <i>¡®I am a man, too. I am not going to go down without a fight.¡¯</i>


    The lieges entered the room. They had already been briefed about the situation involving the Silver Lion Mercenaries.


    ¡°Where are the mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°They should be here any moment.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think they¡¯re packing up after hearing the name ¡®Silver Lions,¡¯ do you?¡± one of the lieges joked. However, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if they really did. It would make the most sense if the twenty-man mercenary squad fled for their lives after hearing the name of the Silver Lion Mercenaries.


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    The conference room door swung open, and the mercenaries entered the room. An entire week¡¯s worth of debauchery was written all over their faces.


    ¡°Hey, I heard there¡¯s still some war that needs our hands!¡± Urich said as he sat in his seat. The main men of the mercenary squad apanied him.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know much about this ce.¡¯</i>


    Urich was an outsider in this city, and he knew his limitations.

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21</h4>


    ¡°Count Daggleton is preparing to invade us again, only this time he¡¯ll being with the Silver Lion Mercenaries. As you all probably know, we don¡¯t stand a chance with the men we have left after thest battle. So, if we were to fight them, we are going to have to bring out everyst man we have in the territory,¡± Count Mondo said, showing his intention to retaliate against his counterpart.


    ¡°Are you considering going to another war, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Only if you think we stand a chance.¡±


    A heavy silence fell in the room.


    ¡°Are the Silver Lions that strong? That¡¯s a disgustingly cool name, though,¡± Urich said as he rested his chin on his fist. The other lieges frowned at his words.


    ¡°How could you not know of the Silver Lion Mercenaries? You¡¯re a mercenary yourself.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s it to you? Who cares if I don¡¯t know them? Have any of you even seen them yourselves? Aren¡¯t you all just shaking at the stories you heard of them?¡±


    Urich¡¯s retort made Bachman flinch.


    ¡°Urich, the Silver Lions are strong. Very strong. No reputation in the mercenary world is made in vain.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Count, are you going to fight, or not?¡± Urich looked at Mondo as he picked his ear.


    ¡°If we decide to go to another war, will you and your mercenaries join us once more?¡± Mondo asked the representative figures of Urich¡¯s mercenaries. Their squad ran under democracy. The group acted on the opinion of the majority. The four influential figures were Urich, Bachman, Donovan, and Sven. The vote of the other mercenaries often, if not always, followed the vote of these four. If they were unanimous in a decision, the rest of the squad followed.


    ¡°I¡¯m in. The Field awaits me,¡± Sven said quietly. The other mercenaries looked at him as if they already knew his vote before he even said so.


    ¡°I will follow Urich¡¯s decision,¡± Bachman said.


    ¡°The Silver Lions are just as strong as a regr military. Going to war with them would be a terrible idea.¡± Donovan was an ex-military man. He was well aware of what a well-structured group of soldiers were capable of. Group battles were their specialty. Even though their individualbat abilities were simr to that of a diator, the advantage was theirs, especially the bigger the battle was.


    ¡°Haha, are you scared, Donovan? Are you going to be the only one who backs out?¡± Urich mocked him, and Donovan red at him.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know when to quit, you¡¯ll find yourself dead before you know it, you barbarian,¡± Donovan retorted as he nced at both Sven and Urich.


    <i>¡®Thick-skulled barbarian bastards.¡¯</i>


    Donovan spent a portion of his military years as a barbarian exterminator. He knew that barbarians were warriors who refused to surrender even when their defeat was certain. They were warriors who fought on in the face of predestined death.


    <i>¡®Horrible bastards.¡¯</i>


    Even though he had joined forces with them for now, it was near impossible to erase his hatred toward barbarians that was embedded deep inside of him.


    <i>¡®I-isn¡¯t this just a group of scrubs?¡¯</i>


    The other lieges looked at the mercenaries with concern. There would be no point in hiring them if they couldn¡¯te to a unanimous decision.


    ¡°Donovan, we signed the contract that states that we must follow the majority. That was our agreement from the beginning,¡± Bachman said, which almost sounded like a threat.


    ¡°I know, I know. You don¡¯t have to nitpick our agreement.¡±


    The mercenaries sorted out a list of agreements from the beginning of their mercenary careers, and while they didn¡¯t always like each other, they believed that each and every man had the integrity to honor the agreements and their contracts.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re in,¡± Urich said as he represented his squad.


    ¡°I see,¡± Mondo replied with visible relief on his face. The rest of the lieges in the room were also gradually leaning toward being in favor of retaliation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go on the defensive. We can hold them off if we set up a defensive line on the farnd. That should help us ovee the number difference,¡± the captain of the guards suggested. He was the one leading the twenty standing soldiers, who were the main force of Mondo¡¯s territory.


    ¡°Bring in every single man who can hold a weapon. They¡¯ll bepensated with my own treasury.¡±


    Count Mondo had already made up his mind. He intended to protect this farnd, even if it meant spending all of the wealth that his family had umted over several generations.


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯d better acquire more armor. If we arm the stronger men, they should be more than enough as emergency support.¡±


    The captain of the guards nned on arming even the conscripts, as there was not enough time to find another mercenary squad to hire. The group exchanged severalplicated matters toe up with the best way to build a defense line and increase the number of men in the little time they had.


    * * *


    ¡°Carve this wood down a bit more!¡±


    ¡°Come on, move along.¡±


    Count Mondo¡¯s army was building their camp.


    ¡°Dammit, why are we the ones doing all the hard work when the nobles are the ones who started this fight?¡± The conscriptsined as they raised the wooden fence.


    ¡°Eh, at least Count Mondo pays us, unlike those other asshole nobles.¡±


    It was not umon for innocent farmers to be conscripted during the harvest season, leaving their families to starve to death.


    ¡°I heard our enemy is a really well-known mercenary squad. Do we even have a chance?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something we can be concerned about. Everything is up to the higher-ups, anyway.¡±


    The conscripts chattered away until the heavily armed soldiers came by on patrol. They were always picking on the powerless conscripts.


    In the central tent of the camp, a strategy meeting was in full swing. They had received intel that the Silver Lion Mercenaries had arrived at the Daggleton territory and had set up their camp. The second battle was now only two days away, three, at most.


    ¡°We¡¯re surrounded by open fields. It¡¯s not ideal for us to be defensive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the fences are for, right?¡±


    ¡°It would be good for us to maintain our defensive formation for as long as possible.¡±


    ¡°You want to do that with a makeshift fortress? As if. The situation is more dire than we thought. We¡¯re not getting enough wood, so the progress on the fences is much slower than we had hoped.¡±


    As the situation seemingly worsened, arguments began to break out among the lieges. No one could see a breakthrough.


    ¡°We smelted down the armor that we looted from thest battle and made them into spears. The supply situation is much better now.¡±


    All the new conscripts were each given a spear. It was a significant improvement from the farming tools.


    The lieges continued to envision many borate strategies, but time was running out and there was still a pile of things that had to be done. The celebration banquet they held after their first victory now seemed like wasted time.


    <i>Rattle.</i>


    Urich entered the tent through the curtain door. He was just returning from his scout trip.


    ¡°Hey, I have an idea,¡± Urich looked at Count Mondo and his lieges.


    ¡°You mean you came up with a n?¡± The lieges gave Urich their attention. They were desperate for a breakthrough strategy that could save them from the almost guaranteed defeat.


    ¡°We go for an ambush. We hide and wait during the chaos of the battle, and then we sneak up and capture Daggleton alive. I know I failedst time, but that won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Some of the lieges frowned at Urich¡¯s idea. Some evenughed in his face.


    ¡°Urich, look around. It¡¯s all wide-open fields around us. There isn¡¯t a ce for us to hide for an ambush.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll be shredded to pieces before we even get to see Count Daggleton.¡±


    ¡°What a ridiculous suggestion. You had me excited for a second there.¡±


    The lieges shook their heads in disappointment.


    ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s nowhere to hide? That ce right over there is perfect,¡± Urich said with a puzzled tone. He was brought up in ins and forests. Ambush was a big part of his hunting and fighting strategies.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you; this area is not suitable for an ambush! Even the people who were born and raised on thisnd are telling you the same thing,¡± the captain of the guards raised his voice. Urich, annoyed at the objections, drew his axe and smashed it into the table.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that there is a spot, you son of a bitch,¡± Urich said to the captain as he grabbed him by his cor. The captain hupped and asked again, this time, with more caution.


    ¡°T-then, where is the spot?¡±


    ¡°The manure field.¡±


    Urich brought the men to a ce not too far away from the farnd.


    ¡°H-hmm, the s-smell is...¡± Mondo said as he plugged his nose.


    ¡°This is where thepost is dumped...¡±


    Thepost that hadn¡¯tpletely dposed reeked of a terrible smell. It was a ce where farmers collected and piled up all sorts of filth.


    <i>Pluck.</i>


    Urich took a step into the pile of filth. The other men stared in horror.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit shallow, but it¡¯ll keep us hidden if we cover our backs with some mud and get down on our stomachs. The location is perfect for ambushing Daggleton and capturing him alive,¡± Urich said as he got on the ground himself to demonstrate the hiding position. The ones who were more squeamish than others gagged.


    ¡°He does have a point, Count Mondo. This spot indeed is a good hiding spot...¡±


    ¡°This will definitely do the trick, but...¡± Mondo murmured.


    ¡°Fine. Raise your hand if you would like to ambush with me. I¡¯m sure the Count will promise you extra pay,¡± Urich asked the men as he stepped out of the waste pile. He was already drenched in the awful smell.


    No one wanted to volunteer to immerse themselves in a pile of waste; even the mercenaries, who had seen plenty of unspeakable things in their diator lives.


    ¡°If you go in there, you¡¯re definitelying out with a skin disease,¡± Bachman said as he stepped back with a disgusted look.


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± Sven stepped forward, although he did not look too pleasant.


    Sven¡¯s words were followed by an ufortable silence.


    ¡°I want at least five¡ªseven or eight would be ideal.¡±


    Urich stared at the diators. Since the ambush was the crucial point to winning this battle, he did not want to leave this job to the conscripts.


    ¡°Fuck it, I¡¯ll do it. Rallo, Bajorn, Giggs, get your asses up here, you sons of bitches!¡± Donovan yelled at his entourages.


    ¡°Shit, why me? I really don¡¯t want to do this,¡± the ones who had their name calledined.


    ¡°They said we¡¯re getting paid extra, so shut your mouth.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s some things you don¡¯t do even if it¡¯s for more money, fuck.¡±


    It was a job that had to be done. The mercenaries that were named by Donovan cursed andined, but they didn¡¯t reject the order. Doing so would have put a dent in their reputation, especially since Urich and Sven volunteered themselves.


    ¡°I have to go in there? God dammit, who would have thought I¡¯d be rolling in a pile of shit.¡±


    ¡°Your life is basically a pile of shit already, kek.¡±


    Count Mondo¡¯s army continued to prepare for a solid defensive war. They raised a dense fence around their perimeter and constructed watch towers for archers to position themselves on.


    Two more days passed, and the scout returned from his distant patrol.


    ¡°Daggleton¡¯s army ising.¡±


    After receiving the report, Mondo waved his hand with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Our defense begins now.¡±


    Count Mondo¡¯s army was already suppressed by the fame of their enemy even before their battle began. There were no pompous shouts¡ªonly a sense of unease.

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22</h4>


    Two gs fluttered in the air in Count Daggleton¡¯s camp. The red bear of Daggleton, and other the Silver Lion.


    ¡°This is a goodnd,¡± Garcio the Silver Lion said as he squinted his eyes. Thend smelled of rich dirt¡ªthe kind that produces quality crops by just sowing the seeds.


    ¡°Allian... you have my word. You will be avenged,¡± Count Daggleton said to himself as he stared at Count Mondo¡¯s camp.


    ¡°It looks like they thought they could beat us by going on the defensive. Do they really think that their scrap of an army can defend against the Silver Lion Mercenaries? That¡¯s funny.¡±


    ¡°All they have is a fence and a few watch towers, leader. That¡¯s barely an inconvenience for us,¡± an adjutant with good vision remarked after taking a look around the enemy camp. The Silver Lions had a few sieges under their belt. The wooden fortress of Count Mondo was like a shield made of strawpared to the stone walls of the castles.


    ¡°My brother, I will make sure that your g flutters proudly on thatnd by sundown.¡±


    Garcio drew his sword and raised it in the air. It was the signal. His mercenary squad began their advance as their horseman waved their g from side to side.


    <i>Clunk, clunk.</i>


    The metallic sound of the heavy armor rang throughout thend. The Silver Lion Mercenaries were solelyposed of men in heavy armor with the exception of their archers. Most were equipped with chainmail, and a few were in the southern-style scale armor. Regardless of the shape, an armory forged with metal was the trademark of heavy infantry.


    <i>¡°This is a sight to behold.¡¯</i>


    Daggleton¡¯s eyes widened. Men in metal were marching toward his enemies. Under their pressed-down helmets, the eyes of the mercenaries glowed with a fearsome intensity. Warriors¡ªthey were men who killed for a living.


    ¡°Eek, w-we have to fight those guys?¡± The conscripts who were watching from the top of the fences were taken by fear. Their spear and leather armory looked like toyspared to what they were seeing from the Silver Lions.


    ¡°Wow, they are not joking about,¡± Bachman remarked as he watched the enemies get closer and closer. A cold sweat ran down his forehead.


    <i>¡®Shit, maybe I should have listened to Donovan and ran away.¡¯</i>


    He had no choice now, but to fight. He recited his prayer as he sped the sun ne around his neck.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, please don¡¯t take me just yet.¡±


    On one side of Mondo¡¯s camp, the minister of the territory was giving his blessings to the soldiers as many of them hade to him for any help that they could get.


    ¡°If you think about it, it¡¯s actually quite funny. Our enemies also believe in the god of Sun, just like we do. And look at what we¡¯re doing, we¡¯re going to war! Lou must be a god with quite a bit of favoritism,¡± Bachman said with a chuckle. Whoever won the battle must be loved more than the other by Lou.


    ¡°Archers!¡± the captain of the guards shouted. The archers on the top of the watch towers nocked their arrows, and the soldiers fell into their positions.


    <i>Rattle rattle.</i>


    The conscripts¡¯ legs were trembling at the sight of their well-armed enemies. They all wanted to drop their spears and run back to their home, but whoever attempted to do so would be murdered by someone from their own side.


    ¡°I¡¯m a farmer, not a soldier. A farmer, for fuck¡¯s sake.¡±


    The conscripts could not understand why they were fighting this war. They were treated as disposable items, sent into battles just to die in ce of the actual nobles who started the war.


    ¡°Shoot!¡± The guard captain signaled. With his signal, the archers released their arrows in unison. Their aim was not half bad, as the conscripted archers were hunters with sharp eyes. Unlike farmers, hunters always made good soldiers.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Some of the Silver Lion Mercenaries were struck and fell to the ground. Those less fortunate than others got the arrows buried deep inside their bodies and died.


    ¡°Woahhhh!¡±


    The Silver Lion Mercenaries charged at Mondo¡¯s fences with their shields raised. The shower of arrows could not stop them in their tracks. After all, it was quite unlikely for someone to have their armor prated by arrows in this kind of battle unless they were extremely unlucky.


    ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± The soldiers on the ground of Mondo¡¯s camp shouted as they stepped forward. The intimidation of the Silver Lion Mercenaries was enough to tear down everyst bit of confidence that Mondo¡¯s men had managed to muster up.


    ¡°Fight with everything you¡¯ve got! Bachman shouted to the men inside the fence as he pointed his spear forward. The mercenaries widened their eyes and locked their gaze on the Silver Lion squad.


    ¡°Woahhh!¡±


    Daggleton¡¯s army had made a significant advance, close enough for Mondo¡¯s men to see the deathly res of the Silver Lion Mercenaries.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    The Silver Lion Mercenaries had finally reached the fences. The poorly raised fences shook as if they were on the brink of tipping over.


    ¡°Stab them! Kill them!¡±


    The soldiers on top of the fences attacked the Silver Lions. As the ground soon became a chaotic mosh pit of war, there were screams and screeches as the men intertwined. Garcio¡¯s men were boosting their fellow men over the fences.


    ¡°Three of them made it over, let¡¯s finish them!¡± Bachmanmanded as he nced back.


    The Silver Lion mercenaries who had made it over the fence had their backs against each other with their shields raised, which allowed them to parry the measly spears of the conscripts.


    This was no longer a defensive battle. Their fences were ruined, and the two sides soon began their melee battle.


    <i>¡®Dammit, they¡¯reing right through our line of resistance. The quality of their men is much higher than ours.¡¯</i>


    Count Mondo¡¯s men were desperately missing the mercenaries who were not with them. All the ones that they usually relied on had followed Urich into the pile of filth.


    <i>¡®They¡¯ll kill us all at this rate.¡¯</i>


    Bachman bit his lips as he stared at Count Daggleton who was quite the distance away.


    <i>¡®Go Urich, go capture this Count and end this war.¡¯</i>


    * * *


    ¡°If you ever suggest a n like this again, I¡¯ll kill you myself. That¡¯s a promise,¡± Donovan snarked at Urich as he picked his head up from the filth. His nose was numbed by the foul stench, and his whole body itched as if there were bugs crawling all over it.


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Urich smirked and opened his eyes. The battle was in full swing.


    ¡°Make sure to cover up even the smallest of your cuts. You might get infected in all this shit and die,¡± Sven said as he lifted his head out of the filth.


    The ambush was a sess so far. Count Daggleton¡¯s army had not bothered to check the field of waste that Urich and his mercenaries found themselves in as they got busy stomping on Mondo¡¯s camp with the certainty of victory.


    ¡°Daggleton is on his horse with eight heavily armed soldiers protecting him,¡± Urich said as he observed Daggleton, who was quite a distance away. For the other men, Daggleton was only a small smidge in their eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s over if we let him run off on his horse again. We have one chance and one chance only,¡± Donovan said to Urich. Urich nodded in agreement and stealthily emerged from the pile of filth. Keeping himself close to the ground, he picked up the bow and arrow that he had covered with dirt.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± he took arge breath in as he pulled the bowstring.


    <i>Creak</i>¡ª


    His rock-solid muscles stabilized the bow. He gazed at his target as he pulled the bowstring even further back.


    For a tribal warrior like Urich, being a good warrior and a good hunter were almost synonymous as hunting skills were just as important as battle skills. No warrior in his tribe couldn¡¯t shoot an arrow.


    <i>Ting¡ª</i>


    Urich released the bowstring with a clear ring.


    <i>Thwip.</i>


    The arrow ripped through the air toward Daggleton.


    ¡°Neighhhh!¡±


    Daggleton was shocked. His horse copsed to the ground just as he noticed the arrow buried in its head. He twisted his leg as he fell off the horse. Grabbing his aching leg, he nervously looked around.


    ¡°A-an arrow? Where did ite from?¡± The men guarding the Count whirled around, looking in all directions.


    <i>Thwip.</i>


    Another arrow came at them, hitting one of the guards in the head to kill him instantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s an ambush!¡± Daggleton yelled as he finally noticed the men covered in tar-ck filth. In his eyes, they looked like demons emerging from hell.


    ¡°Run, run!¡± Donovan shouted. The mercenaries sprinted toward Count Daggleton as they spat out the filth that was flowing down their faces into their mouths.


    ¡°Protect Lord Daggleton!¡± The guards surrounded Daggleton and raised their shields. Urich dropped his bow and followed the other mercenaries.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± He outpaced the other mercenaries in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Woah, woahhhh!¡±


    Urich and his mercenaries finally shed with the guards in a frenzy of des.


    ¡°Bring your head over here!¡± Urich chased after Daggleton with ring eyes. Unlike his words, he wasn¡¯t actually intending to kill him, but he was fullyfortable with crippling him.


    He drew one of his axes andunched it at Daggleton.


    <i>nk!</i>


    The axe was parried by a sword.


    ¡°You used your brains pretty well. I didn¡¯t expect you to be hiding there,¡± The Silver Lion Garcio said after deflecting Urich¡¯s axe with his sword and looked at the filth-covered Urich.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you have a bit too much gray hair for someone your age?¡± Urich cackled and drew his sword and the second axe. He quickly recognized his opponent as the leader of the Silver Lion Mercenaries because of the description he had heard in advance, but even if it weren¡¯t for the gray hair, his opponent exuded the aura of someone strong.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the skilled mercenaries that my brother talked about? The battle is almost finished, and you are not winning. If you surrender now, I¡¯ll take you in as my mercenaries under the Silver Lions,¡± Garcio said as he held his sword with both hands. He had the stance of a well-trained swordsman¡ªas expected from a noble¡¯s bastardized son.


    Urich shed his axe and sword together and twisted his neck from side to side. He had a ferocious grin on his face.


    ¡°Haha, thanks for the offer. But, unfortunately for you, I don¡¯t work for someone who¡¯s weaker than me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame, nameless mercenary.¡±


    Urich and Garcio were about to face off. Urich felt the hair on his arms stand.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s not just all talk.¡¯</i>


    Garcio¡¯s stance left very few windows for Urich to attack, and even those were covered by his chainmail. Urich was aware of how little time he had. If he dragged this on too long, the rest of Daggleton¡¯s army would join Garcio and surround Urich and his mercenaries. Daggleton had to be captured before that happened.


    <i>¡®I have to attack first, no matter what.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s arms moved busily as he swung his weapons like a storm.


    <i>Clink! nk!</i>


    The weapons of the two mercenaries shed. Garcio¡¯s eyes widened at the sound of the distinct metallic sound.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s a damn good weapon for a nameless mercenary,¡¯</i> Garcio thought to himself. His sword was also forged with high-quality steel, fitting for the leader of the Silver Lion Mercenaries. However, he was still out-weaponed by Urich¡¯s formidable sword.


    <i>Shring!</i>


    Urich¡¯s sword shed through Garcio¡¯s chainmail. He managed to split the links of the chain but couldn¡¯t cut through the leather lining.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Garcio intended to leave his side open with the trust in his armor, and fully focus on splitting Urich¡¯s head. But the sudden burst of intense pain in his side made him take a step back.


    <i>¡®My ribs are broken.¡¯</i>


    Normally, a sword wouldn¡¯t be able to deliver a strong blow after having its force diffused by the chainmail and leather lining. And even if the swordsman were to deliver enough force to do so, the de wouldn¡¯t hold up and bend orpletely break.


    ¡°Imperial steel,¡± Garcio muttered under his breath. The de of Urich¡¯s sword was still fresh. Even after shing through his chainmail, the de shed like a wolf¡¯s teeth. A weapon of such high quality could only be forged with imperial steel, something that was hard toe by even with money.

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23</h4>


    ¡°A mere mercenary wielding an Imperial steel weapon? I¡¯m starting to wonder who you are.¡±


    Garcio readjusted his stance. He stretched his sword out to a medium distance to settle into a defensive stance. He was intending to parry every blow and not give away even the slimmest of chances to Urich.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m the one who wins by dragging this on, so I just have to buy time. However...¡¯</i>


    Garcio took a quick nce to his side. One of his mercenaries who was a part of the fortress attack was running back toward him.


    ¡°I heard your bone snapping loud and clear just now. That hurt, didn¡¯t it?¡± Urich said as he twirled his sword. Garcio maintained his concentration as he stared at Urich without a word.


    <i>¡®His stance is solid now. He¡¯s trying to buy himself time.¡¯</i>


    Urich swung his de at Garcio a couple of times, but it was impossible to prate his defense. Their weapons only shed meaninglessly.


    ¡°Count Daggleton, my brother! Run for your life and don¡¯t look back. It¡¯s all over if they capture you!¡± Garcio signaled to Count Daggleton, who hesitated for a moment and then started to flee with a heavy limp.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Urich¡¯s eyes went back and forth between Garcio and Count Daggleton. He suddenly leaped backward, thenunched himself toward Daggleton.


    ¡°G-get him! He¡¯s going for the Count!¡±


    Nobody could catch up to Urich. Even back in his tribe, there wasn¡¯t a single warrior who could keep up with his speed. There was no chance for these mercenaries, let alone for those with heavy metal armor weighing them down. All they could do was just watch powerlessly.


    ¡°I got you,¡± Urich said as he grabbed Daggleton by the throat.


    ¡°Y-you bastard, this is for Allian!¡± Daggleton cried out as he fumbled for his sword. Urich grabbed his hand and snapped his wrist.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    ¡°Argh! M-my arm!¡±


    ¡°Stay still. It must be nice to be a noble, huh? Even if you start a war, you can pay your way out of it. Now, tell your men to drop their weapons,¡± Urich threatened Daggleton as he held his sword against the noble¡¯s pale throat.


    ¡°Y-you son of a bitch, you murdered A-Allian!¡± Daggleton raked his nails down Urich¡¯s arm. Urich, irritated by his struggle, pped Daggleton across his face. A few teeth popped out of his mouth onto the ground.


    ¡°K-kugh,¡± Daggleton¡¯s desire for revenge was quickly extinguished and was reced by trembling fear. He came to the realization that his life was in Urich¡¯s hands.


    <i>¡®The n worked,¡¯</i> Donovan thought as he backed off and looked at Urich. The war was over now that they had Daggleton in their captivity.


    ¡°Pull your troops back! Go on, tell the leader of the mercenaries, Count,¡± Urich said, looking back and forth between Count Daggleton and Garcio.


    ¡°B-brother Garcio,¡± Daggleton said, almost pleadingly, as he desperately looked at Garcio.


    ¡°Hmm, I guess that leaves me no choice,¡± Garcio muttered as he scratched his head. He walked toward Urich and his brother, holding the side with broken ribs.


    <i>Swipe.</i>


    Garcio reached behind his waist to pull out a throwing dagger.


    <i>¡®A throwing dagger? What is he trying to do?¡¯</i>


    Urich took cover behind Daggleton as a reflex.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    The dagger buried its de in Count Daggleton¡¯s neck. His blood spouted out.


    ¡°B-brother, w-what have you done?¡± Daggleton stuttered hisst words as he stared at Garcio.


    ¡°I shall take over your ce as the Count of the Daggleton family.¡± Garcio¡¯s words were calm. It was as if he had nned this all along. Garcio the Silver Lion was the previous Count Daggleton¡¯s abandoned son. He was far below the rest of the Count¡¯s kin in the line of session, but his mercenary squad was powerful enough to stifle anyone who opposed him. None of his rtives would dare to poke the sleeping Silver Lions.


    ¡°Count Daggleton fell to his death from his horse in the middle of the battle. He was not murdered,¡± Garcioid out his n for the public announcement of the Count¡¯s death.


    ¡°Are you going to continue the war? Urich asked with his eyes narrowed as he dropped the Count¡¯s body.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t n on dying just when I became the Count.¡±


    Garcio knew that if the battle were to continue, his men would win. However, he also knew that he would not survive the mercenary that stood before him. Furthermore, with his broken rib, any more aggressive movements would cut up his insides and kill him with internal bleeding.


    <i>Buuuup!</i>


    Garcio blew the horn to signal his men to retreat. The battle stopped.


    ¡°Take me to Count Mondo. We¡¯ll make a peace treaty.¡±


    Garcio dropped his weapon and took off his armor to show that he had no intention to keep fighting. He picked out the Count¡¯s si ring from Daggleton¡¯s cold body.


    ¡°How boring. So, this is the war and politics of this ce.¡± Urich¡¯s eyes grew cold.


    <i>¡®The men here don¡¯t fight for their family and brothers. They only fight for power and greed, even if it means betraying their own flesh and blood.¡¯</i>


    Garcio killed his half-brother¡ªhis own blood¡ªwithout blinking an eye.


    Urich returned to Count Mondo with Garcio apanying him.


    ¡°What happened, Urich?¡± Mondo asked,


    ¡°Daggleton died. Apparently, this guy¡¯s going to take over.¡±


    ¡°D-Daggleton is dead? I thought I told you not to kill him, Urich!¡± Mondo panicked. The death of a noble was never good news, even if they were enemies. The death of a noble always created new issues, like the rtives of the dead noble using revenge as an excuse to attempt an invasion.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it. As soon as I captured him <i>alive</i>, this guy killed his own brother,¡± Urich said with obvious disdain in his eyes.


    ¡°You must be out of your mind, Silver Lion Garcio! He was your own brother¡ªa noble! And you killed him...!¡± Mondo frowned.


    ¡°Are you telling me that you want to continue this war? Count Mondo, even if I die, my men will continue to fight you. Hell, they¡¯ll try to take your territory for themselves.¡±


    Mondo shut his mouth. It was true that right up until the retrieval horn, his men were being dominated by the Silver Lion Mercenaries. They lived up to their reputation.


    ¡°Count Daggleton has a young offspring, Garcio. He will be the one taking after his father, not you.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be an issue when I marry my brother¡¯s wife and take him in as my adopted son. Their marriage was probably not in a good ce, so she might even wee my proposal,¡± words flowed out of Garcio¡¯s mouth without a hup. It wasn¡¯t hard to see how Garcio was going to gain his power without much fuss. He had already figured out a way to quell the dissatisfaction around him while legitimizing his session.


    ¡°Hmm, if you want to seed the Count, Garcio, you must hide the fact that you killed your own brother with your own hands.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep the unnecessary rumors from spreading¡ªat least until my authority is stabilized. In exchange for your silence, I¡¯ll give up the rights to thisnd. We¡¯ll write up the documents right now. Doesn¡¯t this work out for both of us? We¡¯ll forget my brother¡¯s misdeeds and be good neighbors.¡±


    Garcio¡¯s offer sounded like music to Mondo¡¯s ears.


    ¡°...the previous Count Daggleton fell to his death from his horse. I did hear that his horse-riding skills were quite poor a while ago,¡± Mondo said with a grin. His voice was soft and sweet as if he hadn¡¯t criticized Garcio¡¯s wrongdoings just a minute ago.


    The negotiations went smoothly. A scribe drew up the agreement, and Garcio and Mondo stamped their seals on the document. Besides the dead Count, everyone was happy. Mondo was able to protect his territory and be free from the threat of Count Daggleton. Garcio was able to im the countship of the Daggleton family as an illegitimate heir under the official process.


    <i>¡®Perhaps, this is what Garcio had nned all along...¡¯</i> Mondo thought to himself as he looked at the back of the soon-to-be new Count Daggleton.


    ¡°We just dueled with our lives on the line. We should at least know each other¡¯s names,¡± Garcio stopped and turned to Urich.


    ¡°I am Urich the barbarian. So long.¡± Urich nodded lightly. He did not like Garcio one bit. More than once, he contemted putting an axe through the back of his head.


    <i>¡®If I only had myself to worry about, I would have cracked his skull open by now.¡¯</i>


    Urich understood that he was now a part of the mercenary squad. He had to consider the best interest of the squad, not only for himself. If he were to kill Garcio on a whim, the rest of his diators wouldn¡¯t have survived the Silver Lions.


    ¡°When the word spreads that you fought equally against the Silver Lion Mercenaries, your inquiries will be endless, Urich.¡±


    Garcio had acknowledged Urich as a mercenary, who was staring at him with his arms crossed.


    ¡°You were nning on killing your own brother from the beginning, weren¡¯t you? It would have made more sense to keep him by your side as we fought, but you told him to run¡ªas if you were giving me a chance to catch him,¡± Urich said with a cold stare. Garcio had killed his own brother for his greed. It was an uneptable deed for Urich.


    To Urich, brotherhood meant living and dying for each other. It wasn¡¯t meant to be used as a disposable tool for one¡¯s own good.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s got sharp eyes. Unless he dies doing this mercenary gig, he¡¯ll eventually be a big figure.¡¯</i>


    Urich was the sole reason that his n went awry. Garcio did not n on killing Count Daggleton today. He wanted to wait until they had the territory under control before killing him and covering it up as an ident, but under the circumstances that he found himself in, he chose the next best alternative.


    ¡°You will never understand, barbarian. Everyone told me an abandoned son could never be the Count, and that it was the fate of an illegitimate son. Well, I came here today to ovee that fate. Kek kek, c<i>ough,¡±</i> Garcio¡¯s cackle was interrupted by the pain in his broken ribs, and he clutched his chest.


    Urich in fact did not understand Garcio. Was being a Count so important that it was worth tricking and killing his own brother over? The disgusting taste in his mouth kept him from speaking.


    ¡°If we meet again, Garcio, you will die by my hands. Remember my name, Garcio Daggleton,¡± Urich threatened ferociously as he showed his teeth. Garcio flinched.


    <i>¡®Barbarian. His people lost to us civilized people, but this one is making me nervous.¡¯</i>


    The Empire stretched far into the north and south, and the barbarians in thosends were no longer a concern as they were slowly assimting into civilization.


    No one was able to see iting¡ªthat beyond the Sky Mountains were people who roamed the grasnds and forests.


    There were two worlds divided by the Sky Mountains, and only Urich knew of their existence.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24</h4>


    Count Mondo was serving free food and drinks to the people of his territory. It was his way of consoling those who had been affected by the war as well as celebrating their victory.


    ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s a pretty nice lord,¡± Bachman said as he looked at Count Mondo. The festivities had been going on for two straight days.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s a good lord?¡± Urich retorted. He didn¡¯t understand the noble society. To him, it was strange that people were letting that weak Count Mondo reign over them. In his world, the chief of the tribe had to be the most respected warrior of the tribe.


    ¡°At least Mondo doesn¡¯t take more than he needs to. Did I ever tell you why I left my hometown? It¡¯s because I was on the brink of starving to death. These high-and-mighty bastards were taxing the fishermen even during the winter when ships couldn¡¯t set sail,¡± Bachman spat on the ground. He made the career change from a fisherman to a diator. It was a change that came with a much higherpensation, but it was rare for diators to retire in one piece. More often than not, their retirement was death.


    ¡°Cheers to the mercenaries who brought us victory!¡±


    ¡°Here, here!¡±


    Count Mondo quite liked Urich and his mercenaries. This victory wouldn¡¯t have been even remotely possible without their help. Anyone with eyes and a brain could see that.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Urichughed as he received pints after pints. He still reeked of filth, but no one seemed to mind, never mind mock him for it. Urich gave his best effort and did a nasty job that no one would have done for their victory even though he was only a mercenary. In Mondo¡¯s eyes, Urich was a man with the virtue of a mercenary¡ªintegrity.


    <i>¡®How many civilized men betray and lie? Compared to them, Urich is...¡¯</i>


    The party was in full swing.


    ¡°Garcio the Silver Lion is going to be the new Count of the Daggleton family.¡±


    ¡°Are the Silver Lion Mercenaries going to serve as their army, then? I doubt that small territory can match theirpensation demands.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll probably split up thend and give them out to the mercenaries along with tax exemptions.¡±


    ¡°Eh, our peace treaty is valid for ten years, so whatever it is, we¡¯ll worry about itter.¡±


    An agreement that is documented on paper served as crucial evidence. If either side broke that agreement and invaded the other territory, they would be banished from the noble society. Nobles had the obligation to follow their treaties and respect each other¡¯s honor.


    ¡°Now, now, enough of that! That¡¯s all done, now,¡± Mondo settled his lieges down. He sneaked away from the festivities to have a chat with Urich alone.


    ¡°Urich, don¡¯t you want to settle down and have a stable life?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Count?¡± Urich asked as he pulled his pants up after urinating on a wall. He wiped his fingers on his pants with little care.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a share of thend here and exempt you from any taxes. Meet a nice woman here and start a family on mynd. All you have to do is fight for me.¡±


    It was an offer for his allegiance, and it even came with his very ownnd.


    ¡°You want to give mend?¡±


    Mondo¡¯s offer was sobering. The beautiful golden wheat fields that Urich talked about with Horus were shing in front of his eyes. He could almost smell the golden sun.


    <i>¡®I can have my ownnd? Here?¡¯</i>


    It was and where all you had to do to have a sessful crop was just sow the seeds. There were no concerns about starving to death without spending days out on a hunting trip. With the tax exemption, he wouldn¡¯t even have to give any of it away to the lord.


    ¡°That is a giant offer,¡± Urich smiled as he could sense that he was in the Count¡¯s favor.


    ¡°What about my other mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°My territory is notrge enough to give a piece of it to all of your mercenaries. I only have enough for you and two, maybe three others.¡±


    ¡°Then, my answer is no. Actually, it was never going to be a yes. I apologize,¡± Urich shook his head as he politely declined the offer.


    ¡°I see, can I ask why? Don¡¯t all mercenaries dream of a stable settled life?¡±


    Mondo couldn¡¯t understand why Urich declined his offer. Maybe he would have if it was out of loyalty to his fellow mercenaries.


    Urich looked up at the clear night sky. The moon and the stars were shining bright. Why did they sparkle? Why did the moon change its shape ever so often? This world was full of things that he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°...well, that dream is not mine.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Ho! Ha! Ho!¡±


    The bards that Mondo had hired were singing away at the feast. As befits thest day of a feast, there was no shortage of women, wine, or meat.


    ¡°The Mondo territory in danger! Mighty enemies!¡±


    ¡°Ho!¡±


    ¡°Twenty-four brave mercenaries out of nowhere!¡±


    The bard sang in rhyme.


    ¡°Since when did we have twenty-four? We only have twenty-two, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Just leave it, dumbass, the bards always exaggerate things, anyway.¡±


    The mercenaries drained their beers down, spilling practically half of it. The servants kept the refills flowing, and their pints were never empty.


    ¡°They marched fearlessly forward against the mighty hundred-strong Silver Lion Mercenaries.¡±


    The bard banged his drum and lifted his foot off-beat. The apprentice bard behind him chimed in with a chorus of ¡®Ho! Ha!¡¯


    ¡°If that¡¯s really how it went down, we¡¯d all be dead by now, huh?¡± The mercenaries chuckled as a few lieges coughed in embarrassment.


    ¡°That¡¯s how a reputation is formed,¡± Count Mondo said as he sat down with his drink. He had paid the bards toe up with a catchy tune about the mercenaries.


    ¡°Haha, this is fun,¡± Urichughed as he pped his own knee. He grabbed the stringed instrument from the bard.


    ¡°U-uh that¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°I just want to try! Is this how you y this?¡±


    Urich plucked the string, and it snapped helplessly to Urich¡¯s rough finger.


    ¡°Aw...¡±


    The bard who was practically robbed of his instrument frowned. Urich grinned apologetically and returned the broken instrument to its owner.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. The string was weaker than I thought. Here, take it back and keep singing your song!¡±


    Urich returned to his seat and grabbed his pint. The mercenariesughed at their mishap.


    ¡°Twenty-four brave warriors stood against the Silver Lion Mercenaries without hesitation, and in their momentum, the evil noble lost his grip on the horse and fell to his death, and the Silver Lion turned into a feeble gray mouse and scurried away!¡±


    ¡°Ho!¡±


    ¡°Urich and his warriors!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    ¡°Urich and his brothers! Their leader Urich, the barbarian warrior from a mysteriousnd!¡±


    ¡°Ho! Ha!¡±


    ¡°The bona fides mercenaries who protected the Mondo territory!¡±


    The mercenaries couldn¡¯t contain themselves and broke out inughter, mming their pints on the tables and their own knees.


    ¡°Bahahaha!¡±


    ¡°What a masterpiece, a masterpiece!¡±


    ¡°Bona fides? Us?¡±


    War tales traveled throughout thends like a living creature. As it did so, it became altered and mutated. The bards were artists, wanderers, and also, news sources. The bards exchanged theirtest songs with each other, and at times formted reputations for people who paid them. But fame without any evidence was rare.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s ultimately true that these mercenaries saved me and my territory, regardless of how these bards are spinning it.¡¯</i>


    Their tale was a gift from Count Mondo to Urich and his diators. He was vouching for the reputation of the mercenaries that he had hired to protect hisnd.


    ¡°Those bards are going to go from city to city singing your song. I paid them enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Count,¡± Urich said as he picked up his pint and staggered to his feet, standing beside Count Mondo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s nothingpared to what you did for us. But, I can¡¯t pay you any more than what we discussed earlier. This war drove me to the brink of bankruptcy.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is more than enough. I¡¯m satisfied, hmph!¡±


    Urich drew his axe and flung it at the floor. An unfortunate rat that was scurrying into the wood was split in half. A maiden passing by let out a little yelp.


    <i>¡®He still throws the axe urately even after all that drinking. What a monster.¡¯</i>


    Urich pulled the axe out of the floor.


    ¡°Our squad needs a name.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t let his mercenaries carry on without a name. A reputation needed a title to attach itself to.


    Urich thought of Garcio, the man who cowardly killed his own brother to take his countship. It disgusted him.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m the leader, for now, I¡¯ll call us ¡®Urich¡¯s Brotherhood.¡¯ As long as I¡¯m the leader, there is only one rule that must never be broken: brothers never, ever betray one another. I don¡¯t care about anything else, but if someone breaks this rule, I will chase them down to the ends of this continent and split their skull open with my own hands. All in favor, tap your sses.¡±


    Urich lifted his head and slowly looked around his drunken mercenaries.


    <i>Thump! Thump! Thump!</i>


    The mercenaries lifted their pints and mmed them down on the tables. The shaking beer bounced high in the air.


    The feaststed until dawn. In the shaded areas, men and women intertwined and let out animalistic moans, and the ones who were more dignified spent time with their women in their private rooms. The center of the room reeked of vomit, and the men slept carelessly on top of it. Urich, too, was curled up in an odd position against a table, fast asleep.


    Urich was in a dream. In that dream, he was running through the ins. He looked at his palms and saw that they were slender because he was not yet fully grown, and without the firm calluses, his hands were scratched up. The young Urich stared into the vast ins and the forest. The gust of wind that swept through Urich¡¯s hair soared all the way up to the Sky Mountains.


    <i>¡®The Sky Mountains.¡¯</i>


    He had always longed for the Sky Mountains. Climbing over the mountains was forbidden. The shamans and the elders told him that the living must not peek into the world of the dead.


    <i>¡®The oldies were wrong. This is the world of the living.¡¯</i>


    The young Urich¡¯s body grew asrge as it was now. He had seen the truth of the world on the other side of the mountains. He saw it with his very own eyes.


    <i>¡®One day, I¡¯m going to go back and tell all of this to my tribe. They won¡¯t even be able to imagine the things I saw¡ªthey¡¯ll never believe me. They¡¯ll never believe that there¡¯s a whole new world on the other side of the Sky Mountains.¡¯</i>


    The little desire inside Urich¡¯s heart squirmed.


    <i>¡®And... I...¡¯</i>


    The ins suddenly burst into mes. He saw a ck army. There was a strong metallic smell of blood, and smelted metal was flowing everywhere. Standing in the center of it all was Urich. He was standing in the melting pot of blood and metal of the war. Just as the shaman received their prophecies, Urich saw the remnants of his disheveled desire.


    ¡°Excuse... Ahhh!¡±


    The maid woke up Urich, who was drenched in cold sweat. It was already morning.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich grabbed the maid by the nape of her neck and mmed her into a wooden post. His eyes were glowing yellow as urine dripped down the frightened maid¡¯s legs.


    ¡°A-ah,¡± aftering to his senses, Urich let go of the maid. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.


    ¡°I have a terrible sleeping habit, I apologize.¡±


    Urich patted the maid¡¯s behind and sent her away with a gold coin.


    <i>¡®Another dream.¡¯</i>


    His memory of the dream once again disappeared into the fog.


    ¡°Stop sleeping and get up already, youzy pigs,¡± Urich went around the room, kicking his mercenaries to wake them up. Some of the mercenaries vomited on the spot as soon as they opened their eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had our fun. Now, let¡¯s get back to work. Life is short, my brothers,¡± Urich said to the disgruntled mercenaries.


    That afternoon, Urich and his mercenaries left the Mondo territory. ¡®Urich¡¯s Brotherhood,¡¯ the song that praised their achievement, spread throughout the Empire as the bards wandered around the continent.

 Chapter 25: Baptism

    <h4>Chapter 25: Baptism</h4>


    Urich and his mercenaries finally reached the city after traveling through four other small towns and territories. As soon as they arrived, the mercenaries were swept up by the city¡¯s vibrant atmosphere and were cracking jokes.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, man! Her tits were as big as your head.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, what kind of a woman has tits that big?¡±


    ¡°Man, I swear, they were huge! Why won¡¯t you just believe me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be more believable if you told me that your dick was the size of my forearm.¡±


    The mercenaries bantered. Since Urich¡¯s mercenary squad was a rtively small squad, one or two inns were more than enough for everyone to stay in.


    ¡°God dammit, we¡¯re finally done with camping,¡± Donovan said as he scratched his head. Whenever the squad wasn¡¯t able to reach a city by sunset, they had to settle for a campout. Small viges never had the facilities to host a mercenary squad, so the days they found a big barn to stay in were considered lucky days.


    ¡°There should be some decent work for us here,¡± Bachman remarked as he looked at the busy streets.


    ¡°What¡¯s the name of this city?¡± Urich asked, and Bachman thought for a second.


    ¡°This is the city of Havilond. They get a lot ofmercial activity thanks to their good geographical location. I¡¯ve been here a few times when I was working as a porter before the whole diator stint.¡±


    Bachman was quite erudite. He had learned and experienced many different things during his time as a fisherman and other jobs he had before he became a diator.


    The city of Havilond had plenty of inns, fittingly for amercial city. Most operated the ground floor as taverns and had bedrooms on the periphery of the ground floor and mostly on the second floor. Urich and his mercenaries rented the entirety of one of therger inns.


    ¡°From now on, every day costs us money. If we don¡¯t find a big job in this city, we might end up sleeping on the streets,¡± Bachman warned his fellow mercenaries as he unpacked his things.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s get some drinks!¡± Urich dragged Bachman down to the tavern floor.


    ¡°Are those guys the ¡®Urich¡¯s Brotherhood¡¯ mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°The ones that stopped the Silver Lions?¡±


    ¡°Wow, they really are a small squad. I don¡¯t think they even have thirty.¡±


    ¡°They stopped the Silver Lions with that few men?¡±


    ¡°I heard they did in fact fight the Silver Lions.¡±


    The customers of the tavern chattered among themselves as they looked at Urich¡¯s Brotherhood. It seemed like the hyped-up mercenaries had been spreading their own names around town already.


    ¡°Hah, that¡¯s right. We¡¯re the famous Urich¡¯s Brotherhood! Brothers of the barbarian leader Urich!¡±


    ¡°Yup, the Silver Lions were decent opponents. I almost got my head cut off.¡±


    The mercenaries were busy praising themselves, but no one bothered to stop them. After all, more fame was never a bad thing for a mercenary squad because it made more higher-paying jobs roll in. For smaller mercenary squads, the only thing that guaranteed their paychecks was their reputation.


    ¡°I told them to spread the word and show off a bit. We have to let the people know that we¡¯re here,¡± Donovan said to Urich. He had just finished unpacking his luggage.


    ¡°Good, good, it¡¯s all good stuff. Now, what do we have to do?¡± Urich looked at the mercenaries with a smile on his face. Even though he was technically their leader, he always asked for the opinion of his mercenaries. It was thanks to this attitude that no one held anything against him being their leader, including even Donovan. He respected that Urich treated everyone fairly, regardless of their personal issues.


    <i>¡®My Stone Axe brothers are not here with me, but in thisnd, these guys are my brothers.¡¯</i>


    Urich swore to himself that he would consider the mercenaries who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with him as his brothers.


    ¡°First, we have to find work and gather some intel. There¡¯s probably a bigger market for mercenaries in a city like this¡ªeven if it¡¯s just a bodyguard job. But that doesn¡¯t mean that the ones who aren¡¯t doing the job search can bezy with booze and women. They¡¯ll have to grease and polish the weapons and armor that we didn¡¯t get to while we were camping,¡± Donovan said coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take three with me to go out to gather that intel. Donovan, you take care of the maintenance crew,¡± Bachman, the most sociable out of the four influential figures, stepped forward first. Donovan nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go somewhere. You¡¯ll have to take me out of the schedule, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sven said as he quietly raised his hand. His voice was low and heavy, and that along with his bushy beard made him seem like the eldest in the squad.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Urich asked.


    ¡°A city like this must have a ve market.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably. But what about it? You¡¯re not trying to go back to being a ve, are you? You can make it into your Field of Swords as a mercenary too, gramps,¡± Urich liked Sven. He gave a feeling that was simr to the warriors back in his tribe.


    ¡°There¡¯s a good chance that my people are being sold as ves. If the money allows, I want to save at least one of them.¡±


    Nobody had anything to say to Sven. There wasn¡¯t a single mercenary who wouldn¡¯t be okay with Sven saving his own people who were traded as ves.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Grandpa Sven. Donovan and Bachman, I¡¯m leaving the rest to you guys.¡±


    Urich grabbed only his sword and sheathed it by his belt before leaving the inn with Sven.


    ¡°Hey, gramps, how old are you? I can¡¯t tell because of all the hair and beard that¡¯s covering your face.


    Urich and Sven walked onto the street. Anyone who was walking in the opposite direction made way for the two burly barbarians as they passed by.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, kid. I stopped keeping track of my age after mying-of-age ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Gramps, I¡¯m the leader. You know that, right? Are you still going to call me a kid?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re young, bahaha!¡± Sven let out a raspyugh. He searched for the ve market as he stroked his spit-stained beard. The ve market of this city wasrge since it was amercial city.


    ¡°How about we get some female ves for our squad? Like back in the diator days. What do you think?¡± Urich suggested as he looked at the stripped-down women. They kept their faces down as they waited for their owners. Passersby groped their bodies as they walked by.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even have Horus anymore... we¡¯d better not. No woman can keep their sanity after being passed around by our men¡ªthey won¡¯t even feel like humans anymore. It was only possible then because Horus knew how to take care of them.¡±


    ¡°You were a ve, too, gramps.¡±


    ¡°My body may have been, but my soul was free.¡±


    ¡°Hah, those are some fancy words there,¡± Urich clicked his tongue.


    ¡°My soul was always toward the Field of Swords. Our forefather Ulgaro is waiting for me there.¡±


    ¡°Ulgaro? Whatever. Just keep looking around.¡±


    Urich took in the scene of the ve market as he whistled a tune. Dozens of ves were being traded like objects¡ªthat¡¯s all they were in this part of the world.


    <i>Cling.</i>


    Sven had brought with him almost all of the money that he had left. It was just enough to buy a ve.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Sven searched the ve market carefully. He picked an ideal candidate, walked up to him, and whispered in his ear, ¡°Choose, brother. Are you going to live your life as a ve, ore with me to the Field of Swords?¡±


    The chained-up northern ve abruptly opened his eyes and looked at Sven. They spoke in the northernnguage, so no one else could understand their conversation.


    ¡°I choose to go to the Field, where Ulgaro awaits, my brother,¡± the northerner answered with conviction. At his words, Sven negotiated his price with the trader and paid for his freedom. After confirming the amount handed over by Sven, the ve trader released the northerner.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    The freed northerner red at the ve trader with murderous intent. He spewed a series of slurs in a foreignnguage.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Are you trying to get executed right here by the guards?¡± Sven held the northerner back.


    ¡°Is he going to join our squad?¡± Urich asked Sven as he looked at the newly freed man. Sven discussed something with the man in theirnguage and then answered.


    ¡°This man is a warrior. We saved him from the fate of dying a rugged,borious death of a ve and now, he¡¯s on his way to the Field. He will be the most loyal warrior to our squad, just like I am.¡±


    Sven was a stoic warrior. No one in the mercenary squad had ever seen him wasting his money on luxury, as he saved every cil he earned to free his people.


    ¡°If my brothers were being kept as ves, I would have done the same thing as you just did, old man. Even if that meant spilling some blood...¡± Urich trailed off with a mutter.


    ¡°Be wary of your youthful passion, Urich. Patience can be a necessary virtue at times,¡± Sven advised Urich, who opened his eyes widely and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m a very patient man, Sven. I just know when to use it, and when not to.¡±


    Sven squinted at Urich. Urich was a young and strong warrior. Anyone could tell that he was going to be great. He wanted to stay by his side and support him for as long as possible.


    Urich and Sven returned to the inn where the mercenaries were staying. By sundown, the men who had gone out to collect intel trickled back in.


    ¡°We found a good job, Urich. Ites directly from the lord here,¡± Bachman said as he ordered a beer. He grabbed a seat and massaged his tired legs after walking around the whole day.


    ¡°Directly from the lord, huh?¡±


    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s looking for mercenaries to assist the regr army in their bandit extermination. Hear me out, Urich. This is the city. This isn¡¯t a small-time noble like before¡ªhe¡¯s the real deal! We can talk our way into a big pay. It¡¯ll probably be more than enough to get you out of those raggedy leather armor!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I like this. Metal armors aren¡¯t my style,¡± Urich waved him off.


    ¡°Whatever. We have a meeting with him tomorrow. We¡¯ll have a chat with him then,¡± Bachman said as he patted Urich on the back. Urich showed a faint smile.


    ¡°I know we technically don¡¯t have the job just yet, but let¡¯s drink this night away! Life is short and...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a shit-ton to drink! Ho!¡±


    The mercenaries emptied their pints in the blink of an eye and mmed the tables. The innkeeper shook his head as the sound of his tables cracking echoed throughout the tavern.


    * * *


    At the center of the city of Havilond was the inner wall. The outer walls protected the entire city, whereas the inside of the inner walls was where the nobles resided. An urbanized territory like this city was wealthy and sturdy. They were the focal points of their respective regions.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich and a few other mercenaries entered the inner walls. A servant served as their guide.


    ¡°Woah, what an incredibly well-built castle,¡± Bachman remarked in awe as he looked at the hallways of the inner castle. The windows were made of tinted ss, which made the light shine in different colors.


    ¡°Did a person make these sculptures?¡± Urich asked after seeing the human busts disyed along the hallway. They were detailed and intricately carved, like real people. Urich¡¯s eyes darted from one artwork to the next.


    <i>¡®Look at this barbarian. This is the masterpiece of civilization.¡¯</i>


    The servant felt undeservingly smug as if the sculptures were his own work. The war tale of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood had made its way into the city of Havnd through the mouths of the bards.


    ¡°Please keep your hands off the busts. These are of the past lords, so if they were to break... no amount of money could rece...¡± the servant said snobbishly, then opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Huh? Did you say something? Hmm?¡± Urich turned his head and hit one of the busts with his shoulder. It tipped over and fell to the floor.


    ¡°Oops, I almost broke one,¡± Urich said casually as he nimbly caught the falling bust with his toes. It was practically a trick.


    ¡°Eek!¡± The servant gasped and returned the bust to its stand.


    ¡°You said this thing is expensive, right? If it¡¯s so expensive, then keep it in a safer ce! It¡¯s getting in my way because you just put it anywhere,¡± Urich put the me on the servant. The other mercenaries chuckled behind him.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll bring you to the lord right away so please follow me. Do <i>not</i> touch anything else, please!¡± The servant barked. Urich was disappointed that he couldn¡¯t satisfy his curiosity.


    <i>¡®This is all amazing. This ¡®civilization¡¯ thing that these people have founded is incredible.¡¯</i>


    Urich was, quite honestly, amazed and impressed. The writing, art, and architecture that the civilized people have created were all mesmerizingly beautiful to him.

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26</h4>


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    Urich and the mercenaries followed the servant into the parlor.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Two men stood in the room. One was Count Havilond, and the other was the captain of the guards of the city.


    Count Havilond was dressed in a red robe with golden embroidery with a ring glittering with gems of different colors on his finger.


    The captain of the guards was blind in one eye. A deep scar ran across his blind eye and the other one scanned the mercenaries.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Lord,¡± Urich said as he sat in front of Count Havilond. The wolfskin he had wrapped around himself made him look as fierce as a beast.


    ¡°I heard that your Urich¡¯s Brotherhood are the most renowned mercenaries these days,¡± Count Havilondmented with a calm and low voice.


    ¡°I heard you have a job for us. That¡¯s what we¡¯re here for.¡±


    Urich grabbed an apple that was on the table and bit off a mouthful.


    ¡°Do not be rude, mercenary. You are in the presence of our lord,¡± the captain of the guards said coldly. He looked as if he was ready to draw his sword at Urich at any moment.


    ¡°Count Havilond, you should get a new guard captain. This one¡¯s very rude! Look at him frowning at me at our first meeting.¡±


    <i>Cling!</i>


    The captain unsheathed his sword halfway after hearing Urich¡¯s words.


    ¡°You draw the rest of that sword, and you can say goodbye to your hand,¡± Urich warned the captain.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sir Setton!¡± Count Havilond scolded his captain. Setton tilted his head slightly and sheathed his sword.


    ¡°Is it rude to eat an apple here, or is it rude to be friendly to your lord? I¡¯m not rude¡ªin fact, I¡¯m doing my best to show you my manners. If you don¡¯t like that, then we¡¯ll be on our way. Might as well go work as a security guard and make some pocket change instead,¡± Urich retorted and tried to get up from his seat.


    ¡°I apologize for Sir Setton¡¯s rudeness. However, it is true that your behavior is considered quite mannerless from our perspective,¡± Count Havilond calmly assured Urich his seat. Urich sat back down.


    ¡°I am Urich, the barbarian. It¡¯s even in our song. Surely you expected something like this?¡±


    There was only one reason why people hired barbarian mercenaries: their battle ability. Even the southern barbarians were considerably tough if they were fit enough to work as mercenaries. The fact that they were able to roam around the Empire as barbarians vouched for their strength. That barbaric strength had been proven time and time again by Urich and Sven. The only reason that the Empire was able to conquer the barbariannds was their superior battle strategies and equipment. In terms of pure physical prowess, no one was above the barbarians. The state-of-the-art armory such as weapons forged with imperial steel and gold-ted full-body armor were seldom avable outside of the Imperial military, and the nobles were no exception to that scarcity.


    In the mercenary world where the same level of armory is avable to barbarians and civilized men alike, the superiority of the barbarians became obvious.


    <i>¡®The barbarian title is not a bad thing to have in the world of mercenaries.¡¯</i>


    Count Havilond nodded to show that he agreed with Urich and opened his main proposal.


    ¡°...I can offer you eighty million cils as yourpensation. However, if you prove to offer a significant contribution, then I will consider bringing that up to a hundred. I would say that¡¯s not a bad offer for twenty-eight men, is it?¡±


    Urich¡¯s mercenary squad had grown to twenty-eight strong after a youthful young man, a wandering mercenary, a bandit, and a leftover soldier joined the group. He was tempted to blow up the size of the squad at once, but too many new additions wouldn¡¯t have been able to assimte with the existing mercenaries, only creating conflict and hierarchy within the squad. It was best to introduce a few at a time for smooth growth, like adding ink to a cup of water one drop at a time.


    ¡°Considering that this is just a bandit extermination mission that won¡¯t cause any fatality, it¡¯s not a bad offer, Urich,¡± Bachman whispered to Urich with his hand covering his mouth.


    Urich nced at the mercenaries that apanied him to the meeting. None of them seemed to object to the offer since it was quite a big pay.


    ¡°Eighty-million cils is enough for us to rece all the old armory. A bunch of the guys are still using the same armory as they did back in our diator days, and my chainmail is thinning out and getting rusty as well,¡± Donovan said after thinking about the offer for a bit. He thought that this remuneration should be used as a way tounch their future, rather than for instantaneous luxury and pleasure.


    <i>¡®If we want to be ready for any kind of job, we need to prepare a heavy armory for at least half of our squad.¡¯</i>


    Donovan was a soldier. He was well aware of the importance of heavy infantry¡ªthat they were the crucialponent that could hold an entire squad together in any battle situation. Shields raised by warriors in metal armor were practically a solid wall.


    ¡°Great, we¡¯ll begin our preparations,¡± Urich smiled as he got up.


    After the mercenaries had left the parlor, the guard captain Setton looked at Count Havilond with a face full ofint.


    ¡°Those are rude men, my lord. We can do this without the help of those merc...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Setton.¡±


    ¡°Those bandits are no match for our forces! The proud soldiers of Havilond don¡¯t need the support of those mercenaries, let alone a barbarian!¡± Setton carried on with his rant. Count Havilond released a long sigh.


    ¡°The proud soldiers that you talk about are people who were born and raised in my city. They are someone¡¯s father, child, and even husband! If hiring those ¡®rude¡¯ mercenaries reduces the casualty in our military by even one man, then I am willing to spend whatever their price is.¡±


    Setton was speechless.


    Bandit extermination was not a risky operation because even the bigger bandit groups were nothing but a bunch of hooligans. But it still being a battle, there was bound to be at least a few soldiers who didn¡¯t make it back home. A noble or lord who cared about his people the way Count Havilond did was incredibly rare.


    <i>¡®This is truly the lord of Havilond.¡¯</i>


    Setton couldn¡¯t say another word.


    ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡±


    * * *


    Guard captain Setton and his eighty-five standing soldiers, along with the twenty-eight mercenaries of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood¡ªin total, over a hundred armed men stepped out of the castle gates. They were headed to the mountain where the bandit hideout was said to be.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Urich spotted a man who didn¡¯t look like he belonged among soldiers. He was dressed in clothes that had the symbol of the sun on the chest and was headed into the battlefield without a single weapon.


    ¡°That¡¯s the priest of Srism. Sometimes, they apany the outgoing soldiers,¡± Bachman answered.


    ¡°A priest? Oh, you mean their ¡®shaman.¡¯ Why is heing with us?¡±


    ¡°They follow the soldiers to give them their blessings before a battle or lead the funeral services for those who don¡¯t make it. Without their prayer guiding them to Lou¡¯s embrace, their souls have to wander the living world for a long time before eventually finding their way up to the sun,¡± Bachman said as he clenched the sun pendant hanging on his neck. Death was always a close and relevant topic for mercenaries and diators, so they were naturally the group with the most interest in the afterlife.


    <i>¡®Where do we go after we die?¡¯</i>


    Urich curiously looked at the priest.


    ¡°He probably knows a lot of things then, right?¡±


    ¡°Priests are basically schrs,¡± Bachman answered, and Urich paced toward the priest.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Urich¡¯s rugged hands made contact with the priest¡¯s shoulder, making him flinch.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the mercenary leader! My name is Gottval,¡± Priest Gottval said to Urich as he looked at him.


    Urich carefully scanned Gottval, not missing a single detail from his outfit down to his hand gestures. He looked like he was in his early twenties, at most, but even Setton the guard captain treated him with the utmost respect as if he was his superior.


    ¡°My name is Urich, and it looks like you already know what I am.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you, Urich. I¡¯d like to thank you on behalf of my city¡¯s faithful people.¡±


    ¡°Thank me? For what?¡±


    ¡°For fighting the bandits for the innocent people.¡±


    Urichughed in disbelief.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting paid to do this, so you have no reason to thank me. I¡¯m beingpensated.¡±


    ¡°Even if you are getting paid, putting your own life at risk to fight is not something that everyone can do,¡± Gottval said with his eyes sparkling. Urich was irritated and called Bachman over.


    ¡°Hey, Bachman, are all priests out of their minds like this guy?¡±


    Bachman was appalled. He angrily interrupted Urich by plugging his mouth with his hand.


    ¡°Haha, Father Gottval, it¡¯s our leader¡¯s first time meeting a priest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright. I understand that his customs and speech are different from ours,¡± Gottval showed a faint smile, which gave Urich a vague sense of difort.


    <i>¡®What the hell is this?¡¯</i>


    Urich stared at Gottval. It was a sensation that he had never felt before.


    <i>¡®Why is a man being so sweet to me?¡¯</i>


    Gottval¡¯s words were warm and kind without asking for anything in return. For Urich, who was brought up in an environment where human rtionships were simr to that of a wolfpack, it was an unfamiliar kindness.


    ¡°Urich, I don¡¯t want my soul to wander this world after I die. Don¡¯t do anything to piss off the sun god¡ªpeople like him have practically devoted their flesh and soul to the god.¡±


    ¡°I know. They¡¯re your ¡®shamans¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I just thought I¡¯d let you know because it doesn¡¯t feel like you know, at all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking the piss again because I¡¯m a barbarian, aren¡¯t you? This is just like that time you lied to my face about the sea being so vast and whatnot. Is everything thates out of your mouth a lie? Huh?¡±


    Urich and Bachman bantered away. Gottval walked ahead of them with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Stop! We¡¯ll camp here tonight.¡±


    After walking for half a day, the captain of the guards stopped his army. The mountain where the bandits operated was three days away, meaning that the army would have to camp for at least two more nights before reaching it.


    As soon as the captain¡¯s order fell, the soldiers prepared for the campout. The men responsible for cooking started the campfires and brought out the pots and pans.


    ¡°Hey, which idiot left their used leather gloves in the pot?¡±


    A ruckus erupted from the mercenaries¡¯ corner.


    ¡°Oh, those gloves were all torn up and worn out, so I put them in there. It¡¯s rawhide, so shouldn¡¯t we be able to eat it after we boil it?¡±


    ¡°Is there an arrow stuck in your head? All that grime and shit from your hands are going to boil into the stew.¡±


    The mercenary squad¡¯s staple was a mixed stew with all sorts of random ingredients boiled together. At times, they would see one or two strange ingredients, but they were mostly edible.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯ll season the stew nicely!¡± The owner of the gloves said nonchntly.


    ¡°Grab that dickhead¡¯s throat and hang him upside down. We¡¯re gonna have human meat today, fucking idiot,¡± the cooking mercenary drew his sword in anger, and the others followed suit.


    Urichid on a nt and watched his mercenaries banter away. He let out a big yawn.


    ¡°Mister Priest.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Gottval, Urich,¡± Gottval stopped and turned to respond to Urich¡¯s call.


    ¡°What¡¯s that in your hand?¡±


    ¡°This is the bread for my dinner, ah!¡±


    Urich snatched the bread from Gottval¡¯s hands and dug his teeth into it.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    It felt like his strong barbarian teeth were going to shatter. The dumbfounded Urich rubbed his jaw and looked at Gottval.


    ¡°Y-your teeth must be surprisingly strong, Gottval. They do say to never judge a book by its cover.¡±


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re supposed to cut the bread into bite-sized pieces and let your saliva slowly dissolve them inside your mouth. It prevents you from letting your hunger and appetite take over your discipline. It¡¯s a great way to train your patience,¡± Gottval said as he gave a demonstration. He gave a cut to Urich for him to try. Urich tossed the bread around in his mouth for a good few minutes, but his expression was grim.


    ¡°You live a tiring life, Gottval. This tastes like nothing, yuck.¡±


    ¡°Delicious food makes our flesh rejoice, but our souls sad,¡± the priest showed a serene smile.


    ¡°Is that the life of a priest?¡±


    ¡°We priests are tasked with the holy duty of guiding the souls that have been corrupted by earthly desires to the embrace of Lou. It would make no sense to allow ourselves to fall to the same desires since there is no way that a corrupted soul can lead another soul to the right path.¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes brightened. He wanted to learn more about Gottval¡¯s way of living. It was something that he had never seen or heard of before.


    ¡°Then, do you know how to write?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Teach me how to write. This is what I know, so far.¡±


    Urich snapped a twig off a tree and wrote all the letters and words he knew on the ground.


    <i>¡®This barbarian knows how to write?¡¯</i>


    Barbarians were seldom interested in learning how to read and write. Most of them couldn¡¯t see the value of recording their history in writing.


    ¡°These letters that you people use... they¡¯re amazing. They allow you to leave a record of something that canst through time and ce. Whatever you leave in writing gets passed down, unchanged, right?¡±


    Gottval¡¯s eyes widened at Urich¡¯s remark. Urich was fully understanding the importance and value of writing and recording.


    <i>¡®Even most of the people who call themselves ¡®civilized¡¯ don¡¯t fully understand the value of writing, yet this pagan barbarian...¡¯</i>


    Writing and recording was one of the lifelong tasks of a priest. They carefully transcribed books, letter by letter. Along with schrs, priests were among the greatest lovers of writing and books.


    <i>¡®It must have taken this barbarian ages to learn what he wrote on the ground. I never thought I¡¯d find someone so eager to learn in a ce like this! This must be Lou¡¯s will.¡¯</i>


    Gottval was overjoyed and grasped Urich¡¯s hands firmly. He felt like he had just received a sacred task and revtion.


    ¡°Pleasee find me after supper, every day. I will set aside a time for your learning.¡±

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27</h4>


    Gottval the Priest dedicated his time to teaching Urich every evening. Thanks to the satisfaction he got from teaching, it wasn¡¯t a bad job for him, either.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s learning incredibly fast,¡¯</i> Gottval thought as he nced at Urich, whose eyes were darting around the ground reading the letters.


    Urich¡¯s memory was extraordinary. Once he saw something, he never forgot. Anyone who had taught him in the past could attest to that.


    On the evening of the third day, Urich returned to Gottval to continue his lesson. Now that they were in the mountains, their surroundings were quite dark.


    <i>¡®I only have a few days left to learn.¡¯</i>


    Urich wanted to learn a lot of things from Gottval, who was the only schr that he had ever met.


    ¡°Donovan?¡±


    Gottvan and Donovan were sitting together. Donovan was on his knee, reciting a prayer.


    ¡°Urich, pleasee back in a moment. Donovan is currently in the middle of his confession,¡± the priest waved Urich away.


    <i>¡®Confession,¡¯</i> Urich muttered. He had seen his mercenaries doing the same thing a few times. It was a practice of confessing one¡¯s sin to cleanse their soul.


    <i>¡®What even is the point of that?¡¯</i>


    Urich leaned against a nearby tree and waited for Donovan¡¯s confession to be over.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother Father Gottval too much, Urich,¡± Donovan said to Urich as he walked by after finishing his confession with the priest. Even Donovan always showed his respect toward the priest.


    ¡°A priest must be quite the honorable title.¡±


    ¡°Everyone fears the afterlife. There¡¯s nothing scarier than failing to find the correct path after dying,¡± Gottval answered Urich.


    ¡°So, when you guys die, you be purified by the fire of the sun and then are reborn, and the northerners go to the Field of Swords,¡± Urich said as he pointed at Sven and the other northerner.


    Gottval hesitated for a moment before choosing his next words carefully.


    ¡°I believe that the Field of Swords is not really the paradise that the northerners seem to think. It¡¯s just a hell for those with a pile of bad karma, where there is no such thing as redemption. The god of the north is violent and arrogant. He doesn¡¯t love his people, unlike Lou, who embraces all living things like the ray of sun.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for a god to love his people unconditionally, though, right?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a god who doesn¡¯t love his people, just like how all parents love their children.¡±


    Urich put his arm around Gottval¡¯s shoulders as he picked his ear.


    ¡°That sounds nice. But if the gods love their people so much, why do they let us fight? Why do they just watch from wherever they are? Howe we have to make each other bleed with rocks and metals if there exist such loving gods?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of the original sin. The greed and sinfulness of humans destroyed the eternal day and brought upon the darkness...¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. You priests are the shamans of this ce, and I know that all you shamans do is lie!¡±


    <i>¡®Where is the World of Spirits that was supposed to be on this side of the mountains?¡¯</i> Urich barely managed to hold his words back.


    ¡°I never lie, Urich,¡± Gottval firmly asserted. He was a man of strong faith.


    ¡°Well, whatever. Anyway, what were you talking about with Donovan earlier?¡± Urich always kept his eyes on Donovan. He knew that Donovan was always looking for a chance to take his ce as the leader of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood.


    ¡°Confessions are devoted to Lou, not me. Once the words of confession have entered my ears, they don¡¯te out of my mouth.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Urich looked at Gottval as he rested his chin on his fist. He felt a sudden urge. What would happen if he grabbed the priest by his throat and tortured him by ripping his stomach open with his axe? Would he talk, then?


    Nobody kept their mouths shut after a good torture. Pain made men weak.


    ¡°Urich?¡± Gottval said in an ufortable tone. He felt uneasy by Urich¡¯s aggressive grin. Urich continued to smile at the priest¡¯s words.


    ¡°This is the civilization. So, teach me the civilized way, Mr. Priest.¡±


    Urich tilted his head and sat in his seat. Like usual, Gottval taught him the words of the Empire. Within the first few days, Urich¡¯s vocabry had surpassed a hundred words.


    ¡°Who did you learn how to write from before?¡± Gottval asked during their short break. Urich took a sip of water from the leather sack and wiped his mouth.


    ¡°I learned it from my previous boss, Horus. He was a diator broker, so he knew how to read and write.¡±


    ¡°Of course, merchants must know how to read and write. Where is he now, and what is he up to?¡±


    ¡°He died. He was teaching me like you are right now, but that unlucky man got hit by an arrow right in his neck. He died in my hands without getting to say anyst words.¡±


    Gottval recited a brief prayer.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°No need to be sorry. I killed everyst one of the men who raided us that night with my own hands,¡± Urich replied proudly. Gottval felt suffocated by the unexpected murderous aura and flinched. He rushed to change the subject.


    ¡°Are you from the south? I thought you were a northerner at first, but the more I look the less you look like a northerner.¡±


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s about right.¡±


    Gottval didn¡¯t question Urich any further after his sluggish answer. Every barbarian who wandered around the Empire had a backstory or two.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    The wind blew through Urich¡¯s long locks. His nose twitched to pick out every smell that was carried by the wind: the smell of the greenery from the trees and bushes, the boiling stew that was now getting cold, and the smell of sweat and metal.


    As he focused on his hearing, he was able to blur out the chatter of the mercenaries and soldiers. With that, any unusual sound stuck out and triggered his ears like a sharp needle.


    Urich¡¯s eyes twitched as his senses became heightened. His five sensesbined to form a sixth.


    <i>Ting.</i>


    He picked out only the necessary sounds in the midst of the chaos. He reached his hand toward Gottval¡¯s head.


    <i>Thuck.</i>


    An arrow pierced Urich¡¯s palm. If it wasn¡¯t for his hand, the arrow would have buried its tip well inside Gottval¡¯s head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a raid, a raid! Get up!¡±


    The soldiers reacted quickly. They were standing soldiers who had received proper well-structured military training. They were the elites.


    <i>Grip.</i>


    Urich clenched his fist and broke the arrow that was stuck in his palm.


    ¡°Keep your head down and hide behind me, priest.¡±


    Urichthered the blood flowing out of the wound on his palm all over his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see another teacher of mine die in front of me.¡±


    Gottval held his breath and kept himself hidden behind a tree. After all, he was only a priest who had never touched a sword in his life.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    Urich¡¯s sword unsheathed with a clear ringing sound. He kept his eyes wide open, waiting for a battle to break out. He was prepared to run out as soon as another attack came his way.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re gone.¡¯</i>


    Urich knew without seeing the enemies. Their presence hadpletely disappeared.


    ¡°...a hit and run. What a headache.¡±


    Urich walked into the forest, and the other soldiers became rmed and stared at him.


    ¡°Stop, it¡¯s dangerous! The enemies are still...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already gone. They ran away,¡± Urich answered as he stepped further into the forest. He picked up the traces of the raiders in between the trees with the broken and trampled branches.


    <i>¡®They were only about ten men.¡¯</i>


    It was a small surprise attack. Urich¡¯s eyes were ring like a predator.


    ¡°What the hell were the lookouts doing, huh?¡±


    A sh erupted between the mercenaries and the soldiers.


    The surprise attack was quite predictable, but ording to some of the mercenaries, the lookouts were chatting among themselves inattentively. Three of the soldiers were seriously wounded, and a mercenary was killed by an arrow.


    <i>¡®Giggs,¡¯</i> Urich muttered the name of his fallen brother.


    The name of the unfortunate mercenary was Giggs. He had been with the group since their diatorial days and was one of the men who ambushed in the pile of filth back in the battle of Count Mondo.


    ¡°I saw it with my own eyes, Urich! Those bastards paid no attention to their job,¡± mercenary Bajorn eximed as he pointed at two of the soldiers.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich ran toward the two soldiers and threw them on the ground. He pounded their faces with his fists and kicked their stomach in.


    ¡°Kek, ugh, Keugh.¡±


    The soldier being trampled rolled up like a turtle. Urich nonchntly pummeled two soldiers as the others rushed in to stop him.


    ¡°S-stop!¡±


    <i>Thud!</i>


    One of the soldiers who tried to get Urich off hisrade was knocked out by his swing. Blood was dripping off his fists, and he was fully intending to kill them with his bare hands.


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± The soldier mumbled his apology in fear of death.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± The guard captain Setton shouted as he walked toward the violent scene.


    ¡°A lookout who didn¡¯t look out for danger can die,¡± Urich answered as he lifted the soldier, who was almost a corpse.


    ¡°Release my soldier at once, mercenary leader!¡± Setton demanded as he moved his hand closer to his sword.


    ¡°Our brother is already dead, and he¡¯s noting back,¡± Urich said as he put down the soldier.


    ¡°If you every a finger on my soldier again, your head will be the first to go before the bandits,¡± Setton¡¯s lone eye red with murderous intent.


    <i>¡®Goddamn barbarian.¡¯</i>


    His blind eye was throbbing. Setton despised the barbarians. They were the ones who took his left eye.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Urich,¡± Bachman stopped Urich. Urich returned to his mercenaries.


    The bandits¡¯ surprise attack was a sess. The morale of the exterminators had been stirred up, and they were now constantly on alert.


    <i>Crackle, crackle.</i>


    The mercenaries gathered firewood and burned Giggs¡¯ body.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, your son is returning to your embrace. Please have mercy on his sinful soul...¡± Gottval recited the funeral prayer.


    ¡°At least you¡¯ve got a proper priest to guide your soul, Giggs. You won¡¯t be wandering this world now,¡± Donovan said with a bitter grin. He and Giggs were particrly close, as Giggs was one of his loyal men.


    <i>Drip.</i>


    Donovan sprayed the wine over the me of the body.


    ¡°I heard you bared your fists for Giggs, Urich. I owe you one,¡± Donovan said as he looked at Urich. The zing mes reflected scarletly on their faces.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Our name isn¡¯t Brotherhood for nothing. I will mourn and rage at the death of every single one of us¡ªeven you, Donovan.¡±


    Urich stared into the ember after nonchntly answering Donovan. He was seeking Giggs¡¯ soul in the burning mes.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t see the souls with my eyes. Are they visible to the priests and shamans?¡¯</i>


    In Srism, bodies were cremated. They believed that the fire returned the souls to the god of sun.


    ¡°Gottval,¡± Urich called the priest, who had just finished the funeral ceremony. Gottval turned to look at him.


    ¡°Is the wound in your hand okay?¡± Gottval asked.


    Urich¡¯s hand had been hit by an arrow in his attempt to protect Gottval.


    ¡°It¡¯s moving fine, so I don¡¯t think there are any issues,¡± Urich answered as he clenched and unclenched his hand.


    ¡°You have my sincerest gratitude for protecting me, Urich,¡± Gottval said with the utmost respect.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We¡¯re all supposed to help each other, no?¡±


    ¡°Love and generosity are the teachings of Lou,¡± Gottval smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s funny, I¡¯m pretty far from both of those. Did you send my brother Giggs to the sun?¡±


    ¡°He should have safely returned to the embrace of Lou.¡±


    ¡°I have a question, Priest,¡± Urich said as he rose from his seat. He was at least a head taller than Gottval.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t believe in either gods of Srism or the north. The afterlife that I believed in doesn¡¯t exist anywhere. So, when I die, where do I go?¡±


    Ever since Urich¡¯s idea of the afterlife was shattered, he wondered. Thend on the other side of the Sky Mountains belonged to the living.


    <i>¡®What about my forefathers and brothers? Where do our souls go?¡¯</i>


    Gottval pondered for a minute, then hesitantly opened his mouth.


    ¡°If that is the case... your soul will be an evil spirit wandering this world, even forgetting who you were...¡±


    With that, Urich sat back down. With his head tilted, his gaze alternated between the darkness and the mes.


    Urich had a dream that night.


    The forefathers who had returned to the earth long ago and his brothers who had gone before him were wandering the world of the living. Unable to find rest, their souls were tormented by the wandering. Their souls had be evil spirits, waiting for Urich to die.


    <i>¡®Because of you, Urich, the resting ce for our souls is no more! You discovered the world of the living. Know your sins, as you will soon join us here!¡¯</i>


    The evil spirits cackled. If a certain barbarian hadn¡¯t climbed the mountains, the world on the other side would have remained the world of spirits. The souls of the forefathers would have been resting in peace. It was Urich¡¯s eyes that disrupted their peace. From the moment Urich had discovered the other side, it was no longer the world of the spirits.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Urich let out a ragged breath as he woke up.


    <i>Thump, thump.</i>


    His heart pounded with anxiety. He gazed up at the dawn stars and drew his sword and pressed the cold de against his cheek. The anxiety and excitement subsided as if they were absorbed by the firm de.


    <i>¡®Was that the evil spirits?¡¯</i>


    Urich gazed into the still-dark forest. The wavering bonfire resembled the evil spirits stirring in the darkness.


    Although it was still quite early, Urich chose not to go back to sleep. He gazed toward the east and desperately waited for the sun to rise.


    <i>¡®Bachman always said that there is the vast sea in the east where thend ends, and that at the end of that sea is the Edge of the World.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28</h4>


    ¡°Their territory begins here. The mountains and forests hate intruders,¡± Sven said as he let out a big breath. The extermination party was climbing the mountain, looking for the bandit hideout around the area.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t find their hideout before sundown, they¡¯ll hit us again with another night raid.¡±


    The raidst night left three soldiers wounded, and six more had to leave the group to bring them back to the city. Including the dead mercenary, the extermination party had shrunk by ten men.


    ¡°There are about thirty bandits. It¡¯s not that many,¡± Setton said as he called over his adjutant and the mercenaries.


    ¡°The bandits have a bunch of good mountain men. If we fool ourselves and think that we outnumber them, they might wipe us out,¡± Urich said as he chewed on the dried meat. Setton frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything that could demoralize us.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. I tried to trace their steps in the morning after the raid, but their tracks werepletely gone halfway in. I¡¯m a hunter, and I¡¯ve chased wild animals for up to four days and nights. The fact that I lost them means that they know how to utilize the mountain to their advantage,¡± Urich said calmly.


    ¡°So, they¡¯re not some amateur bandits...¡± Setton pondered as he rested his chin on his fist. If the party returned with too many casualties, the mission would be considered a failure even if they were sessful in exterminating the bandits. This was in fact an extermination, not a war. It was the responsibility of the captain of the guards to ensure that he returned to the city without losing any of his men.


    ¡°We¡¯re saying that the bandits likely have barbarians and hunters in their group, guard captain. If they were a bunch of starving peasants, they wouldn¡¯t even have thought of attacking us like that,¡± Donovan said from the background.


    ¡°That much I know. It¡¯s hard for us to move unless we know exactly where their hideout is...¡±


    Finding the bandits was proving to be much more difficult than expected. They couldn¡¯t split up the party because that would just leave them prone to more ambushes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for the hideout; just lend me a few soldiers who are decently agile. Even better if they used to be hunters.¡±


    Setton narrowed his eyes at Urich¡¯s request.


    ¡°Are you confident? Didn¡¯t you just say that you couldn¡¯t find them because their tracks disappeared?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t magically make a broken track show up. I¡¯m not the god of hunting, am I? But I do know that the bandits had their fill of fun and that they¡¯ll probably try it again. That¡¯s when I¡¯ll chase them down.¡±


    Setton nodded at Urich¡¯s idea. He selected a few soldiers who were either hunters or just purely athletic to lend to Urich. They seemed terrified of the barbarian.


    As the day wore on, the fatigued exterminators set up camp once again, this time with several lookouts around the perimeter to prevent the same less-than-ideal oue. Urich and the search party had just woken up from sleeping through the day. They wore no armor and only had minimal equipment.


    ¡°Mercenary leader, do you think they¡¯ll attack again?¡± One of Setton¡¯s men asked Urich, who was dusting the de of his axe with charcoal to mute the reflections.


    ¡°They were pretty good mountain climbers. I¡¯m sure they¡¯lle back for another try since they¡¯ll be confident that even if they fail somehow, they won¡¯t get caught. That¡¯s what I would do, anyway. Oh, and just call me Urich, Jesva.¡±


    Jesva was a hunter before he became a soldier. After growing tired of the precarious life of a hunter, he took the qualification examination to be a city guard and eventually became a soldier of Havilond.


    ¡°Alright, Urich,¡± Jesva answered. He and four other soldiers had been ced under Urich.


    ¡°Haha, I never thought I¡¯d be hunting in the mountains here,¡± Urich grinned. He was excited to be hunting again after a long hiatus, regardless of what it was that he was hunting; an animal or a person. Just the act of chasing something down made his blood boil in excitement¡ªthe blood of a hunter was flowing within Urich.


    ¡°I too was a hunter once, Urich. Thought I had some talent, as well. Whenever I went up the mountains, I always came back with a catch¡ªno matter how long that took.¡±


    Urich and Jesva conversed. There wasn¡¯t much to do while they waited for the raid, anyway.


    ¡°But being a hunter didn¡¯t pay wellpared to the risk that came with it, especially with the influx of fur and pelts from the north and south which killed off whatever ie I had lefting in. And I had just gotten married too, so I knew I had to do something. I needed a consistent ie to feed my wife and kids.¡±


    Jesva vented, to which Urich paid all his attention.


    ¡°Why did all that fur and pelte in from the south and the north?¡±


    ¡°As the Empire¡¯s conquests stabilized, the barbarians became more and more civilized¡ªyou probably know more about this than I do, don¡¯t you? Anyway, there were many excellent hunters among the barbarians, and they exported their product to the Empire through the merchants.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see!¡± Urich chimed in. Jesva shrugged and continued.


    ¡°That¡¯s when I heard about the guard recruitment in Havilond, and the rest is history. Life as a soldier is quite good in Havilond, especiallypared to the surrounding territories and cities. They treat us well and we never have to worry about making ends meet. On top of that, my wife is now pregnant with our third, and she¡¯ll soon...¡±


    Urich mped his hand over Jesva¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Shush,¡±


    ¡°A-are the enemies here?¡±


    Urich shook his head.


    ¡°People who talk about their families in situations like this always die in battle¡ªat least in my experience.¡±


    Urich was right. Jesva nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Then I probably shouldn¡¯t talk about my family anymore. I wouldn¡¯t want to bring any bad luck before our hunt, haha,¡± Jesvaughed.


    <i>¡®I was worried about him being a barbarian, but now that we¡¯re talking like this, I think we¡¯re getting along just fine.¡¯</i>


    The mood lightened. Jesva was actually frightened of Urich at first after seeing him pummel two of the soldiers with his bare hands like they were just a couple of animals.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s not that violent at all, and he seems quite young, too. He¡¯s also a good listener as well.¡¯</i>


    Jesva now believed that this hunting mission was going to go swell with Urich. They had developed a bond through their chatter. A bond between allies was a crucialponent in the sess of a mission. Urich and Jesva were both aware of that.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±


    <i>Buuuup!</i>


    The lookout blew the signal trumpet. Unlike the first night, the soldiers already had their shields prepared by their side or were already taking cover as they rested. No one was blindsided by the raid this time.


    ¡°Which way is it? Throw the torches!¡± The exterminators shouted as they searched the area. The bandits, who hadn¡¯t achieved anything from this raid, scurried away without much regret. They didn¡¯te with much expectation in the first ce.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, my friends.¡±


    Urich and the soldiers chased after the bandits. They maintained their distance as they followed the track of their prey. Thanks to the soldiers all being quite athletic, they were able to pursue the bandits relentlessly.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    As time passed, the soldiers¡¯ breathing grew rougher while the bandits only got faster.


    <i>¡®Their stamina is unusually good for a bunch of bandits,¡¯</i>


    Urich nced at the soldiers. It was going to be difficult to drag them along and chase down the bandits at the same time.


    ¡°Take your time. I¡¯ll snap the branches on the way to keep you on track,¡± Urich said.


    Jesva¡¯s eyes widened as Urich¡¯s stride becamerger. He overtook the soldiers in the blink of an eye.


    <i>¡®And here I was thinking that I was a good climber... He¡¯s basically an animal¡ªa wolf.¡¯</i>


    Urich kept his footsteps concealed as he closed in on the bandits without wasting any time.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    During his pursuit, he snapped the tree branches with a leather sheet wrapped around them to muffle their snaps.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re as fit as our warriors back in the tribe.¡¯</i>


    Urich felt like something was off. Civilized people were weakpared to his tribesmen. It was strange that some bandits would have such high physical abilities.


    <i>¡®No one would have been able to follow them other than me.¡¯</i>


    Urich hopped from rock to rock. The bandit hideout seemed to be in a more rugged ce than he¡¯d imagined.


    <i>Shhhh.</i>


    A chill went down Urich¡¯s spine and his hair twitched.


    <i>Thwip.</i>


    Urich hopped down to the rock below him. Some of his hair had been sliced off.


    ¡°You dodged that well,¡± the man who attacked Urich said to him. His entire upper body was covered in strange tattoos.


    ¡°You knew that I was following you?¡± Urich asked as he drew his axes.


    ¡°I felt an itch on the back of my head, so I knew I was being followed.¡±


    The man with the tattoos was holding a scimitar, a weapon that Urich had never seen before.


    <i>¡®I have to kill him quick.¡¯</i>


    Urich was at a disadvantage. There was a good chance that anyone who joined their standoff right now would be an enemy, not an ally. The bandit hideout could be nearby.


    <i>nk.</i>


    Urich lightly shed his axes and darted forward with the sound as the signal. The double axes were Urich¡¯s specialty. He used his brute strength to relentlessly attack his enemy.


    <i>Clink! nk!</i>


    The metal weapons shed and released embers that briefly lit up the surroundings. The man¡¯s tattoo showed more clearly in the light.


    <i>¡®A snake?¡¯</i>


    The man¡¯s tattoo was of a snake that was wrapping his entire body.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Urich poured his strength into his arms and swung the axes with all his might.


    <i>nk!</i>


    The barbaric strength of Urich was enough to knock the scimitar back.


    <i>Sling!</i>


    His second axe shed deeply into the tattooed man¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Keugh, <i>gurgle.</i>¡±


    The man fell to the ground, sping his bleeding neck. He looked up at Urich in disbelief.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty strong.¡±


    Urich shrugged and grabbed the man by the hair before bringing his axe down on the nape of his neck.


    ¡°Aw man, that ruined my de,¡± Urich whined as he looked at his ruined axe. It wasn¡¯t able to withstand the impact of his strength against the scimitar.


    <i>¡®The imperial steel really is the best for weapons.¡¯</i>


    He regretted leaving his imperial steel sword behind thinking that it was only going to bother him. A de forged with imperial steel would have been fine even after a battle like this, and that was the reason why they were so sought after among all warriors. They were indeed very expensive and hard toe by, but they were worth every cil.


    ¡°We finally caught up to you.¡± Jesva and the other trackers caught up to Urich.


    ¡°That¡¯s the symbol of Serpentism. He must be a southern barbarian,¡± one of the soldiers said after seeing the snake tattoo on the dead man.


    ¡°Serpentism?¡± Urich repeated.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nasty southern religion that uses children as a sacrifice. They¡¯re not just heretics, they¡¯re a cult. Even most southerners frown upon them. They are disgusting people<i>,¡±</i> the soldier said and spat on the tattooed man¡¯s corpse. The people of civilization usually epted other heretic religions, but Serpentism was despised.


    <i>Shh, shh.</i>


    Urich felt yet another twitch in his hair.


    <i>¡®These guys are serious.¡¯</i>


    Several more men in the same snake tattoo suddenly surrounded Urich and the trackers. Urich couldn¡¯t detect their presence until they had already gotten too close. They saw theirrade¡¯s body on the ground and frowned.


    ¡°Haha, so you haveradery, too?¡± Urich forced augh. There were more than ten of them.


    ¡°W-when did they surround us?¡± Jesva was startled and drew his sword. There were only five of them: Urich, three trackers, and himself. They were up against more than double their number.


    ¡°Blow the trumpet, Jesva. We have no choice but to hold on until the support arrives.¡±


    Jesva took out the trumpet and put it against his lips. Just as he was about to blow the signal, blood spouted from his chest.


    <i>¡®An arrow.¡¯</i>


    Bandits with arrows emerged from the bushes. They were part of the bandit group, although they were missing the snake tattoo.


    <i>¡®So, it¡¯s about twenty, now.¡¯</i>


    Urich supported the dying Jesva with his shoulder as he scanned the increased enemies.


    Jesva coughed up the blood that was drowning his airway.


    ¡°See, I told you people end up dying after talking about their families right before a battle,¡± Urich showed a bitter grin. Jesva was already as good as dead, so Urich used his dying body as a shield. The archers couldn¡¯t get a clear shot on him.


    ¡°Ah, ugh.¡±


    The soldiers who came on the tracking mission were trembling in fear. Being surrounded was only amplifying their sense of panic.


    ¡°Shout as loud as you can as you fight. We need to signal our men.¡±


    Urich took a look at the surroundings. The only advantage he could see was the darkness of the forest.


    <i>¡®Huh, so there really is a chance that I might die here.¡¯</i>


    The corners of his mouth twitched. He took a deep breath in and let it out.


    ¡°<i>AHHHHHHH¡ª!¡±</i>


    Urich roared. His thunderous voice echoed across the mountain. There was no need for a trumpet. The echo of the mountain repeated his roar.


    Urich had fought in many tribal wars, and he didn¡¯t alwayse out as the winner. There were times when he had to retreat, and there were many times when he was at a disadvantage. The deaths of his brothers taught him how to survive on the battlefield.


    He backed away slowly, weaving through the trees. At this point, he couldn¡¯t afford to look after the other soldiers. Keeping himself alive was a hard enough task.


    ¡°Come at me, and I¡¯ll cut off the head of the first one who does,¡± Urich threatened the bandits as he bared his teeth. His intimidation was enough to make the tattooed men hesitate for a moment.


    All the odds were stacked against him, but at least time was on Urich¡¯s side. The rest of the army was surely on their way after hearing Urich¡¯s roar. The bandits were the ones under a time constraint. They charged toward Urich and the soldiers.


    Urich grasped the two axes in his hands and looked at the charging enemies.


    <i>¡®What happens if I die here? Where would my soul go? Would I really be an evil spirit?¡¯</i>


    Heughed at the absurdity of his own thought.

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29</h4>


    The warriors of Serpentism were those who were banished by the Empire. They refused to give up their religion and chose to live a life on the run as bandits after the Empirebeled them a cult.


    ¡°Only eternity awaits us once the flesh is stripped away,¡± one of their warriors muttered as he looked at his enemies. There were less than five of them left.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish them off and get out of here quickly.¡±


    They had to avenge their fallen brother. They expected that killing Urich would be a quick and easy job.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The warriors of Serpentism quickly realized that that was not the case at all. Even though twenty of them were surrounding Urich, they couldn¡¯t get anywhere near him.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s experienced in fighting in the forest.¡¯</i>


    Urich dodged the arrows by weaving in and out of the trees around him and took down the enemies as they came at him one by one.


    <i>¡®It doesn¡¯t feel like we have the advantage¡ªit¡¯s as if he¡¯s dragging us into his swamp.¡¯</i>


    The Serpentists cautiously surrounded Urich. They had realized that charging at him one by one was ying right into his hands. They nned to attack from all sides.


    ¡°Hah, now you¡¯re using your brains, you snake-tattooed bastards.¡±


    The bandits were mainly formed of Serpentists, but some of them were regr people who chose the life of thieving after growing tired of the hardships in their lives, with most of them being fugitive ves. The fact that they joined forces with the Serpentists showed how low their statuses were. Nobody wanted anything to do with that religion unless they had no other options.


    <i>¡®The ones with the snake tattoos are strong. The rest of them... not so much.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s eyes rapidly darted about, scanning his surroundings and marking down the positions of his enemies. He vividly pictured where and how to hide and fight. Fighting in the forest was practically a routine of his.


    ¡°Huff.¡±


    Urich¡¯s breath was up to his throat. He had already in four bandits while the soldiers that apanied him on the tracking mission had all been killed.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s just me, now.¡¯</i>


    Death was breathing down his neck. A chill traveled down his spine.


    <i>¡®Come here, Urich.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®There is no eternal resting ce for us.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®We only wander the world of the living.¡¯</i>


    He felt as if the evil spirits were whispering in his ears. He shook his head in denial to get rid of the voices.


    ¡°I must be losing my mind.¡±


    Urich red. The Serpentist warriors pounced at Urich all at once. Urich climbed a tree by using his axe as a pick. After reaching the midpoint of the tree, he leaped backward and over the enemies tond behind them. In an instant, he was out of their grasp and behind them. It was a brilliant move.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Urich rolled on the ground and shed the legs of the warriors. His move was followed by a series of screams, and the archers took aim at him.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Arrows emerged out of the darkness. Urich rolled up to cover his face and stomach.


    <i>Pluck.</i>


    The arrows plunged into his arms and legs, and Urich released a boiling screech.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±


    He roared as he snapped the arrows sticking out of his limbs. Heunched his axe at the approaching warriors to crush their skulls. He pushed on to take down the enemies with the axe that he still had in his hand and a scimitar he stole from the enemy. The scimitar was a weapon specialized for shing and with the perfect amount of force behind it, it was powerful enough to make even those with shields falter.


    <i>¡®His side is open.¡¯</i>


    A Serpentist warrior charged from the rear, aiming for Urich¡¯s side. His scimitar was about to strike Urich with a clean trajectory.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich mmed down his elbow into the t of the de that was on its way into his side, deflecting its trajectory toward his thigh instead.


    <i>¡®How did he react...?¡¯</i>


    The warrior gasped.


    ¡°That hurts!¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich raged and swung his fist, mming the warrior¡¯s face. His facial bones copsed, and his eyeballs protruded out of the sockets under the pressure.


    <i>Limp.</i>


    Urich was limping on his left leg.


    <i>¡®I managed to protect my side getting shed open, but the cut in my leg is deep.¡¯</i>


    It was his mobility that kept him alive against so many bandits. He was taking down the bandits one by one as he slithered through their circle like an eel, but now his left leg wasn¡¯t moving at his will. Every time he nted his left foot, blood poured out of the gash as the wound gaped open.


    The Serpentist warriors did not take Urich lightly. They surrounded him once more with caution, as several of their brothers had already died at the barbarian¡¯s hands.


    <i>¡®He is strong.¡¯</i>


    But no one would be able to withstand multiple desing at them simultaneously from all directions, no matter how skilled they were. After all, men only had two arms.


    The most important strategy when fighting multiple enemies alone was to pick out the enemies one at a time while avoiding thebined attacks as much as possible. Mobility was the key to this strategy, but Urich had lost that key. At this point, he was as good as dead.


    <i>Limp.</i>


    Urich tried to back away slowly, but the enemy circle closed in on him. He was met with the arrows of the archers every time he peeked out of the trees.


    <i>Squirm, squirm.</i>


    Urich started seeing things. In the darkness, he saw the evil spirits waving him over as if they were waiting for him to join them. They were the evil spirits who forever wandered the world of the living without an eternal resting ce.


    Urich did not fear death, but the eternal wandering that woulde after it.


    ¡°Hah, haha.¡±


    He let out a chuckle. He dug his fingers into the wound on his thigh and thered them with his own blood. The pain traveled up his spine and straight into his brain. It jerked him awake.


    <i>Lick</i>.


    He could taste death itself as he licked the blood off his fingers.


    <i>¡°There are still things that I want to see.¡¯</i>


    There was a spark in Urich¡¯s eyes as he looked into his own desires. The golden wheat field, the burningnd, the vast sea, and the end of the world.


    ¡°Over there!¡±


    <i>Buuuup!</i>


    It was the trumpet of the exterminators.


    * * *


    ¡°You still alive, Urich?¡± Bachman said, looking at Urich on the ground.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel like I will be for much longer,¡± Urich answered as he shoved the corpses away. In thest moment, the bandits pounced on Urich in unison. He rolled on the ground, holding on for dear life.


    <i>¡®I lived.¡¯</i>


    Urich got lucky. If the exterminators arrived even a minuteter, he wouldn¡¯t have survived the bandits.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them. We have to execute them in public at the square, these goddamn bandits,¡± the soldiers said as they tied up the captured bandits. The extermination was a sess. Their hideout was not too far away, it was just difficult to find it because of the small entrance to the cave.


    The bandits were dragged around by the ropes. The soldiers mocked and humiliated them by urinating on their heads and spitting on their faces.


    ¡°How many did you kill by yourself? That¡¯s our amazing leader, haha!¡± Bachman remarked, looking at the bodies of the bandits. The ones that were presumably Urich¡¯s doing were scattered around the grounds.


    <i>¡®Not only did he survive all these bandits, but he managed to take some of them down. Is he truly a monster?¡¯</i> The guard captain Setton thought to himself as he looked at the wounded mercenary. None of the soldiers that he had sent with him survived the bandits. They were all dead in front of him while the bodies of the bandits wereid along Urich¡¯s escape route.


    <i>¡®He shed through at least four, or five of them as he was being chased.¡¯</i>


    Setton was simply amazed. Urich was a warrior of extraordinary caliber. He felt more of a kinship as a warrior rather than the repulsion due to their differences as a barbarian and a civilized man.


    <i>¡®The song of the bards wasn¡¯t all bluster,¡¯</i> Setton muttered as he cleaned up the battle scene. He had captured the bandits and collected the loot from their hideout.


    Urich was in the middle of receiving his treatment. With the state of his body, nobody would have been surprised if he were to pass out right there and then.


    ¡°Bite down, this is going to hurt,¡± Bachman warned Urich as he brought a pair of tweezers. He then proceeded to pluck out the arrowheads that were embedded in his limbs.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Urich clenched his teeth as he flinched.


    ¡°Do you want something to bite down on?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t need it. Just give me a drink,¡± Urich answered as he heated up his de over the campfire. He was going to seal his wound by burning his flesh together.


    <i>Snip</i>¡ª


    As his flesh tore open, the arrowheads emerged one by one. There were four in total.


    ¡°That¡¯s all of them, right? You were the one with the arrows in your limbs, but I¡¯m the one sweating over here,¡± Bachman asked as he wiped off the sweat beading down his forehead. He sterilized the bloody tweezers and passed them on to the next person.


    <i>Sizzle¡ª</i>


    Urich brought the red-hot de to his thigh. The contact made the sound of meat being grilled.


    ¡°Shit, that hurts like hell.¡±


    Even Urich wasn¡¯t immune to pain. His teeth teetered to show that.


    ¡°Drink this. This should make you feel a bit better,¡± Gottval said, who somehow found himself beside Urich. He was handing something out to all the wounded men.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Urich asked after looking at the liquid inside the cup.


    ¡°It¡¯s wine boiled with honey and cinnamon. It¡¯s good for restoring your energy after losing a lot of blood.¡±


    Looking after the fatigued and wounded men was one of the roles of a priest. They were quite knowledgeable in many areas.


    ¡°This barely tastes like wine,¡± Urich said after tasting the drink.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s been boiled.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The drink warmed up his insides. It made him feel cozy and drowsy, and he felt like he could fall asleep right there.


    ¡°Serpentism... I see that there are still some of them left. They are a notoriously evil cult,¡± Gottval muttered with a frown.


    ¡°Are they bad?¡± Urich asked as he tried to keep his sleepy eyes open.


    ¡°They kidnap children and use them as sacrifice. After their ceremony, they share their flesh.¡±


    ¡°Really? Hmm, human meat isn¡¯t really good for eating. Do children taste different?¡± Urich said without much thought. Gottval stared at Urich with a frozen look.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯ve tried human meat?¡±


    After seeing the priest¡¯s reaction, Urich realized that he had misspoken and grinned awkwardly. He decided not to answer the question.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, please forgive the sinful men. Enlighten the ignorant with your light and lead them to the right path...¡± Gottval prayed in despair.


    ¡°Hey Gottval, I think this is working. It¡¯s warming me up and making me feel sleepy,¡± Urich said as he raised his empty cup. He then leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. His head swayed as he slowly dozed off. After all the ruckus was over, the tension in his body was resolved all at once and he fell unconscious.


    There were four of the Serpentist warriors left. They red at Urich with their hands tied.


    The fate of the captured bandit was certain. All that was waiting for them was their execution at the town square where they would die a horrible death to set an example. Even after death, there would be no rest for them as their severed heads would be hanging off the castle gates as a warning sign for the other bandits.


    ¡°Eek, what is this? A-ahh!¡± One of the soldiers carrying the loot yelped when he opened one of the jars and a bunch of snakes slithered out.


    <i>Hiss, hiss.</i>


    The snakes quickly scattered, and as they did, the Serpentist warriors pressed their lips together and whistled and clicked their tongues, making strange noises.


    ¡°<i>Tweet, hiss!</i>¡±


    The snakes suddenly turned hostile as if they were responding to the noises of the Serpentist warriors. They jumped up and bit the soldiers near them.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    ¡°Cover their mouths, right now!¡±


    The soldiers gagged the mouths of the Serpentists, but several men had already been bitten before they could stop the whistling.


    <i>Sssss.</i>


    One of the snakes slithered through the grass, straight toward the sleeping Urich.


    <i>Hiss!</i>


    The snake coiled for a moment then jumped at Urich. It was aiming for his throat. Normally, Urich would have been awakened by themotion, but he waspletely submerged in his subconscious.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Gottval groaned. He tried to strike the snake away with his right hand, but the snake bit him instead and didn¡¯t seem to let go.


    ¡°Father Gottval!¡± One of the soldiers shouted as he shed the snake.


    ¡°These are venomous snakes!¡±


    The soldiers that had gotten bitten by the venomous snakes were falling on the ground with foaming out of their mouths.


    ¡°Tie my arm, please!¡± Gottval pleaded as he held out the bitten arm. The soldiers tore off the hem of the priest¡¯s robe and tied it around his arm tightly to cut off the cirction. Gottval¡¯s arm was swelling up and changing color from the venom.


    <i>¡®They really were venomous snakes.¡¯</i>


    The chaos gradually dissipated as the snakes were captured one by one. All of the Serpentist warriors had been gagged to prevent them from making any more noises.


    ¡°What the hell happened...?¡± Urich woke up with a bitter grin as one of the soldiers broke the news.


    ¡°Father Gottval was bitten by a venomous snake trying to stop it from biting you.¡±


    At first, it sounded like a bad joke. Then, Urich saw the priest¡¯s awkward smile and realized that it was, in fact, the truth.


    <i>¡®That frail man... for me...¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at Gottval¡¯s arm and scowled at the snakebite and the tightly tied forearm of the priest. He quickly became enraged at himself for letting his guard down.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Urich punted the tree that he was leaning against with his injured leg.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Urich, I won¡¯t die from this,¡± Gottval said soothingly, trying to reassure the raging barbarian. Urich red at him.


    ¡°But you would lose that arm,¡± Urich said.


    Gottval onlyughed, still awkwardly.

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30</h4>


    Urich looked into Gottval¡¯s eyes. His limbs were being held down by a few soldiers.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the bite cloth?¡± Urich asked, to which Gottval shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I will pray, instead.¡±


    Urich took out the axe that had been sitting in the crackling campfire. An axe was a better tool than a sword for cutting off an arm.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, please give me the courage to ovee this pain,¡± Gottval muttered.


    ¡°This is going to hurt, priest,¡± Urich warned Gottval. He had taken it upon himself to cut off the priest¡¯s arm as he had no intention of putting his pain off to someone else.


    <i>Nod.</i>


    Gottval nodded to show that he understood. His eyes were locked on Urich.


    <i>¡®Gottval is not a frail man.¡¯</i>


    Urich had never seen someone like Gottval before. His definition of a strong man equated to a strong warrior. Anyone who didn¡¯t have the physical strength was simply weak.


    <i>¡®No matter how big you talk, you tend to show your true weakness when your body is taking the toll.¡¯</i>


    But Gottval was an exception. He was a strong man, even though his body was nothing close to that of a warrior.


    ¡°This might kill you, Gottval. Before we start, let me ask you something,¡± Urich said as he pulled up the priest¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Gottval answered as he opened his closed eyes. For someone who was about to experience such an excruciating pain, his eyes were shockingly serene. It seemed like he had alreadye to terms with what had to be done.


    ¡°Why did you get bit for me?¡±


    ¡°I was just trying to save you. I didn¡¯t get bit on purpose. When you saved me from that arrow, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t think too much before acting, either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Urich muttered, then raised the axe in preparation for the strike. Gottval hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth.


    ¡°To be honest... My soul has a ce to go. It¡¯s quite clear to me that even if I die, Lou will guide me. That¡¯s not the case for you. Your soul doesn¡¯t have the eternal rest, yet.¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes widened. He saw something in Gottval that he had never seen in anyone else before. He couldn¡¯t put it into words, but he realized that he was an experienced warrior, but not an experienced human. There were more things for him to learn than the things he already knew.


    <i>¡®If I could see the souls with my eyes, Gottval¡¯s soul would be pure and bright. Are all priests like this?¡¯</i>


    Gottval was a bright person. That was all that Urich could think of.


    ¡°You may not be a warrior, Gottval, but you are worthy of respect.¡±


    Urich brought down his axe on Gottval¡¯s arm. The flesh and muscles split, and bones were crushed. The cut wasn¡¯t clean on the first strike.


    Urich struck again. Gottval prayed with his splitting voice as he screeched in pain. Only the name Lou could be made out of his prayer, and the rest of the words trailed off.


    The axe was brought down for the third time, finally severing the inflicted portion of the arm. Urich waved the soldiers over, who brought the hot iron te and burned the cross-section of the severed arm.


    <i>Tssss.</i>


    Gottval muttered a stuttering prayer as he stifled his scream. He was sweating profusely and urinating out of sheer pain.


    Urich stood by his side until the priest finally passed out and fell asleep.


    ¡°Phew,¡± Urich exhaled and dropped his axe. The rest was now up to the sky. If the venom had already moved up to his body because they weren¡¯t quick enough, he would die. If his body couldn¡¯t withstand the shock of having an arm cut off, he would also die.


    <i>¡®If your god doesn¡¯t take you, then you¡¯ll live to see another day.¡¯</i>


    Lou, the Sun God. Urich looked up at the sky. The night was yet to end, as it would take a long time for the sun to rise again.


    ¡°Where are you going, Urich?¡±


    A mercenary asked Urich, who was walking toward the forest.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a piss. Why, you want to see my dick?¡± Urich retorted as he grabbed his groin over his pants. The mercenary gave him the middle finger and cussed.


    <i>Sss.</i>


    Urich stumbled deep into the forest. He was all alone.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    He put down his weapon and dropped to his knees. He then proceeded to pray, like a civilized man.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t take Gottval...¡±


    He staggered his breath and slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a shot. I¡¯ll be a follower, Sun God.¡±


    * * *


    The exterminating squad returned to the city. The citizens of Havilond gave their warmest of wees with apuses and flowers. In their heroic wee, the soldiers and mercenaries raised their arms in response.


    ¡°Well done, Sir Setton and Urich¡¯s Brotherhood!¡± Count Havilond weed the squad with open arms. He had already prepared the banquet as soon as he heard the news of their return.


    ¡°Booo! You damned thieves!¡±


    ¡°Cult! Cult!¡±


    The tied-up bandits followed the exterminators. People chucked stones and rotten vegetables at them, with some even pouring a bucket of fecal waste over their heads from their windows.


    ¡°Treats you right!¡±


    The bandits shambled on with dead eyes. Death was the only thing that was left for them. All the curses and mockery that they would receive would prevent them from finding an eternal resting ce for their souls.


    The exterminators were treated with rest, while the bandits were put into the prison.


    ¡°Look how amazing this is; this is the guest room of the inner castle! I haven¡¯t felt a fluff like this in a long, long time,¡± Bachman remarked as he flopped down on the bed after his bath. Urich was sitting on his bed across from Bachman. He didn¡¯t look as happy as his brother.


    ¡°Urich, are you still thinking about that priest?¡±


    ¡°No, not really.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I think you are.¡±


    ¡°I told you, not really. Bring it up again and I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    Bachmanughed at Urich¡¯s threat and eventually shut his mouth.


    <i>¡®Am I doing the right thing?¡¯</i>


    Urich felt a mix of emotions. The oath he had made in the forest on the night of the incident echoed in his mind.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t go back on my word.¡¯</i>


    Urich intended to get baptized if Gottval survived the injury.


    <i>¡®If I start believing in Lou, my soul will go to a different ce from my forefathers and brothers. I won¡¯t get to see them again.¡¯</i>


    He was afraid. The possibility of ending up in a ce without his brothers from the tribe was just as worrying as wandering the world of the living as an evil spirit. His shoulders trembled slightly, as he repeatedly asked himself.


    <i>¡®Am I doing the right thing?¡¯</i>


    He had no intention of backing out of the oath, over his dead body.


    <i>¡®If Gottval would just die...¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s mind went to an extreme extent, then he shook off the thought. If Gottval were to die, he would be free from his oath with Lou, because he would be a stingy god who doesn¡¯t even grant one wish. A god like that wouldn¡¯t be worthy of Urich¡¯s faith.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Urich blurted out out of nowhere, catching Bachman by surprise.


    ¡°D-did I do something wrong, Urich?¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s go get drunk. Where¡¯s the banquet hall?¡± Urich said to Bachman as he patted his shoulder.


    The banquet was grand, as one would expect from a wealthy city. It was the best banquet that Urich had ever seen. The city¡¯s most powerful men were gathered in the ballroom, extolling the virtues and merits of their Count and praising the valor of the guard captain Setton.


    <i>Buuuup!</i>


    Urich and the other mercenaries entered the banquet hall. One of the servants blew the trumpet to announce their entrance.


    ¡°The ¡®Urich¡¯s Brotherhood¡¯ enter.¡±


    The nobles and the wealthy men looked at Urich and the mercenaries.


    ¡°There they are, the mercenaries.¡±


    Urich walked and looked around. There wasn¡¯t a single second for his eyes, nose, and ears to rest. The sound of exotic musical instruments, food cooked with unfamiliar spices, the sweet waves of beautiful women, and jewelery with blindingly bright gems¨CUrich didn¡¯t want to miss a single thing.


    ¡°My lord, pleasemend the mercenaries with the proper praise. They have yed a crucial role in our sess,¡± Setton whispered to Count Havilond.


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m surprised. Were you not against the idea of hiring a barbarian mercenary?¡±


    ¡°You were right all along, my lord. If we hadn¡¯t hired Urich and his mercenaries, our number of casualties would have been significantly greater. They have earned their extrapensation.¡±


    Setton admitted his wrong preconception. Count Havilond showed a faint smile as he heard the details of the mission from his guard captain.


    ¡°Wee, my leader of the mercenaries! I heard all about your contribution. I¡¯ve been told that you put on quite the performance,¡± Count Havilond said as he walked up to Urich.


    ¡°This is a fine banquet. I¡¯ve never seen such a splendor,¡± Urich said in awe, making Count Havilond smile. Who wouldn¡¯t love someone telling him that his banquet was wonderful?


    ¡°What are we doing here! Someone pour a drink for this fearless Urich!¡± Havilond said as he pointed at his servant. The servant then handed a bronze cup to Urich in a graceful motion.


    The city¡¯s powerful men stopped by to speak to Urich. Urich returned their greetings and observed their movements and outfits.


    <i>¡®I wonder if I can be like them, too?¡¯</i>


    Civilized people. People who possess and enjoy the civilization. What they had built surpassed the art of survival and fighting. They were after something more, something greater.


    Urich¡¯s Brotherhood saw another jump in their fame. Many people remembered the name of their mercenary squad.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    Urich felt the alcohol kicking in. He sat back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, where there was a dizzying array of paintings he had never seen before. He was told that it was a mural of a metaphorical representation of the Srism mythology.


    ¡°Lou,¡± Urich mumbled under his breath.


    <i>Creak¡ª</i>


    The doors to the banquet hall creaked open as a new guest entered.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± the nobles eximed in wonder.


    ¡°Oh, Lou,¡± some were even on the verge of tears.


    Urich stared at the entrance with his eyes slightly closed.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    There was an empty sleeve. A one-armed priest entered the banquet hall with the help of an aide.


    ¡°Gottval.¡±


    Urich, who was leaning back in his chair, sat up on the edge of his seat.


    ¡°Oh my, are you alright, Father Gottval?¡± Count Havilond greeted the priest with a rather exaggerated motion. Gottval nodded in response.


    ¡°The fever is down now. I think the danger has passed.¡±


    ¡°Surely, it is the blessing of Lou. You must still have a lot left to do in this world.¡±


    ¡°I believe so, as well. It is a sign from Lou.¡±


    The nobles and the wealthy men recited a short prayer as they looked at Gottval. Then, the joyful music resumed along with the drinking. Everyone enjoyed themselves as they called out their god¡¯s name.


    ¡°Your god didn¡¯t take you,¡± Urich said as he sipped on the wine in his cup.


    ¡°It must mean that I still have something to do down here,¡± Gottval moved his hand to pray, only to realize that he no longer had his right hand. There was nothing below his right forearm anymore.


    <i>¡®Did Lou answer my prayer?¡¯</i> Urich quietly stared at Gottval. He was the first priest of Srism that he had ever met, and it was difficult to understand his way of thinking.


    ¡°You must be leaving soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be gone as soon as I am well enough.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll continue our lessons until then, though now I only have my left hand. We have books in this city, so I can get you some textbooks, as well.¡±


    Urich nodded. As Gottval was getting up to leave, he said to the priest in a drunken voice.


    ¡°I want to get baptized.¡±


    Gottval turned his head stiffly to look at Urich.


    ¡°Could you... say that again, Urich?¡±


    ¡°Baptize me. I want you to do it.¡±


    Gottval smiled faintly.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s certain that Lou didn¡¯t take me for a reason. I have a mission.¡±


    * * *


    Half a month had gone by. In a short period of time, Urich had learned much.


    Urich found himself in the Sun Temple, head-deep in its bath. The water was mystical with a sweet scent from the flower petals that floated on the surface. Underwater, his senses were blurred. There was a dull sound of water.


    <i>Ssh.</i>


    Urich finished his bath and walked down the marble hallway without a single thread on his body. Two boy monks came up to him with towels and wiped him dry.


    <i>mor, mor.</i>


    The baptismal witnesses stood to the left and right of the marble hallway, waiting for Urich.


    ¡°Silence.¡±


    The muttering stopped. At the end of the hallway stood a one-armed priest in a red robe: Gottval.


    <i>¡®Lou, the Sun God,¡¯ </i>Urich thought to himself as he lifted his head to look up at the sr sculpture. Lou was just a sun. That¡¯s all he was.


    <i>¡®Why am I getting baptized?¡¯</i>


    Urich took another step forward.


    <i>¡®Because of the oath I made? Why did I make such an oath?¡¯</i>


    Urich was now standing before Gottval.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Windows opened everywhere, including the ceiling of the temple. The noon sunlight poured into the temple.


    Urich stood in the center of the light. His hair, still damp, glistened like a gem. As he knelt, his muscles twitched. His extremely well-defined muscles were visible through his skin down to the fibers. His body was like a chiseled statue.


    Nobody in the room could imagine that Urich was a barbarian. The man who was kneeling in front of them had a beautiful body that almost seemed holy.


    <i>¡®I...¡¯</i>


    Urich still wondered. He closed his eyes, then opened them again. Gottval was waiting for him.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, your lost son wishes to return to your embrace. Please, lead him with your mercy...¡±


    ¡°Lead him.¡±


    Gottval recited the baptismal prayer, and the witnesses standing to his right and left echoed his words. Bachman, Donovan, and a few other mercenaries were among them, with the exception of Sven, who was absent.


    <i>¡®I want certainty.¡¯</i>


    Only at the end of the ceremony, was Urich able to gain introspection.


    <i>¡®I want to make sure that my soul doesn¡¯t wander after I die.¡¯</i>


    Urich nearly died in thest battle. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of death itself, but the possibility of having nowhere to go afterward frightened him. Urich needed his afterlife.


    ¡°...will be the guide of your soul.¡±


    The long ceremony had finallye to an end. Gottval closed the thick manuscript.


    Urich stood up. His sun-dried body felt refreshed, almost feeling like a rebirth.


    ¡°These are my personal words, Urich. You are a brave, fearless warrior, and perhaps you will go down in history. But I want you to remember this. Love others and show mercy. Then, your soul will only grow stronger,¡± Gottval whispered in Urich¡¯s ear after the ceremony.


    ¡°That¡¯s a tough ask, priest man,¡± Urich bared his teeth and smiled.

 Chapter 31: Prince of the Sea

    <h4>Chapter 31: Prince of the Sea</h4>


    Along the coastline of the eastern end of the continent was the Porcana Kingdom. Like all others, Porcana was also a vassal of the Empire.


    ¡°The... sea...?¡± Urich¡¯s eyes widened. He copsed on the ground and froze. The moment he climbed to the top of the hill, he finally saw the culprit of the cool breeze and fishy smell that he had been sensing for quite some time now.


    <i>Squawk, squawk.</i>


    The seagulls squawked away. Urich stared nkly at the horizon.


    ¡°Get up, you hillbilly,¡± Bachman said as he rubbed the bridge of this nose. He finally got to show Urich the ocean that he had been talking about for so long.


    ¡°Ahh, the sea. It has been a while,¡± Sven said as he took a big breath in and sniffed the smell of the ocean. There were many seamen among the northerners as they inhabited the coastlines of theirnd.


    ¡°Ah, so this is the sea?¡± Urich was stunned.


    <i>¡®The water really is as endless as the ins.¡¯</i>


    It was fascinating, yet frightening.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s start heading down. Saltwater fish are quite delicious when they¡¯re grilled. It¡¯ll be my treat.¡±


    Bachman pulled Urich up. He nced at the sr pendant that was hanging by Urich¡¯s neck.


    <i>¡®Urich is a believer of Srism now.¡¯</i>


    The fact that their leader was now a part of their religion was significant news for Bachman and the other mercenaries. It gave them an extra sense ofradery and relief.


    <i>¡®Now, we don¡¯t have to worry about Lou¡¯s wrath for following a pagan leader.¡¯</i>


    Two months had passed since Urich¡¯s baptism. Since then, the mercenary squad had taken on andpleted three more jobs as they moved further east.


    ¡°All the way from the city of Ankaira at the foot of the Sky Mountains to the eastern coastline. We crossed the continent this year, too,¡± Bachman remarked. Back when they were diators under Horus, crossing the continent was an annual urrence.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    Each mercenary was carrying a hefty load. Every time they took a step, a heavy clunking noise of metal followed.


    ¡°Soldiers?¡±


    The citizens who hade out to the outskirts of the city were startled at the sight of Urich¡¯s mercenary squad. They had grown to forty-six men, which was enough to deal with almost any conflicts and battles, or even loot a small vige¡ªif they wanted to.


    ¡°Hey, are they not worried about building a city in a ce like this? What are they going to do when the ocean rises from heavy rain? Won¡¯t the city get flooded?¡±


    Urich¡¯s words made the mercenaries break out inughter.


    ¡°Hah, listen to how considerate our leader is. You think the ocean¡¯s going to flood because of some rain?¡±


    ¡°The ocean never rises enough to put a whole city underwater. Well, I guess there¡¯s the heavy tide when there¡¯s a storm, but still.¡±


    The embarrassed Urich got up from his seat and sniffed the ocean breeze. It was a smell that he had never smelled before, so new that he couldn¡¯t find an appropriateparison.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s the smell of the ocean; nothingpares. Something that my brothers on the other side of the mountains have never experienced.¡¯</i>


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    The heavy packs rattled as the mercenaries shifted. Urich¡¯s Brotherhood saw a big growth in theirbat power. Their equipment had improved to the level of an average standing army, and a few experienced mercenaries had joined their squad after hearing about their achievements.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s Sven and the northerners, as well.¡¯</i>


    Sven saved every cil of his earnings and spent it on freeing his northern brothers. He had rescued three northerners so far, bringing the count within the squad to four.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    The soldiers of the wall stopped the mercenaries at the gate. The captain of the guards emerged, staring at them.


    ¡°What brings you to our city?¡±


    ¡°We are mercenaries. We¡¯re here to look for a job.¡±


    ¡°Hah, here? Jobs for mercenaries? We are the coastal city of Caracan.¡±


    The guard captainughed. Coastal cities rarely had any jobs for a mercenary squad. In fact, the only reason why Urich¡¯s Brotherhood made their way to a coastal city was to satisfy Urich¡¯s desire to see the ocean. However, that also reflected Urich¡¯s authority within the squad as its leader who was strong enough to convince the mercenaries toe to a city where work was scarce.


    ¡°Only ten men can enter the city at a time. The rest of you can set up your camp at the bottom of the hill outside the castle walls. We¡¯ll be keeping our eyes on you,¡± said the captain of the guards. It wasn¡¯t easy for a smaller city like Caracan to let a mercenary squad of forty men enter through their gates.


    ¡°Dammit, we came all the way to the city and we still have to camp? This is why I don¡¯t like small cities.¡±


    ¡°What can we do, man. Urich really wanted to see the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve never seen the ocean myself.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re a hillbilly like our leader too?


    The mercenaries bantered away. The guard captain got a decent understanding of what he was dealing with here.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re tourists.¡¯</i>


    Tourism was a big part of the Porcana Kingdom. The kingdom was a famous vacation spot that attracted many nobles every summer.


    ¡°Does your squad have a name? Tell me, so I can put it down on the guest log,¡± the captain of the guards asked as he grabbed the quill, assuming that Urich was illiterate based on his appearance. Dressed in fur instead of clothes, it wasn¡¯t wrong to assume that he was an uneducated warrior.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll write it myself.¡±


    <i>Scrub.</i>


    Urich grabbed the captain¡¯s quill and scribbled the words on the guest log. His writing was clumsy, like a child¡¯s but it was more than legible.


    ¡°Urich¡¯s Brotherhood?¡±


    The captain of the guards suddenly remembered the name from the songs of the wandering bards. They had been singing it to their heart¡¯s content, saying that it was their newest release.


    ¡°You know us?¡±


    Urich showed a fulfilled smile after finishing his writing. He was proud of himself for being able to write the name of his own mercenary squad.


    ¡°I heard the bards singing. Is this how it went? Ehem. The Mondo territory in danger! Mighty enemies!¡± The guard captain cleared his throat and then belched out the lyrics. The yful mercenaries followed.


    ¡°Twenty-four brave mercenaries out of nowhere! Ho!¡±


    ¡°They marched fearlessly forward against the mighty hundred-strong Silver Lion Mercenaries!!!¡±


    The mercenaries pped their knees and drummed their bellies as theyughed away and sang.


    ¡°I used to dream of being a bard myself. But I see that you¡¯ve grown in number¡ªthe song mentioned that you were a twenty-four-men squad. Anyway, don¡¯t do anything stupid inside the city.¡±


    The captain of the guards granted them entry. The mercenaries decided to pick the first ten to enter the city with a game of rock-paper-scissors.


    ¡°Haha, luck¡¯s been on my side ever since I got baptized. This god thing is a pretty nice thing to believe in,¡± Urich said after winning the game. He and ten other mercenaries walked through the city gates while the rest of the squad set up their camp.


    The mercenaries ran straight to the red-light district. They were quite thirsty for women since it had been more than half a month since theirst contact. They spent most of the money they made by risking their lives on women.


    ¡°So, this is the sea.¡±


    Urich walked toward the harbor. There was a strange, fishy smell.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    He walked along the ocean until a beach appeared past the harbor.


    <i>Sssss.</i>


    Sand slipped through between his fingers, and he stared at the falling grains of sand.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    The children were jumping in and out of the water and the sandy beach. Urich stared off into the horizon again.


    ¡°So there really is such a thing as a endless sea. Bachman wasn¡¯t lying after all.¡±


    He was witnessing what he had always been suspicious of. It was something that wasn¡¯t imaginable even after hearing about it over and over, hundreds and thousands of times.


    <i>¡®No words can describe this, even with hundreds and thousands of descriptions. It can¡¯t beat seeing it with my own eyes just once.¡¯</i>


    He involuntarily clenched his fists. His eyes chased after the horizon. At that moment, women were thest thing on his mind. He felt the cry of his heart burst out as he looked at the endless ocean.


    ¡°Ah, ahhhhhhh! Wahhhhhhh¡ª!¡±


    Veins rose on his face as he clenched every muscle in his body to let out the biggest roar. The children ying on the beach were startled and turned their heads to Urich.


    ¡°W-what is that crazy man doing?¡± The passersby stopped and murmured as they watched Urich.


    ¡°The sea is amazing,¡± Urich remarked as he spread his arms. He couldn¡¯t hold the magnitude of the water, no matter how wide he spread his arms.


    <i>¡®The sky, the earth, and the sea.¡¯</i>


    These were the things that no man could have in his grasp or fathom the end of.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    All the shouting and roaring made Urich thirsty. He stepped into the cold ocean water and bent over.


    <i>¡®Water¡¯s all the same, so this should be okay to drink, right?¡¯</i>


    Children were ying in the water just fine, so it seemed like it was clean water.


    Urich cupped his hands together and scooped up some of the seawater.


    <i>Gulp.</i>


    As soon as the first sip trickled down his throat, Urich gagged.


    ¡°Yuck, what the hell is this? It¡¯s salty. It tastes like...¡± Urich flung his tongue and frowned.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    A clear voice came from behind. A neatly dressed young man was smiling at him. His face still had the boyish immaturity. The young man had been watching Urich since he heard his roar.


    ¡°How do you not know that you can¡¯t drink the water from the sea? Where are you from? From the way you¡¯re dressed, you seem like you¡¯re from far away. No one in Porcana wears fur,¡± the young man rambled on. His dark blue eyes made it seem like he had a gemstone for eyes.


    ¡°Shut up. Do you want to get beat up?¡± Urich cursed as if he was trying to get rid of his anger. The young man flinched.


    ¡°Ah, I guess you don¡¯t know how I am. But you should watch how you speak to me. I¡¯m a man of high status.¡± The young man seemed proud and nonchnt.


    ¡°Who¡¯s gonna care about your status when you¡¯re just a dead body floating in the ocean?¡±


    Urich strode over to the young man and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.


    ¡°L-let me go! Who do you think you are, how dare you!¡±


    ¡°Dare this, dare that, no one who had spoken like that to me had ever gone home with all their bones intact.¡±


    Urich threw the young man into the ocean. It was his superhuman strength again; though this time it was a young man on the leaner side.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    The thrown man¡¯s face showed how stunned he was in the water. His face soon became red hot with anger.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    The man drew a short dagger from his belt. It was a dagger for self-defence, only just as long as his forearm.


    ¡°What is that? Why do you have such a girly dagger?¡± Urich asked as he reached for his sword behind his back.


    <i>Cliiiing¡ª!</i>


    The sword forged with imperial steel was drawn with an eerie sound. Its sense of power was on a different level than a mere self-defence dagger.


    ¡°This is what you¡¯d call a real sword.¡±


    Urich¡¯s sword was a murderous one that had been feeding on the blood of the men it had been ying. Its de showed the remnants of real battles.


    ¡°A-ah...¡±


    The young man was intimidated. Even the nobility of status meant nothing special before death.


    <i>¡®Lou does not discriminate between the high and the low of the human world.¡¯</i>


    The words shed through the young man¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Hey, what do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± A middle-aged man yelled from afar. He ran toward Urich with an enraged look.


    <i>nk!</i>


    His sword aimed for Urich¡¯s neck. Urich easily parried the attack by raising his de.


    <i>Clink! nk!</i>


    The swords shed repeatedly. Urich red at the middle-aged man.


    ¡°Are you this kid¡¯s guardian? Get a hold of your kid,¡± Urich said as he bit his lip.


    ¡°You raghead,ing from out of nowhere!¡± The middle-aged man was still furious.


    <i>¡®Hah, how pathetic.¡¯</i>


    Urich had multiple chances to kill the man.


    <i>¡®Murder is a serious ident here.¡¯</i>


    The old Urich would have already chopped both men into pieces without much thought and carried on with his day, but now he had learned the rules of the civilized society.


    ¡°If only the guard captain...¡±


    Urich kicked the shin of the middle-aged man, who copsed on the ground face-first.


    ¡°...hadn¡¯t told me not to do anything stupid, I would have killed you a long time ago.¡±


    Urich put the de of his sword against the neck of the man on the ground, then withdrew it.


    ¡°Youuuuu! You shall be punished. How dare youy your hands on this man! Oh, my young master!¡±


    Even after losing, the middle-aged man kept talking. He rushed to the young man and helped him up.


    ¡°Man... these civilized people...¡± Urich sighed as he put his sword away. The middle-aged man relentlessly cursed at him until he was out of his sight. It seemed like he was properly angry.


    ¡°Hmph, I should probably get going.¡±


    Urich asked the people on the streets for directions to the red-light district. A few of the mercenaries were leaving the establishments after getting their needs taken care of.


    ¡°Hey, leader! The women here are pretty tasty, although they do taste a bit fishy, hehehe.¡±


    ¡°Pff, go get the other guys. Their dicks are probably throbbing from staying hard for so long.¡±


    Urich bumped fists with the other mercenaries and walked into a brothel. After getting his fill of women, he returned to the camp by sundown.


    ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡± Urich asked as he entered the campground.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important. Get inside, there¡¯s a job for us,¡± the mercenary on lookout duty told Urich. Urich shrugged.


    ¡°Work, already?¡±


    He entered the tent where Donovan and Bachman were talking to the client.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Y-you!¡±


    Urich and the client both widened their eyes after seeing each other¡¯s faces. It was the middle-aged man who was nearly killed by Urich on the beach. He stared at Urich as he trembled in anger.


    ¡°Hey, hey, rx, now. I am Urich, the leader of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood.¡±


    Urich couldn¡¯t contain his chuckle. He took a seat at the table with a big grin on his face.

 Chapter 32

    <h4>Chapter 32</h4>


    ¡°Y-you bast... no, you, ehem,¡± the middle-aged man was forcibly suppressing his anger, which Urich found very funny and made him p his knee.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just forget about what happened earlier. It was a personal thing, right? Anyway, what happened to your little master? He didn¡¯te with you?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, and I was happy that I finally got to meet a mercenary squad,¡± the man looked up at the ceiling with a face full of concern. He let out a deep sigh and looked at Urich and the mercenaries.


    ¡°How about you introduce yourself first? If you don¡¯t like me, you can leave, but it looks like you¡¯re the desperate one here,¡± Urich said as he crossed his arms. His attitude made the middle-aged man twitch his lips in frustration.


    ¡°My name is Kuba Phillion¡ªit¡¯s Sir Phillion to you. ¡®Sir,¡¯¡± he emphasized his title as Sir.


    ¡°Pfft, Sir? You wish, Uncle Phillion,¡± Urich¡¯s mockery erupted aughter from the mercenaries in the room. Phillion, who had enough of the humiliation, desperately wanted to storm out of the room.


    <i>¡®No, I mustn¡¯t. I have to endure any kind of insult for his sake.¡¯</i>


    Phillion suppressed his frustration and red his eyes.


    ¡°I want you to escort my master to the capital of Hamel.¡±


    The mercenaries murmured.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any horses so we travel everywhere by foot. And walking to the capital of Hamel is going to take us three months. If anything goes wrong, maybe even up to half a year,¡± Bachman frowned.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for horses. Just throw us into your mercenary group and transport us without anyone noticing as naturally as possible.¡±


    Phillion red at the mercenaries with an intense gaze.


    <i>¡®This is an opportunity that doesn¡¯te often. I must not miss them.¡¯</i>


    Phillion was familiar with the song <i>Urich¡¯s Brotherhood</i>. Any mercenary squad that had a song about them going around was guaranteed to be skillful.


    <i>¡®I hate to admit it, but this man took me down like I was a child. I know he¡¯s good.¡¯</i>


    Phillion had something more important than his own pride.


    ¡°The expense for this request is going to be huge, you think you can handle the down payment?¡±


    ¡°Handle it? My down payment will be more than enough for you.¡±


    Phillion took out a pouch and put it on the table. It was only as big as a fist.


    ¡°Are you joking? This much gold coin isn¡¯t even enough to keep us going for a single month, let alone a down payment...¡± Donovan stopped mid-sentence as he was scolding the middle-aged man. The other mercenaries also stared in awe.


    ¡°These are pearls, not gold coins.¡±


    The mercenaries dropped silent. Urich was the only one who didn¡¯t know what was going on.


    ¡°What is that? Is it expensive?¡± Urich said as he took out a pearl from the pouch. Its brilliant shine caught his eyes. He stuck out his tongue to get a taste, but Bachman stopped him.


    ¡°Be careful, Urich, a pearl that big is easily worth over ten million cils. It¡¯s the jewel of the sea.¡±


    Bachman, who used to be a fisherman, knew the worth of pearls better than anyone else in the room. Even so, the other mercenaries all had an idea of what they were worth.


    ¡°You brought a pouch full of jewels, not gold coins.¡±


    Urich put the pearl back into the pouch and looked at his mercenaries. Everyone was frozen in ce.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a moment to discuss among ourselves, Sir Phillion,¡± Donovan said as he ushered Phillion outside. Before leaving, Phillion said to the mercenaries with a concerned look.


    ¡°Integrity is the most important making of a mercenary.¡±


    The mercenaries didn¡¯t respond, and Phillion had to wait outside the tent for their discussion to end.


    ¡°Urich, this is a huge job. It¡¯s nothing like the ordinary jobs that we¡¯ve been doing,¡± Donovan said as he walked back into the tent. Only Urich had no idea how big of a deal this was.


    ¡°The pearls he just brought in are worth well over a hundred million cils. There¡¯s going to be at least a few of those involved in this job,¡± Bachman said as he rested his chin on his hand.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing? Why are you all so scared?¡± Urich looked from one mercenary to the next.


    ¡°High pay means high risk. There¡¯s going to be a lot of different parties involved in this, Urich. It¡¯s not simple fighting like we¡¯ve been doing. You heard what Phillion said, right? He emphasized ¡®integrity.¡¯ He¡¯s saying that this must be kept under covers the whole way,¡± Bachman calmly exined to Urich.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a job involving a lot of higher-ups... it¡¯s best to avoid it, Urich. It doesn¡¯t matter to me, but we have a lot of young mercenaries with bright futures in our squad,¡± Sven brushed his beard. It was something he always did when he was worrying about something.


    ¡°What do you think, Donovan?¡±


    Donovan mmed his fist down on the table.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, but Urich¡¯s right. What are you all scared of? Risking our lives for money is what we do as diators and mercenaries. What¡¯s the difference between working a bunch of small jobs and making scraps, and pulling off one big job and making all that at once? What, you¡¯re all happy with making pennies for the rest of your lives? Huh?¡± Donovan showed his frustration. Bachman shrugged and looked at Sven, which Donovan saw.


    ¡°Bachman, stop looking around for other people¡¯s opinions. You¡¯ve been like this since we were diators. Always hiding behind other people¡¯s backs because you don¡¯t want to take any responsibility. Why don¡¯t we just cut off your dick right here, right now?¡±


    Donovan mocked Bachman, and Bachman squinted andughed coldly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been a toothless tiger ever since Urich took over as captain, am I wrong? Your scolding doesn¡¯t scare me, Mr. Has-been Face of the Squad,¡± Bachman retorted.


    <i>¡®What a pain,¡¯ </i>Urich thought to himself as he looked at the two heated mercenaries. His and Donovan¡¯s rtionship, on the other hand, was much better than it was in their diator days. They weren¡¯t as hostile as they once were.


    <i>¡®But those two have the worst rtionship.¡¯</i>


    After all, it was Bachman who chose Urich as the man to kick Donovan out of his throne. Their rtionship was worsening by the day.


    ¡°Urich, just say the words, and I¡¯ll cut off both these men¡¯s heads and throw them in the pigpen,¡± Sven said as heughed. No one could tell if he was joking, or being serious.


    ¡°Whether they fight with their heads on the line or not is none of my business, but if we can¡¯te to a decision, then...¡± Urich tilted his head in deep thought. He snapped his fingers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with our tradition. Gather the brothers.¡±


    It was the tradition of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood to settle any debates ording to the wish of the majority. Even though they had a technical hierarchy, they were really equals. A vote was a vote, whether it was from the leader of the squad or a rookie mercenary.


    ¡°Gather around. We¡¯re voting.¡±


    The mercenaries spread the word and gathered in the center of their camp. Urich proceeded to exin the situation and options without leaving out any details, and the mercenaries exchanged their opinions.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s an iffy job, but it does pay well.¡¯</i>


    No one knew how dangerous the job would be. It might only require them to take a trip down to the capital and get paid for it. It could be easier than they think.


    <i>Ssss.</i>


    One by one, the mercenaries raised their hands. It didn¡¯t take long for the majority to be in favor of taking the job.


    ¡°Well, it was obvious what the oue was going to be. What mercenary would turn down a job that pays this much?¡± Donovan said nonchntly.


    Mercenaries were men who chased money and men who killed for money. The only thing that set them apart from themon bandits was the fact that they acted ording to integrity. A mercenary who didn¡¯t do that was no different from a bandit.


    * * *


    Urich¡¯s Brotherhood agreed to take the job and continued their negotiation with Phillion.


    ¡°The man you will be escorting is Master Pahell, the third son of House Elchrisha. They made their fortune in pearlcrafting...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about all that ¡®House¡¯ stuff, so just tell us why he needs our protection. We, Urich¡¯s Brotherhood, will take charge of this, and we do not break trust. Even if we have to back out because it¡¯s too much for us to handle, we won¡¯t say a word about any of this to anyone. I swear on the name of Lou,¡± Urich told Phillion. His face was as serious as ever with not a hint of lightheartedness.


    ¡°Name of Lou?¡± Phillion looked at Urich with a puzzled face. The song had the lyric ¡®Urich the Barbarian.¡¯ Barbarian practically meant pagans.


    ¡°I¡¯m a believer of Srism. You can trust me,¡± Urich assured Phillion by showing him his sr pendant.


    Phillion took a moment to pray and showed his relief. The fact that the person he was negotiating with followed the same religion as him alone was a big relief.


    ¡°I see, so you were baptized... Master Pahell is on the run because of an inheritance dispute. Ourte lord left the bulk of his wealth to Master Pahell, even though he was his third son. This didn¡¯t sit right with his other sons. They led their armies to seize the House Elchrisha¡¯s manor and capture Master Pahell. Even the loyal lieges of the family turned their back against him, and the other sons went as far as to tamper thete lord¡¯s will before submitting it to the royal court.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why he¡¯s running away. Does he have a solution once he gets to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Master Pahell¡¯s mother is Sarian, the second wife of thete lord, while the other sons are the children of the first wife. They are his half-brothers.¡±


    Urich¡¯s head was starting to hurt and frowned.


    ¡°Why is it soplicated?¡±


    ¡°This is just how the noble world works. Just let him finish.¡±


    Phillion nced at the mercenaries and continued.


    ¡°Master Pahell¡¯s mother, Sarian¡¯s brother is a member of The Order of Imperial Steel. We n on officially starting a war with his help. We¡¯re confident that he will lend his hand to his nephew in his effort to reim his rights.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s just an inheritance dispute. You nobles are always the same¡ªyou don¡¯t give a damn about the people below you who are dying for your wars,¡± Bachman shot at Phillion. He himself had to flee his homnd after all the exploitation by the nobles.


    In a battle between the noble families, it was themon people who lost the most. For them, it didn¡¯t matter who became lord, since it had very little impact on their lives.


    ¡°Shut up, Bachman,¡± Urichmented harshly.


    Bachman clicked his tongue in response.


    ¡°Our original n was to take a ship that I had arranged for us and leave the Kingdom of Porcana once and for all, but it never came. Either they couldn¡¯t reach us with new information, or something must have happened. That¡¯s when I happened to hear that the mercenaries were in town. I figured it was better to travel onnd, anyway.¡±


    After hearing the whole story, Urich looked at the other mercenaries. They nodded, thinking that there wasn¡¯t too much to worry about.


    ¡°What about our pay?¡±


    It was the biggest question that the mercenaries had. They had already seen the down payment of pearls that were worth over a hundred million cils. It was definitely a lot of money, but not for the distance and the length of their travel.


    ¡°I will pay you triple the down payment for three months of travel. For every additional month, I¡¯ll add another pouch of pearls.¡±


    The mercenaries¡¯ mouths hung by their ears. it sounded like a crazy amount of money.


    ¡°Bachman, can you do the calction? I¡¯m bad with numbers,¡± Urich said as he raised his hand.


    ¡°Considering that it¡¯s the same pouch of pearls as the down payment, and spreading that over three months... we¡¯ll get four, or five hundred million cils. Now, if we split that among ourselves..." Bachman¡¯s face dropped. He repeatedly folded and opened his fingers.


    ¡°Considering that the remuneration is including our expenses, we get ten million cils per person at best. Is this a joke? Only ten million for three months of hard work? Huh?¡±


    Bachman threw his hands up in the air, riling up the other mercenaries.


    ¡°Booooo! That makes no sense, no way!¡±


    ¡°Ten million for three months of work? Get out of here!¡±


    Bachman pretended like he was listening to theints, then looked at Phillion.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, do you hear that? Sounds like that¡¯s nowhere near enough.¡±


    The wrinkles in Phillion¡¯s face deepened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll add a hazard pay. Another pouch of pearls for every battle...¡±


    ¡°Make the hazard pay payable immediately after each battle,¡± Urich said, cutting Phillion off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that many pearls on me.¡±


    Without him noticing, Phillion had lost control of the negotiations. He was being yed like puttie in Urich¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Fine, then swear on the name of Lou¡ªthat if you break your swear, you¡¯ll be a ghost who forever wanders the world of the living. Integrity also applies to the employer, not just us mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°I swear on the name of Lou that I will not break our contract. If I break our integrity, then I will dly ept the punishment of my soul, the soul of Kuba Phillion, forever wandering the world of the living.¡±


    Phillion solidified his oath by praying on Urich¡¯s sr pendant.


    ¡°Good, Uncle Phillion. Bring your young master by noon tomorrow,¡± Urich said as the tension on his face eased. Phillion strode out of the mercenary camp with a weary look on his face. After walking for a while, he looked up at the sky. The stars were twinkling.


    ¡°Well, I guess that worked out. I¡¯ve found some people to escort my master.¡±


    The back of the loyal knight staggered with fatigue. He had risked his life for this quest.

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33</h4>


    Urich was busy admiring the city and the sea as he sat on the hill. Behind him, the mercenaries were scurrying to take down their camp in preparation for their departure.


    <i>¡®The Edge of the World.¡¯</i>


    People believed that there was a cliff called the ¡®Edge of the World¡¯ at the very end of the sea.


    Urich had been out on a fishing boat this morning.


    ¡°It was massive and vast. I couldn¡¯t see the end of it no matter how far we went out.¡±


    All Urich wanted was to see the Edge of the World with his own eyes, so he had asked the fisherman to take him there.


    ¡°You want to go to the Edge of the World on a boat like this one? No way! You must be from pretty far ind, haha!¡±


    The boatman answered his request with a scoff. This made Urich contemte throwing him overboard again and again on their way back to the shore.


    As promised, Urich returned to the mercenary camp by noon to wait for his new employer. His mind, however, was on the endless horizon.


    ¡°They¡¯re here. Everyone, get ready. Herees our employer!¡± Urich shouted as he stared at the group of men emerging from the path behind the city. He could tell exactly who was who even though they were still quite a distance away.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind, Sir Phillion? You want me to travel to the capital of Hamel with these filthy mercenaries?¡± After arriving at the mercenary camp with thepany of Phillion and three guards, Pahell bounced in frustration as he red with his blue eyes.


    ¡°Please calm down, Master. The ship that was arranged didn¡¯t show up, which means that our information may have been leaked out. And if that¡¯s the case, then the sea route is risky. If we unexpectedly travel on foot with the mercenaries...¡±


    ¡°On foot? Like, onnd? You¡¯re telling me I have to walk?¡± Pahell eximed in disbelief.


    ¡°Of course not, Master, I¡¯ve prepared a horse for you. Sir Lupin should be on his way with the horse right now,¡± Phillion said as he tried to calm down his young master. Pahell frowned and crossed his arms to show that he still didn¡¯t fancy the situation.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, I...¡±


    ¡°I know, Master, of course I know. Just endure this humiliation for a little longer, and you will soon see the light at the end of this long tunnel,¡± Phillion was practically on his knees. Pahell rubbed his temple as if he had suddenly picked up a migraine, then nodded.


    ¡°I trust you, Sir Phillion, so I will do as you say this time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±


    From a few steps away, Urich and the other diators were watching their conversation.


    ¡°What the hell are they doing?¡± Urich asked the other mercenaries as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he had just seen.


    ¡°Let them be, he¡¯s a young noble. They live in a whole different world as us,¡± Bachman shrugged out of habit.


    ¡°That kid looks like he wouldn¡¯t even survive a day if I threw him into the woods to fend for himself. Do you think he even has the balls to pick up a woman, like a real man?¡± Urich said with a smirk.


    ¡°Hey, who knows? He might be into guys, not girls, so watch out, Urich,¡± Bachman said as he poked Urich¡¯s butt with his spear shaft.


    ¡°Yuck, I don¡¯t even want to hear that. Get lost, asshole,¡± Urichughed as he shoved Bachman away.


    The mercenaries had finished replenishing their supplies in the city, and they took down the rest of their camp in preparation for their departure. Donovan unfolded his map and set the course.


    <i>Clop, clop.</i>


    A guard joined the group with a brown horse. It was the horse that Pahell was going to be traveling on.


    ¡°This is not a white horse. Even its mane is dirty, too,¡± Pahell startedining the moment he saw the brown horse.


    ¡°Forgive me, Master, I was in a hurry to get you a horse...¡± The guard who brought the horse bowed his head.


    ¡°Whatever, it is what it is.¡±


    Pahell swung himself up onto the horse with a flourish. It showed how much experience he had with horses. He skillfully reined the horse and circled the perimeter.


    ¡°Quickly, please, mercenary leader,¡± Phillion rushed the mercenaries. He didn¡¯t want to spend another second in the Porcana Kingdom.


    The mercenaries were almost finished with the takedown and were double-checking their numbers before starting their journey to the capital.


    ¡°Urich, the guards areing this way.¡±


    Soldiers on horses rode up to the mercenaries. They stopped at a bit of distance from the mercenaries and started their questions.


    ¡°Are the Urich¡¯s Brotherhood leaving now?¡± The captain of the guards said in a thunderous voice.


    ¡°Yup. It looked like there wasn¡¯t much for us to do here. I¡¯m pretty sure we didn¡¯t cause any trouble during our visit. In fact, didn¡¯t we spend a whole lot of money in your city?¡± Urich replied. The guard captainughed, then counted the number of the mercenaries.


    ¡°Hmm, Leader Urich, can I ask you one question?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°You came to our city with forty-six men, and now you have over fifty.¡±


    ¡°We took in some rookies from your city. Is there a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°It just doesn¡¯t match up with our guest log. I know it¡¯s a hassle, but do you mind if we checked the mercenaries one by one?¡±


    The guard captain was speaking in a cordial voice, but it was obvious that he had different intentions. He gripped the reins of his horse tightly as if he was getting ready to move at any moment.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let them search us, Urich,¡± Phillion said to Urich. He was drenched in cold sweat in no time.


    <i>¡®If the mercenaries sell us out, it¡¯s all over.¡¯</i>


    Phillion nervously looked around at the mercenaries to see what they were going to do. The mercenaries didn¡¯t say a word, as they were waiting for their leader to speak.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be possible. You know how us mercenaries are¡ªmost of us don¡¯t have proper identifications. And cap, we¡¯re not only mercenaries but each other¡¯s brothers. Once we¡¯ve epted one another as our brothers, we don¡¯t give anyone away, no matter what.¡±


    Urich narrowed his eyes. Even though the two parties had a good distance between them, the tension was palpable.


    ¡°Are you sure we can¡¯t do a quick check?¡± The guard captain asked for thest time, and to that, Urich stuck with his answer. There wasn¡¯t a point in continuing this conversation.


    ¡°I see, very well. Safe travels, Urich¡¯s Brotherhood.¡±


    The captain of the guards and his guards turned their horses back toward their city. Urich stared at them as they made their way back.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be back, right?¡± Urich asked as he looked at his mercenaries.


    ¡°Obviously. He¡¯s going to form a chase party ande after us. It was written all over his face,¡± Donovan said as he picked his teeth with a twig. The other mercenaries nodded in agreement.


    ¡°We ditch the roads. We¡¯ll go through the forests and mountains instead.¡±


    The mercenaries left the paved road and opted for the mountain route.


    ¡°Mountain? Why can¡¯t we just stay on the road? Aren¡¯t I paying you to fight for me? Just take care of the chase party when theye,¡± Pahellined on his brown horse. Phillion, not knowing how to deal with the situation, tried to calm his master with his silver tongue.


    ¡°Sir Phillion.¡±


    The mercenaries began their journey. Donovan broke away from the line and came up to Phillion.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t do something about that mouth of your little master¡¯s, one of us might cut his tongue out in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°H-how rude.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be rude. It¡¯s just that it hits close to home¡ªI just want to help. You see, I used to be a soldier myself, and I had a superior who used his tongue however much he pleased.¡±


    ¡°You were a soldier?¡±


    ¡°An Imperial soldier, though I was dishonorably discharged.¡±


    Donovan was the only former Imperial soldier in the mercenary squad. It was rare for them to fall into the mercenary business.


    ¡°Dishonorable discharge... That¡¯s a shame. If you were an Imperial soldier, you would have gotten a pretty good treatment. What happened?¡±


    Donovan grinned and showed his yellowed teeth at Phillion¡¯s question. It was the grin of a murderer.


    ¡°The superior I told you about, I killed him myself, Sir Phillion.¡±


    Phillion shut his mouth and looked at Donovan¡¯s back with shivering eyes. His words were a pure threat.


    <i>¡®These goddamn mercenaries have no manner whatsoever.¡¯</i>


    Phillion cursed the mercenaries under his breath. To him, mercenaries were lowly people. But nevertheless, he was traveling with mercenaries, and on top of that, their leader was a barbarian.


    * * *


    Two days had passed since the squad left the city, and the road was only getting rougher.


    ¡°Hey, Master Pahell, we should ditch the horse now. Besides, a man¡¯s gotta walk on his two legs,¡± Urich, who was leading the line, shouted at the young noble.


    The mercenaries purposely chose the rougher terrain to escape the potential chase of any pursuers. As they climbed the rough mountain path, the paved road broke off and the terrain became impassable on a horse.


    ¡°Master Pahell, it looks like you¡¯ll have to leave the horse,¡± Phillion said with caution. Pahell, the only person riding on a horse, frowned.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, tell these mercenaries to find a different path¡ªone that my horse can get through!¡± Pahell didn¡¯t budge on his horse.


    <i>¡®You think I¡¯ll walk? On this rugged mountain path?¡¯</i>


    Pahell snorted in disbelief as he looked arrogantly around the mercenaries.


    ¡°Urich, can¡¯t you find a path decent enough for a horse?¡± Phillion practically begged.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chase party after us, they¡¯ll also be on their horses. If we opt for a better road, then they¡¯ll catch up to us for sure, which means we¡¯ll have to fight them.¡±


    ¡°E-ehem...¡±


    Phillion walked back to his young master. It looked like he was sweating profusely as he tried to convince his young master to follow the mountain path.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of loyalty. If it were me, I would have stabbed him in the stomach already and be long gone by now,¡± Bachman said sarcastically, and the other mercenariesughed in agreement. They were half-mocking Phillion¡¯s respectable patience.


    ¡°You know who I am, Sir Phillion! Even you are telling me to walk alongside these mercenaries, at the same eye level. What a joke. I¡¯d rather go back to the city and wait for the ship.¡±


    ¡°The ship will note, Master.¡±


    ¡°My sister said that it will most certainlye. Are you calling my sister a liar? How dare you... Are you mocking my bloodline?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant...¡±


    ¡°I should have never listened to you and followed these lowly mercenaries.¡±


    A small argument broke out between Phillion and Pahell. Thetter seemed like he was never getting off his horse.


    ¡°Bachman,¡± Urich, watching the argument, called Bachman over. Bachman stopped his bantering with the other mercenaries and turned his head to look at Urich.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°You ever tried horse meat?¡±


    ¡°No, never.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s have that for dinner tonight.¡±


    Urich¡¯s muscles became pumped. He strode over to Pahell and his horse.


    ¡°W-what do you want? I haven¡¯t forgotten the humiliation you caused me. One day, I¡¯m going to make you pay for...¡± Pahell raised his voice to hide his fear.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    There was a blunt sound as Urich¡¯s fist mmed into the horse¡¯s temple.


    ¡°Neighhh!¡±


    The horse let out a cry as it copsed on the ground. Phillion grabbed the falling Pahell.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    Urich stomped on the head of the horse on the ground and crushed it. Its eyes rolled backward, and its long tongue fell out of its mouth.


    ¡°M-my horse? You killed my horse! What even...¡± Pahell almost had a seizure, then shut his mouth.


    <i>Schluck! Thuck!</i>


    Urich drew his axe and repeatedly mmed it down on the horse¡¯s neck. Its blood spouted everywhere.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich pulled out the animal¡¯s eyeball with his fingers and dug his teeth into it, making a crunching sound as he chewed a piece of the big eyeball.


    ¡°The eyeball of a beast is quite a delicacy. You want to try?¡±


    Urich dug out the other eyeball and tossed it to Pahell. Pahell stumbled back with a clearly started face.


    <i>¡®Now, he¡¯ll shut up.¡¯</i>


    Urich deliberately staged a violent scene. Pahell trembled as he leaned against Phillion.


    ¡°U-ugh, that barbarian,¡± Pahell tried to keep his pride until the very end.


    ¡°You almost hurt my master. If you ever try something like that again...¡±


    Phillion snapped at Urich. Urich asked the mercenaries to prepare the horse for dinner and looked at Phillion.


    ¡°Then what? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°...please be more careful.¡±


    That was all that Phillion could say. He was the clear inferior in this rtionship.


    <i>Schluck, schluck.</i>


    The mercenaries dragged the lifeless horse to a nearby stream and cleaned it up. They quickly drained the blood and removed its entrails before cutting up the meat. The blood and guts floated down the stream, leaving a trail of red. The rest of the mercenaries were enjoying their rest.


    ¡°Horsemeat for dinner tonight, what a special meal.¡±


    Horsemeat was not amon food, so the mercenaries hummed in anticipation of their special dinner. Some even sliced off the fresh flesh and ate it raw.


    <i>Chew.</i>


    Urich thinly sliced up the horsemeat and threw some in his mouth. It was a delicacy, indeed.


    ¡°Honestly, that young noble is something else. What kind of family do you have to have to grow up like that?


    ¡°He¡¯s all pride but doesn¡¯t know how to do anything. He¡¯s just a kid.¡±


    The mercenaries chattered away, with Pahell being the center of their attention. They couldn¡¯t run out of things to say about the young noble.


    ¡°I agree. He seems like he¡¯s around Urich¡¯s age, but there¡¯s a world of difference between the two of them, keke,¡± Sven said with a raspy chuckle. Suddenly, the mercenaries fell silent.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Sven? What do you mean those two are the same age? That young noble looks like he¡¯s in his mid tote teens, at most,¡± Bachman asked as if Sven had said something outrageous. Sven opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious that Urich¡¯s also a teenager? Am I wrong, my brothers?¡±


    The other northerners nodded to show their agreement with Sven. Urich¡¯s young and childish side was obvious to the eyes of the northerners. They respected him regardless because he was an extraordinary warrior.


    ¡°Urich¡¯s a teenager? Bullshit. Look at his face; how is that the face of a teenager? He¡¯s got to be at least twenty.¡±


    ¡°Then ask him yourself, Bachman,¡± Sven grinned with confidence as he chewed on his horsemeat. Bachman jumped to his feet.


    ¡°Urich, how old are you?¡±


    Bachman strode over to Urich and asked him straight up. Everyone in the squad waited for his answer, even Phillion and Pahell.


    Urich thought about it for a second and started counting with his fingers.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m seventeen this year, give or take.¡±


    Bachman¡¯s legs wobbled. He clutched at his weakened legs and pulled himself together.


    ¡°Urich,¡± Bachman said with a serious face as he put his hand on Urich¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°From now on, you will call me Mr. Bachman.¡±


    Bachman stuck his thumb up.

 Chapter 34

    <h4>Chapter 34</h4>


    The mercenaries had set up their camp in the mountains after walking for half a day.


    ¡°We are the Urich¡¯s Brotherhood, and Urich is our youngest!¡± One of the mercenaries belted out and the others chuckled.


    ¡°Urich, don¡¯t you think your face is way too aged? How is a face like that only... hah! You¡¯re driving me crazy,¡± One of the mercenaries said as he spat out the water he was drinking.


    ¡°Shut up, assholes.¡±


    Urichid down a wolf pelt on the ground and sat on it. He took out one of his axes and stuck it into the dirt.


    ¡°You want me to call you Sirs? Older brothers? Then fight me for it.¡±


    No one dared to go up against Urich. They were only joking around.


    <i>Crackle, pop.</i>


    The mercenaries gathered some firewood and started a campfire. The warmth soon spread around the camp.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Pahell groaned as he took his shoes off to reveal his blister-covered feet.


    ¡°Power through it, Master.¡±


    Phillion took out an ointment and thered it on the bottom of Pahell¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Pahell flinched at the stinging pain. Urichughed at what he was seeing.


    ¡°You sound like you¡¯re being stabbed with a sword. Quit whining.¡±


    Pahell red at Urich for hisment.


    ¡°You! You think I¡¯m a peasant like you lot? I am of noble birth; I shouldn¡¯t be walking on my feet on this rugged ground like you!¡± Pahell cried out as his anger was building up.


    <i>¡®Why must I go through something like this, why?¡¯</i>


    He had to walk up the mountain path for an entire day. His knees were on fire, and his feet were torn up. He had never experienced a pain like this before.


    ¡°Master, please calm down,¡± Phillion said to Pahell as he eyed the mercenaries to stop provoking his young master.


    ¡°Calm down? You want me to calm down right now? Sir Phillion, get down this mountain this instant and fetch me a horse!¡±


    ¡°That is...¡±


    ¡°Fuck! Dammit!¡±


    Pahell cursed over and over to the point of tiring himself out. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed, spreading the sorrowful cry of a young man throughout the camp.


    <i>¡®What a weakling.¡¯</i>


    Urich stared at Pahell. He reminded him of Gottval, yet they were nothing alike.


    <i>¡®Gottval had something that was worthy of my respect.¡¯</i>


    Urich adjusted his sun pendant. He still remembered Gottval¡¯s words.


    <i>¡®The civilized world is full of all sorts of people.¡¯</i>


    Back in his tribe, a man¡¯s worth was determined only by his ability as a warrior. A great warrior equated to a great man, meaning that a poor warrior was a nobody.


    <i>¡®In this world, even a man that weak is worth following and protecting with one¡¯s life. What determines the worth of a man in the civilized world? Is it money? Is it their status?¡¯</i>


    Urich quite liked the civilization. The people were as diverse as they were numerous. Urich wanted to understand their values¡ªthe mindset of those who weren¡¯t warriors but were still respected.


    ¡°Hey, young master, can you read?¡± Urich asked Pahell as he sat down in front of him. He pulled out the writing textbook that was gifted to him by Gottval.


    ¡°A book?¡± Pahell looked at Urich with a shocked face.


    <i>¡®How does this barbarian have a book?¡¯</i>


    Books were expensive items. The monks had to stay up all night and spend days and days printing copies to produce a single book. It wasn¡¯t something that a mercenary, let alone a barbarian one at that, could casually carry around.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised? I know a bunch of words already. This says <i>The Beginner¡¯s Guide to Writing</i>. What, a noble like you doesn¡¯t know how to write?¡± Urich said as he pointed at the words with his finger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know how to write? Me? Who do you think I am! I was done with this beginner¡¯s textbook when I was just seven years old,¡± Pahell furiously red at Urich.


    ¡°Good, then teach me through the parts that I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t learn very well on my own.¡±


    ¡°W-what does a barbarian like you need to learn how to read and write for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a believer of Lou, too. I have to learn to read to learn Lou¡¯s teachings better, no?¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Pahell flinched at the name of the God of the Sun.


    <i>¡®Hah, getting baptized was a good decision.¡¯</i>


    The people of civilization were weak in front of the name of Lou. The higher one¡¯s status was, the more sensitive they were to his name.


    ¡°Oh Lou, I want to learn more of your teachings, but this brother won¡¯t help me!¡± Urich recited a yful prayer.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Where are you stuck?¡± Pahell reluctantly asked as he looked at the book. Urich pointed out the letters that he could not make out.


    ¡°Ahah, so that¡¯s what it was. I couldn¡¯t figure it out for my life,¡± Urich eximed as he pped his knee.


    ¡°The book is old, so the ink was faded. No wonder you couldn¡¯t read it.¡±


    Pahell flipped through the book in a sh. To him, the textbook was like a child¡¯s y.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s a fast learner.¡¯</i>


    Pahell felt that Urich was different. He was amazed at Urich¡¯s ability to remember his teachings.


    <i>¡®You only have to teach him once, and he¡¯ll remember most of it.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s memory was something that every civilized person who had ever taught him had marveled at.


    ¡°Why are you stopping?¡± Urich picked up his head and looked at Pahell.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Pahell nced at Urich, then turned his head.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s not messing with me. His memory is just really good.¡¯</i>


    Pahell surprisingly put a lot of effort into teaching Urich. The word that he taught him this time was ¡®World.¡¯


    ¡°Have you heard of the Edge of the World?¡±


    Urich asked out of nowhere. Pahell, fitting to his noble status, was rich in knowledge. Even when he was simply teaching the letters, he would sprinkle in some background information.


    ¡°It¡¯s the cliff at the edge of the sea. It forms the waterfall that prevents the sea from flooding thends. The first time I saw you was your first time seeing the ocean, right? I¡¯ve never seen someone drinking the ocean water. It was funny.¡±


    Pahellughed, remembering the sight again. Phillion saw his young master¡¯s smile and breathed a sigh of relief.


    <i>¡®Ah, Master got his smile back. Thank Lou.¡¯</i>


    Pahell drew a picture in the dirt.


    ¡°This world is a t square. Our continent is in the center of it, with the Sky Mountains in the west and the Edge of the World, some call it the End of the World, in the eastern sea.¡±


    ¡°The northerners said that there is anothernd at the end of the eastern sea, not the Edge of the World. They said that on thatnd were people with ck hair and ck eyes. What am I supposed to believe?¡± Urich asked.


    ¡°Land at the end of the eastern sea? Says who? That¡¯s just a story made up by the delusional barbarians who have never even been there. At the end of the eastern sea is a cliff. it¡¯s literally the end of the world,¡± Pahell denied the possibility of the existence of thend of the east.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that someone¡¯s seen the end of the world and returned to tell the tale? Who? Was it you? Did you sail all the way out there and see it with your own eyes?¡±


    Urich¡¯s questions were endless, but Pahell proceeded to answer all of them, full of confidence.


    ¡°There are records. Records left by people who nearly fell down the cliff at the Edge of the World and returned. They said that at the end of the eastern sea, there is only the cliff.¡±


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that you¡¯ve never seen it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t have a death wish,¡± Pahell scoffed as he crossed his arms. Urich pondered on his answers, then slowly turned his gaze to the west. The sun was setting in that direction.


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s on the other side of the Sky Mountains?¡±


    The corners of Urich¡¯s mouth twitched upward, and his eyes sparked with desire. The monster of curiosity squirmed dynamically inside his chest.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing but endless cliffs beyond the Sky Mountains. No one can cross that mountain range,¡± Pahell answered, again with confidence.


    ¡°Really, huh? Are you sure? Really?¡±


    Urich repeated as he made it obvious that he couldn¡¯t contain his grin.


    ¡°Of course, what, you don¡¯t believe me? Do you know how many books I¡¯ve read? If you stacked all of them up, the pile would be way taller than you. The books contain the whole world. I know everything,¡± Pahell said as he thumped his chest. Phillion, who was listening in on their conversation, spoke up.


    ¡°Our master is an avid reader. Even the priests are often amazed at his knowledge during their conversations.¡±


    Pahell proudly shrugged at Phillion¡¯spliment. It seemed like his mood was lifted.


    ¡°Good talk. Now I know for sure,¡± Urich said as he got up from his seat and stared into the dark forest. He saw the evil spirits in his imagination. He still felt like the spirits of his forefathers and brothers were watching over him.


    ¡°In order to know everything about the world, I have to see everything with my own eyes. There¡¯s no other way. Books lie.¡±


    Pahell snapped at Urich¡¯s words.


    ¡°A-are you belittling me?¡±


    Pahell felt foolish and was regretful of the momentary friendliness he felt toward Urich.


    <i>¡®At the end of the day, a barbarian is a barbarian. There¡¯s no point in teaching him anything!¡¯</i>


    Pahell¡¯s lips were quivering.


    ¡°Get some sleep, Young Master. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll ask you about the capital of Hamel. You¡¯ve been there, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been there! It¡¯s a ce beyond your feeble barbarian imagination¡ªit¡¯s magnificent! Hamel isn¡¯t just the capital of the Empire, it¡¯s the capital of civilization as a whole¡ªthe capital of the world! All roads lead to Hamel!¡±


    Urich left behind the bbering Pahell and returned to his spot. As he was lying down, he felt a sharp gaze at the back of his head. Sven was ring at him from the other side of the campfire.


    ¡°If you have something to say, then say it, Sven.¡±


    ¡°Urich, you...¡±


    Sven looked toward the west as he trailed off. Urich put his index finger against his lips and smiled.


    ¡°Shh.¡±


    Sven had always wondered where Urich was from since his mannerisms and behavior didn¡¯t quite fit in with the south, the north, or anywhere else.


    <i>¡®West.¡¯</i>


    A mysteriousnd that had not yet been touched by the Imperial influence; and where its very existence was in question.


    <i>¡®You truly were an outsider.¡¯</i>


    The one who had crossed the Sky Mountains.


    * * *


    ¡°Come on, power through. You¡¯re a man, no?¡± Urich said as he helped Pahell up by grabbing his arm. The group was crossing the entire mountain, and even the mercenaries showed clear signs of fatigue after days of traveling through the rugged mountain.


    ¡°You just have to hang in there until we get to the border at the end of Kingdom Porcana, Master,¡± Phillion reassured Pahell from his side.


    ¡°God dammit, god dammit,¡± Pahell marched on as he cursed out. His feet were a bloody pulp.


    ¡°Good, good, curse all you want, Pahell. That¡¯s how you be a real man,¡± Urich encouraged Pahell as he patted his back.


    <i>¡®He may be a young noble, but he does have grit. He¡¯sining more than everyone else but he¡¯s trying to keep up in any way he can.¡¯</i>


    Pahell scowled and climbed the next hill.


    ¡°I am, I am, of noble blood.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s pride was sky-high, and his clean, preppy face was now a mess of sweat and dust. He was drenched in sweat like he had just been rained on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a quick break here,¡± Urich said after being the first to climb the next hill. He was still lively and full of energy, unlike everyone else in the squad. He helped each and every man climbing up to him.


    <i>¡®So, this is how Urich is leading the mercenaries. This is his driving force,¡¯</i> Phillion thought as he looked at Urich. Urich was a leader who led by example in everything he did. He was always the first one to take on the toughest jobs, and he was never drunk on his authority, nor did he give himself any privilege.


    <i>¡®His age doesn¡¯t matter to the other mercenaries. They already have the respect for him as their leader.¡¯</i>


    There was hardly a mercenary in Urich¡¯s Brotherhood who had never received Urich¡¯s help in anything.


    <i>¡®It would be strange for him to not have everyone¡¯s respect just by the way he carries himself.¡¯</i>


    Even though he was the first one to climb the hill, he helped the next people up instead of taking a break.


    ¡°Shame on me, I¡¯m making the little boy Urich help me,¡± Bachman said as he grabbed onto Urich¡¯s arm. Urich returned a grin.


    ¡°Bachman, try climbing back up.¡±


    Urich punted Bachman, and he rolled down the hill.


    ¡°Hey, you young piece of shit!¡± Bachman screamed as he rolled down. Lately, he seemed to have gotten a kick out of teasing Urich, but it seldom ended well for him.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Urich frowned as he was enjoying the breeze for a moment. He noticed a flock of birds taking flight and in between the trees, he saw a strange silver light.


    ¡°Donovan!¡± Urich called. Donovan, who was finally getting a break, picked his head up with an annoyed look.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Get ready for battle. It¡¯s the chase party.¡±


    At Urich¡¯s words, Donovan jumped to his feet without wasting a second. Urich¡¯s vision was unparalleled within the squad. To the ordinary mercenaries, it was out of this world.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s not just his vision that¡¯s out of this world, it¡¯s his whole body.¡¯</i>


    Donovan had witnessed Urich¡¯s abilities multiple times with his own eyes. Every warrior stumbled upon at least one battle in which they fought well enough to boast, but Urich was a warrior who pulled off something that an ordinary warrior could only dream of achieving once or twice, on a regr basis, casually.


    Urich¡¯s muscles were getting warmed up as they twitched and generated their own heat.


    ¡°Hmph¡ª¡±


    Urich shook his head from side to side. His mind was clear. It felt good to have rity in his mind before a battle as all distracting thoughts were driven away. He was a man who was born to fight.

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35</h4>


    ¡°Get up, you pigs! Enemies.¡±


    Donovan kicked at the mercenaries who had just gottenfortable. It was an emergency.


    ¡°How did the chase party catch up to us already?¡± The mercenaries all wondered the same thing. It was strange as they had traveled only on mountain trails where horses could not trot on.


    ¡°This is strange. Even if they mustered their men right away, it should have taken them at least a couple of days, but they caught up to us already?¡±


    The mercenariesined as they rummaged through their loads to take out their armor and weapons. They helped each otherce up their armor.


    ¡°What do you think, Urich?¡± Sven came up to Urich and asked. He gripped his double-handed axe as he pressed down his horned helmet.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t the guard captain¡¯s troops. Chasing after us from the city should have taken them at least two days to catch up. Also, it¡¯s not like we took our time marching, either. It¡¯s strange that they¡¯re catching up to us, regardless of how hard they were chasing.¡±


    Urich pondered as he brushed his chin. There was no reason for them to be caught up by the city guards already.


    ¡°That probably means that the young noble¡¯s little group was already being chased even before they got to that city, and were only half a day, or a day ahead, at max,¡± Sven said as he nced at Phillion and Pahell.


    ¡°If Phillion knew of the chase party, he would have told us. I don¡¯t think he expected one to be so close behind. Man, this employer is a handful,¡± Urichughed as he kicked his tongue.


    <i>¡®They have about two dozen men, but we¡¯re over fifty.¡¯</i>


    They were outnumbering their enemies.


    ¡°They¡¯re not idiots, Urich. They are engaging because they think they can beat us,¡± Sven warned Urich as if he had read his mind. It was never a good idea to underestimate an opponent.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Numbers don¡¯t always win.¡±


    Urich drew his sword as the other mercenaries and guards finished their preparation for the battle. Pahell was the only nonbatant.


    ¡°Nock your arrows, they¡¯re within range!¡± Donovan ordered as he eyed the distance of the enemies. The mercenaries with the bows pulled their bowstring far back.


    The enemies were only protected with light armor since their main focus was the pursuit.


    ¡°Shoot them!¡±


    The mercenaries released their arrows, weaving through the dense forest.


    <i>Thuck!</i>


    The arrows struck the trees, failing to hit a single enemy. They hid behind the trees or raised their shields.


    ¡°Damn, you see that? They dodged all the arrows. They have some skills. We¡¯re not gonna get to them with our arrows,¡± Urich said as he spun his axe. The enemies had a special movement to them, showing how experienced they were as warriors.


    ¡°Shoot them again!¡±


    The mercenaries released another wave of arrows, but the enemies stayed hidden behind the trees.


    ¡°Keep your bows up so they can¡¯te out of the woods,¡± Donovan said to the archers.


    ¡°Sven down the left, and Donovan down the right! I¡¯m going down the middle. Bachman, you stay with the young noble and keep him safe!¡± Urich ordered as he raised his sword in each direction. The mercenaries marched forward with their weapons to gain the advantage of surrounding their enemy.


    ¡°Follow me, my piggies!¡±


    Urich led the line with a shout. He darted forward with his axe and sword in each of his hands.


    ¡°Woahhhhh!¡±


    The enemies faced the mercenaries, and they were soon in a pandemonium of screams and cries.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±


    Urich swung his axe and mmed it down on the enemy¡¯s shield. He tried to slice through the enemy¡¯s shield and get all the way into his neck.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    A spear whizzed past him in front of his eyes. With a quick twist of his head, Urich dodged the spear. It nearly impaled his head.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Screams came from all sides. Some mercenaries had failed to dodge theunched spears and had a hole punched through their heads.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re attacking in pairs?¡¯</i>


    The enemies were warriors of considerable skill. They fought in pairs, where one held a sword and shield while the other held a spear.


    <i>¡®When one of them blocks an attack with their shield, the other stabs the enemy with their spear. Their movements are in sync as if they¡¯re a single body.¡¯</i>


    Urich repeatedly stepped back to dodge the spear des.


    ¡°Dammit, get the wounded out of there!¡±


    The mercenaries fell back, dragging the wounded to safety. The first sh between the two sides left the mercenaries with a heavy casualty since they were unprepared for this unfamiliar battle tactic.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re well-trained soldiers. This isn¡¯t something that they came up with overnight.¡¯</i>


    The roles of shieldsmen and spearsmen were clear. Even though the mercenaries heavily outnumbered them, they couldn¡¯t find a way through.


    ¡°Go around the back! Go around the back and we¡¯ll hit them from both directions!¡±


    The mercenaries ran around to secure both sides of the enemies.


    <i>Clunk!</i>


    The shieldsmen surrounded the spearsmen to make a circle. It was a highly trained formation movement.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The spearsmen thrust their spears out of the circle, stabbing the mercenaries, who fell back injured.


    ¡°Archers!¡±


    The mercenaries cried out for ranged support, but it was difficult for the mercenary archers to pick out only the enemies in a chaotic mess of ally and foe. They had only learned how to shoot an arrow out of necessity.


    ¡°This is a first,¡± Urich muttered as he stared at the enemies with his back hunched and shoulders slouched.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been trained in the ¡®Hedgehog Formation.¡¯ If we dive in without thinking, our loss would be too big even if we were to win,¡± Donovan said with a groan. Blood was dripping down his neck from the spear wound.


    ¡°The Hedgehog...¡± Urich mumbled as he looked at the solidly packed enemies. The soldiers in formation moved as one body and thrust out the mercenaries.


    <i>¡®Even if I were to jump in there, I can only see myself getting stabbed to death by their spears.¡¯</i>


    Even Urich couldn¡¯t dare to jump into the enemies. That¡¯s how solid the formation was. Even a great warrior like Urich wasn¡¯t immune to a spear in his heart.


    ¡°Hey, what are you northerners doing over there? Come help out!¡± The mercenaries yelled.


    Sven and the other northerners were busy doing something behind the mercenaries. They sat in a circle, facing each other, and spun a sword in the air.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    The sword twirled in the air and fell to the ground with its tip pointing at one of the northerners.


    ¡°Ulgaro says that it is my turn,¡± the chosen one nodded as he looked around his brothers. They all exchanged their nces.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way to the Fields first, my brothers. It was an honor to fight like this once again, in a body that would have been tumbled in very.¡±


    The chosen northerner darted forward with his sword and shield. He shouted his final words, and everyone understood what he meant, even though it was in the northernnguage.


    ¡°To the Field of Swords!!¡±


    The northerner threw himself into the center of the Hedgehog. He leaped between the enemies, unperturbed by the spears that were impaling him as he advanced, and stabbed and shoved the enemies using his sword and shield.


    ¡°Keugh!¡±


    Stabbing him in the neck was no use. His bloodshot eyes were locked on the enemies as he swung his sword until the moment his heart stopped beating.


    ¡°Go, now! Get them, kill them all!¡± The mercenaries cried out. The Hedgehog formation was broken by the sacrifice of the northern warrior. In the scramble, the mercenaries who had the number advantage soon gained the upper hand.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Only after getting impaled by three spears did the northerner fall to the ground. His eyes were fading into the Field of Swords where Ulgaro, the forefather of the north, was waiting for him.


    ¡°This is the way of the north,¡± Sven said to Urich as he passed by him. Sven and the rest of the northerners pounced at the enemies with their weapons and battle cry.


    Even amid harsh conditions, the northerners had retaliated against the Empire for ten years. Physical prowess and strength weren¡¯t their only power, as they had their god who was for the warriors.


    <i>¡®Lou, the Sun God, speaks of love and mercy.¡¯</i>


    That wasn¡¯t the case for the northerners. Their values and virtues were battle and death.


    <i>¡®The northern god is arrogant and violent.¡¯</i>


    Urich remembered Gottval¡¯s words. He was starting to understand what the priest meant.


    ¡°Haha,¡± Urichughed as he looked at the dead northerner¡¯s eyes. There was no focus in his empty eyes.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    The smile dropped from Urich¡¯s face as he drew his breath before running toward the enemies. Violence spewed from him as he cut through his enemies.


    The table turned in the blink of an eye as the mercenaries shed at their enemies¡¯ throats in rage. The screams were enough to shake the leaves on the trees.


    ¡°Keke, idiots. Do you even know who you¡¯re protecting?¡± One of the soldiers cackled as he dropped his weapon.


    ¡°Hey, tie him up. We¡¯re going to ask him some questions,¡± Urich said as he walked up to the soldier.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ll let you live if you tell us everything you know.¡±


    ¡°That young man is... ugh.¡±


    An arrow came out of nowhere, prating the mouth of the soldier. Urich turned his head to look at the culprit.


    <i>¡®Phillion.¡¯</i>


    Phillion was the one holding the bow. He looked at Urich.


    ¡°Why did you kill him?¡±


    ¡°I thought he was attacking you,¡± Phillion said casually.


    ¡°Attack? I was going to capture him alive.¡±


    Urich narrowed his eyes but didn¡¯t say much else.


    The enemies began to flee, and the enraged mercenaries had no intention of keeping them alive. They crushed the skulls of anyone they could catch.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    The battle was over. The mercenaries fell to the ground to catch their breath, with their eyes still burning from the heat of the battle.


    ¡°Take care of the bodies.¡±


    After catching their breaths, the mercenaries rose to their feet. They stripped the bodies to collect their loot, then gathered all the dead men in one pile.


    ¡°Oil.¡±


    They surrounded the bodies with firewood and covered them with oil. Oil was a necessity for the mercenaries, as cremation was their staple mode of funeral.


    ¡°Oh, Lou.¡±


    The mercenaries recited their prayer. They cremated their brothers and their enemies alike since all souls were headed up to Lou, anyway. Everyone was equal before Lou.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to bury all of them individually?¡±


    Urich squatted down and looked at the northerners. Their mode of funeral was burial.


    ¡°What¡¯s so hard about it?¡± Sven shrugged off Urich¡¯s question and continued to dig with his shovel.


    Urich observed the northern funeral. They buried the body of their fallen brother along with the armory that he used in this world. There were some mercenaries who smacked their lips at the wasted armory, but they were well aware that Sven would crush their skulls if they tried to take it from the ground.


    It took the mercenaries until sundown to finish cleaning up the battle scene. The exhausted mercenaries finally got to have some rest.


    ¡°You fought well, I¡¯ll make sure you get your extra pay,¡± Phillion said, looking at Urich, as he acknowledged his work. Urich stared at his employer.


    ¡°Arrest him,¡± Urich said as he raised his fist. The mercenaries who had been informed by Urich earlier pounced on Phillion and his guards.


    ¡°W-what are you doing, Urich! Didn¡¯t you swear on your integrity on the name of Lou?¡± Phillion yelled. Urich only looked at him with cold eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who broke the promise of integrity first.¡±


    Phillion¡¯s face turned pale at Urich¡¯s words.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding here, just give me a chance to exin, Urich.¡±


    Urich didn¡¯t bother to let Phillion finish and waved to his mercenaries. They gathered Phillion and his guards together and put their weapons against their necks. Any silly movement would see their heads fall off.


    ¡°You tricked me and my brothers. Now, speak.¡±


    Urich plunged his sword into the ground. He gripped the hilt with locked hands and red at his employer. It wasn¡¯t as if he had any proof or hard evidence that Phillion lied, but he used him regardless. Suspicion alone was enough to act on, as evidence was something that could be dragged out of someone with violence and force.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re on about... Master!¡±


    Donovan grabbed Pahell by the back of his head and dragged him out to the rest of his entourage. Pahell, whose face was covered in tears, stared at Phillion.


    ¡°S-sir Phillion, do something, please! Let me live, please!¡± Pahell cried out, and Donovan grinned beside him.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, you¡¯d better start talking before your master¡¯s tongue drops to the ground,¡± Donovan threatened as he dug his fingers into Pahell¡¯s mouth and grabbed his tongue.


    ¡°U-ugh!¡±


    Pahell was losing his mind at the taste of metal against his tongue. His crotch was drenched in yellow urine.


    ¡°Stop! Please, stop! He is...¡±


    Phillion stopped for a moment, closed his eyes, then carried on with quivering lips.


    ¡°Varca Aneu Porcana. He is the sole and rightful heir to the Porcana Kingdom.¡±


    Donovan let go of Pahell¡¯s tongue with a dumbfounded look.


    ¡°R-royalty?¡±


    Pahell, with his tongue now free, eximed.


    ¡°How insolent! Get on your knees, you bastards! I will personally send you all to the gallows. Ugh!¡±


    Urich booted Pahell in the stomach. It was just a light kick for him, but for Pahell, it felt like he had been struck with a boulder.


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m talking to Phillion right now. Keep talking, Phillion, before I turn your precious master into a pulp.¡±

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36</h4>


    There was a chill in the air. The fact that Pahell was a member of the royal family didn¡¯t change a thing, and the mercenaries were prepared to kill both him and his loyal men at any moment.


    ¡°Just kill them all. Things could get messy if we get involved with the royal family. Let¡¯s get it over with and cross the border as quickly as we can,¡± Donovan suggested, and Phillion anxiously opened his mouth.


    ¡°A-after this job is done, there is a huge reward waiting for you! Our master is the heir of the Porcana Kingdom¡ªyou¡¯re basically escorting the future king!¡± Phillion desperately eximed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit if he¡¯s a royalty or not, you¡¯ve already tricked us once. Besides, you¡¯re just a small-time royalty. Maybe things would be different if you were an Imperial.¡±


    The mercenaries chuckled. They knew that even a king of a small kingdom wasn¡¯t to be messed with, and if they were standing before a real, official king, they would be on the ground right now bowing for mercy. However, the mercenaries were the ones in the right and with power at that moment.


    <i>¡®We¡¯re not breaking our integrity even if we kill Phillion and Pahell right here. They¡¯re the ones who vited it first.¡¯</i>


    Lou, the Sun God, wouldn¡¯t punish the mercenaries for that very reason. Phillion lied in the name of Lou on top of viting the promise of integrity. There was nothing tripping the conscience of the mercenaries with Lou on their side.


    ¡°You have to pay for what you¡¯ve done with your integrity, Sir Phillion,¡± Urich said, calling Phillion by his title Sir for the first time. Pillion¡¯s eyes were trembling in fear.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich walked up to Phillion and squatted down in front of him. His yellow eyes gazed at Phillion.


    ¡°Please, Urich, take our prince to the capital of Hamel,¡± Phillion said in a low voice. Urich replied in a whisper that was quiet enough that the other mercenaries couldn¡¯t hear him.


    ¡°At this rate, my brothers are going to riot. Since you were the one who broke the promise first, they¡¯re going to want to kill you and your little prince. Also, just take all your belongings¡ªyour money and your pearls. If you really want to protect your young master, then you have to pay for what you¡¯ve done with something that¡¯s worthy of the forgiveness of my brothers.¡±


    Pillion¡¯s eyes widened at Urich¡¯s words as it wasn¡¯t what he had expected to hear. His voice was friendly, quite far from the anger he expected him to be feeling.


    <i>¡®This man wants to carry on with the job. But if that¡¯s the case, why did he expose my secret to the other mercenaries?¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s actions were contradictory, but Phillion didn¡¯t care about understanding his intentions right now.


    ¡°Whatever is fine, as long as you can bring Prince Varca...¡±


    Phillion dropped his head. He knew that he had already lied using his soul as the consequence.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, I don¡¯t understand it at all. Why do you go so far to protect this immature kid?¡±


    ¡°He is of royalty and the heir of the kingdom. That alone is worthy of my loyalty, Urich.¡±


    ¡°Nope, as far as I¡¯m concerned, this is all just a joke. Bachman, how many brothers did we lose?¡± Urich turned around to ask Bachman as he showed a bitter grin.


    ¡°We have three dead. Wait, no, four. Another went just now.¡±


    After hearing their casualty, Urich turned to look at Phillion again.


    ¡°Are you left-handed, or right-handed?¡±


    Phillion knew what wasing. He took the glove off his right hand and put it out in front of him.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Urich¡¯s axe spun in his hand as Phillion anticipated the pain with his eyes closed.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    The fingers of Phillion¡¯s right hand were severed one by one.


    ¡°Hmph,¡±


    Phillion withheld his groan with all his strength as his fingers fell to the ground.


    ¡°S-sir Phillion...¡±


    Pahell, who was watching the scene unfold in terror, released a stream of tears as he copsed to the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, my prince, stay right there,¡± Phillion managed to show a smile even though sweat was pouring down his face. His right hand now only had a single thumb left. It was a grotesque sight.


    ¡°I-is, is that everything? Are we good now?¡± Phillion shook violently as he tried to stop the bleeding in his hand. Urich turned to Bachman again and asked.


    ¡°Bachman, how many wounded? The ones who are clearly bleeding.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we have five with a bunch of bandages around them.¡±


    Phillion¡¯s face turned pale as he saw Urich¡¯s look screaming ¡®I need more blood.¡¯


    ¡°You have to spill just as much blood as my brothers have spilled, don¡¯t you think?¡± Urich said as if he was finding amusement out of this. A shiver went down Phillion¡¯s spine after seeing Urich¡¯s creepy smile.


    <i>Rip¡ª</i>


    Urich cut into Phillion¡¯s back. As the tip of his de slowly made its way down the fleshy board of skin, the clear and sharp pain struck Phillion. Five lines of bloody marks ran down the length of his back.


    ¡°Sir Phillion!¡±


    The guards from Caracan rushed to his aid. His face was pale.


    ¡°Please, continue to escort our prince,¡± Phillion said as he practically mmed his face down onto the ground. His persistence was enough to make even the mercenaries stand in awe and disbelief.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t need an escort of animals like these men, Sir Phillion! We can do this on our own, you can protect me!¡± Pahell eximed. He despised Urich and the mercenaries. After seeing what they had done to his loyal liege, he wanted to kill them right there and then.


    After making it through the hefty punishment, Phillion stumbled toward Pahell. He raised his hand in the air.


    ¡°Forgive my insolence, my prince.¡±


    <i>p!</i>


    Blood spouted from Pahells¡¯ mouth as Phillion spent thest bit of his strength pping his young master across his face.


    ¡°S-sir Phillion, you¡¯ve hit me! How dare you hit me?¡±


    <i>p!</i>


    Phillionid his hand on Pahell once again. His cheek soon swelled red.


    ¡°You must face the reality, my prince! Do you really think we can escape this kingdom on our own? Even if I were to give up all of my fingers¡ªno, my head, that would be impossible.¡±


    Phillion cried out as he shoved his bloody right hand into Pahell¡¯s face. Blood was still dripping from the severed cross-section where the pale bone was showing and the pink muscles were twitching.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Pahell dropped his chin as he gagged. His vomit was a mix of his tears and snot.


    <i>¡®It was by Lou¡¯s grace that we ran into this mercenary squad. If we hadn¡¯t hired them, we would have been finished off by the chase party a long time ago,¡¯</i> Phillion thought to himself as he endured the pain. Even after the suffering that he had to go through, he believed that his decision was correct. Porcana was a small, quiet kingdom where mercenaries were rarely seen. The fact that they were able to meet a squad strong enough to fend off the chase party was already a miracle, so he had to tell whatever lie that was going to convince them to work for him.


    ¡°I want to carry on with the job. If anyone objects, speak up now, or we could go with our tradition and vote on it,¡± Urich said as he looked around his mercenaries. The mercenaries became busy chatting among themselves.


    ¡°We killed off the chase party anyway. The reward for escorting a royalty is going to be insane.¡±


    ¡°We should at least know all the details if we¡¯re going to do this. Why is a prince being chased out of his own kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Just kill them and take their money. Then we can happily be on our way.¡±


    A lot of different opinions made their way around the mercenaries. Still, the consensus was to kill their employer and take whatever they had.


    Pahell felt dizzy. He could hear the mercenaries¡¯ voices in between, and the sound of metal shing made his heart tremble in fear.


    <i>¡®I am going to die at this rate.¡¯</i>


    The cheek that had been obliterated by Phillion tingled. He had never been pped before, not even by the king. Nothing felt real.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Something was caught in Pahell¡¯s mouth.


    <i>Spit.</i>


    He spat out a tooth onto the ground.


    <i>¡®You pped a royalty to the point of breaking their tooth. You really are a loyal liege, Sir Phillion,¡¯ </i>his thought brought a smile to his own face, and Pahell wiped the blood around his mouth.


    ¡°...my name is Varca Aneu Porcana.¡±


    After vomiting profusely, Pahell picked up his chin, then clenched his teeth and fists. The mercenaries turned their attention to the prince.


    ¡°I am the sole and rightful heir to the Porcana Kingdom. However, Duke Harmatti, my uncle and the regent of the kingdom, is eyeing the throne. My father, the king, has not awakened from hisa for a year, so the throne will fall to me when I reach the age of sixteen. The regent, Duke Harmatti, wants to kill me before that because without the blood heir, the throne will naturally fall to him, the current regent and the brother of the king.


    The context of the job wasn¡¯t that different, except for the fact that it had escted from involving a single noble family to a royal dispute.


    ¡°If I undergo my sixteen-year-olding-of-age ceremony in the Empire and return to Porcana with the escort of the Imperial troops, Duke Harmatti won¡¯t be able toy a finger on me. I am the sole rightful heir to the throne of Porcana, so when I take the throne...¡±


    Pahell nced at Phillion, then back at the mercenaries.


    ¡°...you will be rewarded and treated ordingly to my position as King of Porcana. That, I swear in the name of Lou, the God of Sun.¡± Pahell took out his sun pendant and kissed it. Whoever broke their oath with a god was punished with eternal suffering in the afterlife. Phillion, who had already done so, now had a tainted soul.


    <i>¡®Oh, merciful and generous Lou, please consider the loyalty that Sir Phillion has shown and forgive his sin.¡¯</i>


    Pahell came to a sobering realization. He learned the magnitude of the sacrifice Phillion had made for him, and that the loss of one¡¯s body is nothingpared to the pain that he would have to endure in the afterlife. His soul was now destined to be an evil spirit that wanders the world of the living without salvation.


    ¡°Did you hear that? The next king promises a reward in Lou¡¯s name,¡± Urich grinned. The idea of killing and plundering the employer was slowly fading.


    <i>¡®This is a life-changing opportunity.¡¯</i>


    Opportunities like this were not easy toe by. Humans were destined to spend their lives rolling in the dirt until they died. That was the way it went.


    ¡°The royal highness himself promised it, so I want to finish the job.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe he¡¯ll give us some farnd for us to settle down on. A king can do that much, right?¡±


    One by one, the mercenaries raised their hands in favor ofpleting the job. Pahell promised the rewards that each mercenary asked for¡ªmoney for those who wanted payment, andnd for those who wanted it.


    Phillion and the guards breathed a sigh of relief. They had survived.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about, my prince. Well done,¡± Phillion soothed the prince as he stroked his head with his left hand. If Pahell hadn¡¯t promised the rewards for the mercenaries out of spite and stubbornness, they would have killed all of them as payback.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, your loyalty will certainly be rewarded. When I be the king, I¡¯m going to spend whatever it costs to get the pope to pardon your sin. I will not allow your soul to wander this world. I swear on Lou¡¯s name...¡±


    Phillion stopped Pahell mid-sentence and shook his head.


    ¡°Swearing on Lou¡¯s name is something that people without trust do with each other. Your word alone is sufficient for me, prince.¡±


    Pahell mped his hands over his chest and opened his mouth as tears covered his eyes.


    ¡°I, then, swear to you on my own name, not Lou¡¯s.¡±


    * * *


    Phillion was being treated by one of the guards. The guard wiped the dried blood from his back and applied an ointment.


    ¡°The wound is surprisingly shallow for the amount of bleeding,¡± the guard said as he dressed the wound. Phillion bent forward and back to feel the severity.


    <i>¡®He only cut through the skin. The muscles are fine.¡¯</i>


    It was just a long tear in his back that looked like a nasty gash. It wasn¡¯t much of an injury.


    <i>¡®Urich, you clever man.¡¯</i>


    Phillion re-evaluated his assessment of Urich. He was much cleverer than he had initially thought.


    <i>¡®I still don¡¯t understand why he told the other mercenaries about my lie. He wanted to carry out the job regardless, so all he had to do to prevent all thatmotion was just keep it to himself.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s action was questionable.


    <i>Step.</i>


    After finishing his meal, Urich walked up to Phillion. Phillion waved the guards away to make room for a private conversation.


    ¡°Go get some meat, you lost a lot of blood,¡± Urich said as if he wasn¡¯t the cause of all the bleeding.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s weird for me to say this to the person who tortured me, but thank you, Urich.¡± Phillion nodded to show his respect.


    ¡°I understand why you lied. If you had told us that you were on a royal quest from the beginning, we wouldn¡¯t have taken the job. It was because of your lie that we made it this far. So, in the end, it seems like your judgment was correct,¡± Urich chuckled. Even Donovan, who was the first to vote in favor of this job in the beginning, wanted out as soon as it was revealed that it involved the royal family. That¡¯s how dangerous andplicated it made things for the mercenaries.


    <i>¡®I was able to convince my brothers only because we were already doing the job.¡¯</i>


    Urich nced at Phillion¡¯s right hand. After losing four fingers on one hand, his life as a warrior was over.


    ¡°Try not to me me too much. You did vite the integrity. The job not being the same as the description is the same as mercenaries turning on their employer. It would have been fair for me to crack your master¡¯s skull into two right in front of you,¡± Urich said as he picked his nose. There was blood clotted up inside his nose, which he picked out and flicked into the fire.


    ¡°There is no me. In fact, I think you let me off easy. But can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°If I say no, are you not going to ask?¡±


    Urich¡¯s banter made Phillion chuckle despite his sore body.


    ¡°If you wanted to keep the job, why did you expose me to the other mercenaries? Again, I¡¯m not ming you for it, I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I do want to finish this job because I want to see the capital of the Empire. If I¡¯m going there with a noble, then I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get to see even more of the capital that you call the center of the world than if the mercenary squad were to visit it on our own. Actually, since you guys are part of the royal family, doesn¡¯t that mean I get to see the emperor himself? Right?¡± Urich¡¯s words became quicker, and his eyes sparkled like that of a young boy.


    ¡°If you wish, I can help you see the emperor from afar in the royal audience.¡±


    ¡°The estates and castles of the nobles that I¡¯ve met were amazing. I can¡¯t imagine how magnificent the emperor¡¯s will be, goddamn. I bet it¡¯s full of incredible things,¡± Urichughed as he mmed his own knees. The Imperial steel sword that had be Urich¡¯s treasure was also something that could only be found in the workshop of the emperor.


    <i>¡®This man...¡¯</i>


    Phillion felt the eagerness of Urich. It was the pure desire of a child.


    ¡°I really want to go to the capital of the Empire, especially if it¡¯s with a noble. However, I have no intention of lying to or betraying my brothers for my own desire. That¡¯s all. I realized that you vited our trust, and I had the duty to notify my brothers.¡±


    It was simple. Urich was honest. He didn¡¯t lie about his desire to see the capital, nor had he broken his duty to his brothers.


    <i>¡®Clear and simple.¡¯</i>


    Phillion suddenly gained rity.


    ¡®<i>This man can be trusted. Even though he¡¯s a barbarian, he honors his oaths and duties. He¡¯s probably more loved by Lou than a man like me who lies with impunity in his name.¡¯</i>


    Phillion had taken a liking to the man who had cut off his fingers. It was quite ironic.

 Chapter 37: Wild Horse

    <h4>Chapter 37: Wild Horse</h4>


    The mercenaries were finally out of the mountains and had reached the ins. Once they stepped onto the t grounds, they were able to release their tension.


    ¡°Duke Harmatti is currently ruling the Porcana Kingdom as a regent,¡± Phillion said to Urich.


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that Duke Harmatti is the younger brother of the king and is currently ruling the Kingdom as its regent. Doesn¡¯t that basically make him the king?¡±


    ¡°But the right of session belongs to Varca Aneu Porcana¡ªour prince. For Harmatti to officially be the king of Porcana, the prince must be removed from the picture.¡±


    Pahell swallowed hard in anger as he listened to Phillion exin.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I am the rightful heir to the throne. Once I be of age, the traitorous Duke Harmatti has no choice but to cede the throne to me,¡± Pahell said as he gritted his teeth. He was filled with resentment toward his uncle.


    ¡°Righteous and whatnot, you use too many big words. Why doesn¡¯t the strongest man just take the throne for himself?¡±


    Urich couldn¡¯t understand what all theplications were about. In his tribe, the strongest warrior naturally became the chief. Even the son of the chief had to hand over the position to the strongest warrior if he demanded it.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s why I was always getting into fights with the chief¡¯s son back home... Even if I never wanted to be the chief, it was my fate as the best warrior, anyway...¡¯</i>


    If Urich had stayed on his side of the Sky Mountains, he would have be the chief of his tribe by now. Even though he had been denying the position, he knew that it was his fate. He was a warrior destined to be the chief.


    <i>¡®My fate changed the moment I stepped foot on the Sky Mountains.¡¯</i>


    Urich believed that he was making up his own fate with his own power.


    ¡°Imagine the strongest man takes the throne whenever it bes vacant. That would be terrible!¡± Phillion said with a shudder. Urich blinked in confusion.


    ¡°Why would that be terrible?¡±


    ¡°Because, then, every time a king dies, the kingdom would split into different forces. Any noble who thinks they stands a chance in taking the throne would demand the right and go straight to war with anyone who disagrees. That¡¯s why there must be an heir to the throne¡ªthe blood heir that no one can dispute!¡±


    Urichughed at Phillion¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t the nobles just go head-to-head with each other with their swords? Whoever wins can take the throne. What¡¯s the big issue?¡±


    The other mercenaries chuckled beside him.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s how you lowly barbarians do it, but for our kingdoms, it takes more than just battle skills to be a good ruler and a king. A king must have the wisdom and knowledge to rightfully rule their kingdom,¡± Phillion eximed as if Urich¡¯s inability to understand was bothering him. Urich looked at Pahell.


    ¡°This kid who pisses his pants has the royal wisdom to rule a kingdom? Hah!¡±


    ¡°H-how rude, mercenary leader Urich! I-I am...¡± Pahell yelled as his face turned red.


    ¡°¡¯I am of royal birth!¡¯ That¡¯s what you were about to say, right?¡± Urich sneered, mimicking what had be Pahell¡¯s catchphrase.


    ¡°I-if it wasn¡¯t for the oath, I would have executed you for insulting the royalty right now!¡± Pahell blustered on.


    ¡°Urich, don¡¯t tease the little prince too much,¡± Bachman said as he massaged his shoulders with his spear shaft.


    The mercenary squad had regained their rxation after returning to the nds. They were finally able to catch their breaths and release the tension of getting through the mountains safely.


    ¡°Duke Harmatti probably didn¡¯t expect his men to fail. Even if there¡¯s another chase partying, it¡¯s going to take them quite some time to catch up to us. Hopefully, this means that we can make it to the capital of Hamel without any more issues,¡± Phillion said as he looked back at the mountains that they had just descended.


    ¡°How long until the border of the Porcana Kingdom, Donovan?¡±


    Donovan was in charge of the map. He unrolled the map scroll and eyed the distance.


    ¡°We still have about two days.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s drop by a city after we get past the border. That should be okay, right?¡± Urich asked Phillion. During thest bout of their journey, the mercenary squad wasn¡¯t able to visit any cities inside the Porcana Kingdom. Because of that, they weren¡¯t able to replenish the supplies that were running out; no drinks to warm up the fatigued bodies, and there were the asionalints about not being able to bed a woman among the mercenaries.


    ¡°The duke¡¯s influence only reaches as far as the border. Once we leave the kingdom borders, the job is practically halfway done. I do worry about the prince¡¯s fitness. You mercenaries mightugh, but he truly is trying his best to keep up. He had never walked this much in his life, and yet he¡¯s grinding his teeth trying not to fall behind,¡± Phillion said as he nced at his young master who was struggling to keep up with the mercenaries. Urich smiled.


    ¡°Your master is quite persistent.¡±


    ¡°He takes after his father, the king. It¡¯s just that his twin sister, Princess Damia, is a bit of a tomboy, so growing up with her tempered him a little.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you left the kingdom without his sister? You left her behind? Isn¡¯t that dangerous for her?¡±


    ¡°A woman cannot inherit the throne. Duke Harmatti has nothing to gain from doing anything to his niece, the princess.


    When they were finallypletely out of the mountains, they were faced with the ins where the grass was short.


    ¡°Horses!¡±


    The mercenaries in the front of the line shouted as they spotted a group of horses.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that they¡¯re wild horses.¡±


    The horses were grazing leisurely. They were wild beasts that had escaped the influence of men.


    ¡°We should capture that horse,¡± Phillion signaled the knights. They removed their armor and prepared the ropes to capture the wild horse.


    ¡°What are they doing? Those are wild horses. You can¡¯t ride them even if you somehow manage to capture them,¡± a few mercenaries yelled to the knights. The knights lowered their stance and approached the herd of wild horses.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just sit back and see what they do,¡± Urich said as he watched with interest. He had never ridden a horse, and using horses for transportation was something that he had never imagined until he crossed the Sky Mountains.


    ¡°We got one!¡±


    One of the knights threw a rope around the neck of the horse. The captured horse struggled to break free, but the knights pulled on the rope from both sides of the horse. The other horses in the vicinity scattered and fled.


    ¡°Hey, now!¡±


    The knights wrestled until the horse¡¯s strength was drained. The ck horse snorted and released a steamy breath through its nose as it struggled ferociously.


    ¡°Well done, Sir Lupin,¡± Pahell praised his knight¡¯s effort and prepared the reins.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to try to tame him and ride him now? You¡¯re going to fall off, Prince.¡±


    The mercenaries passing by said to the prince. Pahell scoffed at their warning and walked up to the horse.


    ¡°I bet a hundred thousand cils on him not being able to ride the horse.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    ¡°Hey, he¡¯s doing it because he has confidence. I¡¯m betting fifty thousand on him riding the horse.¡±


    The area had quickly turned into a gambling pot. Urich looked back and forth between Phillion and Pahell and detected a strange confidence flowing between them.


    ¡°Three hundred thousand on him doing it,¡± Urich joined in on the bet. Bachman, who was acting as the money man,ughed.


    ¡°Urich, we¡¯re not going to cancel your bet if you lose just because you¡¯re our leader. Are you really going to bet three hundred thousand?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Urich answered briefly as he crossed his arms. He closely watched Pahell who was walking up to the horse.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    Pahell approached the horse. The tired horse was breathing heavily as it red at the prince. The horse was still being held down by the knights on both sides.


    ¡°Be careful, my prince,¡± one of the knights said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s blue eyes shone. He slowly brushed the mane of the wild horse.


    <i>Neighh.</i>


    Although they were called wild horses, they were still horses that had been bred by humans. Since they weren¡¯t truly wild, they retained the habit of submitting to humans. Taming them was the process of bringing that trait back out.


    ¡°Hey, now, it¡¯s alright. You¡¯re alright,¡± Pahell whispered to the horse. The horse blinked itsrge eyes as it kept its gaze locked on Pahell.


    ¡°Rx, we can be friends,¡± Pahell also locked his eyes on the horse¡¯s. The ferocity in the horse¡¯s eyes was gone, reced by a gentle glow.


    ¡°You can let him go now,¡± Pahell ordered the knights, who released the ropes at the prince¡¯smand.


    ¡°That¡¯s Prince Varca.¡±


    The knights remarked as if they were expecting this to happen. They knew their prince quite well.


    ¡°Look, he¡¯s about to do it,¡± the mercenaries murmured.


    ¡°The prince¡¯s love for horses is renowned throughout the kingdom. He even has his own stable with horses of all colors from ck to white. From taming them to riding them, there¡¯s nothing he can¡¯t do with horses,¡± Phillion proudly said as if he was bragging about his own child.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± Urich was in awe. Seeing Pahell tame a wild horse with such ease made him look at the prince in a new light.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call you Kylios,¡± Pahell whispered in the horse¡¯s ear. He slowly put the reins on the horse¡¯s head and saddled him up. After mounting the horse, Pahell and Kylios started off with a slow walk, then picked up the speed to gallop around the mercenaries. Just like that, he had be one with the wild horse.


    ¡°Not even a stablehand who¡¯d worked with horses all his life can¡¯t do what our prince does!¡± Phillion boasted as he greeted Pahell as he returned with the horse.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s pretty impressive, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°By the way you tamed that wild horse so easily, you shouldn¡¯t have a problem getting by in life even if you don¡¯t be king. At least you won¡¯t starve to death!¡±


    The mercenaries chattered as they distributed the betting money.


    ¡°Damn. Hey, Urich, what are you doing? Come get your money,¡± Bachman shoved the gold coins in front of Urich as he tapped on his shoulder, but Urich didn¡¯t seem to hear a word Bachman was saying to him.


    <i>¡®I never knew how cool horse riding could be!¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at Pahell¡¯s dismount with a nk stare. It felt like something was popping out of his chest. With Pahell, the horse wasn¡¯t just a mode of transportation. Urich had witnessed a man and a horse establishing a bond to be one.


    ¡°Pahell,¡± Urich stood in front of Pahell.


    ¡°W-what do you want? Y-you¡¯re not going to kill my horse again, are you?¡± Pahell was frightened. The earlier incident with Urich stuck with him as a deep trauma.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I apologize for that. I have a favor to ask you.¡±


    ¡°A favor?¡±


    ¡°Teach me how to ride a horse. There¡¯s no one better than you at doing that.¡±


    Pahell didn¡¯t know what to do with himself at Urich¡¯s pure, unfilteredpliment. He looked up at Urich in disbelief.


    <i>¡®This is my chance to show this damn barbarian who I am! What kind of person I am!¡¯</i>


    Pahell¡¯s eyes slowly narrowed as he covered his mouth and chuckled.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll teach you. But I¡¯m warning you, my teaching is very strict. You better brace yourself.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Why are you so slow? And you call yourself a warrior? Huh?¡± Pahell scolded Urich. He took some time before dinner to teach Urich how to ride a horse.


    ¡°I¡¯m not slow, it¡¯s just that this horse keeps pushing me away,¡± Urich, who was on the ground after falling, red at the horse.


    ¡°Hey, this horse has a name. Call him Kylios. They have ears just like us, you know?¡± Pahell crossed his arms and continued to scold Urich. His grin never left his face.


    <i>¡®Someone like you could never learn how to ride a horse this quickly.¡¯</i>


    Pahell thought that it would take Urich ages to learn how to properly ride a horse.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s too fierce and aggressive.¡¯</i>


    Urich was a man who intimidated others with his presence alone. The sharp and ferocious aura exuding from his body was extraordinary.


    <i>¡®It might help him in battles, but it won¡¯t do him any good when he¡¯s trying to ride a horse.¡¯</i>


    Horses were sensitive animals. Intelligent, too.


    <i>¡®Unless he finds a way to calm his aura down, he¡¯ll never be able to mount Kylios. Maybe a horse that¡¯s been tamed a long time ago.¡¯</i>


    Pahell soothed Kylios and looked at Urich.


    ¡°You should just give up. You¡¯re too slow and dull to ride a horse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? I¡¯m slow and dull?¡± Urichughed in disbelief. He red at Kylios again.


    <i>¡®This goddamn animal. You let that noble on your back but not me?¡¯</i>


    His pride was hurt, and hispetitive side was showing.


    ¡°Alright, watch me. Just mount him like... this, and give him a few good taps. Who¡¯s a good horse? Well done, Kylios.¡±


    Pahell nimbly mounted the horse. He brushed Kylios¡¯ ck mane and poured his love and affection out onto him.


    ¡°Purr.¡±


    Kylios skimmed the ground with his front hooves to show that he was happy. It was hard to believe that the two of them had only spent a day together as they already seemed inseparable. It was Pahell¡¯s natural talent.


    <i>¡®Why? Why is it so obedient to Pahell?¡¯</i>


    Urich couldn¡¯t understand it at all.


    ¡°We¡¯ll end it here, Urich. Maybe if I tame him a bit more, he might let someone slow and dull like you on his back, too.¡±


    Urich was boiling with rage and frustration. Pahell looked at Urich¡¯s sagging shoulders andughed. It felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.


    ¡°Fuck, damn you, you stupid beast!¡±


    After returning to the mercenaries, Urich bounced around in frustration. He couldn¡¯t get what he wanted.


    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that a beginner couldn¡¯t tame a horse that was roaming in the wild just this morning. It¡¯s just the way it is, Urich,¡± Sven tried to cheer up Urich as he shifted to make room for him.


    ¡°That young noble does it just fine. There¡¯s no reason why I shouldn¡¯t be able to.¡±


    In whatever he did, Urich was always the best. He had never experienced being bested by someone in what he wanted to do. His physique was a blessing.


    ¡°Urich, you are strong and agile. You are a natural-born warrior. Has anyone ever looked at that and said, ¡®I can do exactly what Urich can, too!¡¯? Everyone is born with different gifts and talents. There¡¯s no point in being jealous of someone¡¯s natural talent,¡± Sven said calmly. He held a hot meatloaf in one hand and a knife to cut it with in the other.


    ¡°But I want to ride a horse, too,¡± Urich whined like a child.


    ¡°Skill doesn¡¯te overnight, and I¡¯m sure you know that better than most people. Did you gain your skills as a warrior in a day? No, you gained it by ying through countless men.¡±


    Urich was speechless. There was nothing to say.


    <i>¡®Maybe I rushed it.¡¯</i>


    Urich subconsciously looked down on Pahell. He considered him a lesser man than himself.


    <i>¡®I thought there was no way that I couldn¡¯t do what Pahell could.¡¯</i>


    Looking back, he realized that it was his arrogance.


    <i>¡®Did I think that Gottval was a lesser man than I am just because he couldn¡¯t fight? No, I didn¡¯t.¡¯</i>


    Urich pondered as he stared into the crackling campfire.


    <i>¡®Sven is full of experience. His words are cautious and are always backed. But as a warrior, he¡¯s got more fire than anyone else. He¡¯s a warrior equipped with both fiery battle spirit and cold logic.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Bachman has a silver tongue, and he can read the room like no one else can. He can sway the people, although his fighting is average.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Donovan has the nastiest personality, but he looks after his own people. He has that ex-military experience so he¡¯s good atmanding our squad. He¡¯s helpful in battles.¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at Pahell. He was resting in his seat after tying the horse to a nearby tree.


    <i>¡®Pahell... can¡¯t fight, has a disgusting personality, has no experience, and isn¡¯t cautious. But... he sure can ride a horse.¡¯</i>


    Pahell sensed Urich¡¯s gaze and looked back at him with confidence.


    ¡°What, you want to give up on horse riding already?¡±


    Urich smiled and shook his head at Pahell¡¯s words.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to keep trying. By the way, Pahell, you¡¯re an amazing horse rider. How do you ride a horse so well? I guess you really are of royal status.¡±


    Even after hearing apliment, Pahell somehow felt offended.

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38</h4>


    Urich sat next to Kylios and red at him with cold eyes.


    ¡°Purr.¡±


    Kylios snorted as he looked at the barbarian as if he was wary of his presence.


    ¡°You¡¯re only obedient to Pahell.¡±


    Urich wasn¡¯t the only one who couldn¡¯t get on the horse¡¯s back. Kylios didn¡¯t allow anyone other than Pahell to ride him, not even the mercenaries who were experienced horse riders.


    ¡°That¡¯s a wild horse, alright. Who would¡¯ve thought that young noble would have a knack for it?¡±


    The mercenaries who were rejected by Kyliosmented as they walked away.


    ¡°You¡¯d better give up, too, Urich. This horse isn¡¯t for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Urich still couldn¡¯t give up.


    <i>¡®Dammit, it was pretty cool.¡¯</i>


    The image of Pahell taming the wild beast in a heartbeat and roaming the ins on its back was still vivid in his head.


    <i>¡®I want to ride a horse, too.¡¯</i>


    He didn¡¯t want a stable horse that was born tamed by humans. He wanted a wild horse that was full of life.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    Urich¡¯s heart squirmed as he felt the force of life from the beastliness of Kylios.


    ¡°Kylios,¡± Urich muttered, and the horse looked up as if he recognized his own name.


    <i>¡®Horses are smart. They can understand everything we say.¡¯</i>


    Those were Pahell¡¯s words.


    ¡°I guess today isn¡¯t the day, either.¡±


    Urich got up from his seat. He decided not to rush to get on Kylios¡¯ back.


    <i>¡®Kylios rejects me.¡¯</i>


    First and foremost, he had to be closer with the animal. With that intention, Urich spent a lot of time with Kylios.


    ¡°Purr.¡±


    Kylios always acted cold toward Urich, but that attitude went away the moment Pahell walked up to him.


    ¡°Once we get to the city, I¡¯ll get you some nice horseshoes,¡± Pahell said to his horse as he assessed his condition.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s a young male. He¡¯s big and his hooves are also healthy. I got a good one.¡¯</i>


    Pahell was a horse expert. He could tell that Kylios was a fine horse. Even though he was an unbred wild horse, he was big and strong enough to make it as a warhorse.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just hand the throne over to your uncle and stick with raising horses? I think that suits you better, no?¡± Urich asked with an attitude.


    ¡°Being good with horses is one of the virtues of a king.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even fight.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a king going to do on the frontlines? I just need a certain level of swordsmanship to be cultured. It¡¯s not even that important for kings, anyway.¡±


    ¡°How ridiculous is it that you ask your people to put their lives on the line fighting for you, when all you do is just sit in your throne, giving orders? I also don¡¯t understand the people who fight to the death just because you ordered them to,¡± Urichughed.


    ¡°A barbarian like you could never understand the nobility of bloodlines, statuses, and loyalty, even if you spent your whole life trying to.¡±


    Pahell was proud to be of royalty¡ªto be the rightful heir to the throne.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that, I¡¯ll never understand your strange system.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s eyes turned sharp and hostile as he looked at Urich. His look was a mix of hatred, rage, and strangely, a hint of favor.


    ¡°Sir Phillion is fond of you, even though you were the very man who cut off his fingers. At first, I thought there was something wrong with his head.¡±


    ¡°Four of my brothers died because of his false job description. I think losing some fingers was a light punishmentpared to that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what he said as well¡ªthat he got off easy,¡± Pahell replied as he gritted his teeth in anger. After what had happened, Pillion¡¯s time as a knight was finished. Maybe he could¡¯ve managed if it was his left hand that was left fingerless, but he had lost four of the five on his right hand. He was also too old to learn to wield a sword with his left hand.


    ¡°So, what, are youining?¡±


    ¡°I am, but I also gave you my word. Once I be the king, I am going to reward you generously and I won¡¯t try to get you back for what you¡¯ve done. I am of royal status, and my oaths are worth just as much as my status.¡±


    Pahell jumped on the back of his horse. He said to Urich as he looked down.


    ¡°Mercenary Leader Urich, start thinking about what you want as your reward. Perhaps you¡¯d like to take a bundle of gold and silver treasure to return to your home proudly.¡±


    Pahell smiled brightly and tapped Kylios with the back of his heels. In response, Kylios turned his head and walked away with him.


    The mercenaries packed up their camp and got on the road again. The border was now two days away.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally out of here if we just walk today and tomorrow. Damn, we¡¯re finally getting to the city, huh?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, the city¡¯s at least three days away. Don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡±


    The mercenaries exchanged their casual chatter. They were passing the border between sparsely popted territories.


    ¡°It¡¯s much better to be on a horse,¡± Pahell said as he drew in the tall air. Riding a horse also required a great deal of stamina and strength, but it was nothing he wasn¡¯t used to. For him, it was much better than walking with a bunch of blisters on his feet.


    <i>Clop, clop.</i>


    The group was walking past a few patches of fallow fields. They werends on break from harvest.


    ¡°Fallow fields?¡±


    Urich asked for an exnation. He had a great deal of interest in farming.


    ¡°If you keep nting the same crops in the samend year after year, thend eventually loses its strength, and the crops won¡¯t grow properly in the following year. So, you either let thend rest for a season or if you can¡¯t afford to take a break from farming, you nt a different crop that doesn¡¯t require as much from thend,¡± Bachman exined.


    ¡°I see, you have to think of all that as you farm? That¡¯s quite impressive, impressive indeed,¡± Urich expressed his admiration as he looked at the fallownds.


    ¡°I see smokeing out of the chimney of that farmhouse over there. I will go buy some bread or grains,¡± Lupin, who was one of the guards of the prince, said to Phillion.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Sir Lupin. The prince must be tired of the hard food we¡¯ve been eating ever since we left the city. Maybe some porridge might help,¡± Phillion said as he nodded.


    Lupin made contact with the farmhouse. He split a hundred-thousand-cil coin into two and gave half to the farmer for the food. It was quite a profitable deal for the farmer. After the transaction, Lupin rejoined the mercenaries with a basket full of bread and grains.


    ¡°If we go this way, we¡¯re most likely going to run into the border patrol. We should take a detour as we nned. There should be a couple of bridges that used to be used by the farmers.¡±


    The mercenaries nned their route as they had their lunch. The border of Porcana Kingdom was a series of canyons and rivers, so travelers needed to use bridges to enter and leave the kingdom.


    After walking for another half a day, the mercenaries set up their camp again.


    ¡°Hah, you dumbass!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Urich fell off Kylios¡¯ back again. Pahell was rolling on the groundughing, and Urich was shaking in frustration.


    <i>¡®Maybe I should just beat him up.¡¯</i>


    Urich aggressively scratched his head. It was another day of him not being able to mount Kylios. The mercenaries had established a regr bet for whether he could ride the horse or not.


    ¡°Ah, bread porridge, that¡¯s good. My jaw was starting to hurt from all that hardy food,¡± Pahell said in relief as he sat in front of his pot. His meal was a porridge with pieces of bread boiled in it. For a royalty who had grown up on the delicate food of the pce, the hard foods of the mercenaries were too harsh.


    The mercenaries who were enjoying their food stopped their meals when they noticed a shaking torching their way from afar.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Someone yelled from not too far from their camp. Their voice was thunderous and clear.


    ¡°We¡¯re a mercenary squad!¡±


    The mercenaries answered while both parties maintained their distance from each other.


    ¡°We are the border patrol. We must ask you for the reason for camping here since this isn¡¯t the way to the border gate.¡±


    As the border patroller shouted, the mercenaries started to curse among themselves.


    ¡°They¡¯re all on horses.¡±


    ¡°Why are the border patroling all the way out here?¡±


    ¡°Some luck, this is.¡±


    There were five patrollers in total, all of them on horses.


    ¡°You better answer our question unless you want us to consider you as bandits.¡±


    Stalling only made the mercenaries look more suspicious to the border patrol.


    ¡°We have a prince with us. If we tell them that, wouldn¡¯t they just get on their knees?¡±


    ¡°Or we could be arrested right here.¡±


    While the mercenaries were talking, two of the border patrollers rode off back to their camp.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to bring the gate defense,¡± Phillion said with concern.


    ¡°How big is the gate defense?¡±


    Phillion thought for a moment before answering Urich¡¯s question.


    ¡°If it¡¯s the nearby Orquell Defense, probably around two hundred men with fifty horses.¡±


    ¡°So, if we were to run, then we¡¯d have about fiftying after us? We can deal with fifty,¡± Urich said with a grin. He was already smelling the blood of another battle.


    ¡°Warhorses are strong and fit. They¡¯lle right after us with two men on their backs. We¡¯ll have to fight off a hundred men, then.¡±


    The mercenaries were stirred. It was impossible to ditch the horses on a nd. It seemed like a conflict was inevitable.


    The morale of the squad was dropping rapidly. After all, their goal was to survive and get their rewards for the job. They didn¡¯t have the loyalty for the prince to wee any battle where they would be at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Urich, the mercenaries are splitting. If we go into battle like this, we¡¯re definitely going to have some running off,¡± Bachman said to Urich. He was always reading the tendency of the squad and giving appropriate advice.


    ¡°Can I suggest something? We might have a way to avoid the battle altogether,¡± Phillion said, getting Urich and the mercenaries¡¯ attention.


    ¡°Avoid the battle?¡±


    ¡°The reason why the patrol is being so sensitive is probably because they¡¯ve heard the news of the missing prince. Or there could be a false rumor that he had been kidnapped. Regardless, what I¡¯m saying is that it¡¯s about time for Duke Harmatti¡¯s message to spread throughout the kingdom¡ªa message telling the people to look out for a young man with blue eyes.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that our little master is the culprit?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t outrun a horse on feet, but we can on a horse if the prince was to leave right now. We can meet up at the city of Valgma past the kingdom border. That way, even if the patrol searches the squad, they won¡¯t find anyone around the prince¡¯s age with blue eyes. They won¡¯t want to start a meaningless conflict with a mercenary squad, either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good n. Who¡¯s going to go with the prince? Not you, Phillion, you don¡¯t have a good track record.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I understand. Urich, I want you to take the prince,¡± Phillion said solemnly. Urich¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m the leader of the squad! It doesn¡¯t make sense for me to run away!¡±


    ¡°Sven can fill in for you. To be honest, his aged look is more fitting to the leader title, anyway,¡± Phillion said as he pointed at the other barbarian. Svenughed after hearing the n.


    ¡°What a great idea. I¡¯m in.¡±


    After hearing Sven agree, the majority of the mercenaries nodded in favor of the n which sounded much better than a battle that they had little chance of winning.


    ¡°I¡¯m not on board. It feels like I¡¯m running away! Why can¡¯t we just fight...¡±


    Urich stopped midsentence after ncing at the reactions of the mercenaries. He felt their cold re.


    If everyone in the squad were like Urich and Sven, they might have chosen to fight like warriors who were always prepared to ept death. However, the main goal of the mercenaries was to survive and get paid.


    ¡°Urich,¡± Sven said as he shook his head. His single word contained many meanings.


    Urich kicked the ground and frowned.


    ¡°Dammit. Pahell! Can I even ride Kylios?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to really ride a horse. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to ride behind me.¡±


    Pahell seemed just as flustered as anyone else. He looked at Phillion with uneasy eyes.


    ¡°Urich is a trustworthy man, my prince. He may be a barbarian, but he is a follower of Lou and understands the nobility of oaths,¡± Phillion said to his young master. Pahell bit his bottom lip and nodded.


    ¡°May Lou¡¯s light guide you, Sir Phillion.¡±


    Pahell and Urich snuck out of the camp with Kylios. Kylios, being a dark horse, didn¡¯t stand out at all in the darkness.


    ¡°We¡¯ll allow your search!¡± Sven shouted.


    The border patrollers nodded and rode closer to the camp but maintained theirst bit of distance.


    ¡°The main force will arrive shortly. Unless we see anything suspicious, we¡¯ll let you go without any problem.¡±


    The mercenaries stood by in silence, waiting for the gate defense.

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39</h4>


    Margraves were counts who were granted considerable military power to protect the territories thaty on the borders between kingdoms. They were exempt from taxation of the Empire and also had the authority to collect tolls from merchants and travelers who passed through their gates. With the financial resources gained from said tolls, the margraves were able to maintain armies that were disproportionately bigpared to the size and economic scale of their territories.


    Margrave Orquell was not an exception. He had over two hundred gate defenders and fifty border patrollers at his disposal. Furthermore, he also had the power to raise over five hundred troops in less than a week with a conscription order. He was a powerful governor.


    ¡°The battle for the throne is finally here,¡± Margrave Orquell muttered.


    The nobles were all aware of the imminent battle for the throne. It was obvious to most people that sooner orter, the battle between the blood heir Varca Aneu Procana and the regent Duke Harmatti was going to take ce.


    <i>¡®So, the prince is choosing to get the help of the Empire.¡¯</i>


    Margrave Orquell kicked his tongue in disproval. He had received a letter two days ago that Prince Varca had gone missing. It was obvious that he would defect to the Empire.


    ¡°Even if we¡¯re in a war-free, peaceful era, how can a child with no militarymanding experience be the king? It¡¯s absurd.¡±


    Margrave Orquell was a soldier with half of his hair turned white. Back in his young military days, he had fought in the barbarian conquest as well as taking part in the subjugation of the remaining barbarians.


    ¡°The king raised his heir to be weak. Does he really think that the world would no longer need fighters? Nonsense.¡±


    Margrave Orquell did not fancy the prince at all. He was a frail, weak prince who had been raised more in the ways of literature than in the art of battle.


    <i>¡®A king must be strong, like Duke Harmatti.¡¯</i>


    His convictions were firm. Since Duke Harmatti was merely the king¡¯s brother, he wasn¡¯t the rightful heir to the throne. However, he was an excellent warrior. The two men had ridden side by side in battles.


    ¡°My lord, the border patrol found a group of mercenaries along the borderline,¡± his adjutant reported. Margrave Orquell was not aware of the fact that the prince was traveling with mercenaries as that information had not yet reached the outskirts of the kingdom.


    <i>¡®If he wasn¡¯t able to escape by the sea route, he might be traveling among the mercenaries.¡¯</i>


    The margrave put on his armor and jumped on his horse. As the horse galloped, the sound of his chainmail followed.


    <i>Clop, clop.</i>


    The margrave led his cavalry as the soldiers rode in pairs.


    ¡°Have any mercenaries passed through the other gates recently?¡±


    There hadn¡¯t been any mercenaries passing through Orquell¡¯s gate. The scribe on another horse pulled out his scroll and checked his records.


    ¡°A squad named Urich¡¯s Mercenaries have crossed the gates of Larmang. Their numbers seem to match up with the report from the patrol. There¡¯s a good chance it¡¯s them.¡±


    ¡°Urich¡¯s Brotherhood?¡± Orquell questioned, and one of his adjutants answered.


    ¡°I have heard rumors of them. Apparently, they fought equally against the Silver Lion Mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then they¡¯re a force to be reckoned with,¡± the margrave gruntled.


    ¡°Heeya!¡±


    The readied cavalries rushed out of the gate with Margrave Orquell in the lead. The margrave and his men had arrived at the mercenary camp before sunrise, just as the sun was beginning to peak out of the horizon.


    <i>¡®At first nce, it may seem like they are disorganized. But they have their weapons and shields within reach. They¡¯re ready to fight at any given moment,¡¯</i> the margrave thought to himself as he nced around the mercenaries in the camp.


    ¡°I am Margrave Orquell. Who is your leader?¡± The margrave said as he tugged on his horse. One of the mercenaries spoke up as he emerged from the group.


    ¡°I am the mercenary leader.¡±


    Sven emerged from the group. Based on his rugged outfit and rough ent, he was clearly a barbarian.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s a barbarian.¡¯</i>


    Margrave Orquell looked at his men after scanning Sven.


    ¡°I heard that the leader of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood is a barbarian. He seems like the leader,¡± the adjutant whispered into Orquell¡¯s ear.


    ¡°What is the name of your squad?¡±


    ¡°Urich¡¯s Brotherhood, and I am Urich,¡± Sven said nonchntly. Some of the mercenaries dropped their heads or pressed down their helmets to hide their uncontainable grin.


    ¡°As the one in charge of the gates of Orquell, it is my duty and right to watch and search those who areing in and out of our kingdom. Do you have a problem with this?¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± Sven shrugged as he moved out of the way.


    ¡°Search them,¡± the margrave signaled to his men. Five soldiers with sharp eyes entered the mercenary camp.


    ¡°What do you want? Why are you looking at my face? You want me to take my pants off for you or something?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch me. I¡¯ll cut that hand right off.¡±


    The mercenaries cackled as they were being searched. The soldiers inspected them one by one with expressionless faces as they were used to this sort of crowd as gatekeepers.


    <i>Clop, clop.</i>


    The margrave circled the parameter of the camp with ring eyes.


    ¡°There is no young man with blue eyes here, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Search the nearby area as well. He could be hiding somewhere.¡±


    The soldiers scattered into the surrounding areas, and the mercenaries yawned as if they were bored.


    ¡°We have a long way to go,¡± Sven said in a dissatisfied tone. Even the margrave couldn¡¯t keep them for much longer without a valid reason.


    <i>¡®Fifty is too many for us to arrest. This is annoying.¡¯</i>


    Margrave Orquell had over a hundred men by his side, including the cavalry. If a battle were to break out, their victory was certain. However, it was also certain that they would suffer a considerable loss to their army.


    ¡°Hey, you, look at me,¡± Orquell said as he suddenly pointed at Phillion.


    <i>¡®Phillion.¡¯</i>


    The mercenaries anxiously exchanged nces.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m acquainted with the margrave, although it was only a couple of times.¡¯</i>


    These were the words of Phillion before their encounter with the margrave.


    ¡°This man is a thief, not a mercenary. He got his fingers chopped off after getting caught trying to steal our stuff. He¡¯s now our ve who will be at our service until he kicks the can,¡± Sven said from the side.


    Phillion¡¯s face was covered in dirt. On top of that, he was missing four fingers on his right hand and had an obvious sign of torture on his back. No one could have guessed that he was a knight.


    ¡°I see. Then, get that disgusting hand out of my sight,¡± Orquell said in a repulsed tone after seeing Phillion¡¯s right hand.


    ¡°Phew,¡± Phillion breathed out a sigh of relief as he dropped his head once again. He showed a self-deprecating grin.


    <i>¡®Who would look at me and believe that I am a knight?¡¯</i>


    Orquell circled the parameter once again.


    ¡°It looks like the prince is not with them,¡± his adjutant said, to which the margrave nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    As he was about to leave the camp, Orquell tilted his head. He looked at the bottom of a tree that was near the camp.


    <i>¡®Horse dung that is still wet.¡¯</i>


    He saw a pile of horse waste, then looked around the camp once more.


    <i>¡®There is no horse here.¡¯</i>


    A chill brushed the nape of his neck. He called over his adjutant and whispered, ¡°Organize the horsemen into five groups and send them out for a search. It looks like there was a horse here.¡±


    The adjutant nodded, and the horsemen quickly split into groups of ten.


    ¡°Should we arrest the mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°No, just let them go. But do send three, or four quick soldiers to tail them and tell them to report where the mercenaries are going.¡±


    Margrave Orquell ordered with authority as he worked his brain to get a sense of the situation at hand.


    <i>¡®If the prince was among these mercenaries, he probably ran off on a horse at the news that I wasing. Prince Varca may be useless with a sword, but he¡¯s quite a horse enthusiast.¡¯</i>


    The margrave stroked his chin as the mercenaries took their camp down after being done with their inspection.


    <i>¡®Even if we missed the prince here, he¡¯ll join up with these mercenaries eventually...¡¯</i>


    Orquell was nning steps ahead.


    ¡°Heeya!¡±


    The margrave turned back with ten cavalry soldiers.


    ¡°Do they know?¡± Phillion said as he looked at the withdrawing soldiers.


    ¡°Even if they do, it¡¯s already been half a day since the prince left. He won¡¯t get caught.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right... please be safe, my prince,¡± Phillion closed his eyes and prayed.


    * * *


    After getting far enough away from the camp, Urich and Pahell were trying to mount their horse.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kylios. Can he get on your back, too?¡± Pahell softly said to the horse as he brushed its back.


    ¡°Alright, here Ie,¡± Urich said as he put his hand on Kylios¡¯ back.


    <i>Neighhhh!</i>


    Kylios jerked away, startled, almost dropping Pahell in the process.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Kylios raised his guard after hearing Urich¡¯s harsh words.


    <i>¡®He rejects Urich even harder than I thought.¡¯</i>


    Even Pahell was puzzled. He thought having Urich on Kylios behind himself would be fine with the horse, but it apparently was not.


    ¡°You damn animal!¡± Urich raged, and Pahell red at him.


    ¡°Stop swearing. That¡¯s part of the reason why he¡¯s rejecting you so hard. Try to cover up some of that ferocious vibe of yours! He sees you as a predator trying to hunt him down, not another person,¡± Pahell said with a frown.


    ¡°This is just the way I look; what do you want me to do? What kind of an animal discriminates people this hard? Hold on... a predator?¡±


    Urich pondered.


    ¡°You make your ¡®barbarianness¡¯ so obvious. Whatever, just walk for now. We have to get as far away as we can, even if that¡¯s by walking.¡±


    Pahell led his horse while Urich chased after them with a fast walk.


    ¡°It¡¯s already morning,¡± Urich muttered as he looked at the sunrise.


    ¡°Urich, in order for you to ride Kylios, you have to do something about that intimidating aura of yours. Wild horses are already sensitive to begin with, and Kylios is a young male on top of that. Hey, are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, go on.¡±


    Urich replied with very little care. His eyes had been locked on the horse¡¯s tail for some time now.


    ¡°If you really want to ride a horse, you¡¯d be better off buying a horse with a lot of experience carrying men. Those horses seldom reject a person, unlike Kylios.¡±


    ¡°No. I want a horse that¡¯s just like Kylios,¡± Urich said firmly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like this, you don¡¯t like that, hah, just spend the rest of your life walking on your two feet. After all, a man like you should be on the ground,¡± Pahell said as he kicked his tongue. Urich aired his words and walked behind Kylios.


    <i>Schlup, thud.</i>


    Kylios¡¯ butt twitched. Horses defecated as they walked.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! Pahell, stop!¡± Urich shouted as if he had been waiting for this moment.


    ¡°Huh? Why? W-what are you doing, are you crazy?¡± Pahell poured out all the curses he knew as he nced back at Urich.


    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m getting ready to ride this horse.¡±


    Urich was thering himself with horse poop.


    ¡°S-stop that!¡±


    ¡°Why would I stop? Hmm, that should do.¡±


    Urich, covered in poop, cautiously walked up to Kylios.


    <i>Purr.</i>


    It was a different reaction from before. He wasn¡¯t rejecting Urich¡¯s hands as hard as it did until now.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing better than poop for covering up a scent. Why didn¡¯t I think of this before?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about sitting behind me like that!¡±


    ¡°What if the chase party catches up to us? A little bit of shit isn¡¯t going to kill you,¡± Urich said as he pped the prince¡¯s legs with his shit-stained hand.


    ¡°U-ugh, ahhh!¡± Pahell frowned as he rushed to brush off the poop on his leg.


    ¡°My name is Urich, Kylios.¡±


    Urich mounted the horse.


    <i>¡®Did I do it?¡¯</i>


    Urich was prepared to use his falling technique at any moment. The hindlegs of the horse were twitching.


    <i>Purr.</i>


    Kylios finally breathed out a hot steam from his snout. He had epted Urich for the first time.


    ¡°Woahhh, this is awesome! So, this is the view from up here!¡± Urich said as he spread his arms. His eyes widened.


    <i>¡®This feels much better than I anticipated.¡¯</i>


    Even though he was only higher by a couple of feet, it felt like his chest had been opened up. His vision was much wider, and even the air felt fresher.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Urich said as Pahell, who was holding the rein, frowned.


    ¡°It stinks.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, Young Master, let¡¯s get going!¡±


    Urich grabbed Pahell¡¯s shoulders with his shit-stained hands. Pahell recited Lou¡¯s name as if he had given up on everything.


    ¡°Hooooo! We¡¯re going! We¡¯re going!¡±


    Urich eximed in excitement as Kylios galloped away.


    <i>¡®Was this really the best option, Sir Phillion?¡¯</i>


    A fly buzzed around their ears.

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40</h4>


    Pahell stooped low and tapped the side of Kylios lightly with his heels. Kylios ran along the canyon with an aggressive breath.


    ¡°There has to be a bridge to help us cross over to the other side. Sir Phillion said so,¡± Pahell muttered.


    The border of the Porcana Kingdom was connected by canyons and rivers, which made it nearly impossible to enter the kingdom without crossing a bridge. This made defense their specialty. Thanks to their location, Porcana was able to remainrgely autonomous without too much of the Imperial influence despite being a part of the Empire.


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s another broken bridge,¡± Urich opened his eyes wide and looked at the canyon. He could see the silhouette of a white-ish bridge, but it seemed like it was broken in the middle due to a long time of abandonment.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bridge that isn¡¯t maintained by the defense. There has to be a bridge that¡¯s intact somewhere,¡± Pahell said as he gripped the reins.


    The border of the Porcana Kingdom was dotted with illegally built bridges. Some were built by hunters and lumberjacks who had to cross the border frequently to make their living, as well as smugglers. Even when the border patrols took down those bridges, the people persistently rebuilt them and crossed the border.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t believe that a royalty like me has to look for an illegal bridge.¡¯</i>


    Pahell gritted his teeth from the humiliation. He wasn¡¯t very fond of the situation that was making him sneak out of his own kingdom like a rat.


    ¡°Hey, Pahell, my thighs and ass are getting really sore. Are they supposed to be like that?¡± Urich was beginning to feel the soreness in his lower body.


    ¡°Quit talking and look for a bridge,¡± Pahell said in a sharp tone. The anxiety was building up.


    Kylios, who had been galloping with all his strength, was growing tired. After all, he was a wild horse who hadn¡¯t been trained to carry a person until just a couple of days ago. His stamina hit the floor sooner than expected because of an unfamiliar load. Urich, being the size he is, did not help the poor horse either.


    <i>Purr.</i>


    Kylios¡¯ breath was rough.


    ¡°What, you¡¯re tired already? You¡¯re not as strong as you look, Kylios,¡± Urich said with crossed arms as he heartlessly red at the struggling horse.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re heavier than a pig! Dammit, do you think they¡¯reing after us?¡±


    Pahell and Urich hadn¡¯t been able to get as far as they had hoped. They had to walk until they were able to mount the horse, and when they finally got on his back, the horse became exhausted sooner than they had expected him to.


    <i>Buuuuup!</i>


    Pahell felt a chill run down his spine. It was the sound of a trumpet.


    <i>Clop, clop.</i>


    Well-trained warhorses emerged from the horizon as the cavalries drew their weapons.


    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s the chase party. Kylios, run!¡±


    The cavalries were in pursuit of Urich and Pahell. They blew their trumpet to alert their location to the rest of the scattered chase party who had been in a wide search formation. They started to fall in one by one.


    <i>¡®There are seven of them right behind us already.¡¯</i>


    The reinforcement could be showing up at any moment.


    ¡°Hah, we¡¯re in trouble! I wonder if the other mercenaries are okay.¡±


    ¡°Worry about us, you idiot! Besides, if they catch us, I¡¯m the only one they¡¯ll keep alive. They¡¯re definitely going to kill you!¡±


    Pahell kicked Kylios¡¯ sides harder, and the horse mushed on with wide-open eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s shaking even more than before. He¡¯s tired.¡±


    Urich murmured. Kylios was losing the stability that he had earlier.


    ¡°Shit, shit, if they catch us here, we¡¯re done for. I am the rightful heir of Porcana, I will survive and take my throne!¡± Pahell was nearly in tears.


    ¡°Turn the horse around, Pahell. We¡¯re going for them!¡± Urich said as he grabbed Pahell¡¯s head.


    ¡°Urich, there are seven of them!¡±


    ¡°And we have two¡ªyou and me. We just have to take care of three, four of them each. This is easier than I thought!¡±


    ¡°What kind of bullshit is that? Have you finally lost your mind?¡±


    Pahell poured out the curses. Even he knew that the first and foremost advantage in a battle was the numbers.


    ¡°Turn him around, Pahell, we have to give him some rest. Trust me, Pahell,¡± Urich said without a hint of unseriousness in his voice.


    <i>¡®Urich is a trustworthy man.¡¯</i>


    Phillion¡¯s words echoed through Pahell¡¯s mind.


    ¡°My faith is in Sir Phillion, not you! Kylios, ugh!¡±


    Pahell turned Kylios around. The horse turned around to stare at the charging cavalries.


    <i>¡®You are a brave horse, Kylios. You weren¡¯t even trained to be a warhorse, and yet you¡¯re still standing your ground.¡¯</i>


    Pahell stared at the charging enemies as he gently stroked the cheek of the horse. His heart was beating out of his chest.


    ¡°Pahell, I¡¯m going to show you why I am the leader of our mercenary squad,¡± Urich drew his battle axes.


    ¡°T-they¡¯reing,¡± Pahell¡¯s hands, which were gripping hard on the reins, trembled in fear as the enemies became close enough for him to make out their faces.


    ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s one.¡±


    Urich, still sitting on the back of the horse,unched his axe using solely the strength of his upper body.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    The cavalry that was in the lead copsed backward as the de of the axe buried itself deep into his face.


    ¡°H-huh?¡±


    The cavalry that was charging right behind him felt that something was off, but the momentum of his horse was already carrying him closer and closer to Urich.


    ¡°That¡¯s two!¡±


    Urich eximed as heunched the other axe. The cavalry tried to fend off the attack by raising his arm, but the axe rose in the air like a boomerang to shred up his face.


    ¡°He¡¯s out of axes, go for him!¡±


    The rest of the cavalries charged toward Urich without hesitation.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    Urich stood tall on Kylios¡¯ back and drew his sword. His sense of bnce was more than enough to allow him to stand still on top of a horse.


    ¡°Wo..woahhhh!¡±


    Urich roared as he leaped from the horse and copsed onto the cavalry who was darting toward him.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    His steel sword impaled the chest of the cavalry, prating his chainmail to reach the heart. As his enemy¡¯s blood spouted on his face, Urich¡¯s eyes darted around to look for his next target.


    <i>¡®He killed three of them in the blink of an eye.¡¯</i>


    Pahell stared at the back of the barbarian with his jaw dropped. This was his first time witnessing Urich properly fighting.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s four of them left.¡¯</i>


    Urich pounced into the side of one of the warhorses and dug in with his shoulder.


    ¡°Arghhhhh!¡±


    He cried out as he gritted his teeth as the horse stumbled and flipped over. Its soldier plunged to the ground headfirst, snapping his neck in a freaky angle.


    ¡°Y-you crazy bastard!¡±


    The three remaining cavalries darted toward Urich simultaneously, but Urich evaded their attacks by weaving in and out underneath the horses. It was an unbelievably bold move as one stomp of the horse would have inflicted a serious injury on him.


    ¡°Pahell, now!¡± Urich yelled out of nowhere, sending the attention of the cavalries to the prince for a split second.


    ¡°What? What?¡±


    Pahell was the one who was caught more off guard by Urich¡¯s unexpected call. He looked at the cavalries, knowing that there was nothing that he could do in that situation.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Using that window of distraction, Urich stabbed the face of one of the cavalries. The sensation of the tip of his sword cutting through the brain traveled down the de into the tip of his fingers.


    <i>¡®Two left.¡¯</i>


    The two remaining calvaries nced at each other as they stepped back from their enemy. They were frightened by a single warrior who was standing on the ground.


    ¡°Grab the prince!¡± One of the cavalries shouted as he looked at Pahell¡¯s blue eyes. After confirming the prince, both of the cavalries darted past Urich and headed straight for Urich.


    <i>Twitch.</i>


    Urich wasn¡¯t going to let the cavalries get to the prince. Firm veins rose prominently on his thick thighs as he jumped from the spot. He leaped as high as the horses without any countermovement to aid his jump andnded on the back of the horse behind the cavalry.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    He grabbed the head of the soldier in front of him and twisted his neck. There was a crunching sound as his neck shattered.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Urich let out a short breath. He bounced off the tipping horse onto thest cavalry.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The two men fell to the ground as Urich wrapped his body around the soldier. In the chaos, Urich battered his enemy¡¯s face over and over with his fists to the point where the soldier¡¯s facial structure was no longer recognizable.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Urich¡¯s entire body was shifting up and down. He had just pulled off several movements that wereparable to those of a beast. His lungs and heart were about to burst.


    <i>¡®What did I just see?¡¯</i>


    Pahell¡¯s teeth teetered. Urich had just taken down seven cavalries, all by himself.


    <i>¡®Is he really the same human as I am?¡¯</i>


    Urich, covered in the blood of his enemies, collected his axes from the bodies. He then walked back to Pahell as he brushed the blood off the des of his axes and sword.


    ¡°See? I told you it¡¯d be easy with the two of us,¡± Urich said with a smile. Pahell grinned lifelessly.


    ¡°Whatever, hop on already. There¡¯s probably more of theming. They know where we are because of that damned trumpet,¡± Pahell rushed Urich.


    Kylios flinched at the strong bloody scent of Urich as he jumped onto his back, but he epted him out of fatigue.


    ¡°Look at the hill over there. They¡¯re already here and watching us. They¡¯re keeping their distance as they chase,¡± Urich said as he looked at the three cavalries with his squinted eyes. The cavalries on the hill were cautiously watching without closing their distance as they continued to blow their trumpet to alert the others.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? Go after them and arrest them!¡± Margrave Orquell and his adjutants joined the cavalries. As soon as he saw the hesitating men, the margrave lost his head.


    ¡°M-my lord, there is something off about that man over there. He single-handedly shed through seven cavalries in the blink of an eye; it was like he wasn¡¯t even human,¡± the reporting cavalry pleaded in a shaking voice.


    Margrave Orquell frowned.


    <i>¡®The quality and spirit of our troops has declined in recent years. It¡¯s probably because they haven¡¯t had the chance to get any real battle experience. Dammit, it wasn¡¯t like this ten years ago.¡¯</i>


    Under the reign of the Empire, the citizens had enjoyed ten years of peace. Thest battle that was on the national level was the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians which took ce ten years ago. The rookie soldiers who had not fought in that war had barely any real battle experience.


    ¡°Damn you, you cowards. Just follow my lead,¡± Margrave Orquell said as he drew his sword. He and six other cavalries charged forward.


    ¡°T-they¡¯reing, Urich!¡± Pahell yelled in terror as he nced behind him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get scared, Pahell. We¡¯re nearly there. I see the bridge over there and it¡¯s not broken this time!¡± Urich confirmed the condition of the bridge where the strong river currents were flowing beneath it.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Kylios, we¡¯re nearly there!¡± Pahell screamed as he encouraged his horse.


    The suspended bridge wasposed of only nks and ropes, and it would copse if the rope was cut. If they were able to cut the ropes before the chase party could catch up to them, they would be safe.


    <i>Purr, purr.</i>


    Kylios galloped with his tongue flying about. His legs were shaking as if they were moments away from copsing by the knee.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting close,¡± Urich muttered as he prepared himself for the possibility of another battle.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m going to let you catch me here? You traitors, I¡¯m going to send you all to the gallows!¡± Pahell clenched his teeth as his blue eyes shone intensely. He lowered his body closer to Kylios, almost hugging his horse by its neck.


    <i>¡®Run, Kylios, please.¡¯</i>


    Kylios ran through absolute exhaustion, pushing himself beyond his limits. It was an extraordinary effort by the animal. Once he sessfully brought his master to the bridge, he fell to his knees.


    <i>Purr.</i>


    Kylios lowered his head and breathed heavily. Hisrge eyes gazed at Pahell, blinking as if knew that his work was finished.


    ¡°Thank you, Kylios,¡± Pahell ran onto the bridge with a bitter grin. The cavalries were up to their noses.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving him behind? All that talk about bonding and whatnot, and you still throw him away once you¡¯re done using him,¡± Urich said to Pahell as he ran alongside the prince.


    ¡°Shut up. Do you think I¡¯m leaving him behind because I want to? He can¡¯t even move right now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Urich suddenly stopped. He eyed the distance between him and the cavalries.


    ¡°God dammit, what do you think you¡¯re doing? Run, we have to cross!¡± Pahell jumped around anxiously. Urich took his sword off his shoulder and handed it to him.


    ¡°I like Kylios, so I have to bring him with us.¡±


    Urich strode toward Kylios and stood in front of the horse on its knees.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± he took a big breath in. His muscles erged as if they had been inted like a balloon as he grabbed the horse by its hooves and carried it on his shoulders.


    <i>Purr.</i>


    Kylios breathed out a hot steam. Urich lifted the horse as he straightened his knees.


    ¡°Keughhhh.¡±


    Urich¡¯s face turned bright red. He felt like his veins were exploding, and he could almost hear the fibers of his muscles tearing.


    ¡°Wo, woahhhhh!¡±


    Urich released a monstrous cry as he took a step forward. He walked toward the bridge with an entire horse over his shoulders.


    <i>Tremble.</i>


    His arms and legs were shaking violently. Urich opened his eyes widely and looked at Pahell who was already on his way to the other side of the canyon.


    ¡°Kyli...os...! You are a per...sistent... thing,¡± Urich said to the horse with quivering lips.


    ¡°You¡¯ve shown me... your persistence..., so it¡¯s only right... if I show you mine...¡±


    His steps became quicker as his entire body screamed in pain. Urich was pushing his strengths to the limit, and this was something that even his ridiculous strength couldn¡¯t handle.


    ¡°He¡¯s crazy,¡± Pahell muttered with a mix of tears in his voice.


    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>


    Urich ran with the horse, violently shaking the wooden bridge violently with every step.


    ¡°Ugh, oh, ah.¡±


    The sounding out of Urich¡¯s mouth could only be described as freaky screams. His face no longer resembled a human as every fiber of muscle in his face contorted and twitched to express both madness and pain.


    ¡°What the hell are we watching?¡±


    Even the galloping horsemen gaped at the unbelievable sight.


    Urich somehow managed to carry the horse across the bridge. Pahell, who had been waiting on the other side, raised the sword and cut the ropes that were holding the bridge in ce.


    ¡°Kuk, kaak, ugh.¡±


    Urich fell to the ground and screamed the moment he put the horse down. Sticky blood oozed from his mouth, and his eyes were past the point of being bloodshot and were crying tears of blood.


    ¡°Ugh, yuck.¡±


    He hissed and gagged as he felt the extremely intense pain emerging from within his body. It felt like he was being battered repeatedly with a hammer.


    ¡°Look for a different path, there has to be more nearby!¡±


    Margrave Orquell yelled from the other side of the canyon as he took out the crossbow that he had slung next to his horse.


    <i>¡®That is surely Prince Varca. You don¡¯t see eyes that deeply blue very often. Boys do grow fast.¡¯</i>


    The margrave took aim, alternating between Urich and Pahell. Pahell was a difficult target because he was taking cover behind a tree, but Urich was well out in the open. The margrave couldn¡¯t get rid of the image of Urich running with a horse slung around his shoulders. It was a ridiculous yet marvelous sight.


    <i>¡®It would be a waste for a man like him to die in a ce like this.¡¯</i>


    After hesitating, Orquell lowered his crossbow. He had witnessed an incredible sight today, and it became obvious why his men were terrified.


    ¡°Today, I must pay my respect to that man¡¯s strength. That alone is enough to fill my heart for the day.¡±


    Margrave Orquell turned his horse around and covered his grin with his fist. Memories of his youth came flooding back from the time he used to battle the fierce barbarians. Back then, each day was filled with the fulfillment of being alive.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    His heart was beating, and his blood that had lost its warmth was regaining its fieriness. The livelier the prey was, the more worthy of a capture it was. He wanted to face his prey himself and take its head. It made him feel younger just thinking about it.

 Chapter 41: The Barbarian Hunter

    <h4>Chapter 41: The Barbarian Hunter</h4>


    Margrave Orquell rushed back to his mansion.


    ¡°Father, I have something to tell you...¡±


    His son, who had turned fourteen this year, greeted his father at the gates.


    ¡°Move.¡±


    The margrave walked past his son without even a hug. He was intending to set out before the break of dawn.


    <i>¡®There is a new prey.¡¯</i>


    The corners of his mouth twitched upward ferociously. He had no interest in his wife or son, as they were merely tools for him to ensure that his bloodline continued.


    ¡°Give me the report,¡± the margrave said to his adjutant, who had been watching the city gate.


    ¡°Urich¡¯s Brotherhood passed through the gates yesterday, and we¡¯ve put a few trackers on them. Judging by their direction, it looks like they will be joining with the prince in the town of Valgma.¡±


    ¡°Send a messenger to Duke Harmatti and notify him that I will take a few of my men and capture the prince myself before he can reach Valgma. Bring me ten of our best men.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you will cross the border yourself? If the head of the defense leaves his gate...¡±


    ¡°Screw the formality, I am tired of it. I¡¯m going to go after my prey. That¡¯s where the real fight is,¡± the margrave said as he rubbed his hands together with a wide grin. He could feel the temperature of his body rising from deep inside.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s that bad habit again,¡¯</i> the adjutant thought as he looked at the margrave. Margrave Orquell was an outstanding knight. Although he was from a small kingdom, his name was widely renowned across several battlefields.


    <i>¡®Orquell the Barbarian Hunter.¡¯</i>


    It was a nostalgic nickname. It had faded into infamy in the current era where the new ¡®Barbarian Inclusion Policy¡¯ was the focus of the Imperial policies. However, the ones who fought alongside the margrave remembered it very well.


    ¡°You are excused. I will get some rest before heading out again.¡±


    The adjutant left the room, and the margrave got up from his bed.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    ¡°Father, it¡¯s me.¡±


    It was his son. The margrave stared at his door with an expressionless face.


    ¡°I am a little busy at the moment. Can¡¯t we talkter?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something that I must speak to you about.¡±


    Orquell sighed.


    ¡°If there¡¯s something you¡¯d like to say, say it quickly. I can¡¯t give you too much of my time.¡±


    ¡°I want to go study abroad in the capital of Hamel,¡± his son said to him, which made the margrave frown.


    ¡°For what reason? You can learn everything you need to know about swordsmanship and military tactics right here. What, are you saying that those Imperial knights in Hamel are better than your own father?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Father. I want to learn the literature. I heard that the literary education in the capital is in full bloom. It¡¯s where the most knowledgeable schrs across the south and the north are gathering to discuss their teachings every single day...¡±


    <i>m!</i>


    Margrave Orquell mmed his fist down on the table. His son flinched.


    ¡°You have been tainted by your mother. You must be putting all your focus on your physical training, not academics! All you need as a man is to be able to read and write!


    ¡°Father!¡±


    The margrave didn¡¯t budge even with the desperate plea of his son.


    ¡°How pathetic you are. Today, I saw a warrior. Although he was an enemy, he was an extraordinary man. Do you know what he did when his horse copsed after carrying him to his escape? He slung it over his shoulders and carried it! The man carried his horse!¡± Orquell shouted in excitement, as it was something that he had never witnessed before.


    ¡°What use is that brute strength, Father! The time of putting your name out there with your sword is over, there are no enemies anymore! The south and north have already been conquered. There¡¯s nowhere else to go with our swords!¡± The son cried out, only making his father angrier.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thister. Now, I must get some sleep,¡± Orquell cut his son off mid-sentence. The son dropped his head in disappointment and quivered his lips.


    ¡°The times have changed, Father.¡±


    The margrave didn¡¯t respond.


    <i>¡®Nothing¡¯s changed. Absolutely nothing.¡¯</i>


    After turning his own son away, the margrave went down to his study in the basement. It was his storage space.


    ¡°Hah,¡± he let out a sigh of relief after getting down to the basement. All theplications and headaches of life along with his wife and son gradually left his mind.


    The margrave lit a candle to brighten up the basement. The flickering candlelight made the shadows dance.


    ¡°Hokan, you were a warrior equal to a bear. I can still vividly see your frosty axe ying through five of my men,¡± the margrave muttered as he caressed the skulls that were on disy. The weapons of the barbarians that he had in lied underneath their skulls. His stroke was careful as if he was touching his lover. As he touched the skulls, the memories of his younger days came flooding back.


    ¡°Zezebo, the warrior who was called the Desert Fox, the one who left me the scar in my chest.¡±


    His face turned red as he was quickly filled with euphoria. Calling the names of the skulls one by one and remembering his battles against them was a holy ceremony of his. The skulls were the remains of the enemies that once threatened his life and now, his collection.


    ¡°You all remain in your strongest forms forever while I only grow older,¡± the margravemented. He longed for the days when he was young and strong.


    ¡°Not even the greatest warriors can be free from the shackle of time.¡±


    In the end, the old were pushed out by the young.


    <i>¡®But the young people don¡¯t learn swordsmanship these days. Instead, they¡¯re busy with their pens.¡¯</i>


    The thought of entrusting the future to those young men made his heart sink.


    ¡°Oh, the great barbarian warriors! I long for the days when you were on this earth. A sword can only shine before its enemies!¡±


    Margrave Orquell fell asleep lying among the skulls as he dreamed of the glory days of his youth. It was a time stained with blood, but his memories were seen through rose-tinted sses.


    He awoke before the sunrise. As the years passed, sleep fled with them. Old age was a bitter thing.


    ¡°We are ready.¡±


    When the margrave stepped out into the barracks, his adjutant was waiting with the ten men he had asked for.


    ¡°Let the hunt begin, my soldiers.¡±


    * * *


    After running with Kylios around his shoulders, Urich¡¯s body was in a mess. He limped and stumbled into the mountain. He couldn¡¯t straighten his back from carrying such a heavy load, so he was bent over moving like an old man. His entire body was creaking, but his back was the biggest problem. He could sense that his vertebrae were twisted and out of ce.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready, Urich,¡± Pahell said.


    ¡°Maybe I should say a little prayer to the Sun God Lou,¡± Urich said with a grin, ¡°Is this really going to work?¡±


    ¡°There are three possible oues: You die, you live but be crippled, or you heal.¡±


    ¡°I should really pray.¡±


    Pahell grinned bitterly. They were inside a mountain, but the surroundings weren¡¯tpletely safe as they didn¡¯t know when their enemies could show up.


    ¡°Here we go, Urich.¡±


    Pahell gripped the rope that was holding up Urich¡¯s upper body. As his upper body lifted slightly, Urich was already twitching from the pain.


    ¡°Huff, huff, do it, Pahell,¡± Urich said his final words before biting into the wooden gag.


    <i>¡®Oh, Sun God Lou,¡¯</i>


    Pahell recited a short prayer as he stomped on Urich¡¯s back and pulled on the rope. It was a wildly primitive treatment of questionable efficacy and one that would normally have been tantamount to torture.


    <i>Crunch¡ª</i>


    There was a strange sound. Despite the ominous feeling, Pahell pulled with his eyes shut as Urich had told him to.


    ¡°Hupppp!¡±


    Urich was shaking. The disced vertebrae fell back into ce as his upper body bent backward.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The wooden gag that was between his jaw snapped. Blood poured out of his mouth as the wooden pieces dug into the inside of his mouth.


    ¡°Krrr.¡±


    Bloody foam spilled out of his mouth and his eyes rolled backward.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Pahell, who was covered with beads of sweat, released the rope.


    ¡°Urich?¡±


    No reply. Pahell rushed to check on the barbarian.


    ¡°Urich? Answer me!¡±


    Urich was unconscious and unresponsive.


    <i>¡®Did he die?¡¯</i>


    The thought of his death felt like a stab in Pahell¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die like this, please, you son of a bitch!¡±


    All of a sudden, Pahell was afraid of the forest around him. It felt like a beast woulde out of nowhere.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, I beg you, please do not take Urich¡¯s soul just yet,¡± Pahell desperately cried as he squatted.


    <i>Purr.</i>


    Kylios was resting under the tree. Pahell crawled over to the only life around him and leaned against him.


    ¡°Did you really die, Urich? Are you really dead?¡±


    Pahell pulled his knee up to his face and shuddered.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    The wind picked up and the trees rustled as if they were screaming.


    <i>¡®Was it so scary to be all alone?¡¯</i>


    Pahell had always had the protection of someone around him. His life was far removed from danger and solitude.


    <i>Purr.</i>


    If it weren¡¯t for Kylios, he would have been bawling silly.


    ¡°Urich, y-you¡¯re alive, right?¡±


    Pahell crawled over to the barbarian and put his finger to his nose to check if he was still breathing. It was something that he had heard of before.


    <i>¡®Is he breathing?¡¯</i>


    Pahell swallowed. He paid attention to the sensation on his fingertips.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive, ah, you¡¯re alive.¡±


    Urich was breathing. Pahell sank down beside him with a rush of relief.


    ¡°Thank god, thank god,¡± Pahell repeated the words over and over again.


    ¡°Phew,¡± Pahell took a deep breath and pulled out a piece of bread from his pocket. He broke off a small piece of the hard bread and dissolved it with his saliva.


    <i>¡®I just have to make it to the Empire.¡¯</i>


    Pahell squeezed his eyes shut.


    <i>¡®I will return the humiliation that you have all caused me.¡¯</i>


    Pahell recited the names of the traitors. There were several nobles who had stuck themselves to Duke Harmatti¡¯s side. No one expected the king to fall andpse into aa. Everyone expected Pahell to have at least five more years to prepare for the pass down of the throne.


    <i>¡®Father Emperor fell before I had a chance to build a foothold. It could very well have been the doing of the duke.¡¯</i>


    Pahell stared at the ground, lost in thought.


    <i>¡®I wonder how Damia is doing. I¡¯m sure the duke wouldn¡¯ty a hand on her... but I still worry.¡¯</i>


    Pahell worried about his twin sister. No matter who became the king, a princess was a good maneuvering tool. They seldom saw blood amidst the power disputes.


    <i>Purr.</i>


    Kylios rose to his feet all of a sudden, alerting Pahell.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    ¡°I swear I heard something this way.¡±


    There was a voice of a man. Pahell looked around in a panic, then hid himself behind a bush.


    <i>¡®God dammit, I can¡¯t hide Urich.¡¯</i>


    Pahell only managed to hide himself. He felt pathetic.


    ¡°Hey, look over here, it¡¯s a horse.¡±


    ¡°Does it belong to that massive guy over there? He¡¯s not even waking up even though we¡¯re right here.¡±


    ¡°Is he dead?¡±


    They were bandits. Although, their raggedy clothes and charcoal-covered faces made them seem more like wanderers than bandits.


    <i>¡®There are three of them.¡¯</i>


    They were men who made their living off robbing travelers.


    ¡°Are we having horsemeat for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Why would you eat the horse, you idiot? Do you know how much a horse goes for?¡±


    ¡°The broker buys horses, too? Hmph.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he will. What else is he going to do?¡±


    The bandits cackled as they bantered among themselves. They tried to put their hands on Kylios, only to be met with his aggressive resistance.


    <i>Neighhh!</i>


    Kylios lifted his front hooves and fended off the bandits.


    ¡°Woah, look at this, how are you going to bring this thing? Let¡¯s just cut it up into meat.¡±


    ¡°Hey, look at this weapon, it¡¯s pretty sharp. It looks expensive! Or should I keep it for myself?¡±


    The bandits said as they assessed Urich¡¯s weapons. Theyughed hysterically.


    ¡°Cut his head off, or something. Look at the size of him. He¡¯s probably a decent fighter,¡± one of the bandits said as he picked up a dull axe.


    <i>¡®Urich¡¯s going to die at this rate. I have to do something.¡¯</i>


    Pahell trembled in fear. He couldn¡¯t muster up the courage. He wasn¡¯t confident that he stood a chance against these bandits.


    <i>¡®How am I supposed to beat them? There¡¯s no way. But...¡¯</i>


    His eyes widened as his chest burned. He was torn between bravery and silence.


    ¡°Look, this one¡¯s hiding over here, hah!¡±


    Another bandit came up from behind Pahell. They had four men, not three.


    ¡°A-ahh!¡± Pahell tried to draw his sword, but the bandit grabbed him by his wrist and pinned him down.


    ¡°Look at this pretty face. How are you going to swing a sword with an arm like yours?¡±


    The banditughed with his mouth wide open. The stench of his breath reached Pahell¡¯s nose.


    ¡°D-do you know who I am? You bastards!¡± Pahell yelled as he struggled.


    ¡°What? Are you the prince, or something?¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    The bandit punted Pahell in the stomach. He shrimped over and gagged.


    ¡°Ugh, ugh.¡±


    The bandit dragged Pahell by his hair to the rest of the men. He was soon surrounded by the four bandits.


    ¡°Hey, how long has it been since we¡¯ve been with a woman?¡±


    ¡°Pff, over a month now, keke.¡±


    ¡°With a face like this, he¡¯d be better than some of the cheap whores.¡±


    The bandits said as they looked at Pahell. Some of them were already pulling down their pants.


    ¡°Yuck, I have no interest in men. You guys go ahead, I¡¯m going to go slit that guy¡¯s throat. It looks like he¡¯s unconscious, but better safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°You think we like guys? He has a decent hole that¡¯ll do. There¡¯s nothing more to it.¡±


    Pahell was horrified. As he tried to struggle away, the bandit pped him across his face.


    ¡°Stay still. Or do you want me to cut your head off right now?¡± The bandit said as he put the de of his sword against Pahell¡¯s neck. Pahell shuddered.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way this is happening, no way. Sir Phillion... Damia...¡¯</i>


    The bandits tied Pahell¡¯s hands around the tree. Pahell was tied up with only the lower half of his body sticking out. The bandits pulled down his pants with their rough hands.


    ¡°Haha, he was raised well with an ass smoother than a baby¡¯s. Are you really a prince somewhere?¡±


    The bandits drew a stick to decide their turns.


    ¡°Ehem, I guess I¡¯m up first. <i>Spit.</i>¡±


    The bandit spat in his hand and rubbed it on his penis.


    <i>¡®I¡¯d rather die than be humiliated...¡±</i> Pahell was about to bite into his own tongue.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    There was a bone-crunching sound. The bandits who were about to vite Pahell looked back. Behind them stood Urich, holding the bandit¡¯s head in one hand. His neck was snapped backward like an owl¡¯s.


    ¡°Phew,¡± Urich let out a long breath. He was irritated by his body which was still sore.


    ¡°I¡¯m never doing that again, Pahell. One more of that could break my back for real, dammit. What is this, Pahell? This is the stuff you¡¯re into? I¡¯ll never understand you civilized people, my goodness.¡±


    Urich kicked his tongue at the bandits and Pahell.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up and get me out of this thing, you son of a bitch!¡±


    Pahell cried out.

 Chapter 42

    <h4>Chapter 42</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s not polite to force yourself onto someone when they say no. I thought you guys were civilized people, too? Wasn¡¯t rape something that only barbarians did?¡±


    Urich picked up his axe and sword from the ground. His joints were still creaking.


    <i>¡®It feels like a year¡¯s been taken off my life. This is why a person has to stick to things that a person can do.¡¯</i>


    He nced at Kylios and smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer. Do you want to see him die? Huh?¡±


    The bandits threatened as they held their knife against Pahell¡¯s neck. They were terrified of Urich¡¯s stature.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s no ordinary man. There¡¯s something different about his aura.¡¯</i>


    Urich had just lifted a grown man with a single arm. He was just that strong. The bandits held Pahell as hostage to gain the upper hand against Urich.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Urich tilted his head and looked at the bandits.


    ¡°S-stop right there! I¡¯m going to rip this kid¡¯s throat into shr...¡±


    <i>Crush!</i>


    Urich threw his axe without a single bit of hesitation. The skull of the bandit who was threatening Pahell cracked.


    ¡°Kill him if you dare. Hostages don¡¯t work on me, but if you do kill that man, you will experience three times the pain he does before I kill you.¡±


    Urich darted forward with his sword. The bandits fled for their lives without even thinking about touching Pahell.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    Urich cut through the backs of the scurrying bandits. He beheaded every single one of them without letting them escape.


    ¡°Phew,¡± he exhaled with his face covered in blood. He retrieved his weapons and wiped them clean.


    ¡°Untie me first!¡± Pahell cried with his bottom exposed. Urich fell to the groundughing as he saw the situation that the prince was in.


    ¡°You look like an absolute moron, the guys should¡¯ve seen this!¡±


    ¡°S-stop it you son of a bitch, just untie me!¡± Pahell yelled in embarrassment. His face was so red that it looked like he was about to explode.


    ¡°Ughhh, it¡¯s hard to move because of that weird bone alignment thing from earlier,¡± Urich jokingly said as hezily walked up to Pahell, and then pped his butt cheek.


    <i>p!</i>


    Pahell stared at Urich with enraged eyes and clenched teeth.


    ¡°Are you fucking insane? D-did you forget who I was? I am Varca Aneu Porcana¡ªthe royal heir! How dare a barbarian like you humiliate me?¡±


    Urich picked his ear as he drew his sword and put it between the rope that was tying Pahell¡¯s hands to the tree.


    ¡°Hah, I honestly thought you were a girl, but you do have a dick hanging around; you are a man! You should really learn how to wield a sword,¡± Urich mocked as he cut the rope. As soon as his hands became free, Pahell rushed to pull his pants back up. Then, he walked over to the bodies of the bandits and spat on them.


    ¡°You will not go back to the embrace of Lou, you dirty bandits!¡±


    Pahell cursed the bandits with all his power and wanted to say some things to Urich but decided against it.


    <i>¡®Damn barbarian.¡¯</i>


    Whether he liked it or not, Urich had saved his life on multiple asions.


    <i>¡®He saved a royalty¡¯s life several times. He more than deserves just as much reward. But...¡¯</i>


    Urich cackled and collected his loot from the pockets of the bandits.


    ¡°They¡¯re all broke.¡±


    While Urich was busy collecting what he could find, Pahell soothed the startled horse.


    ¡°Hey now, Kylios, it¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll get going soon,¡± Pahell said as he untied his horse.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Urich. It¡¯ll take us at least two days to get to Valgma, and that¡¯s if we manage to find the right route.¡±


    Urich nodded as he rested his hand on Kylios¡¯ back.


    <i>Purr.</i>


    This time, Kylios didn¡¯t reject his hand. Urich lightly tapped the horse¡¯s side with a faint smile.


    ¡°Do you think my squad is alright? The enemies know that we escaped.¡±


    ¡°All we can do is hope for the best. It¡¯s not like they can catch us by destroying your squad, so they probably left them behind unless something bad happened.¡±


    Even though Pahell¡¯s words suggested otherwise, he was still worried. He carried on as if he was talking to himself.


    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be able to release their army after us since we¡¯ve crossed the border, so whoeveres after us wille in a small group.¡±


    Urich and Pahell walked instead of riding Kylios. They wanted to preserve the horse¡¯s energy in case of an emergency. As they walked through the mountain path, the two men had a rare chatter.


    ¡°Urich, is everyone in your tribe insanely strong like you?¡±


    Pahell witnessed Urich carrying Kylios with his own eyes, and it left him in awe. He had never heard nor seen a person carrying a horse with their strength alone.


    ¡°Nope, they¡¯re all normal. I¡¯m just a little stronger,¡± Urich said with pride. He was always the fastest and the strongest.


    ¡°Did you eat something weird when you were a kid? Or did you get it from your parents?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have parents. My tribe found me wandering the ins all by myself when I was a little kid. I don¡¯t even know my exact age, actually. I just assumed it based on my brothers back home. If there had to be a parent, then it would be my tribe that raised me.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Pahell shrugged. He felt like he shouldn¡¯t have asked the question.


    ¡°You¡¯re royalty. Do you have any interesting stories? You said you¡¯ve been to the capital, right? Tell me more about that.¡±


    Urich was very interested in the capital of Hamel. After all, it was a city that was called the center of the world.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been there once as a child with my father. It was almost ten years ago now, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. That was my first time seeing buildings and towers that tall. It was like they were built by giants, not us. Even though the city was so vast, they had watering out everywhere through their aqueducts. No one had to travel far to get water from a well.¡±


    ¡°Aqueduct?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s where the water flows. They use it to draw water from the rivers and distribute it throughout the city. The capital of Hamel is the only ce in the world with that system.¡±


    ¡°Aqueducts, huh? Hmm...¡± Urich couldn¡¯t even picture what Pahell was talking about, so he just nodded.


    ¡°On top of that, they get rid of all their waste through their sewage system. Because the stinky waste just flows down the sewers, the city doesn¡¯t have any odor despite its insane size. The design of the city is truly marvelous. The Capital of Hamel is going so far ahead of its time while the rest of the world is busy ying catchup. Compared to the civilization of Hamel, the rest of humanity are practically barbarians.¡±


    Pahell didn¡¯t shy away from admitting that the Porcana Kingdom was only a small vassal state of the Empire.


    ¡°Is all that stuff really that great?¡±


    Urich stroked his chin, and his heart was beating out of his chest. He had long forgotten the pain in his body.


    <i>¡®The brothers back home will never believe this. Hell, even I can¡¯t believe it without seeing it myself.¡¯</i>


    Urich had yet to even think about going back home. There was still so much left to do on this side of the Sky Mountains that it felt like his entire lifetime wasn¡¯t enough time.


    <i>¡®From south to north, across the city to the Edge of the World.¡¯</i>


    The world was vast. In the past, Urich was just living in a much smaller world.


    <i>¡®We have to get out of this small fence.¡¯</i>


    Urich clutched at his chest. asionally, he felt a single desire sweeping through his mind.


    <i>Squirm.</i>


    That desire reached for Urich¡¯s heart and squeezed it.


    ¡°Urich?¡±


    Pahell looked at Urich. Urich raised his lowered head.


    ¡°My back is still killing me. Let¡¯s go over there and get some rest. It¡¯s about time we sleep,¡± Urich said tiredly as he pointed below the hill. There was a boulder that they could use as a cover as well.


    ¡°Damia would be devastated if she saw me like this.¡±


    ¡°You bring up your twin sister a lot.¡±


    ¡°Of course, she and I were born from the same womb. I love her. When I be king, I¡¯ll never make her go through an arranged marriage.¡±


    ¡°Is she pretty?¡±


    Urich said as he sat down. He took out a jerky from his waist bag and chewed on it.


    ¡°Of course, she¡¯s pretty! She is the most beautiful girl in the whole kingdom! She is so pretty that young noblemen line up to ask for her hand in marriage.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? What color are her hair and eyes?¡± Urich grinned as he pulled up his pants.


    ¡°She is blonde with blue eyes! That means the royal blood is thick inside her. I only ended up with blue eyes, but Damia has both.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, does she have big tits?¡±


    ¡°Of cou... how dare you ask such a perverted question!¡± Pahell snapped at Urich.


    ¡°Keep talking. Are her lips red? Her skin is probably pale too, right? If a son like you looks like this, I can only imagine what the daughter would look like. Alright, I¡¯m going with that today.¡±


    Urich put his hand down his pants.


    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna jerk one out with my hand today. It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve seen a girl, and that¡¯s hard on a man my age. Aren¡¯t you like me, too?¡±


    ¡°D-do you think I¡¯m the same as a barbarian? Have some shame!¡±


    Pahell stared at Urich with visible shock in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a second, hmph!¡±


    Urich stumbled to his feet and went behind the trees on the other side. A momentter, he returned with a satisfied and refreshed look on his face.


    ¡°That cloud over there looks exactly like a woman¡¯s ass. You should go take care of yourself before it goes away. It¡¯ll help you rx, too.¡±


    Urich was in his physical prime, and his sexual drive was just as vigorous.


    ¡°How foolish of me to think I could talk to him. What an animal.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes animals are better than people. Isn¡¯t that right, Kylios?¡± Urich said as he tapped on Kylios¡¯ cheek. The horse had be friendly with Urich.


    After getting some shuteyes, Urich and Pahell traveled for another half a day.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯re going the right way. It would be nice if we could find a town or something so we could ask for directions,¡± Pahell said as he anxiously looked up at the night sky.


    ¡°No matter where we go, you have me, so don¡¯t worry about dying,¡± Urich said as he lied on the ground. They opted not to start a fire, since it had the risk of revealing their location to the enemies.


    ¡°Pahell, get closer. Don¡¯t waste your body heat.¡±


    Urich and Pahell covered themselves under a robe beside Kylios. They gathered the warmth of the horse and two men to keep themselves warm throughout the night.


    ¡°Once I be king, I¡¯m not going to let a single traitor live,¡± Pahell muttered as white steam left with his breath.


    ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re going to help you in the Empire?¡± Urich asked as he counted the stars in the sky.


    ¡°Of course. The emperor is going to help the rightful heir take their rightful throne.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Urich didn¡¯t say much more. After all, the civilized people knew a lot more about the culture of thisnd than he did.


    ¡°Hah, it¡¯s cold.¡±


    This was Pahell¡¯s first time camping without a fire. It was colder than he had anticipated.


    ¡°Just suck it up. This way, we don¡¯t have to worry about them finding us.¡±


    Urich said nonchntly, though he himself was also quite weak against the cold.


    <i>Ruff! Ruff!</i>


    A dog barked in the distance. Urich frowned.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Pahell rushed to his feet to look in the direction of the sound.


    ¡°You said they won¡¯t be able to find us!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d bring a dog,¡± Urich said with a smile as he got up from the ground. He gazed into the darkness, and he could see a wavering torchlight.


    ¡°W-what do we do? Should we run away on the horse?¡±


    Pahell was fully panicking. Urich put his hand on his head to calm him down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s the chase party. And, even if it is, there won¡¯t be that many of them. Stay here and hide, and I¡¯ll go take care of them.¡±


    Urich gazed in the direction of the enemies.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s better to finish them off here than to have them on our tail. We¡¯re still inside the forest. It¡¯s much better to fight them here than out in the open.¡¯</i>


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich strode into the dark forest.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m all alone again.¡¯</i>


    Pahell drew his dagger and looked around himself. It looked like the darkness hade to life and was moving.


    <i>¡®I want to be a fearless man like Urich¡ªa man who doesn¡¯t fear a single thing in this world.¡¯</i>


    Pahell stared at the back of Urich. His smile never faded from his face no matter what situation he found himself in. he was undoubtedly a strong man. How many people are able to keep smiling when ced at a crossroads of life and death?


    Pahell realized his own weakness. He realized how many people he had received help from in order to get through his life.


    Suddenly, a thought that shouldn¡¯t exist came into his mind.


    <i>¡®Am I truly worthy of the throne?¡¯</i>


    There was a crack in the structure of his heart.

 Chapter 43

    <h4>Chapter 43</h4>


    ¡°It was him,¡± Margrave Orquell said as he looked down at the bodies of the bandits.


    <i>¡®Cleanly snapped necks, backs deeply shredded as if they had been wed by a beast, I can see the way they were fleeing from the overwhelming force.¡¯</i>


    Orquell ran the scenario in his head as he closed his eyes. It was quite obvious how the barbarian took down its enemies.


    <i>¡®Well done, barbarian.¡¯</i>


    Knights were treated like seedlings who trained in swordsmanship all their lives. They were practically war machines.


    <i>¡®Even such knights fell to the ruthless attacks of the barbarians.¡¯</i>


    The knights were equipped with better armory than the barbarians and had the battle tactics that had been honed over several generations.


    <i>¡®If you¡¯re truly strong, there¡¯s no need to depend on tricks.¡¯</i>


    Margrave Orquell was quite familiar with the barbarians. They were creatures that straddled the line between beast and man.


    <i>¡®When you can overwhelm your enemy with your strength alone, even a simple sh can be a fatal blow.¡¯</i>


    The margrave had spent all his life fighting such barbarians, the ones who ughtered knights with mere crude weapons.


    <i>¡®In order to defeat them, there¡¯s no need to fight them man to man. They are animals, animals who are wearing the mask of a man.¡¯</i>


    The margrave signaled to his soldiers. He plunged his hand into the stomach of the corpse to check the viscosity and warmth of the blood. There was a faint lingering warmth as well as a trickle of uncurdled blood still flowing near the heart.


    ¡°Release the dogs. He couldn¡¯t have gotten far.¡±


    The soldiers released the leashes on the dogs, and the three military dogs rushed deeper into the forest.


    ¡°If you see him, do not provoke him. He¡¯s not someone you can handle on your own,¡± Margrave Orquell warned his men. He had only brought ten soldiers with him since bringing an army into another kingdom could have created diplomatic friction.


    ¡°Killing that barbarian is one thing, but our priority is the capture of the prince. It¡¯s all over for us if the prince gets to the capital and informs the emperor of our doing. We will all be charged with treason,¡± the adjutant slowly expressed his displeasure.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve gotten so caught up in the hunt that I¡¯ve forgotten our goal?¡±


    ¡°I only wanted to remind you,¡± the adjutant quickly adjusted his tone to be more polite.


    ¡°Prince Varca can¡¯t do anything on his own. As long as we kill the barbarian, capturing the prince is like taking candy from a child. Hah, It would have been better if Princess Damia was born as a boy. I knew for sure that their fate was switched the moment I met the siblings three years ago,¡± the margrave muttered.


    ¡°Unless the entire royal bloodline is cut off, a woman will never be king.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that no matter how worthy of a king a woman may be, at the end of the day, she is only a woman whose purpose is to ept an adequate seed to bear children... Shit.¡±


    Margrave Orquell suddenly felt a wave of anger as he reminded himself of his wife and son.


    ¡°I picked the wrong woman to sow my seed. I can¡¯t believe I married an idiotic woman who raises my son as a little bitch. I¡¯ve got to teach them a lesson or two when I get back.¡±


    The adjutant remained silent and only looked at the margrave.


    <i>¡®The lord that I¡¯ve known since my younger days was a belligerent warrior, but he wasn¡¯t this recklessly violent. He truly loved his wife. He¡¯s changed ever since he returned from the barbarian subjugation mission.¡¯</i>


    Margrave Orquell¡¯s shady hobby was known to nearly all of his entourage. At night, he pined over the skulls of the barbarians and longed for them. Sometimes, he would wake up in the middle of the night to go to the barracks to pretend like he was back on the battlefield against the barbarians.


    <i>¡®Did the war drive him mad?¡¯</i>


    The wars that the margrave had to go through were often too much to bear for a sane person. As a knight from a smaller kingdom, it was likely that he was always driven up to the front of the line. Over the years of fighting, he had lost the majority of the friends and lieges that he had trained with since a young age to the war. That was also the reason why all his adjutants were significantly younger than him.


    ¡°I¡¯d better get another son before I¡¯m too old. Perhaps I should impregnate a barbarian ve girl... that¡¯s not a terrible idea, an heir with barbarian blood,¡± the margrave mumbled to himself, and his adjutant waited patiently for him to finish.


    The barbarian subjugation was something that had to be done, and it needed people. The Empire requested military power from its vassal kingdoms, pushing all the knights out into the battlefields.


    ¡°They called it a subjugation, but it was practically a warparable to the ones during the conquest. The leftover barbarians were hiding innds where they didn¡¯t expect us toe. The northernnd was a frozennd cold enough to freeze our fingers and toes off, and the southernnd was a boiling hotnd that was hot enough to cook our skin. Neither was no ce for man; it was for barbarians, for beasts.¡±


    The adjutant had heard this story multiple times, so he just nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, my lord. It was a war of great sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°And now they talk about this ¡®Barbarian Inclusion Policy?¡¯ The men who call themselves schrs im that the barbarians are people, just like us. They use and shame us as if we¡¯re sinners for having killed those barbarians. I can¡¯t even go around using my nickname ¡®Barbarian Hunter.¡¯ It¡¯s not infamy¡ªit¡¯s a proud title that I¡¯ve earned.¡±


    Margrave Orquell¡¯s eyes glowed ferociously.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, my lord. You, Margrave Orquell, are the greatest knight of all.¡±


    ¡°I killed those barbarians for our kingdom, for our civilization! Before that damn emperor started bbering about how they¡¯re people just like us. People don¡¯t have a single clue of what the barbarians are actually like, and that includes you! They only see the defeated ones who are dragged around like dogs in very and think that all barbarians are dirty and lowly like them. That¡¯s not what they are actually like.¡±


    The adjutant breathed a deep sigh.


    ¡°We¡¯ve all forgotten the true face of the barbarians. One day, it wille back to bite us and only then, we will regret doing so,¡± the margrave said as heughed with his shoulders dropped low. A momentter, he picked up his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. It¡¯s about time we started going after them.¡±


    The margrave had regained hisposure. After venting out his emotions rather loudly, Margrave Orquell always returned to the state of a fine warrior. His adjutant nodded as if he had been waiting for this transition.


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to go for his head.¡±


    The margrave followed the track of the soldiers who had left before him.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s gettingte.¡¯</i>


    The pursuit was proving to be longer than he had expected.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Orquell repeatedly closed and opened his eyes as he reined in his horse.


    ¡°My lord?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. You go ahead, I¡¯ll be right behind you,¡± the margrave said as he shook his head.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m feeling dizzy just because of one sleepless night.¡¯</i>


    His vision narrowed and his head felt dull. It was because he had been tracking too hard with barely any sleep.


    <i>¡®Aging is a scary thing.¡¯</i>


    Back in his younger days, Orquell had no problem with fighting without sleep for days on end. He fought against the barbarians in unfamiliar territory, never knowing when they would attack.


    ¡°Phew,¡± the margrave looked up at the night sky and took a deep breath in.


    ¡°Arghhhhh!¡±


    There was a scream. Margrave stopped his gaze at the sky and mushed his horse.


    ¡°I told you to avoid a close-range fight!¡± The margrave eximed as soon as he got to the scene.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t initiate the attack, he did. He ambushed us!¡± The soldier cried out as if he was being wrongfully used.


    ¡°Where are the dogs?¡±


    ¡°They were all dead by the time we arrived at the scene.¡±


    After confirming the death of the dogs, the margrave grinned.


    ¡°So, instead of running away, he decided to hit us first. He must be quite confident in his strength. I mean, if I had their superhuman strength, I would be, too.¡±


    Urich had taken down two soldiers and three of their dogs. After killing the dogs, Urich hid in the darkness again.


    ¡°Be alert of your surroundings, he¡¯lle again,¡± Margrave Orquell said as he drew his sword.


    <i>¡®We¡¯ve gone from the hunter to the prey, that¡¯s impressive, you barbarian.¡¯</i>


    The soldiers cautiously scanned their surroundings and advanced deeper into the forest.


    * * *


    Urich climbed up the tree.


    ¡°Dammit, that stupid dog,¡± he said as he plucked out the dog teeth that were buried in his thigh.


    There were three dogs pouncing at him, and he only had two arms. He crushed the heads of two of them, but the third one managed to bite Urich in the thigh.


    ¡°Hup!¡±


    Urich stopped the bleeding by contracting the muscles in his thigh.


    ¡°I wonder how they¡¯lle at me,¡± he said to himself as he paid attention to the sounds around him.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re not scattering to find me. Instead, they¡¯re all sticking together, dammit.¡¯</i>


    Urich was confident that he could take down the soldiers one by one before they even had a chance to scream. Of course, this was only possible if they were separated. The soldiers remained in a group as if they knew what Urich wanted from them.


    <i>¡®They¡¯ll run into Pahell if they keeping down this way.¡¯</i>


    If Urich and Pahell were to run away on their horse, they would get caught, since the enemies had a horse for each of their men.


    <i>¡®I have to take care of them here, no matter how hard it is.¡¯</i>


    Urich hade to a decision. He could feel the energy pumping through his body as soon as he started to think about the imminent battle, and the pain that was stabbing him throughout his body disappeared along with it. His mind regained its rity as if it had been rinsed under cold running water.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The veins along his arms rose as he gripped hard on his axe and sword.


    <i>¡®If I were to jump right into the center of them, how many could I y?¡¯</i>


    Urich closed his eyes and drew a picture in his head. He could see his own movement in the middle of the group of soldiers. If they were a little further apart from each other, he would have had enough time to take them down one by one, as he did with the seven calvaries. That battle was practically a series of seven one-on-one battles.


    <i>¡®They¡¯repact. I¡¯ll get stabbed after taking down four, five of them.¡¯</i>


    Even if he came out as the winner, it meant nothing if he sustained a stab wound in the process. A big wound would kill him after the battle had been won.


    <i>¡®A warrior who jumps in knowing that death awaits him.¡¯</i>


    The northern warrior used his life as a tool. It left quite an impression on Urich.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s because the northerners have the resting ce called ¡®The Field of Swords.¡¯</i>


    Many thoughts went through his head, but the soldiers were cautiously advancing as he was hesitating.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve got to decide right now.¡¯</i>


    Urich grinned as he breathed in the crispy night air. There was no other way. The only way he could preserve his life was by throwing all integrity and oaths sworn to god out the window and running away.


    <i>¡®If four or five men was my limit until now...¡¯</i>


    He silently came down from the tree and followed the soldiers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s surpass my limit right here, right now.¡±


    Urich came up right behind one of the soldiers, dragged him down, and slit his throat. He smiled through the spouting blood.


    ¡°H-he¡¯s here! Kill him! Argh!¡±


    Urichunched his axe at the screaming soldier and killed him instantly. He had taken down two of Orquell¡¯s men in the blink of an eye. The remaining soldiers darted toward Urich as they drew their swords.


    <i>¡®They have a good movement to them. Forget five, it might be difficult to kill even one more of them.¡¯</i>


    He could see the level of the soldiers he was faced with just by looking at the way they were responding to him. They were the elites who were been selected from over two hundred men.


    ¡°Gahhhhh!¡±


    Urich released a low, beastly roar.


    <i>Neighhhh!</i>


    Even the trained horses were startled by his roar and raised their front hooves in panic.


    <i>¡®Pahell said that horses dislike me because of my ferocious, beastly aura.¡¯</i>


    Horses were sensitive animals. They did not obey themands of their riders as they twitched at Urich¡¯s roar.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s happening? Get down from your horses!¡±


    The soldiers rushed to the ground. Urich took his chance and yed another one.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Covered in blood, Urich red his eyes.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s it, that¡¯s a true barbarian! Look at the overflowing lifeforce in that beast!¡¯</i>


    Margrave Orquell was in ecstasy. The corners of his mouth were twitching upward, and it felt like even the white roots of his hair were darkening back to his youthful days.

 Chapter 44

    <h4>Chapter 44</h4>


    ¡°Get out of my way, I will deal with him!¡±


    Margrave Orquell charged toward Urich as he controlled his frightened horse.


    ¡°Woahhhh!¡±


    Urich let out his beastly roar at the margrave charging on his horse.


    The horse flinched again, and the margrave scratched the horse¡¯s nk hard with his boot. The hesitating horse was reminded of its owner¡¯s order and resumed its charge.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The de of the margrave had the momentum of the galloping horse. Urich received the blow with both his feet nted in the ground.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    The margrave felt his upper body thrusting backward. Even with the momentum of the horse, he felt that he was being overpowered by the barbarian.


    <i>¡®My arm is going to break if I don¡¯t move my sword out of the way.¡¯</i>


    The margrave released the tension in his legs to absorb the impact of the sh. He tumbled off the horse, falling to the ground in an acrobatic maneuver.


    ¡°My lord!¡± The soldiers shouted.


    ¡°Surround him! Attack him from all directions!¡± The margrave eximed at his soldiers. There was no ce for amander who couldn¡¯t take care of himself on the battlefield. He jumped back to his feet and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Urich threw his second axe. The axe was buried halfway into the soldier¡¯s knee, making the raggedy joint copse backward. The soldier fell to the ground with a terrible screech.


    Urich had used up both of his axes. He rolled on the ground to pick up the shield that one of the soldiers dropped. It was an inverted triangle shield that tapered downward.


    <i>¡®A shield.¡¯</i>


    Urich was never fond of using a shield. Even back in his tribe, he had only used it asionally to block the arrows.


    <i>¡®Is this how they used it?¡¯</i>


    Urich mimicked the shield-wielding that he had seen here and there.


    The civilized men were adept at using a shield. They knew how to attack and defend with a shield. The inverted triangle shape allowed its wielder to use the shield as a weapon with its pointy tip.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich parried the soldiers¡¯ attacks by swinging the shield and pushing them back.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    His body flinched. An arrow fired from a crossbow plunged into his back, but Urich didn¡¯t seem to be bothered as he kept advancing toward his enemies.


    ¡°D-does it not work on him?¡±


    The arrow wasn¡¯t able to dig deep into Urich due to the fur coat that was covering his entire upper body along with his armor-like back muscles.


    ¡°Go for his head, his head!¡± Orquell shouted. The soldiers with crossbows simultaneously aimed at Urich¡¯s head.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Urich raised his shield to protect his head and upper body. As the arrows hit the shield, Urich darted forward in a swift motion.


    <i>¡®That strange weapon takes a while to reload.¡¯</i>


    Urich had seen the crossbow enough times to know how long it took for them to be reloaded.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    Urich shoved the soldiers with his shield and crushed the heads of the tripped-over soldiers with his knees. As his immense weight came down on their faces, their heads crumpled as the facial bones copsed. Urich¡¯s hands continued to move rapidly to slit the throats of the soldiers.


    ¡°What are you doing, you can¡¯t get scared!¡± The adjutant tried to encourage his soldiers, but they were all falling one by one, intimidated by Urich¡¯s ferocity.


    <i>¡®We can kill him with a single attack if we coordinate our attacks properly.¡¯</i>


    There was no reason for them to lose. After all, their enemy was a single barbarian who stood up to them without a single piece of armor.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    But the soldiers were the dying ones. The adjutant then realized that something was wrong.


    <i>¡®The fear that attacking first will result in certain death. We¡¯ve been overwhelmed by him.¡¯</i>


    That was the thing that kept the soldiers from coordinating a pincer attack. Whoever dove in first was certainly going to die. What would be the point of killing the barbarian if you also lost your life in the process? No soldier was passionate and loyal enough to jump in despite certain death. The soldiers all hesitated to be the first to attack, and that resulted in the worst oue of all of them getting killed one by one. If the soldiers were without the fear of death, like the northern warriors, Urich would have been stabbed to death long ago.


    <i>¡®So, this is the power of the barbarian that the lord was talking about.¡¯</i>


    The madness of rushing into one¡¯s own death, the willingness to fight with one¡¯s heart bared open if necessary. The young adjutant realized the crucial importance of soldier morale on the battlefield.


    <i>¡®Now I get why the civilization military struggled against the barbarians.¡¯</i>


    After learning the reality, the adjutant knew that his time was up. Urich¡¯s sword cleanly shed his neck.


    Many knights and warriors ended up dying before they could umte their experiences. might knights and warriors were created on a pile of death, and this young adjutant was merely a part of the pile.


    ¡°Kek, kek kek,¡± after losing every single one of his men, Margrave Orquell cackled with his face covered with one hand.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Urich was barely standing, holding himself up with his sword plunged into the ground. The soldiers who died by his berserk were only afraid because they couldn¡¯t see the true state of Urich. In reality, he was only a wounded and fatigued animal. There were clear, deep cuts in his arms and legs as he could only afford to shield the fatal points of his body, like his head and torso. Blood was gushing from the deep cuts. His face was pale, and the arrowheads dug deeper into his body with every tiny movement.


    ¡°You can¡¯t trick me. I¡¯m used to that inted fear of yours.¡±


    The margrave grinned as he stared at the true image of Urich. He was barely able to stay standing.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    The margrave grabbed his sword with both hands and raised it high.


    <i>¡®I won¡¯t give you any time to recover, nameless barbarian. You were truly the greatest of all the barbarians I have met.¡¯</i>


    The death of his men did not cause a drop of sadness in the heart of the margrave. In fact, his heart was frozen solid a long time ago. He was a knight who had witnessed too many deaths for it to affect him anymore. The only thing that was left in his knightly heart was a twisted sense of awe that reced the initial hatred.


    Urich looked at the margrave. It was getting harder for him to think straight. Extreme physical exertion led to mental exhaustion, as clear thinking was only possible with a well-rested body.


    <i>¡®I... have to... think...¡¯</i>


    Urich muttered. It felt like the muscles in his arms and legs had left his body. He felt like he was about to copse unless he supported himself with his sword. All that bleeding was blurring his vision.


    Margrave Orquell didn¡¯t let his guard down. He knew the final power of a wounded beast.


    He maintained his stance and gradually closed the distance.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll feign a shoulder sh, then turn sideways to cut deeply into his throat. That should do the job.¡¯</i>


    Unlike Urich, the margrave had plenty of time and energy to think of a clear attacking n. He ran the trajectory of his sword multiple times in his head.


    <i>Crackle, crackle.</i>


    The margrave looked to the side without moving his head. From the darkness, he heard the sound of horse hooves and saw a young man with blue eyes through the fallen torches. It was Prince Varca Aneu Porcana.


    <i>¡®Why would the prince be at the battleground?¡¯</i>


    The margrave was puzzled, but there was no time to hesitate.


    ¡°Urich!¡± Pahell shouted as he dismounted the horse. Orquell rushed tond his attack on the barbarian.


    <i>¡®I have to save him.¡¯</i>


    Pahell found the crossbow that was on the ground. He thought back to the time that he shot it a couple of times.


    <i>Click.</i>


    He grabbed the crossbow from the ground with shaking hands. Luckily, it was loaded with an arrow. The margrave had no choice but to pay attention to his hands.


    ¡°Dammit.¡±


    The margrave decided that he was toote and stopped his attack on Urich and raised his shield instead.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    The margrave raised his shield up to his head and waited for the arrow to hit the shield.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t hear the sound of the hit.¡¯</i>


    There was no sound of the arrow hitting the shield. The absence dyed the lowering of the shield. The arrow headed nowhere close to the margrave due to Pahell¡¯s poor uracy. If the margrave had ignored the prince and carried out his attack on Urich, he would have sessfully taken his breath.


    That momentary dy in the lowering of the shield was enough to decide the winner. That tiny distraction was enough.


    Urich, who had just caught his breath, took a half step forward and swung his sword with all his might. He wascking his strength, so he put the weight of his body behind it and swung deep like a club.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The margrave tried to block the blow by holding out his right arm, thinking that he could use his left arm to switch hands for a counterattack.


    <i>¡®One-armed Margrave isn¡¯t a bad nickname.¡¯</i>


    He thought that a single arm would be enough to block the blow of an exhausted barbarian. He was wrong. The de that sliced through his right arm didn¡¯t stop there. It struck his head, crushing his metal helmet. His head caved in along with the disfigured helmet.


    ¡°Cough.¡±


    Margrave Orquell copsed on the ground as he puked up blood. His bodily fluid mixed with blood spouted out of his eyes, nose, and ears, and the pink flesh was visible through the crack in his head.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t finish you off with that blow, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll finish you off now.¡±


    Urich, who copsed alongside the margrave, said to his dying enemy as he barely lifted his sword. The margrave couldn¡¯t contain hisughter after hearing Urich¡¯s words. The image of Urich looking down on him as he was about tond the finishing blow mirrored his own past. Countless barbarians had died looking up at the young Orquell in the same way.


    <i>¡®Now, it¡¯s my turn to die looking up at a young barbarian.¡¯</i>


    Thest thing he saw before the end was the tip of the sword.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    Urich decisively plunged his sword into the throat of Margrave Orquell with a brief stroke. The margrave closed his eyes.


    Urich fell to the ground beside his fallen enemy. He and no energy left even for the smallest movement.


    ¡°Why did youe? I told you to hide and wait. But I did live thanks to you. I thought I was really going to die this time.¡±


    Urich barely turned his head to look at Pahell.


    <i>¡®Did he really do this all by himself? Alone?¡¯</i>


    Pahell looked around as he bit his lips. There were signs of a fierce battle. A feeling of shame that he had never felt before rose from the corner of his heart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps I was scared hiding by myself,¡± Pahell answered as he stretched his hand toward Urich on the ground to help him sit up.


    ¡°Scared of hiding, too? You really are the biggest coward.¡±


    Urich belched out a roughugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I was scared of being a coward who only hides... I am supposed to be the king after all,¡± Pahell answered, but the words that he was about to be the king didn¡¯t leave his mouth as easily as before. He took the sword of the margrave and clipped it to his belt. The weight of the sword felt unfamiliar.


    * * *


    Pahell was exhausted. He had tended to Urich¡¯s wounds all night.


    ¡°God dammit, how is a person alive after all that? <i>Spit.</i>¡±


    Pahell vomited over and over again. Looking at the flesh beneath one¡¯s skin was not a pleasant thing to do.


    ¡°Heat that thing up and hand it over. I need to burn the wounds,¡± Urich said as he was seated on the ground. Sweat was beading down his face, his eyes bloodshot, and his lips were parched to the point of seeming blue.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Pahell wiped his mouth and took out the red-hot de from the fire.


    <i>¡®How many scars does he have? And he¡¯s my age?¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s body was covered in scars from head to toe. The shes and stab wounds were littered all over, and the burns left the ugliest scars.


    ¡°At this rate, I¡¯m going to die taking care of you.¡±


    Pahell said as he put the tweezer and dagger down. He had to peer into Urich¡¯s flesh to find the buried arrowheads. It wasn¡¯t something that he ever wanted to do again.


    ¡°Stop whining, I¡¯m the one dying over here. Huff, huff,¡± Urich took a few deep breaths before bringing the de to his wounds. It was a desperate remedy he had to use because there was no other way to sterilize the wounds.


    <i>Tssssss!</i>


    ¡°Fuuuuuuuck! It hurts like hell every time I do it, fucking hell.¡± Urich burned one wound after another as heined.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Pahell plugged his nose to stop the reeking smell of Urich¡¯s burning flesh.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m really going to die at this rate. I¡¯ve never had to go through this much ever since I came over to this side of the mountains.¡¯</i>


    He hadn¡¯t fought this hard since the Thirty-Men ughter, which was the time he killed thirty warriors of an enemy tribe over the course of three days. It was an achievement that spread his name throughout the surrounding tribes.


    ¡°Pahell, no, what was your name, Var...¡± Urich said with a pale face.


    ¡°Varca Aneu Porcana, that¡¯s my legal name.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that, Pahell Varca. If for some reason I don¡¯t wake up, cremate my body but please cut my hair and bring it to the foot of the Sky Mountains.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by...¡±


    Pahell couldn¡¯t finish his sentence, as Urich shut his eyes and fell unconscious.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s breathing, he¡¯s not dead.¡¯</i>


    Pahell breathed a sigh of relief after he made sure that Urich was still breathing.


    ¡°If you think about it, what he did just doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Urich had killed over twenty men in the span of a few days. He had to fight and fight as soon as he recovered from the back injury that he got from carrying Kylios.


    ¡°This is something that a warrior could boast about for the rest of his life.¡±


    The world was full of renowned knights and warriors, and the Sword Demon Ferzen, who fought off a hundred men on a bridge was one of them.


    ¡°You too will be famous one day, Urich.¡±


    Pahell stared at the sleeping Urich. Urich was a mercenary and a warrior. From his ability to his actions, there wasn¡¯t a single thing to be ashamed of. He was that great of a man.


    <i>¡®Have I be the man worthy of bing king like I¡¯ve been telling myself?¡¯</i>


    Pahell kept asking himself.


    <i>¡®If I were a horse keeper or a farmer, it would¡¯ve been alright for me to live as a coward. But I am the man to take the throne.¡¯</i>


    The world was not an easy thing to navigate, and Pahellughed bitterly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not special.¡±


    It was a truth that he never wanted to admit. Pahell made a rug out of his cloak and fur and tied it to Kylios.


    ¡°After all that bleeding, he¡¯s still as heavy as hell.¡±


    Pahell grabbed Urich by the upper body and dragged him onto the rug.


    ¡°You got this, Kylios.¡±


    Kylios neighed softly as he dragged the rug that Urich was resting on.


    Pahell wandered for another day until he came upon a busy road. Fortunately, he met and joined a caravan that was headed to the city of Valgma. They entered the city gates within less than half a day, and it was after spending two more days in an inn in Valgma that Urich finally came to.


    The next day, they were joined by Urich¡¯s Brotherhood in the city.

 Chapter 45: The Witch

    <h4>Chapter 45: The Witch</h4>


    ¡°Mister, your body is on fire,¡± the prostitute said, buried underneath Urich.


    Urich and the mercenaries were replenishing their supplies and taking their much-needed rest in the city of Valgma and were scheduled to depart the next day.


    ¡°I¡¯m a pretty hot man,¡± Urich said with a slight grin. The prostitute stopped the loud moaning and shook her head.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Your body is actually hot. You don¡¯t look too well, are you ill, or something?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The prostitute put her hand against Urich¡¯s forehead, then looked at Urich in shock.


    ¡°Y-your forehead is burning.¡±


    ¡°R...really?¡±


    Urich stopped his movement and touched his forehead. It felt like he was touching a burning rock.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Urich stumbled. His breath became rapid, and the symptoms started to take over his body the moment he became aware of them.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    He leaned against the wall. He was overwhelmed by a sudden dizziness that made it feel like the world was turning upside down.


    ¡°Mister?¡± The prostitute panicked and pulled up the cover.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I already paid you, so let¡¯s just finish... eh? Eh? <i>Yuck.¡±</i>


    Urich copsed against the wall and thrust his body forward. He vomited everything that he had for breakfast.


    <i>¡®What¡¯s wrong with my body?¡¯</i>


    The prostitute frowned.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll give you your money back, so just leave, please! Right now!¡±


    The prostitute yelled as if she was about to call her pimp. Urich nodded and stumbled back to the inn that the mercenary squad was staying at. There were a few mercenaries at the rented inn.


    ¡°Urich?¡±


    The mercenaries looked at Urich. It was obvious that he was in bad shape.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a slight fever. The wounds from before must have gotten infected or something.¡±


    Urich went into his room and fell into his bed. Outside, the mercenaries murmured.


    <i>¡®Urich is ill.¡¯</i>


    It could have been a minor ailment. If he woke up fine the next day, everything would be back to normal.


    Urich did not wake up fine the next morning. In fact, his condition had gotten worse. The mercenaries gathered for a meeting, and Phillion and Pahell joined in.


    ¡°How¡¯s Urich doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure. Maybe the wounds really got infected? He was in an absolute mess after hisst battle.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go find a doctor. Surely a city like this has at least a couple of them here.¡±


    Bachman moved quickly to ask around for a doctor, sessfully bringing one in before sunset.


    ¡°Huh? You brought someone? I should be fine by the morning.¡±


    Bachman frowned at Urich¡¯s words.


    ¡°Shut your mouth and let him take a look at you.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, fine, fine. Look all you want, but I¡¯m healthy. I just need a day¡¯s rest and I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m healthy, really.¡±


    Urich¡¯sining made the doctor look around at the mercenaries.


    ¡°Can someone shut this guy up? He¡¯s someone who¡¯d continue to talk even after he¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Keke, <i>cough.</i>¡±


    Urich¡¯sughter was cut short by the pain in his chest.


    ¡°Your body is a mess. Did you escape from torture or something?¡±


    Pahell, who had been listening in in the background, flinched at the doctor¡¯s words.


    ¡°I was never tortured, but I did get cut up with those metal pieces,¡± Urich said as the doctor rolled his body around, looking at every corner of his body.


    ¡°Fucking hell, keep an eye on this guy. I feel like he¡¯s trying to go for my ass!¡±


    The doctor pped Urich¡¯s back after hearing hisment.


    ¡°Why would I put my hand on a man¡¯s body if it weren¡¯t for the gold coins? Hmm, your wounds don¡¯t seem like they¡¯ve been infected. Do you have any broken bones that could be causing any internal damage?¡±


    ¡°My bones aren¡¯t broken.¡±


    ¡°Then you must have run out of energy. You¡¯ve be weak.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Urich¡¯s response showed his disbelief.


    ¡°You say you¡¯re fine, but your body looks like it¡¯s been tortured to death. A weakened body like that is quite prone to illnesses and diseases. You sound like a barbarian; you guys are vulnerable to a lot of local diseases.¡±


    ¡°Disease? Hah! I¡¯ve never gotten sick once in my life!¡±


    Bachmanughed at Urich¡¯s words beside him.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a child who hasn¡¯t even turned twenty yet. Stop forcing yourself and just get some bed rest. That¡¯s the best thing you can do for yourself right now.¡±


    The mercenaries chuckled at Bachman¡¯s words.


    ¡°No matter how healthy one may be, their body is bound to get weak with several wounds and piled up fatigue. Get plenty of rest, and drink lots of clean water. I¡¯ll prescribe you some fever reducers.¡±


    The doctor pulled out a handful of herbal pills. Bachman paid the doctor.


    ¡°You heard the doc, right? Get some rest, my little brother.¡±


    Bachman closed the door after himself. Urich closed his eyes, and he instantly felt the fatigue rushing in. No amount of sleep was enough; his body was as tired as he was.


    The mercenaries gathered and murmured.


    ¡°Urich¡¯s not in a good shape, is he?¡±


    ¡°His mouth was the only part of him that was still working.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should start thinking about a new captain, just in case.¡±


    Urich was well-loved by the mercenaries, but that didn¡¯t mean that they were willing to follow an ill leader until the very end.


    ¡°Shut up, all of you. Urich will be back to normal in no time. This is only a minor dy in our schedule. Just get ready to leave whenever we can,¡± Bachman said as he walked down the stairs. The mercenaries didn¡¯t seem to listen to him.


    <i>¡®Dammit,¡¯</i> Bachman cursed inside his head.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t me them. It¡¯s only fair for a weakened leader to step down.¡¯</i>


    The reason why Urich was epted as the leader of the mercenary squad was his strength. He was stronger than anyone else in the squad. He was so strong that even Donovan couldn¡¯t say a word against him.


    <i>¡®If Urich doesn¡¯t make it, then Donovan is the next one in line for the leadership.¡¯</i>


    Bachman was bing anxious. He wasn¡¯t confident in himself to carry on under the leadership of Donovan.


    <i>¡®You have to get up, Urich, please.¡¯</i>


    Ever since their diatorial days, Bachman had gambled everything on Urich. So far, the gamble had been paying off, as he was a founding member of Urich¡¯s inner circle.


    ¡°Bachman,¡± Pahell called the mercenary.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Young Master?¡±


    As Bachman looked up, Pahell tilted his head and asked him to follow.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Bachman went into Pahell¡¯s room, where Phillion was waiting for them.


    <i>¡®Bachman is the closest man to Urich.¡¯</i>


    Pahell and Phillion had a rough understanding of the power structure within the mercenary squad.


    <i>¡®Urich and Bachman are quite close. Donovan is not so pro-Urich, but he is very capable and has his own group within the mercenaries. Sven is the head of the third group of the northern barbarians.¡¯</i>


    Bachman looked back and forth between Phillion and Pahell, then sat down.


    ¡°What is it, Sir Phillion?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask you something in private, so I called you in here.¡±


    ¡°The other mercenaries out there won¡¯t be so fond of us talking in private like this. Let¡¯s make it quick.¡±


    ¡°If Urich doesn¡¯t get better, who do you think is going to lead the mercenaries?¡± Phillion¡¯s question showed his concern.


    ¡°Even if I wanted to do it myself, the other mercenaries won¡¯t approve of it. There¡¯s Sven and Donovan, but Sven doesn¡¯t have a bit of desire to lead the squad. He keeps to himself quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°Then, if Donovan were to be the leader, do you think he would carry out our contract?¡± Pahell asked.


    ¡°Traditionally, the new leader takes over the same contract to see it through, but I don¡¯t know what that bastard is thinking. Regardless of that, if Urich doesn¡¯t recover, then I¡¯ll be leaving the squad. I won¡¯t get any of the reward money because I¡¯m quitting halfway through, but it¡¯ll still be better than working under Donovan,¡± Bachman said with a bitter grin. He then got up from his seat and left the room.


    Pahell and Phillion remained in the room and discussed their next steps.


    ¡°It might not be a bad idea to look for a new mercenary squad to take on our job, Your Highness. I¡¯ll ask around to see if there are any nearby.¡±


    Pahell shook his head at Phillion¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Urich isn¡¯t dead yet, Sir Phillion, you¡¯re getting too ahead of yourself.¡± Pahell said assertively, making Phillion flinch.


    <i>¡®Did the prince just say that?¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t the whiny demand of a child-like before. He was making his judgment and thoughts clear.


    ¡°Do you have any other ns, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Sun God Lou is watching us. If we even think about breaking our oath, it won¡¯t be good for us. This is Valgma, a border city with a lot of foreigners. I¡¯ll go out and look for someone who could heal Urich. In the meantime, keep a close eye on the movement of the mercenaries, Sir Phillion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Phillion showed his respect as he slightly bowed his head. His heart lurched in his chest.


    <i>¡®He indeed as the royal blood flowing in his veins. The problematic part was the environment that he was in.¡¯</i>


    Pahell stared out the window. His blue eyes were so clear that they were practically glowing.


    ¡°Urich the mercenary leader is a man of integrity. He is also quite skilled. Since he has made an oath with me, he will protect me with his own life. Even if we managed to find another mercenary squad, we wouldn¡¯t be able to find someone like him. We would probably have to worry about them as much as we worry about the chase party.¡±


    Pahell had witnessed it with his own eyes. Urich protected him by putting his own life on the line time and time again. Urich had so many opportunities to run off or even sell him out, but such thoughts didn¡¯t even seem to cross his mind.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s what you call integrity. You can¡¯t get that just by talking about it.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s existence was a huge shock to the young prince.


    ¡°Be careful, Your Highness.¡±


    Pahell left the inn with a knight apanying him. He went around the taverns of the city to look for anyone who would have any medical knowledge.


    ¡°Even that doctor couldn¡¯te up with anything, do you think the others would be different?¡± the knight asked him.


    ¡°Barbarians know more about a barbarian¡¯s body than civilized men. The barbarian medicine might be exactly what Urich needs.¡±


    Pahell remembered reading about the topic in his books. He had read both the Northern and Southern Chronicles. They were written by the first emperor during his conquest of the barbarians. The barbarian customs and behaviors were well documented in those books.


    ¡°Still, you must be careful not to reveal your identity. Even though we¡¯ve crossed the border, Duke Harmatti won¡¯t give up so easily.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    Pahell walked into the next tavern. It was a ce that reeked of the smell of beer and body odor.


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Pahell stepped inside, barely maintaining hisposure. The eyes of the people inside the tavern scanned him.


    ¡°One beer,¡± Pahell said as he grabbed a seat. The tavernkeeper frowned.


    ¡°Youe with two people, but you only order one beer.¡±


    ¡°...two beers, then.¡±


    ¡°Here you go!¡±


    The tavernkeeper grinned and held out the pints. The beer shook and spilled a little.


    The tavern was filled with voices chattering here and there. The ceiling of the second floor shook with a muffled moaning of men and women leaking through. Pahell looked around carefully, emptying his ss.


    ¡°What are you looking for that hard, sir?¡± The tavernkeeper asked as he refilled the ss without even asking.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a barbarian healer. Do you know anyone?¡±


    ¡°A barbarian healer... ah, you¡¯re looking for a shaman! I¡¯m not sure. Hey! Where do you think you¡¯re going, Zuniba? You better not run off with my thirty percent,¡± the tavernkeeper yelled at the womaning down from the second floor. He was also a pimp.


    ¡°Stop yelling, I was just about to give it to you. I just had to run to the bathroom first.¡±


    ¡°This is the only ce that would take in a barbarian bitch like you. Just hand the money over.¡±


    The tavernkeeper was practically robbing the barbarian prostitute. Zuniba handed over the coins without a fuss.


    ¡°Oh my, a handsome young man. Would you like to go upstairs with me? How does that sound?¡± Zuniba said to Pahell as she looked at him up and down.


    Her ent was from the south. The northern ent was hard and rough, whereas the southern ent was soft and melodic. This made northern women quite popr among men.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m here for. Are you a barbarian, as well?¡±


    Pahell asked the woman, but the tavernkeeper answered for her.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a barbarian prostitute; not worth your attention. She¡¯ll do anything for money. If you let here too close to you, she will probably steal your money bag and run off like a rat. If you¡¯re looking for a barbarian healer, I¡¯ll ask around. We do get a lot of barbarians dropping in here.¡±


    The tavernkeeper spoke with open contempt for Zuniba with her standing right beside him. Zuniba smiled at Pahell with her eyes as if she was used to it.


    ¡°I would appreciate that. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±


    Pahell got up, leaving half of the beer in his ss. The tavernkeeper took the leftover beer and dumped it back into the keg.


    ¡°Come again, sir!¡± The tavernkeeper shouted at Pahell¡¯s back.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    After leaving the tavern, Pahell walked down the alleyway. His knight whispered in his ear.


    ¡°That prostitute from earlier is following us, Your Highness.¡±


    Pahell looked back. Zuniba, who had been tailing the prince, stopped in her tracks and nodded lightly.


    ¡°I hear that you are looking for a barbarian healer, good sir.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m not looking for a prostitute.¡±


    ¡°A good healer is a good shaman, and a good female shaman is adept in techniques of squeezing a man. It is also a healer¡¯s duty to take care of men wounded from battle, good sir.¡±


    Pahell thought for a second. He remembered seeing simr words in one of his books.


    <i>¡®The book said that barbarian shamans are often women, and they heal both the body and the minds of the warriors.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 46

    <h4>Chapter 46</h4>


    The southerners were the first barbarians to be assimted into the Empire. The Empire already had established a trade rtionship with the southern kingdoms, and their sun-worshipping beliefs made them more epting of Srism. In the end, most of the southern barbarians surrendered within a year of the onset of the war.


    ¡°Looks like the young master knows how to buy whores, too!¡± The mercenaries said as they watched Pahell bring Zuniba into the inn.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring her as a prostitute; she¡¯s here to heal Urich,¡± Pahell retorted with a frown.


    ¡°Well, nothing¡¯s off the table as long as you pay me appropriately,¡± Zuniba said after him. The mercenaries whistled and murmured obscenities.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! I¡¯ve only brought you here for medical reasons, and those reasons only. Forget about anything else,¡± Pahell shouted.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Pahell and Zuniba entered the room where Urich was lying.


    ¡°Is he a northerner?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Whether he¡¯s a northerner or southerner, he¡¯s a barbarian for sure.¡±


    Pahell sat behind Urich with his money pouch clinking.


    ¡°His body seems quite hot. He¡¯s suffering with a fever,¡± Zuniba said as she looked at Urich¡¯s bright red face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you here so you could tell me the obvious. If you heal that man, Urich, I will pay you a million cils. Surely, that¡¯s not a small sum,¡± Pahell said to the prostitute.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a hundred gold coins, sir,¡± Zuniba said with a faint smile. A hundred gold coins were worth ten million cils.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, you¡¯ll get it.¡±


    Pahell red his blue eyes and plunged his sword into the floor.


    ¡°...but if you wish to be paid ten million cils, you must put your life on the line. If you fail to heal the man, I will take your head,¡± Pahell said as he clenched his teeth.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m not expecting much. She could be a random prostitute who just came here for the money.¡¯</i>


    He thought that this condition would scare off the woman if she were bbering lies just for money.


    ¡°Ten million cils, sir. I swear to the Sun God Lou.¡±


    Zuniba walked up to Pahell. She then put his hand down his shirt and pulled out the sun pendant.


    ¡°Do not touch me! If you heal Urich, I will pay you with a hundred gold coins. I swear in Lou¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Lou has heard us.¡±


    Zuniba gently bowed and sat next to Urich.


    <i>¡®He has a lot of terrible scars. He must be a warrior who routinely walked the thin line between life and death.¡¯</i>


    Zuniba felt nostalgic as she looked at the ill warrior¡¯s body. It was a body that she wanted to find herself snuggled with.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Zuniba reached out to put her hand on Urich¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Urich suddenly opened his eyes and snatched her hand. His eyes alternated between the barbarian woman and Pahell.


    ¡°What, Pahell? Who¡¯s this woman? I know I have a reputation, but it¡¯s kind of hard for me to sleep with a woman right now. I appreciate the gesture but... ugh, fuck, not again, <i>yuck</i>.¡± Urich dropped his head and vomited for a while. There was nothing left in his stomach to throw up, so only white fluid dripped out of his mouth.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a prostitute. I brought her to heal you.¡±


    Pahell closed his eyes to avoid looking at Urich vomiting. He didn¡¯t have a strong stomach, so even the sound of him gagging was making him feel nauseous.


    ¡°Ugh, <i>spit.</i> This girl? Is she a shaman?¡± Urich asked as he barely sat up.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to die. It¡¯s like I drank right up to the point of throwing it all up, then somebody opened my head and poured even more drinks down.¡±


    ¡°Judging by how you¡¯re still talking, it doesn¡¯t seem like the fever¡¯s poison has affected your head yet.¡±


    Zuniba caressed Urich¡¯s forehead.


    <i>¡®The cold hand feels nice.¡¯</i>


    Her cold hand momentarily absorbed his fever.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen countless hardy warriors suffering and dying from diseases.¡±


    ¡°Die? Who¡¯s going to die? Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they all say. ¡®There¡¯s no way I die, do you think I¡¯m going to die like this?¡¯ However, death is a universal thing. It treats everyone equally. We all have to leave this physical body of ours, and we never know when that will be,¡± Zuniba said calmly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you here to give us a sermon, did I, Zuniba?¡±


    Pahell said from the side. He was holding a sword that wasn¡¯t familiar to him. With it being his first time threatening someone with force, his approach was slightly off. Zuniba could sense that and smirked.


    ¡°Everyone is born with a certain amount of life force. Some are as little as a pond, and some are as grand as ake. Those with not so much life force go through a lot of diseases and don¡¯t live very long. On the other hand, ones with a lot can ovee almost any wounds and diseases.¡±


    ¡°So, what?¡±


    ¡°You, my warrior, have used up most of your life force at such a young age. The life force that you were supposed to spend over the course of your entire life is already showing its bottom. That¡¯s why this disease has taken over you right now. The diseases and illnesses that were sneakily waiting for your body have finally gotten their chance as soon as your life force weakened.


    ¡°My life force is running out?¡±


    ¡°It was an amount tost a lifetime of any other regr person. With that amount, they would have lived their entire life in health without getting sick once. But you, you¡¯ve used it all up at such a young age. You must have been living quite a passionate life.¡±


    Zuniba held his hand with both of hers.


    ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m going to die?¡±


    Urich was no longer angry. Instead, he asked calmly.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to ovee this disease. You don¡¯t have any more life force to fight it with.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Pahell, what should we do? Apparently, I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t finish our escort. Damn, I really did want to see the capital of Hamel,¡± Urich said as he looked at Pahell. Pahell gritted his teeth.


    ¡°It sounds like she¡¯s a sham. I¡¯ll go find a better healer than this woman,¡± Pahell said as he scurried to his feet. Zuniba raised her hand to stop him.


    ¡°I never said I couldn¡¯t heal him. My goodness, you¡¯re impatient.¡±


    ¡°Are you mocking me? Tell me how you¡¯re going to heal him, Zuniba. I¡¯m a very impatient man. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do if I don¡¯t get things my way,¡± Pahell said coldly.


    ¡°If we¡¯re seeing the bottom of a life force, we just have to refill it. Give me three days to make the medicine¡ªone that will refill his life force to the brim. But I do need a down payment. Two million cils will do, sir,¡± Zuniba smiled with her eyes.


    ¡°If there are ingredients that you need, I will get them for you myself. How do I trust you with a down payment?¡±


    ¡°I swear to the sun god.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t trust the oath of a prostitute, never mind a barbarian one at that. There¡¯s still a lot of controversy regarding whether the sun that you southerners worship is the same god as Lou.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite picky, sir. Very well, then, goodbye.¡±


    Zuniba got up and walked out the door. There were no signs of regret in her footsteps.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made the right decision, Pahell. She¡¯s definitely a scammer. Run out of my life force? For a second, I was convinced by that bullshit. Hah, I must be going insane. When your body is weakened, your brain goes with it. Anyway, all I need is probably just good rest and good food. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    Urichid back in his bed after coughing.


    <i>¡®Urich... the man who seemed so big now looks just like every other mercenary. The aura that he was always surrounded by is gone. If that¡¯s the life force that she was talking about...¡±</i>


    Pahell looked at Urich and bit his lips. He clenched his fist and ran outside to call Zuniba, who was negotiating her price with the other mercenaries.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay it, Zuniba! Heal Urich no matter what.¡±


    Zuniba smiled as if she had been waiting for it. She kissed goodbye to the mercenary that she was talking to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, sir.¡±


    After receiving the down payment, Zuniba stuck out her tongue. There was a small bead that was stuck on her tongue. It was for pleasuring a man.


    * * *


    <i>Tap.</i>


    A mercenary bumped his shoulder into Bachman¡¯s as he walked by. Bachman turned around, frowning.


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t have eyes?¡±


    The mercenary snickered at Bachman¡¯s words.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve moved out of the way, why are you bullshitting me?¡±


    ¡°I can see you bumped into me on purpose, asshole.¡±


    Bachman returned a ferocious grin. The world of mercenaries was a savage ce. If you look weak, you were sent to the bottom of the pyramid.


    <i>¡®Dammit, I¡¯m being disrespected by a new guy who isn¡¯t even from the diatorial days.¡¯</i>


    His pride had taken a proper hit. He had no intention of stepping away from this.


    <i>¡®If I don¡¯t get an apology out of him, I¡¯m basically admitting that I¡¯ve fallen in the ranks.¡¯</i>


    Bachman stopped the mercenary who bumped into his shoulder.


    ¡°Apologize to me. Right now.¡±


    ¡°Apologize? We bumped into each other, so why should I apologize? Did you get an arrow to your head or something? Huh?¡±


    The mercenary shoved his face into Bachman¡¯s as if he was ready to headbutt him in the face.


    <i>¡®Donovan¡¯s group.¡¯</i>


    The mercenary that was standing up to Bachman was one of Donovan¡¯s men. Some of the mercenaries were already lining up behind Donovan.


    <i>¡®Dammit, Urich.¡¯</i>


    Urich was bold. He knew how to see the big picture. He never once penalized people for standing with Donovan, so any mercenary who knew how to do the math tended to crawl under Donovan¡¯s arms.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s how Urich led the mercenary squad, but...¡¯</i>


    Urich was a natural-born warlord. Other warriors couldn¡¯t help themselves but follow him. He was someone who naturally stood above the others without even trying. Because of that, Urich never needed to be wary of others.


    <i>¡®But a regr guy like me has to stay sharp and keep my head above water to keep my ce.¡¯</i>


    The mercenaries stretched his hand out to shove Bachman.


    ¡°If you want an apology,e get it with your sword. May Lou be the judge of who¡¯s right and wrong.¡±


    The mercenaries around them were stirred. It was a clear challenge to duel.


    <i>¡®Hmph, you¡¯ve been following Urich around for the longest time. I¡¯ll put you in your ce.¡¯</i>


    Bachman¡¯s fighting skills were barely average within the mercenary squad. His strength was his sociability and the ability to quickly read the room.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m an easy opponent, huh? I¡¯m going to make you regret that.¡±


    Bachman clenched his teeth. He was a man. If he backed down in a situation like this, he would be the butt of jokes for the rest of his life.


    <i>¡®Shit, someone stop this!¡¯</i>


    He screamed inside his head. Usually, Urich was the one to put an end to small disputes like this. He¡¯d grab each man and say something along the lines of ¡®How about you bothe at me? I¡¯ll split both of your heads equally. You may have different birthdates, but you¡¯ll die on the same day!¡¯


    ¡°Stop that.¡±


    Sven strode over and grabbed Bachman and the mercenary by the arms.


    <i>Creak!</i>


    His grip was strong¡ªnot as strong as Urich¡¯s, but still an immense force. It was the strength of a barbarian who had been wielding a double-handed axe all his life.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    The two men broke down in a moan.


    ¡°Now, shake hands like the good pals you are, before I break your wrists,¡± Sven said as he forced the hands of the two men together.


    ¡°Y-you got lucky this time, Bachman.¡±


    ¡°Me? You¡¯re the lucky one.¡±


    Thanks to Sven¡¯s intervention, there was no duel. When Sven had finished, he talked to himself as if he wanted the mercenaries to hear his words.


    ¡°Tearing each other apart to climb the ranks when the leader is down is something that only animals do.¡±


    Sven kicked his tongue. He was a solemn man. He fought withoutint as a diator ve out of loyalty to Horus, who had saved his life and had spent his entire earnings to free his brothers. There was no one with a character like his in the mercenary squad.


    ¡°Sven, can we talk for a second?¡± Bachman said as he rubbed his wrist. Sven nodded in response.


    ¡°Look at the state of our squad as soon as Urich¡¯s slightly out of the picture. How pathetic,¡± Sven said as he nced at the mercenaries outside his room.


    ¡°Sven, if Urich doesn¡¯t make it, I want you to be our next leader. I will back you up,¡± Bachman got to his point immediately. Sven brushed his beard and showed a faint grin.


    ¡°That is poor, Bachman. You¡¯re not fit to be a warrior. You¡¯d be perfect as a fisherman or a local guard.¡±


    ¡°You might be right, but unfortunately, I¡¯m a mercenary, at least for now. I don¡¯t want to miss out on the opportunity to make some good money.¡±


    Bachman was a secr, petit bourgeois man. He wasn¡¯t a hero.


    <i>¡®But most people are no different from Bachman.¡¯</i>


    Sven brushed his beard, then answered.


    ¡°My answer is no. If Urich can no longer serve as our leader, I am going to leave the squad and head to the north.¡±


    ¡°What about our job?¡±


    ¡°I never swore an oath. Your Sun God Lou isn¡¯t our god. My other northern brothers might stay with the squad, but I am going to return to the northern holynd.¡±


    Sven¡¯s thoughts were firm, and Bachman saw no point in saying more.


    ¡°Alright. I guess my fate depends on whether Urich gets up.¡±


    Bachman and Sven¡¯s conversation came to an end. As they walked out of the room, they could sense the res of the other mercenaries.


    <i>¡®Donovan.¡¯</i>


    Donovan was busy ying dice with the men in his group. He looked at Bachman and bared his yellow teeth.


    <i>¡®Dammit, that bastard probably knows that Sven would never go for the leader position. He¡¯s full of confidence right now.¡¯</i>


    Donovan was a patient man. He had been waiting patiently under Urich, and now he was getting his chance.


    ¡°I¡¯m having good luck with the dice today,¡± Donovan said.

 Chapter 47

    <h4>Chapter 47</h4>


    Fever makes a person dream. It splits their consciousness in two, and the shallow consciousness peers into the deep unconscious.


    <i>¡®Forests and the ins.¡¯</i>


    Urich saw his homnd. People survived through hunting and gathering, and when theirnd¡¯s resources were depleted, they would invade other tribes¡¯nds to make a new home.


    <i>¡®We can do it.¡¯</i>


    Farming, city, civilization.


    Urich wanted to bring civilization to his homnd.


    His fever grew hotter, and his breath grew restless. His consciousness was reddening, and he saw a me.


    <i>¡®The Sky Mountains.¡¯</i>


    The World of the Spirits was a lie. It was indeed the world of civilization.


    <i>¡®The Sun God Lou.¡¯</i>


    Man couldn¡¯t stare into the sun. If they tried, they would only go blind.


    <i>¡®If I were to die like this, then, my soul will...¡¯</i>


    The doctrine of the Sun God Lou was based on reincarnation. He would guide the souls of the dead. The souls that were purified in his embrace were sent back to the earth to be reborn. The living eventually was reunited with the dead, and the history of humans was intertwined in countless reincarnations. They just weren¡¯t able to remember.


    <i>¡®Will I forget everything and be born again?¡¯</i>


    Urich opened his eyes at a strange sensation. His bed was drenched in his own sweat.


    ¡°Urich.¡±


    It was Pahell¡¯s voice. Urich tried to move his chapped lips, but his voice didn¡¯te out.


    <i>¡®Am I really dying like this?¡¯</i>


    Death was bing visible. The me in his heart was dying.


    ¡°Drink this.¡±


    Pahell dripped something into Urich¡¯s mouth.


    <i>¡®Is this going to work?¡¯</i>


    Pahell was suspicious.


    <i>¡®That goddamn whore.¡¯</i>


    Zuniba never turned up. She only sent a porridge through a messenger after the promised three days had passed.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you to eat right now, but chew it well before you swallow.¡±


    It was a thick porridge. The pieces were small and soft enough that Urich could swallow them without chewing. There was enough meat in the porridge that the grease coated the surface.


    Pahell tried a bit of the porridge. It was a mixture of sweetness and meaty vor. It tasted like it was made with high-quality meat.


    <i>¡®The Porridge of Life,¡¯</i> at least that¡¯s what the messenger said. He said that it was the Porridge of Life from Zuniba.


    ¡°Cough,¡± Urich coughed as he drank the porridge. He opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Urich?¡±


    Urich snatched the bowl from Pahell¡¯s and buried his face in it, chugging the porridge. It looked like he had finally worked up an appetite.


    ¡°Burp.¡±


    After letting out a long burp, Urichid back down in the bed, looking like he had just died.


    <i>¡®He didn¡¯t even wake up. He just ate half-asleep like an animal.¡¯</i>


    Pahell looked at the sleeping Urich. His face was still pale.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pay you to send a mere porridge, Zuniba,¡± Pahell muttered as he got up to head to the tavern where he first met Zuniba. The streets after sunset were quite deserted, and the guards were making their rounds.


    <i>¡®We¡¯ve wasted too much time here.¡¯</i>


    Pahell was anxious.


    <i>¡®We have to leave Urich behind.¡¯</i>


    There was no other way. If Urich didn¡¯t ovee this illness, he had to be left behind.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to be the king. I am not going to be tied down here any longer. If he can¡¯t keep up, then I have no choice.¡¯</i>


    Pahell opened the tavern doors. The tavernkeeper remembered him.


    ¡°I thought you were nevering back, sir. I couldn¡¯t find a barbarian healer. Heck, even if someone is one, they won¡¯t reveal it easily in this day and age,¡± the tavernkeeper said to Pahell as he handed him a pint of beer that he hadn¡¯t even ordered.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, there¡¯s something else I want to ask. Where is that prostitute, Zuniba?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her since thest time you came in. I just thought that you paid her some decent money and were tossing around with her for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where she lives?¡±


    ¡°For those whores, all men¡¯s houses are their houses. There¡¯s plenty of bed for them to crash on every night. Did she scam you?¡± The tavernkeeper said with a mocking grin. Pahell chose not to answer.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to watch your pocket? Them whores are all thieves. It¡¯s easy to get tricked, especially with their mystical southern ent. Did she tell you that she was a healer? Hah, I knew it. Just think of it as a lesson. All whores are scammers.¡±


    ¡°If you ever see Zuniba, let me know. I¡¯ll pay handsomely.¡±


    Pahell told the tavernkeeper the name of the inn that he was staying at. The tavernkeeper happily nodded.


    ¡°Ah, also, it would be best for an out-of-towner like you to avoid looking too suspicious. There¡¯s been another incident.¡±


    ¡°An incident?¡±


    ¡°A newborn¡¯s been kidnapped again. It was probably the leftover Serpentines, that dirty cult.¡±


    Pahell nodded and left the tavern. His stomach churned, and he felt nothing but displeasure.


    * * *


    ¡°Your Highness, we are running out of time, we must set out today.¡±


    The day dawned. Phillion, who had already gotten ready to depart, shook Pahell awake.


    ¡°What about the mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°They are choosing a new captain as we speak.¡±


    Pahell threw on his clothes and went downstairs. The ground floor was crowded with the gathered mercenaries.


    ¡°Donovan is the only one fit to take over.¡±


    ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t we change our name, too?¡±


    ¡°Just stop talking for now. Only those who want to stay in the squad can vote.¡±


    The mercenaries were in a mess. Pahell shook his head.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯</i>


    The mercenary squad without Urich was just a bunch of scrubs.


    ¡°Donovan can¡¯t be trusted. He¡¯s quite pragmatic. We never know when he¡¯ll betray us using the leadership change as his excuse. If we do want them to finish our job, then it would be best to get him to swear a new oath. He does look like a devout follower of Lou.¡±


    Phillion warned Pahell as he stayed wary of Donovan. Pahell looked down at the mercenaries from the second floor.


    ¡°We leave today. Once the squad has sorted itself out, I will discuss our next steps with your representative.¡±


    Pahell said as he sat down. The mercenaries all saw the young prince in a different light.


    <i>¡®That young master¡¯s changed a little.¡¯</i>


    The mercenaries were sensing the change in Pahell. The boy was bing a man. His speech had grown more mature, and he carried himself with the aura of a noble. There was an elegance to his demeanor that had been masked by his immature behavior until now.


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to represent us?¡±


    The mercenaries looked at each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I have military experience, and I¡¯ve been with us since the very beginning. I think that more than qualifies me for it,¡± Donovan said as he raised his hand. The mercenaries who were loyal to him whistled and cheered.


    <i>¡®Dammit, there he goes.¡¯</i>


    Bachman nced around. He hadn¡¯t been doing nothing since Urich fell ill. He had convinced some of the mercenaries to make his own group.


    <i>¡®I have to give it a shot, regardless of the oue. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.¡¯</i>


    Bachman raised his hand after Donovan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as good a fighter as Urich or Donovan, but I will do my best to make sure that we get paid as much money as possible. Do you really want to follow a leader like Donovan, who is constantly on edge? I¡¯m confident that I can get us better pay from our clients for the same work.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s personality was contrasting. He was endlessly loyal to his own people but cold to those who weren¡¯t. He was a prick, no matter how one looked at it.


    <i>¡®Donovan for skill, or Bachman for sociability?¡¯</i>


    The mercenaries had to vote for one of them.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s unlikely that I¡¯ll beat him in a vote, but I gotta try.¡¯</i>


    Bachman nced at Donovan, who looked back at him with his head tilted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to run for the leader position, Bachman.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just as qualified as you. Fighting skill isn¡¯t the only thing that makes a good mercenary leader.¡±


    ¡°I agree, it indeed isn¡¯t the only thing,¡± Donovan said with a grin, baring his teeth.


    Bachman¡¯s eyes shook. A sense of uneasiness shed through his head.


    <i>¡®Did I miss something?¡¯</i>


    There were no additional candidates, so the mercenaries stood in rows and columns.


    ¡°All those who quit or abstain from the vote, move to the side. Alright, let¡¯s see.¡±


    There were thirty-eight mercenaries voting. There were some like Sven and the northerners who were quitting, and quite a few didn¡¯t care to vote; they didn¡¯t care who became the leader of the squad.


    ¡°Those who support Bachman, stand to the left, and those who support Donovan, stand to the right.¡±


    The mercenaries stirred.


    ¡°Move, let¡¯s make this quick. We all know the oue, don¡¯t we?¡±


    Donovan crossed his arms and yawned. He looked at his group and grinned.


    <i>¡®This is more even than I thought. I might be able to win this.¡¯</i>


    Bachman thought to himself as he looked at the splitting votes and clenched his fists.


    ¡°Bachman, I¡¯ve never liked you,¡± Donovan said in a low voice.


    ¡°What a coincidence, me too. I¡¯ve always hated the sight of you, ever since we were diators.¡±


    ¡°I know exactly why you stepped forward. If you get the spot, great, and if you don¡¯t, you¡¯re just going to quit, am I right?¡± Donovan cackled, and the sound of it made Bachman anxious.


    <i>¡®Hold on.¡¯</i>


    Bachman finally realized the source of his anxiety.


    <i>¡®Why is one of Donovan¡¯s men on my side of the vote? What is this?¡¯</i>


    A chill ran down his spine. Bachman started to say something, but the voting was over.


    ¡°It¡¯s a tie. They have the same number of votes,¡± the mercenary running the vote announced.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Donovan got up from his seat and drew his sword from his belt.


    ¡°Then, it¡¯s only right that the one with the blessing of Lou bes the leader of our squad. Bachman, raise your weapon! Or you could crawl between my legs!¡±


    Donovan shouted as if this was what he wanted all along. The other mercenaries became rowdy, calling for a duel.


    <i>¡®This is what you wanted all along, both the leadership and my head.¡¯</i>


    Bachman closed his eyes and breathed out a long sigh.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve dug my own grave. Donovan rigged the vote so that we would be tied.¡¯</i>


    He opened his eyes.


    <i>¡®Give up being a man and live on or die as a man.¡¯</i>


    If Bachman backed out of the duel, he would be aughingstock for the rest of his life. His name would be brought up in disgrace at every table that the mercenaries gathered around.


    <i>¡®...who knows, I could get lucky and actually win.¡¯</i>


    Bachmanughed quietly as he shrugged his shoulders. He was an opportunist, but he wasn¡¯t a coward. He was also a diator and a warrior who fought battles with his life on the line.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Bachman raised his spear.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it, Bachman! We are men. If you had actually backed out, I would have despised you¡ªno, I wouldn¡¯t even have seen you as a person!¡± Donovan said as he spun his sword in his hand. The duel was set.


    ¡°Woahhhhh!¡±


    ¡°Duel! A duel!¡±


    The mercenaries moved the tables and chairs from the center of the room to make a circle for Donovan and Bachman to stand in.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always had a vague feeling that this day woulde.


    "I had a vague feeling this day woulde. I dreamed of my spear piercing your throat quite a few times.¡±


    Donovanughed at Bachman¡¯s words.


    ¡°I had a lot of dreams where I cut your head off. Maybe we¡¯re surprisinglypatible with each other, huh? Keke.¡±


    Donovan didn¡¯t pick up his shield. He was confident that he could take on Bachman with his sword alone, and that spoke about the difference in their skills. Donovan was the superior warrior; there was no doubt about it.


    <i>¡®Donovan, his intimidation is no joke.¡¯</i>


    Bachman red at his opponent with his spear pointed at him.


    Donovan circled Bachman.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Bachman settled his breath as he prepared to stretch his arms.


    <i>¡®One attack is going to decide this.¡¯</i>


    His hands were sweating as he gripped the spear shaft. He recalled the sensations of battle.


    <i>¡®I chose the spear as my weapon because I was used to it.¡¯</i>


    A fisherman by trade, Bachman was an aplished spearman who could spear even the swimming fish. He was often called upon to hunt whales, but even with all the praise from his hometown, he was still just an above-average spearman from a small fishing town.


    <i>¡®The world is a big ce that is littered with people like me. I knew that I was never going to be much of a warrior as soon as I saw the truly exceptional warriors.¡¯</i>


    Bachman took a deep breath. He stood still and waited for Donovan toe into range, like a rock.


    <i>¡®Oh Lou, is this your punishment for me for living a sly life? Or is this a hardship that you want me to ovee?¡¯</i>


    <i>Cling.</i>


    Bachman¡¯s sun pendant shook. As if that was his cue, Donovan charged at him.

 Chapter 48

    <h4>Chapter 48</h4>


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    The tip of Bachman¡¯s spear shook. It was impossible to predict which direction it was going to extend in. It was a one-on-one battle trick that he had learned back in his diator days.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    Bachman swung his spear. Donovan twisted his body to dodge the stab and dug in.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to split Bachman¡¯s head.¡¯</i>


    Donovan was fully intending to kill Bachman. He swung his sword down with murderous intent.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Bachman parried the sword with the rear of his spear.


    ¡°Woah!¡± The mercenaries eximed in excitement.


    <i>¡®Bachman is unexpectedly skilled. He used the momentum of his spear shaft to smoothly connect his attach and defense.¡¯</i>


    Sven thought Bachman was going to be seriously wounded by the blow just now, but Bachman sessfully defended himself.


    <i>¡®That was a skill of high caliber.¡¯</i>


    Bachman himself was surprised at how well he pulled off that move. He realized that he had grown as a warrior since the diator days. It had just been difficult to gauge his improvement because there hadn¡¯t been many opportunities for a duel like this.


    <i>¡®I have been getting quite a bit of experience, indeed.¡¯</i>


    The spear felt like it was an extension of his arm. He was fully confident that the movement of the spear was under his total control.


    Warriors asionally jumped up in levels during fights. The crossroads of life and death was a moment that brought one¡¯s concentration and ability to learn to their absolute peaks.


    <i>¡®I can do this.¡¯</i>


    Bachman felt uplifted and energized. His confidence that had hit rock bottom earlier was now up to the top of his head.


    ¡°Come at me, Donovan. I¡¯ll skewer you from your asshole to your mouth and roast you over the fire for tonight¡¯s dinner.¡±


    His voice exuded his confidence.


    ¡°You¡¯re going crazy over one decent block, Bachman.¡±


    Donovan gripped the hilt of his sword with both his hands and raised it to mid-height.


    <i>¡®His stability is solid. He indeed is an ex-military man.¡¯</i>


    Sven spectated the duel with interest. The imperial soldiers were trained in the art of textbookbat. Stability and versatility were by far their most superior qualities.


    <i>nk!</i>


    Donovan stepped forward. Bachman swung his spear as his defensive attempt, but Donovan parried every swing and closed their distance.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m finished if I let him get close.¡¯</i>


    Bachman swung his sword with clenched teeth. The spear wasn¡¯t moving quite the way he wanted it to due to the momentum carrying it out of his control. His fantasy of bing one with his spear was shattered, and the spear suddenly felt foreign in his hands. The confidence that was inted inside of him quickly faded.


    <i>¡®Those who sweat more, bleed less. This is what Bachman gets for beingzy with his training¡ªa loss.¡¯</i>


    It was obvious to the mercenaries that Bachman was getting dominated.


    <i>¡®Death is staring right at me.¡¯</i>


    Bachman felt the chill of the approaching darkness. His legs shuddered, and the senses in his fingertips slowly faded away into numbness.


    <i>¡®Let¡¯s end our feud here, Bachman.¡¯</i>


    Donovan lifted his sword high to prepare for a big final blow. It was toote for Bachman to pull in his outstretched spear to block the attack.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    A circr shield fell in between Donovan and Bachman. It was thrown by Sven.


    ¡°What are you doing, you old man!¡± Donovan whipped his head around to look at the culprit. Sven was pointing at the second floor.


    ¡°Our leader is up, Donovan.¡±


    Urich was standing tall on the second floor. He leaned against the wall and looked down at the ground floor.


    ¡°Hey, assholes, I came back from the dead because you guys were fighting too much.¡±


    * * *


    Urich had shaken off the illness. How did he manage that? He could have gotten better by himself thanks to his superior fitness, or it could have been because of the fever reducer that the doctor had prescribed. It may have been just a minor ailment to begin with, or maybe it was the Porridge of Life that replenished Urich¡¯s life force. Regardless of what it was, Urich was back up on his two feet. The darkness that shaded over his face was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    His breath was clear, and his eyes were bright. The days he spent ill were blurry like a dream. It was hard to tell whether it was a dream or reality.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich opened the door and walked out of his room. Sven was the first to notice his movement and immediately interfered in the duel between Bachman and Donovan.


    <i>¡®Hmm, it looks like Bachman and Donovan are fighting.¡¯</i>


    Urich assessed the situation downstairs and caught himself up. He remembered some of the things that he had heard in his sleep. The mercenaries were busy picking a new leader.


    ¡°Did he beat that disease?¡±


    ¡°Urich¡¯s up.¡±


    Urich walked downstairs amid the murmuring mercenaries and sat on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened while I was out, but now that I¡¯m back, whatever it was you guys were up to, is all null and void. Put your weapons away, both of you,¡± Urich said calmly. There was strength in his voice.


    <i>¡®He¡¯spletely better. There isn¡¯t a hint of sickness in his voice.¡¯</i>


    Donovan obediently sheathed his sword. He had no intention of fighting since Urich walked out of his bed alive and well.


    <i>¡®I-I lived.¡¯</i>


    Bachman celebrated inwardly and tried to keep a straight face.


    ¡°Hah, thank goodness, Urich is awake.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no leader like Urich.¡±


    ¡°I was a little anxious.¡±


    The mercenaries chattered. Donovan knew who the most trusted person in the squad was. Urich was the man with the most respect and trust in the squad. Anyone who betrayed Urich would never gain the trust of the squad. The mercenary squad returned to being under Urich¡¯smand as soon as he awoke.


    ¡°The sun¡¯s way up in the sky. Clean all this mess up and get ready to leave. And Donovan, let¡¯s have a word.¡±


    Urich gave his instructions quickly and efficiently after being made aware of the current situation.


    ¡°You must have been praying to Lou pretty hard; what incredible luck you have, Bachman,¡± Donovan said to his duel opponent as he withdrew his sword. He then followed Urich into the backyard of the inn.


    ¡°It¡¯s only right that the strongest man leads the squad¡ªlike how I became our leader simply because I was the strongest,¡± Urich said as he moved his stiffened body around. Donovan, for some reason, didn¡¯t take his hand off his sword.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t be without a leader, especially at a time like this. Anyway, you really managed to wake up.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m ever not fit to lead our squad, the next leader will probably end up being you¡ªit feels quite natural. This disturbance was my fault for not appointing a vice leader. I¡¯ll make sure to announce it to the whole squad before we leave. The vice leader of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood is you, Donovan.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s eyes shook. It was an incredible offer. Until now, the mercenaries had been vague about who was the second inmand after Urich. Bachman was by far the closest to Urich, Sven had his own gang, and Donovan was too much of an adversary to Urich to be considered the second inmand.


    ¡°Are you trying to be nice?¡±


    Urich shook his head. He spun his axe in his hand and chucked it at the tree, hitting exactly the spot he aimed for. His sharpness rapidly came back even though he had just recovered from an illness.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m setting a condition. When I¡¯m gone, the squad is yours. However, don¡¯t ever take the life of a brother. ...if Bachman was dead when I woke up, I would have killed you with my own hands.¡±


    Urich said as he pulled the axe out of the tree. Hisst sentence was lined with rage.


    ¡°Urich, Are you threatening me, Donovan?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s fingers flicked, tapping the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Threat or not, I¡¯m just giving you a heads-up. This is the first andst time that I let you trying to kill a brother slide. Next time I¡¯ll end you in the proper way of a warrior.¡±


    With those words, Urich went back inside the inn. Donovan, who was now standing alone in the backyard, looked up at the sky andughed.


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    * * *


    The mercenaries had finished their preparation for the departure. They paid the innkeeper for their stay and the mercenaries shouldered their packs.


    ¡°Urich, some guards are here.¡±


    The guards of the city came looking for the mercenary squad. The mercenaries tried to look nonchnt while reaching for their weapons.


    ¡°Is this Duke Harmatti¡¯s doing?¡± Pahell asked Phillion with his cautiousness at its peak. Phillion shook his head.


    ¡°Even the duke doesn¡¯t have much influence beyond the borders. They¡¯re probably just here to check on us. There shouldn¡¯t be an issue as long as we remain calm and civil.¡±


    The mercenaries stood by as they waited to face the guards. The eyes of the guards darted about as they searched for the leader of the mercenaries.


    ¡°Where is your leader, Urich, Urich¡¯s Brotherhood?¡± One of the guards asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s me, can I help you? I don¡¯t think we caused any trouble in the city,¡± Urich said as he stepped forward.


    ¡°Did you hear the news of Serpentism bing active again in Valgma? More than a few infants have been kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°Serpentism? Isn¡¯t that the cult that kidnaps babies to use as sacrifices? The ones with the snake tattoos, right?¡±


    Urich asked as he looked back at his mercenaries, who poured out curses for the Serpentists. There were seldom any religions or cultures that were epting of Serpentism. Even the south, where the cult originated, only had hatred for them.


    ¡°We¡¯re devout Srism followers, too. We do have some northern pagans with us, but none of us are Serpentists,¡± Urich said as he pulled out his sun pendant.


    ¡°A converted barbarian, you made an excellent decision. May the Sun God Lou light up your path, Urich.¡±


    ¡°You as well,¡± Urich kept his reply brief. The guards quickly scanned the mercenaries.


    ¡°Anyway, we managed to catch thest of the Serpentists with a big sweep. While we would hate to suspect our fellow believers of Lou, there can be no exceptions to the inspection, so...¡± the guard said with narrow eyes. Urich signaled his mercenaries.


    ¡°Let them check you. Let¡¯s get out of here as quickly as we can.¡±


    The mercenaries took their tops off. Devout Serpentists all had a snake tattoo somewhere on their bodies. For the male believers, they were usually somewhere on their upper bodies.


    ¡°Looks like you gentlemen are good, thank you for your cooperation. Safe travels, Urich!¡±


    The guards finished their inspection and left the mercenaries. It seemed like they were quite busy themselves.


    The mercenaries marched in a line across the city. Prostitutes waved to the mercenaries with their breasts bared out through their windows.


    ¡°Come one more time before you go, Mr. Mercenaries!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a discount since it¡¯s the daytime!¡±


    The mercenaries swooned. Once they left the city, they didn¡¯t know when they would get to another one. If there were anyplications, they wouldn¡¯t see another red-light district for a long time, especially with them only existing in cities that were decently developed.


    ¡°What are you going to do, Urich? You should quickly drop by. You¡¯ve been rotting in bed the whole time we were here,¡± Bachman said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Tell the ones that are going to make it quick, I¡¯m sure Sir Phillion over here is rightfully pissed that we¡¯re not moving faster.¡±


    Phillion had beenining for some time now, but none of the mercenaries could care. They decided their orders and rushed into the red-light district.


    ¡°Oh yeah, Pahell, I heard you did a lot to take care of me while I was sick. Thank you, and the porridge was very delicious, too,¡± Urich said to Pahell as he thought of the young prince and Zuniba. The taste of the porridge was still vivid in his mouth. Even when he didn¡¯t have any appetite because of the illness, that porridge was quite delicious.


    Pahell, who was going over their schedule for the next part of the journey, looked up.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, and I don¡¯t even know if I did anything. Besides, I think we got scammed by that Zuniba with that porridge. I had a taste of it too, it was just a normal meat porridge. She didn¡¯te back to collect the rest of her payment even though you fully recovered the next day... so it¡¯s probably safe to say that she just wanted to scam us for the down payment from the beginning,¡± Pahell showed a bitter grin. Urich did wake up the day after eating Zuniba¡¯s porridge.


    <i>¡®But I really don¡¯t think it was the porridge that healed Urich.¡¯</i>


    Pahell was still suspicious.


    <i>¡®Urich probably would have woken up by himself without the porridge.¡¯</i>


    It was just a regr, average meat porridge. It might have been a nice nourishment, but it held no value as a medicine.


    While the mercenaries were getting busy in the red-light district, the ones who stayed back walked around the public square.


    <i>Chatter, chatter.</i>


    The crowd in the square grewrger andrger as if something was about to happen that was worth their attention. People came out to the square carrying baskets full of rotten vegetables or rocks.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The mercenaries who were leaning against their packs chattered among themselves.


    <i>ng, ng.</i>


    A bell rang to announce noon. The sun was at its highest point at this moment.


    ¡°Booooo!¡±


    ¡°Die, you dirty cult!¡±


    The people booed and whistled. The guards of the city dragged the prisoners to the center of the square.


    ¡°You beasts!¡±


    ¡°How can you eat human babies!¡±


    ¡°You lot are not even people!¡±


    As the prisoners were dragged out into the square, some of them were hit by the rubbish that was thrown by the crowd.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Serpentists.¡±


    Pahell sat on the back of Kylios and looked out over the square. The prisoners were naked. Both men and women had snake tattoos on their bodies, with somerge ones across their backs and some cleverly hidden in ces like the soles of their feet or the nape of their necks.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting beheaded!¡±


    The crowd went wild as the executioner stood before the prisoners with arge execution sword in his hand.


    ¡°You fools! We are taking off the skin of the flesh and gaining eternal life! This world is nothing underneath its covers! We are headed to the next world, and we shall be waiting for you there!¡± one of the Serpentists shouted. The crowd, after hearing his im, began throwing stones at him.


    ¡°Stop throwing your rocks; stop it!¡± The guards restrained the crowd. It would have been a problem if the prisoners died before they got executed.


    ¡°Pahell, what are they talking about? The next world?¡± Urich, who was staring at the sky lying on his back, jumped up and asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know the Serpentism doctrine very well, but they seem to believe that once they die in this world, they move on to the next world; that once they leave this body, they gain a new one in their new world. It¡¯s all bogus, their souls won¡¯t be saved wherever they go,¡± Pahell said as he expressed his hatred toward the Serpentism.


    ¡°Woahhhhh!¡±


    The crowd cheered and shouted. One by one, the Serpentists stepped forward, and their heads soon dropped to the ground. Executions were a great spectacle.


    All the male Serpentists had been executed, and it was time for the females. Their snake tattoos were more hidden than the males¡¯.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Urich¡¯s vision was superior. He saw a familiar face among the female Serpentists.


    <i>¡®Zuniba.¡¯</i>


    The head of Zuniba which was once full of hair was now cleanly shaven. Her snake tattoo was on her scalp so that it would only be visible on a fully-shaven head.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Urich covered his mouth and pondered for a moment and pieced the puzzle together.


    <i>¡®Zuniba, a Serpentist healer who sacrifices babies, and the meat porridge that I coincidentally received from her.¡¯</i>


    Urich scoffed and tilted his head. He was able to make out most of what had happened. However, whether he was right didn¡¯t matter. Only Zuniba knew the truth.


    <i>¡®Pahell.¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at Pahell, who was sitting on Kylios. He had yet to notice that Zuniba was among the prisoners.


    ¡°Hey, Pahell, what good does watching people¡¯s heads getting cut off bring? You¡¯ll see plenty of that anyway as long as you stick with me. Anyway, I changed my mind. I¡¯m going to go to the red-light district, you wannae? Let¡¯s go squeeze some tits.¡±


    Urich pulled hard on Pahell, making him stumble and nearly fall off the horse, but Urich swiftly caught him and put him on his feet.


    ¡°W-what the hell are you thinking! You think falling off a horse is a joke? I could die if I fell on my head!¡± Pahell snapped at Urich. His startled heart was beating out of his chest.


    Urichughed and pressed on Pahell¡¯s head. His rough fingers ruffled up the young prince¡¯s hair.


    Pahell, startled by Urich¡¯s antics, couldn¡¯t pay attention to the execution anymore. He couldn¡¯t even see it without being on Kylios¡¯ back, anyway.


    The roar of the crowd had reached its peak, and it was Zuniba¡¯s turn to be executed. Thanks to his height, Urich stood out among the crowd.


    Urich nced back after feeling a gaze on him. He met eyes with Zuniba.


    <i>¡®That woman is looking at me.¡¯</i>


    Zuniba was on her stomach, but she was looking at Urich with her head held up. Her expression wasn¡¯t of a person who was facing death. Her eyes were calm, and it triggered a memory in Urich.


    <i>¡®Gottval.¡¯</i>


    For some reason, the Serpentist woman reminded Urich of the priest. His eyes widened.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Put your head back down, you filthy snake-worshipping bitch!¡±


    The executioner stepped on Zuniba¡¯s head, and her neck was in a good position for a beheading.


    <i>sh.</i>


    Her head rolled on the ground. The crowd booed the lifeless head.


    Zuniba was dead. Where was her soul headed?


    Urich closed his eyes, then opened them again. Whether they were a Serpentist, a northerner, or a Srist... Urich hoped that they would all end up in the afterlife that they each desired.

 Chapter 49: The Road to the Empire

    <h4>Chapter 49: The Road to the Empire</h4>


    After leaving the city of Valgma, the mercenary squad got on the main road headed for the imperial territory. They opted not to drop by any cities or other territories to make up for the time that was lost while Urich was bedridden. They had already camped for three nights since their departure.


    Pahell had been receiving swordsmanship training from Phillion throughout their travels.


    ¡°Your Highness, with movements like that, you won¡¯t even be able to defeat me, and I only have a left hand,¡± Phillion said as he flung his sword. Pahell was gasping for breath in front of him.


    ¡°Dammit, why is this sword so heavy!¡±


    Pahell was irritated. He was royalty, after all, so he had received basic training. However, he had only learned with a practice wooden sword, and he even skipped most of the sessions.


    <i>¡®The prince really asked for training. No one made him do it.¡¯</i>


    Phillion grinned with pride and swung his sword with his left hand.


    <i>nk!</i>


    Pahell dropped his sword. His hands were covered with blisters.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s good for today. You will get used to it in no time.¡±


    Pahell nodded and Phillion sheathed his sword.


    ¡°In your opinion, Sir Phillion, how strong is Urich?¡± Pahell, who was resting with some water in his hand, asked Phillion.


    ¡°He is some warrior. He¡¯s not only strong, but his fighting skills are that of someone way beyond his age,¡± Phillion had already evaluated Urich with his own standards, as he had been seeing him fight over their time together.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s anyone from our kingdom who could take him on?¡±


    Phillion was silent for a moment. He couldn¡¯t answer the prince¡¯s question quite easily.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t think of a single name, but it would also be disgraceful to say there isn¡¯t one person in our kingdom.¡¯</i>


    Pahell continued while Phillion hesitated.


    ¡°Probably not, at least not in our kingdom. What about the Empire, then? Perhaps the Sword Demon Ferzen?¡±


    ¡°Sword Demon Ferzen is too old. He¡¯s over seventy years old now. There is no warrior who can ovee old age, no matter how extraordinary they may be. Ferzen is a living piece of history who fought in the Great Unification, and Great Conquests, as well as the Subjugation of the Barbarians. But I¡¯m sure there are men in the Imperial Knights or the Sun Warriors who could match Urich¡¯s skills.¡±


    Phillion wasn¡¯t confident in his answer. After all, he was only a knight of a small kingdom who had spent his life escorting and guarding the royal family. His battle experience wasn¡¯t quite up to the standards of the average knight of his age.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, if I asked Urich to be my liege at the end of this journey, do you think he would ept it?¡± The lingering heat on Pahell¡¯s face subsided. As he lifted his blue eyes, the grace and beauty of royalty radiated.


    ¡°That I can¡¯t say, Your Highness. We have no clue as to what the goal of that barbarian is. One thing for sure is that he doesn¡¯t have greed for money.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting a certain answer from you anyway. I just wanted you to know what my intentions are,¡± Pahell said as he looked at the bushes.


    The mercenaries who had gone out hunting were returning to the camp. There was a forest nearby, and some of the mercenaries were quite confident in their hunting skills.


    ¡°Go on and boil some water. We¡¯ll have them skinned in no time.¡±


    The mercenaries had brought back five rabbits. They quickly ughtered and cut them up into pieces.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Pahell, who had a weak stomach, looked away.


    ¡°If you truly want to learn to wield a sword, you should try to get used to blood, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Pahell, you wanna try? It¡¯s not that hard,¡± Urich, who was cleaning up the meat, asked Pahell.


    ¡°U-umm.¡±


    Pahell awkwardly cut up the rabbit with Urich¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Just use the knife to separate the skin from the flesh a little, then give it a good tug.¡±


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich pulled hard and peeled the rabbit¡¯s skin off the meat. The pink flesh of the rabbit was revealed.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Pahell rushed to his feet and ran behind a tree. The sound of his vomiting was loud and clear.


    ¡°Hah, the food that guy eats doesn¡¯t pass through his ass, ites back out of his mouth. Might as well just starve then, Pahell.¡±


    Urich said as he cut out the eyes of the rabbit and popped them in his mouth. The mercenariesughed at hisment. The meat was put into the pots to be boiled. Even though there wasn¡¯t nearly enough meat to feed all the mercenaries, the warm meat broth was revitalizing.


    <i>Buuup.</i>


    The mercenary on watch blew the horn trumpet, and the ones who were preparing their meal got up with their weapons.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Which way?¡±


    The mercenaries on watch pointed toward the horizon. A group of armed warriors were lined up along the horizon.


    ¡°God dammit, what a rude group of guys. Can¡¯t they see that we¡¯re trying to eat?¡±


    ¡°Grab your shields and look around. They might being from both sides. Stay alert.¡±


    The mercenaries moved swiftly.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. If they found us before we noticed them, they could have just caught us by surprise. But they¡¯re waiting for us to prepare for battle,¡± Bachman said as he narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, someone¡¯sing this way. Everyone hold! Don¡¯t attack just yet,¡± Donovan said as he assessed the formation of the mercenaries.


    The messenger who ran from the ridge quickly scanned Urich and the mercenary squad.


    ¡°We are the mercenary squad, Hrun¡¯s Wolfpack!¡±


    The mercenaries murmured at the messenger¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hrun¡¯s Wolfpack? Does anyone know who they are?¡±


    ¡°Hrun is a northern name, right?¡±


    Urich looked at Sven, who was stroking his chin and thinking to himself.


    ¡°Hrun, Hrun, Hrun... there are quite a few warriors with that name, but I wonder if it¡¯s that one?¡±


    While Sven was busy trying to figure out who this Hrun was, Urich stepped forward.


    ¡°We are Urich¡¯s Brotherhood. State your business.¡±


    The messenger scanned Urich up and down and opened his mouth.


    ¡°We want to take the men you are protecting. Hand them over without a fuss, and we can all walk away without losing a drop of blood.¡±


    Urich and the mercenariesughed at the messenger¡¯s words. Theirughter echoed throughout the area.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? Blood? I don¡¯t know where the hell you bag of bones rolled in from, but if you¡¯re mercenaries, take them with your swords like one, then.¡±


    The messenger nodded as if he already knew what Urich was going to say.


    ¡°Yours and our numbers are quite simr. Neither of us would be able to avoid considerable damage, no matter whoes out on top. It is the value of our mercenary leader, Hrun, that no blood shall be spilled in vain. How about we settle this with a duel between our leaders?¡±


    The messenger brought up a duel, and Urich was about to ept with no hesitation.


    ¡°Hold on, Urich.¡±


    Donovan grabbed Urich¡¯s shoulder and shouted at the messenger.


    ¡°Give us a minute to decide whether we want to have a duel or an all-out battle.¡±


    The messenger nced at his camp for a moment, then answered ¡°If you don¡¯t get back to us quickly, our leader wille charging without any warning. The ground is going to be soaked in blood today.¡±


    The messenger stood in ce, waiting for their decision.


    Urich stepped back for a moment, and as Urich walked behind the mercenaries, they mmed their shields on the walls and red at their enemies.


    ¡°They¡¯re hired by Duke Harmatti. We wasted too much time in Valgma,¡± Phillion said under his breath. He wasn¡¯t intending to put the me on Urich, but it was true that this conflict could have been avoided if they hadn¡¯t overstayed their visit to Valgma.


    ¡°Their leader must be very confident with his duel skills if he chose it over the advantage of a surprise attack,¡± Donovan said as he nced at the enemy camp.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go and cut his throat. What¡¯s the problem here? This is a good chance for us. You think I¡¯m gonna lose?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, Urich, what if their squad¡¯s battle skills are so poor that they actually gave up the surprise attack to avoid a big battle? Our squad is quality. Most of us were diators before this. And maybe they heard that we fought the Silver Lions,¡± Bachman spun his brain quickly.


    ¡°Hah, so they suggested a duel between the leaders because they think they have a better chance at winning. Haha!¡± Urich pped his knee.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just charge at them and destroy them all, Urich. We may have simr numbers, but rarely are other mercenary squads stronger than us,¡± Donovan said as he drew his sword.


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s just go with the duel,¡± Urich waved his hand.


    Both Donovan and Bachman frowned at Urich¡¯s stubbornness. Their opinions were aligned for once.


    ¡°Did you not hear a word we said, Urich? We beat them all day!¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no guarantee that they¡¯re going to fight fair. What if they have an ambush waiting for you? If you die, our morale dies with you. We¡¯ll lose a battle that we¡¯d normally win with our eyes closed,¡± Donovan and Bachman said together.


    ¡°We only got caught because I was sick for days, isn¡¯t that right? So, I have to take responsibility for it. If we fight as a squad, we¡¯re bound to have some casualties even if we win. It¡¯s good to spare any unnecessary bloodshed, right? I¡¯m set on the duel. If you guys don¡¯t agree, then let¡¯s take it to a vote,¡± Urich grinned. Donovan spat on the ground.


    ¡°The vote is obviously going to go to you, dammit.¡±


    The mercenaries preferred the duel of the leaders. No one was going to vote for an all-out battle where they could be the unlucky ones to die.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the duel, Hrun¡¯s Wolfpack! I am Urich, the leader of this squad!¡±


    Urich roared. His loud voice reached all the way to the enemy camp.


    ¡°Woahhhhh!¡±


    Both camps banged their weapons together and screamed. The mix of the sharp sound of heavy metals shing and the men of the two mercenary squads cheering filled the area.


    ¡°Ohhhhh! I am Hrun!¡±


    A man ofrge stature emerged from Hrun¡¯s Wolfpack. The man who introduced himself as Hrun was even taller than Urich. Even among the northerners who were known to berge, he was a hulking figure.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich and Hrun both walked out to the halfway point between the two mercenary camps. Their names were being chanted from their respective squads.


    ¡°Uuurich! Urich! Urich!¡±


    ¡°Go, Hrun, go! Hrun, the man who smashes skulls with his bare hands!¡±


    ¡°Our leader runs with a horse slung around his shoulders!¡±


    ¡°How can I man run carrying a horse? Urich¡¯s Brotherhood must be a bunch of liars!¡±


    Both squads were busy arguing with each other.


    ¡°Ah! It is him. It¡¯s the Hrun I know,¡± Sven suddenly opened his mouth. The other northerners recognized Hrun as well.


    ¡°Sven, stop talking to yourself and let us in on it,¡± the other mercenaries nagged Sven.


    ¡°He is quite a popr figure in the north. He killed a bear when he was just ten years old... I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d be working as a mercenary here. He¡¯s the only Hrun with a size like that.¡±


    ¡°If he really is that Hrun, isn¡¯t Urich in a bit of a danger? If he¡¯s the one that killed the bear at ten, his track record is pretty impressive.¡±


    The northerners chattered, making the other mercenaries flinch.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way Urich loses... right?¡¯</i>


    The mercenaries¡¯ faith in Urich was strong, but the sheer mass of his enemy nted a seed of doubt in their minds.


    ¡°Kekeke, Urich¡¯s Brotherhood. I¡¯ve heard the rumors¡ªthe mercenaries who fought equally against the Silver Lion Mercenaries,¡± Hrun said, holding his axe spear. The two mercenary leaders had gotten close enough to each other that they could clearly see each other¡¯s faces.


    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so easy to convince them. This is a free win.¡¯</i>


    Hrun¡¯s Wolfpack was a weak mercenary squad. They were just a group of unimpressive bandits with the exception of Hrun. His reputation alone should have been enough to attract decent warriors, but even his fellow northerners had grown tired of his temper and left the squad.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Urich¡¯s steps quickened. After quickly controlling his breath, he lightly pushed off the ground as he charged.


    Hrun, on the other side, raised his axe spear across his chest and roared.


    ¡°Woahhhh!¡±


    Hrun swung his axe spear wildly to the side.


    <i>Schuck.</i>


    Urich leaped, dashing past Hrun. After rolling on the ground behind Hrun, he continued his stride over to the Hrun¡¯s Wolfpack¡¯s camp without looking back at his enemy.


    ¡°Ugh, kuk,¡±


    Hrun fell to the ground, sping at his neck. Blood quickly filled his hands and spilled to the ground. Unable to stay on his feet, he fell to his knee. After hearing his enemy¡¯s copse behind him, he knew that he had won.


    A single blow sealed the deal. Urich raised his hand, wiping the blood from his de. No warriors of Hrun¡¯s squad dared toe forward despite Urich¡¯s taunt.


    ¡°Get the hell out of my sight before we kill every single one of you! You¡¯re not a wolfpack. You¡¯re just a bunch of bitches!¡±


    Urich¡¯s Brotherhood shouted as if they would charge at them at any moment, and Hrun¡¯s Wolfpack scurried away to save their heads.


    ¡°We were worried for nothing,¡± Svenughed hard as he looked at Urich, who was making his way back to their camp.


    Urich, who had shaken off his illness, was as alive and well as ever, and he was still the undisputed strong mercenary leader.

 Chapter 50

    <h4>Chapter 50</h4>


    ¡°A sorcerer lives in the northern forest, so you¡¯d better go around it.¡±


    The farmer said, and his words triggered the curious ears of Urich, who was out to the farm vige to buy some food supplies.


    ¡°A sorcerer?¡±


    Urich tilted his head as he looked around the farm.


    ¡°Even the lord¡¯s men who entered the sorcerer¡¯s forest came back after being taught a lesson. They came out of the forest scorched from head to toe.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a sorcerer?¡±


    ¡°The ones who have fireing out of the palms of their hands and call upon the devil every night!¡±


    ¡°Fire from their hands? And what the hell is a devil?¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes widened as he grabbed onto the farmer and bombarded him with questions. The farmer called the other mercenaries over as if he were annoyed by Urich¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°Someonee and get this guy off me! I¡¯m a busy man with a busy farm, hah.¡±


    Pahell, who was on the back of Kylios, trotted over.


    ¡°Leave the poor farmer alone.¡±


    ¡°Pahell, do you know what a sorcerer is?¡±


    ¡°A sorcerer?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, there¡¯s one living in that forest over there. This farmer said that they can make firee out of their hands and bring out the devil.¡±


    The mercenaries murmured. It seemed like they had all heard a simr story.


    After going around the farm vige and gathering the much-needed food and other supplies, the mercenaries gathered around in one spot to discuss their next steps.


    ¡°It would be much faster for us to go straight across the northern forest.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s a sorcerer in that forest. Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡±


    ¡°They say if you¡¯re unlucky, youe out of the sorcerer forest as a bearded old man.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just go around? The farmers warned us too. And apparently, there¡¯s even people who¡¯ve seen the sorcerer with their own eyes.¡±


    The mercenaries didn¡¯t seem too keen about going through the forest. Urich nced at the mercenaries to see how they were reacting and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut through the forest. We can¡¯t waste any more time and give Harmatti a chance to catch up to us.¡± Urich said as the corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly.


    ¡°You just want to see the sorcerer, you bastard.¡±


    ¡°Hey now, there¡¯s no guarantee that we¡¯ll get to see the sorcerer if we go through the forest, right? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I just want what¡¯s best for our squad as the leader,¡± Urich said as he tried to keep his face as nonchnt as possible.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s dying to go into the forest.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®At this rate, he¡¯ll try to go by himself.¡¯</i>


    The mercenaries knew Urich very well. He was a man who¡¯d jump into a firepit just because he wanted to know how hot it actually was.


    <i>¡®He really is a teenager. Look at his curiosity,¡¯ </i>Bachman thought as he kicked his tongue.


    ¡°I also think we should cut through the forest,¡± Phillion supported Urich¡¯s idea. Urich looked at him with glee.


    ¡°R-right? Even Sir Phillion agrees with me.¡±


    ¡°You only call me Sir in times like this, mercenary leader Urich. Anyway, the farmers aren¡¯t the brightest people. They call those that live around the forest sorcerers and fear them. Even if there was a sorcerer in that forest, he wouldn¡¯t dare to engage with more than fifty warriors all by himself.¡±


    The mercenaries nodded as if they were relieved.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, there¡¯s no such thing as sorcerers. The farmers probably just saw things. There¡¯s no need for us to waste time being scared of a bunch of made-up stories.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go into the northern forest.¡±


    The mercenaries packed their stuff and made their way into the northern forest.


    ¡°Tsk, they still decided to go in there despite everything we¡¯ve said.¡±


    The farmer who was on his way to his farm said as he stared at the mercenaries entering the forest.


    * * *


    The mercenaries walked through the forest on a gravel trail. There were asional chirps of the birds and the rustling sound made by the small animals roaming in and out of the bushes.


    ¡°I heard a story from my grandmother once. Apparently, if you get on a sorcerer¡¯s bad side, he makes the devil suck the life out of you every night until you die. She said that¡¯s how my great grandfather died after he cut down a tree in a sorcerer¡¯s forest.¡±


    ¡°Getting my life sucked out of me every night... I think I¡¯d be okay with dying like that.¡±


    ¡°Dumbass, do you not know that if you die from a curse, your soul remains cursed and wanders around?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s not ideal.¡±


    The mercenaries exchangedme jokes in their effort to forget the anxiety that was caused by the creepy atmosphere of the forest.


    ¡°Some say that the animals of a sorcerer¡¯s forest all used to be people. The sorcerer cursed them into toads and rabbits, apparently.¡±


    ¡°Stop it, why don¡¯t you spend your time praying to Lou instead of saying all that bullshit? Do you know why the sorcerers stay in their forests? It¡¯s because they¡¯re afraid of the sun, so they hide away in the shaded forests. The sun God Lou is always watching.¡±


    The mercenaries rolled their eyes. They were more on edge than usual.


    ¡°This is the forest with a sorcerer?¡± Urich muttered to himself as he led his squad. He breathed a deep sigh. The forest was just an average forest, nothing like what he had hoped for.


    ¡°Think about it, Urich. If you were a sorcerer, would you show yourself to a bunch of warriors who are dying to see you?¡± Pahell scolded Urich.


    ¡°Man, I really wanted to see fireing out of their hands,¡± Urich said as he held his hand out. There was no fireing out of his hands, of course.


    ¡°Try that a hundred times. You¡¯ll have fireing out of your hand.¡± Pahellughed at Urich¡¯s attempt.


    It was going to take the mercenaries three whole days to get through the entire forest. After spending their first night in the forest, the mercenaries were no longer afraid. Nothing even remotely worth worrying about happened during their first night.


    ¡°Hah, I knew it. There¡¯s no such thing as sorcerers.¡±


    ¡°Curse me all you want! The Sun God Lou looks over me!¡±


    The mercenaries cackled.


    ¡°I guess there really isn¡¯t a sorcerer.¡±


    Urich was the only one who was disappointed. He looked around the forest and noticed a person¡¯s shadow in between the trees.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    Urich quickly drew his sword and raised his hand to signal the mercenaries behind him. The mercenaries then tapped on each other¡¯s shoulders to pass down the signal.


    ¡°Enemy?¡±


    ¡°I-is it the sorcerer?¡±


    ¡°God dammit, we better pray to Lou. Ask him to help us stop the magic against us.¡±


    The mercenaries froze.


    ¡°Shit, I should¡¯ve nevere to a sorcerer¡¯s forest. I¡¯m gonna get my life sucked out of me just like my great grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up.¡±


    ¡°Archers in position!¡±


    The mercenaries holding a bow and arrow pulled the bowstring. They locked their aim on the shadows that were emerging from between the trees.


    ¡°We do not intend to attack; it looks like we coincidentally are going the same way.¡±


    There was a man¡¯s voice behind the treeline. The mercenaries were even more rmed and started to shout.


    ¡°It¡¯s the sorcerer! The sorcerer is trying to trick us!¡±


    ¡°Urich, don¡¯t go any closer, it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    The mercenaries hesitated, but Urich shrugged them off and walked forward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot; it¡¯s just a person. Hey, if you don¡¯t want us to attack you, then identify yourself.¡±


    Urich was the one who was the most eager to see the sorcerer, but he was also the most level-headed person in the squad. He was not afraid of the sorcerer even when faced with a stranger in the sorcerer¡¯s forest. He saw him like every other person he had seen in his life.


    ¡°You must be the leader. We¡¯re just warriors who are passing by. It would be nice if you could put your weapons down.¡±


    ¡°Warriors? That¡¯s not good enough. I¡¯m pretty on edge. Identify yourself before I crack your skulls. I count five of you including the ones hiding behind the trees back there,¡± Urich said with a murderous intent as he plunged his sword into the ground and drew his axe.


    He was not joking. The mercenary squad was being hunted, and no one knew what kind of trickery Duke Harmatti was pulling to slow them down even just a little bit. He was fully intending to kill anyone who was making him even a little suspicious.


    ¡°Stop! We are the Sun Warriors!¡±


    Armored men emerged from the trees. There was the symbol of the sun on the cloth draped over their chainmail.


    ¡°The Sun Warriors?¡±


    Urich retorted and red at the armored men.


    ¡°We told you who we are, so put your threat away.¡±


    The man whom Urich had been talking to stepped closer. He was a man of a simr stature as Urich.


    ¡°We are the mercenary squad Urich¡¯s Brotherhood. I¡¯m the leader, Urich.¡±


    ¡°I am Harvald of the Sun Warriors.¡±


    ¡°Harvald? That sounds like a northern name.¡±


    ¡°My mother is a northerner, so I took her name. But I was born and raised in the Empire.¡±


    Urich studied Harvald. Unlike his northern name, his mannerisms and the general impression were that of a noble. His northerner size felt wrong.


    ¡°Lower your weapons! They¡¯re just passing by,¡± Urich shouted to the mercenaries.


    ¡°Thank you. It looks like we¡¯re going to keep each otherpany. We¡¯re going the same way.¡±


    Harvald waved the rest of the warriors over. Including him, there were five of them in total.


    <i>¡®They all have the cloth with the sun symbol on them. The symbol is even on their shields. They¡¯re armory is quite nice, as well.¡¯</i>


    Urich carefully looked at their attire and armory. They were quite heavily armed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Sun Warriors. I never thought I¡¯d see them in a ce like this.¡±


    The mercenaries who recognized them said. Phillion and Pahell also recognized them.


    ¡°Please forgive the insolence of the mercenaries, Sun Warriors,¡± Phillion apologized as he slightly lowered his head to show the knight¡¯s respect. The Sun Warrior Harvald returned the gesture.


    ¡°You can call me Harvald,¡± Harvald said politely to Phillion who was older than him as well as a warrior. It was the behavior of a civilized man who had learned his manners.


    Phillion and Harvald chattered away. It seemed like they were getting along quite well right away.


    ¡°Pahell, what¡¯s this thing called the Sun Warriors?¡±


    Urich asked with his arms crossed. The mercenaries also quickly warmed up to the Sun Warriors. They seemed to be trustworthy people.


    ¡°They started off as an army of barbarians who converted to Srism. Then, the first emperor recognized the physical and battle prowess of the barbarian warriors and issued an edict that made them his own army. Even now, they¡¯re solely made up of barbarians or those who have the barbarian blood mixed in them. Also, it¡¯s not just a matter of religious conversion; the requirement for enlisting is quite strict. They have to be outstanding in both faith and skills to get in. For meeting that standard, they get the same treatment as the imperial knights.¡±


    The Sun Warriors apanied the mercenaries. Though they were of barbarian origin, they were renowned as the defenders of faith. Their faith was stronger than the average civilized people¡¯s, and their existence alone was a symbol of trust.


    ¡°Urich, we¡¯ll walk behind the group. Walking alongside is making me sick,¡± Sven said in a disgusted tone. He and the other northerners walked at the very end of the group.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve never seen Sven despise someone like this.¡¯</i>


    Urich was puzzled, and Bachman exined the reason as he shrugged.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if we leave Sven alone for a while. To the northerners, the Sun Warriors are nothing but traitors whom they would love to shred into pieces. They converted to Srism and pointed their swords at their fellow barbarians. The conversion wasn¡¯t the problem, it was the betraying that got them so much hate.¡±


    The mercenary squad also shared their camp with the Sun Warriors. As both groups were traveling through the forest toward the exit, it would have been stranger for them to go different ways.


    ¡°What brings the Sun Warriors to a ce like this, Harvald?¡± Phillion asked the warrior.


    Harvald smiled brightly and pulled out the sack that he had been carrying with him.


    ¡°This is the head of a sorcerer.¡±


    His words made Urich¡¯s eyes flip.


    ¡°Sorcerer!¡±


    ¡°There really was a sorcerer in this forest?¡±


    The mercenaries gathered around one by one as Harvald unwrapped the sack. Out of the sack came the head of an old man, dead with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. His skin was covered in age spots, and the cross-section of his neck that was cut off was thick with blood that hadn¡¯t yet congealed.


    ¡°It is also the duty of the Sun Warriors to hunt down those who deceive the sun and im to be sorcerers with their measly shallow knowledge. Here, look.¡±


    Harvald took out a handful of ck powder from his pocket and threw it at the campfire.


    <i>Woosh</i>!


    The fire glowed blue and red up before returning to its original color. The mercenaries stumbled back.


    ¡°H-he¡¯s the sorcerer!¡±


    ¡°The Sun Warrior used magic! He¡¯s a sorcerer! A sorcerer disguised as a Sun Warrior!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lou.¡±


    There was an uproar, and some mercenaries even drew their weapons.

 Chapter 51

    <h4>Chapter 51</h4>


    Harvald sprinkled the ck powder into the campfire over and over again as the powder burned with a popping sound. The ck powder reacted with the heat to create colorful mes that rose for a moment and swayed beautifully.


    <i>¡®What was that?¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s eyes widened. His heart was beating hard like the time he crossed the Sky Mountains. He had never seen such a thing before.


    ¡°We call this the me powder. Anyone can do this as long as they have this powder; it¡¯s not magic at all.¡±


    Harvald said calmly, but the mercenaries didn¡¯t seem too convinced. Even Pahell, who had more knowledge than anyone else there, could only stare at the warrior with his jaw on the floor.


    ¡°Give me that, I want to try.¡±


    Urich broke the silence and demanded the powder. He grabbed a handful from Harvald and chucked it into the fire.


    <i>Woosh! Kwahh!</i>


    The fire roared to life. Urich felt the searing heat and grinned in ecstasy.


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m the sorcerer, you bastards!¡± Urich said with immense excitement. The hair above his forehead was well-torched by the fire, but he couldn¡¯t care less.


    <i>¡®Their leader is a converted barbarian,¡¯</i> Harvald thought as he looked at Urich¡¯s sun pendant. His actions were quite silly.


    ¡°Anyway, what made you travel with a bunch of mercenaries, Sir Phillion? The wound in your hand seems rather fresh as well...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that, not even to a Sun Warrior.¡±


    Phillion was very cautious about who he talked to about their goal, and Harvald respected that and refrained from any further questions. The warrior then looked around the group.


    <i>¡®Those men are northerners, and haven¡¯t converted yet, I see.¡¯</i>


    Harvald locked his eyes on the northerners after ncing around at the gathered mercenaries. A sense of mission surged in his heart, so he recited a short prayer and got up from his seat.


    ¡°The people of my mother, convert. The sun god is always waiting for his prodigal sons to return to him,¡± Harvald said to Sven. His words finally pushed Sven¡¯s patience over the edge.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Sven picked up his double-handed axe and walked toward Harvald. The warrior flinched and drew his sword. It seemed like a fight was imminent.


    ¡°Stop it, both of you.¡±


    Harvald felt a sudden coldness against his neck. Before he knew it, Urich hade up behind him and pressed the de of his axe against his throat.


    <i>¡®When did hee behind me and pull out his weapon?¡¯</i>


    Harvald tried to retaliate by taking out a dagger from his waist.


    <i>p.</i>


    Urich quickly grabbed his hand and stopped him from drawing his dagger. Harvald, who had the northern blood flowing through him, was quite a strong man, but he couldn¡¯t escape Urich¡¯s grip.


    <i>¡®What an incredible grip; it feels like my fingers are going to snap.¡¯</i>


    Afterpletely disarming Harvald, Urich turned his head to Sven.


    ¡°Sven, I am the leader of this squad. You dare to draw your weapon without my permission? Do you want to die, old man?¡± Urich growled. Sven frowned for a moment, then nodded.


    ¡°My bad, Leader.¡±


    Sven backed off without a fuss as he respected Urich¡¯s authority.


    ¡°And Harvald. I don¡¯t care who or what you are, and I don¡¯t even care that you¡¯re that ¡®Sun Warrior¡¯ thing. Do not tell my brother what to do. I may be a Srist, but if you ever humiliate Sven again, you will be the one to die. Let¡¯s not cross any lines here. As long as you do that, we can all be friends.¡±


    Harvald sheathed his sword with a nod. Urich did the same.


    <i>¡®What an impressive control over his men. He¡¯s a natural,¡¯</i> Phillion thought to himself with relief. For a second, he was worried that something might go wrong.


    ¡°I apologize, Mercenary Leader Urich, and to him, as well.¡±


    Harvald showed his apology to Sven, who merely tilted his head to show the smallest acknowledgement.


    The tension eased, and the mercenaries resumed their chatter back in their seats. Urich grinned and patted Harvald on the shoulder.


    ¡°Alright, where were we? Brother Harvald, you got any more of that powder?¡± Urich asked with his eyes sparkling. Harvald handed the rest of the powder over to Urich. There wasn¡¯t much left, anyway.


    <i>¡®I thought he was just a simple man, but I guess that wasn¡¯t all...¡¯</i> Harvald muttered as he looked at Urich¡¯s back that was in front of the repeatedly exploding campfire.


    * * *


    The mercenaries made it out of the forest on the second day. The dense forest ended in a in that led to therge main road.


    ¡°The Northern God is the true god of warriors,¡± Sven said as he walked alongside Urich. He wasn¡¯t too happy that the Sun Warriors were apanying them.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I get it, so just rx, old man.¡±


    ¡°The Sun God Lou does not like battles and wars. He treats farmers and warriors the same. But Ulgaro, the Northern God, has a field prepared for warriors and warriors only. If you¡¯re a warrior, you must believe in Ulgaro. There¡¯s no doubt about it,¡± Sven said as he sttered his saliva on his beard. Urich shrugged.


    ¡°But I believe in Lou, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not a northerner.¡±


    Sven rolled his eyes and looked at Urich. The two men locked eyes.


    <i>¡®Man from beyond the mountains.¡¯</i>


    Urich never said it himself, but Sven had an idea of where Urich was from.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    Sven slung his double-handed axe over his shoulder and pressed his rusty helmet down. His eyes underneath the helmet shone ferociously. With his every movement, his chainmail shook with a metallic ring.


    ¡°You¡¯d better get yourself an armor,¡± Sven said to Urich as he scanned him up and down.


    All Urich had on him was a fur coat. It didn¡¯t cover his whole body, and itcked protection for the parts that it did cover.


    ¡°It makes me dull, I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that people don¡¯t know that. It¡¯s that the benefit of wearing armor far exceeds the difort thates with it. Even the greatest warriors are bound to get hit sooner orter. You can¡¯t block or dodge every attack thates your way,¡± Sven said as he banged on the circr shield that was on his back. His usual weapon was hisrge double-handed axe, but he often used a single-handed axe along with his circr shield. He adapted his equipment to the situation at hand.


    The number of mercenaries armed with heavy armory increased by the day. Equipment that protects their life was their top priority purchase for those who earned enough money to afford it. The cloth and leather armor were gradually turning into the chainmail.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing better than a good set of chainmail armor for mercenaries like us. The only better option is the full te armor.¡±


    The full te armor was reserved for the Imperial knights and nobles since it was only forged in the Imperial forges. Imperial steel weapons were asionally avable in the public market, but the full te armor was nearly impossible to find in a market.


    ¡°The flesh and blood of man are weaker than metal. Remember that, Urich,¡± Sven said as he stepped back after seeing the Sun Warrior Harvald approaching Urich.


    ¡°Mercenary Leader Urich, I apologize for not recognizing you and your squad earlier. I too have heard the famous tales of the Silver Lion Mercenaries,¡± Harvald said. He had heard bits and pieces of the journey of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood from the other mercenaries.


    <i>¡®The mercenary squad that fought against the Silver Lion Mercenaries and their leader defeated seven cavalries all by himself... and this is probably inted but he lifted a whole horse.¡¯</i>


    Urich stared at Harvald.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to apologize. Anyway, now that we¡¯re out of the forest, I¡¯m assuming we¡¯re going our separate ways? We¡¯re going to continue going up this way.¡±


    Urich wanted to get rid of the Sun Warriors as soon as possible.


    <i>¡®The presence of the Sun Warriors alone triggers Sven and the other northerners. Nothing good wille out of keeping them around.¡¯</i>


    But Harvald had different thoughts. He wanted to go forward with the mercenaries.


    ¡°We lost all of our horses to the traps that the sorcerer had set up. Wouldn¡¯t it be alright if we traveled together until we could find a town where we could buy some horses? Furthermore, this area isn¡¯t safe. That¡¯s part of the reason why we, the Sun Warriors, had to be sent out to handle a single sorcerer. The noble who got buried in debt from all his luxurious spending disbanded his private army, so there was no one to keep the bandits and criminals away. He¡¯ll be stripped of his title and territories soon enough.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Urich and the mercenaries to understand exactly what Harvald meant by the area being unsafe.


    About half a day of traveling after getting out of the forest, they spotted smoke rising in the distance.


    ¡°That smoke can¡¯t be from baking.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go around, no need to get caught up in it.¡±


    The mercenaries came upon a burning farm vige. Grey smoke rose into the sky.


    ¡°Looks like they got hit by a group of bandits. Oh, another one died just now. I can¡¯t see exactly how many they have because a bunch of them are in the houses, but it looks like they have around twenty,¡± Urich said as he squinted. He told the mercenaries about the situation that he was seeing around the farm vige.


    ¡°You can see that from here?¡± Harvald¡¯s eyes widened. To him, everything looked like small dots.


    The mercenaries were used to Urich¡¯s exceptional vision, but it was a shock to Harvald the Sun Warrior. Even in the Sun Warriors, where everyone was of barbarian blood, no one had such good vision.


    ¡°Urich, let¡¯s go save them! Let¡¯s go, Sun Warriors!¡± Harvald shouted as he drew his sword. The Sun Warriors looked like they were prepared to charge at any moment.


    ¡°Huh? Why should we go?¡±


    ¡°Those bandits are stealing from the poor helpless farmers! Us Srists cannot turn a blind eye to this!¡± Harvald yelled as he bounced around anxiously. With the mercenaries¡¯ help, the oue would have been obvious.


    ¡°The farmers harvest their crops from the grounds for the amount of sweat that they put forth, and bandits steal their possessions for the amount of blood they spill. Who¡¯s to say what¡¯s good and what¡¯s bad? It¡¯s not like they¡¯re my family,¡± Urich shrugged, making Harvald frown.


    ¡°The Sun God Lou will remember your words! We¡¯ll save the farmers on our own!¡±


    Harvald despised Urich. He led the Sun Warriors and ran down the hill.


    ¡°For the Sun!!!!¡±


    ¡°For the Sun!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lou!¡±


    The Sun Warriors made their way to the burning farm vige as they made all the noises they possibly could. The sight of the five of them running because they had lost their horses was quite entertaining.


    ¡°We have no time to think about others right now. It¡¯s unfortunate, but as Urich said, we can¡¯t afford to help them, my prince,¡± Phillion said to the prince. Pahell looked down at Phillion as he stroked Kylios.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, who am I?¡± Pahell pondered, then asked.


    ¡°You are the sole rightful heir to the Porcana Kingdom,¡± Phillion answered.


    Pahell closed his eyes and drew the sword from his waist belt.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I am Varca Aneu Porcana. If even I, the soon-to-be king, turns a blind eye, then who is going to look after my helpless people?¡±


    ¡°They are not of our kingdom, my prince. The one who should be ashamed is the lord, who cannot protect his own people. It¡¯s none of our business.


    Phillion too was a knight. But his valuesy in loyalty. He wasn¡¯t afraid to do anything for the sake of his master¡¯s safety, regardless of how immoral that action may have been. To him, even the moral code of god came second.


    ¡°What brings more shame than thinking only of your own safety when you have the power to help? Urich! I am your employer, not Sir Phillion. Now, look, Urich¡¯s Brotherhood! The shiny jewels await your victorious return!¡±


    Pahell eximed as he circled the mercenaries on the back of Kylios. The mercenaries shed their weapons and shields in their response.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±


    ¡°So, how much are you paying us, Mr. Royalty?¡±


    The mercenaries shouted. Pahell took out a pouch full of pearls from his pocket and tossed it to Urich.


    ¡°Haha! What are you doing, we just got paid! Get to work already!¡±


    After confirming the fine pearls, Urich shouted to his mercenaries. The mercenaries roared their battle cries as they ran after the Sun Warriors.

 Chapter 52

    <h4>Chapter 52</h4>


    The mercenaries joined the Sun Warriors who had already begun their battle with the bandits. Harvald, swinging his sword, saw the mercenaries behind him.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯de, of course my fellow Srists woulde to help! Praise be to Lou!¡± Harvald, whose face was covered in blood, eximed. He struck down his shield which had the symbol of the sun on the throat of the fallen bandit.


    ¡°For the sun!¡±


    The Sun Warriors battled on as they shouted the name of their god. The bandits fell one by one with helpless screech, as all they had to protect themselves against the elite Imperial warriors were rusty weapons and cloth armor, or fur coats, if they were lucky. They were no match for the brave Sun Warriors and the mercenaries.


    ¡°Wahhhh!¡±


    The mercenaries ransacked the farm vige and dragged the bandits out of their hiding. The loot that the bandits have collected rolled around on the ground behind them.


    ¡°This is too easy of a money.¡±


    Bachman spotted a bandit hiding under a bed and stabbed him deep with his spear.


    ¡°Keugh.¡±


    The pieced bandit was dragged out of his hiding. Bachman took out his dagger and slit his throat.


    ¡°Getting paid to get rid of bandits like these guys? Good for us.¡±


    The mercenary who was with Bachman asked, ¡°Hmph, Bachman, you want some of this? Hah, I haven¡¯t eaten bread this soft in ages,¡± he said as he bit into the bread that was on the table nearby. Everyone was full of confidence.


    ¡°Stop stuffing your mouth, you pig. Everyone else is still fighting.¡±


    Bachman walked out of the house after scolding the mercenary. The battle was nearing its end, and the bandits who were trying to escape were only met with arrows and copsed to their deaths.


    Near the end of the battle, Pahell walked into the farm vige.


    <i>¡®These poor farmers.¡¯</i>


    Pahell took a look around the vige. The wrecked homes seemed like they were going to take quite some time to rebuild.


    ¡°Oh goodness, thank you so much, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how we could ever repay you. Thank you, sir.¡±


    The surviving farmers expressed their gratitude. They were the ones who had barely managed to survive. In their eyes, the Sun Warriors and the mercenaries were practically saviors.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Pahell stepped into a barn as he drew his sword and held it loosely.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Pahell covered his mouth at the stench of blood. Whaty in front of him widened his eyes.


    Rays of light were streaming through the broken boards, disying a little girl on the haystack. She could have been ten years old, at most. Her eyes were clouded, and there was a dark cut on her neck. It wasn¡¯t long ago that she was still breathing. Dripping underneath her skirt was the blood of a vited woman.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Pahell¡¯s pupils opened up, and his teeth gritted themselves.


    <i>¡®How could they do this to a child...?¡¯</i>


    He swallowed down the rising nausea. He untied his cloak to cover the little girl¡¯s body.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, the God of Sun, please erase the pain engraved in the soul of this little girl,¡± Pahell recited a short prayer before jumping to his feet to rush out of the barn.


    ¡°Haha! Run! Just try to run!¡±


    ¡°You run pretty well, my man!¡±


    Outside the barn, the mercenaries were firing their bows, making bets on who would hit the fleeing bandit.


    ¡°You dumbass, you can¡¯t even hit that?¡±


    ¡°How about you try? You have a big mouth.¡±


    The mercenaries took turns trying to hit the bandit, who was squirming and twisting ugly to evade death. After narrowly avoiding the arrows, the bandit scrambled up the hill.


    ¡°Hah, he¡¯s actually pretty good at dodging these. He might live if he makes it over the hill.¡±


    The mercenaries who had just shot thest arrow at the bandit said with a whistle. The bandit was almost at the top of the hill. He would survive if he managed to get over to the other side.


    ¡°Ahh, we missed him. What a lucky bastard.¡±


    The mercenaries didn¡¯t chase after the bandit. Their goal was to defeat them, so they weren¡¯t concerned about killing everyst one of them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him go,¡± Pahell said as he walked up to the mercenary and snatched the bow away from him.


    ¡°Eh? Eh? What do you think you¡¯re doing, Young Master?¡±


    The mercenary who just had his bow taken away shrugged.


    Pahell pulled on the bowstring, but the arrow that he firednded nowhere near the bandit.


    <i>¡®Dammit.¡¯</i>


    He couldn¡¯t erase the image of the dead girl in the barn from his mind. The nausea came back over and over again.


    He was furious. He felt a strong hatred toward the bandits who vited and murdered a helpless girl.


    <i>¡®Blood for blood.¡¯</i>


    Revenge was not the doctrine of Srism. Hatred and rage were not appropriate, but the intense emotion stirred Pahell.


    <i>¡®But my heart aches. It pains me.¡¯</i>


    Pahell frowned. He put his fingers against his lips and whistled.


    ¡°Kylios!¡±


    Kylios, who had been pacing about around the vige, rushed toward the whistle. He was a clever horse. Though he was a wild horse that had escaped human hands, it was obvious that he was from a good bloodline.


    ¡°Young Master?¡±


    The mercenaries couldn¡¯t understand what Pahell was trying to achieve. He dug his heels into the sides of the horse and gripped the reins.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m not letting him get away. I¡¯ll kill him myself.¡¯</i>


    Pahell rode across the vige on his horse.


    ¡°Pahell?¡±


    Urich saw Pahell and Kylios galloping behind him.


    ¡°Urich! We¡¯re not letting that one get away, hop on!¡±


    Pahell shouted as he stopped Kylios for a moment. Urich shrugged and jumped on the horse.


    ¡°Whatever the employer says.¡±


    Kylios rushed up the hill with two men on his back. The fleeing bandit was right in front of them in the blink of an eye. Kylios, after galloping with all his power, exhaled loudly.


    ¡°Urich, grab him!¡±


    Pahell eximed as he drove the horse right beside the bandit. Urich jumped off the horse, copsing on top of the bandit.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Urich pinned the bandit on the ground with his massive body. The bandit struggled and retaliated in a futile attempt to free himself.


    ¡°Stop squirming, you bastard.¡±


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich twisted the bandit¡¯s arm as if it were a child¡¯s.


    ¡°U-ugh!!!¡±


    The bandit trembled with a scream.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    Urich grabbed the bandit by the hair and threw him on the ground. His hair ripped out with pieces of his scalp still attached to the roots.


    <i>Schring!</i>


    Pahell drew his sword as he dismounted the horse and put it against the fallen bandit¡¯s throat.


    ¡°S-sir, please spare me, just this once! I won¡¯t ever steal again. Please, spare my life! Remember the mercy of the Sun God!¡±


    The bandit begged on his stomach with his broken arm. Urich carefully observed Pahell from the back.


    <i>¡®You¡¯re shaking, Pahell.¡¯</i>


    Pahell¡¯s lips and hands were indeed trembling. He had nevermitted a murder before.


    ¡°If it¡¯s too hard for you, do you want me to do it? I¡¯ve killed a ton of people already, so this means nothing to me.¡±


    The bandit was terrified at Urich¡¯s words, and he turned toward Urich to beg even harder.


    ¡°Sir! Sir! Sir Warrior!¡±


    The bandit wet his pants. His face was covered with a mix of tears, snot, and blood; it wasn¡¯t the most ttering look.


    Pahell gazed into Urich¡¯s eyes before shaking his head. He raised his sword of determination.


    <i>Schluck¡ª.</i>


    Pahell¡¯s sword pieced the heart of the bandit. The sensation of taking a man¡¯s life and the de plunging into the flesh was softer than expected. All sorts of images shed before his eyes: the shining sun, the dead girl in the barn, the cold de. The spouting blood sttered on Pahell¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    The bandit convulsed to his death. Pahell fell to the ground, unable to pull the de out of the bandit¡¯s chest. The vomit that he had been holding in all came out.


    ¡°Ugh, hugh.¡±


    Pahell shrugged his shoulders violently on the ground. He groaned as he grasped the dirt underneath him. He shrugged off the rage that was piled up inside him. Only emptiness remained in its ce, and it wasn¡¯t something that could be filled. There was no going back. Pahell had murdered a man with his own hands.


    <i>¡®I am the man about to be king.¡¯</i>


    How could such a man keep his hands free from blood? He would eventually have to get his uncle¡¯s blood on his hands, and that future was not distant at all.


    <i>¡®This is only practice. It¡¯s nothing.¡¯</i>


    The tears didn¡¯t stop flowing out of his eyes. Urich put his hand on Pahell¡¯s head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Pahell. Bedding a woman and killing is the rite of passage of bing a man,¡± Urich smiled.


    ¡°My heart still aches, Urich. It feels like it¡¯s been pierced. I thought it would go away after I killed this man, but it¡¯s not going anywhere,¡± Pahell said as he sped his chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s only like that the first time. The more you kill, the more it will desensitize you; just like how your skin bes calloused.¡±


    Pahell looked back at Urich. His words felt cold.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll have to do a confessional when we get to the city.¡±


    Pahell got up weakly. He wanted to meet a priest and get rid of this guilt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like a little girl, Pahell. How many people do you think died because of you? For you? Don¡¯t give me that look¡ªthe look as if you¡¯d lost everything¡ªjust because you had to kill <i>one</i> person with your own hands. You¡¯re a rich royalty¡ªyou can be more brash. So, keep killing people with your orders and head pointing and I¡¯ll do all the killings for you, as long as you pay me.¡±


    Pahell lifted his head. Urich was waiting for Pahell to get up, with his hands stretched out. He was still smiling.


    Pahellughed along. It was a messyugh since the lump in his throat still hadn¡¯t cleared.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back, Urich. Don¡¯t tell anyone I cried, though.¡±


    Pahell grabbed Urich¡¯s hand and got up. As soon as they got back to the mercenaries, Urich told everyone how Pahell killed a man and bawled like a baby right after. That was the talk of their dinner that day.


    * * *


    The mercenaries and the Sun Warriors traveled together for two more days.


    ¡°It was good to share the road with you, Urich¡¯s Brotherhood! And Pahell, may the Sun God remember your righteous heart!¡± Harvald said as they arrived at the city. The Sun Warriors bought their new horses and left the city that very day.


    ¡°What a boring bunch of guys, leaving without even going to the red-light district,¡± the mercenaries said among themselves. They were quite excited at the scene of the city they hadn¡¯t seen in a while.


    The city they were visiting this time was a small one, so the entry of the entire squad wasn¡¯t granted. The mercenaries set up their camp just outside the city gates.


    In the camp, the heads of the mercenaries and Phillion gathered to go over their schedule.


    ¡°We¡¯ll soon enter the emperor¡¯s domain. When we get in, Duke Harmatti won¡¯t be able to touch us. We¡¯ll reveal our identity and request the protection of the Imperial army,¡± Phillion said as he opened the parchment map. The emperor¡¯s domain wasnd that was ruled by the emperor himself. Their security was so good that it was rare to see a band of bandits.


    ¡°Hah, so we¡¯re getting to the emperor¡¯s domain soon. Now, this is the real empire.¡±


    The mercenaries who had been there before spoke up. Their excitement was visible.


    The civilizednd was split into three domains: The emperor¡¯s domain, the empire¡¯s domain, and the vassge kingdoms. The emperor¡¯s domain, as the name suggests, was the center world of the empire, which the emperor directly looked after. The empire¡¯s domains were provinces ruled by the imperial nobility, and the vassge kingdoms were sevennds that were annexed by the empire during the Great Unification War fifty years ago.


    All of thesends were collectively referred to as the Imperial territory, with only a few barbariannds still remaining in the southern and northern outskirts.


    <i>¡®We, Porcana, is also one of the seven kingdoms.¡¯</i>


    The thing that set Porcana apart was that it was a coastal kingdom. Porcana was the kingdom that upied most of the eastern coastline. When one thought of Porcana, one thought of the sea.


    ¡°Is our job finished once we get into the emperor¡¯s domain?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. The emperor¡¯s domain is safe, but the danger can still linger around. Even if we get through the domain and get to the capital, we can only pay your rewards after Prince Varca sessfully ims the throne. It would be best if you could be his private army until then.¡±


    Phillion said cautiously as he looked around the faces of the mercenaries. There were still three months left until Pahell officially became an adult, and they were nning on staying in the capital until then.


    <i>¡®How did I end up caring about what these mercenaries think... I guess I brought it unto myself...¡¯</i>


    Phillion waited for the mercenaries to respond. They had followed the prince all the way here for the reward that had been promised to them by the future king. Even though Porcana was a mere vassge kingdom, it was a kingdom, regardless. If Pahell became king, then he would dly pay enough in rewards topletely change the lives of the mercenaries.


    <i>¡®Still, the prince and the mercenaries grew quite close over the journey, especially with the mercenary leader Urich.¡¯</i>


    It was difficult to trust the mercenaries who were so easily swayed by money, but Urich, their leader, was a trustworthy man.


    ¡°You¡¯re covering our expenses, right? The mercenaries shouldn¡¯t have any problems with it, then.¡±


    Urich said as he looked at the other mercenaries, who nodded in agreement. They had all jumped in on this job with the hopes of turning their lives around. It wasn¡¯t a lightmitment.


    ¡°Good, we¡¯ll leave after we replenish our supplies. Next time we do that will be inside the emperor¡¯s domain!¡±


    Phillion tried to point toward their direction with his right hand, then switched to his left. He still forgot that he had lost most of the fingers in his right hand every now and then. He showed a bitter grin.


    The mercenaries scattered after checking their schedule. Urich was about to do the same and enter the kingdom, but Phillion followed him.


    ¡°Mercenary Leader Urich.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What? Do you need something?¡±


    Urich looked back at Phillion. He wanted to find a forge since the des of his axes were dulled, and the hilts were shaky from going through so many impacts.


    ¡°Please look after the prince,¡± Phillion said as he slightly tilted his head.


    ¡°Hey, Mister, what¡¯s up? Did I do something wrong?¡± Urich said as he patted on his back.


    ¡°The prince thinks special of you. You were the first person his age that he had met who didn¡¯t treat him with absolute respect¡ªlike a brother.¡±


    Urich tilted his head and chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s an issue. I don¡¯t consider weak men like Pahell as my brothers. To me, brothers are men who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me as warriors, of course.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s all it is... I see that your thoughts are different from the prince¡¯s,¡± Phillion said with a frown. Pahell¡¯s heart had been trampled.


    Urich caressed his sun pendant and looked at Phillion¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yup, he¡¯s not my brother. He¡¯s not worthy of that title.¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes chased his pendant. He remembered the moment of his baptism. In the civilized world, there were as many different ways of living as there were people.


    ¡°...but I do think of him as a friend¡ªthe first friend that I ever made in civilization; a friend who¡¯s quite high-maintenance. So, don¡¯t worry, Sir Phillion.¡±


    Phillion finally smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, Urich.¡±

 Chapter 53

    <h4>Chapter 53</h4>


    As one get closer to the emperor¡¯s domain, thendscape begins to change. The roads connecting city to city were so continuous that one didn¡¯t need a map to find their way.


    ¡°Road made of stone?¡±


    Urich bent over to touch the road. It was unlike the dirt road that he had been on. This road was a road that was paved by people.


    ¡°This is the Imperial Road. It means that we¡¯re close to the emperor¡¯s domain. The domain is as big as an average kingdom. Instead of using vassals, the emperor sends out his own bureaucrats to keep his domain on the same scale as a kingdom. The imperial roads make that possible. It allows the emperor to regte the entire domain by quickly sending out his men when needed and transport supplies and messages,¡± Pahell said proudly as if the roads were his own work.


    ¡°Traveling would be so easy with roads like this. It won¡¯t get wet from the rain, and there¡¯s no concern of getting lost. This is amazing... I can¡¯t believe that a person made this.¡±


    Urich said as he walked along the road. He had seen countless buildings in the civilized world that had been built with stone, but he had never seen such arge-scale construction. No matter how much he walked, the roads seemed endless.


    <i>¡®A person made this?¡¯</i>


    He couldn¡¯t imagine it. How many people... and how much time was invested into this road?


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the road that the domain can be the size that it is. The nobles in the regions near the emperor¡¯s domain are always worried about the expansion of the imperial roads, and the emperor is taking away the titles of those nobles in order to expand his own domain.¡±


    The emperor, also known as the Lord of the World, held an authority and powers that no other king could everpare to. All poweres from thend, so the powerful monarchs always coveted morend.


    ¡°This is why they say that the emperor¡¯s domain is the true empire. The power of the world is focused here, the culture, civilization, and all other capabilities of humans.¡±


    Pahell stared at the end of the road. He longed for the empire, just like every other boy in the imperial territory who had learned to read. The capital of Hamel was the center of power and authority, but it was also the center of academia.


    Countless aristocratic boys traveled to the capital to study and returned with advanced knowledge.


    <i>¡®If only my father hadn¡¯t fallen... I, too, would have studied in the empire.¡¯</i>


    Pahell grinned bitterly. It had been a year since the fall of his father, and the sole true heir, himself, was forced into exile by Duke Harmatti.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it. This is really the work of humans?¡±


    Urich looked up. He could see other peopleing and going on the road other than his mercenary squad.


    The road cut through the hills and even the forests. Wagons and horses easily made their way around, for there was not a single rough patch on the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s the road patrols,¡± Donovan said as he looked ahead.


    There were groups of five soldiersing and going along the road. They were the road patrol who carried the purple eagle g of the empire. They were always checking the condition and security of the roads, so no bandits or robbers dared toe near these roads.


    The security and administration of the emperor¡¯s domain were excellent. Even though the mercenary squad hadn¡¯t made their way into the actual domain yet, Urich could already get a glimpse of the power of the emperor.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re mercenaries. Don¡¯t mess around, the purple eagles are always watching,¡± the road patrolmented casually and passed the mercenaries. Their confidence nearing arrogance. They had the pride of being the most powerful army in the world.


    ¡°They¡¯re so cocky. Hey, Donovan, you used to be an imperial soldier¡ªsay something to them!¡± One of the mercenaries said to Donovan, who only nced at the passing patrols.


    ¡°That¡¯s in the past. Now, I¡¯m just a mercenary working his ass off under a barbarian. Life¡ªwe never know what¡¯s going to happen to us, so live cautiously, all of you.¡±


    Donovan stared at the back of the patrol until they disappeared into the distance. They were one of the possible ways that Donovan could have ended up, had he notmitted his military crime.


    <i>¡®I could have been one of them.¡¯</i>


    It was all in the past. Now, Donovan was merely a mercenary who was dishonorably discharged from the imperial army for murdering his superior.


    The mercenary squad continued along the imperial road. After another whole day of walking, they were finally able to see the gateway to the emperor¡¯s domain. There were already several groups camped out who had been waiting for days, as the inspection at the gate was quite strict.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here,¡± Pahell said with a tired face. His face, unlike at the onset of their long journey, was stained with grime and dirt, and his good clothes were worn, tattered, and filthy. His eyes, however, still shone blue.


    * * *


    Auber, the captain of the twelfth checkpoint, was not a diligent bureaucrat. He enjoyed his luxury and entertainment while leaving most of his work to his subordinates.


    <i>¡®No matter how hard I work, I can¡¯t even join the Order of Imperial Steel.¡¯</i>


    Auber sipped on his drink with dull, unfocused eyes. Although he was busy with his day drinking, he was still the highest in charge of the gate. No one could reprimand him.


    Auber, too, was once a brave knight. He had fought in the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians that happened a decade ago. Because he was the third son of a noble family, he couldn¡¯t inherit the noble territory. Naturally, serving in the army was the only way for him to make a name for himself.


    ¡°<i>Burp.</i> That¡¯s all in the past. If it weren¡¯t for that incident...¡±


    Auber burped loudly as he drummed his belly. His belly was quite the size, despite his knight status. He resiliently climbed the ranks to eventually earn his captaincy of the twelfth gateway, with over a hundred men at his disposal.


    <i>¡®My dream was to join the Order and live out my days with the nobledies, dammit.</i>¡¯


    The Order of Imperial Steel. Every Imperial knight dreamed of joining the Order which was directly assigned to the emperor. Gateway captain was not a bad position at all, but Auber was a man who dreamed of a life in the capital. A position like this wasn¡¯t enough to fulfill his ambition.


    <i>¡®You can¡¯t make a name for yourself with a sword anymore. The empire no longer has any enemy.¡¯</i>


    Auber was aware that the age of swords was over. The northern and southern territories were conquered, and the remaining barbarians barely lived on innds that were hardly inhabitable for humans. There was no morend to conquer. The seven vassal kingdoms were tied down and unable to defy the empire.


    <i>¡®The days of knights taking their ces by merit are over, and my life will end as a boring gate captain.¡¯</i>


    Auber looked at the full te armor that was disyed in the corner of his office. The knights of the Order were supplied all their steel armory from the nation. However, the average knights, like Auber, had to either inherit their armory or spend their own money to purchase them.


    <i>¡®The full te armor that I inherited from my father instead of the territory.¡¯</i>


    Auber Locastre was his name. He had two older brothers who were each given half of their family¡¯s territory and using the unification of the Locastre family as an excuse, the brothers drew each other¡¯s blood. The firstborn was defeated and murdered by the younger brother, who became the lord of Locastre.


    Auber was able to escape the brotherly dispute because he wasn¡¯t given any of the territory.


    ¡°This armor is all I have left.¡±


    Auber grabbed his liquor bottle and walked up to the armor. The full te armor was the symbol of the imperial knights, but there were many who couldn¡¯t afford the whole set and wore only a breastte or helmet. Chainmail was amon alternative, as well.


    The technique of forging the te armor was a secret of the imperial smithy. It was a unique process that required imperial steel, and if one tried to mimic the process with cheap metal and poor technique, it resulted in unusable pieces of garbage.


    Auber was looking at his armor and reminiscing about the days when he wore it proudly in battle.


    ¡°Captain! Captain Auber!¡±


    One of his adjutants burst into the room with his voice booming.


    ¡°<i>Burp</i>, what¡¯s wrong? Are the auditors here? Today must be the day I finally get kicked out.


    Auber said drunkenly. If an auditor came and saw that he was day drinking on the job, he would undoubtedly be stripped of his title on the spot.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s not it, there is a royalty at the gate!¡±


    ¡°Royalty? Just stamp the seal and let them pass. Theye by all the time, what¡¯s all the fuss? Or are they making a scene at the gate?¡±


    ¡°No, captain, it¡¯s a request for asylum!¡±


    The adjutant said, and Auber put down his bottle.


    ¡°...which kingdom is he from?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Prince Varca Aneu Porcana. He requested an asylum along with an escort to the capital.¡±


    The adjutant¡¯s words were sobering. Auber wasn¡¯t aware of the prince¡¯s situation, but an asylum request was not a light matter.


    ¡°Bring me some cold water, right now!¡±


    Auber washed his face with cold water. Although his mind was sobered up, his breath still reeked of alcohol.


    <i>¡®If this goes well...¡¯</i>


    Auber said as he wiped the water off his face. He called for his squire and donned his te armor. The torso part didn¡¯t quite fit, so he loosened the straps.


    ¡°You look amazing, Captain!¡±


    The squire sucked up to Auber, who was feeling quite confident after putting on his armor for the first time in a while. He waddled over to the parlor.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Auber entered the parlor, where he found a scruffy young man with a group of much more rugged men.


    <i>¡®That young man must be the prince.¡¯</i>


    There was only one face in the room that had an elegant aura.


    ¡°I am Auber Locastre, the captain of the gateway,¡± Auber said politely as he removed his helmet.


    ¡°I am Varca Aneu Porcana, Sir Locastre,¡± Pahell replied as he got up from his seat.


    ¡°Please call me Auber. All the way from Porcana, you¡¯vee a long way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had the mercy of Lou. This is knight and Sir Phillion, and behind me are the mercenaries who have been escorting me.¡±


    A few more introductions made their way around the room. Auber stared at Pahell.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent my man to the capital. Someone should be here to confirm your identity shortly. Until then, I must ask you to stay here. I¡¯ve prepared the guest room for you,¡± Auber said rather kindly.


    ¡°Thank you, Gateway Captain Auber.¡±


    Pahell epted the captain¡¯s kindness. Although Porcana was a small kingdom, the status of royalty did its job. Auber was trying everything to gain the favor of Pahell.


    ¡°And for the mercenaries, please camp outside of the gate.¡±


    Auber¡¯s tone toward the mercenaries, however, was cold.


    ¡°Huh? Huh? That man is...¡±


    Auber looked at the mercenaries, then raised his voice. Only Urich and the other heads of the mercenaries had followed Pahell to meet Auber.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Donovan muttered. Auber had recognized him and was frowning hard.


    ¡°Donovan, themander killer!¡±


    Auber¡¯s words carried obvious hostility. Urich looked back and forth between Donovan and Auber.


    ¡°Donovan, are you famous?¡±


    ¡°Just an acquaintance,¡± Donovan said as he avoided Auber¡¯s gaze, who was clicking his tongue.


    ¡°I thought you died on the streets, but here you are, working as a mercenary. It suits you, Donovan!¡±


    ¡°Adjutant Auber, look at you, you¡¯ve made it! The captain of the gateway, huh? How cool is that?¡± Donovan said as he pped mockingly.


    ¡°Our squad had to be pushed straight back to the rear because you killed ourmander! If it weren¡¯t for that, I would be...¡±


    ¡°You would be dead. Long dead. Probably would¡¯ve had your skull cracked open by a barbarian. Had we charged like themander wanted us to that day, we would have all died.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! Your mouth is alive as ever.¡±


    The room was suddenly filled with tension and hostility. The hatred that Auber and Donovan had for each other was palpable.


    ¡°I should have killed him that day, too. Hah, they¡¯re all the same. It¡¯s my fault for letting him live just because he begged for his life,¡± Donovan muttered, and Auber was listening.


    ¡°Y-you bastard!¡±


    Auber seemed like he was ready to draw his sword at any moment. Pahell jumped up from his seat and signaled Urich.


    ¡°Shut up, Donovan.¡±


    Urich grabbed Donovan¡¯s arm and calmed him down. Donovan flinched and looked around the room. He calmed himself down and left the room before anyone else.


    ¡°Calm down, Sir Auber. Have you forgotten who was in the room with you?¡± Pahell said as he looked at the captain. Because Auber was trying to gain his favor, Pahell¡¯s words were quite effective.


    ¡°Ehem, my apologies, Prince Varca. That manmitted the most unforgivable crime in my unit back in the day. He murdered ourmander. He should have been executed by militaryw, but he was able to keep his head because General Ferzen showed his mercy. That man is not to be trusted, not even as a mercenary. And I say this on my own name.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. The man I trust is this mercenary leader, Urich. Urich has total control over his squad.¡±


    Auber stroked his chin.


    ¡°Hmm, a mercenary squad with a barbarian leader... Anyway, as an apology, I would like to invite you to dinner tonight, along with the mercenary leader,¡± Auber said as he looked back and forth between Urich and Pahell.


    Urich and Pahell nodded.

 Chapter 54

    <h4>Chapter 54</h4>


    ¡°That bastard, that Donovan and I were in the same unit under General Ferzen,¡± Auber said as he chewed off a mouthful of the turkey leg.


    ¡°You mean the Sword Demon Ferzen?¡± As Pahell reacted, Auber grinned with pride.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly him! The Sword Demon Ferzen! I still consider the fact that I once fought under General Ferzen as an honor. Back then, I was an adjutant in the sixth infantry, and my immediate superior andmander of the infantry was Captain Lumonde, and he was a man who knew what honor meant more than anyone else.¡±


    Pahell and Urich were sitting along the same table as Auber, with Phillion by their side, as well.


    ¡°...Urich, can you at least pretend like you¡¯re listening to Auber¡¯s story? It¡¯s rude not to pay attention to what the person who invited you is saying. This is the manner of civilized men,¡± Pahell whispered as he lightly kicked Urich¡¯s legs.


    Urich, who was busy stuffing his face with all the meat on the table, looked up. He then sucked his fingers clean and grinned at Auber.


    ¡°Huh? Hmm, yes, honor! Of course! Civilized men sure do know their honors, they really do!¡± Urich blurted out an overexaggerated exmation. It made Pahell let out a small chuckle.


    ¡°Ehem. Hmm, I¡¯m d you seem to be enjoying your meal.¡±


    As Auber cleared his throat, Pahell paid his attention to the story again.


    ¡°This is a fine supper. I¡¯ve heard the stories of the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians that happened a decade ago several times. Our kingdom also had many of our knights fighting in that battle,¡± Pahell responded calmly.


    ¡°Captain Lumonde was a valiant knight. The things he did against the barbarians...¡± Auber stopped mid-sentence to nce at Urich¡¯s expression of his words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, go ahead. I¡¯ve converted to Srism, anyway. You see this? Praise be to the sun god Lou, long live the sun!¡± Urich said as he cleaned up a turkey bone in his mouth before spitting it out. He knew that the sun pendant worked wonders on civilized people.


    ¡°Captain Lumonde fearlessly advanced despite the traps of the barbarians, and he imed just as many achievements. But one day, that ungrateful Donovan incited the captain¡¯s own soldiers against him and persuaded them to go against the captain¡¯s orders. He seeded, and Captain Lumonde was murdered by Donovan¡¯s sword. He was an ungrateful bastard who killed his superior.¡±


    ¡°But Donovan¡¯s still alive; he got away with only a dishonorable discharge.¡±


    ¡°That was all thanks to the generosity of General Ferzen. He didn¡¯t want to have any executions on the day of the celebration of their victory, so he got to keep his life. I should have had his head cut off with an immediate execution instead of bringing him to trial. I never thought I¡¯d run into him again but seeing him this alive and well boils my blood and makes me want to throw up,¡± Auber gritted his teeth.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the story I heard. Donovan said you begged him for your life, so he spared you,¡± Urichughed, and Auber snapped at his words.


    ¡°What kind of nonsense is that, Mercenary Leader? Y-you¡¯re believing that man? I¡¯m a knight of the empire!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I believe him more than I believe you¡ªwe¡¯re in the same mercenary squad. He was gritting his teeth and saying that he should¡¯ve killed you along with that captain. That captain wasn¡¯t that popr, was he?¡±


    ¡°Do not humiliate me, Mercenary Leader Urich! I¡¯m only letting it slide this time because of the prince.¡±


    Auber angrily got back into his seat. Urich was smiling like a child, and Pahell frowned and kicked his leg again.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve heard that name a decent number of times. That Ferzen guy must be pretty famous, huh?¡±


    Everyone in the room turned their heads to look at the man who had just spoken those words.


    ¡°How could you not know the Sword Demon Ferzen? Even the barbarians know him¡ªhow far in the outskirts are you mercenaries from?¡± Auber said as he raised his voice. He intended to embarrass Urich for his own question, but Urich didn¡¯t seem to be bothered at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing to ask what you don¡¯t know, and there¡¯s a <i>ton</i> that I don¡¯t know. So, teach me everything, <i>burp.</i>¡±


    Urich chugged the wine in his bronze ss and held it out for more, and the cup was quickly filled by one of the servants.


    ¡°The Sword Demon Ferzen! He fought in The Great Unification before he turned twenty years old, was a vanguard general in The Great Conquest, and even fought in The Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians just ten years ago. He is the Knight of Knights, a man who has lived on the battlefield for half a century and has held a sword since before we were born!¡±


    ¡°Wow, so how old does that make him?¡± Urich was intrigued. He rested his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand.


    ¡°He is seventy-two this year.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that he is the strongest man in the entire civilization?¡±


    ¡°That I can¡¯t say for sure, but I can definitely say that he is the most famous knight; no one evenes close, and no one ever will,¡± Auber nodded at his ownment.


    Urich looked at Pahell with the corners of his mouth twitching.


    ¡°Pahell, can we meet this Ferzen guy when we get to the capital?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be staying in the capital for at least a couple of months, so if we¡¯re lucky, I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another reason for me to go there, then. This is great,¡± Urichughed out loud as he pped his knee.


    <i>¡®A mere mercenary leader wants to see the face of General Ferzen? Hah, as if.¡¯</i>


    Auber kept his smirk to himself.


    <i>¡®Prince Varca also lets this barbarian treat him with no respect. After all, he is only a royalty of a small kingdom.¡¯</i>


    The seven vassge kingdoms were bing weaker and weaker while the power of the empire only grew by the day. The great nobles of the empire held as much power as the royalty. Independence for the kingdoms was a long shot.


    <i>¡®To be exiled from your own kingdom because of your own uncle hunting for you and seeking asylum from the empire. I feel for him, but at the same time, it¡¯s a little pathetic.¡¯</i>


    Auber stared at Pahell for a moment, then took his eyes off him. Even if he was only from a small kingdom, a royalty was still a royalty. Nothing good woulde out of getting out of favor with them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent a messenger to the empire, so you¡¯ll have an escorting for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir Auber.¡±


    ¡°I do hope you remember my courtesy when you arrive at the capital,¡± Auber said with a grin.


    ¡°I will spread the word of your kindness, Sir Auber.¡±


    Pahell knew exactly what Auber was asking for. He wanted Pahell to spread his name among the powerful men in the capital of the empire.


    <i>¡®Auber may not be a man that I enjoy, but at least he¡¯s showing his kindness to me.¡¯</i>


    One shouldn¡¯t treat someone poorly just because they don¡¯t like them. Pahell was slowly learning his ways.


    <i>¡®Don¡¯t make any rash decisions, Varca Aneu Porcana,¡¯</i> Pahell reminded himself.


    <i>¡®I cannot earn my respect standing on the battlefields like uncle and father. Those days are long gone, and even if they weren¡¯t I have no gift for fighting. I must be strong in politics.¡¯</i>


    Pahell tried his best to mask his emotions. He didn¡¯t react to everything as emotionally as he used to.


    <i>¡®Think twice before you speak.¡¯</i>


    Pahell¡¯s hard work was paying off. Auber was spilling all sorts of things on his mind to Pahell.


    ¡°If only that Donovan hadn¡¯t done what he did back then... I would have joined Captain Lumonde in The Order of Imperial Steel. Captain Lumonde was quite fond of me. That goddamn Donovan.¡±


    It seemed like the alcohol was beginning to get to Auber as he began to let some inappropriate words slip out. Pahell cleared his throat.


    ¡°Ehem, hmm.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my apologies, Prince Varca, my emotions are running high.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Sir Auber.¡±


    ¡°Prince Varca, you are very mature for your age. The nobles and the young royalties these days... They are arrogant and immature; perhaps because they have never been through a war. Those young men who had never killed a man with their own sword... acting as if the achievements that their fathers and forefathers have achieved were theirs.¡±


    Auber said everything that was on his mind. Pahell flinched, as until not too long ago, he wasn¡¯t an exception to the young men that Auber was talking about.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    Someone entered the dining room. It was Bachman, and he was looking for Urich.


    ¡°Eh? Bachman? You wanna join us and eat?¡±


    Urich offered with a smile, but Bachman shook his head with a pale look.


    ¡°Urich, Donovan got attacked. He must¡¯ve been ambushed when he was leaving the red-light district. He¡¯s still alive, but he won¡¯t be able to move around for a while,¡± Bachman said with caution.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    The armrests of the chair that Urich was sitting in crumbled in his hands. Their shattered pieces fell from his grip. The people in the dining room were stunned, as the chair was not of cheap quality and shouldn¡¯t have broken that easily. It spoke volumes about Urich¡¯s terrifying strength.


    ¡°Hmm, yeah? Donovan got beaten to a pulp? That¡¯s why I told you guys to be careful.¡± Urich said in a low tone as he tried to mask his boiling emotions.


    ¡°Oh my, there are many vagrants in this neighborhood¡ªyou must be careful, Mercenary Leader Urich. Those of unverified identity lurk outside the gates,¡± Auber said as he sipped on his wine as if it was in a toast. Urich stared at him.


    ¡°...Reeaally? Thanks for the advice, captain of the gates. If they were just vagrants, I assume you wouldn¡¯t have any problems with me beating the shit out of them, would you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Auber nodded as he wiped the corners of his mouth. Urich got up with a cold smile.


    ¡°Remember what you said, Sir Auber. There¡¯s been an incident with the mercenary squad, so you¡¯ll have to excuse me.¡±


    Urich walked out of the room as he plucked out of the pieces of the chair that he broke from his palms.


    There were only Pahell, Phillion, and Auber left in the dining room. The servants continued to serve them with drinks and water.


    ¡°Prince Varca, you seem like you keep a close rtionship with that barbarian.¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong with that, Sir Auber? I believe that even the empire is strongly implementing the Barbarian Inclusion Policy.¡±


    There was a sudden sharpness in Pahell¡¯s tone.


    <i>¡®Auber was probably the one who ordered the attack on Donovan.¡¯</i>


    Given the circumstances, there was no one else who would have done it but Auber. It was hard to believe that Donovan was just an unlucky victim of a regr robbery because everything that Auber had been saying fell into ce.


    <i>¡®I never liked Donovan but still... this does not feel good.¡¯</i>


    Pahell still remembered the threats that Donovan made to him, such as putting a knife against his tongue and threatening to cut it out. But nheless, Donovan was still one of the mercenaries who had been fighting for him. Although it was for the reward, he still fought bravely.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, but young people like you, Prince Varca, tend to keep barbarians around themselves without knowing everything about them. Barbarians are called so because they are uneducated. Unless that barbarian around you is a Sun Warrior, I¡¯d rmend getting rid of that barbarian mercenary as soon as possible before you go any further.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s eyes narrowed at Auber¡¯s words.


    ¡°Thank you for your advice, Sir Auber.¡±


    The dinner was over. Pahell and Phillion got up from their seats and left the room.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like that man,¡± Pahell said to Phillion after walking out into the hallway.


    ¡°Well done, Your Highness. Holding yourself together like that in front of a person that you dislike is a good thing.¡±


    Phillion was proud of Pahell. Although the prince was going against his advice when he saved the farmers, he did so under his own judgment. And this time, he sessfully hid his negative emotions in front of a man that he clearly did not favor.


    <i>¡®What a drastic change in him in a couple of months since he left the kingdom... the way he was brought up in the kingdom was the wrong way. Prince Varca truly is a royalty.¡¯</i>


    Pahell stopped in his tracks as he was making his way to the quarters that Auber had arranged for him.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, I want you to join the mercenaries and keep an eye on Urich. Make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything stupid. I know Urich will think of what¡¯s best for me, but at the end of the day, he¡¯s still just a young man my age. He might let his emotions get the best of him and make a mistake. I want you to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s level of thinking had reached that level. Now, not only was he thinking about himself, but he was considering the people and situation surrounding him.


    ¡°I will follow your orders.¡±


    Phillion lightly nodded. He left the guards in charge of Pahell¡¯s escort and rejoined the mercenaries.


    Pahell went into his room, and the guards took turns being on watch. They were loyal knights.


    <i>¡®I have to do well.¡¯</i>


    Pahell thought as heid in his bed. He lightly bit on his thumb as the tilted moon softly shone into his room. Pahell¡¯s blue eyes shone along as they soaked up the moonlight.


    <i>¡®So far, my knights and mercenaries have done really well, well worth the money.¡¯</i>


    Pahell was truly grateful to not only his knights but also the mercenaries. He once despised the mercenaries, but all those hard feelings had dissolved.


    <i>¡®From now on, it¡¯s the territory of politics, not swords. Whether I can get the help of the empire is up to me; I have to watch every word that I say and every move that I make. I can¡¯t be the one to let all the blood that¡¯s been spilled by the knights and mercenaries go to waste.¡¯</i>


    Pahell closed his eyes.


    <i>¡®If only my sister Damia were here with me now.¡¯</i>


    He thought of his twin sister. Even though they were twins, Pahell had always looked up to Damia as if she were several years older than him.


    <i>¡®My beautiful sister. With royal blood flowing thick in her veins, giving her the most golden hair and the clearest blue eyes... my sister.¡¯</i>


    Pahell quickly fell asleep with his mind racing until the moment he did. The only sound in the room was the sound of his soft breathing.

 Chapter 55

    <h4>Chapter 55</h4>


    ¡°Hey, Donovan, you still alive?¡±


    Urich walked into the tent and saw Donovan, who was lying on the ground. His face was puffy and swollen. There wasn¡¯t a part of his body that was normal, and he was even wearing a splint to set his broken arm.


    ¡°Get lost. I don¡¯t care whether you leave me here or take me. Do whatever you want, <i>ptui.</i>¡± Donovan said as he spat out a stream of blood. Even in this condition, his eyes, which were half-closed from the swelling, still had venom in them.


    <i>¡®He won¡¯t back down because of this.¡¯</i>


    Urich knew Donovan very well. He was a man that would always get back up unless he was killed.


    ¡°Did you see the faces of the people who did this to you?¡± Urich asked as he sat beside Donovan.


    ¡°They got me from behind. They ran away after putting a bag on my head and beating the shit out of me. God dammit, this was probably by...¡±


    ¡°I know, it was probably that gate captain¡¯s doing. Even just now, he was busy insulting you the whole dinner.¡±


    ¡°Auber, that son of a bitch! I should have killed him a long time ago. I can¡¯t believe I let him live just because I felt pity at the fact that he was my superior who was begging for his life.¡±


    ¡°That son of a bitch is now the captain of the gateway here, and we have to bring Pahell to the capital. Or should we fight the gate captain right here? Kill all the garrisons and just run away?¡±


    Urich cackled. Donovan joined him, but only until he groaned in pain.


    ¡°Take your bullshit elsewhere and just focus on getting the job done. I¡¯ve risked my life on this job, and I have no intention to let something like this ruin everything.¡±


    Donovan barely managed to sit up. He was against the idea of getting involved in a job that had something to do with the royal family, but he had alreadye so far. It would have been a waste to ruin it now.


    <i>¡®A reward from the king.¡¯</i>


    It was enough to change the life of an average mercenary.


    ¡°I put some guys on guard, just in case. You just focus on getting better, because if you can¡¯t keep up, I¡¯m leaving you behind,¡± Urich said as he left the tent.


    Donovan was not going to be able to move for a while, so he had to be carried in a wagon.


    ¡°The vice leader of our mercenary squad had been attacked. I can¡¯t just sit here and let that happen,¡± Urich muttered as he left the mercenary camp.


    Phillion, who had arrived one moment toote, desperately looked for Urich, but the other mercenaries did not know where he had gone.


    <i>¡®Please don¡¯t do anything bad, Urich, please!¡¯</i> Phillion prayed, stomping his feet.


    In the front of the gate was a small tent vige. Its residents were the caravans and travelers waiting for their turn at the gate inspection, the prostitutes who made their money off them, and the small-time thieves who targeted those men. There were enough reasons for one to be extra cautious in front of the gate.


    Urich walked into the deeper part of the tent vige.


    ¡°Hey, you barbarian over there, how about for half a gold coin?¡± A woman with a decent face said to Urich as she lustfully red at him.


    ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll do it for ten thousand cils,¡± It was the words of the woman who had just started to develop wrinkles in her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother with those women. Come here, one gold coin,¡± the wandering dancer of the tent vige said to Urich with an alluring smile.


    ¡°Fuck off, I¡¯m not in the mood.¡±


    The prostitutesid out their curses at Urich¡¯s aggressive tone.


    ¡°What an idiot. If you¡¯re not going to do us, why are you here?¡±


    Urich stared at the prostitutes without answering their questions.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know about a guy getting beat up here earlier. Does anyone know anything about it?¡±


    The prostitutes onlyughed among themselves. Urich rummaged through his inner pocket and took out a handful of gold coins.


    ¡°Oops, the gold coins that got away from my hand are looking for a new owner.¡±


    Urich flicked one of the gold coins into his other hand. The prostitutes let out a soft moan as if they were people possessed by the shiny gold coin.


    ¡°I know the woman who served him,¡± the woman with the wrinkly face said. It seemed like despite her old body, she still had some customers looking for her service.


    ¡°Oh yeah? If you bring me to her, this gold coin just might fall out of my hand.¡±


    Urich followed the old woman¡¯s lead to go deeper into the prostitute vige. It was quite far from the gate, and it had an ominous atmosphere. In one corner, there was a group of men who were quite obviously criminals by their faces and vibe. They were gathered around a campfire.


    ¡°Keke, this man has a ton of gold coins!¡±


    The women scurried behind the men as they exposed Urich. The tough-looking men got up with a blunt weapon in each of their hands.¡±


    ¡°Hey, mister. Just leave what you have here and go. We¡¯ll let you walk on by with no issues, then.¡±


    There were six men. They tensed up their shoulders in their attempt to threaten Urich.


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    Urich scratched his head, then dropped his gold coin pouch on the ground. One of the men sneaked forward and reached for the pouch.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich stomped on the man¡¯s arm. The arm folded backward.


    ¡°U-uaaargh!!¡±


    The man held his folded arm and screamed. Urich looked at the remaining men again and flicked his hand.


    ¡°Come on, just take it quick. The gold coins are right here on the ground.¡±


    The men surrounded Urich with blunt weapons in their hands. It was a typical weapon for human traffickers.


    ¡°If you had just handed over the coins without a fuss, you would have made it home without a single wound; what a shame. You brought this onto yourself, barbarian.¡±


    Urichughed out loud at the man¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    One of the men darted toward Urich. Urich simply snatched his blunt weapon away.


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    The man who was stripped of his weapon stared at Urich with a puzzled look. Urich¡¯s fist buried itself into the man¡¯s face, and his face caved in with his eyes popping out.


    ¡°Ohh!¡±


    The other man who had grabbed Urich from behind raised his blunt weapon high.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    Urich spun on his right foot and mmed his kick into the side of the man with the momentum of his spin.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    It was an amazing noise. The man who had been hit in the side of his body rolled around the ground with a screech.


    ¡°E-ehem, hmm.¡±


    The men crept backward. Two of them had been taken out in the blink of an eye. Their intuition was telling them that the barbarian who was standing in front of them wasn¡¯t a normal barbarian.


    ¡°You still want this? The gold coins?


    Urich said as he flicked up the pouch from the ground with the tip of his foot.


    ¡°W-we¡¯re good!¡±


    The remaining men shook their heads as they retrieved the wounded. They had tucked their tails in between their legs.


    ¡°No, no. You guys like gold coins, don¡¯t you? You should have what you like.¡±


    Urich said to the men as he walked toward them, patting himself on the back. The men were terrified, and they looked at Urich with that exact expression on their faces.


    ¡°W-we¡¯re sorry, Sir Warrior! Please forgive us just this one time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯ll give you these gold coins. Why are you so scared?¡± Urich said with a smile as he lightly patted the cheeks of the men. He took out a few gold coins from his pouch and handed one to each of the men.


    ¡°W-why are you doing this?¡±


    The men couldn¡¯t understand why Urich was doing this. Urich just tilted his head and smiled.


    ¡°You guys like gold coins, right? So do I.¡±


    Urich gripped the shoulders of the men so that they couldn¡¯t run away. There were blue bruises left on their shoulders.


    <i>¡®Who the hell is this crazy barbarian bastard?¡¯</i> The men were trembling in fear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you these gold coins¡ªsomething that everyone loves¡ªso just find me this person.¡±


    Urich shook his jingling gold coin pouch.


    ¡°...find a person for you?¡±


    The sound of the gold coins grabbed the men¡¯s attention.


    ¡°If you can find me the person I¡¯m looking for, these coins are yours. You guys like the sun god, too, right? I swear to the Sun God Lou, that if you men find me the person that I¡¯m looking for, I will pay a satisfactory amount of gold coins to you.


    The men nced at each other¡¯s faces and nodded collectively.


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the sons of bitches who dared to beat up my ¡®brother.¡¯¡±


    Urich gritted his teeth. His personal rtionship with Donovan didn¡¯t matter to him. What mattered was the fact that Donovan was a part of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood, and he was their vice leader appointed by Urich himself. His brother Donovan had just been beaten to near death, and Urich had no intention of using Pahell¡¯s job as an excuse to just turn a blind eye to the vition.


    <i>¡®This is my way.¡¯</i>


    The men brought the information to Urich in no time and took his gold coins.


    * * *


    ¡°Dammit, I think my ribs are broken. He fought back pretty damn hard.¡±


    The four vagrants whispered somewhere on the outskirts of the tent vige. Their bodies were covered in bruises.


    ¡°If we had let him fight us properly, we would¡¯ve been the ones to get beat up. He got into his fighting mode as soon as we barged in, even when he was doing that shit with the whore.¡±


    ¡°But we beat him until he was just barely alive. He¡¯ll probably die today or tomorrow, anyway.¡±


    The vagrants cackled. They were men who lived day to day with their begging and doing small robberies around the gates.


    ¡°Well, they did tell us not to kill him. Do you think we went too far?¡±


    ¡°Eh, whatever.¡±


    The vagrants of the gates were people without confirmed identities. Most of them were criminals or those who were on the run. The tent vige outside of the gate was made up of highly mobile people, meaning that even the soldiers couldn¡¯t get good control over each of them.


    The vagrants touched the gold coins they received as the down payment for their job. It was enough money to bed a bunch of women and drink their days away for a while.


    ¡°Are you sure no one¡¯s following us? I can feel it in the back of my head,¡± the vagrant with a good sense said to his group. They pressed their hoods down and parted ways with a n to meet at the promised point.


    ¡°Arghhhhh!¡±


    The scattered vagrants flinched at the screeching from the vige. It was a familiar voice.


    <i>¡®Someone did follow us, after all. The others must have been caught.¡¯</i>


    The vagrant moved anxiously. The screech of his colleague sent shivers down his spine. Of course, he had no intention of going to their rescue.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to get the rest of the payment and get out of here.¡¯</i>


    The vagrant hastened his steps to the meeting ce.


    <i>¡®Am I the first one here? Or did the others get caught...?¡¯</i>


    The vagrant shuffled his feet anxiously inside a messy barn that was once used as a stage station but now abandoned. Dried horse dung rolled around the ground.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The barn doors opened, and the vagrant, who was on high alert, pulled out his dull dagger.


    ¡°Did youe by yourself? I guess it¡¯s fair that you don¡¯t trust me. Here you go, here¡¯s the rest of your payment. I swore on Lou¡¯s name, so of course I have to give it to you. I don¡¯t want to wander this world after I die.¡±


    Thankfully, it was just the client. He walked over and handed the vagrant the money.


    ¡°Haha, it was nice working with you, good sir.¡± The vagrant smiled as if he was never scared. The thought of taking all the money for himself overwhelmed him with joy.


    <i>¡®Hmph, I never want to see these men again.¡¯</i>


    After finishing the job, the client tried to leave the scene as quickly as possible. He reached for the door to leave the barn.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    The nk door shattered as arge hand burst through the boards and grabbed the throat of the client. A barbarian covered in someone else¡¯s blood strode into the barn with his eyes ring ferociously.


    ¡°U-ugh!¡±


    The client anxiously scratched the arm of the barbarian. The barbarian chucked the client into the wall and red at the vagrant.


    ¡°Eeeek!¡±


    The vagrant screamed in terror. He unfortunately saw the things that were hanging from the belt of the barbarian.


    <i>¡®H-heads!¡¯</i>


    The severed heads of his colleagues were tied around the barbarian¡¯s waist. He had used their hair as ropes and secured them around his waist.


    ¡°Ughhh.¡±


    The barbarian dragged another vagrant, who was half dead at this point, into the barn. He was the one who had spilled everything about the meeting ce with their client.


    ¡°You damned idiot! You told him where we were meeting!¡±


    The shuddering vagrant yelled at his colleague, but his colleague who had been captured by the barbarian couldn¡¯t reply as his head was cut off right after the question.


    ¡°Now I found all of you,¡± Urich the barbarian said as he beheaded the vagrant who led him to the barn. He tied the newly severed head around his waist to join the other ones.


    ¡°Y-you barbarian!¡±


    The vagrant eximed. Urichughed with his face drenched in blood as he swung his axe.


    ¡°You¡¯ll join them soon, so don¡¯t be too harsh.¡±


    The vagrant tried to run away, but Urich¡¯s axe that wasunched toward him shredded his ankle.


    ¡°Keugh, kaagh!¡±


    The vagrant tried to limp away to safety. Urich, however, grabbed his other leg and snapped it ruthlessly.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡±


    The vagrant excreted all types of waste. Urich punted away the disabled vagrant and turned his head to the client who had requested everything.


    ¡°You! Do you know who I am! Get out of my sight this instant!¡± The client yelled as he drew his sword. Urich swiftly drew his imperial steel sword and parried the client¡¯s away. The sword ripped out of the palm of the employer and got stuck in the barn ceiling.


    The client, who had been disarmed in the blink of an eye, looked up at Urich with a dumbfounded face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I¡¯m not interested. All I need are your mouths, so I¡¯ll break everything else,¡± Urich said as he grabbed the limbs of the client and snapped them with force. The vagrant was trembling in the corner of the barn.


    <i>Crunch, crunch.</i>


    A terrifying sound echoed through the barn. The vagrant wished that he would just pass out. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was witnessing with his eyes. A live human was being folded like a wooden figurine.


    <i>¡®Barbarian...¡¯</i>


    The vagrant muttered. He prayed to the God of the Sun as he gave up on everything.

 Chapter 56

    <h4>Chapter 56</h4>


    Auber awoke from his sweet sleep. He gulped down the wine on the bedside table as soon as he rose.


    ¡°Burp.¡±


    The alcohol soon energized him, and Auber looked out the window and smiled satisfactorily.


    ¡°My gate looks amazing yet again!¡±


    The view of the gateway from his room was spectacr. Auber could see everything along the horizon, even including the tent vige. As he opened the windows, the wind that had traveled from the horizon entered his room.


    <i>¡®The news of that bastard Donovan getting beaten into a pulp makes me dance in joy.¡¯</i>


    Auber danced with his arms wavering about.


    ¡°...this is the truth!¡±


    Auber heard a freaky noise as he stared at the window. It sounded like someone was crying out.


    ¡°Did the vagrant do something again?¡±


    Auber washed his face with the water that was in his sink.


    ¡°Captain Auber!¡±


    One of his soldiers hastily banged on the door of his room. Auber frowned.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡±


    ¡°Y-you muste to the gate right now, Adjutant Greeman is... ugh.¡±


    As the soldier gagged as if even thinking about this situation was too much to bear, a bad feeling overwhelmed Auber.


    Auber had given Greeman a private order to hire the vagrants to teach Donovan a lesson.


    <i>¡®Dammit, that idiot. He must have gotten caught. Are all the men here this useless?¡¯</i>


    Auber scurried to dress himself.


    ¡°Jeez, you ipetents, hurry!¡±


    After putting on his armor with the help of his servants, Auber rushed down to the gate. The freaky scream grew louder and louder as he got closer.


    ¡°I-I am Greeman, ugh, I received the order from Gateway Captain Auber...¡±


    It was the groaning voice of Greeman. Auber opened his eyes wide and ran toward the gate.


    ¡°What is all thismotion!¡±


    After yelling his words, Auber almost copsed on the ground.


    ¡°C-captain, p-please save me. Ughhh.¡±


    Greeman wept. Adjutant Greeman, who had inquired about the attack on Donovan, was miserably hanging from a pole.


    The pole was buried deep in the ground with Greeman hanging at the top. If he were tied up normally, Auber wouldn¡¯t have been this shocked.


    <i>¡®What has he done to a person¡¯s body?¡¯</i>


    Greeman was quite literally folded up. His bones were dislocated and fractured. His legs and back were bent backward so that his feet were touching the back of his shoulders, and his arms were acting as ropes to be tied around the pole. It looked like Greeman didn¡¯t have a bone in his body.


    ¡°My lord, please, my lord.¡±


    Greeman wasn¡¯t the only one on the pole. Alongside him, a dirty vagrant was facing the same situation. Their mouths were still moving as they begged for mercy, but they no longer resembled a person. They were almost better off dead.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s thest man that I was looking for. Keep talking.¡±


    Urich said as he tapped on the pole. Greeman, hanging on the pole, raised his voice in terror.


    ¡°I am Greeman! I am one of the adjutants of the garrison of the gate! I received an order from Gate Captain Auber to hire some people to attack Donovan, the vice leader of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood!¡±


    Greeman repeated what he had already said over and over again. The vagrant hanging beside him also spoke up.


    ¡°I was hired by Greeman for the attack on Donovan! The four of us beat him until he was nearly dead! We were given gold coins for our work! Ugg.¡±


    The vagrant screamed as tears and snot ran down his face. A dark waste mixture dripped down the pole.


    More and more people gathered to see the rare spectacle. The merchants and nobles who were waiting for their inspection at the gate were no exceptions to the crowd.


    ¡°The human will to live is an amazing thing.¡±


    ¡°How are they still alive? Their backs are snapped backward with their feet touching their shoulders.¡±


    ¡°Look at their arms! He tied a knot with human arms.¡±


    ¡°This is terrible; I can¡¯t look anymore.¡±


    Even those who had seen gruesome things in life had to shake their heads and look away. They shuddered at what Urich the barbarian had done.


    ¡°U...rich...¡±


    The mercenaries came to the entrance of the gate after hearing the news. They had forgotten something over their journey. Their leader Urich, whom they had been sharing meals and cracking jokes with, was a man who was so epting of civilization to the point of converting to their religion. Because they were familiar with that side of him, they couldn¡¯t see the true face of Urich.


    <i>¡®Urich the barbarian.¡¯</i>


    Even after learning to speak Hamelian, learning the ways of civilization, and converting to Srism, Urich¡¯s true nature was that of a barbarian.


    His standards of violence and morality were different from those of civilized people. The environment that he was born and raised in was foundationally different from civilization, and it was no wonder that his nature wasn¡¯t changed overnight.


    Like prey facing its predator, the civilized people were terrified at the ruthlessness of Urich.


    ¡°Even after converting, you haven¡¯t forgotten your roots, Urich.¡±


    Sven stared at the men hanging on the poles with a faint smile. It was a sight that ignited a fire in his heart. It made him want to swing his axe around with a loud battle cry.


    ¡°What an amazing skill. He folded up those men while keeping them still alive! I¡¯d pay him to teach me how to do that.¡±


    The northerners were in awe of Urich¡¯s skills. Urich knew how to effectively break a man¡¯s body. It was a sense that he had acquired from murdering countless people.


    ¡°We have more people now. Say it again.¡±


    Urich hit the pole again, and Greeman and the vagrant repeated their words.


    ¡°I, ugh, am Greeman, and I received an order from the gate captain, hugh, please, ugh,¡± Greeman groaned and gasped for air. Urich frowned.


    ¡°Say it properly. Do you want me to fold you the other way, now? We¡¯ve already done it one way so the other way shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±


    Urich¡¯s words made Greeman shake his head aggressively.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯m doing it, please, please! I am telling the truth, and I swear that on Lou¡¯s name. If my words are false, then my soul will wander the world of the living! There isn¡¯t a single lie in what I¡¯m telling you!¡± Greeman eximed, and his loud voice echoed throughout the gate.


    ¡°Good, there are enough people now.¡±


    Urich put down the heads of the three vagrants that were hanging from his belt. The eyes of the severed heads were still open, with fear and terror still evident in them. They were the faces of men who were captured by fear until the moment they died.


    ¡°Gate Captain Auber! Here is the evidence that you hired these men to attack my brother. Do you have anything to say?¡± Urich plunged his sword into the ground.


    <i>¡®Dammit, there are too many eyes watching.¡¯</i>


    Auber frowned. The situation had gotten out of hand for him to deal with it quietly. The caravans and travellers, and even the nobles passing through the gates were gathered to see the situation.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t handle the pain of the torture, so now you¡¯re telling lies, Adjutant Greeman! When did I give you such an order? It was probably just an act of over-loyalty since you have always sucked up to me!¡± Auber denied desperately.


    Greeman, still hanging by the pole, red at Auber as bloody tears ran down his face.


    ¡°How could you say that to me! L-look what your order got me into! I curse you, Auber! You have used me to fulfill your personal vengeance, you son of a bitch!¡±


    Instead of being angry at Urich, Greeman poured out his rage onto Auber. A person¡¯s psychology was a strange thing.


    ¡°There must have been a misunderstanding between us, Mercenary Leader Urich! I have never given him such an order! I know that my rtionship with Donovan isn¡¯t exactly great, but I, Auber, am a man who can separate personal vendetta from the professional side of things.


    Urich picked his ear as he took a step forward. The soldiers on guard flinched.


    ¡°Say it again, but this time, swear on the Sun God Lou¡¯s name.¡±


    Auber flinched. You weren¡¯t supposed to lie to the name of Lou. Those who did would see their souls be evil spirits that wander the world of the living after they died. Bing an evil spirit was one thing that all Srists were afraid of.


    ¡°Are you saying that you don¡¯t believe me?¡± Auber narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Obviously not. How do you expect me to believe the words of a fat man who can¡¯t even fit into his own armor? If you were me, would you believe the wordsing out of a pig¡¯s mouth?¡±


    The crowd broke out inughter after hearing Urich¡¯s words. Auber¡¯s face turned red.


    <i>¡®This bastard is a barbarian. Him saying that he has converted to srism is probably a lie, too! No Srist would do such a terrible thing to another person,¡¯</i> Auber muttered to himself.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s okay to lie to a barbarian pagan. I¡¯m sure Lou would forgive me, too!¡¯</i>


    Aftering to a decision, Auber opened his mouth.


    ¡°Urich! I swear to the Sun God Lou when I say this. There isn¡¯t a word of lie in what I¡¯m telling you!¡±


    ¡°Hah, really?¡±


    Urich spun his sword at Auber¡¯s words, and Greeman poured out all the curses he knew from the top of the pole.


    ¡°Your soul will wander the world of the living forever after you die, Auber! You are no better than an animal! That bastard made me do this, barbarian! Kill that shameless Auber! The Sun God Lou has his eyes open looking at the truth!¡±


    Greeman had been abandoned. His life was over. And even if he did survive, what could he do with his limbs and back broken? He had nothing but evil vengeance left in his heart.


    Auber did his best to ignore Adjutant Greeman. Since Greeman was a srist, speaking to him would mean that he was lying to a fellow follower of Srism.


    <i>¡®This is fine because I¡¯m only lying to that barbarian, that goddamn pagan!¡¯</i>


    But Auber had already lied to a whole crowd of srists, and his self-justification was full of errors. Nevertheless, Auber assured himself that he had nothing to be ashamed of.


    ¡°The words that are said before the Sun God are conflicting. Lou will be the judge of who is telling the truth and who is telling the lie. Let¡¯s have a duel trial. I¡¯ll volunteer as Greeman¡¯s representative!¡± Urich said as he spread his arms. Greeman asked him to kill Auber with blood dripping down his face and body.


    ¡°What does a barbarian like you know? There¡¯s no getting through to you.¡±


    Auber was nervously jumping on his feet. He had no intention to go through with a duel trial.


    ¡°Stop for a moment! This is interesting. I will be the officiator of the duel.¡±


    A group of armored men emerged from the crowd. There was a symbol of the sun on the cloth draped over their armor.


    ¡°The Sun Warriors!¡±


    The crowd murmured as five Sun Warriors came out of the crowd. It was an unexpected appearance, and even Urich opened his eyes wide and stared at a familiar face.


    ¡°I am Harvald of the Sun Warriors. I will officiate the duel trial. Someone has lied to the Sun God Lou; we mustn¡¯t let this go! Aren¡¯t I right, everyone?¡±


    The Sun Warrior Harvald eximed to the crowd and smiled at Urich. The crowd erupted in cheer.


    ¡°To the justice of the sun!¡±


    ¡°May Lou lift the hands of the innocent!¡±


    The crowd shouted, and the duel seemed inevitable.


    Auber bit his lower lip as he looked at Harvald the Sun Warrior.


    <i>¡®Why are the Sun Warriors here? Dammit.¡±</i>


    The Sun Warriors were treated as near priests. They were that devout to the doctrine of Srism, and their words were not taken lightly.


    ¡°If you are truly innocent, then show us through the duel whether it was Adjutant Greeman who lied or Captain Auber!¡± Harvald said again


    Auber was quick to retort, ¡°Sun Warrior Harvald! That man did an unspeakable thing to my adjutant and made him go mad with his torture. That¡¯s why he¡¯s saying all this nonsense! You must arrest this barbarian right this instance!¡±


    ¡°Sir Auber, if what you are saying is the truth, then you will win in the trial because Lou will be on your side.¡±


    Harvald nodded as he expressed his respect. Insults came up to the throat of Auber.


    <i>¡®That lunatic! You¡¯re telling me to do a duel trial?¡¯</i>


    Auber looked around the gate. The crowd had grown considerably, and their eyes were all on the duel trial. The nobles dressed in fine clothing also murmured among themselves, presumably about the duel.


    <i>Brrr.</i>


    Auber¡¯s fist trembled. He called upon the strongest soldier from his garrison.


    ¡°Raymond! Be my representative!¡± Auber shouted, and a man with sharp eyes emerged from the soldiers. He was a warrior with a moderate build.


    ¡°Raymond! Raymond! The warrior of the twelfth gate!¡±


    The soldiers cheered his name. It seemed like he was quite a renowned soldier.


    ¡°Wear my full te armor and fight for me, Raymond!¡± Auber said as he walked behind the gate. He called his servants to take his armor off.


    ¡°The pay for my representation is fifty gold coins, Captain.¡±


    Raymond said as he demanded five million cils. Auber frowned and nodded.


    ¡°Okay, okay! Just make sure you win!¡±


    ¡°Of course, Captain. You¡¯ve seen my skills. There is no way that I lose to a mere barbarian who doesn¡¯t even know the basics of our swordsmanship,¡± Raymond said as he swung his sword magnificently.


    Raymond was a squire of a noble family who had learned the proper swordsmanship of the empire growing up. If the master that he was serving hadn¡¯t died, his skills might have been recognized to earn him a knighthood.


    As Auber and Raymond were preparing themselves for the duel, Harvald talked to Greeman, ¡°Greeman, you must appoint your representative. This is the duel to determine the truth between you and Sir Auber.¡±


    Greeman looked at Urich as he let out his dying groan.


    <i>¡®This bastard is the man who made me like this, but he¡¯s also the man to get my revenge on my superior who tossed me aside. Win the battle, and I hope you die with a big wound after as well.¡¯</i>


    Urich received a gaze full of curses from Greeman.


    ¡°I will fight for your innocence, just leave it to me! I can¡¯t forgive a boss who would toss his man aside like a broken toy,¡± Urich gave Greeman a thumbs up as he smiled.


    ¡°...die, all of you, die. You sons of bitches,¡± Greeman muttered with sadness. He couldn¡¯t feel anything below this snapped back. He knew that he had less than a day to live.

 Chapter 57

    <h4>Chapter 57</h4>


    ¡°Sir Phillion... I thought I¡¯d told you to make sure Urich doesn¡¯t get himself into trouble...¡±


    Pahell, who hade out to the gate entrance after hearing themotion, said to Phillion. He gasped after seeing what Urich had done and shook his head.


    <i>¡®Urich, what the hell have you done?¡¯</i>


    There were two men hanging by a pole. The men were crumpled up as if they had no joints in their bodies, and their blood and fecal matter dripped down the pole to create a pool underneath them.


    ¡°I am sorry, Your Highness.¡±


    Phillion had no words for himself. He felt responsible for not being able to stop Urich.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it is what it is. Sigh,¡± Pahell took in a few deep breaths to suppress the increasing nausea.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a pretty sight to see,¡± Phillion said as he frowned.


    Pahell and Phillion joined the rest of the mercenary squad and waited for the duel trial to begin. The crowd grew evenrger after the word of the trial spread.


    ¡°Back off, and stay there!¡±


    The soldiers kept pushing back the crowd, and those who were pushed away found taller structures to watch the duel from, like climbing the trees.


    ¡°Why are they fighting?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the gate captain hired some people for an assassination.¡±


    The spection spread from mouth to mouth throughout the big crowd. The nervous Auber gritted his teeth anxiously.


    <i>¡®Dammit, look what that idiot Greeman brought on me.¡¯</i>


    Auber stared at Greeman who was hanging by the pole. His face was pale, and it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t going to be alive for much longer, not even until the end of the day. It was almost miraculous how he was still breathing with his entire body crumpled up like paper.


    ¡°It indeed is cruel, but it¡¯s an amazing skill, wow.¡±


    Quite a few people from the crowd were expressing their awe at the spectacle. The more they looked at it, the more it became intriguing rather than cruel.


    ¡°Go on, Urich.¡±


    ¡°Slit his throat.¡±


    ¡°That full te armor is nothing for him, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is something, but not for our leader Urich. Aren¡¯t I right?¡±


    The mercenaries gathered around Urich and cheered him on. They knew why Urich did what he did.


    <i>¡®Even though he wasn¡¯t paid to do it, Urich avenged Donovan.¡¯</i>


    The bond between mercenaries was formed on the basis of money. Although they called themselves brothers, it wasn¡¯t a bond like that of an army or a tribe. Urich was the only man in the squad who acted out of integrity in his brotherhood, and every single man in the mercenary squad was inspired by him.


    <i>¡®Even if I¡¯m the one getting attacked, Urich will always avenge me.¡¯</i>


    The thought wasforting. Urich never let his mercenaries die unjustly. Even when a few of the mercenaries were killed as a result of Phillion¡¯s trickery, he honored their deaths by cutting off the fingers of the liar as punishment.


    ¡°Urich, full te armors are tricky to deal with.¡±


    Sven said as he looked across the area. Auber¡¯s representative was geared up with his full te armor. Even though it was from a previous generation, its defensive ability was iparable to that of regr armor. It was the peak of the modern armory.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fought a man wearing that steel thing before,¡± Urich said briefly as he recalled the knight that he met in the Sky Mountains.


    <i>¡®Fordgal Arten.¡¯</i>


    Urich hadn¡¯t forgotten his name.


    ¡°Your usual attacks won¡¯t work on him.¡±


    Sven knew the power of the full te armor. The charges of knights who were fully armed with them were a nightmare as the curvature and sticity of the armor rendered any kind of spears and swords useless.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t have any gaps, right? There¡¯s no need to worry. People die with a single stab,¡± Urich said as he looked ahead. He saw his opponent in full te armor.


    Noon, it was the time when the sun was above the heads and shadows were the shortest. The sun god opened his eyes wide and looked down on the world. Those who were afraid of the sun god hid themselves in the shortened shadows.


    The crowd had grown as much as it could at the news of the duel, and some were even selling concessional snacks with signs.


    ¡°Let the holy duel in the name of Loumence!¡±


    Harvald the Sun Warrior eximed.


    ¡°Raymond!!!!¡±


    The soldiers on the gate side shouted as Raymond, armed in full te armor, marched out. His every step was apanied by the shing sound of this metal armor.


    <i>¡®Full te armor is indeed amazing.¡¯</i>


    The feeling of the metal tes surrounding your body. It narrowed your vision and blunted your senses.


    <i>¡®But once you understand the ability of the armor, the suffocation begins to feel likefort.¡¯</i>


    The feeling of the thick, secure metal protecting your entire body. The sensation of the armor and skin bing one. It was enough to make any fear of swords disappear. It almost made him feel stronger. The feeling of the steel was exhrating.


    Raymond had worn full te armor as practice back in his squire days. Helping his master put on and take off the armor was one of his duties as a squire. Because of that, Raymond was quite familiar with the structure of the armor.


    <i>¡®If my master hadn¡¯t died, I may have be a knight myself. Maybe I could have earned my way into the Order of Imperial Steel or be awarded my very own full te armor.¡¯</i>


    Though he was just a soldier of the garrison, he once dreamed of bing a mighty knight. He grew up hearing the battle tales of the Sword Demon Ferzen and even pretended to be him with his wooden sword ying with his friends in the alleyways.


    <i>¡®But right now, at this moment, I, too, am a knight in full te armor.¡¯</i>


    Raymond marched on proudly like a knight. He received the cheers of his fellow soldiers with a solemn silence.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    The breath that left his mouth returned with the smell of the steel. Raymond looked around the crowd through his narrowed vision.


    <i>¡®Perhaps some of them are nobles or highborn. They might see what I am capable of and take me on as a liege.¡¯</i>


    Raymond began to dream again. This duel was an opportunity for him.


    <i>¡®I am going to show them everything I have.¡¯</i>


    Back in his squire days, Raymond trained without skipping a day. He was very strict on himself. It was his golden days when he had the dream of bing a knight. That effort earned him his ce as one of the strongest soldiers in the gate garrison.


    <i>¡®You can¡¯t be a knight by killing barbarians anymore. Those days are long gone.¡¯</i>


    The Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians a decade ago was thest chance for fighters to make a name for themselves. Now, it was difficult to earn a knighthood through battles because there were simply no more battlefields for soldiers to make an impression on. All that was left were smallnd disputes among nobles.


    <i>¡®But today, I will kill that barbarian and make myself seen in front of all these nobles.¡¯</i>


    Raymond was determined.


    Urich the barbarian also stepped forward with his sword drawn. He was a barbarian who wore a fur coat instead of armor. His exposed body was all bare skin and scarred muscle. He was clearly a highly experienced warrior.


    <i>¡®This is the swordsmanship of a knight.¡¯</i>


    Raymond grabbed his sword with both his hands and raised it high. A majestic power radiated through his armor.


    ¡°Ah, the Owl Stance. That is a fine stance. No one would question him if he called himself a knight.¡±


    The crowd was impressed by Raymond¡¯s stance which was called the Owl Stance, because it resembled an owl snatching a mouse.


    <i>¡®His sword is raised, but it¡¯s hard to find a gap to aim for in his armor.¡¯</i>


    Urich narrowed his eyes.


    <i>Step.</i>


    The two men faced each other. They shuffled sideways as they maintained their distance.


    Raymond took a step forward and lowered his arm. He aimed his de at Urich¡¯s shoulder.


    <i>nk!</i>


    The two men shed with a clear ringing of metal. Urich raised his sword to parry Raymond¡¯s de. The two men who had switched ces after their first offence and defence darted off the ground and toward each other.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    After taking a deep breath in, Urich unleashed a series of blows. It was an explosive attack using both his hands, and Raymond was busy blocking his blows by twisting his sword.


    <i>¡®What a frightening attack speed.¡¯</i>


    Raymond backed off. If he wasn¡¯t wearing the full te armor, he would have certainly been in somewhere by the consecutive double-handed attack.


    ¡°Hah, that armor is still as strong as ever. My sword is sliding off its surface.¡±


    Urich said as he shook the sweat off his face. He hadnded a decent blow a few times, but the de of his sword slipped off the surface of the full te armor. If his opponent had been wearing a chainmail instead, Urich would have either broken the chainmail or their bone. His eyes were burning with desire.


    <i>¡®Armor.¡¯</i>


    Urich, too, was well aware of the importance of armor. The physically superior northerners didn¡¯t wear one for nothing. No matter how strong a person was, they were not immune to the shredding of their flesh and bleeding out.


    <i>¡®If I¡¯m going to wear armor, it better be the best one.¡¯</i>


    A mere chainmail didn¡¯t fill his appetite.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Urichunched an axe for a surprise attack. He tried to knock Raymond¡¯s helmet off as he did when he defeated the knight back in the Sky Mountains.


    <i>nk!</i>


    ¡°What a feeble trick!¡±


    Raymond straightened his sword in front of him and parried the flying axe away. His concentration was at its peak. He could see even the smallest movement in Urich¡¯s fingertips through his narrowed vision.


    <i>¡®This isn¡¯t going the way I thought it would.¡¯</i>


    Urichughed as he shrugged his shoulders. His ferocious teeth were born wide.


    <i>¡®Stupid barbarian.¡¯</i>


    Raymond mockinglyughed at Urich. Their armory was on different levels. Normally, to fight against full te armor, a dagger was needed as a secondary weapon to stab the enemy through the armor. It was difficult to crack it down with a long and thick sword.


    <i>¡®My turn.¡¯</i>


    Raymond mboyantly unleashed the skills that he had been honing for more than a decade.


    ¡°Woahhh!¡±


    The crowd erupted. Raymond¡¯s swordsmanship was quite a bit above average. In fact, he shined over even some of the knights.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s quite skilled. He would make a useful soldier.¡¯</i>


    The nobles had their eyes on Raymond, just as Raymond had hoped for.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes widened. Raymond had caught Urich¡¯s de with his hand.


    ¡°Keugh.¡±


    Raymond did the same as he tried to lock Urich out by grabbing his sword.


    <i>¡®Why is he so strong?¡¯</i>


    Raymond had persistence. It felt like his fingers were about to shatter, but he didn¡¯t let go of the sword. But that resulted in him being dragged around by Urich. As his bnce broke down, a gap was created.


    <i>¡®You tried to grab my sword, but you dug your own grave, instead.¡¯</i>


    <i>Crush!</i>


    Urich mmed down the back end of his axe onto Raymond¡¯s head. The de of his axe flung out as the hilt shattered.


    <i>¡®Dammit, the hilt couldn¡¯t handle my power.¡¯</i>


    Urich knew that his blow wasn¡¯t enough to finish Raymond off.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Raymond groaned. The impact of Urich¡¯s axe reverberated through the steel te of the helmet down to his head. However, the helmet managed to impact most of the force to protect him from passing out.


    <i>¡®I won. His axe is broken and I¡¯m holding his sword. He has no way of attacking me now.¡¯</i>


    Raymondughed amidst his pain. He was certain of his victory. He was holding Urich¡¯s de with his left hand with his own sword in his right.


    <i>¡®Be the sacrifice for my rise, barbarian!¡¯</i>


    Raymond, who was stumbling from the blow on his head, looked up with a single desire in his mind. Then, he noticed that his left hand felt quite a bit lighter. Urich had let go of his sword.


    <i>¡®Let go of your sword? Your only weapon?¡¯</i>


    Urich ditched the sword that was caught by Raymond. He grabbed Raymond¡¯s neck with both hands without a moment of hesitation. He had faith in his physical prowess.


    ¡°Woahhhh!¡±


    Urich roared as he pulled Raymond¡¯s head down and kicked his knee up.


    <i>Crush.</i>


    Thest thing that Raymond saw was Urich¡¯s knee. It struck his brain as the rtively thin surface of the face of the helmet caved in.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The crowd was dumbfounded. The duel was decided by a single knee kick. Blood trickled out of the helmet of the fallen Raymond. He was clearly dead.


    Urich copsed on the ground, letting out a deep breath. His rough breath rose like smoke as he grabbed his bruised knee and stood up.


    ¡°That metal armor really is sturdy, though not as sturdy as my body.¡±


    Urich remarked as the crowd broke their silence and roared. The noise was enough to shake the entire gate.


    ¡°Who is that man?¡±


    ¡°His name is Urich? Where did that barbariane from?¡±


    The nobles who were keen on Raymond chattered with shock.


    ¡°The sun god Lou has proven the innocence of Greeman. Auber, who has lied to Lou, will receive the appropriate punishment.¡±


    Harvald, after confirming the death of Raymond, solemnly stated.

 Chapter 58

    <h4>Chapter 58</h4>


    The duel trial was over. The Sun Warrior Harvald assumed the role of the interim captain of the twelfth gate. He cleaned up the situation as if he had been waiting for an incident like this to happen.


    ¡°I failed to recognize youst time, Prince Varca. I felt that you had an unusual air about you, you were a royalty.¡±


    The Sun Warrior Harvald said as he showed his respect. He put his hand on his chest and knelt on one knee. It was the way to respect a higher man.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here again, Sir Harvald.¡±


    Pahell helped the Sun Warrior back to his feet. His appearance came as a surprise to everyone, as no one had expected to see him again, especially in a ce like this.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t either, prince.¡±


    Pahell cautiously nced at Harvald¡¯s face. He was a man whose blood was half barbarian. Although he was brought up in civilization, the remnants of his barbarian half were obvious in certain ces of his body.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to the gate captain Auber?¡±


    ¡°We will interrogate him to pull out the truth. Until he admits the truth with his own mouth, he won¡¯t leave his cell.¡±


    Auber was locked behind bars in the gate¡¯s underground prison. He was stripped of all his authority and chained up to his cell. It was a tragic ending for him.


    Harvald the Sun Warrior took over themand of the gate quite easily. It showed how poor the morale and trust in the guard captain was under Auber.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Sir Harvald, things would have gotten messy even after the duel trial. Thank you.¡±


    Pahell finally caught a breath. Without Harvald, the sh between the mercenary squad and the gate garrison was a possibility.


    ¡°Auber was going to be stripped of his authority anyway. The emperor received news that the captain of the twelfth gateway wasn¡¯t doing his job properly. So, these past few days, I have been asking around for the general opinion on the gate captain. The Sun Warriors often get tasked with scraps like this.


    The Sun Warriors was the direct private army of the emperor,posed solely of barbarians or those with barbarian blood. This meant that they had no connection to the nobles of the empire.


    <i>¡®The Sun Warriors who have no blood connections to the nobles are able to deal with things more fairly than anyone else.¡¯</i>


    Pahell understood theplicated reasoning behind the formation of the Sun Warriors. These warriors were a group separate from the noble society. When ordered to, they didn¡¯t hesitate to behead even the highest of the nobles for the emperor. Since the Sun Warriors were men who prioritized their religious faith and honor of warriors, they were seldom tainted by earthly desire.


    The Order of Imperial Steel, on the other hand, wasposed mainly of highly prestigious nobles, meaning that they were hesitant to act on their fellow nobility due to their blood rtions. While the Order of Imperial Steel still served the emperor with loyalty, they were still noblemen who acted in the best interest of the riches and honor of their noble family.


    ¡°Corrupt bureaucrats are the pus that eats away at the empire. When you have pus like that, you must cut it out before it gets too big,¡± Harvald hinted at Auber¡¯s future.


    ¡°Then will you not hold Urich guilty of his actions?¡±


    Pahell¡¯s words widened Harvald¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Guilty of what crime? Since the words of adjutant Greeman were proved to be the truth, there is no reason for us to punish Urich. His actions were a fair revenge, and since Greeman is dead, there¡¯s no chance that his testimony gets retracted.¡±


    Greeman closed his eyes after the end of the duel. His body went up in mes as his soul returned to the embrace of Lou.


    ¡°...but Lou does not endorse vengeance,¡± Pahell blurted before quickly shutting his mouth.


    <i>¡®I must be insane; I should be happy that we were getting away with this.¡¯</i>


    It was simply an urge to oppose Harvald¡¯s faithful statement. Pahell, who had been educated by highly religious priests and schrs, was a faithful man himself.


    ¡°Your Highness, Lou tells us to forgive one another, but the fallen men are not capable of realizing their sins unless they are punished. Without pain, they do not repent; just like how the pagan people of my mother finally converted only after going through so much pain.¡±


    Harvald felt the barbarian blood flowing inside him. It was the blood that asionally boiled to the climax and made his beastly desires overwhelm the will of Lou. Whenever Harvald felt such a sensation, he reminded himself of the word of Lou.


    <i>¡®Reincarnation.¡¯</i>


    The soul tarnished with earthly desire ascends to the sun. After Lou epts the soul, he burns the sin from the human and purifies the soul before sending the newly cleansed soul back to this world.


    The souls that fail to reincarnate be evil spirits who constantly fight among themselves before returning to nothingness. It was a terrible ending where their presence was erased.


    ¡°You truly are a faithful man, Sir Harvald.¡±


    Pahell said with an awkward hesitant tone that was neither apliment nor a retort. He looked into Harvald¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°If I show mercy to Auber, my soul will be purer, for a heart of mercy is a teaching of the sun god Lou. But Auber, on the other hand, will not repent for his sin and his soul will be further corrupted. Eventually, he will be an evil spirit that wanders the earth. I am going to punish Auber¡¯s body until he repents. And if he truly does so, then his tarnished soul will be pure and return to the embrace of Lou.¡±


    Harvald¡¯s eyes were steady. His conviction was unwavering.


    <i>¡®Punishment for the flesh.¡¯</i>


    The words echoed in Pahell¡¯s ears. He could see the future of the tortured Auber. Harvald would carry out his torture with the utmost goodwill and without a single bit of malice.


    ¡°Is that so...¡±


    ¡°Oh, and my prince, once the new gate captain arrives, I will escort you to the capital of Hamel myself. Until then.¡±


    Pahell nodded as Harvald left the room to deal with his remaining tasks. He was burdened with a pile of duties as interim gate captain. He was busy cleaning up after the mess that Auber had been umting as the corruption that happened under Auber¡¯s nose was too much to count.


    * * *


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t fit, Urich, just sell it.¡±


    Bachman said to Urich. Urich had forced the full te armor onto himself, making him look quite ridiculous.


    ¡°What the hell is that, Urich!¡±


    ¡°Just stay naked, you look the best that way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a barbarian, Urich. So, act like one.¡±


    The mercenaries all tossed ament as they walked by. Urich wasn¡¯t wearing the armor¡ªit was more like he had it on top of his body. The gaps in the armor revealed his skin. It was unbelievably ugly for a suit of te armor that boasted its irond defense.


    ¡°Eheh.¡±


    Urich tossed the armor aside as he expressed his annoyance. Urich was a barbarian of a massive stature. His muscles were especially developed so his structure waspletely different from a regr man. There was no way that regr armor was going to fit him.


    ¡°Bahahaha! Urich, are you mad because you couldn¡¯t put that armor on? Huh?¡±


    Bachman grabbed his stomach andughed as he looked at the pouting Urich. Urich, with his face turned red from embarrassment, kicked the dirt from the ground.


    ¡°Shut up and just help me take this thing off. What the hell is wrong with this thing? I¡¯m never putting on anything like this ever again,¡± Urich said as he molted out of the severalyers he had underneath the armor.


    The multipleyers of clothes worn underneath the armor served as the absorbents for impact. Even if the armor user was hit by a blunt weapon, the cotton and leatheryers acted as the secondary protectionyer after the steel te.


    <i>¡®Even though I can¡¯t wear it, it indeed is an amazing armor.¡¯</i>


    It was Urich¡¯s first time seeing the actual construction and the inside of a full te armor. Even though he couldn¡¯t fit inside it, it was intricate and sophisticated enough to draw out an expression of awe.


    ¡°It¡¯s an armor that everyone wants. But if you, our leader, can¡¯t wear it, then you should sell it to a noble. It¡¯s too good for a regr mercenary to wear. And unlike the imperial steel weapons, the empire isn¡¯t too fond of their full te armor staying on the market,¡± Bachman said to Urich.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°If we had someone from the Order of Imperial Steel here instead of Harvald, they might have taken the armor after your duel. I¡¯ve heard that some collectors had theirs taken away. But for this armor, I¡¯m certain that buyers are going to line up because you got this through a legitimate process¡ªthe duel trial. There were a bunch of nobles in the crowd, too.¡±


    ¡°How much do you think we can get from this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, a fitted full te armor like this one would normally start at around a hundred million cils, but this one is a bit old, and the face te¡¯s been smashed. But I¡¯m sure it will still easily fetch you around eighty million cils,¡± Bachman estimated, and Urich flinched.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t call these treasures for nothing. Full te armors are only produced in small quantities in the Imperial forge, so the price takes their scarcity into ount.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, this thing goes for a hundred million cils? Shit!¡±


    Urich was suddenly taken back to the snowy Sky Mountain. He had only taken the sword from the Imperial knight Fordgal. His armor was probably still in the middle of a blizzard in the mountains.


    Urich wasn¡¯t aware of what the armor was worth back in the Sky Mountains. if he did, he would have brought it down with him whatever it took.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Urich reminisced about all the hardships that he had to go through because of money. He had to roll in the sandy arenas as a diator, and almost died a few times working as a mercenary.


    <i>¡®Money makes life in this world much easier.¡¯</i>


    Robbery was amon method of gaining what one wanted back in his tribe, but he had been avoiding it. He wanted to live ording to the rules andws of the civilization as much as possible as he had a desire to learn their way of life.


    <i>¡®Damn, if only I had brought that armor down with me... I wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all this shit.¡¯</i>


    Bachman looked at Urich with a puzzled face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you happy? You¡¯re getting a whole box of gold coins, you¡¯re rich now! And if we finish this job, you¡¯ll be sitting on a pile of money so big that you wouldn¡¯t know what to do with it. That prince likes you a lot, so he might even offer you a semi-noble-level knight position. Damn, now that I think about it, I¡¯m getting pretty jealous!¡±


    Bachman eximed in excitement. Urich was a man of honor. If he saw a huge sess, he was surely going to look after Bachman.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s sell it.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Urich decided to sell the armor. Bachman lined up a buyer in no time.


    A nobleman who seemed quite unrted to fighting and battles came to the mercenary tent to buy the full te armor. Judging by the several fancy rings on his fingers, he was a man of wealth.


    ¡°Ohohoho, atst, apletely legitimate full te armor! They won¡¯t be able to confiscate this one away from me.¡±


    The noble smiled as their deal wasplete. He reached out and caressed the full te armor. After confirming its condition, he happily handed over the pouch full of jewels.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s buying an armor that he isn¡¯t even going to wear.¡¯</i>


    Urich didn¡¯t like the deal, but he didn¡¯t show it. An excellent piece of armory had been reduced to an ornament for a wealthy nobleman.


    <i>¡®But I guess this is part of the way of civilization.¡¯</i>


    This thought brought a smile to Urich¡¯s face. The noble saw Urich smiling and assumed that he was happy about the jewels.


    ¡°This was a win-win for both of us, mercenary captain Urich.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it wasn¡¯t too bad. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re happy with it.¡±


    The noble offered to shake hands. Urich knew the customs of civilized people. He returned the handshake and lightly bumped shoulders.


    ¡°Oh, and do you know what the people are calling you?¡± The nobleman nced back as he was leaving the tent.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Urich, who was looking at the jewels one by one, looked up.


    ¡°They call you Urich the ¡®Armor Destroyer.¡¯ Use that fame well! The image of you shattering a steel te with your bare knee is etched deep in people¡¯s minds. Those who saw your duel yesterday will mention your name wherever they go. That there was a warrior who shattered an armor with his bare hands! Ohohoho!¡±


    The nobleman finished his words with a wink. Urich felt a sudden chill running down his spine.


    Urich the ¡®Armor Destroyer.¡¯ The name reached the capital much sooner than Urich¡¯s body. Pahell and Urich¡¯s Brotherhood arrived in the capital half a monthter, and among those who considered themselves swordsmen, there weren¡¯t that many who didn¡¯t know Urich¡¯s name.

 Chapter 59: The Audience

    <h4>Chapter 59: The Audience</h4>


    The Imperial Capital of Hamel was thergest city in the Empire with a poption of a hundred thousand. It was named after the city-state of Hamel, the empire¡¯s predecessor. Now, the name Hamel represented the capital, and the name of the nation had be ¡®Empire,¡¯ which referred to its very existence.


    ¡°Hup! Hup!¡±


    Outside the city walls, renovations were in full swing. The walls were as tall as seven full-grown menbined. The workmen used cranes to lift the heavy stones.


    <i>Chatter, chatter.</i>


    Urich was dazed. He couldn¡¯t fit all the new sights into his eyes, and it seemed like having multiple pairs of eyes wouldn¡¯t have been enough to do so. He had never been in a ce so crowded before. All sorts of people walked past each other, paying no attention to anyone but themselves.


    ¡°Urich, you¡¯re going to get lost. Stay close to Kylios,¡± Pahell said. He had been watching Urich¡¯s dazed face for a while.


    <i>¡®Even Urich has to be shocked in his first time in the Imperial capital.¡¯</i>


    There was no ce like this anywhere else in the world. Hamel had it all. It was the center of academia and thergestmercial city in the world. Out of its hundred thousand inhabitants, twenty thousand were mobile, indicating how big of a traffic the city had.


    <i>¡®The heart of the Empire.¡¯</i>


    Urich finally knew the meaning of the saying: here was the essence of civilization. Even though he had only just entered the outskirts of the city, he felt it acutely: what he had seen of the civilized world so far was only the tip of the iceberg.


    ¡°The city is going to be more crowded than usual because of the annual jousting tournament that is just around the corner. Anyway, only five people can enter the pce.¡±


    The Sun Warrior Harvald said to the group. There was no way an external mercenary squad was going to be granted entrance into the emperor¡¯s pce. Urich pped his hands and gathered the heads of the mercenaries around.


    ¡°Bachman will enter the pce with me as our contact. The rest of you find a good ce for us to stay.¡±


    The mercenaries were already drooling with a wide grin on their faces. Their bodies were itching at the thought of the imminent entertainment.


    The Imperial capital had as many beautiful women as its size. As long as you had the money, there was no limit to what entertainment you could find.


    After sending the mercenaries away, Urich took in the sight of the Imperial za. There were many attires that he had never seen before, along with manynguages that were from the provincial kingdoms, not the Imperialnguage. There were paved streets everywhere and wells connected to the aqueducts that he had only heard about. Each well had a pair of soldiers assigned to it, who watched over it to make sure no poison or filth was released into it.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Urich approached the well connected to the aqueduct. The soldier nced at him.


    ¡°Hey, hillbilly, if you want a drink, bring your own bucket. You can¡¯t put your hand in the well,¡± the soldier said rather unkindly to Urich. The security in the capital was so well-kept that soldiers were stationed at each of the wells.


    ¡°Watch yournguage, soldier. This man is a guest of the empire,¡± Harvald said as he walked up to the well. The soldier flinched as he noticed Harvald¡¯s attire.


    <i>¡®A Sun Warrior!¡¯</i>


    The status of Harvald was not one that a mere soldier could trifle with. The soldier nced between Harvald and Urich.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright. Of course, I¡¯m a hillbilly. Haha, this is amazing. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it! Where on earth do you bring this water from?¡± Urichughed as he patted the soldier¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Ehem, here is a cup for you.¡±


    The soldier took out a bronze cup from his belt. Urich took it and scooped up a full cup of water.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Urich gulped down the water. It was delicious. He would have never guessed that it was still water if he hadn¡¯t seen it for himself.


    ¡°How is it, Urich?¡±


    Harvald waited for Urich¡¯s reaction. Imperials, especially those from the capital, had a great deal of pride in Hamel. They enjoyed seeing the reactions of outsiders.


    ¡°...this is amazing.¡±


    Back in Urich¡¯s homnd, it was not umon for people to survive through the droughts by drinking water that was pooled on the ground. The more frail people often died from drinking the contaminated water. Water was the source of life.


    Urich stared into the end of the aqueduct. The aqueducts that split off like a spider¡¯s web passed above the buildings to prevent them from being contaminated with any outside material. The aqueducts were the veins that gave life to the city.


    <i>¡®The Heart of the Empire.¡¯</i>


    The entire city felt like a singr creature. The districts separated by the city ns were as beautiful as a piece of art. Despite being a metropolis of a hundred thousand people, it wasn¡¯t difficult to find your way as long as you followed the street signs.


    ¡°This is very cool. You should be proud that you are a soldier protecting a ce like this.¡±


    Urich said to the soldier as he returned the bronze cup. The soldier thumped on his chest as if it were a given. His chainmail nked.


    ¡°Of course, outsider. We have given our everything to this city.¡±


    The soldier¡¯s pride soared. It reflected the high morale of the soldiers of this city.


    <i>¡®How long will it be before a civilization like this is born in my hometown...¡¯</i>


    Urich felt a rush of sadness. He felt the gap between his people and civilization, and it was bleak.


    <i>¡®My brothers will live without ever knowing the existence of something like this. They¡¯ll think that bustling with the other tribes on that small in is all there is to the world...¡¯</i>


    His heart felt suffocated. He wanted to show what he had seen and felt to his brothers back home. The awe of seeing the bigger world, the overwhelming sensation of the unknowns.


    Feeling that eating, drinking, killing, and dying aren¡¯t the only things that life is about, and pursuing something that is beyond them to truly feel that you are alive.


    Urich felt truly alive when he came to the civilized world. He found the meaning of life and felt a sense of mission.


    Explore and see. Go forward.


    He heard an inner voice.


    He was both happy and sad. He wanted to scream.


    ¡°Urich! We¡¯ll have plenty of time to look around the cityter. We¡¯ll be here for a while.¡±


    Pahell yelled from a distance. They were nning to stay in the capital until he became an adult, which was two months away.


    ¡°Sir Urich.¡±


    Harvald called Urich with a higher title. He thought highly of Urich¡¯s performance in hisst duel trial.


    <i>¡®He is a warrior worthy of the title of sir.¡¯</i>


    ¡°If you are ever interested in the Sun Warriors, you are always wee. You do seem tock understanding of the doctrine, but that¡¯s something you can always learn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Urich declined in a heartbeat. Harvald was taken aback by Urich¡¯s direct response.


    ¡°Hmm, it seems like you aren¡¯t fully understanding me. This is not an offer that we give to everyone. The Sun Warriors is a great honor.¡±


    ¡°That honor isn¡¯t my honor.¡±


    Harvald stopped for a second, then asked again.


    ¡°Then what is the honor that you are looking for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know. My heart doesn¡¯t move toward serving someone. I only do and follow where my heart beats.¡±


    ¡°Your heart beating... That¡¯s just a fancy word for a life of debauchery, a life of simply following your desires, Sir Urich.¡±


    ¡°My desires are not bad, nor are they of debauchery.¡±


    Urich was growing irritated. He was getting tired of Harvald¡¯s lectures.


    ¡°If you are a follower of Srism, it¡¯s only right to faithfully live ording to the doctrine of the sun instead of following your dark desires. You are a Srist, are you not?¡±


    Harvald didn¡¯t back off.


    <i>¡®Now I can see why Sven wanted to kill Harvald.¡¯</i>


    Steadfast religious beliefs, the arrogance to believe that only he is right. A sense of entitlement and group membership to back that arrogance up.


    Harvald, under certain standards, was clearly a very moral and good man. Urich didn¡¯t try to save the farmers, but Harvald did so without hesitation.


    <i>¡®Different ways of civilized people.¡¯</i>


    Urich respected the various ways of civilization. Even when he didn¡¯t quite understand them, he let them be.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel the need to respect someone who does not respect my way of life, Harvald. If you speak another word...¡±


    Urich¡¯s good mood sank. He was about to spout off and his fingers were groping for the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Urich!¡±


    Pahell rushed off Kylios and pulled Urich back.


    ¡°Have you forgotten who you are working for right now?¡±


    Pahell said as he grabbed Urich¡¯s arm. His blue eyes stared at Urich.


    ¡°Why, it¡¯s for you who pays me, of course,¡± Urich smirked.


    ¡°Then shut your mouth. If you¡¯re a mercenary, act like one.¡±


    Pahell said as he tapped on Urich¡¯s chest. Urich¡¯s head cooled rapidly, and he looked at Harvald.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just stay within our boundaries, Sir Harvald.¡±


    Harvald realized that things had gotten rough and nodded. Harvald was overly faithful, but he still knew how to read a room.


    ¡°In any case, the Sun Warriors always wee a warrior like you, Sir Urich.¡±


    Harvald persisted. Urichughed, holding his stomach.


    <i>¡®That was truly amazing, Your Highness.¡¯</i>


    Phillion thought to himself as he held back his teary emotion. Pahell had stood between Urich and Harvald before a conflict arose between them. Not so long ago, Pahell had no such dignity or power of action.


    <i>¡®Harsh experiences have molded you into a fine prince, yes.¡¯</i>


    Phillion imagined Pahell at his coronation.


    * * *


    The Swallow Residence was the abode of the guests of the empire. Like the migratory swallows, guests came and went.


    After being guided by Harvald, Pahell¡¯s party spent two days in the Swallow Residence. Their request for an audience was yet to be answered.


    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t schedule an audience? What are you talking about?¡±


    Phillion was upset. Pahell was only able to stay in the pce as a royal guest as even their request for asylum had not been approved yet.


    ¡°His Majesty is always busy with official businesses. We will notify you with the date when the timees,¡± the residence officer who oversaw the operations of the Swallow Residence said to the frustrated Phillion.


    ¡°This here is Prince Varca Aneu Porcana! Are you saying that a royal request for asylum is something that can be pushed?¡±


    Phillion persisted, but the officer responded without changing his expression.


    ¡°Even if you say so, this is out of my power, Sir Phillion. I am merely an errand boy for those who stay at the Swallow Residence.¡±


    Phillion¡¯s face turned red.


    <i>¡®I thought that everything would go smoothly once we reached the Imperial Capital!¡¯</i>


    The group hadn¡¯t even seen the emperor¡¯s face yet. If only they could, they wanted to storm into the pce where the empire resided.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sir Phillion.


    Pahell walked out as he wiped his sweat. He was on his way back from his training with one of the guard knights. Pahell had been training every chance he got throughout the journey. Over their journey, he had gained quite a bit of muscle. His arms were thicker, and his muscles were more toned.


    ¡°Prince Varca Aneu Porcana, Your Highness.¡±


    The residence officer said with respect. Pahell received it by raising his hand.


    ¡°I see that his Majesty isn¡¯t very interested in meeting me. He probably thinks that an exiled prince who couldn¡¯t even keep his ce in his own kingdom is not worth his time,¡± Pahell said with a smile, and the residence officer shook his head.


    ¡°In the Swallow Residence, there are many who stay for months waiting for a single audience. The emperor is just that busy.¡±


    Pahell looked at the officer. There was no point in saying anything more.


    ¡°I apologize for the hassle. You are excused.¡±


    Pahell sent the officer away. Phillion, with a face full of dissatisfaction, paced beside him.


    ¡°Your Highness, you are not just any guest. You are heir to the throne of Porcana!¡±


    ¡°So what? Does the sky drop an army for an heir to the throne? Or does an army rise from the earth to help me im my throne?¡±


    Pahell said dryly. Phillion fell silent.


    ¡°I know that you mean well and that you want what¡¯s best for me, Sir Phillion. But my name and my status mean nothing; that¡¯s what I¡¯ve learned throughout our journey. My status isn¡¯t what is going to make me king, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°But Your Highness, you are of royal status, no matter what anyone says. In that regard, you can be a little stubborn, like the old days.¡±


    Pahell wiped his sweat with a towel as he listened to Phillion. He watched the people walking by in the Swallow Residence. Quite a few of them, like Phillion, were questioning the residence officer.


    <i>¡®Most of them are people who are waiting for the audience of the empire. Over thesest couple of days, I¡¯ve seen many of them giving up and leaving.¡¯</i>


    Perhaps Pahell would be one of them. He thought for a moment, closed his eyes, then opened them.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, please summon Urich. He¡¯s probably at the Sun Warriors¡¯ barracks.¡±


    Phillion hid his displeasure and nodded. In the past two days, Pahell had been hanging around the Sun Warriors a lot. His new nickname, Armor Breaker, had caught their attention.

 Chapter 60

    <h4>Chapter 60</h4>


    The Sun Warrior¡¯s armory was one of the best in the world. All kinds of steel weapons from the Imperial smithy were hung along the walls, even along with a few pieces of full te armor.


    ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t this nice?¡± A few of the warriors said to Urich as they showed him around the armory.


    The Sun Warriors wasposed of northerners, southerners, and barbarian half-bloods. As they had the title ¡®warriors¡¯ instead of ¡®knights,¡¯ they were allowed to act with more freedom. They weed the outsider, Urich, and revealed their armory.


    ¡°This is amazing, how can a de be this sharp? Can I have one?¡± Urich asked, thinking about the axe that broke on him during thest duel.


    ¡°Join us, then you can have whatever you want,¡± the Sun Warriors said to Urich as theyughed.


    ¡°This ce is better than I thought. I thought you¡¯d all be like Harvald.¡±


    ¡°Harvald is on the stricter side. But the higher-ups do prefer guys like him, haha.¡±


    The Sun Warriors chuckled. Among them, many of them had spent their younger days outside of civilization. Even though they had be civilized after their conversion to Srism, they still had a touch of barbarianism to them.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urich grabbed one of the double-ded axes and swung it lightly. The sound of it ripping through the air was different. The essence of metallurgy was contained in the weapon.


    Not all steel was the same. The quality of steel varied from ce to ce, and the heat treatment it underwent changed its properties. The steel that had the name ¡®Imperial steel¡¯ was the highest grade of steel that was used to forge weapons.


    <i>The weapons created by civilized people through research and study.¡¯</i>


    They were on a different level than the tribal weapons. Back in Urich¡¯s tribe, metal weapons were made from low-grade metal ores or scrap iron poorly hammered together.


    <i>¡®I want it.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s imperial steel sword was nearing the end of its lifespan. Regardless of how good a weapon was, it was still an expendable item.


    ¡°You want it, don¡¯t you? Of course, you do. You are a warrior who knows the value of weapons,¡± The Sun Warriors bantered with Urich.


    ¡°Just give me one, I¡¯ll pay for it,¡± Urich said, almost like a whine, and the Sun Warrior shook his head.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t something that¡¯s for sale, Mr. Armor Breaker.¡±


    ¡°So, you brought me here just to make fun of me? What a terrible person.¡±


    Urich put the weapon back in its ce.


    ¡°The Sun Warriors are alwayscking warriors. There aren¡¯t that many people who fit the criteria of being both an excellent warrior and of barbarian blood. The skilled warriors often never want to convert, and those who have usually only did so to survive in civilization, so theyck the true faith and quality as a warrior.¡±


    That was the reason why the Sun Warriors were so keen on Urich. His ability as a warrior was already vouched for by Harvald.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Urich stroked his chin. The Sun Warriors weren¡¯t the super-strict organization that he thought they were. It was quite a flexible group with a lot of different people.


    ¡°But then I¡¯d have to serve the emperor. Yuck, the thought of having someone above me just pisses me off.¡±


    Urich waved his hand as he looked at the Sun Warriors. They were all hefty men, a different ss from the regr soldiers.


    ¡°Then who are you using your strength and sword for?¡± The Sun Warriors stood tall and asked. They were men who had devoted their swords to the emperor.


    ¡°You sound like Harvald. It¡¯s not worth answering your question.¡±


    ¡°The violence that we possess is evil, no matter how we try to put it. Its only use is to harm other people. However, if we devote that sword to the sun god Lou and the emperor, we can be righteous.¡±


    ¡°You say that harming and conquering your own people is righteous. That itself is pretty disgusting,¡± Urich retorted as he twisted his mouth.


    ¡°We have no words for that criticism. We certainly oppose our own people. However, the correct changees with sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°Pointing your swords at your own family and brothers is something that even dogs wouldn¡¯t do, no matter how you try to put it.¡±


    Urich said sharply. Like Sven, he also felt a foundational hatred toward the Sun Warriors. With his values, it was difficult for him to ept them.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t approve of their ways. I¡¯m no different from Sven.¡¯</i>


    To Urich, betraying one¡¯s tribe and brothers was uneptable. He could forgive anything else but that. In his eyes, the Sun Warriors was a group that had leaned toward evil.


    ¡°Urich, you may have converted, but you still haven¡¯t shed your barbarian identity.¡±


    ¡°A man mustn¡¯t forget his roots,¡± Urich answered, and that shut up the Sun Warriors.


    <i>¡®This man is not fit to be a Sun Warrior.¡¯</i>


    The Sun Warriors did not try to convince Urich any further.


    ¡°Thanks for showing me your armory, I¡¯ll see you all around.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t too long before Urich was summoned by Pahell. He left the barracks and returned to the Swallow Residence. On his way, he stared at the other pces.


    <i>¡®They acted like they were going to show me everything, but this is the only ce I can freely roam.¡¯</i>


    He felt like he was locked up in a prison.


    <i>¡®I¡¯d be better off leaving the pce and going around the city.¡¯</i>


    Urich entered Pahell¡¯s room with a lot of thoughts in his mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    Pahell greeted Urich as he was speaking with Phillion. His face brightened up.


    ¡°When do I get to see that emperor guy?¡±


    Urich yawned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. It seems like the emperor doesn¡¯t think much of me. We might have to wait quite a while,¡± Pahell smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re a royalty! A high and mighty man! Where did that confidence go, you bastard?¡±


    Urich smacked Pahell on the back. Pahell stumbled like he was about to fall over.


    ¡°I¡¯m a mere firefly under the moonlightpared to the emperor,¡± Pahell chided himself. He felt his miserable plight.


    ¡°Cheer up, Pahell. Why did you go through all that hell just to get here? To go home empty-handed and serve the throne to your uncle on a te?¡±


    It was Urich¡¯s way of cheering up his friend. Pahell showed a bitter grin. He signaled Phillion to leave the two of them alone, so Phillion bowed his head and left the room.


    ¡°Urich, you¡¯ve already done more than enough as the mercenary leader. No matter how much reward I give you, it won¡¯t make up for what you¡¯ve done for me. And on top of that, I don¡¯t have the money on my hands to pay you any additional reward, or even the expenses of the mercenaries if our stay here gets any longer than what we¡¯ve expected.¡±


    The mercenary squad wasn¡¯t going to betray Pahell easily. They would certainly persevere without the support for their expenses for thest bit of their stay out of anticipation for their final reward. However, mercenaries were mercenaries. If Pahell ended up not being able to pay them anymore, they would eventually leave, or in the worst case scenario, sell him over to Duke Harmatti, even if their leader Urich was against it.


    ¡°Put that depressing stuff away.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m not asking you this as your employer.¡±


    Pahell said solemnly as he crossed his fingers. He smacked his lips nervously before looking up at Urich.


    ¡°You¡¯re a man, Pahell. Stop acting like a little girl ande out with it already.¡±


    Urich tapped on the table with his fingers.


    ¡°In order for me to get an audience with the emperor, we need another way. We need to make the emperor be interested in a small-time prince like me.¡±


    Pahell came to a decision after a lot of thinking, but he didn¡¯t like what he hade to. His rtionship with Urich was good, and he didn¡¯t want to make a request that would ruin what they had.


    <i>¡®But I¡¯m going to be king.¡¯</i>


    A king had to make decisions that were greater than their personal feelings.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°If you truly think of me as your friend... I¡¯m asking this as your friend, Urich. Enter the jousting tournament and win. Bearing my name, as my knight.¡±


    Pahell shut his eyes, then opened them again. He couldn¡¯t look at Urich¡¯s face. He knew better than anyone that it was an unreasonable request.


    <i>¡®Even if Urich declines, I have nothing to say. It¡¯s a ridiculous request.¡¯</i>


    But if Urich did decline, their rtionship would never be the same. That was the price of asking for something with a friendship on the line. It was practically a threat using friendship as a hostage.


    Pahell had decided to make that request bearing that request in mind. It was the decision of a king.


    ¡°Is that what you were thinking about? I just have to fight with your name, right? Fighting¡¯s what I¡¯m the best at.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Hmm?¡±


    Pahell replied dumbfoundedly to the unexpected answer. Urich had epted his request without any hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Pahell. Fighting and killing a few people doesn¡¯t mean much to me. If it¡¯s a request that small, feel free to ask me any time. We all have our own specialty, so we should help each other with it, right?¡±


    ¡°Even as I make this request to you, there¡¯s nothing I can do for you.¡±


    ¡°...sometimes friends just do things for each other, without expecting anything in return. You¡¯re asking me to do this as your friend, not as your mercenary.¡±


    Pahell was about to tear up, but he held it in. He bit down on his lips and nodded.


    <i>¡®I will be the king.¡¯</i>


    His resolve grew stronger. He looked at Urich, who was scratching his chin as he shook his head from side to side.


    ¡°Uh, but what exactly is a jousting tournament? It¡¯s a fight, right? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be asking me.¡±


    His words made Pahell spit out a hollowugh and choke on his own spit. A drop of tear fell.


    <i>¡®How amazing is this guy? He epted my request even without knowing what he was getting himself into.¡¯</i>


    * * *


    The history of jousting tournaments was not deep. It only emerged as a new culture in various parts of the empire about five years ago.


    Thest major war that the empire fought was against the barbarians during the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians a decade ago. Wars that were on the national scale were over, but the localizednd disputes between the nobles persisted. They constantly fought to take each other¡¯snds, and they still needed excellent knights to do so.


    <i>¡®How can we find good knights?¡¯</i>


    The nobles found a way through the jousting tournaments. Unlike a typical sword fight, this was a newpetition that utilized all thebat skills that were required of a fine knight.


    These tournaments became a good source of money and a gateway to rise the ranks for wandering knights, but it was only for those who could already afford a warhorse and knightly gear. Poorer warriors still had no chance of making a name for themselves without going to war.


    ¡°Jousts are divided into mounted and footbat.¡±


    Phillion exined the details of the jousting tournament. Urich listened as he leaned against Kylios.


    ¡°Do I have to use ance in a joust? I¡¯m not saying that I can¡¯t use ance, but it¡¯s not exactly my favorite.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but nine out of tenpetitors do. All the winners in the past were alsoncemen. Thence is such a superior weapon that no other weapon is even worth considering, at least not in thispetition. It¡¯s not called a jousting tournament for nothing!¡±


    Phillion emphasized. He taught Urich how to hold thence; close to the armpit, putting the momentum of the horse on the tip of thence.


    ¡°A proper cavalry charge with ance is unstoppable, although there are very few armies that have that kind of cavalry... anyway, the first man to fall to the ground in a mounted battle is put at a disadvantage. The odds are stacked against them, so many end up forfeiting the match.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Urich stroked his chin. He knew the intimidation of a cavalry. It was very difficult for an infantryman to face a cavalryman. The intimidation of arge horse wasn¡¯t to be taken lightly, and even Urich had to fight with all his power to go against a cavalry.


    ¡°It will be apletely different way of fighting from what you¡¯ve gotten used to. You have to wear the hefty metal armor with a shield in one hand and ance in the other.¡±


    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be better for one of your guard knights to do this? Not someone like me.¡±


    ¡°As much as it hurts our pride, you with a quick lesson would have a much higher chance of winning the tournament than any of us...¡±


    Phillion said bitterly. Urich was a first-ss warrior. Even out of all the warriors and knights that Phillion had seen, he was top. Despite his young age, Urich was rich in experience, and it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that his sheer strength was a blessing from god. Urich¡¯s level ofbat skills was the result of talent, which could not be approached by effort alone.


    <i>¡®If such a warrior could absorb the egoistic mindset of civilization... what a knight he would be! It¡¯s terrifying to think about, but I want to see it with my own eyes.¡¯</i>


    Phillion held a mock joust with another guard knight. He showed Urich the flow of the match through demonstration.


    ¡°You do pretty well for someone who doesn¡¯t have fingers in his right hand, Phillion!¡± Urich shouted as he watched on.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s a loting from the very man who cut them off.¡¯</i>


    Phillion chucked and stroked the warhorse that he had borrowed. He urged it along at a leisurely pace and held a mock match with the guard knight.


    Urich, unlike his words, had his eyes wide open as he studied every moment of the mock match. His pupils followed every move that Phillion made.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s watching and learning well. He is indeed clever.¡¯</i>


    Phillion knew that Urich¡¯s intelligence was out of the ordinary. Urich had been learning how to read and write from Pahell from time to time, and Pahell was always amazed at Urich¡¯s ability to learn. Once he learned something, he never forgot.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough demonstration. Let me try. Come on, Sir Phillion.¡±


    Urich said as he patted Kylios. Kylios released a steam of breath as he waited for Urich to mount him.

 Chapter 61

    <h4>Chapter 61</h4>


    Phillion slowly reined his horse as he waited for Urich to get ready.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m counting on you, Kylios.¡¯</i>


    Urich brushed Kylios¡¯ mane. Horseback riding was all about the connection between man and horse. Urich had been consistently learning the tips and tricks from Pahell.


    <i>¡®Pahell, you say that you¡¯ve taught me nothing, but I¡¯ve learned a lot from you, too.¡¯</i>


    Pahell was a knowledgeable boy not just among other boys his age, but even among grown-up nobles and royalties. Whenever Urich had a question, Pahell was the person he went to, and he would always have his questions answered.


    Pahell¡¯s request did not offend Urich. In fact, it made him want to dly ept it. Pahell¡¯s sincere request was enough to move Urich¡¯s heart.


    <i>¡®I do what my heart tells me to do.¡¯</i>


    Urich thought to himself as he raised his joustingnce. Thence was as long as two full-grown menbined.


    <i>¡®The only reason why I came to the east of Sky Mountains was because my heart told me to do so. That¡¯s it.¡¯</i>


    Urich was pleased. He had seen and learned so much, and he was still yet to see the end of the world. The unknown always awaited him.


    ¡°Urich, hold thence firmly. A man of your size and strength can easily deliver the full weight of the horse with hisnce. As long as you charge properly, you will be unstoppable.¡±


    Phillion said from the other side as he kicked his horse¡¯s nk and crept closer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Kylios.¡±


    Urich signaled to his horse. Phillion and Urich crossed as they lightly tapped each other¡¯s shields with theirnces.


    <i>Cling!</i>


    There was a clear sound. Phillion and Urich, who had swapped positions, bowed in respect toward each other. It was the courtesy of knights.


    ¡°As a knight, you must not forget about the respect toward your opponent; especially when you are fighting for your honor.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a knight.¡±


    ¡°You must be, at least for the jousting tournament. You are fighting with the prince¡¯s name on your back.¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    Urich lightly scoffed and chuckled.


    ¡°If the duel isn¡¯t decided after three crosses, the knights fight on foot. You will have to get off your horse, draw your weapon, and try to take down the other knight.¡±


    ¡°If only one person falls off their horse, then they have to fight the other person with them still on their horse, right?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. If you feel like you¡¯re at a disadvantage for the mounted round, then it¡¯s not a bad idea to get on the defensive and drag it out to the ground duel.¡±


    Phillion exined the tricks of the trade even though he had never been in a jousting tournament. Back when he was a young knight, apetition like this didn¡¯t even exist. It was a rtively new custom.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just throw an axe from my horse, or even just attack their horse?¡±


    Phillion shook his head at Urich¡¯s question.


    ¡°You cannot. The jousting tournament is a ce for knights topare their skills. It¡¯s respectful to avoid tantly going for your opponent¡¯s life or harming their expensive warhorse. The nobles don¡¯t like to watch an overly violent match. This is not a diatorial match. If the judges decide that your actions were done with malicious intent, they could very well disqualify you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s picky. It¡¯s harder to win against someone without killing them.¡±


    Urich cracked his neck from side to side, making a clear bone-cracking noise.


    ¡°The prince wants you to win the whole tournament, but even reaching the semi-finals would be a great achievement. The jousting tournament of Hamel is where all the skilled knightse to show off their skills. It won¡¯t be easy,¡± Phillion said in a warning tone.


    ¡°Hah, Mr. Phillion, I¡¯ve never lost a fight! Technically, this jousting thing is also a fight, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got confidence, alright.¡±


    Phillion looked at Urich, a warrior with both skill and confidence. But as reassured as he was, there was a feeling of unease rising from a corner of his heart.


    * * *


    The jousting tournament of the Imperial capital of Hamel wasn¡¯t apetition that just anybody could enter. Those who wished topete either needed a proven reputation or a proven identity. Those who couldn¡¯t provide either of those would be rejected during the application process.


    ¡°Do you know who I am? I¡¯m the runner-up of the Lerman Jousting Tournament...¡±


    Another knight was raising his voice at the reception desk.


    ¡°Where even is Lerman? I don¡¯t care whether you were the runner-up or the champion¡ªjuste back with a noble who can attest to your identification. Do you think the Hamel Jousting Tournament is a joke?¡±


    ¡°Y-you, how dare you speak like that to a knight!¡±


    The knight was about to draw his sword, but the official was used to this sort of people.


    <i>¡®These so-called knights are all idiots with nothing but pride.¡¯</i>


    Knights were often not so intelligent and quite rude, and this was especially true among the lower-ranked knights. Only a few knights truly understood chivalry and manners, and those without masters were as good as thugs in armor with swords.


    ¡°Move.¡±


    A gruff voice came from behind. The rampaging knight red his eyes.


    ¡°Mooove? If you don¡¯t take that back right now, I will challenge you to a duel...¡±


    The knight shut his mouth. Arge man, at least a head taller than himself, was standing right up against his nose.


    ¡°Challenge me. Do it. Right now. Come on, what are you waiting for? I¡¯ll send you to the afterlife before you know it.¡±


    Urich practically growled. The knight was crushed by the intimidation.


    ¡°N-nothing, never mind.¡±


    The knight dropped his head and disappeared. Urich walked up to the reception desk with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Your name, sir?¡±


    The official weed Urich with a smile on his face as well.


    ¡°Urich. My guardian is Prince Varca Aneu Porcana.¡±


    Urich held out the document Pahell had written. After confirming the sealed document, the official handed over the document to the next staff.


    The seal of the Porcana family was an image of a herring and a fishing boat. It was a seal fitting the image of a coastal kingdom.


    ¡°This is indeed the seal of the Porcana family. The prince of Porcana is currently staying in the Swallow Pce.¡±


    After hearing the confirmation, the official put Urich¡¯s name down on the document.


    ¡°Pleasee this way. You must go through a simple screening.¡±


    Urich followed the official.


    <i>¡®Phillion was right. This whole intake process is boring.¡¯</i>


    There was no shortage of people who wanted to participate in the Hamel Jousting Tournament. However, there was only room for thirty-two contestants in the bracket. The tournament would never end if all the contestants got a chance to joust, and that wasn¡¯t what the nobles wanted, either.


    The Hamel Jousting Tournament was the best in the world in terms of both scale and level. The contestants were ced after a screening and selection process.


    Urich entered into a separately prepared barrack where the knights of the Order of Imperial Steel were screening the contestants.


    ¡°Urich? Hmm, I feel like I¡¯ve heard that name before. Are you a barbarian? How does a barbarian like you get the support of a royalty? What is your rtionship with them?¡±


    The imperial knight that Urich had been assigned to tilted his head. Even considering the Barbarian Inclusion policy that was in full swing in the empire, it was still rare to see a barbarian in a jousting tournament, let alone the famous Hamel Jousting Tournament. The whole thing was a strangebination.


    <i>¡®He would have been rejected at the door if it hadn¡¯t been for the royal seal...¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at the Imperial knight as he kicked up the dirt.


    ¡°Man, I¡¯m friends with Prince Varca,¡± Urich said, impatiently.


    ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense. But the seal is authentic, so we¡¯ll go ahead with your screening,¡± the Imperial knight said to Urich as he handed over a deless sword.


    ¡°Hah, finally. Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Urich grabbed the sword with excitement and entered his fighting stance. He felt his muscles heating up.


    ¡°Show me the Owl Stance.¡±


    Urich tilted his head at the Imperial knight¡¯s request.


    ¡°The Owl Stance?¡±


    Phillion hadn¡¯t mentioned anything like that, as he himself had never been in a jousting tournament. Each region had its own screening and selection process and standards, and this one was evaluating the skill of the contestants based on their swordsmanship stances.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know the Owl Stance?¡±


    ¡°How would I know that? Let¡¯s just fight.¡±


    ¡°Hah, how pathetic. This man doesn¡¯t even know the basics of the knight swordsmanship and yet he wants topete in the jousting tournament with the support of a royalty.¡±


    The Imperial knight kicked his tongue. The trifecta of the knight swordsmanship stance was the High Owl, Middle Wolf, and the Low Snake. The rest of the stances were all derived from the three. There was even a saying that a squire must spend an entire year practicing only the three foundational stances.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that. Test me on something else.¡±


    The Imperial knight shook his head at Urich¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯ve failed. You may leave now.¡±


    The Imperial Knight said coldly without a second thought. Thepetition had plenty of skilled contestants. Urich wasn¡¯t going to be missed.


    ¡°Are you joking? You¡¯re failing me just because of one stance?¡±


    Urich took a step toward the Imperial knight as he got heated.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like something that should being out of the mouth of the man who couldn¡¯t even get that ¡®one stance.¡¯ Do you think it¡¯s easy to be a knight? The Hamel Jousting Tournament has many noble spectators. It¡¯s also an asion to select the best knight. I can¡¯t let someone who doesn¡¯t even know the basics of knighthoodpete in that kind ofpetition.¡±


    Things took an unexpected turn. Urich was confident in anything rted to fighting.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t even get to fight? What kind of fighting tournament is this?¡¯</i>


    Urich grabbed and stopped the Imperial knight. The knight red at him.


    ¡°I have to win this. Let me through, you bastard.¡±


    ¡°Unhand me, before you get hurt.¡±


    The Imperial knight warned Urich, but Urich¡¯s patience had hit the bottom.


    <i>¡®Please, win for me, Urich.¡¯</i>


    Pahell¡¯s words echoed in his head. If it weren¡¯t for that, he would have swung his fists a long time ago.


    ¡°Test me on something else, and I won¡¯t ask you twice. Anything that actually has to do with fighting is good.¡±


    Urich said as he gritted his teeth.


    ¡°We¡¯re selecting knights here, not warriors. So long.¡±


    The Imperial knight shook Urich¡¯s hand off and turned his back against him.


    Urich couldn¡¯t hold in the words that were about toe out.


    ¡°... stop right there before I snap that stiff-looking head of yours.¡±


    ¡°Are you insulting me?¡±


    The Imperial knight stopped. Urich raised his deless sword.


    ¡°My name is Urich. State yours.¡±


    Urich said to the knight. Fighting for their honors with their names was thew of the duel, not only among civilized men but everywhere in the world of warriors.


    ¡°How absurd. I have no name to give to someone like you. You are not a knight; you¡¯re merely a city slicker. I will show you the standard of knights around here. Be prepared to have a limb or two broken.¡±


    The Imperial knight also grabbed a deless sword. There was a ferocious tension in the air.


    ¡°Hohoho, what an interesting duel.¡±


    From the outskirts of the barracks, an old man with his hands behind his back trotted up. He was quite sturdy for an old man, and he got to the two men in no time with his big gate.


    ¡°This man insulted me.¡±


    The Imperial knight looked at the old man and whined. The old man seemed to be his superior.


    ¡°Hoho, is that so? Then you must settle it with a duel, of course! There is no other way for men who live by their swords.¡±


    The old man nodded repeatedly as he stared at Urich with his slender threaded eyes.


    ¡°This is an interesting matchup. A member of the Order of Imperial Steel versus Urich the ¡®Armor Breaker.¡¯¡±


    The old man already knew who Urich was. He even called him by his nickname, which had spread only recently.


    ¡°A-armor Breaker.¡±


    The Imperial knight¡¯s expression wavered.


    <i>¡®I knew the name sounded familiar, dammit!¡¯</i>


    The Armor Breaker Urich. The nickname was more widely known than Urich¡¯s actual name, so the knight wasn¡¯t able to remember hearing Urich¡¯s real name.


    <i>¡®You¡¯re supposed to introduce yourself by your nickname first!¡¯</i>


    Unlike other knights and warriors with renowned nicknames, Urich always only introduced himself by his real name.


    <i>¡®If I had known that he was the Armor Breaker...¡¯</i>


    The knight wouldn¡¯t have been so dismissive. Even if the rumors of the Armor Breakers were half true, Urich was not a warrior to be taken lightly. He would have put him through a different screening test to send him through.


    The water had already been spilled, and once spat out, words couldn¡¯t be taken back. The knight quickly came to a sobering realization. The muscles that were covered underneath Urich¡¯s clothes finally came to the knight¡¯s attention. The unusual mass of muscles twitched.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t back down in front of General Ferzen.¡¯</i>


    The name of the white-haired old man was Sword Demon Ferzen: the living legend of the empire.

 Chapter 62

    <h4>Chapter 62</h4>


    The Imperial knight loosened his body and steadied his breathing. He nced back and forth between the Sword Demon Ferzen and Urich.


    <i>¡®I am a member of the Order of Imperial Steel. The honor at stake isn¡¯t just my own.¡¯</i>


    The honor of a member was the honor of the Order. The Imperial knight no longer had the urge to back out of the fight.


    ¡°Hey, gramps, you know me?¡±


    Urich said, looking at Ferzen. Ferzen turned his threaded re into a smile.


    ¡°Of course, I do. I¡¯ve been watching you go in and out of the Sun Warriors barracks, as well.¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯ve been following me around? You have a weird hobby...¡±


    The Imperial knight who had been listening in on the conversation snapped.


    ¡°How insolent! Do you even know who you are speaking to!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a sturdy old man, no? You must have been pretty decent with your sword back in your days.¡±


    Ferzen cackled at Urich¡¯s words.


    ¡°How full of yourself can you be? You dare you spew such nonsense before General Ferzen?¡±


    The Imperial knight eximed, and Urich¡¯s eyes widened at the name Ferzen.


    <i>¡®Hmph, even barbarians can¡¯t help themselves but be in awe of the famous name of the Sword Demon Ferzen.¡¯</i>


    Urich grabbed Ferzen by his shoulders and lifted him up.


    ¡°This old man is that famous sword demon? Goddamn, I must¡¯ve heard your name at least a few hundred times. So, you¡¯re that strong, huh? Is it true that you stopped a hundred men all by yourself on a bridge?¡±


    Ferzen¡¯s body was quite heavy and solid for an old man, but Urich lifted him up like he was a child.


    ¡°Ohohoho, please put me down. With my body, at my age, it¡¯s a bit painful to withstand the strength of a young man.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my bad, you¡¯re over seventy years old, right? Can¡¯t really be of any use then.¡±


    Urich put Ferzen down with a grin.


    ¡°Raise your sword, barbarian! I¡¯ll put an end to your antics right here!¡±


    The Imperial knight yelled as if he had run out of patience. Urich looked at the Imperial knight, shrugged him off, and then continued to speak to Ferzen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back after I beat that guy, so you stay right where you are, old man. I have a lot of questions for you.¡±


    Urich said as he pointed his finger at Ferzen. It was an arrogant and insolent behavior that would never have been eptable if he were an Imperial knight.


    <i>¡®General Ferzen must have grown soft with age to find such insolence refreshing. I won¡¯t forgive such behavior. I¡¯m going to break your neck, barbarian.¡¯</i>


    The imperial knight muttered with murderous intent. Even a blunt sword could be a deadly weapon if wielded properly.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urich¡¯s sword ripped through the air. Without des, the sword was more like a blunt weapon.


    ¡°Did you know that...¡±


    Urich suddenly posed a question to his opponent.


    ¡°Shut your mouth. Actually, I¡¯ll make sure you can never open that mouth of yours ever again myself.¡±


    ¡°So hostile. Anyway, back in my hometown, we ate some of our dogs every now and then... but those dogs were pretty quick to realize when something was off, and when they did, they barked like crazy. Then we¡¯d just beat them to death with a club like this.¡±


    The Imperial knight was speechless. Instead of replying, he got into the Wolf Stance: a stance where the knight raises his sword and stretches his arms to mid-height. Keeping both arms straight to maintain the stance required a lot of strength, but it was a great stance for parrying and countering the opponent¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°With that being said, I¡¯ll beat you like I beat those dogs.¡±


    Urich strode forward with his back slightly bent and arms swinging low.


    <i>¡®What a poor defenseless stance.¡¯</i>


    The Imperial Knight crept forward on his toes. Urich¡¯s stance was one that dyed both attacking and defending by a beat. It was only useful for making him look big for intimidation.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll parry his attack first, then break his leg.</i>¡¯


    The two men entered the swinging range. Urich¡¯s arm was the first to move.


    <i>nk!</i>


    The two swords shed.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s quick.¡¯</i>


    The Imperial knight was shocked. Urich¡¯s arm moved with more speed than he had expected, and the elerated swing of his sword felt heavy. He was almost unable to block Urich¡¯s sword and allowed the attack tond on him.


    <i>Krrrg.</i>


    Urich pushed the Imperial knight back with their swords still locked. The knight¡¯s knees and back were shoved back as the two swords made a loud grinding noise.


    ¡°Huh? Huh?¡±


    Urich shoved the Imperial knight with his strength, whose entire body bent backward as he was pushed back.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t shake his sword off; his strength is insane.¡¯</i>


    If he withdrew his sword, Urich¡¯s sword was going tond straight on him. And throwing his sword away wasn¡¯t an option.


    <i>¡®I have to kick him.¡¯</i>


    Before the Imperial knight could move his leg, Urich raised his left hand, still pinning the knight with only one hand.


    <i>Thuck!</i>


    Urich mmed his fist down on the top of the Imperial knight¡¯s head. Even though he held himself back, the Imperial knight¡¯s upper body stumbled to the ground as the veins in his eyes popped, turning them red.


    ¡°Kaaagh!¡±


    The Imperial knight screeched as he straightened his stumbling body. He raised his sword to strike down on Urich. It was a move of sheer reflex that was ingrained in him after years of rigorous training.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s resilient. I guess his Imperial knight title isn¡¯t for nothing.¡¯</i>


    If Urich had struck him with his full force, the knight would have died from severe brain trauma. A helmetless head of a person was never going to be able to withstand Urich¡¯s strength.


    Urich also raised his sword with the intention ofnding his finishing blow.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    The Imperial knight flinched at Ferzen¡¯s word. Despite beingpletely run by his fighting instinct, he managed to stop his arm.


    ¡°Go see the pce physician. This is not a battlefield, are you sure you want to throw away your life here?¡±


    Ferzen said as he patted the knight¡¯s shoulder.


    The knight clenched his teeth as he grabbed his dizzy head. He left the barracks after expressing his respect to Ferzen.


    Ferzen stared at Urich. Even through his blurry vision, Urich¡¯s overwhelming strength was obvious.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s strong. Maybe too strong.¡¯</i>


    Even for a barbarian, Urich¡¯s strength was beyond explosive. Ferzen was in awe.


    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ve passed? I canpete in the jousting tournament?¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯ve passed. Your strength fits your nickname, ¡®Armor Breaker.¡¯¡±


    Ferzenplimented Urich, and Urich shrugged in joy.


    ¡°Thanks for thepliment, but you on the other hand don¡¯t look as strong as your Sword Demon title. Is it really true that you fought a hundred men on that bridge?¡±


    ¡°Mm, it¡¯s more like I stopped a hundred men, rather than fighting them. Ohoho, that was more than five decades ago, when I was a young warrior like you,¡± Ferzen replied with a grin.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that strong, let¡¯s go. You and me. I¡¯ve never lost a fight in my life either.¡±


    Urich said as he waved his sword, but Ferzen responded with a shake of his head.


    ¡°If I, who is merely an old man, were to fight you, who¡¯s at the prime of his physical life, the oue would be obvious. I can¡¯t beat you, nor do I duel with anyone else. I am a legend and a symbol; I must never lose.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you weasel out of fights? Huh?¡±


    ¡°Learn to be humble, Urich. Even though I may be okay with it...¡±


    Ferzen slightly opened his eyes. The old man¡¯s eyes were finally visible, though only just. They were pale, murky eyes with cataracts as if they were coated with debris.


    ¡°...thews of the Imperial court are strict, and unbridled foals are often ughtered without a word.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the advice, gramps.¡±


    Urich smiled, and Ferzen responded with an elderly chuckle as if he wasn¡¯t scarily ferocious just a second ago.


    ¡°Of course, an old man¡¯s words are merely an empty echo to the young ears. you will only learn through experience, just like how I learned all my lessons through countless mistakes and failures.¡±


    ¡°To a warrior, failure means death. We don¡¯t get second chances, so we have to live on with our heads held high at all times,¡± Urich responded as he raised his sword.


    ¡°That is also one way of living life, Urich the barbarian. I wish you the best of luck in the jousting tournament.¡±


    Ferzen turned around and walked away from Urich.


    ¡°Hold on, I still have a lot to ask you.¡±


    Urich tried to stop Ferzen. He had heard the legendary tales from several people, so he wanted to know if they were all true.


    Ferzen twisted his body ever so slightly to dodge Urich¡¯s arm.


    ¡°You are arrogant. I¡¯m sure you have always been the center of attention. You¡¯re strong and you¡¯re a good fighter, so you probably got whatever you wanted with ease. You probably had all your questions answered as well, or you got them with your fists. I can see right through your entire life with my white eyes. Why should I answer your questions and satisfy your curiosity?¡±


    Ferzen said as he hopped backward.


    ¡°You old man...¡±


    Urich felt like he had been exposed¡ªhe felt naked.


    ¡°How did I manage to hold off a hundred men on that bridge? Did I really charge at the enemy camp all by myself and return with the head of the enemy captain? Is it really possible to take down an entire castle all by yourself? Of course, you¡¯re curious¡ªthat¡¯s what fame does. It makes one wonder ¡®Is it really true?¡¯ just like your Armor Breaker nickname. And of course, I will not be giving you my answers. Hohoho!¡±


    Ferzen disappeared like he was running away. Urich had a sour aftertaste in his mouth.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with that old man?¡±


    * * *


    Through a series of twists and turns, Urich managed to secure himself a spot in the jousting tournament. When Phillion heard the news, he was pleased and told Urich that he needed to get himself armor.


    ¡°Full te armor?¡± Urich said with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Nope, a chainmail, at best.¡± Phillion killed off any hope that Urich had in a second.


    Urich and Phillion left the pce and headed to the street lined with smithies. All they could see in this alley were forges littered with armory and metal tools.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been through this before, but you can¡¯t wear armor made for a normal human body.¡±


    The smell of iron and fire mingled with the smithies. These were private forges, not Imperial workshops. Forges that dealt with Imperial steel didn¡¯t allow ess to the public.


    ¡°An armor for this hunk?¡±


    The smithy said as he looked all around Urich.


    ¡°A big, shiny armor.¡±


    Urich said with hope filled to the brim, but the smithy replied with a hesitant look.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m afraid that will be a bit difficult in my shop.¡±


    The same was true for the other smiths.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough metal on us.¡±


    ¡°You have a unique body. It¡¯s not just your size that¡¯s the issue, it¡¯s those massive muscles.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but not in the timeframe you want.¡±


    The smiths declined their request one after another. Phillion¡¯s face grew darker.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s ridiculous topete in the jousting tournament without armor; they won¡¯t even let himpete in the first ce.¡¯</i>


    A warhorse and armor were the two requisites for the jousting tournament. Without having both of them,peting was impossible. They had Kylios for their warhorse, but Urich was too big to even rent an armor from somewhere.


    <i>¡®It is going to be an immense disgrace to the prince¡¯s name if the man sponsored by him can¡¯tpete because he couldn¡¯t find an armor!¡¯</i>


    Phillion scanned the street with desperation.


    ¡°This is supposed to be where all the best cksmiths of the world are gathered! Where are the skilled smiths?¡±


    Out of anger and frustration, Phillion spoke brashly in front of the cksmith. It was an immature behavior that was quite unlike him.


    ¡°The real masters are in the Imperial smithy,¡± the cksmith retorted. In the Imperial smithy, a cksmith could get his hands on all the Imperial steel he could dream of. That¡¯s where all the renowned smiths were.


    ¡°We¡¯re all second in our ss below them. It¡¯s the truth, so we might as well admit it.¡±


    The smith said dejectedly.


    Word quickly spread through the streets that Urich was unable to find an armor because of the size of his body. One of the smiths heard the rumor and came to him.


    ¡°I can make you a set of chainmail for the price of three pairs.¡±


    ¡°Three pairs? That¡¯s enough money to buy a te armor!¡±


    Phillion frowned. Chainmail, depending on their quality, cost anywhere from twenty to fifty million cils. Three of those equated to a te armor, though it may be on the lower side in quality.


    ¡°A te armor for a big guy like him would cost just as much more. You won¡¯t be able to fit him into existing designs, and it will require more iron to cater to his size. It looks like you¡¯re in a rush; you won¡¯t find any other smith who could do this work in time for you in Hamel,¡± the smith imed with confidence.


    ¡°And how exactly are you going to get it done in time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to disassemble the two suits of chainmail I¡¯ve made and re-fit them. That would allow me to make a set that even that hulk can fit into. I¡¯m asking for the price of three sets for mybor.¡±


    The smith was convincing, and Phillion had no other options. Everything was going to fall apart unless they managed to find an armor for Urich.


    After paying the smith, Phillion anxiously waited for days as he continued to train Urich.


    ¡°Sir Phillion, how is the tournament preparation going?¡±


    Whenever Pahell would ask him this question, he answered with a forced smile.


    ¡°Everything is going swell without a single issue, my prince.¡±


    Unlike his answer, his stomach churned in anxiety.


    A day before the opening of the jousting tournament, a set of chainmail arrived at the Swallow Pce.


    <i>Cling, cling.</i>


    The chains shed and made a clear ringing sound. The greased-up chains were sparkling.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Urich, with the help of Phillion, donned the chainmail. He tightened the waistband to distribute the weight of the chains over his shoulders and pelvis. Underneath the chainmail, he was wearing leather clothing to prevent the chains from being in direct contact with his skin.


    ¡°Hup.¡±


    Urich took a deep breath. Finally, he put on the teardrop-shaped helmet and lowered the facete. His vision was drastically narrowed.


    <i>¡®The smell of metal.¡¯</i>


    As he breathed in, the metallic smell returned with his breath. It was an unfamiliar, stuffy, and heavy sensation, but strangely, a sense of security ran down his spine. It wasn''t a bad feeling.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    The chains clinked with every movement. Over the chainmail was a cloak and a robe with the crest of the Porcana Kingdom.


    Urich looked up at Phillion. Phillion seemed disgruntled.


    <i>¡®This is bad.¡¯</i>


    Phillion couldn¡¯t look Urich in the eyes.


    <i>¡®The chains aren¡¯t tightly woven, the links are thin, and even the iron looks weak. This is the cheapest of the cheap. The chains might break and dig into his flesh¡ªlet alone protect him. I can¡¯t send him into the tournament in this chainmail.¡¯</i>


    Phillion imagined a scenario where Urich failed to block the jousting spear and received a direct blow. Although the tip of the jousting spear was blunt, a blow with the momentum of the warhorse was not to be taken lightly. A weak chainmail would quickly snap and break, and its broken rings would prate the leatheryer and dig deep into the flesh.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s too dangerous topete with cheap armor.¡¯</i>


    Phillion had an ominous feeling. His mouth curled.


    <i>¡®Do I stay quiet for the prince even though the risk is obvious...¡¯</i>


    Phillion did anything and everything for the prince.


    <i>¡®But if Urich dies because of his request, the prince might break down with him.¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at Phillion through his facete. He could feel Phillion¡¯s anguish.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    Urich looked down at his chainmail. A cold chill ran down his spine as he recalled the chainmail worn by the mercenaries.


    <i>¡®The links are bigger and thinner than what the mercenaries wore.¡¯</i>


    Mercenaries were professionals who battled for a living. Their equipment was never shabby. In fact, they wereparable to that of an average standing army.


    Urich was an excellent warrior. He had keen eyes to quickly distinguish good armory from bad, and the armor he had on right now was a bad one.


    ¡°...Urich, I have something to tell you.¡±


    Phillion decided. He couldn¡¯t let Urich enter the tournament like this. Urich had done so much for Pahell until now, and he couldn¡¯t let him go in harm¡¯s way.


    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay. Trust me, Phillion.¡±


    Urich put his finger up to the lip portion of the facete. He shook his head as he stopped Phillion¡¯s words and continued as he put up his thumb.


    ¡°This is a great armor; I¡¯ll wear it well. I¡¯ll repay you with victory.¡±


    Urich covered the chainmail with his cloak. The cloak fluttered, embroidered with a herring and a fishing boat on a white background. Through the helmet, Urich¡¯s eyes glowed golden. Urich the barbarian. However, for now, he was a knight representing Porcana. Tomorrow, by the time the noon bell rang, Urich would be standing before the spectators once again.

 Chapter 63

    <h4>Chapter 63</h4>


    The sound of the chatter of the crowd surrounded the arena. The round of thirty-two match wasn¡¯t very popr, but given the sheer size of the capital, the crowd was still as big as an average diatorial match in an average city.


    Kylios was being stimted by the cheers of the crowd.


    ¡°Rx, Kylios. I know you. You¡¯re a brave and resilient horse, just like me.¡±


    Urich said in his chainmail. The armor that began at his neck protected him all the way down to the fingertips and buttocks, with an additional pair of iron shin guards to protect below the knees.


    <i>¡®It might be cheap, but it still has the shape of an armor. There are no visible gaps.¡¯</i>


    This was Urich¡¯s first time wearing a full body iron armor, but it wasn¡¯t as suffocating as he thought it would be. Instead, the rather strange stability it brought helped him calm his thoughts.


    <i>¡®Metal armor. They render shallow attacks useless.¡¯</i>


    Urich thought of the weapons of his tribe. Such crude iron weapons could not pierce this armor. Striking the armor would only cause them to crack and bend.


    It was difficult to find a gap within the armor, and it was even more difficult to aim for that small target. Furthermore, the te armor was even better than the chainmail.


    <i>¡®Metal knights who are immune to swords and spears... what a terrifying thing to think about.¡¯</i>


    Urich pictured an army of knights in full te armor charging. There was no way to stop such an army. Fueled by state-of-the-art weaponry, the empire had conquered the world. The blueprint behind the Imperial steel and te armor were still military secrets of the Imperial workshop.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Urich smoothened his robe. The robes and cloaks of the knights carried the crest of their noble family or their master. Their shields were also emzoned, and the knights used them to disy their identity.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m a knight of Porcana, haha.¡±


    Urich chuckled as he lightly tapped on his shield, a sturdy wooden structure covered in leather with iron trimming that gave it its solid form. The symbol of the herring and the fishing boat was vibrant from having the dye applied just the day before.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d try being a knight. What a wonderful experience!¡± Urich said, tapping the side of Kylios. Urich and the horse trotted out of the passage and into the arena.


    ¡°Woah!!¡±


    Cheers echoed. The crowd turned their eyes to Urich. His match had drawn arger crowd than the other round-of-thirty-two matches thanks to his fame being spread far and wide in recent days.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Armor Breaker!¡±


    People shouted.


    <i>¡®The man who broke an armor with his bare hands.¡¯</i>


    People didn¡¯t know the details of the source of the nickname, but all they cared about was the fact that he crushed a metal armor with his bare hands.


    <i>¡®How incredibly powerful must he be to break armor with his bare hands?¡¯</i>


    Urich looked around the arena through the gap in the visor.


    ¡°So, this is what it¡¯s like to have people know your name.¡±


    Urich vaguely understood the meaning of fame. He had gained fame twice: when he fought against the Silver Lion Mercenaries and when he crushed a helmet with his knee.


    <i>¡®Fame is a useful thing.¡¯</i>


    Civilization was vast, and one¡¯s fame traveled faster than oneself and became the standard by which people judged them.


    <i>¡®I got my first fame after ying thirty men back in my tribe.¡¯</i>


    With enough umtion and reiteration, fame gets to the point where its truth bes opaque, bing a legend.


    <i>¡®The Sword Demon Ferzen.¡¯</i>


    Anyone in the civilized world knew that name. Even Urich had heard it several times.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing...¡± Urich muttered as his voice echoed inside his helmet, ¡°...that just by saying his name, everyone in the world instantly recognizes him.¡±


    Urich had participated in the jousting match for Pahell and Pahell only. It wasn¡¯t because he wanted to joust.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a big win, Kylios.¡±


    Winning this match, however, waspletely his own desire. He wanted to be like the Sword Demon Ferzen; a man recognized by the world for his fame as a warrior.


    ¡°Armor Breaker? You really think he broke an armor with his bare hands? What kind of idiots believe such nonsense?¡±


    Varof, Urich¡¯s opponent, was in a bad mood. There wasn¡¯t a single soul in the crowd who was screaming out the name Varof since Urich was the talk of the match.


    ¡°How would he have broken an armor with his bare hands? It¡¯s utter nonsense,¡± Varof¡¯s squire wagged his tail. Varof was a skilled and experienced knight who wasn¡¯t satisfied with being a mere noble¡¯s knight. He was a man with ambitions who wanted to be a knight of the Order of Imperial Steel.


    The champion of the Hamel Jousting Tournament received a personal congrattion from the emperor himself. More often than not, they were recruited to join the Order of Imperial Steel.


    <i>¡®The Order of Imperial Steel.¡¯</i>


    It was the dream of every knight. The Order of Imperial Steel was the most powerful force in the world. The word ¡®Steel¡¯ alone stirred a knight¡¯s heart.


    Whoever this Armor Breaker liar is, he¡¯ll be a sacrifice for my fame.¡±


    Varof said, holding hisnce that was more than twelve feet long. The joustingnce, designed to be firmly fixed under one¡¯s armpit, was a symbol of the heavy cavalry. There were anecdotes where famous knights pierced two, or even three enemies at once with ance.


    ¡°I wish you the best of luck, Sir Varof.¡±


    The loyal and devoted squire said to his master. The knight¡¯s sess led to the squire¡¯s sess.


    ¡°Pour the wine into this cup right now. I will return before the scent is diffused, hyah!¡±


    Varof said charismatically. He kicked the side of his horse and entered the arena.


    ¡°Woahhhh!¡±


    Varof roared as he raised hisnce high. He looked at Urich the Armor Breaker who had just emerged from the opposite end of the arena.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s big. He indeed looks strong,¡¯</i> Varof thought to himself as he lowered his visor.


    Armor had the effect of making its user seem bigger, but even with that taken into ount, Urich¡¯s size was above average. Thanks to his size, his armor and cloak swayed with swagger with his every movement.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t beat him in strength, so I¡¯ll take him down with technique.¡¯</i>


    Varof had heard of Urich¡¯s background. He was a barbarian, not a civilized man. He couldn¡¯t possibly know the skills of a proper knight.


    <i>¡®No matter how much better the world has be, a barbarian cannot be a knight¡ªunless he joined the Sun Warriors, but that¡¯s not the case with him.¡¯</i>


    Even as he thought this, Varof nodded to greet Urich. Urich returned the greeting in the same manner.


    The two knights stared at each other as they stood at the starting line.


    ¡°Look at the state of him, is that really Urich?¡±


    ¡°Judging by the size of his back, yeah, that¡¯s him alright.¡±


    A dozen of the mercenaries of ¡®Urich¡¯s Brotherhood¡¯ hade to the arena after hearing the news of Urich¡¯s participation.


    ¡°A barbarian knight? What a joke,¡± Donovan said as he struggled to take his seat. His injuries still weren¡¯t healed, and it was impressive that he was walking around without help.


    ¡°It¡¯s too serious to call it a joke. Look, he¡¯s in full armor, too! He¡¯s even wearing the crest of the Porcana Kingdom,¡± Bachman was getting excited.


    Urich¡¯s sess meant Bachman¡¯s sess. He couldn¡¯t hold his grin back.


    ¡°Is Urich really going to be a royal knight?¡±


    ¡°He probably has a good chance. He¡¯s pretty close with that young master¡ªI¡¯d believe you if you told me they share their bed from time to time.¡±


    The mercenaries chuckled. They spectated the jousting tournament as they chewed on their snacks. There wasn¡¯t a hint of concern on their faces.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way Urich loses.¡¯</i>


    It was a strong faith. The mercenaries had been with Urich for at least half a year, and a year at the most.


    <i>¡®We know very well what kind of person Urich is.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s Brotherhood didn¡¯t have a single piece of doubt on their mind.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s the monster of all monsters, and the warrior of all warriors.¡¯</i>


    Urich was a man who had been doing impossible things like they were nothing. If he were a civilized man instead of a barbarian, his fame would have already reached the skies.


    <i>¡®And now, people are starting to recognize him. It was only a matter of time, after all.¡¯</i>


    Bachman felt his heart thumping in his chest. He remembered the diator days when he witnessed Urich fighting for the very first time. The unusual strength and battle skills were enough to captivate Bachman and make him obsess over Urich.


    <i>¡®I knew you were destined for bigger things. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be this big, but I knew you were not an ordinary man.¡¯</i>


    The chest of the trumpeter puffed up.


    <i>Buuuuup!</i>


    The trumpet sounded, signaling the start.


    Varof and Urich each reined their horses. Varof stared at Urich.


    <i>¡®First, analyze.¡¯</i>


    Varof¡¯s n was to stay on the defensive and win after two exchanges. A jousting match consisted of three exchanges before switching to a foot battle, so there was no need to rush into an aggressive start.


    <i>Clop</i>.


    The horses elerated, and Kylios darted forward as he breathed a hot steam from his nostrils.


    Horses were fearful herbivores by nature. To be a warhorse, they had to repress their natural instinct as much as possible to follow the order of their rider. Thoroughly bred warhorses were brave, clever, and friendly toward the human touch.


    <i>¡®Kylios is surely from a good bloodline.¡¯</i>


    Those were Pahell¡¯s words. Kylios had all the sought-after traits of a fine warhorse. He was strong, and he was brave.


    Urich liked Kylios. The horse reminded him of himself. For the very first time, they were fighting together.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll show you what I can do. Watch, Kylios.¡¯</i>


    Urich clutched his jousting spear firmly under his armpit. He recalled each of the tips and tricks he had learned from Phillion during theirst-minute training sessions.


    <i>¡®My body, the spear, and the horse, all bing one.¡¯</i>


    Urich focused everyst drop of power that was created by the momentum of the galloping horse into the tip of his jousting spear.


    The fifty-year history of the empire. The thousand-year history of recorded words. The five-thousand-year history of the origin of man that precedes all mythologies.


    Man was made to fight. They fought and fought throughout history. There was no improvement in technology without war by its side.


    Intelligence was made to create better, stronger weaponry. They modified and modified with the question <i>¡®How will we fight next?¡¯</i> Man never stopped wondering.


    The present day was the pinnacle of the history of wars, and ¡®knights¡¯ were the greatest and strongest weapons in history.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t need two exchanges to beat a scrub.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s eyes widened, and his pupils shone like a lion¡¯s.


    <i>Clop.</i>


    The sound of Kylios¡¯ hooves was heard clearly. Every time his horseshoes pushed off the arena ground, the force traveled up Urich¡¯s spine and pushed his body forward.


    ¡°W-woahhhhh!¡±


    Urich let out an involuntary roar. This was different from the times he fought alone.


    <i>¡®Kylios.¡¯</i>


    The horse was supporting him from underneath. Its strength was delivered directly to Urich¡¯s body.


    <i>¡®We¡¯re fighting together.¡¯</i>


    Kylios¡¯ breath was rough as if he was telling Urich to take down his enemy. It was the sensation of a man and his horse bing synchronized¡ªan exhration that only knights could feel. It gave Urich the confidence to destroy anyone who got in their way.


    ¡°Gallop away, Kylios. I¡¯ll use everyst drop of the strength you give me.¡±


    Urich channeled all of Kylios¡¯ power into his spear. Tilting his upper body, he faced his opponent boldly. Urich showed no signs of wanting to evade his opponent¡¯s attack as he prepared for the collision as if he were made of steel.


    <i>¡®A straightforward attack with no technique involved whatsoever.¡¯</i>


    Varof smirked and raised his shield at an angle.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Varof blocked Urich¡¯s attack with his shield, and wood splinters scattered in all directions as the tip of Urich¡¯s spear shattered against the shield.


    He thought he had blocked it. Well, he did block it.


    ¡°Gugh.¡±


    Varof groaned. A joustingnce, after facing a certain amount of impact, shatters to dampen its force.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    Varof¡¯s head spun. He fell off his horse.


    <i>¡®But I blocked it?¡¯</i>


    Despite the weapon being the jousting spear, Urich¡¯s charge carried enormous force. Even with the dampening of the impact, he still blew a man away. His strength and size were a great advantage even in jousting, as he could embrace the full power of his horse.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Varof quickly picked up his sword and shield. Then, he saw Urich who was turning his horse, headed straight back toward him.


    ¡°A-ah.¡±


    Varof looked at Urich who was charging at him on his horse. He had his body tilted diagonally as he held onto the rein of his horse as he galloped toward him ferociously.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯</i>


    It didn¡¯t feel like a contest anymore. Varof felt like he was back on the real battlefield. Urich¡¯s charge had the scent of war.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Varof instantly dropped his sword and shield and forfeited the match. Urich¡¯s sword grazed the top of Varof¡¯s helmet.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    A chill ran down his spine as Varof¡¯s helmet vibrated. Since bing a knight, this was the first time that he felt like he was going to wet his pants. Even his first battle ever wasn¡¯t this scary.


    <i>Prrr.</i>


    Urich turned his horse around and came up to Varof. He took his helmet off and tilted his head toward the loser.


    ¡°I wish you victory, Urich.¡±


    Varof tilted his visor and returned the respect.


    ¡°Wooooow!¡±


    The cheers were loud, despite it being a single-blow match. Urich was bigger than the other knights. The intimidation created by hisrge movements with no hesitation could be felt from a distance.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s doable.¡¯</i>


    Phillion clenched his fist. A mounted charge was just as much about the knight¡¯s mindset as it was about form and technique. A moment¡¯s hesitation or fear could ruin one¡¯s form. Those with unwavering courage, who believe in themselves as they hold their spear point high and proud, won.


    ¡°...amazing.¡±


    Urich muttered as he took off his helmet. Sweat poured down his face like he¡¯d been rained on, but his expression was as fresh as a freshly showered man. Even the beads of his sweat seemed to sparkle. He felt good. He had be one with thend and his horse, and he had poured out everything.


    <i>¡®This is a problem. This is way too much fun.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    ¡°Armor Breaker Urich? He¡¯s probably a nobody.¡±


    The jousting tournament contestant who said that nearly died from multiple broken ribs. Urich had finished both the round of thirty-two and sixteen in a single blow.


    <em>Woosh.</em>


    The jousting tournament was good entertainment. Every time Urich moved with Kylios, the hem of his robe fluttered. Because of his armor, he didn¡¯t look like a barbarian at all. Rather, his knight-like horseback riding skills sent the crowd into a frenzy.


    <em>¡®All those lessons from Pahell are paying off.¡¯</em>


    Pahell was a much better horseback rider than the average knight. Urich had learned from someone like him, and his bond with Kylios was unlike other knights.


    <em>¡®The way Kylios moves, it¡¯s almost like he¡¯s reading my thoughts. He feels like an extension of my legs.¡¯</em>


    Over the two rounds, the bond between Urich and Kylios only grew thicker. Urich wasn¡¯t the only one who had tasted victory. Horses were intelligent animals. Kylios too was drunk on victory. On the days he returned from a victory, his feed was full of fresh vegetables.


    ¡°Urich! Urich! Urich!¡±


    The crowd chanted his name.


    ¡°That was excellent, Urich,¡± Phillion said as he looked at Urich who was making his way back from the arena. He helped Urich remove his armor like his squire.


    ¡°They¡¯re all cowards who are afraid of the spear. They hesitate, so their spears have no power in them. Their horses know that their masters are scared, too.¡±


    Urich said excitedly. The exhration from the match was yet to be diffused, so his shoulders were shrugging up and down as his eyes darted about, looking for his opponent who no longer existed.


    ¡°Bravery is a knight¡¯s virtue, but the right amount of fear helps you protect yourself. You can¡¯t ram through the battlefield with bravery alone.¡± Phillion was worried about Urich.


    <em>¡®He¡¯s brave, but that¡¯s the problem. He doesn¡¯t know how to hold himself back.¡¯</em>


    The bravery beyond one¡¯s fear of death was the hallmark trait of barbarians. It sounded nice, but at the end of the day, it meant nothing when you were dead.


    <em>¡®Charging like he doesn¡¯t care if his opponent¡¯s spear strikes him is definitely not right.¡¯</em>


    Despite his concern, Phillion didn¡¯t say anything to Urich. As Urich said, jousting was all about mentality. It was better to let him focus on his attacks rather than distracting him with unnecessaryments.


    <em>¡®Distraction results in theck of a final product. Your spear tip will waver at thest moment.¡¯</em>


    Phillion carried onplimenting Urich as he helped him out of the rest of the armor.


    <em>Clunk.</em>


    Phillion had sent out one of his men to find the smith who made Urich¡¯s chainmail, but it was difficult to find someone in a metropolis like Hamel. He was most likely a smith who didn¡¯t even belong to a smithy, as Urich¡¯s chainmail looked like it was hastily made in a rented forge.


    ¡°Is tomorrow the start of the quarterfinals? How many more do I have to win now? One, two, three? Just three more wins to win the whole thing,¡± Urich grinned as he counted with his fingers.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see a drastic rise in the level of your opponent starting in the quarterfinals. They¡¯ll also have better horses and better armor, as well.¡±


    ¡°Kylios is a good horse, too.¡±


    ¡°He is indeed, but he is not a trained warhorse.¡±


    The capital of Hamel was brought to life by the jousting tournament. Everywhere you turned, there was talk of the jousting tournament. By the time the contest was down to the contestants of the quarterfinals, there were only a few who didn¡¯t know their names.


    From the quarterfinals onward, the high nobility started to pay attention to the contestants. The nobles were eager to find a talented knight to hire as their liege, even if they weren¡¯t necessarily the champion.


    In the jousting tournament arena, there were seats set aside for just the nobles, the highest of which were strictly guarded by soldiers nking them on either side.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a hot day.¡±


    With the man¡¯s words, maidens withrge fans rushed over and waved their arms. The breeze swept across the man¡¯s skin. The servants around him raised a shade curtain made ofyers of cloth to put a shade over the man¡¯s head.


    With just the word ¡®hot,¡¯ the amount of power the man was holding became obvious. His people moved of their own ord.


    ¡°Ohoho, the men down there in their armor are probably getting steamed alive in there.¡±


    ¡°Calling me for a mere quarterfinal match, is there someone who caught Noya¡¯s eyes?¡±


    The man said softly. The person he referred to as Noya was the Sword Demon Ferzen.


    The man¡¯s and Ferzen¡¯s gazes swept down the arena. Wearing a cloak or a robe over armor wasn¡¯t just for aesthetics; the extrayer of cloth blocked the sun¡¯s rays, preventing the armor from heating up.


    ¡°There¡¯s an interesting one.¡±


    Ferzen narrowly opened his white eyes. The cataract had advanced quite a bit, leaving his visions rather poor.


    ¡°Noya, you¡¯ve lived so many years, and yet you still find entertainment in this world.¡±


    ¡°You, the man who enjoys all the pleasures of this world, still find fun in things, don¡¯t you? Ohoho.¡±


    The man and Ferzen soundedfortable with each other.


    The man under the shade was in his thirties. The rxed corners of his mouth showed his confidence. His arms were covered in vascr muscles, and the calluses on his hands suggested that he was quite experienced with his sword.


    ¡°What pleasure?¡±


    The man grinned and pulled one of the maidens toward himself. He lightly explored her mouth, then groped her butt. The maiden, however, didn¡¯t protest at all.


    ¡°There hees.¡±


    The man roughly shoved the maiden away at Ferzen¡¯s words. The maiden, after falling on the floor, rushed back to her feet and returned to her position.


    ¡°You can still see with those eyes, huh?¡±


    ¡°Just the silhouette.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get surgery?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡±


    Ferzen took a seat with a burst ofughter. He didn¡¯t care much about his eyesight; he had lived long enough. After a lifetime on the battlefield, he was still alive and well. Some even say that Ferzen had the blessing of the sun god.


    ¡°He¡¯s tall and quiterge. I can feel his strength through his armor. What is that crest?¡±


    The man said as he looked down at the arena. Urich, better known as the Armor Breaker, emerged into the arena.


    ¡°A herring and a fishing boat. It¡¯s the crest of the Porcana Kingdom,¡± the scribe standing next to the man said.


    ¡°Porcana¡­ that small kingdom on the fringes sent a knight this far? A knight sponsored by royalty probably isn¡¯t seeking a ce in the Order of Imperial Steel, either.¡±


    The man tilted his chin. Urich had piqued his curiosity.


    ¡°That man is a barbarian, ohoho. Isn¡¯t it funny? The man who¡¯speting in this jousting tournament with the sponsorship of royalty is a barbarian! And the rumor has it that he and his sponsor, Prince Varca Aneu Porcana, are friends.¡±


    The man leaned forward and twisted his lips as his eyes shone.


    ¡°Hmm, a royalty and a barbarian are friends? If that¡¯s true, it¡¯s quite an entertainingbination. How is that barbarian knight in Noya¡¯s eyes? You wouldn¡¯t have called me if he wasn¡¯t any good, even if he was interesting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know Mijorn the Brave from the Chronicles of the Northern Conquest. He was the self-proimed king of the north who rode as far south as the empire.¡±


    About three decades ago, the empire conquered the north and the south. It was the work of the previous emperor, which people praised and called ¡®The Great Conquest.¡¯ The previous emperor, who wasn¡¯t satisfied with stopping there, died during a battle in the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians a decade ago without fulfilling his wish.


    There weren¡¯t many nobles who hadn¡¯t read the Chronicles of the Northern and Southern Conquest, which were handwritten by the previous emperor.


    ¡°Of course, Noya yourself led your army and beheaded Mijorn. What, are you asking for my praise for what you did decades ago?¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, that man¡¯s prowess is on par with Mijorn¡¯s, if not better.¡±


    Ferzen said, and the man let out a contained exmation.


    ¡°That is quite a high praise. I suppose we¡¯ll find out soon enough whether you¡¯ve just lost your edge along with your vision.¡±


    The man pulled himself to the edge of his seat as he looked down at the arena. The two knights faced each other.


    Urich felt the breath of Kylios. His and Kylios¡¯ breaths gradually became synchronized, and something exhrating exploded in his head. He no longer felt the weight of the armor, and the spear felt as light as air.


    <em>¡®I feel like I can do anything.¡¯</em>


    Despite his body burning with the will to fight, his head was crystal clear. Urich experienced this sensation every now and then. On days when this sensation rose inside him before a battle, even his enemies¡¯ weapons seemed to evade him.


    ¡°Xavier, the famous ck knight!¡±


    The crowd chanted the opponent knight¡¯s name along with Urich¡¯s. Xavier was a popr ck knight who was known for fighting for the wrongfully used.


    A ck knight was a knight who fought for the defense in a duel trial. Conversely, a intiff¡¯s representative was called a white knight.


    ¡°Ohh, Xavier, I¡¯ve heard his name. He¡¯s well-known as the ck knight of the powerless.¡±


    ¡°Xavier is a knight with a respectable backstory, ohoho. Representing the powerless in their duel trials pro bono is a great way to build a public reputation.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s all because he has the skills to win all those duels.¡±


    The man and Ferzen discussed as they looked at Xavier. Xavier, fitting to his name, was dressed in an all-ck attire.


    ¡°Xavier! Xavier!¡±


    The crowd seemed to prefer Xavier over Urich. A ck knight who fought duel rials for the weak who were wrongfully used. The public loved a knight like that.


    No one knew if Xavier fought for the powerless because of the truepassion he has for them in his heart, or if he did it solely as a strategy to gain poprity and fame. Maybe he just happened to get caught up in the trials.


    Fame was often independent of the original truth. A reputation coulde to life as long as people started to talk about it. However, there was no fame without reason. In any case, it was true that Xavier had often represented the weak in their duel trials as their ck knight, and he was a skilled knight who hade out victorious in all of them.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Xavier had heard the stories about Urich¡¯s round of thirty-two and sixteen matches.


    <em>¡®He won both those rounds with just a single blow. If I try to y it safe, he¡¯ll beat me like he did with the other knights. I have to be ready from the get-go and charge with all my power.¡¯</em>


    Xavier¡¯s eyes shone with rock-solid determination. His dark charcoal-colored robe fluttered long, and his ckened joustingnce was tucked securely under his armpit.


    <em>Clop!</em>


    The horses on both sides galloped. The crowd watched with bated breath as the two knights faced off.


    <em>¡®Something feels different.¡¯</em>


    Urich, on his galloping horse, thought to himself. He felt the momentum of Xavier as he rode toward him from the opposite end of the arena.


    The rear of Xavier¡¯s saddle was wide and stable. It was designed to help its rider better withstand the shes of a joust. His shield wasrger and had greater curvature to evenly distribute the impact of thence.


    <em>¡®I won¡¯t be able to knock him off his horse by striking his shield like I did with the other ones.¡¯</em>


    It only took Urich a brief moment to assess the situation. It wasn¡¯t that he had noticed anything with his theoretical knowledge, it was just a gut feeling of a warrior. His judgment that striking the shield wasn¡¯t going to work was correct.


    ¡°Urich?¡±


    Phillion widened his eyes as he watched the match, and he wasn¡¯t the only one with a puzzled reaction. The crowd murmured as they watched Urich¡¯s movement.


    The most basic technique of jousting was to tuck thence tightly under one¡¯s armpit because that was the position that delivered the full power of the horse with the strike. Any other technique would inflict an injury to the knight as it wouldn¡¯t allow a safe embracing of the horse¡¯s beastly power.


    <em>¡®I am strong.¡¯</em>


    Urich always had faith in his body. Even when he was severely wounded in the Sky Mountains, he made it down to the bottom after shivering in the cold. Even when he crushed the facete of a full te armor, he believed that if anyone could do it, it was himself. He was a warrior who had full faith in himself.


    ¡°Woahhhh!¡±


    Urich let out a primal roar. Hisnce was no longer tucked under his armpit. Instead, it was lifted up as if he was about tounch it. It was apletely different angle that he was bringing it down at.


    ¡°No, Urich! That¡¯s not enough power!¡±


    Phillion yelled without even realizing it. Urich¡¯s form wasn¡¯t going to carry enough power to break down a knight in heavy armor.


    <em>¡®What is he doing, striking down from that height with just one arm? Not only will heck the power he needs, but he might injure his shoulder. There¡¯s a basic technique for a reason!¡¯</em>


    Then, Phillion¡¯s mouth dropped open as he witnessed something that made him doubt his own eyes. The joustingnce that Urich had lifted with one arm deftly avoided the shield and struck the armor.


    By securing thence using the strength in his arm and shoulder, Urich had freely wielded a joustingnce that was over ten feet long and loaded the entire power of his horse on it with just a single arm.


    <em>Thud!</em>


    Xavier was unable to block thence that came in from an unexpected angle. After being struck in the shoulder, he lost his bnce and fell off his horse.


    <em>¡®That stings.¡¯</em>


    Urich gripped the reins and tossed aside thence after its tip was ruined. The extraordinary maneuver only left him a sore shoulder.¡¯


    <em>Schring.</em>


    Urich drew his sword and reined his horse toward Xavier.


    <em>¡®How in the world was I hit?¡¯</em>


    Xavier didn¡¯t understand exactly what had happened. His helmet and therge shield limited his vision significantly, and Urich¡¯snce hade in from his blind spot. The crowd, however, saw exactly how the exchange unfolded.


    <em>¡®He charged holding thence up high with one arm?¡¯</em>


    Joustingnce was not a weapon that was supposed to be raised high with one arm. Urich¡¯s form was not the ordinary jousting form; it was more like a form you would see in a javelin throw.


    <em>¡®If anyone else had tried that, their shoulders would have shattered. His physical prowess is insane.¡¯</em>


    On top of that, Urich¡¯snce was incredibly urate and precise. He aimed for his opponent¡¯s blind spot and dodged the shield as he struck downward.


    Xavier forfeited the match. After learning what Urich had pulled off, he lost his will to continue the match.


    ¡°Did you see that? Ohoho.¡±


    Ferzen said triumphantly. He smiled as he listened to his servant¡¯s description of the match like a blind man. He couldn¡¯t see the details of the game with his white eyes.


    ¡°That indeed is an amazing skill. I have never seen anyone use a joustingnce like that before. It made me consider forming a cavalry unit in the Sun Warriors,¡± the man said as he pped.


    ¡°Not all barbarians can do what he does.¡±


    ¡°How interesting! That was fun, Noya. You still have great eyes for talent.¡±


    ¡°Of course, your majesty.¡±


    Ferzen bowed his head lightly. The other servants fell to the floor to bow as the man got up from his seat.


    <em>Fluck.</em>


    The man drew his purple cloak around him. The symbol on the cloak was an eagle in golden threat. The color of the cloak was not a blueish purple, but it was in fact a true purple cloak. There was only one person in the world who could wear that cloak around his back.


    The one who goes by the name the ¡®Ruler of the World¡¯: the emperor.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    ¡°Prince Varca, your request for an audience has been granted. Please prepare yourself, and I will be back by sunset,¡± the residence officer of the Swallow Residence said to Pahell. Pahell scurried up from his chair and summoned Phillion.


    ¡°Get us ready right now and run the bath.¡±


    All of a sudden, his request was granted. Pahell clenched his fists.


    <em>¡®This is it. This is my chance.¡¯</em>


    His chest heaved. Nerves and excitement almost made him nauseous.


    The man who ruled over the city of Hamel, the empire, and even the world. The title ¡®Ruler of the World¡¯ was not an overstatement. The sun god Lou was absolute, but the emperor was right under him.


    <em>¡®Dammit, I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up.¡¯</em>


    Pahell¡¯s fate was going to be decided by this audience. He submerged his body into the bath that Phillion had prepared. He brought his face below the surface, closed his eyes, then opened them again.


    ¡°My prince, you must receive an answer for your request for asylum as well as prove your rightful im to the throne¡­¡±


    Pahell picked his head up from the water.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me all that. Don¡¯t go on like an old man.¡±


    ¡°I must be bing a nag,¡± Phillion nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Do you think Urich had something to do with our request being granted out of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°That is most likely the case. Urich performed outstandingly with the crest of Porcana on his back. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he caught the attention of the emperor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Urich. He never disappoints.¡±


    Pahell grinned bitterly. He could only feel indebted to Urich.


    ¡°He is a warrior of extraordinary caliber. He is not someone whose story will finish as a mere mercenary leader.¡±


    Phillion thought highly of Urich. Urich was not only strong, but he was intelligent, and he knew the meaning of honor and integrity and upheld them himself.


    <em>¡®He will be an extraordinary man.¡¯</em>


    Anyone who had seen Urich throughout his life said the same. Whether it was the shaman who had watched Urich grow up or his brothers from the tribe, they all knew that Urich was something special.


    <em>Ssh.</em>


    Pahell stretched his arms slightly and struck the water lightly. He looked at his own arms which had picked up quite a bit of muscle. But despite all the recent training, his body was far from that of a fighter.


    ¡°What is the emperor like?¡±


    The name of the current and third emperor was Yanchinus Hamelon, which meant ¡®Yanchinus the owner of Hamel,¡¯ simr to how Aneu Porcana meant the ¡®Son of Porcana.¡¯


    ¡°The emperor is popr with people, intelligent but capricious¡­ and said to be a womanizer. At least, this is what is known to the public. It could very well be a political rumor made up for publicity.¡±


    Each of the emperors was a legendary figure. The first emperor, Sharkaman, built his empire by subjugating the surrounding kingdom within the span of a single generation, and the second emperor Garangius conquered the north and south while consolidating his empire.


    After the two previous emperors, it was no wonder the public wanted to know what the third emperor, Yanchinus, had in his mind.


    <em>¡®The Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians.¡¯</em>


    Pahell muttered. It was one of Yanchinus¡¯ most significant policies to assimte the barbarians through civilization¡¯s influence. As a result, quite arge number of barbarians had been brought into the ways of civilization. Over thest decade, the public¡¯s antipathy toward barbarians has diminished rapidly as well.


    <em>¡®I¡¯ve spread the rumor that Urich and I are quite close.¡¯</em>


    That was what Pahell was going for. The empire was pro-barbarian. There was a good chance that he would be intrigued by the friendship between a barbarian and a royalty.


    <em>¡®Did it work, then?¡¯</em>


    Pahell swept back his wet hair. His blue eyes were vibrant and deep. They were one of the two traits of the royal family of Porcana: Blonde hair and blue eyes.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Pahell helped himself up as water dripped off his body. The servants rushed in to dry him.


    The sun slowly set, and Pahell, bathed and dressed in clean clothes, waited for the residence official. After the sun had set, the official came to Pahell.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°We are going to the Pce of White Night, also known as the Pce of Ten Pleasures,¡± the official smiled, and Pahell fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like an appropriate ce for an audience.¡±


    ¡°This audience was not on the schedule. There is no reason for His Majesty to alter his schedule just for a prince of a small kingdom,¡± the official said tantly. Pahell held back a rising tide of insults.


    ¡°I kid, of course, Prince Varca. I was just trying to lift the mood a little. His Majesty often proceeds with his audience in the Pce of White Night, and he even offers his women to guests of honor.¡±


    The official let out a low chuckle.


    ¡°That was a bad joke, official.¡±


    Pahell swallowed hard. The Pce of Ten Pleasures was visible from quite a distance. One just had to look for the pce that was as bright as day even in the darkest hour of the night. It was a pce where darkness never came even at night, hence the name Pce of White Night.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    The gates of the Pce of White Night opened, and the soldiers standing on either side of the gate didn¡¯t budge. Instead, they moved only their eyes to inspect Pahell and the official. It was in these details that the Imperial discipline was evident.


    ¡°Incense?¡±


    Incense burners dotted the pce. As the smoke drifted from them, they released a thick scent.


    ¡°Please follow me, Prince Varca.¡±


    The official said as he walked ahead. The intermittentughter of women was heard from left and right, and their smooth shadows were visible through the thin curtains. Their thick bodily scent mingled with the scent of the incense, creating a strange and unique smell that Pahell had never smelled anywhere else before.


    ¡°Please pay your respect to the Ruler of the World, Your Majesty Yanchinus Hamelon.¡±


    The official said to Pahell. His eyes were pointed toward the bed that was five steps up the stairs. Beyond the drape that hung from the ceiling sat Yanchinus with women by his side, caressing his body.


    ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°I meet the emperor,¡± Pahell said as he bowed deeply.


    ¡°Sit here, Prince Varca. Official, leave us be,¡± Yanchinus said as he patted down a pile of cushions and pillows. The women around him giggled.


    <em>¡®The smell of women.¡¯</em>


    Pahell sat on the edge of the bed. The bodily odor that was mixed with human body heat felt very close. The women were practically half-naked.


    <em>¡®The priests would be terrified if they saw this.¡¯</em>


    Pahell was a faithful, devout follower of Srism. A ce of desire like this was foreign to him, and he suddenly longed for the clear sea back home.


    ¡°Do any of them fit your type?¡±


    Yanchinus asked Pahell as he tilted his head with a grin.


    ¡°There¡¯s something we should discuss first¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like women, are you into men?¡±


    Yanchinusughed as he pped his knee, and his women followed suit. Pahell¡¯s face turned red.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, Your Majesty, the reason why I requested your audience is¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, you don¡¯t have to exin all that to me,¡± Yanchinus cut Pahell off once again.


    <em>¡®I¡¯m getting no respect from the emperor.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Driven into exile by your own uncle and seeking asylum at fifteen,¡¯</em> Yanchinus thought to himself as he looked at Pahell.


    He had heard all he needed to hear. When he first received Pahell¡¯s request for an audience, he had pushed it far down his priority list.


    ¡°I heard that that uncle of yours who is trying to steal your throne is Duke Harmatti. What would you do if he had already reached out to me and convinced me of his rightful im to the throne?¡±


    ¡°That traitor has no legitimate im to the throne!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but only if you, the rightful heir, is alive.¡±


    Yanchinus raised his arm. The women who had been flirting with Pahell suddenly drew a dagger from underneath the cushions and pillows.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this!¡±


    Pahell was shocked. The women put the dagger against his neck while Yanchinus stared at Pahell with a grin on his face.


    ¡°If you die, Duke Harmatti will take the throne. From what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s not a bad politician at all, and he has the support of many nobles in Porcana. He¡¯ll probably do a good job ruling the kingdom smoothly in your ce. He¡¯s only forty, so he¡¯ll still have a decade left in him as long as I stay quiet about how he got the throne.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s face turned pale.


    <em>¡®Is this how it ends? Has my uncle already reached the emperor?¡¯</em>


    Pahell suddenly realized and regretted hiscency, although a bit toote. He naively thought that everything would work out as long as he reached the empire. Now that he thought about it, it was never guaranteed that the empire was going to be on his side.


    ¡°Your joke is going too far, Your Majesty,¡± Pahell said with trembling lips. Yanchinus shook his head.


    ¡°Say yourst words, prince. You will go down in history as the fool who came to the empire to im your throne and died a shameful death while chasing pleasures with women.¡±


    Yanchinus slowly clenched his open hand. With his cue, the de of the dagger pressed harder against Pahell¡¯s neck. The women holding the de whispered his death in their high-pitched voices.


    ¡°In exchange for my life, I ask that you ensure the safety of the knights who served me¡­ and reward the mercenaries and their leader Urich generously for the work they have done for me. They are capable men who deserve better than to be under someone like me. If you grant me this onest request, I will return to Lou without any resentment or curse.¡±


    Pahell recited his prayer. It was hard to be brave in the face of death. His legs felt like noodles.


    <em>¡®Oh, Lou, please give me the courage to ept death, so that I may not be ugly in the face of death.¡¯</em>


    Pahell wanted to fall to his knees and beg for his life, but he didn¡¯t. He had learned courage on his journey to the empire.


    <em>¡®What would Urich do in this situation?¡¯</em>


    Pahell asked himself. If it were Urich, he probably would have concluded his life with a smile on his face.


    Pahell forced the corners of his mouth to curl up into a smile. One must be able tough at the edge of life and death¡ªkeep his determination strong despite staring at the face of death.


    <em>¡®That is what it means to be noble.¡¯</em>


    Pahell shut his eyes.


    Yanchinus pped.


    ¡°I think my joke went a bit too far, Prince Varca.¡±


    At Yanchinus¡¯ signal, the women hid the dagger back under the pillows and shuffled backward and scattered.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Pahell opened his eyes and gasped for air, still nervously, as he bent over. His heart was thumping out of his chest. He had just walked the line between life and death.


    ¡°Here, drink some cold water. There is no poison, so don¡¯t worry about that, haha.¡±


    The emperor took a sip out of the cup first before handing it over to Pahell. Pahell gulped down the cold water and calmed his beating chest.


    <em>¡®I¡¯m alive.¡¯</em>


    Sweat poured down Pahell¡¯s face. The bath that he took right before the audience was meaningless.


    ¡°You enjoy your jokes,¡± Pahell¡¯s words were tinged with displeasure. He couldn¡¯t hide it even if he tried.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you have everything you could possibly have in the world. It takes a lot for me to feel something. I¡¯ve had everything I¡¯ve ever wanted since I was born, so you¡¯ll have to forgive me if my jokes are a bit rough and over the line from time to time.¡±


    Yanchinus spoke such arrogant words with unbelievable ease. But no one could deny his words, not even the Pope who was supposed to be the representative of the almighty sun god Lou, who bowed his head in the presence of the emperor. There wasn¡¯t a single force in the world that could stand in the way of the all-powerful emperor.


    Pahell cleared his throat and looked Yanchinus straight in his eyes.


    ¡°Please officially grant my request for asylum and help me im my throne, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yanchinus cupped Pahell¡¯s cheeks in his palms as he stared at him with fiery eyes.


    ¡°At fifteen, you are old enough to hold your own and defend your throne! If I helped a prince who couldn¡¯t even manage that to be king of the kingdom, do you think he could rule it properly? Even if he did, how does that benefit me? Whoever bes king of Porcana is of no concern to me. Whoever it is that takes that throne, as long as he continues to pay tribute to the empire, that¡¯s all that matters to me! Does the Porcana Kingdom worry about who bes the ruler of each of the counties? That¡¯s what the throne of Porcana means to me.¡±


    Yanchinus burst outughing as he unleashed his words on Pahell.


    ¡°If the rightful heir does not take the throne, it will set a bad precedent.¡±


    This was Pahell¡¯s only point of argument.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! I have the invincible Order of Imperial Steel as my left hand and the indomitable Sun Warriors as my right, not to mention the proud imperial army at my feet lifting me up! Enough of this nonsense, if I spoon-feed the throne to the prince who can¡¯t even grasp it for himself, what benefit will you return to me?¡±


    The emperor¡¯s frenzied roar crushed Pahell¡¯s spirit.


    <em>¡®This man is a wolf.¡¯</em>


    Yanchinus was an emperor who poured his power into the revtion of academia, and he even implemented a cultural policy for the barbarians. But the emperor that Pahell met was a man of war who was equipped with both intelligence and wildness. After all, he was the heir of the first two emperors who had built this empire with power. There was no way that their sessor would be meek.


    ¡°I will grant your request for asylum! You can stay here like a defeated dog, scavenging for food I throw you, but, Prince Varca, if you want my help bing king, then bring me a fitting gift. I will give you three days. We will dine together, and you may bring your friend, that barbarian mercenary leader.¡±


    Yanchinus summoned the women again. Pahell shuffled backward as he kept his eyes on the emperor.


    ¡°I will see you in three days, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You may take any of these women if there is one that you like. I know that the royal bloodline of Porcana is known for its beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. If you sow your seed and a girl is born who takes after you, I will make her my concubine.¡±


    Pahell suppressed his urge to gag. The power that had left the hands of a priest was pure debauchery. Yanchinus chased his desires as if he had forgotten all of the teachings of the sun god.


    ¡°Also, take my gift from the official. It is my gift to you for surviving the Pce of White Night. Gifts are supposed to be both given and received! Remember my words!¡±


    With those words, only a harsh groan remained in the room as the man and women tangled like animals.


    Pahell, who bowed his head in acknowledgment, stepped out of the Pce of White Night.


    ¡°His Majesty said that he left me a gift.¡±


    The official was waiting by the entrance. He took out a gold-trimmed box and opened it.


    ¡°A precious treasure from the frozennds of the north. Its value is immeasurable.¡±


    The official said to Pahell. What he pulled out of the box was a palm-sized statue chiseled from green jade, something that Pahell had never seen before. It was of a snake with a marble in its mouth. For a snake, it seemed quite brave.


    ¡°A snake?¡±


    Pahell muttered.


    ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s called a dragon,¡± the residence official replied.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Urich¡¯s semi-final match had drawn the anticipation of many people.


    ¡°He lifts his joustingnce with one arm and strikes down on his opponent!¡±


    ¡°How strong does he have to be to pull that off? I guess the nickname Armor Breaker wasn¡¯t for nothing after all.¡±


    The crowd dly waited for the jousting match to see Urich¡¯s unnatural strength. The public loved anything that deviated from the norm.


    So far, Urich had fought three bouts, all of which ended with a single blow. The people were eager to see more of the same.


    The semi-final match was underway, and Urich dug his heels into Kylios¡¯ side.


    <em>nk!</em>


    Urich and the knight shed with a loud and clear impact. The two men on their horses winced and nced at each other from opposite ends.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Urich let out the breath that he was holding in as he listened to the cheer of the crowd. He wasn¡¯t able to knock down his opponent with just a single attack this time.


    <em>¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯</em>


    It was the semi-final of the Hamel Jousting Tournament, where every single one of the contestants was filtered and handpicked from a plethora. The man who had made his way into the semifinals was not an easy opponent.


    <em>¡®I almost broke my wrist¡ªhis strength is this much even after I¡¯ve deflected his spear. What an unreal strength.¡¯</em>


    The man who had sessfully defended against Urich¡¯s attack thought to himself. He was a shield-wielding specialist. He had deflected Urich¡¯snce at an angle to parry the attack. Urich, who just experienced the skill himself, knew how great of a skill it was.


    ¡°Amazing. The tip of mynce made good contact with his shield, but my strength was somehow parried away.¡±


    Urich tugged on Kylios¡¯ reins and straightened their stance. This was no ordinary opponent.


    <em>¡®He is more experienced than I am. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to win by just pushing through with my strength.</em>


    Urich was technically only a novice at jousting. His chances of winning were better in an honest contest of brute strength than with a technical and analytical strategy, so he always went for the win from the start.


    What was he supposed to do when he encountered an opponent who was difficult to suppress through his sheer force?


    <em>¡®If you think you don¡¯t have a good chance in the mounted portion, it can be better to go on the defensive and drag it out to the foot duel.¡¯</em>


    Urich already knew the solution thanks to Phillion, and he decided to listen to his teacher. Urich gripped his shield firmly and focused on blocking. It wasn¡¯t the way he wanted to fight since he wanted to feel the wind in his hair again as he felt the pleasure of knocking over the opponent.


    <em>¡®Mounted charge is fun. It¡¯s exhrating.¡¯</em>


    However, victory was the virtue of a warrior. Money wasn¡¯t what they were gambling on, it was his life. Unlike money, one¡¯s life couldn¡¯t be earned back once it¡¯s been lost.


    Urich was a warrior who knew how to be patient for the sake of victory.


    ¡°iming that I tried my best after losing is only a pathetic excuse!¡± Urichughed as he blocked thence of his opponent two more times by holding his shield firmly in front of him.


    <em>¡®It feels like I¡¯m running into a wall.¡¯</em>


    Urich¡¯srge frame and strong muscles couldn¡¯t be broken down easily. After three rounds of mountedbat, the trumpeter blew a long st on his trumpet.


    <em>Buuuup!</em>


    Urich and the knight dismounted their horse and picked up their sword and shield.


    ¡°Leave the rest to me, Kylios.¡±


    Urich said to his horse as he patted him lightly. He slightly opened his visor to release the trapped heat inside his helmet, then closed it.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    After drawing in a full lung of fresh air, Urich stared at his opponent.


    <em>¡®Footbat.¡¯</em>


    It was different from the mountedbat. He was no longer fighting an unfamiliar battle with a horse and a joustingnce.


    <em>¡®I¡¯m standing on the ground now. Good, Urich,¡¯</em> Urich told himself in his head.


    <em>Thump.</em>


    Urich took a step forward. To his opposing knight, it seemed like Urich¡¯s size had doubled since getting off their horses.


    <em>¡®We¡¯ve gotten off our horses, but somehow he¡¯s even more intimidating now.¡¯</em>


    The other knight was puzzled. In mounted battles, the presence of the horses muted their riders¡¯. But now, they fought with only human strength. The pure power of a warrior was on disy.


    ¡°Woahhhhhh!¡±


    Urich roared as he banged his sword on his shield.


    <em>¡®Barbarian. Goddammit.¡¯</em>


    The knight frowned. Barbarians were adept in primitive fighting. They intimidated their opponents even before their sh by puffing themselves up.


    <em>Crash!</em>


    Urich lunged forward ruthlessly and wildly swung his sword.


    <em>¡®Dammit, his attacks feel just as heavy as they were when he was on his horse.¡¯</em>


    The knight frowned at the heavy blow. A tingling sensation began to build up in the arm that he had used to block the repeated blow.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Urich pounced on the knight with his shield mounted in front of him. The two men tangled as they lost their bnce.


    The knight was by no means an easy opponent. Even during his fall, he tried to stab into the side of Urich.


    <em>Crunch.</em>


    Urich tossed his shield aside and grabbed the knight¡¯s de with his hand. It was only possible because his chainmail was protecting his hand down to the fingertips.


    <em>Schring!</em>


    The knight jerked the de out with a rough twist. The chains around Urich¡¯s hand snapped and twisted as their links broke.


    ¡°This goddamn cheap-ass armor!¡±


    Urich yelled in frustration. He felt a burning sensation in the hand that he had used to catch the de. Blood was pouring out of it.


    <em>¡®Nice, he only has one hand left to use.¡¯</em>


    The knight thought that Urich could now obviously only use one of his hands since he had cut deeply into the other one.


    The two men rolled around tangled too closely to swing their swords. It was amon urrence in a battle between two armored fighters.


    <em>Grip.</em>


    Urich clenched his bloodied fist and drove it into the side of the knight.


    <em>Cring!</em>


    The knight¡¯s chainmail rippled. The impact of Urich¡¯s fist prated the chainmail and into the quilted cloth underneath. His fist was no different than a club, and he used it to pummel the chainmail regardless of the extent of his injury.


    <em>¡°Gagh!¡±</em>


    The knight spat out his breath after the strike. Urich pinned him down and pounded his fists on the knight several times.


    ¡°Hagh, hagh.¡±


    Urich stopped his hand which blood was pouring down from, and the armored knight underneath him had gone limp and passed out. The blood on him, however, was mostly from Urich¡¯s wounded hand.


    ¡°W-wow!!! Armor Breaker! Armor Breaker!


    The crowd lost their minds over Urich who had pounded away at the armor with his bare hands. It was a truthful violence that they rarely saw from the standard knights.


    Urich raised his arm in victory and exited the arena with the crowd¡¯s cheer on his back.


    ¡°Mm-hmm. It wasn¡¯t the most chivalrous victory, but a victory nevertheless.¡±


    Phillion shook his head as he assessed the wound of Urich who had returned from the match.


    ¡°Was my armor supposed to break that easily? Huh?¡±


    Urich expressed his annoyance as he held his torn hand out.


    ¡°It¡¯s because the chains weren¡¯t strong enough. I can¡¯t believe it just broke like that. Even the leather underneath the hand portion is thinner than anything I¡¯ve seen. I can¡¯t believe how poor this workmanship is¡­¡±


    Phillion kicked his tongue as he poured a bucket of clean water on Urich¡¯s hand. After washing the blood away, he assessed the cut.


    <em>¡®The cut is quite deep. It will be difficult to pick up a weapon or shield in this state.¡¯</em>


    Urich¡¯s hand was split open cleanly. It was painful just to look at it.


    ¡°Try moving your fingers one by one. Mm, that¡¯s good. It¡¯ll heal on its own with plenty of rest. The prince had his audience yesterday, so now is a good time to stop¡­¡±


    Urich grabbed Phillion by the ruff of his neck.


    ¡°What are you on about? Are you telling me to forfeit just because of some cut in my hand? I only have one match left. If I win that, I¡¯m going to be the champion.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already got what we wanted, Urich.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t. A wound like this will be better by the morning if I just spit on it.¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes were burning with a determination that even Phillion could feel. On top of that, Urich had just finished a fight, so he was even more aggressive.


    ¡°The fact that you made it to the finals is already impressive. People will remember your name.¡±


    ¡°Get that bullshit out of my face. Remember my name? The man who wasn¡¯t even the champion? Nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Urich, remember the reason why you entered this tournament in the first ce! Who did youe here for?¡±


    Phillion shoved Urich¡¯s arm away. Even Phillion, a man who was gentle by nature, was a stubborn knight at the end of the day. He prioritized loyalty over everything to the point of choosing it over staying truthful to the oath he made with the sun god Lou.


    ¡°Mr. Phillion, I know what you mean. But I¡¯m young, and my heart is burning. I might regret this for the rest of my life. I haven¡¯t lived as long as you have, but I know this one thing. If there¡¯s something you want to do, you have to do it while you can. If you keep running away from it bying up with a bunch of excuses, you¡¯ll never do anything.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s just one left. Listen, Phillion, the crowd is chanting my name. The chants from the diatorial days don¡¯t evene close to this.¡±


    ¡°Since when were you so hungry for fame?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m hungry for fame. I just want to know what it feels like to gain it.¡±


    Urich¡¯s words were calm.


    Phillion stared into Urich¡¯s eyes. They were fiery, yet cold at the same time.


    <em>¡®Childishness is a privilege of the youth.¡¯</em>


    With age, one could no longer afford to take risks, and they naturally forgot the eagerness of youth. Instead of learning something new, they favor sticking to what is familiar. Unable to recognize their own senility, they dismiss youth as foolishness.


    Phillion grinned bitterly.


    <em>¡®You always shine, Urich.¡¯</em>


    He looked up at Urich. Urich was young and strong.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Urich took off his helmet.


    ¡°Just like how you are doing this for Pahell, so am I. But we are different, Sir Phillion. You may be his loyal servant, but I am his friend. My life isn¡¯t solely for Pahell.¡±


    ¡°But at least for now, you must do your job as the mercenary leader who we hired¡­¡±


    Phillion rebutted.


    ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t go against my integrity, I act for my own good. If I hadn¡¯t done so, you and Pahell would never have crossed the borders of Porcana. I basically convinced my squad purely for my own desire to see the Imperial capital. What if I hadn¡¯t followed my personal desires and remained loyal to only my duties as the mercenary leader? We probably would have killed both you and Pahell on the spot for deceiving us and taken your bag of pearls, since that was a more stable gain for us.¡±


    Phillion had nothing to say; he had benefited from Urich¡¯s personal whims.


    ¡°When did you be such an eloquent man? Do as you please. The finals are in a couple of days, so I¡¯ll find you some good ointment.¡±


    ¡°Phillionughed weakly. The stubbornness of the ipetent was foolishness, but the stubbornness of thepetent was conviction. Urich, of course, was thetter.


    * * *


    Pahell stared at the jade figure for two days. Jade was an opaque green gem. It was an unpopr ore to use for jewelry, let alone sculpting.


    ¡°A dragon?¡±


    Pahell muttered. Despite the wear and tear of the figure, the original borate sculpture was detailed enough to recognize the shape of the dragon. It resembled a snake but with lizard-like forelimbs and horns and a beard sprouting from its head. There was also a bead in its mouth.


    It was a creature that Pahell had never seen before, but he had a vague idea of what it represented. It was brave and reverent. Dragons were worshipped.


    <em>¡®He said it was a precious treasure. The emperor would not have given it to me for no reason.¡¯</em>


    Pahell remembered the words of Yanchinus.


    <em>¡®A gift for a gift.¡¯</em>


    The emperor was a rough but deeply thoughtful man. He did not do or say anything without meaning.


    <em>¡®There must be something he wants to tell me through this piece. If I can¡¯t figure that out, then that just means that I am ipetent.¡¯</em>


    However, Pahell had no answers. His head was awake, keeping him up all night without sleep.


    Pahell had always thought that his knowledge was immense. This jade that was sitting in front of him rendered all that knowledge useless. No matter what he tried to draw from the bank of his knowledge, he couldn¡¯t connect it to the jade piece.


    <em>¡®A figure from the north¡­ it must be a treasure holding a lot of value.¡¯</em>


    Pahell thought to himself. Emperor Yanchinus was a man with ambition.


    <em>¡®Is he trying to conquer thest remainingnd of the north? That frozennd where you can¡¯t even farm?¡¯</em>


    The previous emperor poured his energy into the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians until the very moment of his death. Now, all that was left to the barbarian¡¯s name was a piece ofnd where not a single de of grass could grow: the frozennd of the north, and the burning desert in the south. Not only were thosends difficult to conquer, but they also simply weren¡¯t worth the trouble of investing in the army. The barbarians who were still living in those frozen and burningnds were slowly dying out. Those who wanted to survive were incorporated into the empire.


    <em>¡®Those are worthlessnds. Even if he did have the ambition to conquer the rest of the northernnds, he probably doesn¡¯t want anything from me. He has more than enough power at the empire¡¯s disposal to get it done.¡¯</em>


    Pahell gnawed on his thumbnail.


    ¡°If only my sister Damia were here by my side¡­¡±


    Pahell always longed for his sister Damia at times like this. Princess Damia was an avid reader. Whenever Pahell had a question, she was the one whom he went to.


    <em>¡®I can¡¯t believe that my throne is up to this silly trivia.¡¯</em>


    Pahell cussed. He slumped down on his desk and closed his eyes for a moment, and a wave of fatigue that he had been pushing away washed over him.


    <em>¡®Varca, Varca, my little brother. What a good boy you are, a good boy.¡¯</em>


    He dreamt of his sister. His gentle, beautiful, and lovely sister. To Pahell, who lost his mother at a young age, Damia was like his mother, even though they were twins.


    It was a sweet dream of his pleasant childhood.


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Pahell woke up and stiffly sat himself up. He noticed the coat draped over his shoulders.


    ¡°You up? You should really sleep in your bed,¡± Urich said to Pahell.


    Urich was sitting in his chair, studying the jade figure.


    ¡°Urich, did you hurt your hand?¡±


    Pahell looked at Urich¡¯s left hand which was wrapped in a cloth bandage.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a small cut. Anyway, this thing is amazing. It¡¯s only as big as my palm but the carvings are so intricate.¡±


    ¡°I got it from the emperor. He said that it¡¯s a treasure of the north.¡±


    ¡°Wooow, you¡¯re already getting favored by the emperor? What¡¯s your secret?¡±


    ¡°I wish, but it¡¯s more like a punishment. That figure is a puzzle that I have to solve. Dammit, I¡¯ve never seen a piece like that! It¡¯s not even in the books.¡±


    Pahell whined. Urich tilted his head and red at the jade piece.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a northern treasure, you should ask a northerner. You might not think so, but Sven actually knows a lot of things. He used to be pretty high up among the northerners, too.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s eyes widened.


    <em>¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡¯</em>


    He felt pathetic. He had let the tension and anxiety narrow his vision.


    ¡°Urich, you¡¯re a genius!¡±


    Pahell eximed as he jumped up and down.


    ¡°Did you just realize that? I¡¯ll bring Sven, wait here.¡±

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Urich called Bachman to summon Sven. Admission to the Imperial pce was strict, but the requirements werexer in the Swallow Residence since it was a ce for outsiders in the first ce.


    Sven entered the pce with two other northerners from the mercenary squad. The northerners¡¯ faces were full of distaste after going through the inspection before entering.


    ¡°Does the prince think we¡¯re his lieges? Telling us what to do and all that. It¡¯s pissing me off,¡± one of the northerners said in the northernnguage with obvious frustration. Sven brushed his beard andughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Our leader is Urich, and that¡¯s who we were summoned by. Not the prince.¡±


    ¡°Right, and that Urich, where is he even from? He¡¯s not from the north nor the south.¡±


    The other northerners had always been curious of Urich¡¯s origin. They were barbarians who had spent quite a long time with Urich now, so they knew that Urich wasn¡¯t from the north or the south.


    ¡°Shut your mouth. If you really want to know, or you have a problem with not knowing it for some reason, go ask Urich yourself with your axe. That¡¯s the way we do things.¡±


    Sven said as he rubbed his stiff shoulder. He felt his body slowly rusting away. Sven was not a young warrior anymore, and with the way that he had been putting his body through trouble time and time again, his bones ached in the rain like a real old man.


    The other northerners respected Sven. His demeanor exuded character. it was clear that he was a man of high status among the northerners.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Sven and the northerners entered Pahell¡¯s room where Pahell and Urich were waiting for them. On the table in front of them sat the jade figurine.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here. We¡¯ve been waiting for you, Sven.


    Pahell said to Sven as he greeted him. Sven was an important man in the mercenary squad as he was the leader of the group of five northerners within the squad.


    ¡°Sven, do you know what this is?¡±


    Pahell asked and exined the whole situation to Sven. After hearing the context, Sven¡¯s eyes red ferociously, but he managed to calm them down in front of Pahell. The same couldn¡¯t be said for the other northerners, though.


    <em>¡®Of course, they¡¯re upset. This is a piece of their treasure that was stolen by the empire.¡¯</em>


    Pahell spoke cautiously as if he were the one who had stolen the treasure of the north. To the barbarians who were yet to convert to Srism, the empire was still an invader.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve never seen this before, prince.¡±


    Sven looked at the jade figurine. Pahell¡¯s face turned gloomy. If Sven didn¡¯t know what the figurine was, then there was no more hope.


    ¡°Do you not craft jade figurines in the north?¡±


    ¡°We do not work with jewelry. Our craftsmen work with wood and wood only.¡±


    The north was rich in quality wood. The northerners mostly resided along their coastline due to the cold climate and fished far and wide in boats made with their high-quality wood. In terms of metal, the northern wood wasparable to steel. Even the nobles of the empire preferred to have their furniture made with northern wood.


    ¡°The emperor said that this was brought from the north¡ªthat it was your treasure.¡±


    Pahell said as he looked at the jade figure with unusually excellent craftsmanship.


    ¡°I said I¡¯ve never seen it before, but I never said I didn¡¯t know what it was,¡± Sven said with a smile under his beard. Pahell nced up at his words.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been getting fooled by wordy quite often these days. Tell me everything you know, Sven.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not sure what it¡¯s called in Hamelian. Oriental artifact?¡± Sven said after stuttering for a few seconds. Even Pahell didn¡¯t know what that meant.¡±


    ¡°Oriental novelty?¡±


    ¡°Just consider it a treasure from the east, just like in the legends of the north. And this oriental artifact is the only evidence that supports the validity of our legends.¡±


    ¡°The east? The Porcana Kingdom is the most easternnd!¡±


    Pahell was incredulous. Sven shook his head.


    ¡°Not ording to our legends. One of our ancestors discovered and explored the eastern continent and returned, and this oriental artifact is the proof of that exchange, though it is now a broken sea route.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, that is merely a legend, and nothing else! At the end of the sea is the end of the world, nothing more!¡±


    Pahell violently disagreed and rejected Sven¡¯s words.


    ¡°We northerners do not have recorded history like you civilized people. Our legends are our history, therefore the truth.¡±


    Not all northerners believed in the legend of the eastern continent, but Sven did. He had been on a ship that was supposed to take him to the east, only for it to get wrecked and have him sold into diatorial very.


    ¡°Whoever tries to go there will just fall to their deaths at the end of the world. The eastern continent is merely a legend of the north. It¡¯s not real,¡± Pahell bluntly denied all possibilities. Urich picked up the figure and shoved it in front of Pahell¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Pahell, I don¡¯t know much about this ce you are talking about but look at this closely. Do you think the northerners made this? Don¡¯t think of what you¡¯ve seen in your books, just look at it and think for yourself. This is proof.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s eyes were quickly drowned in fear. He had never even imagined the eastern continent.


    <em>¡®Beyond the sea is the cliff called the Edge of the World where all the seawater falls like a waterfall¡­¡¯ </em>Pahell muttered to himself.


    ¡°No, this can¡¯t be. This is sphemy. Lou said that beneath the cliff of the world live the beasts that uplift the earth, and they survive on the falling waters only¡­¡±


    Pahell was confused. One of the northerners standing behind Svenughed.


    ¡°The eastern continent? I also think it¡¯s bogus. It¡¯s tough to say this myself, but we northerners are braggarts. We exaggerate our exploits. It¡¯s possible that our ancestors just found a deserted ind and called it the eastern continent.¡±


    Sven frowned at the northerner¡¯s words.


    ¡°You say that even after seeing that oriental artifact with your own eyes?¡±


    ¡°Do you have proof that that¡¯s actually from the east? You only think so because that¡¯s what you¡¯ve been told.¡±


    Even among the northerners, the existence of the eastern continent was heavily debated. Some said that it was simply an exaggerated legend.


    <em>¡®The emperor¡¯s intentions.¡¯</em>


    Pahell¡¯s eyes widened.


    <em>¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯</em>


    He finally saw through Emperor Yanchinus¡¯ intentions. Pahell¡¯s hands trembled.


    ¡°You made me finally realize what the gift that the emperor wants is. Thank you, Sven.¡±


    Sven¡¯s eyes widened as well. He clenched his fists.


    ¡°Of course! Yes, yes yes, that¡¯s it!¡±


    Sven eximed in excitement. His eyes shone like a child¡¯s.


    ¡°But that can¡¯t be. It¡¯s practically a suicide mission. I would be shoving my loyal people to their deaths!¡±


    Pahell yelled in despair, contrasting Sven¡¯s excitement and liveliness.


    ¡°I think my job here is done. I can¡¯t believe that even this goddamn empire can be useful sometimes, how amazing.¡±


    Sven belched out augh as he mmed the door behind him as he left the pce. The booming voices of the northerners were clearly heard through the shut door.


    ¡°The emperor, like Sven, believes in the existence of the eastern continent. And he wants me to explore it. It¡¯s something that only the coastal kingdom of Porcana can do. This is a national project that no one knows how long it will take toplete. My uncle¡¯s reign can only be ten or twenty years, at most, whereas I can be around for at least twenty to thirty years, if not more, as long as I don¡¯t die. That¡¯s why he chose me.¡±


    The key to a sessful national project was the support of the king. With a change to the throne, it was not umon for projects to be overturned due to various political circumstances or just a simple whim of the king. For example, as soon as the previous emperor passed, the current emperor, Yanchinus, scrapped the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians and implemented his Barbarian Inclusion policy.


    ¡°What¡¯s the issue here?¡± Why not just do it?¡± Urich said from beside Pahell.


    ¡°This is the emperor¡¯s words we¡¯re talking about here¡ªwe can¡¯t just pretend like we¡¯re doing it. We would actually have to construct a ship and research the n. Do you know how much that would cost? And what happens after we actually build the ship? I have to select and send my own lieges and crew to practically kill themselves. What if there is no eastern continent? What if the end of the world is waiting for its next prey with its mouth wide open? Honestly, I don¡¯t even believe in the eastern continent, so I know that they¡¯re all going to end up falling to their deaths. I would be sacrificing my own people just to fulfill the pointless ambition of the emperor! And on top of that, the priests will criticize me for going against the will of the sun god Lou,¡± Pahell said with his body trembling.


    ¡°But I thought you wanted to be king? Are you going to give up on that just because you¡¯re scared of this? You know what, just live the rest of your life as a stablehand in a barn somewhere in the empire. It sounds like that¡¯s just about all you¡¯re made for. Go polish the saddle that the emperor¡¯s ass will touch. Go mad.¡±


    Urich sneered, leaning back in his chair. Pahell snapped his head up and red at Urich.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the fear and despair that I¡¯m facing right now. You have no idea.¡±


    Urich grinned as he rested his chin on his hand.


    ¡°Pahell, I¡¯m from the west. I¡¯ve crossed the line between life and death.¡±


    * * *


    The day of the jousting finals dawned. The crowd packed the stands to see the two finalists of this prestigiouspetition.


    The knight sponsored by the royalty of Porcana: Urich the Armor Breaker.


    ¡°Woahhh! Urich! Urich!¡±


    The men in the crowd cried his name. So far, Urich had lived up to all the expectations that had been set by his nickname ¡®Armor Breaker.¡¯ He had lifted a jousting spear with a single hand, and he had pounded a knight through his armor to knock him out.


    ¡°Gyaaaah!¡±


    The women in the crowd, which was quite arge portion, screamed toward the opposing knight. The husbands of those women frowned at their swooning wives.


    ¡°Dante! Dante!¡±


    ¡°Please look at me, Dante!¡±


    The women cried out. Dante was the name of Urich¡¯s final opponent.


    Dante the Knight rode onto the arena ground with his helmet not on his head but tucked to his side. He looked at thedies and smiled. His face underneath his slicked-back hair grabbed the attention of the crowd. He was a man with soft but bold features.


    <em>¡®Dante the Knight of Flowers.¡¯</em>


    ¡®Knight of Flowers¡¯ was the nickname of Dante. He was a knight from the western kingdom of Vdo. Hepeted not for riches or to be picked up by the Order of Imperial Steel, but purely for his own honor.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any wandering knights in the final this year,¡± the nobles said among themselves.


    Both Urich the Armor Breaker and Dante the Knight of Flowers were knights clearlymitted already. No matter how badly a noble wanted a knight, one who already served a master was unattainable due to the matter of honor. Even if the knight wished to change masters, they would forever be stamped as dishonorable knights who chased money over loyalty.


    ¡°Well, this tournament has been going on for five years already. It¡¯s no surprise that all the skilled wandering knights have already found a home. The ones who haven¡¯t, well, they¡¯re probably not worth looking at.¡±


    Each year, the quality of the wandering knights declined, and the famous knights treated winning the tournament as one of their trophies.


    What started out as apetition to find the hidden gem wandering knights soon became a tform for knights to heighten their honor.


    ¡°I want the Armor Breaker to win, even though he¡¯s a barbarian,¡± one of the nobles said as he watched his wife¡¯s behavior along with the other noble wives.


    ¡°Please win, Sir Dante!¡± The wife called out. She was already won over by the Knight of Flowers.


    ¡°Same here. For some mysterious reason, I don¡¯t like that Knight of Flowers guy. Even my mistress insisted on seeing this match.¡±


    The noblemen clinked their bronze cups andughed.


    ¡°Eh? He¡¯s supposed to be a warrior with a face like that? He¡¯s got a pretty face.¡±


    Urich rode into the arena as he lowered his visor. He stared at Dante¡¯s face through the slit in his helmet.


    Dante waved at the crowd before putting his helmet on. The moment the helmet came on, the arena was filled with disappointed groans of women. Dante¡¯s attire was unusually mboyant, with feathers like a peacock. Even his helmet was decorated with red tassels.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong with the Armor Breaker¡¯s hand? He¡¯s not holding a shield.¡±


    The crowd noticed Urich¡¯s defenseless left hand that was wrapped in bandages. Even with the bandage, it was obvious that his hand was swollen and puffy. His festered and swollen hand didn¡¯t even have a glove on it. The crowd figured out that he was injured.


    <em>¡®Dammit, Urich. You really had to do this with your hand like that.¡¯</em>


    Phillion anxiously shuffled his feet. He was sincerely worried about Urich.


    <em>Clop, clop.</em>


    Urich and Dante slowly advanced toward each other on their horses. As they crossed each other, they lightly nodded to express their mutual respect.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve hurt our hand, Sir Urich,¡± Dante said in a voice that was as soft as his look. It was a beautiful voice that would surely melt the hearts of countless women.


    ¡°I only need one hand to beat you,¡± Urich said with a chuckle which echoed inside his helmet.


    ¡°This is a ce where we fight for our honor.¡±


    With that, Dante returned to his spot. Before the match could begin, Dante suddenly raised his left hand high.


    <em>Thud.</em>


    Dante dropped the shield that was in his left hand.


    ¡°This is where we fight for our honor. I want this match to be fair, so I will make this an even fight!¡± Dante eximed, erupting the crowd in cheer. Even the men were now crying out his name.


    Dante had dered that he would fight on the same terms as Urich, without his left hand and a shield.


    ¡°That bastard¡­ he¡¯s got a death wish.¡±


    Amid the cheers, only Urich scowled ferociously.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Dante entered the match under the same conditions as Urich. He thought that the act of dropping his shield to make the ying field even was a very honorable action.


    <em>¡®He¡¯s insulting me.¡¯</em>


    Urich¡¯s interpretation of the action was not the same. To him, the fact that a warrior wasn¡¯t fighting with everything he¡¯s got was a sign that he looked down on his opponent. If Dante was taking Urich seriously, he should never have done what he just did. A warrior should always fight with all his might; regardless of how badly injured his opponent is.


    <em>¡®You think you can beat me with one hand?¡¯</em>


    Urich¡¯sughter sounded like it wasing from scratching the inside of his throat. Power surged in his grip.


    ¡°Kylios, charge.¡±


    Urich said as he kicked Kylios¡¯ side. <em>Clop.</em> The horse began its charge and picked up more and more speed.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Urich gripped hisnce tightly as his upper body stood tall and proud.


    ¡°Woah!!!¡±


    The crowd erupted as the two knights charged at each other without a shield.


    <em>¡®He is mad. He¡¯s charging like that even though he doesn¡¯t have a shield to block my attack. In fact, he¡¯s not even thinking about dodging mynce.¡¯</em>


    Dante thought as he looked at Urich, who was charging straight at him. Attack was the only thing in Urich¡¯s head. Urich¡¯s unwavering resolve seemed to shake even the air in the arena.


    <em>¡®Going against that and trying to match his attack would be suicide.¡¯</em>


    Dante twisted hisnce. He was trying to parry Urich¡¯s attack and stab his heart at the same time. It was an incredibly skillful move. Though his appearance gave him the nickname ¡®Knight of Flowers,¡¯ Dante was one of the best knights in the Vdo Kingdom, more than good enough to be a member of the Order of Imperial Steel.


    <em>Criiiing!</em>


    The twonces scraped past each other. Dante pushed back against Urich¡¯snce with all his might, and all he could manage to do was slightly deflect the path of Urich¡¯snce. A counterattack was not possible.


    <em>Crunch!</em>


    The impact was enough to destroy bothnces. The two knights rushed to their ends to pick up a newnce.


    <em>¡®His strength is immense.¡¯</em>


    Dante tested his tingling fingers one by one. If he had his guard down, he would have been finished.


    <em>¡®I can see why the warriors lost to his sheer strength alone. No simple technique can best that man¡¯s size, strength, and bravery.¡¯</em>


    However, Dante¡¯s technique was by no means simple. He had put his name forth in the Hamel Jousting Tournament to win and bring the glory of victory back to his Kingdom.


    <em>¡®What was that, just now?¡¯</em>


    Dante wasn¡¯t the only one shocked. Urich felt Dante¡¯snce wrapping around him like a snake, and even managing to deflect his attack. It was a sticky spear technique that resembled the feeling of intertwining and rolling around in bed with a woman.


    Dante, though he may have been an asshole, was a skilled knight. Urich cracked his neck from side to side and red at Dante.


    The spear technique of the joustingpetition had a lot of differences from the real thing. Since jousting had only been around for five years, it was difficult to find someone who had mastered the spear technique specific to it. But Dante was one of those people. He was a seasoned knight who had already been in multiple jousting tournaments.


    <em>¡®I don¡¯t know what that was, but that technique felt dirty.¡¯</em>


    Urich assessed his newnce. After recing their destroyednces, the two men grabbed the reins and straightened their posture. Urich used his immense grip to spin the tip of the joustingnce.


    <em>¡®Dammit, that¡¯s making me dizzy.¡¯</em>


    Dante focused on the tip of thence which Urich had been shaking and rotating.


    <em>ng!</em>


    The two men shed with Uriching out on top this time. Hisnce had scraped past Dante¡¯s helmet.


    <em>Deng!</em>


    Dante felt his vision shake as his helmet flew off his head after its contact with Urich¡¯snce. Dante looked back at his flying helmet as he squinted one of his eyes.


    ¡°This is boring. It¡¯s like child¡¯s y. Next exchange, you bettere at me like your life depends on it. Straighten your back ande at me with everything you¡¯ve got. I¡¯ll return the favor.¡±


    Urich said to his opponent. This wasn¡¯t the jousting match that he wanted. He wanted something hotter, something more exhrating. He wanted to feel the catharsis of the moment of a true, honest, and all-out exchange with the other knight, but this opponent was full of tricks and gimmicks.


    There was a moment in a warrior¡¯s time when their mind turned white and pain, rage, and hatred all faded away into the background. Beyond fear, there was ultimate pleasure that was waiting for them.


    <em>Click, click.</em>


    Urich wiggled his fingers and loosened his joints. His whole body was itching as he felt himself bing a beast desperate for a stimulus.


    ¡°Entertain me. This is the final match.¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes darted at Dante. Dante felt a chill run down his spine.


    Thirsting for a battle and bing addicted to the adrenaline that was only produced when walking the fine line between life and death. It wasn¡¯t something that a normal person could handle. It was a feeling that no average man could ever rte to. The path to bing a first-ss warrior was no different than bing a madman.


    Urich taunted Dante as he spread his arms wide open. He pointed to his heart with his thumb as if he was guiding Dante to his heart, showing him where the target was.


    <em>Crunch.</em>


    Dante gritted his teeth. He prepared himself for thest exchange of the mounted round after he received his newnce and put on his dented helmet.


    <em>¡®His mounted bouts are fully reliant on his strength and power, probably because hecks the experience. However, there is no doubt that he is a supreme warrior.¡¯</em>


    Dante hated to admit it, but he quickly came to the realization.


    <em>¡®Once we go into foot battle, my chances be very slim.¡¯</em>


    He urately estimated his opponent¡¯s ability. It was quite obvious that Urich was going to dominate him as soon as they were both off their horses.


    <em>¡®I have to knock him off in thisst exchange.¡¯</em>


    Dante gripped hisnce tightly as he pulled on the rein. The horse, reacting to the pull, charged.


    <em>Clop.</em>


    It was the third exchange, and the crowd was more than satisfied with the rare entertainment. They were the ones who would have been disappointed the most if the final had ended without any special events.


    ¡°Noya, who do you think will win?¡±


    Emperor Yanchinus was spectating the match under a shade.


    ¡°If I knew that, I would have be a fortune teller, not a warrior.¡±


    Ferzen shrugged as he nodded at thementary that he was receiving from his servant.


    ¡°But Noya, you¡¯re the knight above all knights. Shouldn¡¯t you at least have an idea?¡±


    ¡°A battle is decided by two things: First, their skills, and second, the will of the heavens. Even those who spend their entire lives with a sword can die from a blind spear and arrow. It means that no matter how good one¡¯s skills are, they can always die if luck isn¡¯t on their side. The idea that skills will always bring you victory is just wishful thinking and a delusion.¡±


    Ferzen had witnessed it time and time again. There were always knights with great swordsmanship dying in vain. No matter how hard you train and hone your skills, they don¡¯t guarantee your longevity. Luck, whether bad or good, had to be in y.


    ¡°That¡¯s why people call you the knight who was blessed by Lou. You¡¯ve managed to survive all those years on the battlefield, right?¡±


    Yanchinus chuckled.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way of knowing whether that¡¯s a blessing or a curse, ohoho,¡± Ferzen spewed some sphemous words without much thought.


    ¡°In my opinion, that barbarian is going to win. I can feel something simr to bad luck. Maybe¡­ momentum? A halo? Something like that. Every now and then I see people like him.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t an idea that could be exined by reason, but something that could only be felt by intuition. Yanchinus took one look at a person and analyzed the type of person they were, and his first impressions were often urate. People like him were called ¡®people with a good eye for people.¡¯


    A ¡®good eye for people¡¯ was one of the skills required to be a ruler, not to mention the head of an empire. No one person, no matter how brilliant they may be, could rule an empire alone. They need the ability to filter and control those around them.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you say, Your Majesty, then so be it, ohoho.¡±


    Ferzenughed as he patted his own back. Was it the emperor¡¯s blood? Or was it the throne of the emperor that made a man like that? Ferzen had served all three emperors, and all three of them were equally monstrous men.


    <em>¡®I guess I¡¯m an old monster myself.¡¯</em>


    Ferzen wasn¡¯t in the position toment on others. It was bizarre that someone who lived off their sword, like himself, had survived for so long. They should be lying dead on a battlefield somewhere.


    Ferzen turned his attention back to the fight. Two blurry figures shed with each other, followed by a loud thud.


    ¡°Woahhhhh!¡±


    The cheers grew even louder as the two knights simultaneously fell off their horses after exchanging their final mounted blow.


    <em>Squirm.</em>


    Dante and Urich felt the sky spin as they both staggered to their feet after probing at the ground with their fingers.


    <em>¡®Not bad. That was a pretty ballsy charge.¡¯</em>


    Urich saw Dante¡¯s desperate charge, and he faced hisnce.


    <em>Ruffle, ruffle.</em>


    Urich felt the aching sensation in his side. He had intended to dodge the attack by tucking Dante¡¯snce underneath his armpit, but in a split second, Dante managed to change the trajectory of hisnce and scraped Urich¡¯s side.


    Although they had both fallen off their horses, Dante was the winner of the mounted round. Urich had lost his bnce after falling victim to Dante¡¯s maneuver, and because of that, Urich¡¯snce had only grazed Dante.


    <em>¡®That hurts.¡¯</em>


    Blood stained Urich¡¯s white clothes. It seeped through the fabric and bloomed like a rose.


    <em>¡®I can¡¯t tell how bad it is because of the clothes, but it hurts a decent bit.¡¯</em>


    Urich endured the pain and drew his sword. He was facing his opponent with only one hand.


    ¡°Kagh, <em>spit.</em>¡±


    Dante was also a mess, unfit for his nickname Knight of Flowers. His helmet was dented, and his feather-covered attire was smothered with dirt after rolling on the arena ground.


    <em>¡®Did I break a bone?¡¯</em>


    Dante was limping after hurting his leg from the fall. The pain made him want to scream. It was unlucky.


    <em>¡®It¡¯s only a jousting match. Let¡¯s just forfeit.¡¯</em>


    A desire rose inside Dante. In jousting, it wasmon for contestants to forfeit after getting seriously wounded since it wasn¡¯t a ce worthy of risking your life.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Dante felt like forfeiting this match would be a waste. He had sessfully driven hisnce into Urich¡¯s side, and it resulted in blood. Urich was certainly heavily injured.


    <em>¡®This match is almost won. He can¡¯t possiblyst much longer with all that bleeding.¡¯</em>


    Dante opened his eyes and briefly looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Oh Lou, oh my king, glory to you.¡±


    Dante muttered and drew his sword.


    <em>Schri¡ªing.</em>


    The sharp metallic sound echoed throughout the arena. Dante and Urich stumbled toward each other.


    <em>¡®His wound is on his side. That should hinder his movement enough to make it feel unnatural. Well, the same goes for my leg.¡¯</em>


    But Dante was met with a quick realization that his assumption was off. As he blocked Urich¡¯s first attack, he felt a crushing impact that almost sent him to the ground.


    <em>nk!</em>


    Dante¡¯s legs shook to the brink of copsing.


    <em>¡®Dammit, it¡¯s so heavy. Is he even injured?¡¯</em>


    Urich attacked Dante¡¯s sword as if he were a machine and one-sidedly pushed him back. Dante was driven back quite a distance before he knew it.


    ¡°Pick it up.¡±


    Urich said as he let out a deep breath. He took a few steps back after throwing his helmet on the ground.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Dante retorted. Urich pointed his chin at the shield that was on the ground by Dante. It was the shield that Dante had thrown aside at the beginning of the match.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t pick up that shield, you are no match for me. That¡¯s the difference between you and me, you get it?¡±


    Urich twirled his sword and plunged it into the ground like a staff. He waited patiently for Dante to pick up his sword.


    <em>¡®This is a matter of pride. I will not pick it up.¡¯</em>


    Dante had no intention to pick up the shield. Instead, he lunged at Urich.


    <em>Clunk!</em>


    Urich swung his sword and pushed Dante back again, toward the shield.


    ¡°¡­pick it up.¡±


    Urich kicked up the shield with the tip of his foot.


    The crowd finally realized what Urich was doing. He was demanding that Dante pick up his shield.


    ¡°Hahaha! Noya! Do you see that? Never mind, you probably can¡¯t with those eyes of yours!¡±


    Emperor Yanchinusughed, holding his stomach. He was on the verge of tearing up fromughing so hard.


    ¡°I may not be able to see it with my own eyes, but I think I have an idea of what¡¯s going on, Your Majesty.¡±


    Ferzen said bluntly after the emperor¡¯s tease. Yanchinus shrugged off the dissatisfied tone of his warrior and pulled himself up to the edge of his seat.


    ¡°Either forfeit or pick up the shield right now. If you don¡¯t, I will kill you right here. I don¡¯t give a shit about the tournament. You¡¯ve humiliated me, Dante the Knight.


    That was Urich¡¯sst warning. Dante swallowed hard after realizing that Urich¡¯s words were not a joke.


    ¡°U-ugh.¡±


    Dante groaned. While keeping his eyes locked on Urich, he bent over and picked up his shield.


    ¡°Boooo!¡±


    ¡°Was all that stuff in the beginning just bravado?¡±


    ¡°How do you still call yourself a knight!¡±


    As soon as Dante picked up his shield, he was met with a shower of whistles and boos. Even the women looked at Dante with faces full of disappointment.


    <em>¡®Fuck,¡¯ </em>Dante cursed under his breath.


    As soon as Dante picked up his shield, Urich pounced like a beast. He went for Dante¡¯s wrist to make him lose his grip on his sword and kicked into his shield.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Dante was knocked back by Urich¡¯s kick and mmed into the wall. His eyes darted toward Urich to watch the attack.


    <em>¡®This shield is enough!¡¯</em>


    Although he had lost his sword, the shield also made a good weapon. Dante tried to catch Urich with the edge of his shield, but Urich easily dodged the attack by leaning his upper body backward.


    <em>Thuck!</em>


    Urich swung his sword while looking away from Dante with his back bent backward. He had already pictured the course of the attack in his head and was confident that he couldnd the strike just the way he wanted to without even looking.


    Urich¡¯s sword dug in behind the shield and the blunt sword tip struck Dante¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple.


    ¡°Kagh!¡±


    Dante screeched as he sped his throat. The match was over, and Urich was the champion. The trumpeter blew three long blows, and the crowd chanted Urich¡¯s name.


    ¡°I will never forget this humiliation. I will remember your name, Urich.¡±


    Dante gritted his teeth and yelled at Urich as he held his bruised throat. Urich nced at his opponent with a disinterested face and exited the arena. He had lost his interest in the jousting tournament.


    <em>¡®A fight where one can¡¯t kill.¡¯</em>


    In the jousting tournament, it was forbidden to intentionally kill an opponent. Urich quickly learned its limitations and came to the conclusion that this was not a real fight.


    ¡°¡­this isn¡¯t fun anymore.¡±


    Urich missed the real battlefield. It felt like his boiling blood had cooled off.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    <em>¡®Ie from the west, and I crossed the line between life and death.¡¯</em>


    Urich¡¯s words echoed in Pahell¡¯s ears.


    <em>¡®My home is beyond the mountains. I¡¯m probably the first man to cross that boundary.¡¯</em>


    His words were hard to believe. Pahell closed his eyes and prayed.


    Pahell knew Urich¡¯s intentions. Urich wanted him to reach for the end of the world, just like how he crossed the Sky Mountains.


    <em>¡®Urich wouldn¡¯t lie to me about something like that.¡¯</em>


    Pahell had faith in Urich¡¯s words. He believed that Urich crossed the Sky Mountains in the west.


    <em>Click, click.</em>


    Footsteps echoed off the marble hallway. Pahell picked up his head from his prayer. He was in a temple that wasn¡¯t too busy as it was outside of regr service hours.


    A priest was recing the candlestick that had burnt out. He stared at Pahell, who was praying alone.


    ¡°Pray, my brother. Lou is always watching over you,¡± the priest said with a soft, serene smile as he lit the new candle. Staring into the wavering me of the candle brought a certain sense of serenity.


    <em>¡®Is there a world beyond the seas, just like how there is one beyond the Sky Mountains?¡¯</em>


    Pahell asked Lou, only to be met with silence.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do when the reality is different from what Lou has said?¡±


    Pahell asked the priest, although without any hope.


    ¡°That is amon threat to our faith. Remember that you are being tested by Lou, who wants to test your faith. Trust in Lou.¡±


    The priest gave his habitual answer and watched Pahell¡¯s expression darken.


    <em>¡®He seems troubled.¡¯</em>


    After finishing his chores, the priest took a seat next to Pahell.


    ¡°Tell me, please. What is burdening your heart?¡±


    ¡°My mission burdens my heart and brings me pain. I might very well fail, but not only will that affect me, but it will also require the sacrifice of many of my people. I do not have the courage to bear that much sacrifice in my heart.¡±


    ¡°If your mission is truly the righteous way, then you will be guided by Lou. The sess and failure of our jobs are up to Lou; all we can do is just give our all.¡±


    Pahell grinned bitterly. He ced his prayer hands on his forehead and fell silent.


    ¡°It seems like I wasn¡¯t able to be of much help.¡±


    The priest nodded and left his seat. Pahell wasn¡¯t able to findfort, not even in the priest.


    Noon: it was the time when the light of the sun in the Sun Garden was at its brightest point. As the sun slowly set past noon, the temple darkened along, leaving only the wavering candlelight.


    <em>¡®What Emperor Yanchinus wants is achievement.¡¯</em>


    Pahell had urately read the emperor¡¯s intention. He longed for an achievement.


    The first emperor unified the civilization world, and the second emperor conquered the barbariannds of the north and south. The third emperor Yanchinus wanted an achievement that was on par with the first two.


    Arge shade was thrown over Pahell¡¯s back.


    <em>¡®What if I¡­¡¯</em>


    It was a terrible idea, but Pahell already had something that was worthy to be a gift to the emperor.


    <em>¡®The world beyond the Sky Mountains would be a gift sufficient in the eyes of the emperor.¡¯</em>


    There was nothing to think about. While the eastern continent was merely a legend, The world that Urich hade from was real. The emperor would lead his army over the mountains as soon as he heard of its existence.


    <em>Thump, thump, thump.</em>


    Pahell¡¯s heart raced as his pupils repeated the cycle of bing dted and shrinking.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Pahell covered his mouth as he gagged. He was disgusted with himself.


    ¡°What am I thinking?¡± He said to himself.


    <em>¡®Urich revealed where he was from to me because he trusted me.¡¯</em>


    Urich did not even demand an oath to the sun. He trustingly told Pahell about himself.


    <em>¡®Urich didn¡¯t ask me for an oath because he trusts me, just like Phillion did.¡¯</em>


    Pahell fell asleep during his prayer. In his shallow sleep, he dreamt.


    He saw the ocean. From his kingdom, he could see the horizon just by opening his window. The sea nurtured his sensitivity. It had been way too long since hest saw the ocean. His dream shattered and scattered away as he saw the bundle of hopes and ambitions, the death of his uncle, his coronation, the construction of the ship, and the several hundred ships setting sail.


    The east. The direction from which the sun rose. That¡¯s where the continent was.


    <em>¡®Thend of the sun god Lou.¡¯</em>


    Pahell¡¯s eyes sparked open.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    As Pahell shot up from his seat, his knee rammed into the pew so hard that it almost left a bruise, but Pahell didn¡¯t care. He limped to the center of the chapel and fell on his knees.


    ¡°I saw it, oh, Lou.¡±


    Pahell had seen his revtion.


    ¡°This was your test for me.¡±


    He finally understood Lou¡¯s will and the doubt in his faith disappeared. The chaos was blown away and the path that he was to take became crystal clear.


    ¡°I will find thend of the sun with your guidance.¡±


    Searching for the eastern continent was not going against the will of Lou.


    <em>¡®From this moment on, the end of the world is no more.¡¯</em>


    That was his mission, and it was a joyous sensation of fulfillment. A religious uplift swept over Pahell¡¯s back like a wave.


    ¡°Lou opened up a new path in the sea¡ªa path prepared for me.¡±


    Humans were not prepared to meet the new world until now, and that¡¯s why Lou had that world blocked off with the cliff at the end of the world.


    <em>¡®The path is now open. Everything is Lou¡¯s will.¡¯</em>


    The conquest of the north and the south was finished, and Urich the Warrior had crossed into civilization from beyond the Sky Mountains in the west. The world that was in pieces was nowing together.


    <em>¡®A revtion.¡¯</em>


    What was all this pointing toward?


    Pahell burst into tears as he realized the very reason why he was born.


    ¡°This is the mission that I have been given.¡±


    Pahell rose to his feet.


    <em>¡®This is my path prepared by Lou. Now I finally know why I must be king.¡¯</em>


    <em>Click, click.</em>


    The priest returned to rece the candlestick once again. He looked at Pahell.


    ¡°The day has grown dark, but the shadow has lifted from your face,¡± the priest said to Pahell.


    ¡°Lou is always right. There is no reason to doubt him.¡±


    Pahell answered the priest. He limped out of the temple with his sore knees, but his stride was proud.


    * * *


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Urich groaned as the hardened blood broke off his leather clothes. He had picked up a serious wound from the final match of the jousting tournament.


    ¡°Dammit, the chain did dig into your flesh,¡± Phillion said as he assessed Urich¡¯s wound. If not taken care of properly, it has the chance of developing into tetanus.


    ¡°I have dinner ns with the emperor tonight, so just call the doctor already,¡± Urich said to Phillion.


    The crowd was still chanting his name in and out of the arena while Urich was in bed waiting for the doctor inside a dark preparation room.


    <em>¡®I should have never let himpete with such a cheap armor.¡¯</em>


    Phillion felt guilty. He had expected something like this to happen, and that made him think that this was his fault for not stopping Urich frompeting.


    ¡°I insisted onpeting,¡± Urich reassured Phillion as if he was reading his mind. He calmly waited for the doctor in his bed.


    ¡°Did you know? One, or even up to two out of five jousting champions die from their wounds after the match,¡± the doctor spilled discouraging words as soon as he entered the preparation room. But unlike his rash words, he carefully assessed Urich¡¯s wound and body.


    ¡°The chains arepletely crushed, and their fragments are all over his flesh. It must have been some cheap armor.¡±


    The doctor washed the blood off the wound. Using a pair of skinny tweezers, the doctor extracted the pieces of the shattered chain links one by one.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Phillion asked the doctor.


    ¡°Everyone always asks me that, and my answer to them is always the same. If he¡¯s lucky, he¡¯ll live. If not, he¡¯ll die. Life and death are all up to Lou, anyway.¡±


    Even simr wounds that received the same treatment saw different oues. Unlucky people died even just from a shallow cut, and some even died from infection after being scraped by the armor that was supposed to keep them safe.


    ¡°But I do think that this man isn¡¯t going to die. His wound isn¡¯t as deep as I thought it would be. Just make sure to routinely clean the wound with clean water and rece the bandage.¡±


    After hearing the doctor¡¯s instructions, Phillion stared at Urich¡¯s wound with a puzzled look. After washing the blood away, his wound didn¡¯t look all that bad.


    <em>¡®I swear it was a big wound¡­¡¯</em>


    Urich also looked down at his wound.


    ¡°If it was ance made of real metal, I would have died. Thepetitionnces break with impact.¡±


    Urich chuckled. Thences that were used in the jousting tournament were designed to break upon impact to reduce the damage to the knights. On top of that, Urich¡¯s muscles were extremely solid. The broken pieces of thence and chains were not able to bury themselves deeper due to theyer of hard muscle.


    ¡°Your bleeding was bad because the chains swept a wide area,¡± Phillion said as he breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been horrible had the wound been any worse with chains buried deeper in the flesh. Urich would have had to go through the pain of having a pair of tweezers digging into his body to remove the metal fragments.


    ¡°When the bandage starts to feel iffy, make sure to rece them. The more often you change them, the better it is for your healing.¡±


    With thosest words, the doctor left the room.


    With Phillion¡¯s help, Urich returned to the Swallow Residence. The passersby recognized Urich and greeted him.


    ¡°That¡¯s the champion of the jousting tournament!¡±


    ¡°I would like to have you over for dinner.¡±


    The Swallow Residence was the ce of stay for the guests of the Imperial Pce and those guests were people of high status. Urich was feeling their attention on him.


    ¡°He is wounded,e backter!¡±


    Phillion said as he turned the crowd away. Urichughed as he watched them.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s fun watching all of them flock to you as soon as you win the jousting tournament.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a temporary interest.¡±


    Urich shuffled down the hall and into Pahell¡¯s room.


    ¡°Sorry, Urich, I was busy so I couldn¡¯t be at your match.¡±


    Pahell was busy writing something. His face was beaming with gleeful enthusiasm. The desk was strewn with books, and Urich could recognize the words now.


    <em>¡®Chronicles of the Northern Conquest, The Sr Doctrine.¡¯</em>


    Two books caught Urich¡¯s attention. The Chronicles of the Northern Conquest was hand-written by the previous emperor, and The Sr Doctrine was the bible of srism, containing its doctrine.


    ¡°I¡¯m reading over the doctrine right now to make sure that what I¡¯m about to do is good. There are some contradictions, but it shouldn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve received a revtion.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s words were rushed.


    ¡°A revtion?¡±


    Urich said as he sat in a chair and reced his bandage.


    Pahell shouted as he grabbed Urich¡¯s shoulders. His face was all smiles.


    ¡°Lou told me to search for the eastern continent. The east is where the sun rises from, and you¡¯re from the west¡ªfrom beyond the Sky Mountains! The whole world ising together. If this isn¡¯t a revtion, then what is? Searching for the eastern continent is my mission.¡±


    Urich didn¡¯t understand all of Pahell¡¯s words, so he just scratched his chin and carried on recing his bandage.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what revtion you¡¯re talking about, but it looks like you¡¯ve cheered up and that¡¯s what I care about. So, am I finally meeting the emperor?¡±


    ¡°The emperor showed his interest in you, probably because of the jousting tournament. Try¡­ to be a bit more respectful than usual,¡± Pahell¡¯s voice carried his concern.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m always respectful.¡± Urich shrugged.


    Urich took to rest until the time of the dinner. Warriors slept when they were wounded, as sleep healed their bodies. Urich believed in the warrior¡¯s way. Even though he had converted to Srism, he was still Urich of the Stone Axe Tribe; his identity didn¡¯t change. That was also the reason he couldn¡¯t be a Sun Warrior. Urich often dreamt, like how Pahell received his revtion. His dreams were always surreal.


    <em>¡®The burningnd.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Screams.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Warriors.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Metal and blood.¡¯</em>


    To some, it was a nightmare. But for Urich, it was a familiar dream. He was a warrior with a deep connection to blood, and dreams of killing were his daily routine. The wavering dreams eventually faded and disappeared.


    Urich didn¡¯t know what his dreams meant. He was an excellent warrior, but his experience with introspection was still young. He was at an age to solely focus on charging forward.


    ¡°Urich, wake up. It¡¯s time.¡±


    Pahell shook Urich awake, and Urich opened his drowsy eyes.


    ¡°Ah, alright. Let¡¯s go meet the Ruler of the World,¡± Urich murmured as he wrapped his hands around his head.


    The pce official was waiting for Urich and Pahell outside of the room. He showed them to the banquet hall.

 Chapter 70

    <h4>Chapter 70</h4>


    A person can only eat so much meat before they are full. Any more was simply extravagance.


    <i>¡®I might lose my mind over this.¡¯</i>


    Urich''s eyes widened as the pungent aroma of meat practically attacked his nostrils. The smell alone was enough to make his stomach growl with hunger.


    Despite the meal being for just three men, the long table waspletelyden with food. Creatures of all walks of life were represented there¡ªthose that walk on four legs, two legs, winged beasts, scaly ones... all sorts of edible animal meats were lined up in a tantalizing disy.


    ¡°I stand before the Ruler of the World.¡±


    Pahell greeted Emperor Yanchinus as they faced each other, with Urich awkwardly mimicking the gesture.


    <i>Click, ck.</i>


    Guards lined the edges of the banquet hall, all knights of the Order of Imperial Steel. With precise ceremonial steps, they retreated into the shadows.


    <i>¡®There are ten of them.¡¯</i>


    Urich''s eyes roved, counting the knights. It was his habit from the days of bartering between tribes, where knowing the number of opposing warriors was crucial since failed negotiations often led to war.


    "Wee, Varca Aneu Porcana! Of the esteemed maritime lineage! And the champion of the jousting tournament, Urich!"


    Emperor Yanchinus eximed with arms wide open, revealing a broad smile of white teeth. The purple garment he wore was a privilege of the emperor. While a simr hue could be imitated with cheaper dyes, the true deep purple was among the most expensive. The emperor''s purple was akin to cloth dyed in molten gold.


    "Thank you for the invitation," Pahelll said before tugging at Urich''s arm.


    "This is truly a feast befitting the emperor. It seems like every meat in the world is here. Impressive. It''s nothing short of astonishing."


    "Urich!"


    Pahell frowned at Urich''sment. It wasn''t the politest thing to say.


    "No matter. It¡¯s usual for a barbarian. Besides, that is part of your charm, isn¡¯t it!"


    Emperor Yanchinus justughed off Urich''s words. Had a less impressive person said such a thing, they might have been beheaded on the spot. The emperor was indulgent with Urich because of his abilities.


    <i>¡®The reincarnation of Mijorn the Brave.¡¯</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus recalled Ferzen''s words. Ferzen hadpared Urich to Mijorn, who had been one of the challenging adversaries for the previous emperor and nearly united the north and marched to the heart of the empire.


    A united north was not to be taken lightly. It had taken ten years just to subdue the warring northern tribes.


    <i>¡®If Noya rates him so highly, he must be no ordinary barbarian.¡¯</i>


    In the empire, no one had seen more barbarian warriors than Ferzen. A knight who had dedicated his middle andter years to conquering barbarians, even the great Mijorn the Brave had fallen to Ferzen.


    "Sit! Eat and drink to your heart''s content!"


    Emperor Yanchinus said cheerfully. He was a man who knew how to enjoy life. Who would dare to admonish the emperor about morals? His imperial authority was already at its zenith in the human world; only the sun god could judge his debauchery, and even he had to wait until after his death.


    <i>Click.</i>


    The doors opened and women lightly dressed only in jewelry strode in. Bells tinkled from their ankles with every step, and higher-pitched jingles sounded when they raised their fingers.


    "Dance. We have esteemed guests."


    Emperor Yanchinus pped his hands, and the dancers began to move, theirughter mingling with the rhythmic jingling.


    "Pahell," Urich whispered to Pahell, continuing in a murmur.


    "I''ve really made the right choiceing here. This must be paradise."


    The dancers reached out. Their delicate fingers grazed Urich''s neck as if caressing him.


    Urich couldn¡¯t stop smiling. Such beautiful women danced andughed continuously.


    <i>¡®If you don¡¯t fall for this, you''re not a man.¡¯</i>


    Pahell watched the women with sweat on his brow as he was reminded of the night back at the Pce of White Night.


    <i>¡®Will they shove a knife against my neck again?¡¯</i>


    Unlike Urich, Pahell couldn¡¯t enjoy himself. He had always been ufortable in such settings.


    "The jousting tournament finals were quite a sight to see! Actually, no, I thoroughly enjoyed watching all your matches. Such extraordinary strength is unusual."


    ¡°I have heard that quite a lot.¡±


    Urich was a man ustomed to praise, having been celebrated for his remarkable strength even back in his tribe.


    "Urich is a tremendous warrior. It was fortunate for me to have him as the leader of the mercenary squad that I hired.¡±


    Pahell joined in praising Urich, and Urich felt as though his shoulders were rising through the roof swelling with pride.


    "What would you wish for as the champion of the joust? Do you want to join the Order of Imperial Steel?¡± Yanchinus proposed. Pahell''s eyes widened in surprise.


    <i>¡®An offer for Urich to join the Order of Imperial Steel?¡¯</i>


    It wasmon for the champions of the Hamel Jousting Tournament to be invited into the Order. However, Urich was a barbarian, and there had never been a precedent for a barbarian joining the Order of Imperial Steel.


    <i>¡®Such an unbelievable and bold offer.¡¯</i>


    Pahell recognized the gravity of the emperor''s offer.


    "The Order..."


    Urich trailed off, then smirked and finished his thought.


    "Just give me some Imperial steel weapons. I''ve seen the loaded armory in the Sun Warrior barracks. They had plenty of fine weapons, but those fellows were too small-minded to part with one."


    Yanchinus chuckled. Hisughter was a low rumble as he rested his hand against his chin.


    "Very well. I will issue a special permit for thatter."


    It was an opportunity that could alter the course of one''s life. Urich was in a position to gain a high status in the emperor''s esteem.


    <i>¡®What does Urich truly desire?¡¯</i>


    Urich wasn''t after money or a position of power.


    <i>¡®Even if I were to offer him a tract ofnd and a noble title, Urich would probably refuse.¡¯</i>


    Pahell chuckled bitterly to himself.


    Urich and Yanchinus conversed for quite some time. Urich had a certain charm about him, and it seemed he shared much inmon with Yanchinus. Theughter continued without end.


    <i>¡®Turns out I¡¯m the one who¡¯s being left out,¡¯ </i>Pahell mused as he took a bite of the meat, subtly licking the seasoning off his fingers.


    "You are amazing. So, you decided to strike back at the pursuit squad?"


    Yanchinus was excited. Urich was exining how he had been chased by the Porcana border garrison.


    "If we kept running like that, our horse was going to get exhausted, and we''d be caught for sure. So I decided to turn around and hit them head-on. I thought as long as we weren''t surrounded, we stood a chance. First, I threw my axe and beat the shit out of two of them, and then on the horse of one of the other ones..."


    Urich used fruit to represent the cavalry on the table, turning it into a mock battlefield. Yanchinus listened to Urich''s story with constant exmations of amazement.


    "In theory, it''s quite possible. In a many-against-one scenario, you could create multiple one-on-one situations to win. If someone else had said that, I might have taken it for boasting. But I believe you because I''ve seen you in action."


    Urich proudly boasted of his brave exploits.


    "Let''s save the rest of your valorous stories forter. Prince Varca hase here today for a reason."


    Yanchinus looked at Pahell with a beaming smile.


    <i>¡®Finally, it''s my turn.¡¯</i>


    Urich had eased the atmosphere. Yanchinus seemed to be in quite a good mood.


    <i>¡®I have received Lou¡¯s revtion. This is my mission.¡¯</i>


    Pahell closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A gleam of intelligence shone in his blue eyes.


    "I understand the reason you have given me this. Your Majesty."


    Pahell extended a jade figurine across the table, a dragon clutching a marble that seemed ready toe to life at any moment.


    "Oh? It was just a gift, perhaps you''ve read too much into it?"


    Yanchinus leaned back and propped his chin on his hand. At his gesture, the dancers stopped their performance and hid behind the columns.


    "A gift for a gift. That''s what you said, wasn''t it?"


    "That was about the rightful duty of a man."


    "If you help my session of the throne, then I will give you what you desire, Your Majesty."


    "I own everything in this world, what could I possibly want from you? Are you trying to belittle me now, Prince Varca?"


    Yanchinus spoke threateningly. Pahell flinched and nced at Urich, who was looking at a knife for cutting meat.


    <i>¡®Indeed, you are remarkable. Even in this situation, you''re ready to fight if things go wrong.¡¯</i>


    Urich was not intimidated, even in front of the emperor. Pahell admired Urich''s strength.


    "Exploration of the eastern continent," Pahell stated sinctly.


    "Hahaha! The eastern continent! Are you serious, Prince Varca? That''s nothing but a myth concocted by the northerners."


    Yanchinusughed heartily as he held his stomach, mocking the idea.


    "If evidence has emerged, it''s no longer a mere myth. You, Your Majesty, believe in the existence of the eastern continent because of the figurine. I believe it, too... Last night, Lou instructed me to seek the eastern continent."


    "Lou¡¯s revtion?"


    Yanchinus hadn''t expected this.


    "The moment I decided to take the duty of exploration, I felt as if the end of the world unfolded and the ocean paths opened up. There are no cliffs to bar our way any longer. Lou will lead us to thend where the sun rises. This mission is not for anyone else; it''s mine. Your Majesty, I will find the eastern continent."


    "Is that true? Is it truly Lou¡¯s will?"


    Yanchinus stood up abruptly. The exploration of the eastern continent and the doctrines of Srism often conflicted. That''s why the emperor hadn''t publicly promoted expeditions to the eastern continent. Even with his absolute power, directly contradicting the doctrines was dangerous.


    The existence of the eastern continent was a heretical myth of the northern barbarians. If a follower of Srism imed to believe in it, they''d be ridiculed.


    "I, the sole lineage of the coastal kingdom, came to the empire after being exiled. You, Your Majesty, have longed to explore the eastern continent. And now we have the eastern divine relic in our possession. Do you believe all this is a mere coincidence? If it isn''t Lou¡¯s will, then whose is it? I dreamed in the temple, and I saw the eastern continent, where the light ascends!"


    Pahell eximed, his conviction even sweeping Yanchinus along.


    "Lou¡¯s will..."


    Yanchinus, despite his debauchery, was also a follower of Srism. The prospect of bing a malevolent spirit in the afterlife terrified him. He had offered substantial donations to Srism as penance for his sins.


    "Could it really be Lou¡¯s will?"


    Yanchinus mulled over the words.


    "All of this has been Lou¡¯s guidance. Your Majesty, our lives are under Lou¡¯s will. Whether we die or live. Do as you please. You may kill me here if that''s Lou¡¯s will. If I have misinterpreted the revtion, so be it! But since Lou has bestowed this mission upon me, I shall not die here."


    Pahell clenched his fist. His face involuntarily tightened; a look of determination etched across his features.


    "Surprising, Prince Barca. Frankly, I had no intention of making you king. I thought you wouldn''t be able to solve my riddle!"


    Yanchinus stood up abruptly, sweeping the dishes on the table to the side.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The dishes hit the ground, creating a loud noise. Yanchinus climbed on top of the table.


    "I want the eastern continent! My grandfather and father were great emperors, celebrated for their aplishments long after their time. I too want to be remembered as an emperor of great aplishments. Inclusion of the barbarians? Rise of academics? These are nothing. They are just the foundation my ancestorsid. I will merely remain an emperor who enjoyed prosperity under their legacy. The truly exhrating achievements are not of that sort."


    "...Conquest."


    Urich muttered quietly, listening intently.


    "Yes, like my grandfather and father did!" Yanchinus bellowed as if forcing the words from his throat. He panted, walking across the table, kicking the dishes with his feet. He grabbed a jug of wine with one hand and guzzled it down.


    "Look at this, Prince Varca."


    Yanchinus pulled out a letter from his back pocket. Pahell read the letter with rolling eyes.


    "It''s a letter from my uncle."


    Pahell gritted his teeth.


    "Your uncle has offered to double the tribute. In return, he asked to be allowed to seed the throne without interference. But seeing you now, I can''t understand why you let him get away with all this. I think I have an eye for people. If a prince as astute as you could be driven away, then Duke Harmatti must be quite the capable man."


    Pahell sneered bitterly.


    <i>''I was naive enough to be taken advantage of in the past.''</i>


    Yanchinus handed a wine ss to Pahell.


    "Take my ss, Prince. You imed to have received Lou''s revtion yourself. I believe you. But if indeed you have been given Lou''s mission, then he will help you im your throne."


    "What do you mean?"


    Yanchinus sat down in front of Pahell, continuing to drink heavily.


    "A trial by duel. A trial for the kingdom. I will lend you enough troops and fame to oppose Duke Harmatti. Under my support, you will wage a civil war. With no other option, Duke Harmatti will fight desperately. If you are truly the one blessed with the mission to explore the eastern continent by Lou, then he will ensure your victory."


    "How many troops?"


    "Fifty of the Steel Knights and a thousand Imperial soldiers."


    "That''s hardly enough to subdue a kingdom."


    Pahell expressed his dissatisfaction.


    Yanchinus''s eyes shone as he cupped Pahell''s cheek,ughing fiercely.


    "You have been given Lou''s mission. You will be victorious."


    The implication was clear.


    <i>''If you can''t win with these troops, you were not truly given Lou''s mission.''</i>


    That''s what a duel trial meant. Victory or defeat, as per Lou''s will.


    Pahell looked at Yanchinus. Emperor Yanchinus Hamelon, the Ruler of the Word. He had finally garnered his support.


    "I shall return as a king next time we meet."


    Pahell bowed his head. Yanchinus threw his arms wide, cheering.


    "Praise be to Lou. Long live the sun!"


    They ate, drank, and reveled. At the emperor''s p, new dishes were brought out as if they were as plentiful as the strewn food on the floor. The leftovers and cold dishes fallen on the floor were left for the servants.


    The long dinner finally came to an end. Yanchinus, heavily intoxicated, staggered. Pahell and Urich, having finished their goodbyes, were about to leave the banquet hall.


    "Armor Breaker Urich!"


    Yanchinus called out, raising his finger. Urich shrugged his shoulders and turned around.


    "Yes, that¡¯s my name. No need to tell me that."


    "I''m curious about one thing. What tribe of barbarians are you from? Your ent is unfamiliar to me. I''ve talked with many barbarians from the Sun Warriors!"


    Urich raised his index finger.


    "From the north. From a corner so remote you wouldn''t know it even if I told you. Your Majesty."


    "Ha! I knew it! Northern barbarian warriors are indeed strong."


    Yanchinus shouted with a slurred tongue.


    Urichughed, but he felt a cold sweat trickle down his spine. No matter how strong a warrior is, one cannot face an army alone. For the first time, Urich was afraid of the fact that he had crossed the Sky Mountains. He had shattered the boundaries of the world.

 Chapter 71: The Sword Demon Ferzen

    <h4>Chapter 71: The Sword Demon Ferzen</h4>


    It had been about two months since Varca Aneu Porcana arrived in the Imperial capital of Hamel.


    "Varca Aneu Porcana. Son of the Sun, may the blessing of the sun god Lou be upon you."


    Pahell hadpleted hising-of-age ceremony in a simplified form. He had finally be an adult and had fully obtained the legitimacy for the throne session. Pahell rose, removing his white cloak marked with the sun.


    "I will dedicate my life to fulfilling the mission of Lou," Pahell murmured. The priest officiating the ceremony was puzzled but said nothing.


    <i>p, p, p.</i>


    It was aing-of-age ceremony attended by only a few. Phillion pped vigorously.


    "It should have been a coronation as well. Such a modesting-of-age ceremony..."


    Phillion spoke with a choked emotion. The current king of Porcana was in aa. It was only natural for Pahell, now of age, to seed the throne.


    "Formality isn''t important. What''s important is that I am now an adult," Pahell said calmly. As soon as the ceremony ended, people dispersed.


    <i>''Tomorrow, we march.''</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus had summoned the imperial army to aid in Pahell¡¯s session to the throne.


    Fifty Steel Knights and over a thousand Imperial soldiers. It was a formidable force. No other ce in the empire could gather a better fighting force. Whenbined with various nonbat personnel, the size reached about a thousand and five hundred men. Pahell could not have assembled such a force on his own, no matter how hard he tried.


    <i>''But even this might not be enough to topple my uncle.''</i>


    Before anything else, Pahell first had to secure the support of the nobles of Porcana. Rushing straight to the castle was a suicidal act. The Porcana Kingdom was strong in defense and fortifications. Its borders were encircled by canyons and rivers, and most territories and castles were backed against the sea.


    <i>''Even with the emperor''s support, if he deems that Ick Lou¡¯s blessing, he may change his word at any time.''</i>


    Pahell¡¯s thoughts were tangled. He had now entered a situation from which he could not back down.


    <i>¡®To kill my uncle and be the king or to be killed by him. It¡¯s one of those two.''</i>


    Pahell took off his ceremonial clothes and changed into his regr ones. His eyes were weary as he had not slept well ever since his arrival in the capital.


    The morning of departure dawned. Pahell, who had been lying awake in bed, got up. He washed his face with cold water and stood by the window to pray. Pahell captured the sunlight from the east in his eyes. His pupils ached, and his vision became blurry.


    <i>''The east.''</i>


    A wordden with both love and hate. Pahell closed his eyes and stood up. He and Phillion stepped beyond the city walls of the capital.


    "This is the prince¡¯s army."


    Phillion announced as they stepped outside of the city. Pahell pulled on the reins of Kylios, facing the wind.


    "For Emperor Yanchinus!"


    The knights and soldiers eximed.


    "That isn¡¯t my army. They¡¯re borrowed from the emperor. Those who are loyal to me aren¡¯t there."


    Pahell muttered, gazing at the army.


    "Ohoho, shall we then, Prince Varca?"


    That familiarughter. Phillion and Pahell''s eyes widened.


    "Fe-Ferzen!"


    Ferzen, d only in a breastte, rode toward them on horseback.


    <i>''Why is the Sword Demon Ferzen here?''</i>


    The joining of Ferzen was unexpected.


    "This departure might be myst departure. I always thought each of my departures to be myst, but somehow, I''vee this far. Life does not go as humans wish. We just live ording to the whim of Lou."


    Ferzen said, pressing down his wide-brimmed hat. It was a doctor''s prescription to avoid the sunlight.


    "It is a great honor, General Ferzen."


    Pahell bowed deeply. The renowned Sword Demon Ferzen had joined the army. No other knight could be possibly more reassuring than him. His reputation alone was enough to send the morale soaring.


    "The Sword Demon joins us!"


    "General Ferzen!"


    As Ferzen passed by, the soldiers cheered, and the knights saluted solemnly. They were in the presence of a legend that had been with the empire since its foundation.


    "Did the emperor send him?"


    Pahell whispered to Phillion.


    "I¡¯m not so sure. With General Ferzen''s stature, he listens to no one''smand. Not even the emperor can meddle with such a figure. It seems he wanted to join us of his own ord. In any case, this is a good thing for us."


    Phillion looked at Ferzen. Ferzen¡¯s mere presence boosted the allies'' morale. To the enemies, he would be a source of fear.


    "Ferzen''s presence is proof that I have secured the emperor''s solid support."


    Pahell said, kicking Kylios'' nks. He joined the camp of Urich''s brothers. At this moment, the mercenaries were Pahell¡¯s private army and even more reliable than the Imperial army.


    "Wow. This really feels like a war."


    Urichmented next to Pahell, looking at the army.


    "Enjoying it?"


    Pahell asked, looking at Urich, who only smiled.


    "It''s a war for you so that you can be king as you wished."


    "Urich, what will you do if I be king?"


    Pahell dismounted. Standing side by side, Urich was about a head taller.


    "I''ll take my reward. In money."


    "And then?"


    "I¡¯ll leave. There¡¯s still so much I haven¡¯t seen. Maybe I¡¯ll head south this time. Look at this thing, this is the real stuff. Imperial steel weapons."


    Urich drew his axe, spinning it around. The steel axe de shone smoothly, without a single scratch. Urich had taken advantage of the emperor''s permit to plunder the Sun Warrior¡¯s armory.


    <i>''Two axes, a new sword. All made of Imperial steel.''</i>


    They were weapons any warrior would envy.


    "Urich, don''t you want to see the eastern continent?"


    "You said it¡¯s going to take at least a decade to prepare, so talk to me about it in ten years."


    Urich snorted with a chuckle. Even for the coastal kingdom of Porcana, an expedition to the eastern continent was no easy endeavor. The distance that had to be traveled was unknown.


    Pahell watched Urich''s back as he walked ahead. If he became king, he might never make another friend like this.


    "If I put together an expedition fleet, I¡¯ll keep a spot for you."


    "I''ll dly join when the timees."


    Urich answered without even turning around.


    * * *


    The army that departed from the Imperial capital of Hamel made stops at various territories and cities for supplies. Supplying an army of over a thousand was not easy. The travel schedule turned out to be longer than expected.


    "Grandpa Sword Demon."


    Urich said, sitting atop a supply wagon. The wagon was piled high with supplies. A line of such supply wagons had followed the marching army.


    "Ohoho. Look who it is. The champion of the jousting tournament, Urich."


    "Everyone I talked to told me that you, old man, are the empire''s best knight," Urich said as he leaped down from the wagon. He drew his sword.


    "Are you trying to pick a fight? This is not the time for that."


    Ferzen, with his hands behind his back, tilted his head quizzically.


    "No, teach me swordsmanship. The swordsmanship of knights. If I''m going to learn, I might as well learn from the best."


    "Why do you want to learn swordsmanship?"


    Ferzen asked, somewhat perplexed.


    "Are you belittling me because I''m a barbarian? Just teach me some swordsmanship."


    "That''s not it. You don''t need to learn the knight''s swordsmanship. You''re strong enough. You have your own way of fighting. Pick any of the knights over there and call them over; none of them would beat you."


    "It''s an honor for you to think so highly of me."


    Urich ced his hand on his stomach like a knight and bowed his head in a salute.


    "I¡¯m sure you know," Ferzen said sharply, his pale eyes piercing, "that learning knightly swordsmanship is of no practical use to you. There is only one reason you would want to learn it."


    <i>¡®What a terrifying little barbarian. Perhaps it¡¯s due to his young age? He has flexibility in his thoughts and isn¡¯t afraid to integrate the skills of others into his own.¡¯</i>


    Urich was an odd barbarian. In him, barbarism and civilization coexisted.


    "Hmm. Why do you think I want to learn knightly swordsmanship?"


    "¡¯Know thy enemy.¡¯ You think that if you learn knightly swordsmanship, it would be easier to face knights, am I wrong?"


    Urich scratched his head at Ferzen¡¯sment.


    "So, will you teach me or not?"


    "It will be an amusing pastime on the way to the Porcana Kingdom. Take up your sword."


    Ferzen looked at Urich with his hands sped behind his back. He had trained many knights. Many who had passed under Ferzen''s tutge had be renowned knights. Ferzen was also an expert teacher.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    Urich drew his imperial steel sword. The sound of it was beautiful. Seeing the pristine de, he felt a sense of rity.


    "The basics of knightly swordsmanship start with the two-handed sword. Do you know why?"


    "If I knew that, I''d be a knight, old man."


    "Speak politely. A knight must have manners. Call me Sir Ferzen. If you dislike it, sheathe your sword and leave."


    Ferzen said as he chuckled.


    "Ehem. S-Sir Ferzen, I don''t understand why they use the two-handed sword."


    "That¡¯s fine. And enough with the ¡®Sir¡¯ stuff already. Knights are no different from butchers, except they butcher humans with their weapons, and that¡¯s why they treat manners so important. If they don''t maintain courtesy among themselves, they¡¯re quick to draw their swords in the name of honor. Even though I''m a knight, I find them a rather crazy lot. Ohoho."


    Ferzenughed thinly, waving his hand dismissively.


    "Keke, I like your style, old man."


    Urichughed, holding his stomach. Ferzen was a warrior who had been wielding a sword even before Urich was born.


    <i>''He understands the essence of a warrior better than anyone. No matter what fancy name you give it, a knight or a warrior is still a killer in the end.''</i>


    That essence was violent and cruel.


    "The origin of knightly swordsmanship is deeply connected to heavy armor. Over time, armor became denser and stronger. Knights could achieve sufficient defense even without shields. Just wearing a quality chainmail could protect against almost all half-decent attacks. Not to mention te armor."


    "Ah! te armor! Magnificent armor!"


    Urich chimed in,ughing heartily.


    "The better the knight''s equipment, the less they rely on shields. Soon enough, the two-handed grip became the main stance, and the one-handed grip with a shield became secondary. In truth, one-handed grip and shield aren''t bad, but because they''re seen as the stance of poor knights who can''t afford good armor, pride prevents them from using shields. Thus, the two-handed sword stance became the standard."


    "Oh, really? What was that stance called? The bird stance?"


    Urich awkwardly gripped the sword in both hands and lifted it above his head. It was the high guard stance mostmonly used by knights.


    "Not just a bird, but the Owl Stance. It¡¯s an aggressive stance with the sword raised in both hands. It looks grand and magnificent."


    Ferzen circled around Urich, tapping his waist and legs to correct his posture.


    "Stances are not isted; they flow organically. A knight bes an owl, then a wolf, and at times, fights cunningly like a snake, or swiftly like a badger."


    Ferzen exined the principles of swordsmanship, demonstrating each stance in turn.


    Urich earnestly learned swordsmanship from Ferzen. Urich, too, was a warrior who had reached the limits of his craft. He quickly grasped and epted Ferzen''s teachings. It took him less than a fortnight to be proficient in knightly swordsmanship.


    "Look! Isn''t it cool? This is the Owl Stance,"


    Urich boasted among the mercenaries. As he took the stance, the mercenariesughed.


    "What kind of owl is that fat? Might as well call it the Chicken Stance,"


    Bachman teased, incitingughter from the other mercenaries. Urich''s face turned red with embarrassment.


    "Urich," Sven called, who was sitting by the campfire, polishing his weapon.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Urich asked as Sven, with a roll of his eyes, shooed away the surrounding mercenaries. The mercenaries cleared the space, sensing the mood.


    "You''ve been quite chummy with Sword Demon Ferzentely."


    "Uh? And that bothers you? Whether I hang out with the Sun Warriors or the Sword Demon, it''s my freedom," Urich preempted. He wasn''t one to cater to Sven''s moods.


    "That''s not it. The Sword Demon Ferzen has spent half his life battling barbarians."


    "So what?" Urich frowned. Although he himself was a barbarian, he was not from the invaded north or south. He bore no animosity toward the empire.


    "Be cautious. There''s no one who knows barbarians better than the Sword Demon Ferzen. For those who have lived through wars, lifelong adversaries are more familiar than a wife that they left behind. If you want to keep your origins hidden, then..."


    Urich flinched. His expression turned fierce, then calmed down.


    "Thanks for the advice, Sven. You''re right. I''m still naive. I should keep my distance from Ferzen."


    "You''ve seen firsthand what has be of us northerners. Only a fool fails to learn from precedent."


    It was a heartfelt warning from Sven. Urich nodded in acknowledgment.


    That night at camp, Urich did not seek out Ferzen. Instead, he spent his time gambling with dice among the mercenaries. Three days passed, and then Ferzen came looking for Urich.


    "You''ve been busy, I see. There''s still much I need to teach you."


    "You¡¯ve taught me enough. Thanks for all you''ve done, Grandpa Sword Demon." Urich smiled.


    "The teachings of the Sword Demon Ferzen are something people would pay a fortune for. But anyway, I''ve been curious about something..."


    Ferzen looked at Urich with his cloudy eyes.


    "Your ent is quite unique. Where are you from?"


    Urich slowly lifted his head.


    "Can''t you tell? Obviously, from the north."


    "I know several northern ents, but yours is new to me. Where''s your home? Kariha? Sveurcheg?"


    Ferzen stepped closer, but his opaque eyes provided no insight into his intentions.


    "Urich! ''Come here. There''s an urgent matter.''"


    Sven called out from afar, using the northernnguage. It was a conversation they had prepared for an asion like this.


    "Okay. I''ll be right there, brother.''"


    Urich had been learning the northernnguage in bits over the past three days. His pronunciation was surprisingly good for such a short period of learning.


    "''If it''s northern, I can speak a bit too,''" said Ferzen casually in the samenguage.


    <i>''Damn old man!''</i>


    Urich felt goosebumps all over him as he heard Ferzen speak northern.


    "It seems I''ve been keeping the busy mercenary captain. Go on then. Ohoho."


    Ferzenughed and closed his eyes. Urich turned around and walked to Sven.


    As Urich walked away, he thought quietly to himself, listening to the receding footsteps of Ferzen.


    <i>Thump, thump, thump.</i>


    The heartbeat was steady. Urich''s eyes grew cold, and a yellow murderous intent blossomed in his pupils. His fingers felt for the hilt of his sword.


    <i>''Don''t pry any further, Grandpa Sword Demon. I like you.''</i>


    Urich''s lips twitched. He whispered to himself.


    "...So, I don''t want to kill you. Stay quiet."


    Urich swept his fingers down his eyes, closing them. Slowly, he opened his eyes again, and the murderous intent was gone.

 Chapter 72

    <h4>Chapter 72</h4>


    "It''s tough to hide one''s age," Ferzen muttered as he entered his personal tent. Despite his robust physique for an elder, his muscles and stamina were not what they once were. He felt himself weaken with each passing year.


    "Sword Demon, Ferzen, ohoho.¡±


    An old monster who was over seventy years of age. It was indeed a long life.


    <i>''I never thought I''d survive this long. How strange fate is.''</i>


    He had bid farewell to hisrades of youth and even served two masters who had passed before him.


    <i>Creak</i>.


    Ferzen stood straight, removing his chest te as his joints screamed in pain.


    "Ah, at this rate, I wonder if I''ll even be able to mount a horse tomorrow."


    He sat down stiffly on a chair, only rxing after leaning back deeply.


    "Phew."


    Ferzen looked at his wrinkled hands through his blurry eyes. The fingers, gnarled and cold, bore indistinguishable scars and wrinkles. His nails, repeatedly broken and chipped, had grown back deformed. Due to his old injuries, some fingers lost the ability to feel pain.


    <i>''I can¡¯t really hear through my left ear either.''</i>


    He dug out the umted pus from his left ear with his pinky finger. If not cleaned out regrly, his ear canal would fill with that pus.


    <i>Eeeee</i>.


    A dull sound rang in his ears. Sitting still brought on a dizziness that felt like drunkenness.


    "Here we go again."


    Ferzen closed his eyes, waiting for the vertigo to pass. Every part of his body was a testament to his fifty years of battle-worn life, ravaged by numerous injuries and shocks.


    <i>¡®Look at me yearning for youth. Such an ugly thought.''</i>


    He recalled the memories of his prime. His physical prowess and battle experience had been at their peak, and he feared nothing. With a sword in hand, no enemy could intimidate him, and countless formidable foes had fallen before him.


    "May I enter, General Ferzen?"


    Someone lingered outside the tent. Ferzen took a deep breath, still feeling dizzy enough to vomit.


    Ferzen was ustomed to enduring pain. He steadied his voice.


    "I don''t know who it is, bute in."


    Outside the tent, the camp was bustling with preparations. A man emerged from themotion and entered Ferzen''s tent.


    <i>''A mercenary?''</i>


    Ferzen squinted at the man through his hazy eyes.


    "My name is Donovan, the vice leader of Urich''s Brotherhood."


    "Pleasure, Donovan," Ferzen replied as he gestured toward the chair.


    <i>Creak</i>.


    Donovan sat down with a gentle smile. It was quite unlike him.


    "So, what brings the vice leader of the mercenary squad to this old warrior?"


    "You probably don¡¯t remember me, General Ferzen, but I know you very well."


    "Did I kill a family member or a brother of yours? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised, given the grudges I''ve umted. Ohoho."


    Ferzen''sugh was rusty.


    "No. You saved my life, General. It was about ten years ago, toward the end of the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians. Do you recall the Battle of the Falkata Hignds?"


    Donovan''s voice became rigid as if the encounter with Ferzen had reminded his body of the old military habits.


    "Falkata! That was a tough battle! Those cunning devils were waiting for us in the ambush. Many soldiers died. Were you there in that battle? I never thought I¡¯d meet an oldrade here!" Ferzen eximed with joy.


    "Yes, General, I was with the Sixth Infantry. I served under Sir Lumonde."


    "Ah, Lumonde. Lumonde."


    Ferzen repeated the name. He had crossed paths with many knights, so his aging memory was trying to grasp the past to pull out the memory of that name.


    "Perhaps this might help you jog your memory; he died at the hands of a disobedient subordinate."


    Ferzen pped his hands.


    "Lumonde, yes! A soldier from the Sixth Infantry started a mutiny. Lumonde tried to execute the insubordinate soldier but was instead killed by the mutineers. Did I get that right? Commander Killer Donovan."


    Donovan smiled wryly.


    "You haven¡¯t changed a bit, General Ferzen."


    "If we hadn''t won at the Falkata battle, even I couldn''t have saved you, regardless of the circumstances. Pardoning a soldier who killed his superior without punishment would lead to a breakdown in discipline."


    "I couldn''t say it then, but now I can say it openly. Lumonde was a madman. If we had charged as hemanded, the Sixth infantry would have been annihted."


    Donovan pped his knee with a lively motion.


    "Your judgment waspletely urate. The other infantry units suffered near annihtion. Waiting for the knights to join you was the correct decision."


    Ferzen and Donovan reminisced about the Falkata battle with pleasure.


    "...Anyway, I wanted toe to you to express my gratitude. Thanks to you, I survived."


    "It was a dishonorable discharge. And now you live as a mercenary, even a vice leader at that. Isn''t that a decent sess?"


    "I used to be a diator. One thing led to another, and I became a mercenary, though it is a long story.¡±


    "I like listening to stories. Just wait. I have some good wine here."


    Ferzen pulled out a wine pouch and poured it into a cup. It was a fine wine. Donovan had never tasted such a luxurious drink before.


    "This is great. Where should I start? Perhaps with how I became a diator in the first ce."


    Donovan began his lengthy tale. Ferzen leaned back, listening intently as Donovan''s speech sped up with the alcohol¡¯s influence.


    "Then, in the city of Ankaira, I met Urich. A diator broker brought this naive barbarian Urich, iming he was a rookie. But that guy fought disgustingly well. I used to be the face of the diator squad, but he grew so fast he threatened my position."


    "Oho?"


    Donovan continued with a tone half-filled with discontent.


    "Then we were attacked by bandits, and Horus the broker was killed. Without a broker with connections in various cities, it would have been hard to keep a diator squad going, no matter how skilled we were. So, that''s how I ended up in the mercenary business."


    "You''ve had quite the journey. Have another drink. But tell me more about Urich. He''s an extraordinary barbarian."


    "Ha, what else is there to say? Haven''t you seen him yourself?"


    Donovan grinned; his teeth stained purple by the wine.


    "He''s simply a monster. You wouldn''t believe the things he''s done if I told you."


    Donovan boasted proudly. After all, Urich was the leader of the mercenary squad he belonged to.


    * * *


    Urich jogged his memory. The oldest he could recall was of the ins.


    It was a windy grasnd where the grass grew low, and the parched earth was solid underfoot. Breathing in, the air felt rough against his airway. Young Urich wandered the ins without knowing his purpose in life or the reason for his existence, destined to be prey to wild beasts.


    It was the adults from the Stone Axe tribe, out on a hunt, who picked up Urich. No one knew or cared why he was alone on the ins; it wasmon for children to be found wandering in the ins.


    Urich was lucky. It was a rainy year, so there was plenty of food to eat. One more mouth to feed didn''t hurt anyone.


    <i>¡®You''ll pull your weight soon enough.¡¯</i>


    That was why they had taken him in. To the tribe, every adult male was precious. Tribal men were hunters and warriors. Taking in a boy who was close to manhood was a long-term benefit for the tribe.


    <i>¡®Urich is strong.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®He handles the axe and bow as if they were extensions of himself.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®He''ll be a mighty warrior.¡¯</i>


    It didn¡¯t take too long for Urich to stand out among his peers, excelling above all the other children.


    He fought and hunted with his brothers from the tribe. It was a joyful time; even recalling those memories now seemed to bring the scent of grass to his nostrils. Urich sometimes longed for his home.


    Someday, he would return. He had no intention of staying in the civilized world forever. He had a ce to go back to.


    <i>¡®The burning ins.¡¯</i>


    It was an ominous future. Meeting the emperor only made that clearer.


    <i>¡®Emperor Yanchinus is also searching for unknown worlds.¡¯</i>


    What if the emperor learned of the world beyond the mountains?


    "It¡¯s obvious what he would do," Urich voiced out loud. That he had to prevent at all costs. His entire body trembled with the thought. He knew too well about the might of the Empire.


    <i>Step</i>.


    Urich stepped out of the tent. Outside, soldiers were organizing the camp. Armed soldiers shouted across the river, intimidating the other side.


    ¡°AHHHH!¡±


    The soldiers beat their shields with their weapons, their morale was high. Across the river was the Porcana Kingdom''s border gate, firmly closed. Themand center was deciding on the next move.


    Urich entered themand tent for the meeting. Pahell made room for him as he spotted Uriching in.


    "Foolish men! What kingdom stands in the way of its own prince!"


    Phillion sighed deeply.


    "It seems the nobles of Porcana are split between Duke Harmatti and Prince Varca."


    One of the steel knights participating in the meeting noted.


    "Ohoho. If they chose poorly, it could be the end of their lives and their families. Prince Varca, you do not have nearly enough esteem from them. Even after returning with the Empire''s support, the nobles are still hesitant to take your side."


    Ferzenmented. Pahell couldn''t refute. Ferzen''s words were true. If Pahell had cared to gain the nobles'' favor in the past, things would have been much easier now.


    "A messenger ising from the other side."


    A soldier entered the tent to report. Pahell nodded, interlocking his fingers in decision.


    "Let them in. I, Varca Aneu Porcana, will greet them myself."


    Pahell said, taking his ce at the head of the table.


    "I stand before Prince Varca, The Son of Porcana."


    The messenger, who seemed to be of nobility, said with proper respect as he entered themand tent with two soldiers of his.


    "Why is the Evelyn Gate barring my way? The border gate''s garrisons exist to protect Porcana from external threats," Pahell reprimanded. The messenger bowed his head low, holding a silence for a moment.


    "The Gate Captain of Evelyn says, ''Bringing foreign forces into Porcana''s affairs is unwise,''" the messenger ryed, causing Pahell to click his tongue in irritation.


    "That''s not for a mere gate captain to decide. I am Porcana''s sole rightful heir. I''m simply here to im my rightful throne. These men are merely my escort."


    "You must be aware that the nation¡¯s situation is turbulent, all due to the sudden actions of Prince Varca yourself. If you could grant us just two days to organize our stance..."


    The messenger¡¯s words were cut short when Sword Demon Ferzen stepped forward.


    ¡°Hup."


    Ferzen inhaled lightly, eyeing the messenger.


    <i>Deng</i>.


    Before anyone could stop him, Ferzen drew his sword and cleanly severed the messenger¡¯s neck.


    <i>Spurt!</i>


    Blood gushed from the severed neck as the messenger''s body toppled over.


    "The messenger, he killed the messenger!" the soldiers who came with the messenger eximed, shocked and disoriented.


    "Negotiations are for those on equal footing. That gate could be breached in less than half a day. That famous defense of Porcana? Fifty years ago, maybe! How many of those gate soldiers have even experienced a siege before? Ohoho," Ferzen chuckled, wiping his de clean.


    "That man killed the messenger! Prince Varca!" The soldiers protested, but Pahell only shook his head. The most knowledgeable person about war in this ce was Ferzen, a legendary figure not even the emperor could contend with. Pahell remained silent, watching Ferzen''s actions.


    Ferzen kicked the severed head toward the soldiers.


    "Take this head back to your so-called capable gate captain and tell him Sword Demon Ferzen has arrived."


    The name Ferzen struck terror into the soldiers; their faces turned pale as if they had seen a ghost. They quickly retreated in panic.


    Ferzen''s method proved effective. Within an hour, the gate opened. The gate captain kneeled before Pahell, submitting to him.


    "Henceforth, the Evelyn Gate will follow the kingdom''s rightful heir, Prince Varca Aneu Porcana," the gate captain dered, offering his sword to Pahell. Pahell looked at the sword.


    <i>''It''s not my legitimacy they''re kneeling to. It''s to Sword Demon Ferzen.''</i>


    With just one life, Ferzen had conquered the gate. It was practically a bloodless entry.


    Urich watched the entire spectacle with his heart pounding. Ferzen was a dangerous man, but also impressive. A warmth surged through Urich''s heart.


    <i>''Sword Demon Ferzen...''</i>


    The kindly old man was gone. Urich watched Ferzen not hesitating to strike the messenger.


    The Sword Demon Ferzen had already positioned himself above everyone else''s heads. He knew exactly how the enemies would react. He subdued them with solely his reputation and the fear hemanded.


    <i>¡®So, that¡¯s the old monster that spent his entire life on the battlefield?''</i> Urich scoffed.


    Pahell¡¯s forces crossed into Porcana''s borders, and word of it spread throughout the kingdom. The nobles were conflicted about whose side to take. The civil war for the throne had finally begun.

 Chapter 73: The Lungell Duchy

    <h4>Chapter 73: The Lungell Duchy</h4>


    Pahell''s army, having passed through the Evelyn Gate, was deciding on the next location to take. Meanwhile, they drafted a hundred of the five hundred soldiers guarding the Evelyn Gate.


    "There are four dukes in the Porcana Kingdom. One of them is Duke Harmatti. Each duke can muster about 2,000 troops, give or take depending on the duke. They must have already issued a conscription order," Phillion exined, unfolding a map and detailing the political situation in the Porcana Kingdom.


    "It''s better to strike quickly before the conscription ispleted, Prince Varca," Ferzen remarked sharply.


    A duke''s conscription wouldn''t bepleted overnight. Gathering troops from lower nobility like counts and barons would take at least three to four days. Non-standing conscripted soldiers would take more than a week to arrive.


    "Which duchy is closest?" Pahell asked Phillion.


    "In terms of distance, it''s Duke Lungell''s territory, but since that requires crossing mountains, it would be faster to conquer Duke Vaskerling¡¯s territory," Phillion replied.


    Hearing the conversation, Ferzen frowned.


    "Do we have to force every duchy to submit? This side will also suffer significant battle fatigue. The force we have isn''t enough to conquer the kingdom through battle power alone. You know the emperor¡¯s intent, don''t you, Prince Varca?" Ferzen passed the conversation to Pahell.


    "I am aware, General Ferzen. It''s not just about the military; my political power is also necessary," Pahell said with a bitter smile.


    The troops provided by the emperor were the bare minimum needed for conquering the kingdom. It wasn''t enough to win against the entire kingdom. Thanks to the emperor''s troops, Pahell was just barely able to put his name on the board of political tangle.


    "Four dukes, and then the royal castle," Ferzen pondered, stroking his chin while looking at the map. He lifted his head as if he had made a decision.


    "In my opinion, if we can sway just two dukes without battle, we can easily win this civil war. But who do the nobles of the territories directly under Porcana pledge loyalty to? It''s hard to believe that the King''s direct territories would betray the prince. And who do the troops stationed in the royal castle pledge allegiance to?" Ferzen poured out questions. Pahell looked at Phillion, flustered. Ferzen didn''t miss a beat.


    <i>''Prince Varca is clever, but he knows nothing about domestic politics. There was a reason he was stripped of everything by his uncle.''</i>


    Ferzen couldn''t understand how Pahell ended up being so politically ipetent.


    <i>''He has the makings of a king. Strange indeed. Do all the dukes of this countryck the eye for a king?''</i>


    Ferzen had seen many royals over the years. There were plenty who wore the crown simply because they were royalty. Pahell had more than enough potential to be a good king.


    <i>''He mayck a warrior''s temperament, but he''s calm and has good situational judgment. In fact, he''s more suited for politics.''</i>


    Why Porcana Kingdom had deteriorated like this would be discoveredter. Ferzen refocused on the meeting.


    "I am still unsure... I''ll send out some messengers first. There must be nobles willing to support me somewhere," Pahell hesitated, speaking. It was an irresponsible statement. There was no confidence anywhere in his statement.


    <i>''I don''t know much about the other nobles. I never tried to learn. I thought the loyalty of nobles was a given thing.''</i>


    Phillion watched Pahell, who was in deep thought. He whispered into Pahell''s ear.


    "Duke Lungell might support you, my prince. He was close friends with your father."


    "That very friend, Lungell, was the first to support Duke Harmatti," Pahell grimaced, knowing that Lungell was the first to join hands with his uncle, Duke Harmatti.


    "Duke Lungell supported Duke Harmatti because he was convinced you wouldn''t be king. He decided to prevent civil war. But now the story is different. Civil war is inevitable anyway. He might support you now since you have the backing of the empire. You may not know, my prince, but Duke Lungell and Duke Harmatti aren''t on good terms. There was a dispute over a county. Duke Harmatti probably gained his support by agreeing to transfer the rights of thatnd. I will go as the messenger."


    Pahell started picking up letters to send to the nobles. After pondering, he crumpled one.


    "I will confront Duke Lungell myself. Phillion, as my representative, take Duke Vaskerling¡¯s territory. I will join you again after gaining Lungell''s support."


    "Your Highness? It''s too dangerous! Even if it''s Duke Lungell, he''s currently a supporter of Duke Harmatti!" Phillion objected. Pahell shook his head and extended his palm.


    "It''s better to be certain. If I don''t obtain the duke''s support, we have no chance in the civil war, anyway. I can''t afford to be tentative in this situation. I''ve made my decision, and I will not take no for an answer from you."


    Ferzen nodded, listening to the conversation.


    "It''s a sure way, Prince Varca. Quickly subdue Duke Vaskerling¡¯s territory with force and win over Duke Lungell''s support, and you''ll be on equal footing with Duke Harmatti. Then, the smaller nobles will dere their support for the side that is backed by the empire, ohoho." Ferzen chuckled lightly.


    <i>¡®He surely is a prince with political acumen. He knows how to take risks. Going to Duke Lungell''s territory could be fatal and render everything pointless, but such gambles are necessary to turn a disadvantageous situation around.''</i>


    In Ferzen''s mind, the chessboard became busy. Two kings, Varca and Harmatti, and three powerful knights, the dukes, and several smaller pawns. The first to gain two knights would seize the advantage.


    "But..."


    Phillion trailed off. It was risky for Pahell to personally act as the messenger.


    "I trust your words, Sir Phillion, and made this decision based on that. I don''t know much about Duke Lungell. But if your words are true, I will seed."


    Phillion couldn''t object further. It was his master¡¯s decision. Further dissent was presumptuous. It wouldn''t look good to others.


    <i>''I can''t demean the prince''s dignity.''</i>


    Phillion looked around. Everyone agreed with Pahell''s decision.


    <i>''I am proud but I am also worried.''</i>


    Phillion rubbed his chest. His dinner wasn¡¯t going to sit well in his stomach tonight.


    "I''ll take about ten men from the mercenary group, including Urich, as my escort. Taking too many guards won''t make it any safer. In fact, too many can be seen negatively. Showing my sincerity will be more important than ensuring my safety," Pahell looked at Urich as he spoke.


    "I''ll do the job of a hundred men. Don''t worry." Urich casually spun a dagger in his hand, clearly bored with the meeting. There was nothing for Urich to contribute to such discussions.


    "General Ferzen, lead the troops to Duke Vaskerling¡¯s territory tomorrow. Time is of the essence. We can''t afford to waste even a day."


    Pahell folded the map. If time passed and troops gathered, only a full-scale war would remain. They had to gain as much support as possible before that and turn the table in their favor.


    * * *


    Urich and Bachman, among ten other mercenaries, were summoned as Pahell''s escort. The rest of the mercenaries moved with the army.


    <i>Clop, clop</i>.


    Only mercenaries skilled in horse riding were selected as escorts. As time was of the essence, all mercenaries traveled on horseback. In the middle of the procession were Pahell and two escort knights.


    Urich rode Kylios up the mountain. He looked at Ferzen''s army moving in the distance.


    <i>''It''s better to stay away from Ferzen for a while.''</i>


    Urich had tasked Sven with monitoring Ferzen. In Urich''s absence, Sven would keep an eye on Ferzen''s movements.


    "We''re escorting someone who will be king in the future. Damn, it''s finally sinking in," Bachman said excitedly.


    "We''ve been escorting him this whole time. Why this reaction now?" Urich responded. Bachman seemed to be in a good mood.


    "All the mercenaries were buzzing about it. What seemed like a pipe dream is now within reach. That young prince will finally be king!"


    "You like that that much?" Seeing Bachman happy made Urich feel good too.


    "Of course, you idiot! Think about how grand the king''s rewards will be!" Bachman chattered away. Other mercenaries nodded along with his words.


    "Certainly, we¡¯re seeing sess."


    "With the support of the empire, it''s going to be smooth sailing."


    The mercenaries already considered it a won battle. The thinking of themand staff and the individual mercenaries was entirely different.


    <i>''With the empire backing us, how can he not be king?''</i> Even Bachman thought so. The empire''s stature was that high.


    Themand staff saw the political situation more realistically. The emperor was not nning on providing any more support. If Pahell failed to secure the throne with the current military force, everything would be over. The mercenaries were unaware of these details.


    <i>''Thinking positively like this is good for morale.''</i>


    There was no need to dampen their high spirits with negative words. Urich didn''t pour cold water on the mercenaries'' conversation.


    "I¡¯ve always said that following you was the best decision of my life. No one from our hometown has outdone me, right?" Bachman was already celebrating his sess as if Pahell had won.


    "Oh, is that so? Congrattions on your sess, Bachman." Urich yfully patted Bachman''s back.


    "You don''t understand, Urich. I''m happy right now. Someone as strong as you wouldn''t get it. You''re a great warrior; you''d be treated well everywhere you go. But for people like us, it''s a struggle to get such an opportunity even once."


    A warrior with countless victory tales, Champion of the Hamel Jousting Tournament, and the leader of the mercenary squad Urich''s Brotherhood. Urich was superior to others. He easily achieved the riches and honor that others would struggle their entire lives for. He could get everything he ever wanted.


    <i>''Urich won''t understand us.''</i>


    Bachman felt a sense of alienation. Urich saw something different from the mercenaries. There was something that transcended earthly desires about Urich''s actions.


    <i>''But the things that you easily achieve are our lifelong goals.''</i>


    Sometimes, Bachman envied Urich.


    <i>''If I were as strong as Urich, I''d be living luxuriously under some rich noble.''</i>


    But Urich didn''t do that. He was a resolute warrior. He liked money but didn''t covet more than necessary. Being able to eat, sleep, and be with women was enough for him.


    "Hmm."


    Urich couldn''t say more.


    As Bachman thought, Urich didn''t understand him. Bachman obsessed over the king''s rewards as a life achievement. To Urich, it was trivial.


    "Urich, you''re a great man. You are worthy of my respect not just as a warrior but in other aspects too."


    Bachman smiled bitterly. Ordinary people couldn''t understand the extraordinary. But the extraordinary couldn''t understand the ordinary either.


    It took a night to cross the mountains. Only the next day did they enter Duke Lungell''s territory. As they passed several agricultural areas they saw farmers in leather clothes, carrying farming tools, lined up, walking somewhere.


    "The local lords have issued a conscription order. War is imminent, so they''re gathering their troops," Bachman noted, watching the conscripted farmers from a distance.


    "They''re not warriors. They¡¯re just farmers."


    Urich frowned. With his vision, he could see every detail of the farmers'' attire. The level of conscripted soldiers was pitiful and only a few were properly armed.


    "They need numbers, so they will fill it in any way they can. Common folks are the ones who suffer in the fights of the high and mighty. At least it''s not the farming season. If this civil war had happened then, people would starve even after it ended."


    Bachman always thought from themoners'' perspective. He too came from a poor fishing vige.


    "It''s all my fault."


    Pahell said as he watched the moving conscription line. A civil war causes great bloodshed. The people suffer, even though they are the ones who don''t care who bes king.


    <i>¡®This is all happening because of my desire to be king.''</i>


    Pahell was tormented. He understood the consequences of his actions. His perspective broadened, and he matured. He recognized his responsibilities and duties.


    <i>''I carry the mission of Lou,'' </i>Pahell muttered to himself. That was his only way of alleviating the guilt.


    "Pahell, you want to be king, right? Then don''t worry about it. When I raided the neighboring tribes, I didn''t care if they starved in the next dry season. Would those peasants, if they were royalty, give up their throne worrying about people''s suffering? They''d do the exact same thing as you are doing right now, if not worse. Everyone cares about themselves first. Don''t think about others'' pain. If you do, you won''t be able to do anything. Just don''t be ashamed of yourself," Urich joined Pahell, speaking beside him.


    "Your words are somewhatforting. Thanks, Urich." Pahell smiled and rxed his shoulders.


    <i>''But I will remember their suffering.''</i>


    As they continued to move, Pahell nced back at the conscription line again.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    The best method of preparing for war was to maintain a standing army. A standing army consisted of professional soldiers who were stationed regardless of whether it was wartime or peacetime. Instead of plows and hoes, they carried weapons. Since they offered no economic productivity, only sufficiently wealthy lords maintained them solely forw enforcement.


    A standing army itself was an expense. The only state that operated its main force as a professional army was the empire. The main forces of kingdoms and local lords were often a few knights with fiefs and conscripted soldiers.


    Non-standing forces, including conscripts, took a long time to mobilize and had a short operational duration. Particrly, conscripts had other livelihoods to maintain. Their morale dropped rapidly if a war was prolonged, and even upon returning victoriously, they often found their families starved to death.


    <em>tter, tter.</em>


    The situation in Lungell''s duchy was no different. Knights and conscripts swarmed into the castle.


    Lower nobility and knights fulfilled their duty to participate in the war. They came from various counties. Because their organization was geographically based, they were practically strategically meaningless. Lords did not allow others tomand their forces, except for necessary separations like archers and knights.


    "Archers, over here!"


    "Knights, state your identities."


    Outside the castle gates, the duke''s lieges recorded the number of arriving forces and categorized their types. This was in stark contrast to the empire''s professional soldier system, backed by immense wealth. Compared to the Imperial army, they were nothing but a ragtag group.


    "Where are you from? Carry your gs higher than that, it''s tiresome to ask everyone."


    One of the lieges addressed a group of cavalrymen.


    "My name is..."


    A young man from the cavalry group stepped forward, still bearing traces of boyishness.


    "Varca Aneu Porcana. I seek an audience with Lungell''s master with the authority of the prince."


    The lieges eyes widened as his mind was overwhelmed with chaos.


    <em>This is above my pay grade.</em>


    He quickly called for a messenger to ry the message inside. The messenger dashed into the castle.


    "Please wait a moment, Prince Varca."


    The surroundings buzzed. The cause of the ongoing civil war, Prince Varca, had shown up. Nobles and knights focused their attention.


    "Is that really Prince Varca?"


    "I remember those blue eyes from long ago."


    "If we kill Prince Varca here, the civil war ends, doesn''t it?"


    "Thats for Duke Lungell to decide, not us."


    "How reckless. He came into the enemy territory, Lungell''s duchy, with only about ten guards."


    The knights'' eyes gleamed.


    <em>If I behead him and bring it to Duke Harmatti...</em>


    There would be a tremendous reward. Whoever made the first move would be the one who ended the civil war and became a hero.


    <em>If I strike first, even Duke Lungell can''t say anything. He''s in Harmatti''s camp anyway, right?</em>


    A knight, blinded by the potential reward, subtly moved closer. Others also slowly approached Pahell''s group, ready to hit at any moment.


    The atmosphere near the castle gate grew tense. The voices quieted. Armed individuals cautiously eyed each other.


    "Urich, go ahead and set an example for them."


    Pahell whispered softly, bowing his head. Urich nodded.


    "Go ahead, draw your sword. I guarantee your head will fly off right here."


    Urich addressed the approaching knight.


    "What? I just want to greet Prince Varca. Get out of my way," The knight spoke calmly. Urich extended his interlocked hands for a stretch, ready for action.


    "If you take one more step, I''ll kill you even if you dont draw your sword. I say this in the name of Varca Aneu Porcana," Urich warned. The knight smirked menacingly.


    "My barbarian friend, you''re too presumptuous. Prince Varca, I am..." Ignoring Urich, the knight stepped toward Pahell.


    <em>Crash!</em>


    Urich grabbed the knight and threw him to the ground. The chainmail-d knight rolled helplessly as if the chainmail weighed almost nothing.


    "Gah, ack!"


    Urich stepped on the fallen knight''s head.


    <em>Creak, creak.</em>


    The knight heard an eerie sound near his ear. It was the sound of his own skull cracking. The horrific noise peaked, followed by a dull pop. The knight felt the earth invading his brain. Literally.


    "I told you that you were going to die. Why wouldnt you listen?" Urich muttered, brushing off the blood and brain matter from his leg.


    "Did he just crush his head just by stepping on it?"


    "What kind of person is that?"


    Urich''s brutal disy and immense strength stirred the crowd. Those with weak stomachs vomited on the spot.


    <em>''I did ask him for it, but Urich always exceeds expectations.''</em>


    Pahell struggled to maintain hisposure.


    <em>Right now, Im a ruthless prince vying for the throne. I can''t show a hint of weakness.''</em>


    Pahell closed his eyes,posing his emotions. When he reopened them, a frosty light swirled in his eyes.


    "Hes not like what Ive heard from the rumors. Is that really Prince Varca?"


    "Was he always like that? He''s changed. So cruel."


    Those approaching hesitated, stepping back. They were no longer wishing to approach the prince. Instead, they decided to wait for Duke Lungell''s decision.


    <em>''I stake my life here.''</em>


    Pahell gripped the reins tightly, hiding his anxiety. The basics of negotiations were to never reveal weaknesses. You had to inte yourself to look strong, instead.


    "Don''t worry, Pahell. As long as I''m here, I won''t let you die."


    Reading Pahell''s anxiety, Urich smiled reassuringly. It was a smile from someone who just crushed a man''s head, but to Pahell, no other smile could possibly have been more reassuring than Urichs.


    * * *


    <em>The civil war is inevitable now,</em> Duke Lungell thought to himself as he took down the family''s treasured sword and shield from the wall.


    "Who would have thought that that prince would manage to gain the empire''s support."


    Thest time Duke Lungell saw Prince Varca Aneu Porcana, he didn''t seem like king material. Anyone could see that Prince Varca was not fit to be king.


    <em>Duke Harmatti would probably govern well. He''s not my favorite, but at least he would be better than Prince Varca.</em>


    Prince Varca brought the empire''s army with him. Many nobles panicked at the thought of the empire''s intervention.


    <em>This is a vition of the treaty, interference in internal affairs... even if it''s at the prince''s request...</em>


    Dealing with that would be a matter forter. For now, the priority was to fend off the Imperial army at their doorstep.


    "I wanted to avoid war as much as possible."


    Duke Lungell sighed, walking toward the window. He looked at the army gathering outside the castle gates. Only about half of the expected forces had assembled. The prolonged peace had made it difficult to rally troops quickly, and even the knights had becent.


    <em>War, especially civil war, is like cutting one''s own flesh.</em>


    War consumed endless manpower and resources. Especially in a civil war, there was no gain for anyone. Duke Lungell wanted to conserve his duchy''s strength. Once depleted in war, the lost power never easily returned. Even mighty lords have fallen into debt and ruin after a single war.


    <em>War is always thest resort.</em>


    Duke Lungell was on nobody''s side. He desired a conservative peace.


    <em>But if I must fight, so be it.</em>


    He heard the hurried footsteps of a young messenger approaching his office. The messenger, panting heavily, reported to Duke Lungell. The duke listened to the message sent from below.


    "Prince Varca?"


    It was an unexpected message. Duke Lungell learned that Prince Varca had arrived. He quickly put on his overcoat.


    <em>What is he thinking? Even a foolish prince should know I''m on Harmattis side. There is no way hes here to hand over his own head.</em>


    Duke Lungell pondered various scenarios as he descended.


    <em>Is he here to persuade me to join his side? Did he take on such a big risk to do that?</em>


    It didnt take Lungell too long before reaching his conclusion. There was no other reason.


    "Was the prince someone capable of such actions?"


    Another doubt circled in his mind.


    <em>The prince isn''tpetent enough. He''s a coward, full of royal arrogance, a fool. I gave up on that prince the moment I saw how he disregarded powerful lords, treating them lightly because of his royal status.</em>


    Besides that, there were many reasons not to support the prince. Duke Harmatti already had stable political power, and the prince''s death would legitimize Harmatti''s session. There was no need to support the prince in this session war.


    "Duke Lungell, long time no see."


    Duke Lungell''s eyes widened as he saw Prince Varca on horseback.


    "Greetings, Prince Varca Aneu Porcana."


    Duke Lungell initially showed courtesy. His attitude signaled the surrounding nobles and knights to conceal their hostility.


    <em>''Duke Lungell seems to intend to speak with Prince Varca first.''</em>


    Duke Lungell scanned Prince Varca''s entourage.


    <em>''Only two look like official knights. Are the rest that famous mercenary squad? Urich''s Brotherhood...''</em>


    Everyone who had ears had heard their name. The mercenary squad guarding the prince. There were rumors that thete Margrave Orquell was also killed by them.


    <em>Since then, Margrave Orquells forces at the border gate were absorbed by the Evelyn Gate. His son refused the duty of guarding the gate, only taking part of the inheritance.''</em>


    That Evelyn Gate was conquered overnight. Rumors said they surrendered without a fight.


    <em>Did the Sword Demon Ferzen really join the prince''s army?''</em>


    The empire''s army and Sword Demon Ferzen were incredible achievements by the prince. Even Duke Harmatti chasing the prince probably didn''t expect him to aplish that.


    "Please,e inside. It''s cold outside," Duke Lungell said to the prince, pointing to the open castle gate. His gaze briefly fell on a knight lying on the ground.


    <em>Freshly dead, I presume. I can guess what happened.''</em>


    Duke Lungell refrained from pressing Varca about the dead knight. One knight''s life meant little. Perhaps today''s conversation could end a war that might cost many lives.


    <em>Are you entrusting the war''s fate to me, Prince Varca?''</em>


    Duke Lungell chuckled softly, feeling the potent power in his hands.


    <em>Click. nk.</em>


    Duke Lungell summoned his guards. Threatening guards encircled the office.


    Prince Varca and Duke Lungell sat facing each other.


    "Your Highness, it''s not wise to im the throne with foreign help."


    Duke Lungell started. Prince Varca shook his head.


    "I had no choice but to seek foreign help; I had nowhere else to turn to. Without it, I couldn''t even sit equally with you, Duke Lungell."


    "Though the Imperial army''s presence is impressive, it has caused much bacsh. A king by foreign power? It raises questions about your legitimacy."


    "If not me, then who has the right to the throne? Duke Harmatti? Nonsense!"


    " Well, at least Duke Harmatti is a powerful domestic lord."


    "Nonsense. I came only for my coronation. The nobles of Porcana are the ones preparing for civil war. Without resistance, there''s no war."


    "That may be, but everyone knows you came to fight."


    Duke Lungell nced outside. Forces from various regions had erected their banners and set up camps. The army of Lungell Duchy was taking shape.


    Prince Varca frowned threateningly.


    "Sword Demon Ferzen''s army is likely seizing the Vaskerling Duchy by now. An unprepared duchy can''t stop the army of General Ferzen. I''ll take Vaskerling without suffering much loss."


    "But if you die here, it''s all for naught, Prince Varca. Even with the empire''s support, if you, the rightful king, die, it''s over. If I kill you here, the Imperial army will retreat."


    The surrounding guards gripped their weapons tighter, ready to attack on Duke Lungell''smand.


    "Youd better cut it with the threats, Duke Lungell. The man behind me is no ordinary person. How many guards are surrounding this office? Twenty? Thirty?"


    "Whatever the number, it''s enough to eliminate you and your party."


    "Urich, did you hear that? What do you think?"


    Prince Varca leaned back and asked. "Theyd need to bring at least a hundred if they want to kill you, especially with me here," Urich confidently replied. The guards bristled, shuffling their feet. Armor clinked.


    "Since when have you been friends with a barbarian?"


    "He''s more than just a barbarian. That man is Urich, leader of Urich''s Brotherhood, the mercenary squad. Winner of the Hamel Jousting Tournament, the Armor Breaker. His fame will soon spread through Porcana. Some might already know him.


    "No matter how great a warrior, he can''t rece an army alone."


    Duke Lungell scoffed, met with a simr scoff from Prince Varca.


    "Then go ahead and try us, Duke."


    Duke Lungell''s face hardened.


    <em>''Is this really the Prince Varca I know?''</em>

 Chapter 75

    <h4>Chapter 75</h4>


    Pahell felt his throat bing drier and drier. He feared his voice would tremble with every word he spoke.


    <i>¡®I must not show Duke Lungell that I am afraid,¡¯</i> Pahell thought.


    He was aware of his past reputation¡ªan ignorant, juvenile prince. That hadn''t changed; he had merely taken a step forward toward bravery. Still, Pahell knew nothing. He was learning as he went.


    <i>¡®What I need now is the audacity,¡¯</i> Pahell thought as he pinched his thigh hard to regain focus.


    <i>¡®Urich is risking his life supporting my bluff.¡¯</i>


    Urich stood beside him with his arms crossed and with a ferocious smile on his face. Like a beast that had found its prey, he was exuding an aura that made it clear that he would kill anyone and everyone. His presence filled the room, pushing Pahell forward and pressuring Duke Lungell.


    Pahell opened his eyes narrowly. His blurry eyes looked into the past. It had taken him half a year to return to the Porcana Kingdom. It was the first harsh journey he had ever undertaken.


    <i>¡®It all started at that sea,¡¯</i> he reminisced.


    Urich''s image, roaring at the sea, was still vivid in his mind. Pahell had mocked him then.


    As the memories flowed, Pahell''s mind calmed. He raised his head to face Duke Lungell.


    "Do you really think my uncle, Duke Harmatti, would hand over the disputed territory to you, Duke Lungell?"


    "There was a promise. The paperwork is already done. The Countship of Kalmati will be mine," Duke Lungell said, squinting at Pahell.


    "I am a prince, the rightful heir. On the other hand, Duke Harmatti is my father''s brother and my uncle. With no rights for the throne, he was granted a duchy by my grandfather. Cunning Duke Harmatti absorbed the surrounding territories and expanded his own to the point of rivaling the statuses of the other duchies."


    "That''s true, Prince. That only proves that Duke Harmatti is politically capable and strong. He would make a strong king."


    Duke Lungell''s expression wasplex. Strong royal power in a feudal kingdom wasn''t good news for the king¡¯s lieges. The power of the sovereign and that of the liege were inversely proportional, as shown by the empire. The emperor practically monopolized the military power, and with the rise of Imperial power, other lords received pitiful treatment. They couldn''t even resist if the emperor decided to revoke their titles.


    "Ironically, my advantage over my uncle is that I am a ''weak king.'' If Duke Harmatti bes king, a powerful monarchy will emerge,bining his duchy and the royal domain. He alone would hold power equivalent to three other dukes. Could you oppose such a king of Porcana, Duke Lungell? If he decides to take Kalmati, are you confident that you can fight against him and win?"


    Pahell had run the scenarios through his head over and over again. No matter how many times he thought about it, he was weaker than his uncle,cking in political skill and prestige. It was toote to argue legitimacy since the nobles only wanted tangible benefits.


    <i>¡®My only asset is myck of strength.¡¯</i>


    No lord wanted a strong king.


    "You are well aware of your unique advantage, which was probably hard for you to admit, Prince. I''m not mocking you; it''s truly remarkable," Duke Lungell said, stroking his chin as he seemed to also be deep in thought.


    <i>''The prince is right. Duke Harmatti will be a strong king, and that will make him difficult to deal with. If conditions are the same, it''s better for me if the prince bes king.''</i>


    There was much to consider. The bnce in the civil war hadn''t tipped to either side yet. The scales were still delicately bnced, barely tipping back and forth.


    "I''ll arrange a ce for you to rest. After sunset, let''s have dinner together, Prince. I''ll think about your proposal until then," Duke Lungell said, preparing to leave. Pahell exhaled softly, nodding.


    "Understood, Duke."


    Suddenly, Urich lightly tapped his foot, drawing attention.


    "We can''t end it like this. Guarantee our safety here, too, Duke. Otherwise, we won''t move until you''ve made up your mind."


    Urich''s hand moved toward his sword hilt. The surrounding guards shouted and drew their weapons in response.


    "Urich!" Pahell yelled, to which Urich responded calmly.


    "Here, we can hold the duke hostage and find a way out. But what if the duke changes his mind while we''re separated and tries to kill us? When that happens, even I can''t do anything."


    The mercenaries who had apanied Urich also silently drew their weapons, getting ready for a fight, which felt imminent.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The doors surrounding the office opened and the hidden guards emerged from all sides of the office, numbering over thirty. The full room quickly warmed up with people''s tension.


    <i>''That is some confidence. Is it a bluff? Does he really believe he can win with just ten people?''</i> Duke Lungell red at Urich, who pointedly remarked. He wasn''t wrong.


    <i>''He¡¯s experienced life-threatening deals like this several times. He knows how they go.''</i>


    Duke Lungell raised his hand to stop his guards. Sweat dripped from Urich''s muscles. Even though he hadn¡¯t actually moved yet, his muscles readied themselves for battle autonomously. Even his taut muscles writhed flexibly under his skin.


    <i>¡®We are in enemy territory. Any careless action could mean death if we¡¯re not careful.''</i>


    Urich had been a part of deals like this a few times back in his tribe. A deal between tribes falling through often led to war. When one side didn¡¯t get what they wanted from a negotiation, they took it by force and blood instead of backing off.


    "Swear on your name and Lou''s name that you will guarantee our safety in your territory. Everyone here will be witnesses," Urich demanded as he pointed at Duke Lungell.


    The oath of the sun was considered ultimate, but it was far from a certain guarantee. When driven into a corner, most civilized men broke the oath of the sun. However, under the presumption that they weren¡¯t in such a case, the oath of the sun was quite safe. It was rare for a lie to be worth spending one¡¯s eternity without peace in their afterlife.


    Silence fell. Duke Lungell''s lips moved slowly. "I swear before the sun god Lou. I will guarantee your and the prince''s safety in my domain. I''ll inform my lieges and servants too. Are you satisfied now?"


    "Good. I¡¯ll see you at dinner," Urich nodded with a smile. The guards retreated.


    Pahell stood up, almost staggering. He bit his lower lip to hide his trembling.


    Pahell had barely ovee one hurdle. He wanted to rush to the annex and prepare for the evening, gathering his thoughts.


    "Is that...!"


    ¡°As if the princeing here wasn¡¯t enough...!¡±


    Outside the window, amotion erupted. A group of knights were entering through the castle gate.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A messenger burst into the office with a pale face.


    "What''s going on?" Duke Lungell shouted at the panting messenger.


    The messenger nced around the room to quickly assess the environment, then whispered in Duke Lungell''s ear. His eyes widened.


    "... I can¡¯t believe this. Prince Varca, did you guys n this together?"


    Duke Lungell looked at Pahell. Breathless, Pahell, who had just caught his breath, felt it bing rapid again.


    "What are you talking about, Duke Lungell?"


    "Duke Harmatti has just arrived. He showed up here himself."


    Pahell''s head spun. As he swayed, Urich supported him by grabbing his arm.


    "Duke Harmatti... My uncle is here?"


    Pahell couldn''t hide his trembling anymore as a mix of anger and fear took over his mind.


    <i>''Uncle.''</i>


    He felt his stomach churning. Curses and all other sorts of rough words were on the verge of exploding out of Pahell¡¯s mouth along with gagging. Pahell physically blocked off his mouth to push everything back down under his chest.


    Duke Harmatti strode across the castle yard with his robe fluttering majestically. His stride was full of confidence. The fact that he too belonged to the Porcana royal family was disyed with his well-maintained blonde hair and beard and calm turquoise eyes, which in some ways seemed superior to Pahell¡¯s sole blue eyes. The royal bloodline of Porcana was renowned for its beauty, and Duke Harmatti was not an exception. He was a handsome man.


    "His forces are gathering nicely."


    Duke Harmatti observed the army around the castle. His deep voice resonated. The knights apanying him were all experienced warriors.


    <i>''Two contenders for the throne of Porcana have arrived at Duke Lungell''s territory.''</i>


    People murmured. Duke Harmatti nced at them, puzzled at their reaction.


    "Is my appearance that shocking? Haha."


    Duke Harmatti, who had led a hundred horsemen to Lungell Duchy, justughed.


    <i>''I need to confirm Duke Lungell''s stance again.''</i>


    Duke Harmatti was anxious about Lungell¡¯s potential switch in sides after learning that the prince had returned with the support of the empire on his back. It was more than possible that Duke Lungell was going to change his mind.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    Duke Harmatti led thirty knights deeper into the castle. He nced up at one of the windows.


    "Hmm?"


    He seemed to recognize a face. He muttered to himself.


    "Well, well."


    It was only a nce, but he knew exactly who had caught his eyes.


    "There you were, my nephew."


    Duke Harmatti grinned broadly, revealing his teeth.


    * * *


    The dinner was far from warm and congenial. The armed warriors were standing a step behind their masters.


    "Leaving the castle without a word to travel... that was quite irresponsible, my dear nephew," Duke Harmatti spoke first. He tore off a turkey leg, cing it on his te. As he bit into it, juices squirted out.


    "I wanted to visit the Imperial capital onest time before bing king and losing my freedom to travel. Uncle," Pahell said, tilting his wine to the side. A knight tasted the wine first and nodded.


    "You needn''t worry about that. You can leave all the hard work to me," Duke Harmatti offered.


    "That would be too much for you, Uncle. You already have many important responsibilities on your te."


    Pahell spoke nonchntly, while Duke Harmatti wiped his mouth which was stained with the juice from the turkey.


    <i>''Such a foolish conversation,''</i> Pahell thought, bitterlyughing as he gulped down the wine.


    Both Pahell and Harmatti were eager to kill each other. One of them had to die for this bloody civil war to end. By now, there must be a battle raging in the Vaskerling Duchy.


    "I feel a bit slighted, my dear nephew. You visit Duke Lungell before me upon returning to the kingdom. Since when have you and Duke Lungell been such close friends?" Duke Harmatti said, smiling at Duke Lungell. Despite his smile, his eyes held a cold fury.


    <i>''Are you nning to betray me, Duke Lungell?''</i>


    Duke Lungell remained neutral. If he just consented, Duke Harmatti would have killed Pahell right there.


    "I heard that Duke Lungell is a thoughtful man. I wanted to meet him before bing king. If I had returned to the pce right away, I would have had to proceed with the coronation immediately, wouldn''t I? After all, my father hasn''t awoken, and I am of age now. You''ve done a fine job managing the kingdom in the meantime, Uncle. I truly thank you for your service."


    "Hard time? Don''t say that. Everything I did was for you and your father. If you need me, my dear nephew, I, Duke Harmatti, will devote myself entirely to your service!" Duke Harmatti said, pounding the table lightly.


    "That won¡¯t be necessary, Uncle. Go back to the Harmatti Duchy. There is no need for you toe to the pce again. If you step even one foot out of your duchy, I will consider it as an act of treason andbel you a traitor," Pahell dered, putting down his ss. Duke Harmatti''s hands trembled.


    "...You seem quite drunk," Duke Harmatti said, looking directly at Pahell. Pahell swallowed hard.


    <i>''Uncle.''</i>


    His memories of his uncle weren''t all bad. He remembered his uncle''s kind and gentle demeanor from his childhood. When had his uncle''s eyes be so cold? Pahell tried to calm his trembling heart and cleared his throat.


    "Duke Lungell, you and I must toast. I¡¯m sure my uncle doesn''t like the alcohol."


    Pahell had decided to go against his uncle, and to do that, he needed the support of Duke Lungell.


    <i>''The prince''s offer isn''t bad. If Duke Harmatti bes king, my power will diminish.''</i>


    Duke Lungell picked up his ss. He nced back and forth between Duke Harmatti and Pahell. Duke Harmatti seemed ready to flee the room at any moment. Outside, there were a hundred heavy cavalry loyal to Harmatti. If a fight broke out here, it would be chaos.


    "Hmm," Duke Lungell hummed, not toasting with Pahell, just drinking his wine alone.


    <i>''Dammit. So, he won''t be supporting me.''</i>


    Pahell''s face twisted at Duke Lungell''s action, while Duke Harmatti''s face lit up with joy. The atmosphere shifted drastically.


    "Urich," Pahell said lowly. A metallic sound rang out. Urich drew his sword and axe, ring all around the room.

 Chapter 76

    <h4>Chapter 76</h4>


    A cold tension hovered across the table. The warriors eyed each other cautiously, making no rash movements.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    The knights approached their masters with their shields and swords in their hands in preparation as if a battle was only moments away from breaking out.


    <i>''This is tough,''</i> Urich thought to himself, shaking his head with a smile as sweat dripped from his chin. There were more than twenty soldiers behind the dukes, not just any soldiers, but knights. That was only the number of knights he could see right now, and there could have been many more hidden away.


    <i>''If Lungell and Harmatti join forces to attack, it would be overwhelming just to protect Pahell. Keeping my life would be difficult.''</i>


    Urich''s arm muscles tensed, ready for action.


    <i>''How many can I take with me?''</i>


    Urich wanted to do everything in his power to help Pahell fulfill his dream.


    <i>''It''s not about some grand reason. He is simply my friend.''</i>


    He had witnessed Pahell''s struggles from the front row. Urich didn''t understand him; Urich never had to push forward as hemented his weaknesses like Pahell. Urich was always strong, so he was able to break through any obstacles that stood in the way of him getting what he wanted.


    <i>''Pahell is weak. He can''t do anything without someone else protecting him.''</i>


    But Pahell kept moving forward despite falling and crying. That too was a form of strength.


    "Pahell, I''ll make you king. Even if it means killing everyone here."


    Urich whispered as he puffed his chest, readying himself for battle. He was fully intending to drench the banquet hall in blood with his axe and sword. He envisioned the scene: intestines hanging on the table in ce of the food, severed heads rolling around the banquet hall, himself drenched in blood, fierce eyes ring. A beast lurked behind Urich.


    <i>p!</i>


    Someone broke Urich''s concentration with a p.


    "Stop it. What is this?" Duke Lungell pped his hands, signaling the knights to back off. He had a cunning smile on his face.


    "Duke Lungell. Make your intentions clear," Duke Harmatti demanded with a clear frown on his face.


    "Duke Harmatti. I swore not to harm the prince and his party within my territory. There will be no fighting tonight."


    "You''ve chosen the wrong side, Duke Lungell. This night could have ended the civil war."


    Duke Harmatti also signaled his knights to back off. The thick tension melted away.


    Duke Harmatti iming the throne without any waste of his power? That is simply terrifying, no way!'' Duke Lungell thought, sipping his wine. He believed it was better to wear out both parties, regardless of who ultimately became king.


    <i>''Even if Duke Harmatti wins, it will take at least a decade to recover from the aftermath of the war. That¡¯s more than enough time for me to grow stronger.''</i>


    Wars cost a fortune. It was not umon for nobles to go bankrupt after wars. Duke Harmatti was no exception, as he was already spendingvishly.


    <i>''Even if Pahell wins, he won''t be able to exercise power immediately. He¡¯s going to have to build everything from scratch, and if I offer to help as a chancellor, he couldn¡¯t possibly turn me down.''</i>


    Duke Lungell made up his mind.


    "Prince Varca, Duke Harmatti," he looked at the two men.


    "Duke Lungell''s duchy deres neutrality in this civil war. And, we will also protect all nobles who wish to do the same," Duke Lungell said as he spread his arms.


    "Duke Lungell!" Duke Harmatti stood up abruptly, mming the table. Duke Lungell coolly looked at him.


    "Do you want me to pick a side instead?" Duke Lungell raised his ss toward Pahell.


    <i>''Is he saying he''ll join the prince if I threaten him?''</i>


    Duke Harmatti thought angrily, suppressing his boiling emotions that were on the verge of exploding.


    "Haha, do as you wish, Duke Lungell. If neutrality is truly what you want, then I can''t force you to take sides."


    Duke Harmattiughed as if he was never angry in the first ce. He also raised his ss, epting Duke Lungell''s neutrality.


    <i>''Cunning, Duke Lungell, to dere neutrality here.''</i>


    Duke Harmatti red at him, wanting to tear apart his smug smile. He wanted to hang his disgusting head on the castle gate with his long intestinesced like a decoration. Just the thought of it brought a bit of ecstasy.


    <i>''There is no need to get on Duke Lungell¡¯s bad side and turn him into an enemy. After winning the civil war against the prince''s army, I''ll need his cooperation. Without him, I can''t control the kingdom.''</i>


    Duke Harmatti was a politician as well. He knew how to ally with distasteful partners. Heughed, epting the neutrality.


    "Prince Varca, do you ept my neutrality?" Duke Lungell asked Pahell.


    "I have no choice but to ept," Pahell nodded obediently.


    "I thought we were going to have a showdown. This is how it ends?¡± Urich grumbled, sheathing his weapons.


    The heat of the imminent battle had faded. There was no fight. Force was always ast resort, but without it, there was no negotiation power to sit at the same table. It was clear that Urich''s presence had influenced the negotiation,pensating for Pahell''sck of brute presence.


    <i>''That barbarian is not to be taken lightly. I might have been the one losing his head.''</i>


    Both dukes shared the same thought as they imagined the prince¡¯s barbarian beheading them with his axe.


    "There shall be no violence tonight. Instead, let''s toast to the bright future of Porcana," Duke Lungell proposed a toast. The other two men raised their sses.


    The negotiation ended. Duke Lungell used his position to dere neutrality, nning to use the weakened post-war royal authority to his advantage. He intended to gather the neutral nobles and build his own force during the civil war. No matter who wins, they would need to rely on Duke Lungell, who would maintain his power and influence without suffering a loss like the two parties of the royal dispute would.


    Both Duke Harmatti and Pahell epted Duke Lungell¡¯s neutrality knowing exactly what his intentions were. Making him an enemy would lead to defeat in the civil war.


    <i>¡®He managed to turn himself into a third force in this dispute just like that, on the spot.''</i>


    Pahell observed the experienced politicians. He was frightened. These men were the people that he would have to deal with for the rest of his life if he became king.


    * * *


    Pahell''s party quickly crossed the duke''s territory with their horses moving at a fast trot. Anxiety and discontent were evident on the mercenaries'' faces.


    "What''s going on? We have the Empire''s support, yet those nobles acted so arrogantly?" Bachman spoke up, baffled by what had transpired in Lungell''s castle.


    <i>''We nearly died back there. We werepletely surrounded with no escape.''</i>


    Had the negotiation failed, they would have been annihted. Bachman spoke with evident anger.


    "Nothinges easily in this world, Bachman," Urichughed on the back of Kylios. Pahell was on a different horse since he was good with any horse which wasn¡¯t the case with Urich. No other horses other than Kylios were willing to let him on their back.


    "How can they be so brazen when the prince has the empire¡¯s support on his back?" Bachman and the other mercenaries thought. They were unaware of the conditions set by the emperor and just as ignorant aboutplex political dynamics as Urich.


    "Damn, we¡¯re being chased, right? My butt''s killing me." Bachman shifted ufortably. They were rapidly ascending a mountain trail, exhausting both the horses and themselves.


    "Perhaps."


    Urich looked at Pahell, who then exined to the mercenaries.


    "Duke Harmatti wants to end the civil war as quickly as possible and capturing me would do just that. He¡¯s not going to miss this chance."


    "But Duke Lungell sided with us. He let us secretly escape the castle."


    Pahell''s group had exited through the castle''s back door, riding from midnight till dawn. Dawn was breaking in the distance.


    "That¡¯s only because me getting caught and the civil war ending early would only inconvenience himself. Duke Lungell wants the civil war to drag on, because if it does, no matter who bes king, the royal power will be weakened."


    "Ha, such a great noble," Urich chuckled. He had seen everyone''s desires clearly¡ªDuke Harmatti, Duke Lungell, Pahell¡ªthey were allpeting to fulfill their desire. The groans of the oppressedmon people seemed to echo already.


    <i>''Widows and orphans will overflow.''</i>


    Urich looked at the quiet farmhouses on the foot of the mountains. Without men, they seemed empty, and the women were busy chopping wood to prepare for the winter.


    "If Duke Harmatti finds out we''ve escaped, he''ll send his men after us. But we left much earlier, so as long as we maintain our pace, we won''t run into them."


    Pahell''s words had an air of confidence. They had put enough distance between them. As both parties were on horseback, there was no reason to be caught. Pahell reassured the uneasy mercenaries.


    "We didn''t get the best deal possible out of Duke Lungell, but the situation isn''t that bad. Just the fact that Duke Lungell dered neutrality is a big blow to Duke Harmatti. He''ll return and prepare for a full-scale war, spending his fortune to reinforce his army."


    The mercenaries'' expressions lightened at Urich''s words.


    "Let''s take a break here. The horses are tired too."


    Pahell announced, showing his unparalleled ability to read a horse''s condition. The mountain ranges were risky for even the horses. If they were pushed beyond their capacity, they could have very well gotten injured. The mercenaries caught their breaths as they dismounted their horses.


    "I was really nervous back there. If we had fought back there... it would''ve been dreadful."


    "Even leader Urich couldn''t have taken on all of them."


    The mercenaries reminisced about the tense situation at the castle. Although it wasn¡¯t obvious because they were overpowered by Urich''s presence, they were trembling. None of them were ready to risk their lives in such a disadvantageous fight. After all, they¡¯re unanimous goal was to survive and collect the reward.


    ''Maybe I should''ve brought the northerners.''


    Urich pondered as he saw the lowered morale. The mercenaries'' spirits plummeted in unfavorable situations. They preferred victorious battles.


    "Hey, Gidwick, where are you going? Just shit somewhere nearby."


    Bachman called out to a mercenary who was heading into the forest.


    "My stomach''s churning. It''s going to stink, are you sure? I¡¯m two seconds away from exploding."


    The mercenary grimaced, clutching his stomach. The others jeered at him.


    "Fine, fine. Go take care of it quickly."


    Bachman waved his hand, already covering his nose. The mercenary strode into the bushes.


    The mercenaries either napped or ate, while the horses grazed. Only the sounds of insects and birds filled the air.


    "It''s quiet."


    Urichmented as he urinated under a tree. Wiping his hand on his trousers, he looked around. Something felt off, as if he missed something. Thinking hard, Urich quickly pulled up his trousers.


    "Did the guy who went to take a dumpe back?" He asked the mercenaries.


    "Gidwick? No, he''s not back yet. He ate a ton of greasy food back at the castle yesterday, so it¡¯s no surprise he has bad diarrhea," Bachman replied.


    "Go look for him right now," Urich ordered in a serious tone with his voice growling low.


    "Why? He''s just taking a dump."


    Despite his questioning attitude, Bachman stood up and grabbed his weapon. The mercenaries, who respected Urich as their leader, followed hismand. It had be a habit to act first since questions could be answered afterward.


    "There''s no smell. Unless he went really far, there''s no way the smell wouldn''t reach my nose. Especially if it''s diarrhea. That stuff reeks."


    Urichmented. The mercenaries flinched and searched the bushes.


    "There''s no sign of him. He''s not responding to our calls either."


    The searchers reported. They slowly realized the situation.


    <i>''Gidwick has betrayed us.''</i>


    The mercenaries erupted in curses.


    <i>Snap.</i>


    Urich broke a sapling, and the splinters dug into his hand.


    "Smoke!"


    Smoke rose in the distance. It was in the direction that Gidwick had run off to. Smoke signals were the most basic form ofmunication.


    "Get back to the horses! The chase party ising!"


    If Gidwick betrayed them, all predictions became useless. Duke Harmatti must have quickly organized a pursuit team. The distance was much closer than expected. Urich''s ears twitched, distinctly picking out the sound of horse hooves in the midst of all themotion.


    <i>''There¡¯s at least thirty.''</i>


    There were many hoof sounds. Urich frowned. The number of enemies was a problem, but the bigger issue was the mercenaries'' low morale. The anxiety spread like a highly contagious disease. Those who had fought with Urich since their diator days showed their readiness to fight, but that wasn''t nearly enough for the situation.

 Chapter 77

    <h4>Chapter 77</h4>


    ¡°We are not in a good position forbat. Let¡¯s keep moving for now,¡± Urich rushed the mercenaries.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s not the actual problem.¡¯</i>


    Anxiety and dissatisfaction swirled on the mercenaries'' faces. Despite gaining the support of the empire with great difficulty, things were not resolving easily. Additionally, arade had betrayed them. The enemies pursuing them were not ordinary soldiers but experienced elite cavalry. The mercenaries'' morale was understandably low.


    <i>''If things stay like this, we''ll lose.''</i>


    Urich knew. If the mercenaries fought desperately, with his formidablebat skills, there might have been a chance. A warrior with extraordinary prowess like Urich could even elevate the capabilities of other warriors.


    <i>''But if we fight now, instead of fighting for their lives, they''ll be more inclined to flee.''</i>


    Urich understood the nature of the mercenaries. No matter the talk of brotherhood, they were materialists, weighing life against money. If they deemed the risk greater than the reward, they wouldn''t hesitate to flee.


    "Urich, can you tell how many enemies there are?" Bachman, riding alongside, asked.


    Urich nced back briefly. The enemy was not yet in sight.


    "More than us," Urich replied quietly, choosing not to specify the number. He had noticed a few mercenaries who looked like they were ready to flee if he mentioned the thirty pursuers.


    "I get what you mean. So, much more than us," Bachman quickly grasped Urich''s implication. He was always quick to notice the nuances.


    <i>¡®Urich is a belligerent mercenary leader. If there was even a half chance of winning, he would have stayed and fought. Running away means even he sees slim chances of winning,''</i> Bachman thought. He had been Urich''s adjutant for a year and now, he could almost read Urich''s mind. His ability to persuade and calm the mercenaries on Urich''s behalf was invaluable. Without that attribute, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain his high status within the mercenary squad regardless of how close he was with Urich.


    "Let''s ride two per horse," Bachman suddenly suggested.


    "What kind of bullshit is that? We''re already being chased down, and if two ride together... Ah!" Urich started to object but then quickly realized Bachman''s n.


    "Everyone, mount two per horse! There''s no time!" Bachman urged the others.


    "Dammit, that¡¯s clever, Bachman!" Urich eximed. The other mercenaries also quickly caught on and hurriedly followed the instruction.


    <i>''Good, this should do it,''</i> Bachman thought, splitting the horses into two groups. He pped the unmounted horses and sent them in a different direction.


    "We should get going, too.¡±


    The mercenaries mounted in pairs. Urich chuckled, rubbing his nose. It was a brilliant solution.


    <i>''This way, they''ll think we''ve split up. They''re after Pahell, so, like it or not, they''ll have to divide their forces,''</i> Urich realized, his pupils dting as his suppressed murderous intent surged. Pahell, who was on the same horse as Urich, flinched beside him. He was intimidated by Urich''s ferocious grin that bared his teeth.


    ''They had about thirty. Splitting in half makes about twenty, at most. It¡¯s manageable,'' Urich chuckled. He had been away from being on the edge of life and death for over three months, and he was feeling as if his senses had dulled. A warrior must never forget that edge. Finally, he had returned to the battlefield. It was a fight and a time to exude the stench of death. The beast in human skin was famished.


    * * *


    After bursting through the bushes, Gidwick struck a flint to ignite the dry kindling. As the smoke began to rise, the sound of horse hooves approached swiftly.


    "Aha, wee, my lords," Gidwick greeted Harmatti''s cavalry. He cautiously smiled, gauging the cavalry''s reaction.


    "You will be paid after we locate the prince¡¯s party. Mount up behind. But know this, if you spout lies, your head will be the first to roll," the cavalry captain dered. They were originally armored knights, but for this pursuit, they were donned in leather armor. They had pursued the prince''s party all night in the lighter armor.


    "O-of course," Gidwick awkwardly mounted the horse.


    <i>''Hmph, what a vile mercenary,ing to us to betray his own,''</i> the cavalry captain scorned internally but kept his expression neutral.


    The previous night, Gidwick had secretly approached Duke Harmatti, offering the prince''s location in exchange for a substantial reward. It wasn''t Duke Harmatti who had lured him; Gidwick had betrayed hisrades of his own ord.


    <i>''The situation is uncertain. We don¡¯t even know if the prince is going toe out on top, and who knows how many more battles we have to face? A man like me could die any time,''</i> Gidwick thought. He wasn''t an exceptional mercenary. In fact, he was just an average one that could be found just about anywhere. He knew his ce.


    <i>''What good is big money after I¡¯m dead? I need to survive first,''</i> Gidwick thought, looking at the cavalry.


    The cavalry numbered over thirty, consisting of only extraordinary soldiers who were practically knights in all but name. They were a cavalry force cultivated by Duke Harmatti himself, using his personal wealth.


    <i>''Even leader Urich can''t handle this many,''</i> Gidwick knew Urich''s terror very well.


    "Ugh," Gidwick suddenly groaned, shivers running down his spine.


    ''Damn, just thinking about it is terrifying. I''ve betrayed Urich, that scary leader...''


    The mercenaries knew better how formidable of a warrior Urich was. They were the ones who had been fighting alongside him.


    <i>''But that''s the problem. He¡¯s too formidable for me to keep up. I only have one life.''</i>


    Gidwick tried to erase his guilt. He wasn''tfortable either. By having sold out hisrades for money, he betrayed the oath he took when he first joined Urich¡¯s Brotherhood. It was undeniably wrong.


    <i>''Forget the afterlife, my priority is to live now!''</i>


    Gidwick bowed his head as if he was too ashamed to face the sun. It felt as if Lou himself was watching him. The morning sun''s rays were especially hot today.


    "These quick-witted rats. They''ve split up here. One group could be a trap. It¡¯s as if they are telling us that they are more than capable enough to guard the prince."


    The cavalry halted briefly, observing the divided horse tracks. They quickly figured out the mercenaries'' strategy.


    <i>''Either way, we must capture the prince,''</i> the cavalry captain thought, dividing the forces even after figuring out the exact n of the mercenaries. Witnessing this, Gidwick spoke in a frightened voice.


    "S-splitting up our forces for the chase is dangerous, my lord."


    Gidwick struggled to speak. The captain red at him.


    "What are you implying? The mercenaries are barely more than ten."


    "But, aside from the other mercenaries, the mercenary leader Urich is extraordinary. He alone is worth more than ten men!"


    The split-up cavalry, now around twenty in each group, were confident in overpowering the ten mercenaries who could only be as many as ten men.


    "Do we look like fools to you?" the captain snarled, and Gidwick shut his mouth.


    <i>''Damn it, I just hope the cavalry I''m with doesn''t run into the mercenaries...''</i>


    Gidwick desperately hoped. Beyond his guilt, he was terrified of Urich. His heart had raced when he betrayed him, having witnessed exactly what happened to those who crossed Urich.


    <i>''Please, let me never see leader Urich again,'' </i>Gidwick prayed. Perhaps this was the sun god''s punishment for breaking the oath?


    "We''ve found them!" the cavalry leader eximed, spotting the mercenaries descending into a field. He pulled the reins hard, spurring his horse into a charge.


    "Hah, as expected. So, they think they can beat us by splitting us up?" the leader mocked the mercenaries'' strategy. The mercenaries, riding two per horse, would be easily caught by the cavalry.


    <i>Neighhh!</i>


    Pahell''s group stopped their horses, ready to face the cavalry. Half of the mercenaries dismounted, while the others stayed mounted, watching the approaching forces.


    "The enemy is lightly armed and they''re exhausted from the chase! Don''t be afraid! Hold your weapons steady! There''s no escape!" Bachman shouted with his spear in his hand. Holding the reins with his other hand, he led the mounted mercenaries.


    "Wah! Let''s go! Kill them all!"


    After confirming the number of the enemies, the mercenaries'' spirits rose. Their earlier low morale was now boosted, thanks to Bachman''s tactics.


    <i>''We can actually do this!''</i>


    The mercenaries swallowed hard at the sight of the twenty-odd cavalrymen. Unlike before, they were filled with the will to fight.


    "Your Highness, please take a step back," one of the guard knights advised Pahell, positioning himself in front of Pahell. The guard knights kept watch from the rear, guarding Pahell.


    "Will Urich be okay?" Pahell inquired. One of the knights, holding his helmet firmly, nodded.


    "The mercenary leader is exceptionally strong. He can easily do the job of ten men alone." The knight¡¯s eyes followed the cavalry''s rear.


    Urich was not among the visible mercenaries. He was on standby elsewhere.


    "S-something¡¯s off, sir captain! U-Urich is not there. The leader of the mercenaries!" Gidwick eximed. Urich was a noticeable figure even from a distance, and he was not the kind to hide in the back.


    "Frightened and fled, perhaps! The enemy is fewer than us! Don''t retreat! Charge!"


    The cavalry leader roared valiantly, drawing his sword high. The cavalrymen echoed with battle cries, their horse hooves thundering.


    "Urich is not one to flee in fear! I¡¯m telling you that something is off here!" Gidwick bellowed, fearing for his life. He did not want to die. A sense of dread washed over him.


    The cavalry was unperturbed by Gidwick''s anxiety and advice. They pressed on, prideful and confident. They had spent their lives wielding swords and had never lost a battle.


    "Oh, ooohhhh!" Gidwick looked back as a roar echoed from behind the cavalry. Urich, riding alone, had emerged from the bushes.


    "He''s here! Urich is here!" Gidwick shouted, frantically pulling on the arm of the cavalryman steering the horse. He was convulsing like an insane man.


    "Bernard! Septin! Yarba! Deal with that oneing from behind! A rear-charge attack, huh? Ridiculous. He thinks he''s the Sword Demon Ferzen or something!" the cavalry leader ordered, designating three of his men.


    <i>''Thinking he can attack our rear alone with his men blocking our front... that''s a foolishly arrogant idea.''</i>


    Three of the cavalries turned their horses around and charged toward Urich. They drew their weapons, eyeing Urich aggressively. Meanwhile, the rest of the cavalry continued their charge toward the mercenaries.


    "Gidwick! Just wait there with your neck sticking out, I''ll skin you alive!" Urich bellowed with his voice resounding powerfully. Gidwick, terrified, let out a scream almost like a whimper as he wet his pants.


    "Eeeek! Three is not enough! Captain! Turn all the horses around and kill Urich first!" Gidwick pleaded in a trembling voice. The cavalry leader frowned at this.


    "If you spout that nonsense one more time, I''ll cut off that tongue of yours,"


    The cavalry captain warned Gidwick as he kept his focus ahead of him as he rode on. The mercenaries were in sight. He looked forward eagerly to the imminent carnage. He was expecting his cavalry to break through the mercenaries with ease and then capture the prince. The thought brought a smile to his lips.


    <i>''I just have to behead that naive prince, and my master will finally be the king of this kingdom!''</i>


    The captain eyed the prince, who was mounted and stationed in the rear, not attempting to flee.


    <i>''Does he believe his mercenaries will win? How naive. After all, he is just a young prince with no battle experience, not understanding the true extent of his enemy¡¯s capability.''</i>


    <i>Gooooh!</i>


    Suddenly, the cavalry captain felt a chill at the back of his head. The death throes of his men resounded thrice from behind.


    The cavalry captain nced back. Urich had rapidly caught up to the rear of the cavalry.


    <i>''He took down my men in no time at all.''</i>


    The heads of the three cavalries assigned to Urich were already rolling on the ground.


    "He''sing! Urich ising!"


    Gidwick shivered and yelled out.

 Chapter 78

    <h4>Chapter 78</h4>


    Urich, with his bloodied axe held in both hands, bnced himself on his horse using only his legs as he galloped forward. His mountedbat skills had reached a considerably high level.


    <i>''Gidwick, you son of a bitch!''</i>


    Urich''s eyes zed with fury. The veins and muscles beside his clenched lips stood out prominently.


    <i>¡®You dare to betray me?''</i>


    If Gidwick had simply fled because he couldn''t bear the pressure any longer, Urich would have let him go without a fuss.


    <i>''But selling out a brother deserves nothing less than being torn to pieces.''</i>


    Anger fueled Urich''s muscles. His steel axe mercilessly cut down his enemies. Kylios showed the whites of his eyes as he galloped fiercely, frothing at the mouth.


    "What did I tell you! I told you that Urich is no ordinary man!" Gidwick shrieked. In front of the cavalry, the mercenaries were rushing toward them.


    <i>''It¡¯s toote to turn back now.''</i> The cavalry captain bit his lip roughly.


    "Charge!" Ignoring Urich attacking from behind, the captain decided that it was important to carry on attacking the mercenaries first.


    <i>''Even if we are annihted here, we will kill the prince!''</i>


    The cavalry captain was prepared for death. He was intending to kill the prince before Urich couldpletely catch up to them.


    "Wahhhhh!" The mercenaries also roared, emboldened by the sight of Urich taking charge at the rear of the cavalries. They bravely held their weapons and collided with their enemies.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The cavalry weaved through the mercenaries. Weapons shed, and screams followed one after another. The mounted mercenaries were knocked off their horses during their close-range fight with the cavalries.


    "Ignore them! Go straight for the prince!"


    The cavalry captain shouted, pointing his sword forward. The cavalry ignored the mercenaries and charged straight toward Pahell.


    "Protect the prince!"


    Bachman turned his horse around and shouted. He pulled hard on the reins, rushing to protect Pahell.


    There were seven cavalrymen who managed to make it out of the sh with the mercenaries. They were solely focused on Pahell, charging toward him.


    "Woahhhh!" Urich also arrived on the battlefield with a roar. He had already taken down more than six cavalrymen all by himself as he caught up to the rear of the cavalry. His solo ambush effectively disrupted the cavalry''s formation, splitting their attention. He alone had practically done the job of an entire side of a double-sided ambush.


    <i>''They¡¯re going for Pahell.''</i>


    Urich frowned. He had chased the tail of the cavalry, so he was still far from the front where Pahell was.


    "Capture Gidwick alive!"


    Urich shouted his order to the mercenaries then steered his horse toward Pahell. His face was smeared red with the blood of his enemies.


    "Kylios, just hold on a little longer."


    Kylios tiredly gasped for air, having sprinted at full speed for a long while. His legs trembled with exhaustion.


    ¡°Your Highness, please take a step back."


    The guard knights protecting Pahell grabbed their reins and drew their swords. These knights had been protecting Pahell for a long time, just like Phillion. Their loyalty was exceptional. If they had been faint-hearted and without their strong loyalty, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle such a tough journey and fled long ago.


    Even as seven cavalrymen charged straight at them, the two guards stood their ground firmly, silent and unyielding as rocks.


    <i>Crunch</i>!


    The two guard knights faced the charging cavalry. They managed to strike down one cavalry but couldn''t do much against the swords of the rest of the cavalries that followed.


    "Gak!"


    A sword pierced the throat of one of the guard knights. His eyes widened, and blood gushed. Looking at the face of death, he looked up at the sun, praying that his soul would find peace. The other guard knight also died in a fleeting effort to buy the slightest of time.


    "Kill the prince at all costs! We must kill him!¡±


    The cavalry captainmanded with his blood-stained de. Pahell spurred his horse and evaded the attacks. He circled the battlefield, evading the cavalry''s pursuit.


    <i>''Damn, he¡¯s good with the horse.''</i>


    A cavalry pursuing Pahell thought as he clenched his teeth as he could not find a way to close down the gap between the two men. Pahell skillfully maneuvered his horse, shaking off the cavalry''s pursuit.


    "Don''t mess with our employer!" Bachman and two other mercenaries caught up to the cavalries on their horses.


    "Tch," The cavalry captain clicked his tongue as he swung his sword. His eyes darted about wildly, desperate looking for a solution, which only seemed to be fleeing from his mind.


    ''Dammit, this could not get any worse.''


    The cavalry captain had messed up his judgment one after another: splitting up his forces for the pursuit, ignoring Urich charging from behind, and splitting what little he had left of their forces to recklessly pursue the prince. These errors piled up on top of each other and were leading his cavalry to the brink of annihtion. Cries of agony from his men grew more and more frequent.


    "Jump them! Do not let them get to the prince!" Bachman led the small group of mercenaries and hit the nk of the cavalry. The cavalrymen chasing the prince stumbled. Bachman and the tangled cavalrymen fell off their horses together.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Bachman drew his dagger and slit the throat of a fallen cavalry. The blood pooled in his palm felt warm. The dismounted soldiers grabbed their weapons, scrambling to their feet.


    <i>¡®You¡¯d better hurry, Urich.¡¯</i>


    The number of mercenaries who attacked the cavalries was only three including Bachman himself. Bachman¡¯s charge was a calcted move, hoping for Urich''s swift support.


    "You money-blinded scumbags!"


    The cavalry captain stood up and yelled at his enemies. He too was among the fallen and had suffered a concussion after his head hit the ground. He threw off his helmet and picked up his sword as he gagged. There was no room for groaning about pain and dizziness on the battlefield. If one couldn''t quickly pick up their weapon, they were as good as dead.


    <i>''That must be their captain.''</i>


    Bachman picked up his spear off the ground as he stood in front of the cavalry captain.


    "How dare you pigs without conviction or loyalty stand in my way!" The cavalry captain charged toward Bachman as he spat out his insults mixed with hatred.


    <i>''I may not have convictions, but I do have a future.''</i>


    Bachman muttered and thrust his spear forward. It was a simple yet powerful thrust, a move he had repeated countless times. The thrust was as fast and beautiful as light itself.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The cavalry captain parried the tip of Bachman''s spear with his sword. It was a highly skilled move.


    The cavalry captain was a retainer of Duke Harmatti. He had been trained inbat ever since he could walk, and he was raised to offer his life for his master. He differed from themon-born Bachman. Hisbat skills far surpassed Bachman''s, which was to be expected.


    <i>¡®Goddammit.¡¯</i>


    Bachman watched as the cavalry captain charged at him. He realized the gap in their skills and threw himself to the side.


    <i>sh!</i>


    The cavalry captain''s sword deeply cut into Bachman''s thigh. It was a blow so deep that the de of his sword grazed the femur. Bachman screamed and clutched his thigh.


    "Uuurich!" Bachman yelled. The cavalry captain tried to finish Bachman by cutting his head off.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    A steel axe flew in, striking the cavalry captain''s head. Taking his helmet off to alleviate the dizziness from the concussion was yet another mistakemitted by the captain. The cavalry captain trembled as the axe got buried in his head before copsing to his death, with his sword still in his hand.


    "Just stop the bleeding, Bachman.¡±


    Urich dismounted and pulled the axe out of the cavalry captain''s head. With a splitting sound, the captain¡¯s flesh and blood dripped from the axe.


    Bachman pulled out a cloth and tightly wrapped his thigh. The cut was deep and had slit an artery, so he was bleeding profusely.


    "Huff, huff. We won, right?" Bachman, pale-faced, looked around and asked.


    "Almost."


    Urich answered as he finished off the remaining cavalry. The tide of the battle had turned in favor of the mercenaries. The cavalry captain had underestimated them, leading to his own demise.


    "But we need to get back on the move right away. The other half of the split chase party will be here in no time."


    Bachman pulled himself up by the tree and stood on his feet with a heavy limp.


    The mercenaries had also suffered heavy losses. Four were dead, and even the survivors had minor injuries. Three, including Bachman, were seriously injured.


    <i>¡®Sir Lepin, Sir Jespin.''</i>


    Pahell muttered the names of the dead knights. They had died protecting him.


    <i>''The moment they faced the cavalry, they knew they would die. Yet, they stood their ground to protect me.''</i>


    His heart ached. The dead mercenaries were alsoid out in front of him. The path to the throne was stained with blood.


    <i>''How much more blood must be spilled?''</i>


    Civil war awaited Pahell. It would create many widows and orphans, with the blood of the men flowing like a river.


    "Dammit."


    Pahell felt sick to his stomach. Vomit was up to the top of his throat. He was experiencing severe pressure and anxiety. Being a sensitive man, he couldn''t simply ignore the deaths that had been incurred for his sake.


    "Hey, now, who do we have here! If it isn¡¯t our very own brother Gidwick!" Urich eximed with a grin. Fierce curses erupted from the mercenaries.


    "You dog!"


    "You dare betray us?"


    "I''ll kill you with my own hands!"


    The rtively unharmed mercenaries punted Gidwick, whoy on the ground, whimpering amidst the group assault.


    <i>''I just wanted to live a good life.''</i>


    The beating ceased. Gidwick lifted his head to see Urich stopping the mercenaries, standing over him.


    "L-leader! Please let me live. I must have been blinded by greed! I''ll do anything if you let me live. I''ll be a ve, do all the menial work for the mercenaries... so, please."


    Gidwick clutched at Urich''s feet, begging desperately. Urich looked down at him coldly.


    "Everyone, get ready. We gotta get moving first. Let¡¯s get going."


    Urich grabbed his axe. He knew precisely where to strike a person¡¯s body to render them immobile. He lightly sliced the back of Gidwick¡¯s heels with his axede.


    <i>Thwack</i>.


    The tendon in Gidwick¡¯s heels snapped, and he curled up in severe pain.


    "Ughhhhh."


    Urich grabbed Gidwick and tied him up like baggage behind the horse.


    "We''ll decide your fateter. Gidwick. I''ll make sure you don¡¯t even consider asking me to let you live."


    Urich''s warning made Gidwick wet himself.


    There was no time to collect the bodies or regroup. The group quickly mounted their horses. Even the injured received only makeshift first aid.


    A few mercenaries looked unwell, and that included Bachman.


    "Bachman."


    Urich approached Bachman.


    "The bleeding stopped. I''m fine."


    Bachman responded with a shadowed face.


    "We''re not far from our destination. Hang in there."


    Urich spoke calmly as he passed by Bachman, encouraging other mercenaries as well.


    <i>¡®They hit us pretty hard.''</i>


    Urich nced around at the surviving mercenaries. Less than ten remained, some of whom would probably die before joining forces with Ferzen''s army.


    <i>Clop, clop.</i>


    The group continued moving without rest as they were unsure when the cavalry''s pursuit might catch up. They got on with eating and even sleeping on horseback.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Hearing the sound, Urich looked back. Bachman had copsed and fallen off his horse.


    "Shit.¡±


    Urich hurriedly dismounted to help Bachman.


    "It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m just exhausted."


    Bachman insisted, but Urich''s eyes were heavy with concern. He had witnessed many warriors'' deaths. By now, he could tell who would live or die.


    Bachman''s face was deeply pallid. Urich fashioned a makeshift stretcher from his cloak, attaching it to the horse, andid Bachman on it.


    "Bachman. Anyst words for me to pass on to your family?"


    Urich asked Bachman, who was lying on the stretcher.


    Some mercenaries prepared for their deaths and had designated a location for their families to im their share of the reward after the job wasplete. As big as this job was, they were familiar with the risks that it entailed.


    "Put your bullshit away. I''m not dying."


    "I¡¯m asking you just in case," Urich replied calmly.


    "...I don¡¯t need anyst words. I am not going to die."


    Bachman spoke bitterly. His long-desired life offort was right in front of his nose. He was soon going to be able to live a better life than anyone he knew.


    Bachmany on the makeshift stretcher, gazing up at the sky. The sunlight was dazzling and warm.


    ''Not yet Lou. Please, this can''t be it!''


    Bachman prayed.

 Chapter 79

    <h4>Chapter 79</h4>


    <i>Clop, clop.</i>


    The horses struggled to stride forward. They had barely escaped from Lungell''s domain. Urich had led the group through waterways and mountain paths several times to prevent the chase parties from tailing them. After two days without any incident, he had concluded that they were safe from the pursuit.


    <i>¡®The wound on his thigh is rotting.¡¯</i>


    Urich examined Bachman''s wound. Sticky pus was oozing from the bandage onto the scorched wound, which seemingly had only worsened the condition. The wound was too deep to burn shut in the first ce.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t even amputate his leg because the wound is on the upper part of the thigh.¡¯</i>


    If it had been on the limb''s distal ends, amputation could have been a solution. But Bachman¡¯s wound was on the upper thigh. Cutting it off would require slicing close to the pelvis, which would surely be fatal for Bachman.


    "Getz has died." One of the mercenaries reported to Urich.


    Getz, who had gotten a deep chest wound from the battle with the cavalries, had died. With deep wounds, survival depended solely on luck. If the wound festered, it led to death; if it healed, they survived.


    "Right."


    Urich nodded quietly. The mercenaries wrapped Getz¡¯s body in a cloak and tied it behind a horse. A proper funeral would involve cremation, but they opted not to do that to avoid attracting attention with the smoke. Cremation was going to produce tons.


    "When we started, there were over ten of us. Now, we''re half that," Urich said as he looked at the remaining mercenaries. The most somber among them was Pahell.


    <i>¡®Those who wereughing and chattering until moments ago are now dead.¡¯</i>


    The bodies of the people who seemed like they would live vibrantly forever had turned cold.


    <i>¡®Was death something that was always this close?¡¯</i>


    People often forget about death in their daily lives. If one were to constantly be wary of it, it would be unbearable. While everyone thinks death is far away from them, it is actually always lurking close by, breathing down their necks.


    "Ugh."


    Pahell covered his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot, with red veins stark against his blue irises, almostpletely overtaking their blue color.


    "You should eat something, Pahell. If you keep throwing everything up, your strength will be the first to go." Urich constantly tended to the mercenaries and Pahell. Normally, Bachman would handle such duties, but he was incapacitated.


    <i>¡®Dammit.¡¯</i>


    Urich also felt nauseated. Bachman''s chances of survival seemed slim.


    <i>¡®Bachman still doesn''t believe he''s dying.¡¯</i>


    Despite his condition, Bachman stubbornly refused to give up. He was stuffing food in his mouth, forcing himself to eat, and insisting that he would get better.


    "I''m going to be receiving mynd soon. Then, I¡¯ll finally be Bachman the Landowner. I''ll build a mansion, employ tenant farmers, and livefortably."


    Agriculturalnd was the greatest reward a mercenary could achieve. Self-farmednd meant not having to rely on a lord''snd, and if thatnd was big enough, it allowed its owner to live the life of a noble by hiring their own tenant farmers.


    "Yeah, yeah."


    Urich brought porridge to Bachman''s side and responded to Bachman¡¯s wishful words half-heartedly. It was clear that his replies were empty words, but Bachman, who was delirious, didn''t notice.


    <i>¡®Bachman''s sharpness is gone. That was his greatest strength.¡¯</i>


    Bachman was crucial in managing the mercenary group. He was the one who was always keeping tabs on the mood and opinion of the mercenaries, allowing Urich to not think about the feeble matters and only focus on more significant ones.


    "Bachman is done for."


    "Never thought the guy with the big mouth would die so soon, but I guess you never know with life."


    The mercenariesmented as they slurped the porridge. They were used to epting the death ofrades.


    <i>¡®Thank Lou that I¡¯m not the one dying.¡¯</i>


    The mercenaries were primarily concerned with their own survival. Even with strong camaraderie, they maintained a distance in rtionships. Unless they were very close, their reactions were mostly indifferent.


    Even when Urich was bedridden, the mercenary squad was more worried about their next steps than their leader Urich. No matter how one looked at it, Urich¡¯s Brotherhood had no true brotherhood.


    <i>¡®But Bachman ran around trying to make things work even when I was down¡ªthough it was still for his own benefit.¡¯</i>


    Urich drank his porridge beside Bachman. He picked out what little chunks it had with his fingers and chewed on them.


    ¡°My body definitely feels lighter than yesterday. I¡¯m getting better, for sure,¡± Bachman said as he emptied his porridge bowl. He forced himself to finish his food despite wanting to throw it right back up. That¡¯s what it took to get better. He couldn¡¯t vomit.


    <i>¡®Bachman never betrayed me once, nor did he act against my benefit. He was a loyal man.¡¯</i>


    Urich knew that there was no recement for Bachman. It left a bitter distaste in his mouth.


    "Bachman, it was fun while itsted," Urich said as he stood up.


    "Put that bullshit away. I said I''m getting better," Bachman insisted weakly, squeezing out the little energy he had left.


    "Let me know when you''re ready to ept it."


    "Urich, you can''t treat me like this, you, out of all people. You know how much I''ve done for you!" Bachman shouted with his eyes ring at Urich.


    "I know. I''ll do anything for you, anything that is within my power."


    Bachman''s scowling face crumpled into despair, his eyes tearing up. Urich left him alone to have some time to himself.


    Night deepened. Pahell, the weakest in the group in terms of stamina, was the first to fall asleep. He dreamt of discovering the eastern continent. It was his mission to discover the world in the east, where the sun rose from¡ªa mission bestowed by Lou. The deaths beneath that mission also seemed to be Lou''s will.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou.¡¯</i>


    Pahell wept. Was this truly Lou''s will? Countless deaths on the way to the throne and discovering the eastern continent? For the first time, Pahell doubted his faith. Lou, the god of benevolence, had given him a cruel fate, nothing in resemnce to the love and peace that Lou apparently endorsed.


    Pahell wanted to meet a priest to correct his twisted faith. A priest would have the advice he needed.


    <i>¡®It''s a trial and test. I must not doubt Lou.¡¯</i>


    Pahell woke up to the sound of low groans.


    "Hmm?" He rubbed his eyes and got up from his ce. A few torches were visible in the distance.


    <i>¡®An enemy?¡¯</i>


    Pahell initially panicked but soon rxed. He realized that if they were truly enemies, the mercenaries on guard would have reacted long ago.


    <i>¡®Urich?¡¯</i>


    He recognized a familiar figure. Urich and the mercenaries were still awake, gathered around doing something.


    "Uuugh, ugh."


    The groaning became clearer. Pahell''s drowsy eyes rapidly widened, and the sleepiness was gone in a second.


    "I said I was going to skin you alive, didn¡¯t I? Oh, did you think I was joking? Huh?" Urich''s voice, tinged with yfulness, was heard as he washed the dagger in a helmet filled with water. Blood and pieces of flesh washed off the de.


    "What in the world... Ugh." Pahell couldn''t hold back his vomit. Unfortunately, he had seen it.


    ''They''ve hung a man from a tree... and they''re skinning him alive.''


    Gidwick the traitor, was dangling from a tree. His arms were tied above him to a branch to keep him in ce. His sides were littered with spots where his skin was peeled off, revealing pinkish flesh underneath. Even with a gag in his mouth, horrendous groans of pain seeped out like ghostly wails. His veins seemed to burst all over his body from the agony.


    "Pahell? Did we wake you? Sorry, sorry. I thought I had silenced the noise, but it seems to have gotten to you," Urich said to Pahell as he was rinsing the dagger with an innocent grin on his blood-sttered face.


    "S-stop that, Urich. This isn''t what a person should do!" Pahell cried out, looking at Gidwick. He wasn''t the only one with such thoughts; even among the mercenaries, some frowned at the sight of a man, who was very much still alive, being skinned. However, unlike Pahell, they didn''t voice their opposition.


    <i>''The traitor deserves this,''</i> the mercenaries thought, none of them looking away from Gidwick''s punishment.


    They found sce in his suffering as they believed that a traitor must always pay a fitting price. If there were no punishment, who would uphold their trust?


    "This is a mercenary matter, Pahell. I don''t interfere in your affairs, do I? We all have our roles."


    Urich lifted the cleaned dagger and whistled. Gidwick shook violently at the sound of Urich¡¯s whistle.


    "He''s writhing, just like a salmon that¡¯s trying to swim upstream. Serves you right, Gidwick." Bachman, who was leaning against a tree, weaklyughed. He felt no pity as he watched Gidwick face his punishment, as Gidwick was the sole reason that he was slowly dying.


    "B-but this is..." Pahell faltered. His words made no difference. Urich was just doing his job.


    <i>''It''s not my ce to intervene.''</i>


    Pahell knew. He, too, despised Gidwick. Enough to kill him. If given the chance, he was sure he would have beheaded Gidwick himself without hesitation. The faces of the two loyal guard knights who followed him flickered in his mind.


    <i>''But they''re skinning him alive.''</i>


    An instinctive revulsion surged within him.


    "We''ve still got a long way to go. Listen to this," Urich said to Pahell as he undid the gag from Gidwick''s mouth.


    "P-please, leader, spare my life. I was a fool! Pleaaase, I''ll do anything, be a ve, whatever you ask. Please, you know my story, you know that I have people to feed back home... ugh!"


    Gidwick''s pleas were cut short as Urich gagged him again.


    Urich yfully spun the dagger in his hand. His fingers moved quickly, skillfully tossing the dagger in the air. Urich caught the dagger mid-air in front of Gidwick and looked at Pahell.


    "You hear that, Pahell? This bastard is still begging for his life. I¡¯m going to keep skinning him bit by bit until he begs me to kill him."


    Pahell trembled at Urich''s words. He knew of Urich''s dual nature¡ªthe kind and jovial Urich and the cruel, violent one. But never had he seen thetter so pronounced as today. There was no hint of light-heartedness; the scale hadpletely tipped.


    <i>Ri¡ªip.</i>


    The sight of a man being skinned alive was a rare spectacle if one could endure its cruelty. The mercenaries circled around the traitor and watched intently as he was stripped of the outfit called his skin.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    Urich asionally sshed cold water on the exposed flesh. Each time, Gidwick convulsed and soiled himself. A pile of excrement formed beneath him.


    "I will dig out your eyes after I¡¯m done peeling everyst bit of your skin. I want you to see yourself getting stripped," Urich said to Gidwick as he shed the dagger in front of Gidwick¡¯s eyes.


    <i>''Is this how I¡¯m supposed to do it? I''ve only seen it from over the shoulder, so I''m not exactly sure.''</i>


    Urich focused again and moved on to the next step. It was his first time skinning a human, so he treated it just like skinning an animal. Skinning a human was a task reserved for the eldest and most respected warriors in the tribe, usually performed by the chief himself. It served as both punishment and a warning to maintain order within themunity. Hence, the more horrific the punishment, the better example it set because it was more likely to keep people in line using fear. Skinning a person alive was undoubtedly the most terrifying form of execution.


    Urich''s de nicked one of Gidwick¡¯s arteries, causing blood to spurt violently. His face was covered in blood.


    <i>Tssss.</i>


    Casually, Urich cauterized Gidwick''s wounds with a torch to prevent him from dying from blood loss.


    "You''re quite resilient, aren''t you? Still holding on, Gidwick. If you had used that tenacity in a good way, this wouldn''t have happened... you betraying son of a bitch."


    Hisst words wereced with rage. An asional threat from Urich was more frightening than anyone¡¯s frequent threats.


    Gidwick writhed in agony. Each gust of wind caused excruciating pain over his exposed flesh.


    "You''ll roam as an evil spirit, unable to reincarnate after death.¡±


    ¡°Even the merciful god Lou won''t ept a dog like you."


    The mercenaries hurled curses at Gidwick, who was now a ragged figure with his skin in tatters.


    <i>Snap.</i>


    The pain was far from over. Urich inserted the dagger under each of Gidwick''s fingernails, prying them up. The ripped-out nails fell to the ground.


    "Ugh, uuauaagh!"


    Gidwick''s muffled groans seeped through the gag. Blood dripped from his face.


    Urich paused momentarily before removing Gidwick''s gag again.


    "J-just kill me, please. I beg of you. End it now! You barbarian bastard, you¡¯re no human. You¡¯re worse than a beast." Gidwick finally relinquished his will to live. The pain was too unbearable to endure while alive. If death was inevitable, he longed for it toe sooner. Gidwick gazed at his own skin lying on the ground, with his pupils trembling uncontrobly.


    "That''s what I was waiting to hear." Urich nodded, re-gagging Gidwick.


    "Uuugh!" Gidwick''s eyes widened in realization of Urich''s intent.


    No mercy awaited Gidwick. Urich didn''t kill him. Instead, he spent the rest of the nightpletely skinning him from head to toe. Then, he meticulously removed his eyes and tongue with the dagger. The mercenaries left Gidwick, now unable to move, see, or speak, as food for the wild animals.


    After the mercenaries left, Gidwick sensed a group of unfamiliar presences approaching. The stench of wild dogs filled his nostrils. They had been drawn by the scent of blood.


    "Growl.¡±


    The barking of the dogs reached Gidwick''s ears.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou...¡¯</i> Gidwick prayed.


    ...All that remained was the leftovers left by the dogs.

 Chapter 80: Battle of Baldrick

    <h4>Chapter 80: Battle of Baldrick</h4>


    Bachmany in bed. The me of his life was flickering out. Death licked his skin, passing by.


    <i>Shiver.</i>


    Bachman trembled down his body. His eyes darkened, frequently losing focus. Sensation in the distal ends of his extremities like fingers and toes dulled.


    "I...¡± Bachman opened his mouth as the stench of death escaped through the small opening. His thigh was now rotten into a ck clump of flesh.


    ¡°...just wanted to live a life of not having to envy others. I hated the thought of spending the rest of my life fishing for a living. What''s the point in working my ass off and struggling, if it''s only to barely scrape by? Am I wrong?"


    Urich sat beside Bachman, with Pahell standing behind. They were now safe.


    After shaking off their pursuers, Pahell''s party arrived in Duke Vaskerling''s territory, which was now controlled by General Ferzen. Duke Vaskerling readily pledged loyalty to Varca Aneu Porcana, following Duke Lungell''s deration of neutrality. Given the uncertain oue of the war, siding with Prince Varca was not a bad choice. In fact, many local lords joined the prince''s camp with their forces.


    "Bachman, I''ve brought you a priest. He''s waiting outside; just say when," Pahell said to Bachman with his brows heavy with sorrow.


    "Goodbye, Bachman."


    "I¡¯ll see you again. Who knows? Maybe you''ll be my son in your next life, right?"


    "Lou awaits you."


    A few mercenaries who had been close with Bachman came in one by one to bid their farewell. Bachman, with a pale smile, prepared for his end.


    "I''m ready now. Doesn''t feel like I have much time left. It¡¯s getting harder to breathe. I¡¯m trembling, and the pain... I¡¯m in a lot of pain..."


    Bachman convulsed vigorously, emitting a groan.


    Bachman had epted his death. He knew that there was nothing else that could be done. He faced the priest with resignation.


    "Lou awaits you, Bachman. A man who lived as a warrior," the priest said to Bachman.


    "I have lived a life too shameful to be called a warrior. I just desperately struggled because I wanted to somehow live afortable life," Bachman replied with a chuckle. The priest fell silent, somewhat embarrassed.


    "If you have any sins you would like to confess, please tell me. I will bear them for you."


    Urich and Pahell stepped out, leaving Bachman alone with the priest. Bachman confessed all his sins, even the most feeble and trivial ones, unloading them onto the priest. His soul felt lighter as if he could reach Lou''s embrace in a single step.


    "Looking better, huh? What if you suddenly recover? The guys who said goodbye to you will feel awkward," Urich joked as he re-entered the room. Bachman looked at peace after having confessed his sins.


    "Is that what you say to a dying man? You''ll be punished, you bastard. Dammit," Bachman chuckled, then groaned in pain, struggling even to breathe. His breath was rough andbored.


    "Let me know if it''s getting too hard for you. I''ll help you pass without pain," Urich said, cing his steel axe on the table. The priest frowned at this.


    "Father, when do you think I will reincarnate?" Bachman asked the priest.


    "Only Lou knows that. The time for soul purification varies for everyone."


    "Ah, then it will probably take a long time for me. I¡¯m a man who has killed many others for money."


    The priest affirmed Bachman¡¯s assumption with silence.


    Time passed quietly. Even the priest dozed off. Urich, too, half-closed his eyes, yawning deeply.


    <i>Squeeze.</i>


    Bachman grasped Urich''s hand, and Urich opened his eyes wide. Bachman''s body heaved. He struggled to breathe, opening his mouth wide.


    "U-ugh, ugh, in my next life, ugh, I''d like to be... a wealthy n-nobleman, ugh, kugh," Bachman uttered hisst words. His body slowly stilled.


    "Let''s meet again, Bachman."


    Urich shook off Bachman''s hand and stood up from the side of his dead brother.


    * * *


    The heat of the civil war spread throughout the Porcana Kingdom. Local lords andndless nobles seeking advancement gathered in various camps with their private soldiers. Each camp''s forces easily surpassed four thousand men in no time.


    Considering the fact that the Porcana Kingdom''s total mobilizable force was about ten thousand in a full-scale war, the majority of its military strength was being poured into this civil war. If it weren''t for the era of imperial rule and peace, such arge-scale civil war would leave the kingdom vulnerable to invasion by neighboring kingdoms.


    Duke Harmatti formed a joint front with Duke Seber, with several local lords supporting Harmatti. There were rumors that even parts of the royal guard had joined Duke Harmatti.


    "Royal guards joining the rebels? Those ungrateful bastards!" Phillion was fuming.


    ¡°It¡¯s merely a rumor, Sir Phillion,¡± Pahell said to Phillion, trying to calm him down.


    Pahell''s army was primarilyposed of the Imperial army and Duke Vaskerling''s forces. Duke Vaskerling cooperated with Pahell to the best of his abilities.


    <i>''If I assist Prince Varca in winning this civil war, I can be a key figure.''</i>


    Duke Vaskerling had willingly offered his army at the sight of the Imperial army. Duke Harmatti would certainly not have cared, let alone rewarded Duke Vaskerling if he had shed fiercely with Sword Demon Ferzen in a war of attrition. Instead, he would likely im all credit and rewards for himself. The nobles moved ording to their calctions. Oaths of loyalty were mere empty words.


    "If we had gained Duke Lungell''s alliance, we would have seized the advantage, but his deration of neutrality is not bad at all. At least it allows us to maintain an equal footing, ohoho," Ferzen chuckled and said as he ced the chess pieces on a map representing different armies.


    "Nobody wants the civil war to drag on. Not me, not Duke Harmatti. If the war extends into winter with such an over-mobilization of the armies, it will bankrupt the entire kingdom."


    Pahell stated. Othermanders nodded in agreement. The limit for troop mobilization was a couple of months at most. After that, desertions would spike, and many nobles would withdraw their forces.


    "Duke Harmatti will probably hire his own mercenaries. There are already quite a few mercenary squads who were attracted by the civil war. We should also consider hiring additional mercenaries," an Imperial knight suggested.


    "Hire more mercenaries? Are you saying that we are not enough?" Urich yfully whined with a chuckle.


    "You know that''s not what we mean. Every soldier counts in this situation. If the civil war drags on, we might indeed need to rely heavily on mercenaries to make up for any number that we would have lost by then," Pahell exined. He had been continuing his studies even during the civil war, striving to hone his skills as a militarymander.


    <i>''People are dying because of me. I must end this civil war as soon as possible so I can minimize the number of lives lost as much as possible,''</i> Pahell thought, feeling a heavy sense of responsibility. That was his duty.


    Mercenaries were beasts that roamed in search of war, with war being their biggest business. In an era without full-scale national wars, session conflicts like this civil war were their prime opportunities. Renowned mercenary squads with hundreds of men sent their messengers to both Harmatti''s and the prince''s camps.


    ''Interesting,'' Urich mused.


    Urich took a step back and observed the flow of the civil war. His role was merely that of a fieldmander of a mercenary unit. He had no ce in these meetings of politics and strategy, nor did he have an insight that was valuable enough to offer.


    <i>''This is what war is like in the civilized world.''</i>


    The scale was immense, far different from tribal wars involving a few hundredbatants at most. The strategies set by themanders were substantial, and the types of forces were varied: cavalry, infantry, archers, and more. These were therge categories, with several more if they were to be broken down more specifically, each with different roles depending on their armament.


    Urich had learned much about the strategies, tactics, warfare, and army deployment of the civilized world.


    "Mercenary leader Urich, do you have nothing to say?" Ferzen asked with his pale eyes narrowly opened. His gaze sent a chill down the observers¡¯ spine.


    "Nope, not much," Urich replied. His eyes were just as sharp as the general¡¯s. He was still wary of Ferzen.


    "This is war now. Nothing like escorting the prince. What can your less than fifty mercenaries do? Do you even belong here?" A nobleman participating in the meetingmented rather sharply. He was a count who had brought two hundred soldiers to the war.


    "You¡¯re right. In a war of this scale, there''s not much I can do," Urich agreed readily, nodding his head. The count seemed slightly embarrassed by his ownment.


    <i>''That''s the difference in caliber,''</i> Ferzen thought, smiling. He thought highly of Urich.


    <i>¡®If this was the era of our wars against the barbarians, he would have been a fearsome enemy to the empire, just like Mijorn the Brave.''</i>


    After his short thought, Ferzen returned his attention to the map, arranging the military units. He assigned the positions of each unit.


    "We, the Imperial army, will take the center. Since the prince has entrusted me with superiormand, I hope you all will follow, ohoho.¡±


    It was the words of the famous Sword Demon. No one could object. Urich alone approached the table, looking puzzled.


    "Isn''t the Imperial army covering toorge an area? Old man, the density of your army is much thinnerpared to other units,¡± Urich asked Ferzen.


    ¡°What gives you the right to speak like this? Watch your words in front of General Ferzen," an Imperial knight scolded from the side. Urich simply ignored him.


    "The imperial army is stronger than the kingdom''s forces. We can easily handle twice our number," Ferzen stated firmly. It was clearly ament that seemed to dismiss the kingdom''s forces. Yet, no one contradicted him. It was a fact.


    The Imperial and kingdom armies differed in training quality, efficiency of organization, and more. The imperial army operated with units organized by the same type of forces, moving as one cohesive body. In contrast, the kingdom''s army was organized based on territories. Soldiers from a specific territory, regardless of their type or level of armament, were bundled into one unit, fighting under the banner of their lord.


    <i>''In the empire, the forces are divided like the First Infantry, Second Infantry, and so on, but in the kingdom, it''s named after some count¡¯s army.''</i>


    Only asionally, archers or cavalry were conscripted and organized separately due to necessity, but even these units were a mix of strangers from different regions,cking coordination.


    "Well, that makes sense," Urichmented, somewhat understanding Ferzen''s exnation.


    It was a humiliating exnation for the kingdom''s nobles. However, despite knowing such drawbacks, they would never entrust their forces to others. Military power equated to autonomy and influence. Handing over military power to the sovereign would centralize authority, much like the empire where the emperor holds the ultimate power over everyone and everything.


    <i>¡®This is boring. If only Bachman was here, it would''ve been less tedious.''</i>


    Urich often thought of Bachman. He missed him. The emptiness left by his absence was greater than he had expected.


    A fortnight had passed since they settled in Duke Vaskerling''s territory. Both sides amassed troops without making rash moves. They each sent their messengers to negotiate the battlefield for their sh. After intense disputes among the highmand, the ce of battle was decided.


    A nned battle was aughable concept, but it was better than allowing the civil war to spread nationwide, turning into a war of attrition. Moreover, the cunning Duke Lungell was expanding his power every day under the guise of neutrality.


    "Baldrick ins."


    A battleground judged fair by both sides. The date was also set.


    Two dayster, armies from each camp set out for war.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    The march to the Baldrick ins was long. The knights were proud and dignified, the soldiers were excited about the potential chance to earn their glory, and the conscripts, who had left their families behind, trudged along wearily.


    The mercenaries of Urich''s Brotherhood were also in the midst of the procession.


    "Sword Demon Ferzen is certainly a strange man. Hes out of the ordinary in many ways," Svenmented. Urich was beside him.


    "The Sword Demon is an astute old man. Did he show any unusual signs?"


    Urich nced towards Ferzen, who was riding a horse at the front of the marching army. Despite being over seventy years of age, Ferzens posture was upright and firm.


    "He had a few meetings with Donovan."


    "With Donovan? That''s a bit unsettling," Urich chuckled.


    "Donovan said the Sword Demon had endless questions about you. If anything, it''s clear that he''s very interested in you. And also..."


    "And?"


    "He also invited me for a drink. Said he had some fine liquor, Sven licked his lips as he spoke.


    "Well, how was it?"


    "The taste was excellent. It was northern-style honey wine. I can''t remember thest time I had our honey wine... It was quite delicious. Very! With the spices added to it, it was like fire in the mouth the moment it touched my tongue!"


    Sven swayed his shoulders as he spoke. His mustache fluttered with his excited breath.


    "I wasnt asking you about the taste of the wine. Tell me about Ferzen," Urich said nonchntly.


    "Eheh, he didn''t ask me about you. Instead, he asked something strange. He asked about the northern god Ulgaro."


    Ulgaro was a name that Urich had also heard several times. It was often invoked by the northerners.


    "I thought Ulgaro wasnt a god, but a man," Urich said. The northerners referred to Ulgaro as Forefather Ulgaro''.


    "He is both the forefather and god of the northerners. In the distant past, the first man Ulgaro and his n arrived in the northernnds. There were dragons covered in ice scales living there before their arrival."


    "Dragons? The same one as that jade figurine?" Urich recalled.


    "Its a bit different from the jade figurine. That dragon was of the eastern continent, not ours. The northern dragons refused to let Ulgaro''s n settle in the northernnds, and that made Ulgaro rage. He killed the dragons and established the northerners'' homnd. We are descendants of the dragon yer," Sven spoke proudly.


    "Where did Ulgaro the first mane from?"


    "He was born from the union of heaven and earth."


    I cant even imagine what thats supposed to be like."


    "That''s why he''s simultaneously the first man and god. Ulgaro, after battling the dragons, was deeply wounded. So, he created the Field of Swords as his resting ce. One day, when Ulgaro is fully recovered from his wounds, the warriors who ascended to the Field of Swords will return with new flesh and blood."


    "What? You mean theylle back to life?"


    Urich''s eyes widened, looking directly at Sven.


    "Those maimed will grow limbs, the elderly will regain youth, and all warriors will be armed with weapons forged by Ulgaro from the ice-split iron. For us, death is merely rest, it is not the end. <em>Cough</em>."


    Sven coughed, drinking his water deeply to push down the rising phlegm.


    "Come back to life...?"


    Urich tilted his head, deep in thought.


    The Sun God Lou promised reincarnation. But with the reincarnation given by Lou, ones memories are lost. How was that any different from death? In contrast, Ulgaro promised a strong body and memories of the previous life. He was a much more appealing god.


    "Didnt I tell you? Ulgaro is a god of warriors," Sven said, shaking off the water from his beard.


    "Why didn''t you tell me all this earlier?"


    "You devoted yourself to the sun god Lou a long time ago. I am not at all fond of Lou, but Srism recognizes the northern god, so its only right if I do the same with Lou of Srism. And besides, you are not even a northerner."


    "Wait, so I can''t go to the Field of Swords if I''m not a northerner?"


    "I have never even imagined a non-northerner believing in Ulgaro."


    "Now I''m intrigued. Youre making me want to abandon Lou for all of that."


    Urich''sment made Sven shake his head.


    "Regardless of the god, betraying one''s god is never good. A god''s wrath is fierce. Misfortune will follow."


    Sven respected the gods. Despite his dislike, the sun god Lou was indeed a god that demanded his respect.


    "Ohh, its the Baldrick ins."


    The soldiers murmured in a mix of anticipation and fear.


    As they approached the Baldrick ins, the terrain became t. It was an idealnd for war. It was free of geographical features, making it a great location for the cavalry movement.


    "Urich, I heard about the incident in Duke Lungell''s territory. You have my condolences."


    Sword Demon Ferzen approached Urich on his horse. Urich had lost Bachman, who was his right arm. He had practically lost a trusted adjutant.


    "There is no need for condolences... Dying in battle is the way of life of a warrior, right?" Urich shrugged and replied. Ferzenughed.


    "Ohoho, thats right, Urich. Dying in battle is our way of life. I''ve lived too long."


    Ferzen gazed into the ins. The green fields were blurry through his pale eyes, and the soldiers looked like mere clumps. He pressed down his wide-brimmed hat with a bitter grin.


    <em>I cant even see the battlefield that Ive grown so ustomed to.</em>


    Ferzen turned his eyes to Urich again.


    "Urich, how would you like to achieve merit in this battle?"


    "Merit?"


    "I heard that Donovan is actually the one whomands the mercenary squad."


    Urich frowned.


    "Who said that?"


    "Donovan did."


    "Well, hes not wrong."


    Urich smiled as if he had never frowned in the first ce. It was true that Donovan was in charge of the battlemand.


    "Stand by my side in this battle! Let''s go together to take the head of Duke Harmatti. How does that sound?


    Ferzen''s voice grew louder to amodate the surroundingmotion.


    Each lord was boosting the morale of their troops with their speeches. Cheers echoed from the edges of the ins.


    "That sounds good. To sh the head of Duke Harmatti, I like it."


    "Come to the frontline on your horse when the battle begins! I will be waiting there!"


    "Grandpa Sword Demon, you''re seriously leading the charge? At your age?"


    "What else would a knight do! Ohoho!"


    Ferzenughed heartily as he pulled the reins hard and headed back to the frontline where the knights were.


    The army set up camp at the edge of the ins. Sappers moved busily, and the sound of pots boiling filled every tent as meals were prepared.


    After resting and eating, the nobles rode to themand tent.


    "ording to the scouts'' reports, the rebel forces have arrived as well."


    "We can see that. Smoke is rising over there too."


    The battle would likely happen at noon the next day when the sun was at its highest. They would fight under the blessing of the sun god Lou.


    People believed that Lou would support the more righteous side. Victory or defeat, it was all Lou''s will. All that men could do was try their best.


    As if by agreement, messengers from both armies visited each other several times. Despite their enmity, they maintained formal decorum in each other''s presence. Behind closed doors, they might engage in all kinds of vile acts, but in formal settings, they pursued the honor befitting a noble.


    The appointed time arrived. Noon was approaching. Both armies appeared at opposite ends of the ins with the banners of their nobles fluttering high.


    <em>Clop, clop.</em>


    Duke Harmatti and Pahell rode their horses to a midway point between the two camps. It was a meeting of just the two of them, without any escorts.


    "Isn''t that dangerous? Pahell cant fight, Urichmented, and Ferzen shook his head.


    "If Duke Harmatti attacks the prince right there, he''ll be ostracized by the nobility. Everyone is watching. He can''t use any cowardly, cheap tricks. That''s the noble honor, ohoho."


    Ferzen assured that there was no need to worry.


    <em>I guess even Phillion, who''s always worried about Pahell, is staying put.''</em>


    Urich gripped Kylios reins and observed the meeting of the two men from a distance.


    The nobles andmanders were boosting their soldiers'' morale with their pep talks. A battle that would determine the fate of the kingdom was about to begin.


    "Uncle, it''s not toote. There''s no need to shed any more blood. If you return to the Harmatti duchy now, I will end this with just the remation of the fiefdom," Pahell stated, directly facing Duke Harmatti.


    "That''s what I would like to say to you, my nephew. You are not yet capable of ruling the kingdom. Just leave it to your uncle for five years. I will build a strong Porcana for you, a nation with a powerful royal authority, just like the empire," Duke Harmatti''s lips quivered. It was clear that he was struggling to keep his anger and hatred suppressed.


    <em>''To think this stupid idiot nephew of mine would be an obstacle in my path.''</em>


    Varca Aneu Porcana. He was the sole and rightful heir to the throne, but he was naive and inept. Who could have imagined that he would escape Duke Harmatti''s clutches and return after securing the support of the empire?


    Duke Harmatti clenched his fist as if he wanted to crush it.


    <em>''If I sh that pretty face right now, this civil war could end right this instance.''</em>


    But he could not act on it. Nobles and knights from the kingdom were watching from all around. Honor, at times, was indeed cumbersome.


    "Dont dress up your ugly ambition in fancy words, uncle."


    "I will be a strong king, Varca. Stronger than what someone like you can ever imagine. Do you even realize what you''re doing right now? You are weak! You will never be a strong king. Instead, you will always be swayed by others! The royal authority will fade, and cunning men like Duke Lungell will weave their schemes around you! Ask yourself, do you truly have what it takes to be a king?" Duke Harmatti vented his frustrations with his shoulders heaving as he breathed heavily.


    "That is such a pitiful excuse for a rebellion," Pahell remarked coldly. His blue eyes shone sharp.


    <em>''There''s no turning back now. No justification or righteousness matters anymore.''</em>


    Pahell felt an ache in his heart. Perhaps if he had been a bit wiser or a bit braver, maybe he could have prevented this dire situation.


    "I never expected our words to change anything. Today will mark the end of Sword Demon Ferzen''s legend."


    Duke Harmatti nodded lightly. Pahell mirrored the gesture and turned his horse around.


    "Ah, one more thing," Duke Harmatti called out, turning only his head back. Pahell flinched.


    "Did you want to leave yourst words to me, Uncle?"


    "You''ve be quite the jester, my nephew. I just wanted to ry a message. Princess Damia is concerned about you and asked about your well-being."


    "I am always concerned about my sister too," Pahell pulled on the reins and rejoined his army. Duke Harmatti also returned to his camp.


    The sky was clear. Sun god Lou had opened his eyes wide, and his rays were illuminating the battlefield like a blessing. At times, the sun god Lou was also a harvester of souls.


    <em>Buuuup!!</em>


    The sound of the trumpet echoed long and far.


    <em>Doom, doom, doom.</em>


    The drumbeats spread at regr intervals. Soldiers marched in time with the strike of the drums.


    "Hey, hey-ya! Oh-woah! Oh-woah!"


    Soldiers roared in unison at set intervals, following the drumbeats. Their cries filled the battlefield. It was enough to uplift the spirits of even the conscripts with low morale.


    As the army moved, dust swirled up on the ins.


    "Try to keep up, Urich. Ill show you what war is all about, ohoho!" Ferzen called out amid the noisy front lines. Urich and Ferzen were at the very forefront of the formation.


    "Ha, showing off as always. All we need to do is just cut off Duke Harmatti''s head, that''s all!" Urich twisted his neck left and right, baring his teeth. Kylios, d in leather armor, readied himself to gallop by scraping the ground with his hooves.


    "But tell me this, Urich."


    "Huh?"


    "If you''re neither from the north nor the south, where could you possibly be from? Hyah!"


    Ferzen''s white eyes glimmered from inside his helmet. Could he even see properly through those eyes? Ferzen charged ahead after tossing Urich his question.


    Urich followed behind Ferzen.


    <em>Why is he bringing that up now? What are his intentions? Has the old man finally lost his mind?''</em>


    That was Urich''s first thought. And then he was certain. Sword Demon Ferzen was surely a madman!


    Ferzen didn''t bother to match his speed with the other units. Instead of slowing down, he charged directly toward Duke Harmatti''s camp. The knights followed him like lemmings off a cliff, all rushing forward.


    "Woah-ah-ah-!!"

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    Ferzen and his knights charged. Their numbers were about thirty. They pierced into Duke Harmatti''s camp like a sharp spike.


    <em>Schluck!</em>


    The knights''nces skewered the conscript soldiers in a row. There were somences that even managed to pierce two conscripts at once. Thence charge, powered by the horses'' strength, possessed tremendous breakthrough force.


    "Eeeek!"


    The front line of Duke Harmatti''s camp was mostly made up of the conscripts. They were soldiers who were driven to the front of the line to be the first ones to die. The only way to identify their ally from their enemy was the green armband on their forearms, but even that was hard to distinguish in the chaos, leading to the soldiers killing their own.


    ''Their quality is terriblycking. Are they saying that these men are warriors? Is that why theyre sending them out onto the battlefield?''


    Urich followed the knights, watching the scattering conscripts. Although Ferzen and his knights were isted among the enemies, the enemies were mere conscripts. The surrounding conscripts fled as soon as they saw the knights.


    <em>''I thought charging like this was a mad thing to do, but it was a calcted move. Ferzen knew the capabilities of the Imperial Knights very well.''</em>


    The prowess of the Imperial knights was extraordinary. Knights in full te armor were virtually invincible against the conscripts. Weapons that were merely improvisation from farming tools couldn''t prate the te armor of the knights. It was a one-sided massacre.


    "Hoooaaah!"


    Ferzen shouted loudly. The charge of the Imperial Knights was blocked by the crowd of conscripts. The Imperial knights fought on their horses with some knights dismounting and ughtering the conscripts on the ground. As if having imprable armor wasnt enough, they held their stances with their backs against each other to eliminate the smallest of the chances that the conscripts may have had.


    <em>''Not a single Imperial knight has fallen yet.''</em>


    Urich swung his steel axe in a circr pattern, crossing one over the other, and advanced forward. The Imperial knights who were now his allies were sturdier than anyone. It felt like an imprable wall of steel was protecting him.


    <em>Thank god theyre on our side. If they were my enemies, this steel wall would be absolutely terrifying.</em>


    Urich had often considered what it would be like if the Imperial knights were his enemies. In one-on-onebat, he was sure he would find a way to take them down, as even te armor had its weak spots and gaps.


    <em>''But exploiting such weaknesses against one knight at a time in a group battle like this war would be virtually impossible.''</em>


    A chill ran down Urich''s spine. The thought of the knights being enemies made his spine feel like it was being frozen solid.


    "Kill them! Destroy the enemies of the empire!"


    The Imperial knights erupted in a frenzy of cheers. They were not merely noble knights, but veterans who had survived many battles. Without the code of chivalry, they were like unleashed wild animals, murderers in the heat of battle.


    "Long live the emperor! Long live, long live, long live!"


    The ecstatic Imperial knights shouted their praises of the empire. The poor conscripts facing them dropped their weapons and ran. Those fleeing were stabbed to death by their own allied knights behind them.


    "Do not run! There is nowhere to run for you! Only death awaits if you turn back!"


    The knights in Harmatti''s camp beheaded the fleeing conscripts and raised the lifeless heads of the conscripts as a message.


    "You sons of bitches!!! What do they expect us to do?!"


    The conscripts vented their frustration. They were trapped front and back. The Imperial knights advanced like a chariot of ughter from the front, while allied forces blocked the rear, killing the deserters.


    Ferzen and his knights shattered Harmatti''s front line. The Imperial army then quickly overwhelmed the Harmatti camp.


    "General Ferzen! It''s dangerous!"


    Imperial Knights shouted at Ferzen, who was charging out of formation.


    "There! The leader of the rebels is right there looking down on us! Follow me, my fledglings!"


    Ferzen shouted in a hoarse voice. That moment, a conscript''s mace struck Ferzen''s back. Ferzen fell off his horse.


    "General!"


    The Imperial knights rushed in to protect him.


    "Who dares to protect me!"


    Ferzen yelled, standing up. He swiftly beheaded the conscript who struck him.


    <em>That blind old man is truly terrifying, but he''s clearly in danger. No one can defy age. His limbs are already trembling.''</em>


    Urich also strode over to Ferzen''s side. Ferzen, at this age, was only justparable to the other Imperial knights. That was the truth. Beyond middle age, a warrior''s prowess declined rapidly. Experience and skill could notpensate for the physical weakening that was growing faster by the year. Even a legendary knight like Ferzen was no exception.


    "Dont you think youre overdoing it, gramps?"


    "Just try to keep up, barbarian."


    Ferzen was reckless and brave. He behaved like a young knight who was hungry for glory. He had no fear of the danger. The behavior that he was showing was in no way that of a legendary warrior who had achieved everything.


    "Ohoho!"


    Ferzen forced augh and swung his sword. He stood at the forefront of his unit and faced the danger head-on.


    "Come at me! I am the Sword Demon Ferzen! Whoever manages to take my head will surely earn a title for themselves!"


    Ferzen roared, looking ahead. Among the conscripts, heavily armored infantry appeared.


    <em>''Sword Demon Ferzen! If we cut his head off then that will instantly demoralize the enemy!''</em>


    A noblemanding the heavy infantry licked his lips.


    <em>''I''ll take the fame away from the Sword Demon Ferzen myself.''</em>


    The one who beheaded the Sword Demon Ferzen! It was a coveted honor for any knight of this age.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Ferzen blocked the heavy infantry''s sword. The infantryman was skilled enough to push Ferzen back. The Sword Demons body was being forced to step back.


    That old man''s pushing his luck.''


    Urich pondered. His body and mind were not in sync. His body moved automatically, shing nearby soldiers, but his mind was on Ferzen. Thanks to the Imperial knights surrounding him, he felt no danger even at the heart of the battlefield.


    <em>If you''re neither from the north nor the south, where could you possibly be from?</em>


    That was the question that Ferzen tossed Urichs way right before the charge. Urich felt his heart sink.


    <em>''He knows I''m not from the north or the south.''</em>


    Even the northern mercenaries of Urich''s mercenary squad were curious about his origins. Anyone familiar with barbarians could spot Urich''s uniqueness with ease. Ferzen always had his eyes on Urich to observe him and realized he was neither northern nor southern.


    <em>''The east is blocked by the sea. So, that only leaves one answer.''</em>


    Urich looked at Ferzen''s back, gripping his axe tightly. But too many eyes were watching.


    <em>Could Ferzen have told anyone else about me?''</em>


    Worry and anxiety bred even more worry and anxiety. It would lead to a chain of endless concerns in no time.


    <em>''The Empire''s ambition knows no bounds. The emperor will surely seek to conquer the west himself. He craves his own achievement.''</em>


    Fordgal Arten! The name was still deeply ingrained in Urichs memory. The explorer who wished to cross the Sky Mountains! He must have had the support of the empire. The empire wished to break the restrictions and cross into the west and the east. There was no way that he had forgotten about thend of the west.


    <em>Fordgal Arten almost seeded that day. If the person he ran into was anyone other than me, he would have seeded.</em>


    Urich had not faced such grave concerns since crossing the Sky Mountains. This wasn''t just his problem anymore. The lives of his brothers and the fate of his tribe were at stake.


    <em>If I only had myself to worry about, I would just break through the problem with my weapons.</em>


    But a clear answer did note to Urich.


    <em>Pahell, were these the kind of problems you were burdened with?</em>


    Urich was finally able to understand Pahells feelings. Pahell was not just carrying his own burden. He was carrying the lives of those who followed him. Every single decision he made was going to affect countless people.


    <em>I feel foolish for acting like a know-it-all in front of Pahell. Look at me worrying the same wayIm no different from him.</em>


    Urich chuckled. Clenching his teeth, he braved forward. The mass of conscripted soldiers finally came to an end, and finally, the heavily armored infantry revealed their fierce disy.


    "What point is there in me racking my brain! Dammit!"


    Urich dove into the midst of the heavily armored infantry. His steel axe danced around. He threw his axe, cracking open the skull of an enemy whose helmet had been removed.


    After throwing his axe, Urich ran forward, smashing the knees of soldiers on either side with his hands. Their knees shattered, and they copsed. Urich drove his knee down on the helmet of a soldier, crushing the metal helmet into the face.


    <em>Crack.</em>


    Urich retrieved the axe that was buried in one of the soldiers heads. His skill in axe throwing was so great that no one could match it. The thrown axe had smashed the skull and cleanly severed even the brain.


    "Come at me, you bastards."


    Urich extended his hand holding the axe in a beckoning gesture.


    <em>There''s no point in worrying. I''ll ask Ferzen to his face. Thats how I deal with my problems.</em>


    He had made his decision. His mind cleared, and the battlefield came into sharp focus. The calcting human Urich fell into a deep sleep, and the beast raised its head high. Like a male genital aroused by an ethereal beauty, the beast of the battlefield was inmed.


    "The head of Harmatti is mineeeee!"


    Urich drew his steel sword and pointed it forward. His roar drew the attention of the surrounding soldiers.


    <em>"Wait right there with your neck washed clean, Harmatti. I''ll bring your head as a gift to Pahell!"</em>


    Harmatti Duke was visible in the far back of his camp. The distance was not far, but there was a wall of humans between Urich and his target.


    <em>I envy that barbarian''s youth.</em>


    Ferzen nted his sword into the ground, using it as a staff. Holding the hilt with both hands, he gasped for air. Ferzen was exhausted from sprinting without taking a second to recover. It was no longer a matter of willpower but a physical limitation. He was over seventy years old. Just the fact that he was at the forefront of the battlefield was a miracle and deserved respect.


    "Sword Demon Ferzen!"


    "Follow General Ferzen!"


    The Imperial knights shouted. They showed no disappointment whatsoever even after seeing the exhausted Ferzen. They revered him, who was <em>the</em> model of the Imperial knight. Who else would fight on the battlefield at such an age, when they couldfortably rest on theirurels with their fame being upheld just by what theyve done in the past?


    "Phew, I just need to catch my breath. I''ll catch up."


    Ferzen muttered. He watched the young knights and Urich fight ahead.


    Once, Ferzen too had such youth. Even when out of breath, he had the strength to wield a sword. The excitement and thrill of the battlefield alone were enough to move him. A young body had no limits. As long as the mind wished to move, the body simply followed.


    "Ohoho..."


    Ferzen chuckled. Theugh of the old warrior echoed inside his helmet. Even his voice sounded rusted,cking the vibrant passion of youth.


    "Why do you give old age to a warrior? It would be far better to give him death instead."


    Ferzen knew the reason why. People said he had been alive for over seventy years thanks to the blessing of the sun god Lou.


    Ferzen looked up at the sky, his eyes brimming with tears. The sun god Lou was shining.


    <em>This is not a blessing, but a curse. A punishment aimed at me.</em>


    Memories shed in Ferzen''s mind. The frozennd, the dying barbarians, their icy madness, fear and respect, swords and axes, men shouting the names of their gods... War, war, war.


    His sense of guilt and morals blurred. The honorable knighthood was just a y of words, Lou''s benevolence a mere priests fancy. Kill or be killed. Ferzen and the barbarians fought over this simple rule. The boundary between civilized knights and barbarian warriors blurred, leaving only the primal struggle for survival.


    A warrior was one who took the lives of others with their weapons. No matter how much you embellished it with honor or knighthood, that one fact remained unchanged. The fact that everyone was a murderer.


    <em>The sun god Lou despises warriors.</em>


    Ferzen picked up his head after his short recovery. He called his steed and mounted it. He followed the junior knights who had gone far ahead of him.

 Chapter 83

    <h4>Chapter 83</h4>


    The kingdom had forgotten. Over five decades hade and gone since thest time they battled against the empire. The memory of the terror of the Imperial knights and the dominating power of the empire hadpletely been lost in their peaceful times.


    The number of troops in a war was the basis of strategy and tactics. However, the significance of troop numbers only held true under the assumption that the quality of both forces was somewhat equal.


    <i>¡®This is meaningless.''</i>


    The conscripted soldiers who made up more than half of Harmatti¡¯s army were disastrously defeated. Deserters abounded, and even those who persisted in resisting the enemy were crushed like insects.


    The Imperial army with only a few dozen Imperial knights leading the vanguard managed to deeply prate Duke Harmatti''s lines. No one could stop them. They were well-trained Imperial knights, and their Imperial steel armors were state-of-the-artbat equipment. The polished surface of their te armor shone silver.


    "Damn Imperial steel!!"


    Harmatti''s knights rushed to counter the Imperial knights. They were d in chainmail. Unlike the Imperial knights, the ordinary knights held shields, as chainmail alone was insufficient for defense.


    Imperial steel te armor was the strongest existing armor. It was worn over padded or leather clothing to absorb shock, with chainmail added to even cover the joints, which were usually the armor''s weak points. Although somewhat heavy, its weight was distributed over the whole body to prevent it from hindering mobilitypared to chainmail.


    <i>''If only they didn''t have that armor!''</i>


    Harmatti''s knights swung their swords in frustration. Their des failed to prate the te armor, but in contrast, the Imperial knights'' steel weapons easily shattered their chainmail.


    The difference wasn''t just in the skill of the troops; it was a difference in technology. That gap was beyond what a soldier could ovee with individual effort. It was a gap between nations. The age of bronze had passed, and the age of iron hade, with the empire entering the steel age ahead of other kingdoms.


    <i>''Why couldn¡¯t we develop such armor?''</i>


    A Harmatti knight was pierced in the chest by the sword. He attacked the Imperial knight until hisst breath, but it was futile.


    The eyes inside the Imperial knight''s helmet visor shed. Those eyes calmly observed the Harmatti knight.


    "This isn''t fair...." The Harmatti knight murmured as he died.


    "That''s life, my friend."


    The Imperial knight kicked the Harmatti knight away and pulled out the sword from his chest.


    Kingdoms secretly researched the Imperial steel armory but to no avail. An armor made of ordinary iron was only impressive in appearance. It easily crumpled and tore.


    The high-quality iron from the Empire''s mines and the imperial royal workshop''s metallurgybined to create the advanced metal known as Imperial steel, and that was the only method of crafting such fine armor. The resulting te armor, a masterpiece of craftsmanship, earned the cksmiths titles of honorary dukes.


    "Huff, huff."


    Urich walked in front of the Imperial knights. He was particrly noticeable. Among the knights in silver armor, he alone wore a fur d, but he was covered in more blood than anyone else. He had killed so many that he had lost count of the exact number.


    ''These weapons are finally broken in.''


    Urich twirled his steel axe, adjusting his grip. The steel axe was now soaked with just enough blood.


    A warrior''s skill grew with each person they cut down. Just like that, a weapon was seasoned by shedding blood.


    The experience of killing was essential. No matter how much one honed theirbat skills, those whocked experience in killing could not be true warriors. Such individuals would only hesitate at crucial moments and be unfamiliar with the sensation of a weapon piercing flesh.


    <i>''How deep to stab to kill a person, how much force to cut through bone and muscle...''</i>


    Urich''s eyes glowed yellow. He knew it all very well. He was a butcher of man. Like a butcher knowing the anatomical structure of a cow or pig, Urich knew how to kill a person.


    <i>¡®Two inches deep.¡¯</i>


    It wasn''t a thorough calction, but an instinctual feeling. As he anticipated, his steel axe cut two inches deep into the enemy''s neck. That was enough to kill a person.


    "Gurk, urgh."


    One of Harmatti¡¯s soldiers copsed, grasping his bleeding throat. Urich stomped on the fallen soldier''s head, bursting it. Brain matter and fluid stuck stickily to his leather shoes.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s not the enemies that give me fear, it¡¯s my own allies. What a strange feeling.¡¯</i>


    Urich nced around, looking at the Imperial knights. There was no major damage among them. The most Harmatti¡¯s men could do was inflict feeble injuries with their blind attacks.


    <i>''It would have been an impossible reckless charge if it weren''t for the Imperial knights.''</i>


    Urich admired thebat strength of the Imperial knights. He had defeated an Imperial knight one-on-one before, but in groupbat, their defensive power was beyond imagination. Their invincibility in chaotic battles wasn''t an exaggeration.


    <i>¡®What a monstrous barbarian.''</i>


    On the other hand, the Imperial knights felt almost eerie looking at Urich''s back. Their eyes followed Urich''s hands. Seeing the axe dripping with blood sent shivers down their spine.


    ''That barbarian followed us into the enemy lines bare-bodied.''


    The Imperial knights'' charge was only possible due to their te armor''s unparalleled defensive attributes. But Urich, without any te armor, had followed the knights deep into the heart of the enemy lines. If he had snuck inside surrounded by the defense of the Imperial knights, it would have made some sense, but that was not the case.


    <i>''He charged with us at the forefront of our lines and shed countless enemies. It was as if the spears and swords were tantly avoiding him.''</i>


    Urich''s body had only minor scratches. The blood on him belonged to his enemies.


    <i>''To stand shoulder to shoulder with us in te armor, bare-bodied... As skilled in battle as a barbarian might be, it¡¯s hard to believe how strong this one is even as I¡¯m witnessing it with my own eyes.''</i>


    Urich fully disyed his prowess in battle. He utilized all hisbat skills to take down the enemies in front of him.


    "C¡¯mon, keep up with me! He¡¯s right there, don¡¯t you see him?"


    Urich yelled at the Imperial knights as he smeared the sticky viscous blood on his face. The war paint of blood made his already demonic face even more fearsome.


    Urich was faster than the Imperial knights. Without the heavy armor weighing him down, it almost looked like he was flying. His long limbs, proportional to hisrge frame, tore through the enemies, piling up a mountain of corpses.


    The leadership of Harmatti''s camp was in disarray. They watched the group of Imperial knights charging towards them.


    "Duke Harmatti! We must retreat!" Duke Sever bellowed. He was an ally of Duke Harmatti. He was stomping his feet anxiously.


    The tide of battle was against Duke Harmatti.


    <i>''I didn''t expect the gap to be this big.''</i>


    Duke Harmatti had chosen the Baldric ins as the battlefield because he believed he had a good chance of victory.


    <i>''My cavalry that maneuvered in from the right nk failed to behead the prince.''</i>


    Duke Harmatti had full trust in the cavalry he had cultivated. He had even chosen the ins as the battlefield to leverage their advantage. However, his cavalry failed to break through enemy lines, and on top of that, the enemy''s core forces had sessfully prated deep into the center of the Harmatti camp and were rapidly closing down on Duke Harmatti himself.


    <i>¡®Dammit.''</i>


    Harmatti needed toe to his decision quickly if he was going to retreat.


    <i>''If I lose this battle, the nobles supporting me will turn their backs. They''ll all flock to the prince.''</i>


    The victor of this battle would seize control of the civil war. Overturning the situation afterward would be extremely difficult.


    "Duke Harmatti!"


    Duke Sever urged. He seemed ready to retreat even if it was just by himself.


    "Let¡¯s go to my territory, Duke Sever. It¡¯s a good ce to get into the defensive formation with my castle."


    "I''m returning to my territory! I can''t let the prince take over mynd!"


    "You fool! In our current situation, things will be very difficult even if we gather our remaining forces for a defensive battle in our castle! Are you seriously thinking about dispersing our forces to protect the individual territories? That¡¯s just serving all of ournd to the prince on a silver te!" Duke Harmatti retorted as he grabbed Duke Sever by the scruff of his neck.


    "T-then why don¡¯t we gather our forces in my territory and hold a defense there!" Duke Sever stuttered anxiously.


    "Your territory is exposed on all sides. It¡¯s incredibly hard to defend! My territory is backed against a coastal cliff! We can defend with fewer numbers! You and I are in the same boat, Duke Sever."


    Duke Harmatti was furious. Overwhelmed by Harmatti¡¯s stance, Duke Sever hesitated before eventually nodding in agreement.


    "Retreat!"


    Trumpet sounds echoed continuously through Harmatti''s camp. The soldiers rushed to retreat as if they had been waiting for the signal.


    "Go after them! Capture Duke Harmatti!"


    Commanders in the prince''s camp shouted upon seeing the retreating enemy.


    "Kylios!"


    Urich shouted the name of his horse with a whistle. Urich, along with other knights who still had their horses, chased the fleeing Duke Harmatti.


    "Let''s end the war right here! That¡¯s what Pahell wants!"


    Urich shouted with a blood-soaked face. His voice was jovial.


    "Let''s go, Kylios!"


    Urich mounted Kylios, gripping the reins firmly. The other knights followed suit.


    <i>''If we let Harmatti get away here, the war is going to drag on longer.''</i>


    Prolonged civil wars were costly, no matter who came out victorious at the end. Even Urich was aware of that.


    "You are going to be my gift for Pahell. Wait for me with your neck stretched out, Harmatti!" Urich shouted with all his might. His booming voice reached Duke Harmatti''s ears.


    <i>''Pahell? Now who the hell is that?''</i>


    Duke Harmatti shivered as he felt a chill running down his spine. Even his horse hesitated out of fear of Urich''s roar.


    "Urich! You''re getting too far ahead by yourself!"


    Ferzen yelled at Urich as he chased after him on his horse. Urich, who was not wearing any armor, was faster than the other knights.


    "You¡¯re chasing us all by yourself?"


    Harmatti''s personal guards turned their horses around to protect their master. They risked their lives to create an escape opportunity for him.


    <i>¡®As long as there¡¯s the slimmest of chances that our lives can buy some time for our master to escape!''</i>


    These were guards who had been chosen from a young age to grow up with good treatment. They had neverbored a day in their lives and lived better lives than most people.


    ''This is it; this day is what we''ve been waiting for!''


    They had waited for the day that they were able to give up their lives for the sake of their master. After having lived on good food and fine clothes, their loyalty was beyond ordinary.


    "Woahhhhh!"


    Urich and five of Harmatti''s guards roared as they faced each other.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Urich swung his two steel axes with all his might. Two guards blocking Urich''s axes couldn''t withstand the force and fell from their horses.


    <i>''What kind of monstrous strength...!''</i>


    The remaining three guards behind them shot their crossbows at Urich. Pre-loaded crossbows were handy weapons to fire on horseback.


    <i>Flinch.</i>


    Urich''s hair wildly fluttered. He eyed the guards aiming their crossbows at him. One crossbow was targeting Kylios, and the other two were aimed at Urich.


    <i>''One crossbow for Kylios, two for me. But Kylios can''t dodge an arrow like I can.''</i>


    Urich made his decision in the blink of an eye. He threw one of his axes to disrupt the guard''s aim at Kylios. The fired arrow hit the ground.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    The other two arrows from the remaining crossbows flew toward Urich.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich deflected the arrows with his Imperial steel sword. He held up the wide side of the de, bouncing off the arrows with a rare, unbelievable skill.


    "My god, are you serious?"


    The guard who shot the crossbow was in shock. Urich had precisely read the arrow''s trajectory and positioned his de. It was a defensive method that was unheard of, a blend of extreme concentration, dynamic vision, and audacious courage.


    "Honestly, I''m surprised too. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d pull it off. Maybe something like this deserves some self-praise."


    Urich, too, was astonished by his own skill. He had improvised a move out of desperation, fully expecting to be hit by the arrows, but he actually seeded. He beheaded the shocked guard.


    <i>¡®He got away.''</i>


    Urich smacked his lips. The guards were dead, but they had achieved their goal. Duke Harmatti was fleeing desperately for his life, and his stragglers followed.


    The Battle of Baldric ended in Prince Varca''s victory. The victorious news spread throughout the Porcana Kingdom and the nobles who had been hesitant to take sides pledged their allegiance to Prince Varca and joined him.


    Two weekster, Prince Varca''s army blockaded Duke Harmatti''s territory and began a siege. The location, with a coastal cliff at its back, was tricky to conquer. But the victory was practically certain, and the only thing left in question was how soon. All that Duke Harmatti could do now was to struggle desperately.


    Atop a hill with a clear view of Harmatti''s castle, Prince Varca¡¯s army set up their camp.


    Pahell rested his chin on his hand, watching Harmatti''s castle. The nobles of Porcana surrounded him, showering the future king with their ttery. Pahell''s blue eyes, frozen with concealed anxiety, only seemed cold to others.


    The boy had be a man, and his pureughter was long gone. He hid his emotions away, and his smiles were merely a mask. He was surrounded by a bunch of snakes who were only after their own interests.

 Chapter 84: The Song of the Old Soldier

    <h4>Chapter 84: The Song of the Old Soldier</h4>


    The civil war was at a stalemate. Pahell''s army had surrounded Harmatti''s castle. The siege had been going on for a fortnight.


    Harmatti''s castle had a terrain advantageous for a defensive battle. With the coastal cliffs at its back, there was no space for the army to maneuver around the back. The only strategy seemed to be a frontal assault.


    "C¡¯mon, move faster, faster!"


    "That log is too short."


    The Imperial sappers were busily working, chopping wood without their shirts.


    "Timber!"


    A soldier holding an axe shouted as a tall tree fell as he wiped the beading sweat off his face. The tree soon became lumber, piling up at the campsite. It was material to make the siege weapons as well as firewood for the winter.


    "This is quite a sturdy fortress. It¡¯s a good castle."


    Ferzen said, gazing at the castle walls through his pale eyes. An Imperial knight next to him detailed the features of the walls to Ferzen.


    "General Ferzen, is there no way to conquer it?"


    Pahell asked anxiously. Winter was just around the corner.


    "Prince Varca, a siege is a battle of patience, ohoho. Against a fortress like that, I can''t guarantee victory in a frontal assault. If I were the one defending it, I could easily hold off five thousand men with just a thousand."


    "If winteres like this, the lords will take their troops back."


    A lord''s army was also thebor force of his domain. Since the armies were hastily mobilized without having time to prepare for theing winter, it was hard to maintain the army for too long.


    "The situation is even worse for Duke Harmatti. With their low morale, desertions will be frequent. With some luck, there might be enough voices asking for surrender within their army to offer Duke Harmatti''s head to us themselves. Anyway, as long as we maintain the siege, they will be the first ones to copse. Trust me, Prince. We have the upper hand. The lords will hold out as long as they can."


    Ferzen said as he lightly patted his chest.


    "That would be a relief. I just wish the war wouldn''t drag on any longer than it already has."


    "We''ll build siege weapons and attack them a couple of times. That''ll keep them tense, and keep them up without sleep day and night, ohoho."


    Pahell nodded. Ferzen was the one with expertise in warfare. Pahell''s limited knowledge was of no use.


    "If only we had caught them at Baldric ins..."


    That was thest chance to end the civil war once and for all.


    <i>¡®You are bringing us into an ugly fight. Duke Harmatti.''</i>


    The scales had already tipped. Duke Harmatti''s end was predictable. No matter how well he defended, an isted castle would eventually fall. It was just a matter of time.


    Phillion approached Pahell with some cold water in a mug.


    "You should take a breath, my prince prince. General Ferzen ispletely right. Time is on our side."


    "I wanted to end the civil war as quickly as possible, Sir Phillion," Pahell muttered, drinking water out of the mug. His mouth was parched.


    Pahell dreaded going outside the tent. Outside, disheveled conscripted soldiers looked at him with dull eyes while sipping thin soup. On the other side, plump nobles rushed to tter him upon seeing him.


    "Why don¡¯t you just leave the siege to General Ferzen and go to the castle? The coronation preparations should be finished by now. You can go anytime to..."


    "The war isn¡¯t over yet. It wouldn''t look good. I can''t just go to the castle by myself and restfortably." Pahell bit his thumbnail.


    "Prince Varca, it''s time for you to learn some patience, ohoho."


    Ferzen said and left the tent. As soon as he left, the nobles who were waiting for their chance entered Pahell''s tent.


    "My prince, I have a third daughter who is not yet unmarried. She takes after my wife..."


    "Your daughter is only barely six years old now! And you''re talking about her marriage?"


    "Six isn''t too far off from marriage age!"


    The nobles shouted,peting for attention. They were desperate to impress the prince. Nobles with daughters praised how dignified and beautiful they were.


    <i>¡®What¡¯s keeping Urich so busy for him to not show his face like this? Dammit.''</i>


    Pahell forced a smile in front of the nobles. He missed Urich. Recently, it seemed like Urich was too busy to visit him.


    He had to be careful with his words around the nobles. He couldn''t reveal his emotions to them. Whether he liked it or not, he had to engage in political calctions with them for every interaction. Facing the nobles itself was extreme fatigue. Pahell felt drained.


    * * *


    Urich had visited Ferzen after the Battle of Baldric. At that point, the heat of the battle had not yet cooled.


    "Gramps, what did you mean when you said that I belong neither to the north nor the south?"


    Urich asked, twirling his axe in his hand. His face, stained with blood, was smiling, but his words were sharp as a thorn.


    "I said that? Oh dear, my memory is bing fickle with age."


    That was the Sword Demon Ferzen¡¯s answer.


    "...Really? I must have misheard you." Urich nonchntly picked his ear in response.


    <i>¡®Is Ferzen really just bing senile?''</i>


    Even a monthter, Urich still mulled over those words.


    <i>''For a senile old man, his judgment is too sharp. His swordsmanship is still alive. Senile, my ass...''</i>


    Urichughed emptily. Lately, his senses were on the highest alert. He didn''t miss even a trivial word around him. Urich himself was also feeling intense pressure.


    <i>¡®Sky Mountains.''</i>


    Urich closed his eyes and pictured Sky Mountains vividly in his mind. As a child, whenever he looked toward the east, he always wanted to cross those mountains. Was there really a world of spirits beyond the mountains? Urich had crossed the mountains to the civilized world to fulfill his curiosity.


    The memory of that day, the decision of that day, the mindset of that day.


    Urich''s eyes opened half-heartedly. His gaze was calm.


    "Have you decided, Urich?" Sven approached and asked.


    "Yes." Urich nodded.


    "What will you do? Cough. It''s cold. Looks like I''ve caught a cold," Sven coughed as he spoke.


    "A northernerining about this weather? Hah. Even I''m doing okay. Anyway, I''ve decided."


    "If you¡¯ve made up your mind, then it''s best to act quickly."


    Urich looked at Sven. Sven truly cared for Urich and his people.


    "I¡¯m going to kill the Sword Demon Ferzen. That''s the clearest solution."


    Urich spoke. His voice was low and only audible to Sven, but the implication was profound.


    "May your god be with you."


    Sven prayed in the northern style, raising his weapon to his nose.


    Killing Ferzen was the best course of action. Only Ferzen knew how much he knew about Urich and whom he had told. Whether or not it had reached the emperor''s ears, Urich had only one choice.


    Urich gripped the sun pendant like a civilized person.


    <i>''Help me. I''ve been faithful to you.''</i>


    Failure was not an option. If it were only his life that was at stake, he wouldn''t even have prayed to Lou. If it were just a battle for himself, even in defeat, dying a warrior''s death would suffice.


    <i>¡®Sun god Lou, the god of kindness. If you truly love peace, then you must help me this time, right?''</i>


    Urich put the sun pendant back to his chest.


    <i>''Not for me, but for my brothers and sisters....''</i>


    Urich picked up his axe.


    * * *


    Donovan, the vice leader of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood, asionally had a drink with Sword Demon Ferzen. Sharing a drink with a living legend was a great honor. Even the usually aggressive Donovan was meek in front of Ferzen.


    Ferzen always brought good liquor. With his status on the battlefield, it wasn''t difficult to obtain fine drinks even during a war.


    "This is the northern-style honey mead," Ferzen said, shaking a bronze liquor bottle.


    "Ah, I have tried that drink. It''s some strong stuff."


    Contrary to its name, the honey mead was far from being smooth or sweet. True to the harsh climate of the north, a single drink was enough to redden one¡¯s face. The warmth of the liquor filled not only the throat but the stomach as well.


    "The Srism priests dislike it. It¡¯s too strong so it turns men into beasts."


    "Isn¡¯t that why the northern barbarians are beast-like? Keke."


    Donovan took a sip of the honey mead. He grimaced, savoring the aftertaste. The chilling sensation was exhrating.


    "In the north, they also call honey mead ¡®Lady Drink."


    Ferzen started, sharing his extensive knowledge. As aged as he was, his knowledge was deep, and it was mostly about barbarians.


    "Lady drink... I would have guessed it was too strong for women to drink."


    "That¡¯s not what the name means. It was named after its unique way of being made."


    "Oh?"


    Donovan wiped his mouth, leaning in to listen.


    "In the north, women keep the bee honey in their mouths and spit it out. They repeat this several times, and then let it sit, turning the honey into liquor. The mead made by the finest girl in the vige is very popr. Men fight over it. If you pay enough, you might even spend the night with the woman who made your drink."


    Donovan suddenly lifted the bottle with an unclear expression on his face.


    "Is this one made that way as well?"


    "Who knows? All I¡¯ve been told is that it was made in the northern way, ohoho," Ferzen chuckled mischievously.


    "If it was truly made in the northern way, then let''s hope a beautiful girl made this one!" Ferzen and Donovan clinked their sses. Theirughter filled the air.


    Trivial conversations followed. As Ferzen got tipsy, history poured out of his mouth. His heroic tales weren''t just stories; they were significant battles that changed the course of history. Ferzen was a protagonist of his era.


    "This siege willst for a while. Building siege weapons will take time as well. It''s getting cold, just sitting around makes my body feel sluggish."


    Donovanmented, looking outside. Harmatti''s castle was visible in the distance, with its torches flickering asionally.


    "True, sitting still does make one stiff. There''s an old path in the forest behind our camp. It''s overgrown and easy to miss, but it was clearly a well-trodden path in the past. If you follow it, there''s a lovely pond. Nowadays, I spend my downtime fishing in that pond."


    Donovan''s eyes lit up. He quietly moved his lips as if he was reciting something.


    The moon waned. Donovan finished the liquor and got up. He bowed respectfully to Ferzen and left the tent.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Donovan strode across the camp. He looked back at Ferzen''s tent several times.


    <i>''Should I tell him?''</i>


    The thought crossed his mind. As he looked back, Donovan felt a chilling presence.


    <i>''Urich.''</i>


    Donovan''s heart sank for a moment. Urich had clearly been watching his hesitation.


    Urich leaned against a tree, waiting for Donovan. His eyes shone in the wavering darkness.


    <i>''If I had turned back to Ferzen''s tent...''</i>


    Donovan broke into a cold sweat. He approached Urich.


    "Brothers don''t betray each other," Urich murmured in the darkness.


    "Do not threaten me, Urich," Donovan growled. His drunken face was fierce.


    "Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to threaten you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just keeping the loyalty that I owe you, just like you did for me. At least while we''re in the same mercenary squad as ''brothers''."


    No matter how they looked at it, their rtionship was far from harmonious, but Donovan knew Urich quite well.


    ''This much is certain. If I''m ever in danger, Urich will fight for me with his life.''


    Ferzen had saved his life once, but to someone of his status, it was just a small gesture. Ferzen would never risk harming himself for Donovan, but Urich would. Donovan knew what kind of man Urich was.


    "There''s a pond behind the camp. He said he often goes fishing there."


    "Thanks, Donovan."


    "I don¡¯t know what your reason is, but I hope it''s something worth killing a legendary hero for."


    "It is, at least for me."


    Urich had shared his n with Donovan a few days ago. He needed his help.


    <i>''I''m going to kill Sword Demon Ferzen.''</i>


    Donovan initially thought it a joke, but seeing Urich''s eyes, he quickly realized it wasn''t. Urich''s eyes were utterly serious.


    Urich nodded, patting Donovan''s shoulder as he passed by.


    "Urich."


    Donovan called, turning around. He continued.


    "...I know that this might be hard for you to believe, but I prayed for Bachman, hoping he would reach Lou¡¯s embrace."


    Donovan finished speaking. Urich nodded.


    "I believe you."


    What mattered wasn''t the goodness of their rtionship. What mattered was the presence or absence of trust.

 Chapter 85

    <h4>Chapter 85</h4>


    <i>Nod, nod</i>.


    An old man was dozing off with his fishing rod in his hands. The shoulders that once bore the grand title of Sword Demon had significantly narrowed. Sitting in a chair with his back bent made him look even smaller.


    Ferzen still fought with his sword in his hands. But how much longer could he continue? His eyesight was failing; in a year or two, he probably would bepletely blind. Even a little exertion was leaving him gasping for air, and his sword felt heavier every time he held it. On top of that, wearing and removing armor left sores with pus on the skin under the pressure points of the armor.


    <i>Blink.</i>


    Ferzen opened his eyes. His vision was still blurry. No matter how much he rubbed his eyes, the murkiness that covered his vision didn¡¯t clear.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t have too much time left.''</i>


    His life as a warrior wasing to an end, but how much longer would Ferzen the human live?


    <i>''Ten years? Twenty?''</i>


    He was seized with fear. He lived the rest of his life as an old man in the backroom.


    <i>''How ugly.''</i>


    He longed for his youth. From a fledgling knight, he had surpassed numerous battlefields. How manyrades had he lost, and how many enemies had he killed to make a hill out of their corpses? The countless tales that had shaped the legendary Sword Demon Ferzen swept through his memories.


    "Lou, you are cursing me."


    Ferzen said, gazing at the sun reflected in the pond.


    <i>¡®Yanchinus will probably discover the eastern continent. As long as it really exists, he will find it. If he took anything after his forefathers, it¡¯s their persistence.¡¯</i>


    To most, Emperor Yanchinus was a figure who was impossible to even approach, but to Ferzen, he was just like a young nephew.


    <i>''But even for him, it''s a project that will take more than a decade at the least.''</i>


    The eastern continent held no meaning for Ferzen. It was the dawn of an era that would start after his time was long over.


    <i>''The Sky Mountains.''</i>


    Ferzen looked west. From the Porcana Kingdom at the eastern end, the Sky Mountains were not visible.


    <i>''No one who climbed those mountains ever returned.''</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus heavily invested in crossing the Sky Mountains. His men criticized it as a waste of the empire¡¯s budget, and the priests rebuked the emperor for attempting to surmount the mountains. But the imperial power was strong. The authority built by the first and previous emperors easily silenced suchints.


    "He doesn¡¯t tire. He¡¯s young."


    No explorers sent to the Sky Mountains had returned so far, but Yanchinus will continue to send more. Failure wouldbel him a tyrant, sess a great conqueror.


    <i>¡®He is doing exactly what the first and the previous emperor did. Is this what the bloodline of conquerors looks like?''</i>


    The first emperor dered that he would unify the world and he did just that. He subjugated all civilized kingdoms and built a great empire. If he had failed, he would''ve been remembered as a war-crazed king.


    The previous emperor expanded humanity''s boundaries, conquering the barren south and north, blending two worlds that used to never interfere with each other. He created a world where civilization and barbarism coexisted.


    And now Emperor Yanchinus. A young, intelligent, and ambitious emperor. He could easily lead the empire''s golden age simply by focusing on the current internal affairs, but for him to be satisfied with that, his forefathers overshadow him. That was his w. He had a mighty grandfather and father. He carried their blood.


    "My body is...too old to follow your grandson and your son."


    Even with a willful mind, he could no longer stand on the battlefield. Ferzen felt it acutely in this war. It was overwhelming just to follow other knights, let alone lead them. Cross the Sky Mountains with this body? That was simply not possible.


    <i>¡®I am going to die in my bed.''</i>


    An inner voice spoke. Ferzen opened his eyes wide. Cold sweat dripped down his back.


    <i>''I''m going to die like some dried-up kindling.''</i>


    He was afraid. He feared the quiet death. He longed to see the steely blue of des.


    "Oh, Mijorn."


    Mijorn the Brave, his rival from three decades ago, a northerner who perhaps could have been the king of the north. The empire had offered him to be the king of the north with the intention of making the northernnds a subordinate state with Mijorn ruling as their king. But Mijorn refused subjugation, and instead, he led his followers south.


    Sword Demon Ferzen led the Imperial army against Mijorn. They fought a battle that would determine the fate of civilization and barbarism.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud.</i>


    Never again would he experience such a war. A heart-pounding war. A great battle where everything was at stake.


    "Oh, you men who returned to the Field of Swords, calling out Ulgaro''s name."


    Ferzen envied them. The immortal warriors. Even in death, they remained warriors, repeating the eternal struggle of battle on the Field of Swords. The god of the north loved warriors.


    Bodies pierced by metal, graves full of skeletons, all in the deste northern frozennd.


    Memories of the past ovepped. The harshnd nurtured great warriors. Northerners did not cremate their dead warriors. They believed that they would resurrect with Ulgaro, so instead, they buried them with their weapons.


    <i>Chirp, chirp.</i>


    A bird was crying. It was a warm day. His grip on the fishing rod was weak, and drowsiness returned.


    <i>Plop.</i>


    The fishing rod shook. Ferzen opened his eyes and lifted the rod, but the fish had taken the bait and escaped.


    "Oh no."


    Ferzen sighed, re-baiting the hook as he clicked his tongue. He yawned deeply.


    <i>ng.</i>


    Someone made a metallic sound. It was the sound of weapons shing. Ferzen turned around.


    "Hey gramps, you catch any fish?"


    Urich was sitting at the base of a tree. Ferzen''s eyes gradually widened. His lips slightly curled up.


    "Do you think I¡¯m here to catch some fish? I¡¯m just here to catch some time. Ohoho."


    Ferzen threw the fishing rod aside.


    "You¡¯re always talking like an old man."


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich spun his sword tip on the ground like a top.


    "Do you have something you want to ask? Urich."


    "Do you know where Ie from?"


    "I have an idea. I heard from Donovan that the first time he met you was in Ankaira, which is not far from the Sky Mountains. Plus, the moment I heard your acted-out northern ent, it told me everything I needed to know."


    After hearing Ferzen''s words, Urich stood up.


    "I see. Here, use this sword. It''s an Imperial steel sword. I''ll use my axes."


    Urich tossed the steel sword in front of Ferzen. Urich swayed his twin axes, loosening up his body.


    "How merciful you are. You could have just stabbed me in the back in my sleep."


    Ferzen grabbed the sword as if he had seen everythinging.


    "That''s not my way. Oh yeah, and I¡¯m asking just in case, does the emperor know?"


    "I¡¯m the only one who knows where you are from. I haven''t told anyone else, the man who crossed the Sky Mountains."


    Urich''s eyes widened. He didn''t understand Ferzen.


    <i>''Why didn''t he tell anyone around him?''</i>


    That was the only thought. It didn''t look like Ferzen was lying. But his words and actions were strange. Ferzen was deliberately provoking Urich.


    "So, you¡¯re the only one I have to kill, old man. Thanks for telling me that."


    "No need to thank me."


    Ferzen bowed gracefully. He held the sword.


    "I am Urich of the Stone Axe Tribe. I came here today to end your sorrowful life, gramps."


    Urich swung his axes, whooshing through the air. The sound of the axes slicing the air was chilling.


    "My name is Ferzen," Ferzen answered briefly. Urich tilted his head, asking in return.


    "That¡¯s it? "


    "That¡¯s sufficient as my introduction."


    Ferzen raised his sword high. It was the Owl Stance. His shoulders, rigid like a bird spreading its wings, were solid and made it seem like he could even cut through a rock.


    <i>''Impressive.''</i>


    Urich was in awe. It was hard to believe that such vigor came from an old man who was over seventy years old.


    <i>''Could I be like that at his age?''</i>


    It was hard to be sure of it. Any warrior would have no choice but to respect Ferzen. His bone-carving rigorous self-discipline was evident.


    "Hooh."


    Ferzen inhaled deeply. The only time he exhaled was the one moment that he was bringing his sword down.


    It was as if an inner light was flowing within his pale eyes. His lifetime of honed stance was wless. The sticity of his sword-wielding muscles was very much still alive.


    <i>Ssshh.</i>


    Urich let his arms, each holding an axe, hang loosely as he approached his opponent. At a nce, it seemed a defenseless stance, merely extending the trajectory of his weapons.


    <i>''But my opponent is a barbarian. One with extraordinary physical abilities at that. It wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement to say that he was blessed by the gods.''</i>


    Barbarians, despite their unrefined stances, could swing their weapons at astonishing speeds. In fact, the longer trajectory of their swings made each strike excessively heavy.


    <i>''How many of our knights have fallen to such attacks?''</i>


    Ferzen smiled. The barbarians with their crude metal weapons seemed easy to conquer. But it was a big miscalction. The war against the northern barbarians was truly a series of agonies. The unfamiliar cold tormented the knights, and even Ferzen himself lost three toes to frostbite. Moreover, every barbarian man was a skilled warrior. Their god loved the warriors, and they fought to earn that divine favor.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Urich approached. The distance between the two warriors was closing down. There was only one more step to be within the range of their weapons.


    Both stances showed that their wielders preferred attack over defense. The fight wasn¡¯t going tost long. The faster and more cunning warrior woulde out victorious.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Urich stepped forward again. Ferzen, with his sword, had a longer range of attack.


    <i>''I¡¯ll give him the first move.''</i>


    Urich¡¯s eyes sparkled. His arms moved along.


    Ferzen''s Owl Stance was a stance with the sword raised high. Directly from that stance, he performed a diagonal sh. The skill was known as the Owl''s Fury, and it was a simple diagonal cut. But among knights, it was considered the strongest technique.


    <i>''The simplest yet strongest technique.''</i>


    Stabbing used muscles that were not normally used. Unless it was trained heavily, the movement itself felt unnatural. shing, on the other hand, was purely instinctive. Give a child a sword, and they first make a diagonal cut from above. The Owl''s Fury was the most natural swordsmanship. Thus, it was strong.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich lifted his axe des to entwine Ferzen''s sword. Ferzen''s sword path was disrupted.


    ¡°Oooooh!¡±


    Urich roared and closed in on Ferzen right in front of his nose. He leaned his head back and then thrust it forward.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    A powerful headbutt shook Ferzen''s brain. The old skull cracked. Ferzen, dazed from the attack, closed his eyes.


    Urich, eyes wide open, swung his axe and severed Ferzen''s right hand. The sword-wielding right hand fell to the ground.


    "Ugh."


    Ferzen swallowed a scream and struck Urich''s chin with his left hand. Urich nearly bit his tongue. His head shook, making him stagger his steps.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    Ferzen then kicked Urich between the legs. Despite the leather protection of the region, the impact surged deep into his abdomen. It was a blow to a vital spot that was practiced in real battles.


    "Grr."


    Urich wanted to clutch his groin and roll on the ground at that moment. He grimaced.


    "You damned old man!!!!"


    Urich yelled as he charged at Ferzen. He dealt a merciless blow to the old warrior who was now without one of his hands.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Ferzen drew a small self-protection dagger from his waist. Holding only the dagger in his left hand, he faced Urich. He resembled a hunter fighting a bear, except this bear was clever, could speak, and on top of that, had axes instead of ws in both his paws.


    If he tried to block an axede with the dagger in his hand, his wrist was going to shatter. Ferzen rolled on the ground. The once-great Sword Demon, a knight among knights! But at this moment, he was merely a weakling before a stronger opponent. If the weak wanted any chance to beat the strong, he had to roll in the dirt.


    Urich was young and strong, and Ferzen was an old man. Legendary fame did not strengthen the physical body.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urich''s axes sliced in all directions like a storm. Ferzen, like a nimble mouse, leaned back, avoiding the axe des.


    Urich feigned the wild swings with his axes and thenunched one of the two toward his opponent. The rusted pale eyes could not read the movement ahead.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The axe was buried deep into Ferzen''s chest.


    "No more dodging around like a mouse," Urich said as he breathed heavily.


    Ferzen did not remove the axe embedded in his chest. Pulling it out would lead to excessive bleeding and death by bleeding out. The axe was that deeply lodged, and his heart was moments away from stopping.


    "Urich," Ferzen spoke, with his face a pale blue.


    "Huh?"


    "Bury me in the ground when I die."


    Ferzen lunged in as he inhaled hisst deep breath. Urich easily sidestepped and struck Ferzen''s back with his axe. Ferzen copsed powerlessly to the ground.


    Ferzen opened his eyes as hey on the ground. His lips trembled, and his heart grew cold.


    "Ulgaro."


    Ferzen''s dim eyes were staring into the Field of Swords.


    Those who betrayed their god were cursed. Ferzen''s curse was over.


    "What...?"


    Urich clearly heard Ferzen''sst words.


    <i>''Ulgaro.''</i>


    Urich''s pupils quivered.

 Chapter 86

    <h4>Chapter 86</h4>


    Urich''s fingers were dirty. Each and every one of his fingers were caked with dirt.


    "Yourst wish sure is messy, gramps."


    Urich grumbled andughed. He dug a grave big enough toy one person, deep in the forest, far from the pond.


    <i>''I dug the earth tirelessly, and there you lie, looking utterly at peace.''</i>


    Urich dragged Ferzen''s body and dumped it into the pit.


    "Phew."


    After catching his breath, Urich looked up at the sky. The day was turning to dusk. Night bugs were crawling around his feet.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich caught a cricket and chewed it noisily. He indiscriminately popped any insects he could catch into his mouth.


    "Tsk."


    Urich spat out a cricket leg stuck between his teeth and red at Ferzen again.


    "What the hell was that about at the end, huh? Why bring up Ulgaro there? Shouldn''t you have called out to Lou? Like, ¡®Oh, Lou!¡¯ Huh?"


    There was no reply. Urich pouted and sprinkled a handful of dirt over Ferzen''s face.


    He wanted to grab Ferzen by the scruff of his neck and give him a good p across his dead face. If Ferzen were to somehowe back to life, Urich would do just that.


    "Ah, that is so disgustingly annoying."


    Urich cracked his neck and got up. He covered Ferzen with the soil that he had dug out.


    <i>''Ulgaro.''</i>


    He was the god of the barbarians, not of the civilized. Ferzen of Civilization, Ferzen the Knight of All Knights, the Sword Demon Ferzen. He was the symbol of civilization''s victory over the barbarians. And yet, he died calling out the name of the northern god.


    <i>''The world would go crazy if they knew what he just did.''</i>


    When did Ferzen start believing in the northern god? Urich had no way of knowing the answer to his question. Just as many barbarians were influenced by the faith of Srism, Ferzen of civilization could have very well been influenced by northern mythology. Ferzen must have hidden this fact all his life.


    <i>¡®In the end, he managed to use me for his own good.''</i>


    What a man who believed in Ulgaro feared the most was not death. It was dying in bed like a sick person, not as a warrior.


    <i>''Ferzen, too, was just a wanderer who was simply seeking a ce for his own burial.''</i>


    Ferzen had joined this civil war so he could die. That''s why he, even at his age, charged at the forefront of the lines. He was hoping that someone''s sword would kill him. Deliberately dying was not allowed, and he had to die fighting bravely. But who would dare kill the legendary Ferzen? How many had the courage and skill to do so?


    "And that''s why he chose me."


    Urich was a strong warrior, and he had a motive to kill Ferzen. He had inly fallen for Ferzen''s provocation.


    "You look like you died a happy death. You look peaceful, you old Sword Demon. I still haven''t heard how you held off a hundred men on that bridge."


    Urich finished covering the body with the dirt. He stomped it down solidly and covered the grave spot with bushes. It would be troublesome if someone managed to find Ferzen who was now supposedly missing.


    "Were you satisfied with the life you lived?"


    The corpse gave no answer. But it seemed as if Urich was hearing Ferzen''sughter echoing in his ears.


    <i>''Even death is unfair.''</i>


    Urich thought of Bachman. Bachman didn''t want to die. He suffered, struggling, longing to live even just a second longer. What would Bachman say if he saw Ferzen dying a satisfactory death?


    "Anyway, I believe everything you said, gramps. You wouldn''t have told anyone. Whether the emperor manages to discover what lies beyond the mountains or not, it was going to happen after your death, anyway.¡±


    To Ferzen, dying as a warrior was all that mattered. Nothing else was worth his concern. Urich felt like he vaguely understood the old general.


    Without a doubt, Ferzen must have been shocked when he saw the northerners for the first time. They were warriors with no fear of death, and he must have been curious about the origin of their bravery. Ferzen was a warrior before he was a man of civilization.


    The sh between the barbarians and civilization was not one-sided. Just as the barbarians were enchanted by civilization, civilization too was captivated by their opposition. They coveted what theycked.


    "Lou."


    Urich took out the Sun pendant. He remembered Father Gotval''s words. He hadpletely forgotten about it until now.


    <i>''Love others and show mercy. Then your soul will grow stronger.''</i>


    Sun god Lou was the god of love and mercy.


    "Love others..." Urich repeated Gotval''s words, one at a time.


    "... and show mercy."


    His hand holding the pendant trembled. Urich brought the sun pendant close to his face.


    <i>''Sorry, Gotval. I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s something I can do.''</i>


    Love and mercy. They were words too far from a warrior.


    Urich looked back. He gazed at his own footsteps. The evil spirits hiding from the sunlight seemed to slither out. Urich had walked over sticky blood and foul-smelling entrails. It had been a path far from love and mercy.


    "So, I wonder where my soul will go?"


    Urich descended the mountain. He threw the Sun pendant into the pond.


    * * *


    Sword Demon Ferzen had disappeared, and the rumor spread quickly like wildfire. Ferzen''s mysterious disappearance caused a stir at the allied camp.


    "It''s already been three days! We''re talking about Sword Demon Ferzen himself, not some random soldier!"


    An Imperial knight mmed his fist down on the table, clearly agitated.


    "It''s impossible that someone like General Ferzen would lose his way and fail to return. He¡¯s not a child!" Another nobleman responded. Anger wasn¡¯t going to bring the vanished Ferzen back.


    "We''ll continue the search. But if General Ferzen deliberately hid himself, finding him would be impossible," Pahell concluded, silencing the noisy assembly.


    The Imperial army formed a special unit to search for Ferzen. Theybed the area around the camp, but they only managed to find the fishing rod Ferzen had used. Rumors abounded, and spection ran rampant.


    "Sword Demon Ferzen is dead? No way that¡¯s true."


    "He must have gotten sick of fighting and took himself into seclusion."


    "I heard that Harmatti sent an assassin!"


    Ferzen''s disappearance alone was enough to dampen the army''s morale. Mutterings of uneasy words continued to grow. Yet, it had no impact on the overall situation of the war. The victory was already in their grasp, and the fall of the castle was only a matter of time. Deserters began to emerge from the Harmatti fortress which already had its supply cut off a while ago.


    "Do you think General Ferzen is really dead?"


    "I don¡¯t know, but his body still hasn''t been found."


    "General Ferzen will never die. He''s a knight blessed by Lou. Didn''t you see him fighting on the front line despite his age being over seventy? How could he do that without having the blessing of the sun god on his back?"


    The soldiers chattered while tearing into their meat dinner. They indulged in a feast for the first time in a while.


    <i>Sizzle sizzle.</i>


    The barbeque cooked deliciously as it emitted its scrumptious-smelling smoke. The soldiers had bought livestock in bulk from neighboring territories to prepare the meat. They held a feast outside the castle walls and wafted the aroma of the sizzling barbeque over the castle walls.


    "This must be driving them crazy, right? Inside the castle, they''re probably eating rats or something."


    The soldiers chuckled. The tactic was simple yet effective. Hunger does not discriminate. In a siege, the enemy¡¯s morale could easily be lowered with something as easy as the smell of delicious barbeque.


    "A barbeque feast, what a smart idea. It boosts morale that was lowered by the disappearance of the Sword Demon while demoralizing the enemy at the same time," Svenmented while slicing the freshly cooked meat with his axe, passing some to Urich.


    "Nobody looks like they¡¯re suspecting anything, right?" Urich nced around skeptically. Only Sven and a few northerners were listening to him.


    "We''ve got our stories straight. You were ying dice with us at that time. I and our northern brothers are your witnesses."


    The other northerners nodded silently. They were loyal sons of the north, so naturally, they had no fondness for Sword Demon Ferzen. With their heavy lips, they would take the secret to their graves.


    "It seems like they couldn''t find the body. This way, Ferzen will remain a legendary figure," Urich muttered.


    "As more time passes, rumors that the Sword Demon is still alive will always be around. That''s how legends work."


    asional rumors around the camp that Ferzen was seen fishing alone in the woods or living self-sufficiently by hunting wild animals in leather clothes were already starting to spread. With each rumor, search parties were sent, but no trace of Ferzen was ever found.


    "Sven, have a word with me in a bit," Urich said as he nced at the other northerners. The northerners read his signal and discreetly dispersed, taking some meat with them.


    "Tell me, Urich. I noticed you''ve been wanting to say something since the other day. Is it about Ferzen?"


    "Yeah, it''s about Ferzen."


    "To be honest with you, I''ve been waiting for days to hear how that Sword Demon met his end," Sven''s eyes sparkled as he brought a bottle of liquor. He urged Urich to continue.


    "Damn, this is some strong stuff."


    Urich gulped down the honey mead like it was beer, feeling like he was swallowing a bottle of mes.


    Urich¡¯s eyes blurred. He was not present in the current moment but was reliving the past with Ferzen. A pang of ache hit his left chest. Urich massaged it.


    <i>''I really didn''t want to kill you.''</i>


    Urich liked Ferzen. He was a magnificent warrior, a man worthy of his respect. He had wanted to spend more time alongside him. If Ferzen had called him to fight in a battle that was futile, he still would have rushed in.


    <i>''A man who lived and died a warrior. He never even considered a life where he wasn¡¯t a warrior.''</i>


    Urich was going to pour the rest of his liquor into the fire, but he changed his mind and poured it on the ground. Sven''s eyes widened.


    "Ferzen was fishing. I asked him if he caught any fish, and he said he was fishing for time. Iughed it off as nonsense," Urich said as he squinted, recounting his time with Ferzen. Sven just nodded, listening intently.


    <i>Crackle.</i>


    The fire red.


    ¡°He told me to bury him if he died. And can you guess what hisst words were?"


    Sven''s pupils dted. His limbs trembled slightly, and the cup in his hand shook.


    "Ulgaro..." Sven sighed. Urich chuckled.


    "Yes, Ulgaro."


    Sven held up his head with his hand, sinking into deep contemtion.


    <i>''Why would our greatest enemy... ''</i>


    How many brothers had Sword Demon Ferzen''s hands and swordy sent to their deaths? How many warriors had he sent to Ulgaro''s side? And yet, he sought the Field of Swords, calling out Ulgaro''s name.


    "That doesn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯m telling you that it¡¯s impossible."


    Even the everposed Sven shook his head repeatedly.


    "But it''s true. And it seems he had believed in your northern god for quite some time."


    Sven gulped his drink. His shock was greater than Urich¡¯s.


    "I don''t know how I¡¯m supposed to process this."


    "To me, at least, Ferzen died a warrior''s death. Just like the northern warriors I''ve seen. He didn''t try to die nobly, talking about honor or whatever. He fought until the end, rolling on the ground, kicking my groin. He really died fighting until the veryst moment."


    The scene was vivid in Sven¡¯s mind. He gritted his teeth.


    "Then I have no choice but to ept it. Whether Ulgaro weed Ferzen to the Field of Swords or not, I''ll see for myself when I get there."


    Sven resignedly said. Whether Ferzen truly had the soul of the north was for Ulgaro to judge.


    "Sven, tell me more about the northern god tonight. Let''s hear about this seductive god who managed to sway the Sword Demon," Urich pped his knee,ughing. His face was flushed with alcohol.


    "...That is sphemy. In my opinion, you''re in for divine punishment. Whether that¡¯s from Lou or Ulgaro."


    Sven scowled.

 Chapter 87: Own Blood

    Chapter 87: Own Blood


    The night wind blowing from the autumn sea was cold, making even Urich, who was d in leather, shiver.


    <em>Click.</em>


    Urich reached up with his hand to climb the coastal cliff.


    "Hup."


    He inhaled deeply, pulling himself up. Swiftly, he inserted his fingers into the crevices of the cliff to support his body.


    <em>''I should never have volunteered for this.''</em>


    Urich took a brief rest after he wedged his body in the cliff. He looked down to see the soldiers who had followed his path climbing up the cliff after him.


    <em>''Even Im tired already, those guys must be dying.</em>


    Even though they had handpicked those with good stamina from the princes camp, they were not looking too good on the face of the cliff.


    The soldiers faces were pale as if they were just about to die. They breathed heavily, stretching out their trembling arms. They had discarded their heavy armor and were carrying only their shields and weapons on their backs.


    <em>Woosh!</em>


    The waves hit the cliff, creating arge spray.


    "Phew. Wed probably die if we fell from here, huh?"


    Urich took out his leather water sk. After quenching his thirst, he looked up again.


    <em>''I understand that you want to wrap up the siege before the winters here, but this is pretty tough, Pahell.''</em>


    Themand hade up with several strategies, but all were rejected due to heavy troop losses. Not only the lords of Porcana but also the Imperial armymanders were reluctant to risk their soldiers.


    The only feasible operation before the arrival of winter was an infiltration of the castle. The n was to infiltrate through the loosely guarded coastal cliffs and open the castle gate for the rest of the army. The task was given to Urich.


    "Ugh, hagh."


    The soldiers who climbed up next to Urich gasped for air. They gathered in the crevices of the cliff to catch their breath and recover. Each one of the men were all men who were confident in their stamina, and the group even had a few Imperial knights among them.


    "All that and were still only halfway there," A soldier resting in the crevice muttered in despair.


    <em>''There are fourteen of us, including myself.''</em>


    Urich counted the number of soldiers. Thankfully, no one had fallen off the cliff yet.


    <em>Its not like a bigger number of men increases the chances of sess in an operation like this, anyway. If we had a bunch of men who could climb this cliff, we would have scaled it and taken the castle a while ago.''</em>


    The thirteen men who were with Urich on the cliff were already the best of the best, each renowned in their respective units. On top of that, the Imperial knights were, needless to say, exceptional.


    "Alright, rest up and keep an eye on the track that I take to climb."


    Urich, who had arrived first, had finished catching his breath. He was ready to continue the scale.


    "Thank you, Urich."


    An Imperial knight looked at Urich with respect. Even as a barbarian, Urichs willingness to take on harsh and dangerous roles without a single word ofint deserved their respect.


    <em>That is some strength.''</em>


    The other men watched Urich as he energetically climbed the dark cliff, almost pouncing from protrusions to protrusions.


    "Jeez, he''s basically a monkey, a soldier said as heughed.


    Urich pioneered the path up the precarious cliff, buffeted by the sea wind. One wrong step could mean a fatal fall, but regardless, he carefully distinguished between loose and solid rocks to guide the others.


    Urich and the soldiers reached the base of the castle wall. The wall near the seaside was neglected and lower in height due to the constant battering of sea winds. With its widened gaps, the wall seemed easily scble even for the exhausted soldiers.


    <em>Swish.</em>


    Urich bit a dagger in his mouth. He used hand signals to split the soldiers into groups. They moved in units of three or four, led by the Imperial knights who had climbed with them.


    <em>''Eliminate the guards on the wall, move to the gate, and open it. Once the signal is given, the troops lying in ambush around the gate will move in.''</em>


    Urich recalled the n. His role was critical. Without opening the gate, the attack would fail before it even began.


    <em>Whoosh!</em>


    Urich waited until the wind and waves intensified. A strong gust soon blew. The salty wind blinded the enemies, and the sound of waves muffled their ears.


    <em>Click.</em>


    Urich gave the signal. The soldiers climbed the wall.


    <em>''Two.''</em>


    Urich, who was the first to reach the wall, nced down. He saw a guard patrolling the wall. As expected, the defenses on the cliffside wall werex.


    <em>Crack.</em>


    Urich leaped onto the wall, pouncing on the guard. He grabbed and snapped the mans neck with ease.


    "Huh? Gagh!"


    Another guard saw Urich and tried to yell, but the soldier who followed Urich stabbed him in the throat.


    "Hmph."


    Urich lightly exhaled as he threw the dead guards off the wall.


    "Alright, lets go, my friends."


    Following Urich''s signal, the soldiers moved low, hiding their bodies in the shadows.


    The infiltrators who had climbed the castle wall were skilled, and the guards quality was inferior. They advanced smoothly on the wall.


    "Huh?"


    But unexpected situations were always bound to arise. A soldier strolling below the wallte at night caught their attention. The soldier was rubbing his eyes. He may have stepped out briefly to take care of his bathroom needs, but regardless of the reason, the soldier looked up at the wall. A shadow-like figure caught his eye.


    "Hey, is someone there? Answer me if you''re there," the soldier called out insistently to the wall.


    <em>''Damn it.''</em>


    Urich and the soldiers pressed their bodies against the wall, holding their breath with their eyes rolling.


    "Look, I know you''re there, so just show yourself," the soldier raised his voice again.


    <em>Swish.</em>


    Urich moved. He leaped from the wall,nding on top of the soldier. He firmly grabbed the soldiers neck.


    <em>Crunch.</em>


    Urich felt the man''s neck bones crush under his grip. A sound echoed to his fingertips.


    "Hmm?"


    Sensing someones presence, Urich turned around. Someone was standing beneath the shadow of the wall.


    "Kyaaaaahh!"


    It was a sharp, high-pitched scream of a woman.


    <em>''Damn, he must have snuck out to meet up with this woman at night.''</em>


    The soldiers persistent inquiries made sense now; he was trying to avoid getting caught in his secret meeting.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Urich grabbed the woman''s head and mmed it against the wall. She copsed to the ground with blood streaming down her forehead.


    Her scream quickly drew the attention of the enemy camp. Torches flickered from all directions.


    "Who was that?"


    "An enemy?"


    The guards scurried over to the source of the scream. They threw their torches, illuminating the area.


    <em>''Weve failed.''</em>


    The operation was a failure. It was bad luck.


    <em>Thwip!</em>


    The guards fired crossbows and arrows. The discovered intruders lifted their shields and shouted for retreat.


    "Run! Lets get out of here!"


    They fled back the way they came. Urich couldn''t follow, as he was still at the base of the wall all by himself. Climbing now would turn him into an easy target for the enemies.


    <em>''I need to hide.''</em>


    Fortunately, there were no guards watching Urich who was at the bottom of the wall. They were all focused on the soldiers on top of it.


    The fleeing soldiers jumped off the wall down to the cliff. They descended the same cliff they had climbed. Some slipped and fell. Five men either died or fell off the cliff on their way back to the boat below the coastal cliff.


    "Damn it, where''s Urich?"


    An Imperial knight on the boat shouted. He was worried about having left Urich behind.


    "He''ll manage! Right now, we have got to get out of here, raise your shields!"


    The soldiers raised their shields to block the shower of arrow attacks. They rowed away from the cliff. The infiltration n had failed, and they had left Urich behind in the heart of the enemy camp.


    Urich, now alone, weaved through the buildings to avoid being discovered. The darkness of the night helped him avoid the eyes of the enemies, but dawn was approaching. When daylight broke, it would be impossible to stay out of the enemies sight.


    <em>''I need to find a ce to hide.''</em>


    The guards would thoroughly search the castle for any potential intruders after finding the dead soldiers. A hasty hiding ce would have him easily discovered.


    "Sniff."


    Urich''s nostrils red. He sensed an intensifying stench and followed it to its source.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Urich found a pit full of waste. It was a ce where all sorts of waste from the castle, including excrement and food scraps, was collected. When it rained, the refuse flowed down the coastal cliff into the sea. Since there had been little rain recently, the pile had grown quiterge, emitting a strong odor.


    "Again?"


    It was a familiar situation. However, it was possible that an exit might be in the pit. Urich sighed heavily and took a deep breath.


    <em>Squelch, squelch.</em>


    Urich waded through the refuse pit where the waste came up to his chest. The filth clung to him like a swamp.


    "Shiiiieeeet."


    The refuse pit deepened, submerging Urich up to his head. The outlet to the sea was half-clogged with solidified waste.


    <em>Crunch, crunch.</em>


    Urich scraped and dug through the clogged pit with his hands. Once he created enough space for a person to pass, the waste started flowing out.


    <em>''Urgh.''</em>


    Urich squeezed through the narrow channel, emerging outside like a horse''s dung being squeezed out of its backside.


    "Ugh."


    Urich groaned as he reached out to grab a protruding rock. He almost got swept down the cliff along with the waste.


    "Ptui, ptui."


    Urich spat and looked around. Thankfully, there were no guards in sight.


    <em>These cliffs are steep. I dont see any boats either.''</em>


    The situation was grim. The cliffs here were much steeper than before. There seemed to be no way down for a person. The waves continuously sshed at the cliff''s base. Urich didn''t know much about the sea, but he still realized it wasnt a ce to go for a swim.


    <em>''The shore is too far from here. I''ll probably get caught by guards on the way.''</em>


    Even after getting out of the castle wall, he had nowhere to go.


    <em>Ding! Ding!</em>


    The sound of a bell rang from the wall. The inside of the castle was in an uproar.


    <em>''Pahell said that he wanted to end the civil war before the winter came.''</em>


    Urich looked up at the high inner castle. Key figures of the civil war, such as Duke Harmatti, were likely staying inside that one.


    <em>''I just need to cut off Harmattis head, and the civil war ends.''</em>


    Urich found a crevice in the cliff big enough for his body to squeeze into. He squeezed into it like a seabird finding a nest on the cliff and closed his eyes. He slept to regain his strength.


    Urich revised his n. He was going to cut off Duke Harmatti''s head and return.


    * * *


    "Urich still hasn''t returned! I knew we shouldn''t have sent him in there!"


    Pahell shouted, clearly showing that he was agitated. It had been a day since the special unit had returned from their failed mission. Only seven out of the initial fourteen hade back.


    "Urich will find a way to make it out of the castle on his own. Please calm down, my prince," Phillion said as he tried to soothe Pahell. It had been a while since Pahell lost hisposure like this.


    "Urich is a person too! A human! How do you expect him to escape from there all alone?"


    Pahell kicked a chair, shouting. Fortunately, he and Phillion were the only ones in the tent.


    <em>''It''s not good for others to know that the prince is so agitated over a single barbarian mercenary.''</em>


    Pahell was no longer just a young master. He was soon to be king of his kingdom. He needed to maintain a certain distance between himself and Urich. The nobles would not look kindly upon their lord being so close to a barbarian mercenary.


    <em>''Even Urich has his limits. Just like everyone else, he can fall to his knees too.''</em>


    Pahell had seen Urich almost die several times. Urich was certainly not invincible.


    "Summon the nobles andmanders immediately. We''re going into a full-scale attack. We''ve built enough siege weapons for a good attack," Pahell said to Phillion as he chewed on his fingernails. His eyes were fiery.


    <em>p!</em>


    Phillion took off his glove and pped Pahell''s cheek. He used the right hand which had almost no fingers left.


    "Come to your senses, my prince. Thousands of lives depend on your words. That order is not something to be said so emotionally."


    Pahell covered his reddened cheek. His eyes were slowly regaining theirposure.


    "You''re right, Sir Phillion."


    Pahell had strived to minimize the number of lives lost in this civil war. He realized what he had almostmitted. Besides, the lords would oppose a full-scale attack, and if he had forced things to have it his way, he would have beenbeled as an emotional and ipetent king.


    <em>''I almost ruined everything with my own hands.''</em>


    Phillion brought a bronze cup of cold water to Pahell''s cheek.


    "Urich is a monster of a man in a good way. He wont die so easily. Besides, if Harmatti had captured or killed Urich, they would have sent a message by now. Harmatti also knows Urichs face."


    Pahell drank from the cup that was against his cheek and nodded.


    "I have urgent news!"


    A knight shouted outside the tent. Phillion pulled back the curtain that was covering the entrance of the tent.


    "What is it?"


    "The enemies have hung up some of our soldiers on the castle wall. It seems like the captured members of the infiltration unit!"


    Phillion held his forehead and shook his head.


    "Take me there immediately." Pahell''s eyes red. He threw the cup and put on his coat.


    <em>''If Urich is among the captured...''</em>


    Pahell clutched his chest.


    <em>''Then I don''t know what I might do.''</em>


    Phillion followed Pahell with anxious eyes, murmuring softly.


    "Please, dont be Urich."

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    Pahell and Phillion arrived at the front of the camp. Soldiers were already buzzing with their own spections.


    "Have their identities been confirmed?" Phillion grabbed a soldier and asked.


    "We''re checking them right now."


    A soldier with keen eyesight observed the wall. There were three prisoners hanging on the poles on the castle walls, but their faces were bloodied and barely recognizable.


    <em>''Urich isnt there.''</em>


    Pahell breathed a sigh of relief after squinting at the wall.


    He knew that Urich wasnt among the captured soldiers without being able to see their faces. Urich wasrge. Among the soldiers hung on the wall, none were as big as Urich.


    Phillion also realized that Urich wasn''t there. He wiped the sweat off his brow with relief after seeing Pahell calmed down.


    <em>''I feel bad for thinking this when those soldiers are in such terrible shape but thank goodness Urich isnt among them. That would have certainly jeopardized our whole mission.''</em>


    The captured soldiers on the wall appeared to have been severely tortured. They were doomed to die anyway.


    "Duke Harmatti is the true king of Porcana, and he is the nobleman who will strengthen Porcana!" A prisoner tied to the city gate shouted. His voice was shaky and trembling.


    "The weak and feeble Prince Varca will only darken Porcana''s future! He will surely ignore the groans and cries of his own people while fattening the empire''s belly!"


    Another prisoner spat venomous words about Pahell. The prisoners were already in a disheveled state from their severe torture.


    "Pfft, nonsense."


    The soldiers snorted. The tide had turned too much for such incitement to work.


    "Go get an archer. Let''s put them out of their misery."


    The fate of the captured soldiers was obvious. Unlike nobles, they had no one to pay their ransom. A quick death was their best option.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    A soldier who was known for his archery skill stepped forward. He wielded a longbow with his strong arms. He pulled the bowstring far back, aiming carefully.


    <em>Thwip.</em>


    After a few misfires, the arrows finally reached the wall. The captured soldiers tied to the poles were relieved of their pain.


    "Please have mercy on me, Lou."


    The archer muttered as he put down his bow. He sped his sun pendant and sought forgiveness from Lou. Although it was an inevitable situation, the fact was that he had killed hisrades.


    "Urich will be alive," Phillion approached Pahell and said to him.


    "And what if he''s already dead?" Pahell spoke cynically, looking at the dead prisoners. He started to me himself for the death of his men.


    <em>''I was relieved that I wasnt seeing Urich among them. Even though those men fought for me and were captured... I was just d that Urich wasn''t caught.''</em>


    If the prisoners knew Pahell''s thoughts, they would have hurled every curse at him.


    "Negative thinking will do us no good. The siege is tight. Harmatti won''tst long. This operation will only increase the unrest within the castle."


    Pahell forced himself to nod.


    <em>''I am going to be king. Even if Urich dies in the process, I must continue my path.''</em>


    He fiddled with his sun pendant, thinking of those who died for him. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.


    <em>Survive, Urich.''</em>


    He wished for nothing else. Lifting his blue eyes, Pahell gazed at the castle walls.


    * * *


    <em>Squak, squak.</em>


    Urich awoke to the sound of seagulls. His body creaked and screamed in protest, having slept in the tight crevice.


    "Goddammit."


    Urich moved his stiff body, and the hardened filth cracked and fell off like a shell. He vigorously scraped off the remaining muck with his fingernails.


    <em>Squelch.</em>


    Seagulls defecated over Urichs head, leaving a trail of white fecal matter on Urich''s shoulder.


    "Fucking fuck," Urich growled as if he was going to try and catch the seagulls.


    <em>''It must be around noon.''</em>


    Urich estimated the time by looking at the sun''s position in the sky. He scanned his surroundings with clear sight.


    <em>''I can climb up the cliffs connected to the castle walls and make my way to the inner castle.''</em>


    Urich assessed his physical condition. The hardened filth had actually insted him against the night''s sea breeze, protecting his skin from the harsh ocean gust.


    <em>''The only problem is the unbearable itch.''</em>


    Urich scratched all over his body. If he didn''t wash properly as soon as all this was over, he was sure to contract a disease from the waste.


    <em>Crack, crack.</em>


    Urich flexed and extended each of his fingers. After a good rest, his grip strength had returned.


    <em>''I can climb this.''</em>


    Urich eyed the cliff leading to the inner wall. From his current position, he had to climb as high as he did the previous night. The castles location was strategically sound. Even if the outer wall was breached, the uphill inner wall was difficult to prate.


    <em>''No wonder the imperial army hesitated to attack. It makes sense to go for a siege instead.''</em>


    Urich checked the gear he had on hand. A pair of steel axes hung securely at his waist.


    "These are all I need to take a man''s head."


    Urich waited for nightfall as he climbed the cliff bit by bit. He ate the bird eggs he found in the nests scattered throughout the cliff to replenish his strength as he rested and moved intermittently. It was an incredibly tedious way to spend half of his day.


    If the prince had a hundred warriors like Urich, the Harmatti Castle would have fallen long ago. As dusk approached, Urich reached a point where he could see the windows of the inner wall.


    Thest segment of the cliff behind the inner wall wasn''t just steep; its angle was less than vertical. It didnt make sense for a human to be able to scale it. It was like climbing upside down on a ceiling. Not even the city''s guard captain would expect an enemy to scale up from this direction.


    <em>''This is brutal. I feel like Im going to die.''</em>


    Urich''s fingers trembled, and his arm muscles felt like they were about to explode from the constant exertion.


    <em>''This isn''t something a person should be doing. Im never doing this again.''</em>


    After he made it to the t ground, Urich rubbed his arms. He had climbed the sheer cliff, narrowly escaping death several times.


    <em>''Hmm, no guards here.''</em>


    The backside of the inner wall was unguarded. Instead of a defense, there was a well-maintained garden, probably for the nobles to take a stroll in.


    <em>The whole open view is indeed beautiful. I can see how theyd enjoy the view from this garden.''</em>


    Urichy down and gazed at the horizon. The sun dipped below the sea.


    <em>The end of the world that swallows even the sun. But some believe in a continent beyond.</em>


    Urich clenched his fist and lightly tapped where his heart was.


    <em>''Just like I crossed the Sky Mountains, Pahell will cross the end of the world to find the eastern continent.''</em>


    After catching his breath, Urich observed the garden behind the inner wall. The back door leading inside was clearly visible. He saw people asionally pass by the windows. From inside the castle, Urich hidden in the garden went unnoticed.


    Look at that cliff, its no wonder they dont have any guards stationed here."


    Urich smiled, looking at the cliff he had climbed. He was quite proud of himself.


    After the sunset, the fragrance of flowers grew stronger. Urich trampled through the garden to enter the inner castle with each of his steps seemingly causing the flowers to wilt. The potent stench and blood smell overpowered the floral scent.


    * * *


    The mood inside the inner castle was grim. It had been over a month since the exchange with the outside world had been cut off. The supplies they had stored in advance were dwindling. Rations for the lower-ranked residents were the first to be cut.


    "Ah, I''m starving."


    A maid, carryingundry, clutched her famished stomach. She pulled out a piece of bread from her pocket and nibbled on it slowly, trying to savor it for as long as possible. Servants like her in the inner castle were fortunate to even have leftovers from the nobles.


    <em>''I heard that in the outer castle, people are killing each other over a loaf of bread... At least the situation here in the inner castle isnt as bad.''</em>


    Due to the siege, the citizens in the territories within the outer city walls were dying of starvation. They didnt even get a chance to move this year''s harvest inside the city walls. The people were starving, even with stacks of grains lying in their fields just beyond their walls.


    Even the servants who were usually politically oblivious knew that the current situation was dire. The nobles were trembling with anxiety, and new ominous rumors reached their ears every day.


    "Who cares if the king changes? It doesnt change anything in my life."


    The maid''s face fell. The piece of bread she had been eating hadpletely dissolved in her mouth, but she was still just as hungry as before.


    <em>Knock, knock.</em>


    She knocked on a room door. Her duty was to collect theundry of the nobles.


    "Come in."


    A gentle voice responded.


    <em>''Such a beautifuldy. I wonder what her status is.''</em>


    As a lowly maid, she didn''t know the ranks of the nobles staying as guests. She just did her job.


    "Hmm, I noticed that the meals have been quite poortely. Fruits and meats are hard toe by."


    In the room, a blonde-haireddy sat in her chair. Her eyes were clear and blue, a beauty that made people turn heads.


    "That''s because..." The maid hesitated.


    "I know the situation. I''m not ming you."


    Thedy offered a well-baked piece of bread. The maid''s eyes widened.


    "Is this for me?"


    "Hmm, are you rejecting my kindness?"


    "No, no! Thank you, mydy!"


    The maid quickly grabbed the bread and hid it in herundry basket. Her mouth was already salivating.


    Thedy leaned forward, staring at the maid.


    "You really are quite ugly. But then again, if you were any prettier, I guess you wouldn''t be carryingundry at your age where you should probably have a child by now."


    Thedy said mockingly.


    The maid just nodded calmly. She knew she was unattractive. If she had been pretty, she might have be a noble''s concubine. She had no pride left to be wounded by such harsh remarks.


    "Indeed, you arepletely right, thank you, mydy," she politely spoke and left with theundry.


    "Things must be pretty bad."


    Thedy muttered to herself after the maid left. She had been isted from the outside news. Duke Harmatti hadn''t bothered to inform her of the worsening situation.


    <em>Duke Harmatti hasn''t visited me since he returned. He must be ashamed to face me.''</em>


    Thedy''s golden blonde hair and deep blue eyes were distinctive. Anyone with insight and culture would easily guess her identity.


    <em>Judging by all thatmotionst night, something must have happened, yet no one is bothering to tell me what is going on.''</em>


    Duke Harmatti had herpletely isted.


    "Amazing, Varca. To think you would stand up to Duke Harmatti on equal footing. I never imagined it. Even when I heard you fled the kingdom, I thought you would just die somewhere."


    She wasn''t the only one with such thoughts. No noble of Porcana doubted Harmatti''s victory. From the moment Harmatti started his regency after the current king fell ill, everyone expected Harmatti to be the next king, not Prince Varca.


    <em>''Why did things turn out this way?''</em>


    Thedy pondered, leaning on her chin.


    <em>''Was Phillion, who advises Varca, actually more capable than I gave him credit for? I saw him as a knight aging without glory, but perhaps I misjudged.</em>


    With limited information, she couldn''t find an answer for herself.


    "Sigh."


    Her red lips twitched. She gazed out the window. Her room was one of the best in the inner castle, with a view of the garden and the horizon.


    <em>''When I first arrived here, I used to watch the sunset from this window over and over, but no matter how beautiful, you eventually get tired of it.''</em>


    She hadn''t watched a sunset in weeks. The initial sensation had faded.


    <em>''But a woman''s fate is even more tragic. No matter how beautiful a woman is, her beauty eventually grows in, if not ugly.''</em>


    Men oftenpared women to flowers. As much as it was apliment for their beauty, it was also a metaphor for their ephemeral nature. No one cared to look at a withering flower. The bloom of a flower was merely a brief moment in its life.


    She turned away from the window and sat down. She lit a candle and began to read.


    <em>Creak, creak.</em>


    A creaking sound came from outside the window, but it was amon urrence in Harmatti''s inner castle, as the sea breeze meddled with the windows and walls, creating eerie noises.


    <em>Did I not lock the window properly?''</em>


    She put a bookmark in her book and stood up to check the window.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    A filthy hand burst through the window. The fingers were shoved into thedy''s mouth, preventing her from screaming.


    <em>Crunch.</em>


    Arge figure pushed itself through the window frame, tearing its borders in as it reeked dreadfully. His entire body was ck as if he had been rolling around in a mud pit.


    "Hehe, excuse me."


    A deep voice filled her ears. Thedy''s blue eyes widened with shock.


    <em>''An intruder.''</em>


    The man had a fierce aura, with axes visibly hanging at his waist.


    "Hmm? Your face looks familiar for some reason."


    The intruder, Urich, took a closer look at thedys face. He squinted, recognizing her features.


    <em>Blonde hair, blue eyes Pahell.</em>


    Urich grinned with delight, baring his teeth.


    "Princess Damia?"


    Urich asked, and the gaggeddy just nodded.


    "Ha! I recognized you right away! You have no idea how many times I did it imagining you."


    Thedy wore an incredulous expression.


    <em>''What does he mean by that? Do what?''</em>

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    Blonde hair and blue eyes, along with stunning beauty, were the characteristics of the royal family of Porcana. Pahell had blue eyes and was known for his good looks, and even Duke Harmatti was also a handsome man with blonde hair.


    Princess Damia possessed all these royal traits, making her a rare beauty. Even her perplexed and frowning face had its charm purely because of her outstanding looks.


    <em>What is Princess Damia doing here?''</em>


    Pahell''s camp had expected the princess to be in the royal castle. Urich was puzzled.


    "Make a sound, and I''ll wring your neck in a second. Got it?" Urich threatened with a smile. Damia nodded.


    <em>''I feel like Im going to throw up.''</em>


    Damia had never encountered such a foul smell. She felt nauseated.


    "Cough, cough."


    Urich removed his fingers from Damia''s mouth. The princess leaned over to spit out the brown-tainted saliva as she gagged from the foul stench and taste.


    "Do you have any water I can wash myself with? I had to roll around in a pile of shit so Im feeling extra disgusting right now."


    Urich looked around and found a basin with water. He washed his hands and face first.


    "Who are you?" Damia said as she drew her self-defense dagger and pointed it at Urich. She didn''t rashly call for guards.


    "My name is Urich and just put away that childrens toy. You siblings are the same, huh? The first thing you do when you both see me is pull out your little knife."


    Urich strode forward toward Damia and grabbed the dagger by the de.


    <em>ng!</em>


    Damia couldn''t match Urich''s strength. The dagger flew against the wall.


    "Ah, ah."


    Damia stared at the dagger which nowy on the floor.


    "Save your toys for when youre ying house."


    Urich''s palm, which had grabbed the dagger by its de, showed no blood, only slightly split calluses on his bearpaw-like hand.


    "If you belong to the prince''s faction, you will kneel before me. I am Damia Lineu Porcana. If you serve Varca, you should serve me equally as you serve him!"


    Damia spoke stiffly, struggling to withstand Urich''s imposing aura. It felt like her legs were going to give way any moment now.


    "Nope, I''m a mercenary. My employer is Pahell... err Varca, that''s all. I only listen to what my employer tells me. So, I have no reason to listen to you."


    Damia''s eyes widened. She had heard the rumors about Pahell hiring a group of mercenaries in his effort to escape the Porcana kingdom.


    <em>''Urich''s Brotherhood.''</em>


    She now clearly understood who she was dealing with.


    "Mercenary Leader Urich."


    "You know me?" Urich spoke, briefly checking the corridor outside the room. Nobody was around the room.


    <em>Click.</em>


    After scouting, Urich locked the door. The sound startled Damia, and her eyes were filled with fear. The man in front of her was a mercenary who was solely driven by money. Loyalty or chivalry was too much to expect from such men.


    <em>''The worst-case scenario... I dont even want to think about it. Such a beastly man.''</em>


    Damia knew her own beauty. Any sane man would desire her. Blonde and blue-eyed beauty, the rarity of royal blood. Any man would feel the urge to conquer her.


    "Sit down. I won''t talk long. I''m here for Duke Harmattis head. Guide me to him. You seem to be a hostage, and since youre Pahell''s sister, I think I can trust you. Ah, when I say Pahell, I mean Varca. He talks about you a lot."


    Urich spoke calmly. Damia was surprised. She expected crude remarks from Urich''s mouth, such as Hehe, that is quite the body you got.


    <em>''He talks as if he''s close to Varca.''</em>


    Damia pondered as she put her finger against her lips. What was the rtionship between her brother and this mercenary? Why had a mercenary leadere here alone? Does he truly think he could leave this ce alive after beheading the duke?


    "Dont try to stack your brain too much, or else Im going to have to split open that head of yours. I won''t spare you just because you''re a woman," Urich threatened, lifting his steel axe.


    "Are you serious? Am I hearing this from a mere mercenary? You dare to disrespect me like that even though you know who I am? That is almost impressively insolent."


    "Deep thoughts often stink." Urich''s eyes sharpened.


    <em>She really is beautiful. Probably the most beautiful woman I''ve ever seen... its far beyond my imagination.''</em>


    Normally, Urich would have flirted with Damia. He, just like every other male, liked beautiful women. But he had seen too many men die because they couldn''t control their privates.


    <em>''Now''s not the time to be distracted by a woman.''</em>


    Damia was beyond Urich''s reach, anyway. She was a princess, not amon whore. Having spent a year in the civilized world, Urich knew which women he could pursue and which he couldn''t. Damia was thetter.


    <em>''Just a pretty but poisonous apple.''</em>


    Urich looked at Damia.


    "Assassinate Duke Harmatti by yourself? You''re mad, mercenary. Moreover, how did you even get here?"


    Damia gestured dramatically.


    <em>Shes trying to buy time to think.''</em>


    Urich saw through Damia''s intentions. She was flustered by his sudden appearance and was contemting how to respond.


    "How? I climbed up the back cliff, obviously. It was tough as hell."


    "Ridiculous!"


    Damia scoffed. That cliff wasn''t something that a human could scale.


    "Im telling the truth," Urich stated tly, sending shivers down Damia''s spine.


    <em>''He really climbed up that cliff?''</em>


    Damia often visited the garden. The cliff was so steep that it would have been like crawling upside down on a ceiling. It was no wonder there was no wall at the back of the inner castle. It was thought to be impossible for anyone to climb.


    "Let''s not beat around the bush,dy. Where''s Duke Harmatti? You must at least have some idea. I n to behead him and return to Pahell as quickly as possible."


    Damia fell silent, her eyes darting, thoughts racing even faster than before.


    <em>''This mercenary actually intends to kill Harmatti, and he thinks that its really possible.''</em>


    The line between audacity and stupidity was blurred. In any other situation, she would have dismissed him as a braggart. Every single one of his words was too ridiculous.


    "And after beheading him? How will you escape? Are you nning on jumping off the cliff?"


    "Once I cut his head off, his men will probably surrender, right?" Urich said as he nonchntly scratched his cheek.


    "That is so reckless. Duke Harmatti is always surrounded by his guards. Even if you manage to assassinate him, his soldiers will swarm you in moments! I won''t stop you if you want to exchange your life for Harmatti''s. I''ll remember your loyalty and devotion to my brother."


    Damia spoke as she tried to keep her trembling voice hidden. Her legs had already been shaking since the moment Urich broke it, but it was hidden by her long skirt.


    Urich looked at her with his predator-like eyes. His eyes were unlike any man she had seen before.


    "Your point is valid. I hadn''t nned an escape route in advance. But first, Harmatti must die. After that, Im sure everything will work out."


    Damia stammered.


    "W-what?"


    Urich was endlessly arrogant. His boundless confidence was rooted in his physical strength. He always trusted his body, which had never betrayed him thus far. If there was something that Urich wanted to do, he did it.


    I dont think youve heard what I said but this isnt something for a mere mercenary to do. Ipliment your effort to sneak in all the way here, but if I shout now, you will be dead in minutes."


    Damia tried to regain control of this exchange by using threats. Urich only scoffed.


    "Youre going to scream? If you even gulp a little louder than normal, my hand will snap your fragile neck. Itll be easy, too. You think I can''t kill you? Maybe if I was a knight, but I''m a barbarian. Ruthless, heartless, no morals or conscience. I''ll tell your precious little brother it was an ident, and he''ll believe me."


    Urich''s shoulders moved with his breath. His eyes were fierce like a buffalos and his toes were twitching, ready to pounce at any moment.


    To Damia, Urich was an entity beyond her understanding. She was terrified of him.


    "Take me to the prince. That by itself will be a great achievement. Assassination is nothing but a hopeful suicide. Mercenary leader Urich, I will give you a way out of here. Seems I''ve found my own salvation too."


    Damia bit her lower lip lightly. Urich pondered, then spoke.


    "Since you''re Pahell''s sister, I''ll trust you. But remember, no one who lies to me stays unharmed."


    Urich warned. He realized something while talking to Damia.


    <em>''Shes a temptress.''</em>


    Old tribal warriors always advised caution with thoughtful women. Men never understood women, and that made them an enigma to them. The unknown always brought curiosity and fear.


    * * *


    The nobles staying at the Harmatti Castle all had a dream inmon: to possess the greatest beauty of Porcana, even if just for one night.


    Princess Damia''s stay at the Harmatti Castle was an open secret. Though she was called dy'' by the nobles, they all knew her identity.


    <em>In the midst of what might be ourst days in this tragic era... whates to mind is your gentleness. If you bring your boat beneath the garden tonight, I will dly run barefoot to lower the rope of joy. The flower of pleasure, remembering our meeting, waits with its bud closed.</em>


    Count Zairon, who was still unmarried, was thrilled to receive this note, handed over by an illiterate maid.


    "She noticed me!"


    Count Zairon had seen Princess Damia before at the Harmatti Castle. He had greeted her with his eyes, but she turned her head away, seemingly ignoring him.


    <em>''She wasn''t ignoring me, she was just shy! What a feisty woman.''</em>


    Two years ago, Zairon had met Princess Damia at a banquet. They conversed at length with both sides seemingly enjoying each otherspany, and he even thought if things went well, he could have led her to a secluded garden.


    <em>''If only Prince Varca hadn''t interrupted... That foolish prince! Always in my way, even with this war!''</em>


    At that time, Prince Varca had cheerfully intruded between Damia and Zairon. The mood was broken, and since then, Zairon had no chance to face her again.


    <em>"Our eyes felt a sense of connection. She must have been waiting for a chance to meet me."</em>


    The war was leaning against them, but Count Zairon, a loyalist to Harmatti, had no other n. Harmatti still held his lords with a strong grip.


    <em>''If luck turns sour, even my head might roll.''</em>


    Even if Prince Varca wins, minor lords like Zairon wont be killed. Executing all lords after a rebellion creates administrative gaps and provokes bacsh from interconnected noble families. Key conspirators like Duke Harmatti or Duke Sever would be executed, and others might be freed after a ransom. That was the nature of noble civil wars. The only real casualties were always themoners.


    <em>''If the princess is truly smitten by me, perhaps I can aim for a consort position.''</em>


    In a royal family, a princess was often used for arranged marriages that would benefit the family, but exceptions did exist.


    "A ray of light in the darkness."


    With his groin region already excited, Zairon envisioned the lovely princess vividly. He chuckled, already imagining their marriage andter life.


    "Even her handwriting is seductive. Can''t wait to see if she''s as enticing in bed. Heh."


    Zairon carefully folded the note, tucking it into his pocket. He ordered his servants to prepare a small boat and brought out his cherished wine. For dinner, he prepared some meat, which was now a rarity.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    Count Zairon anxiously waited for the sun to set.


    <em>Were in the middle of a civil war, and this man is like this. I know hes my master, but still... this is ridiculous.</em>


    The servant inwardly scoffed. The situation was dire. It wouldnt be a surprise to anyone if a full-scale war broke out tomorrow. If one went up the walls, they would easily see the enemy constructing siege towers and battering rams in preparation for an attack.


    <em>Even in a time like this, he''s fretting over some woman.</em>


    The servant nced at Count Zairon.


    "The sun has finally set! Let''s go!"


    Zairon eximed, looking at the darkening sky. He wanted to leave much earlier if he could, but the one he was meeting with was Princess Damia who was a hostage of Duke Harmatti. Duke Harmatti must not know about any affection between the hostage and him.


    <em>Creak, creak.</em>


    Zaironunched a boat behind the outer walls. The sea was rough.


    "Where are you going, my lord?" A guard on the ramparts asked.


    "Im just going out for some night air," Zairon replied nonchntly.


    The guard just nodded. What the nobles did in their downtime was none of his business.


    "Be careful, my lord. The sea is rough tonight, and the clouds don''t look too good either," the guard remarked as he looked up at the sky.


    "That''s none of your concern."


    Zairon snapped at the guard, who slightly bowed his head with a frown.


    <em>''These nobles... they don''t even appreciate the concern. Hope he falls off the boat and drowns.''</em>


    Zairon hopped on the boat that was just big enough for five people at most.


    "Well be departing, my lord, the servant alerted as he started rowing vigorously along the cliff.


    <em>Creak, creak.</em>


    Zairon tapped his fingers on his knee, looking at the sky. The clouds were indeed looking quite ugly, just as the guard had said.


    <em>''It''s only a short trip, theres no need to worry.''</em>


    He was nning on spending the night in Princess Damia''s chamber anyway. He could already feel her warm skin in his grasp.


    "Do you have any idea how expensive this wine is? It was meant for Duke Harmatti after our victory, though that looks unlikely now, Zairon boasted as he took out the bottle of wine he brought with him.


    "Yes, yes, my lord," the servant replied dryly. He was sweating profusely from the vigorous rowing.


    <em>''You really think I want to listen to you bragging about your expensive wine when Im dying over here rowing your boat?''</em>


    <em>Splish, ssh.</em>


    The boat reached the bottom of the inner walls. The boat rocked aggressively along with the high waves.


    "Be careful with the rowing. Cant you see that the boat is shaking? Zaironined, looking at his wet clothes.


    "What do you expect me to do about the waves?" The servant retorted, sticking his lips out. Zairon scowled.


    "Watch your mouth, how dare you talk back to me? If I end up bing a consort, you''ll get a nice promotion, too."


    Zairon looked up, seeing the inner walls'' steep cliffs. Its extreme angle was almost scary. Without a rope from above, one couldnt dare to climb it.


    "When I get up there, wait here with the boat."


    "Sorry? But it looks like a storm ising."


    "You should be able to stay out of the wind and the rain if you dock the boat somewhere in that gap over there."


    The servant was left speechless. His master was practically telling him to spend the night on the boat in this terrible weather.


    <em>I am definitely going to be sick by the morning.''</em>


    The servant sighed but nodded. No matter how much he didnt want to obey themand, Zairon was still his master.


    "Hmm, I wonder when the rope ising down."


    Zairon looked up, eagerly awaiting the rope like a baby bird desperately waiting for its mother to return with food.


    "Here it is."


    Zairon grinned broadly as a long rope came down his way. The rope was extended with cloth strips to make up for itsck of length.


    <em>Grip.</em>


    Count Zairon tugged the rope to make sure it was secure, knowing a fall could cripple him at the very least.


    "I''ming, princess."


    He grabbed the rope energetically, climbing up as if he were a knight rescuing a princess who was locked away in a tall tower. Zairon, having a plethora of experience training in swordsmanship, had a nice bit of muscle on him. Thanks to that, he climbed the rope skillfully. When fatigued, he found a spot on the cliff with enough protrusion for him to sit and rest.


    "Hehe."


    Zairon looked up with his fatigue far back in his mind as he imagined the warm blonde hair and pure blue eyes of the princess who belonged to the royal family and was known for its beauty. On top of that, Princess Damia was widely known as the one who had the thickest royal blood flowing through her veins. Conquering her tonight would be a lifetime boast.


    "Huff."


    The count climbed vigorously as he put his entire strength into his arms. As he neared the top of the cliff, he felt his arms shaking.


    <em>Whoosh!</em>


    A strong wind blew, swinging the rope wildly. Zairon clung to the rope as he hurled up into a ball. After all the trouble, he had finally reached the bottom of the cliff.


    "Huff, huff. My princess, Ivee to see...you?"


    Count Zairons eyes widened to look at what was in front of him in the darkness. The one who was waiting for him at the top of the cliff was not a delicate and pure flower.


    "Hi."


    The one Count Zairon was greeted by was a muscr man holding an axe. He grinned widely and bared his teeth as he locked eyes with the count.


    "And goodbye."


    <em>Chop</em>.


    The axe was buried into the top of Zairons head. The muscr man, Urich, grabbed the body of Count Zairon by the neck and dragged him over. Red blood and pink brain matter flowed out of the cracked head.


    "Ugh."


    Princess Damia, who was watching from behind, frowned as she covered her mouth in distaste.


    This should be good.


    Urich dragged Count Zairons lifeless body to a pile of rocks and hid it in the cracks. Night critters emerged from the rocks and swarmed the body.


    Whats this? Oho, its liquor!


    Urich found a bottle of liquor on Zairon. He broke the bottle open with his mouth and downed the drink. It was a good liquor.


    "Ah, this is some nice stuff."


    He wiped his mouth and poured the rest of the liquor over Zairon''s head.


    <em>Swoosh.</em>


    After drinking Zairons precious bottle, Urich looked at Damia and smacked his lips.


    "Alright, let''s go. I see a boat waiting below the cliff. Hold onto my neck tightly. We''ll go down quickly."


    Urich said to Damia as he pointed to his neck. He had chosen to rescue Princess Damia over assassinating Harmatti.


    <em>Pahell likes his sister. It''s only natural, she is his own blood.''</em>


    The image of Pahells joy was vivid in Urichs head. Pahell often talked about his sister, and mostly how smart and wise she was.


    "Hoo, hoo."


    Damia nced down the cliff, gasping at the dizzying height.


    I kinda feel a little bad for him.''


    Princess Damia thought to herself as looked over at Zairon''s body. He''d climbedboriously, only to die without even knowing the reason.


    "What are you waiting for?"


    Urich urged the princess. Damia hesitantly clung to his broad, reassuring back and mped her arms around his neck. Urichs back was quite secure thanks to its sheer surface area.


    <em>''But he smells terrible.''</em>


    He reeked like he just came from rolling around in a dung pit. Out of everything, the stench was thest thing she could find herself getting used to.


    "Ptui, ptui.


    Urich spat in his palm and looked down the cliff.


    <em>So, thats the boat, and theres someone in it.</em>


    He needed to get down to the boat before the servant fled in fear, especially with the rate the weather was turning.


    "Hold tight. If you fall, youll die," Urich told Damia, who nodded.


    <em>Darn, she really is incredibly beautiful. And she smells good too.</em>


    Urich nced at her, thinking. Her beauty was something you would never see just walking around the city, the kind that would have faced trouble if it wasnt for her royal status.


    Damia frowned with her soft, pale face. Her slender arms tensed.


    "Here we go."


    Yurik leaped off the cliff, grabbing the rope. He loosened his grip slightly as they descended.


    "Woahhhh!"


    Urich yelled as he slid down the rope so quickly that Damia felt like they were falling. The friction from the rapid descent felt like the rope was burning into Urichs hands.


    <em>''Im going to die.''</em>


    Damia felt her heart sinking as her body was seemingly plummeting endlessly. She was certain that they would plunge into the rocks down below without slowing down.


    <em>''I cant take this.''</em>


    Damias senses were overwhelmed, and all logical thinking left her brain. Her heart was pounding out of her chest.


    <em>Grip.</em>


    Yurik tightly gripped the rope. His shoulders and arm muscles swelled up.


    <em>Thump.</em>


    Urich managed tond urately on a rock. After safely getting off the rope, he shook his hands to cool down the heat from the friction.


    "Hagh, hagh."


    After reaching the ground, Damia copsed on the ground, gasping for air with her face pale from the terror.


    "Eeek!"


    The servant who was waiting in the boat panicked and grabbed the oar. A giant man whom he had never seen before was striding over to him with an axe in his hand.


    "Stay right where you are! If you move even a muscle, I''ll personally show you what''s inside your own belly."


    Urich threatened, lifting his axe. The servant swallowed hard and dropped the oar. It didnt seem like he could get away even if he started rowing right now.


    "Where is my master?" The servant asked.


    "Why? You want to go see him?" Yurik said as he tilted his head with a menacing smile. The servant shook his head in response.


    "N-no, I think Im good."


    "Good, good. Sometimes, it''s wise to curb your curiosity, my man."


    Urich tapped the servant''s shoulder, then went to help Damia.


    "Get away!"


    Damia pped Urichs helping hand away with an attitude.


    "Look at your legs, theyre so weak that you can''t even stand up on your own," Urich said with a scoff. Damia stubbornly tried to rise, refusing his help.


    "I just need a moment to rest. Then I can get up by myself.


    "No time for that."


    "I-I said stop!"


    Urich picked up Damia despite her resistance. He sniffed a strange smell.


    "Hmm, is that the smell of fresh urine that I smell?"


    Urich then reached under Damia''s skirt without notice, and his fingers came back wet.


    Damia''s face turned into a tomato, and she pped him across his face.


    <em>p!</em>


    Urich grinned. It seemed like the p only hurt Damias own hand.


    "If youve pissed yourself, you shouldve told me! Completely understandable."


    Urich ced her in the boat.


    <em>''Such a barbarian.''</em>


    Damia frowned as she stared at Urichs back with her legs still weak. The wetness from the urine was making her feel increasingly ufortable.


    Urich sat in front of the servant with his axe in his hand.


    "Lets get going. Tond."


    The servant hesitated for a moment before he took the oar. He began to row, looking at the waves.


    "Sir, the waves are quite bad, the servant said to Urich as he watched the waves grow taller.


    "That''s why we should go before they get worse."


    Urich also observed the dark clouds.


    <em>Rumble.</em>


    The sound of thunder. It meant that a storm wasing. The servant was as scared as one could be.


    "We can''t survive this condition in a small boat like this!"


    <em>p!</em>


    Urich pped the servant, and a broken tooth came flying out of his mouth along with gushing blood.


    "Im telling you to go, so, go. Or shall I do it?" Urichs threat was as clear as day.


    <em>I-Im going to die.''</em>


    The servant knew that disobeying this man meant death. Urich was scarier than the storm.


    Urich knew how to use violence to handle a person. He was the leader of a mercenary squad that was made of the most rugged men. He was used to suppressing the asional dissent and enforcing his will.


    "Arghhhhh!


    The servant rowed desperately through the strong wind and even taller waves.


    <em>Ssh</em>.


    The boat rose high with each wave.


    "Haha, we picked a bad day! Right, Princess Damia?" Urich eximed as he stood up, bracing himself on the rocking boat with only his two legs.


    <em>''Is he insane? Did the Varca I know truly befriend a man like this?''</em>


    Damia clutched the railing, looking at Urich. Falling into these waves meant death, but Urich faced the storm without grabbing onto anything.


    "Oh, Lou..." The servant muttered as he struggled to make any progress through the harsh conditions. His arms were dead tired.


    "Move. Ill row, so just show me how," Urich grew impatient and said to the servant. The servant got up awkwardly.


    Its like youre pushing the water away


    "Speak up! I can''t hear you!"


    Urich shouted. The servant raised his voice for the instruction with his eyes wide open. Urich began to row with a grin on his face.


    "Were moving! Were moving, sir!" The servant eximed in surprise as the boat advanced. With Urich rowing, the boat was finally moving forward.


    "Great! A good teacher makes learning easy! Alright, let''s go!"


    Urich stretched his hand out to the servant, and the two men met their hands in a high five.


    In the middle of the storm, the small boat made its way forward.

 Chapter 91

    <h4>Chapter 91</h4>


    The siegework around the Harmatti Castle was vast. Through thorough inspections, they prevented external supplies from being brought into the castle.


    The Harmatti Castle was set for a harsh winter amidst a shortage of supplies. On top of that, since Pahell''s forces had made several attack attempts, they couldn''t just sit idly. It was a ssic siege tactic of slowly drying up the enemy. Though Sword Demon Ferzen was no longer in the camp, the imperialmanders, who were practically his pupils, excellently led the army.


    "This is too damn cold. Just my luck to have a storm on my shift," a soldier monitoring the coast remarked.


    The soldiers wore cloaks that were made waterproof through oil treatment. However, the storm wasn''t entirely kept at bay, as rain eventually seeped through the cloaks, quickly cooling their soaked bodies.


    "Hooh."


    The soldiers blew cold breaths, gazing at the horizon.


    "I wish this civil war would end soon. I''m starting to miss home."


    "If things stay this way, we might have to spend the winter here too."


    "That damn Harmatti. Why doesn¡¯t he just surrender already?"


    The soldiers cursed the name of theirmon enemy.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    A loud thunderp resonated. The rain grew heavier.


    "Dammit."


    The storm only worsened their visibility. The soldiers huddled under arge tree, creating a makeshift shelter. They shielded themselves from the storm and lit a fire to create a bit of warmth.


    "What is that?"


    A soldier warming himself by the fire asked, squinting at the churning sea.


    "What are you talking about? I don''t see anything."


    "No, look carefully. There''s something moving in the water."


    "In this weather? You must be hallucinating."


    The mocking soldier stood up, staring at the sea. Amid the violently swirling waves, something floated aimlessly.


    "What''s that? Come on, just get up and look!"


    The soldiers became alert. They grabbed their weapons and hurried to their feet. They walked toward the shore, braving the storm.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    Some driftwood and several broken nks washed ashore with the wave.


    "Shipwreck? Did a ship break down somewhere?"


    A few of the soldiers dispersed to search the vicinity. The waves continued to crash violently. The soldiers walked cautiously along the shoreline, wary of being swept away by the waves.


    "H-huh? Huhhh?"


    The soldiers raised their spears after spotting something moving in the water.


    "Kaaagh!"


    A man emerged from the crashing waves with a loud screech. The soldiers aimed their weapons at him, on high alert.


    "Huff, huff."


    The screeching man gasped for air, looking at the soldiers. He was carrying one person in each arm.


    <i>''Did he swim through these waves carrying two people?''</i>


    The soldiers stared at the towering man, whose drenched hair was covering his face.


    "Put down your weapons, you fools."


    The man spoke. The soldiers, still gripping their spears tightly, surrounded him.


    "Identify yourself."


    "I''m Urich, the mercenary leader, you idiots."


    The man who emerged from the sea, Urich, spoke irritably. The boat they came on had crashed against the coastal rocks. Urich barely managed to bring the unconscious servant and Princess Damia through the waves. Though the water was only waist-deep, the waves taller than himself crashing over his back made every step a struggle.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Urich straightened his back with force. It felt as if his spine was folded in half. It was sore all over.


    "Urich? Oh!"


    The soldier recognized Urich. He seemed familiar with his imposing figure. When Urich brushed back his wet hair, the soldier recognized him for sure. It was indeed Urich, the mercenary leader he had seen from afar.


    "I feel like I''m about to die, so take me to a ce with fire. Especially the woman I''m carrying; if she dies, you all might lose your heads, I¡¯m just letting you know."


    Urich spoke as he held Damia close, sharing what little body heat they had left.


    "Who are these two?"


    A soldier guided Urich to the shelter.


    "Don¡¯t mind this one, he doesn¡¯t matter, so he can die. But the other is Princess Damia."


    Urich casually dropped the unconscious servant near the fire.


    "P-princess Damia?"


    The soldier was startled. They looked at the woman. She was a fair-skinned blonde beauty. Even low-ranking soldiers like them had heard rumors about Princess Damia''s beauty.


    <i>''If it''s really Princess Damia...''</i>


    If she were to die here, it would cause a big problem. The furious prince and nobles might unjustly punish the soldiers.


    "Bring more firewood!"


    The guiding soldier shouted. Soldiers in the shelter scrambled, adding all the dry wood they had saved tost throughout the night.


    "I¡¯m going to remove the princess''s wet clothes. She''ll only get colder in these."


    Urich snatched a soldier''s cloak and spoke.


    <i>Rip!</i>


    Urich tore off the princess''s wet clothes with one hand. He wiped off the moisture rather roughly and wrapped her entire body in the cloak.


    "Phew."


    After the rough first aid, Urich finally sat down in front of the fire to rest. He was extremely exhausted. It felt like he could pass out any moment as the umted fatigue weighed down his tired body.


    "My god, he really is alive. Everyone thought he was dead."


    The soldiers finally began talking to Urich. They too knew about the fate of the infiltration unit.


    <i>''Justing back alive is incredible on its own, but he managed to bring back Princess Damia with him.''</i>


    The soldiers nced at Urich. Mercenary Leader Urich was a frequently mentioned figure among the soldiers. He was known for his various feats in battle, but also for his close rtionship with the prince.


    Urich''s status within the prince¡¯s camp was influential, even more so than some nobles. He wasn''t someone who the ordinary soldiers could casually address. The soldiers paid attention to Urich and amodated him.


    "Don''t die, Damia. Pahell is desperately waiting for you," Urich muttered, looking at Damia''s pale, blue lips.


    <i>''Pahell cares terribly about his sister. I''d rather not see him grieve.''</i>


    Urich''s face slowly improved. A soldier handed him a cup of wine that was boiled by the fire. Drinking a sip warmed him from the inside.


    "Ughhhh, a-am I still alive?"


    The servant who was thrown aside near the fire woke up. He looked around, visibly confused.


    "Ah, I was worried! It¡¯s really good to see you awake. What a relief"


    Urich handed the boiled wine to the servant. The soldiers watching the sceneughed.


    <i>''He literally just said it wouldn¡¯t matter if this guy died, and now he''s so nice to him.''</i>


    The servant shivered as he drank the wine, ncing anxiously at Urich and the other soldiers. He was just a servant, who was unlucky enough to get caught up in this situation.


    A soldier said as he approached the shelter.


    "People have been sent. Someone will be here soon to take you and the princess back to the camp."


    Urich nodded. He looked at the storm, feeling calmer. How many more storms would he have to ovee to reach the eastern continent? The sea was fiercer than he thought. It was not an easy opponent by any means.


    * * *


    "Urich is alive?"


    Upon hearing the news, Pahell put aside everything and stood up. He grabbed his coat and stepped outside the tent.


    "It''s raining heavily, my prince. Why don''t you wait inside?"


    Phillion came running through the heavy rain. Pahell shook his head and pulled up his coat.


    "No, I can''t just stay put. Is he alright? Is he in one piece?"


    "All of his arms and legs are all intact, and also..."


    "As long as he''s fine, that¡¯s all that matters."


    Pahell interrupted Phillion with a smile. Phillion cautiously grabbed Pahell''s arm.


    "ording to the soldiers, he brought Princess Damia with him, though she is not in a very good condition right now..."


    Before Phillion could finish, Pahell hopped on a horse. He ordered a soldier to bring a field surgeon.


    "My sister..."


    Pahell''s eyes fixated on the pouring rain. His heart pounded at the news of his sister. He wanted to ride off to go see her immediately.


    "People have been sent already. If you go now, you''ll miss them on the way! Please, calm down, my prince."


    Phillion held back the prince. Pahell held his sister in special regard.


    "Please, oh, Lou."


    Pahell prayed on horseback, earnestly wishing for his sister to recover and smile again.


    <i>''Why is Princess Damia here?''</i>


    As far as Phillion knew, Princess Damia was supposed to be in the royal castle. There was no news of her being in the Harmatti Castle.


    <i>''It seems the duke took her as a hostage. The other nobles won¡¯t be too fond of that.''</i>


    News that Princess Damia was being held hostage in the Harmatti Castle spread quickly. Curses were directed at Duke Harmatti.


    "That dirty man. Taking the princess as a hostage. She is a woman with no session rights to the throne. Tsk."


    "Even if he was desperate, isn''t she his niece! A man like him wanted to be king, how shameless."


    The nobles awaited Princess Damia''s return. She was renowned for her beauty. She was truly a treasure of the kingdom.


    "That barbarian mercenary has stolen a good chance for us."


    Warrior nobles and knights thought so inwardly. Rescuing the princess was a great heroic tale. If done well, one could form a good rtionship with the princess as well. It was an event ripe for embellishment by the bards into a romantic tale.


    <i>''Even though that barbarian is favored by the prince, it''s unseemly for a barbaric mercenary to save the princess.''</i>


    The nobles waited with jealous eyes for Urich and Princess Damia. To them, Urich was merely a lucky barbarian. While it was true hisbat skills were exceptional, to them, that was all. They saw him as a barbarian who rose to prominence by a stroke of luck after meeting the prince.


    <i>''Let''s see what happens in the post-war awards. Surely, the prince won''t grant a noble title to a barbarian.''</i>


    The nobles were alreadypeting for merit, currying favor with the prince, and keeping each other in check.


    "They''reing!"


    A lookout in the watchtower alerted the camp.


    The nobles rushed out, lining up behind the prince. Even Pahell, their leader, was waiting in the rain for Urich and the princess, so the others had no choice but to join.


    "What a grand wee! Even the stiff-necked noble lords are getting wet in the rain for us?"


    Urich, wrapped tightly in a cloak,mented. He looked a bit pale but otherwise fine.


    "Urich!"


    Pahell ran out to him. Relieved to see Urich unharmed, he quickly turned to look for his sister.


    "She hasn''te to yet. I think it¡¯d be best to bring her a doctor."


    Urich pointed to Damia, who was wrapped in the cloak. Although she was kept warm, her dignity was in tatters.


    "Hey!"


    Pahell shouted in a rare disy of authority. A few knights carried Damia into the tent andid her on Pahell''s bed.


    "Her body temperature is low. Her breathing is also irregr, probably because she was shocked. But she should recover without any issues as long as we keep her warm and rested," The field surgeon examined Damia and reported.


    "Check Urich, too."


    Pahell ordered the field surgeon, but Urich pushed the approaching surgeon away.


    "I''m fine. Just give me some more liquor."


    Urich leaned back in a chair, downing the drink. He gazed at the curtain hiding the bed.


    The surgeon finished the examination and left. Maids scurried in to care for Damia. They cleaned her bare body with warm wet towels.


    "Thank you, Urich."


    Pahell said as he sat down in front of Urich. He didn''t say much. That was enough to convey his gratitude.


    "Don''t mention it."


    Urich raised his ss with a smile and copsed onto the chair as soon as he emptied it. His head dropped, showing how exhausted he was. The ss fell from Urich''s grip and rolled on the floor.


    Carefully standing up, Pahell picked up the rolling ss and ced it on the table. He took off his own coat and covered Urich with it.


    <i>''This is the man who offered his hand to me when no one else, except my knights, did.''</i>


    Urich didn''te this far just out of integrity or for money. Since a certain point in their journey together, he acted purely for Pahell¡¯s benefit, just like Phillion.


    Pahell was grateful to those who helped him. They believed in him, who was practically exiled, and followed him this far.


    <i>''Now it''s my turn to give back what he deserves.''</i>

 Chapter 92

    <h4>Chapter 92</h4>


    Damia Lineu Porcana was suffering from a fever. Her body was cold from being plunged into the stormy ocean, but her head was burning hot. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids wouldn''t lift. It felt as if a ghost was pressing down on her. Her consciousness drifted endlessly into the past.


    Where did it all begin?


    On the day the Porcana twins were born, the royal castle was abuzz with joy. It was a cause for celebration. There had been no heir for a long time, and many were worried. It was thought that Harmatti, the king''s brother and a coteral rtive, would seed to the throne. Then, the twins were born.


    The queen died ofplications from a difficult childbirth and did not live to see the twins grow. However, the king felt more joy than sorrow. After all, a queen was merely a tool brought in to bear the king¡¯s children. If the king wished, numerous lieges were willing to offer their daughters as his new queen.


    "The bloodline of the royal family!"


    The twins strongly inherited the Porcana royal blood. The king had light brown hair and brown eyes, but the twins prominently disyed the family''s characteristics.


    "Damia Lineu Porcana!"


    The daughter of Porcana, Damia. She was a model of the lineage with bright blonde hair and blue eyes. She became the firstborn, having arrived moments earlier than her twin.


    "Varca Aneu Porcana!"


    The son of Porcana, Varca. Hecked golden hair but had deep blue eyes. He was the future heir to the throne.


    The king was delighted and cherished the twins, granting their every wish. Although theycked a mother, the twins grew up without any shortage.


    "Varca."


    Eight years old? Nine? It was around that age. Damia adored her little brother. Being twins, Varca was like her other half.


    "Pretty."


    Damia said, dressing Varca in her clothes.


    "O-okay."


    Varca looked awkwardly at the skirt he was wearing. He was unable to refuse his sister''s persistentpliments, so he couldn''t bring himself to take it off.


    Varca did whatever Damia said. Damia wasn¡¯t just an older sister by title. She truly seemed a few years older.


    If Damia was the sun, Varca was her shadow and the moon. In reality, Damia was known to be active, assertive, and clever. In contrast, Varca appeared passive and dull.


    "The teacher ising today. Sister."


    "It¡¯s okay. I''ll talk to himter. Let''s just go to the garden and y today. Just the two of us, without the maids."


    Damia pped her hands andughed. Her smile, especially the way her eyes crinkled, was radiant. Who could refuse such a smile? Varca was no exception.


    "I''ll put a flower in your hair."


    After reaching the garden, Damia picked a flower and ced it in Varca''s hair. To any onlooker, they would seem more like sisters than siblings. It wasn¡¯t quite the level of Damia, but Varca also inherited the royal beauty. Once he grew up, he would certainly be a handsome royalty.


    "You look good, Varca."


    Damia pped and stroked Varca''s hair. Varca looked anxiously at the sun as it was setting. He had already missed so many sses.


    "Sister, I have swordsmanship training this evening. That teacher is strict and scary. I heard he used to be an instructor in the Imperial army."


    "Varca, you don¡¯t need to learn any swordsmanship. I¡¯m going to protect you."


    Damia hugged Varca from behind. Her blonde hair tickled his nose.


    "I will protect you, Sister. I-I am the man," Varca stammered.


    "That doesn''t matter. You''re my little brother. Listen. Varca, you and I are one. I read in a book; that twins are one soul split in two. When we die and stand before Lou, we''ll be one again. We''re originally the same being."


    For Varca, these were difficult words toprehend. So, he simply nodded at his sister''s words.


    Varca hadn''t yet read the Sr doctrine. He was still stumbling over letters. People said Varca was a yful durd. It wasn¡¯t that his learning progression was particrly slow, but beingpared to the clever Damia and often skipping lessons for y certainly made it seem so.


    "Father is here."


    Varca looked up and spoke. The king, draped in a cloak embroidered with gold, strode across the garden. His tightly closed lips gave him a stubborn look.


    "What is this, Varca? I heard you skipped your sses all day. And I also heard that this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve done so."


    It was a stern tone. As Varca hesitated, Damia stepped forward.


    "I dressed him. And I asked him to y. Varca just followed my words."


    The twins were the kin he was so desperate for. The king cherished his hard-won heirs, and he especially indulged in all of Damia¡¯s wishes.


    The king frowned. Varca was wearing women''s clothes. What would other lieges think? The future ruler of this country in women''s clothing? How much would the nobility and knights, who unt their masculinity, mock him?


    <i>p!</i>


    The kingid his hand on Damia to strike her. She fell from the force. Shocked, Varca''s eyes widened.


    "Varca, take off that dress immediately and go to where your swordsmanship teacher is waiting for you."


    The servants grabbed Varca''s hands and dragged him away.


    "...that hurt."


    Damia said in a calm tone as she rose, holding her cheek. Her blue eyes were not clouded by fear, unlike Varca, who seemed scared even though he wasn''t even the one hit.


    <i>''It would have been better if the twins were brothers.''</i>


    Damia had a strong character, even as a child. How great would it have been if she were a boy?


    "Damia, you can do whatever you want. You can act like a tomboy, go to the library, and read as many books as you want, as you possibly can."


    The king''s tone was gentle. He caressed Damia''s reddened cheek.


    "I''m already doing that, Father."


    "No matter how smart you are or what you do, you are a princess. For the royal family and this country, you''ll have to marry someone you don''t even know. That is indeed a tragedy. That''s why, until then, I will do everything I can for you. You are smart enough to understand what I mean. But Varca is different from you. He''s a man and will be the king after me. He needs education and discipline to develop the stature of a ruler. That is what is truly good for Varca."


    The king shared the harsh reality. He believed Damia, praised by her tutors as brilliant, would understand. Other children took three days to learn what she mastered in one.


    Damia understood the king''s words. Sheprehended it too easily, feeling the brutality of reality. She realized her future was already determined.


    A fate of being sold to an unknown man. Such was the purpose of the existence of a princess.


    The king''s distant gaze pierced Damia''s heart. It would have hurt less if it wasn¡¯t so obvious that the king loved his daughter, but the king cherished both twins immensely.


    Damia, now sixteen years of age, had a body more than capable of fulfilling a woman''s role. Her voluptuous breasts and hips were all ready to bear children.


    Damia opened her eyes from her feverish state, vividly recalling that day.


    "No, you dumbass, you''re wrong. If both dice show the same number, you roll again. And bet double the money. Or just settle with the numbers that came up."


    Damia weakly opened her eyes. Beyond the curtains, two people were present in the room.


    Urich and Pahell, sitting opposite each other at a table, were gambling with dice. Urich was exining the rules to Pahell.


    "I¡¯m telling you, you never said that before. Did you just make that up?" Pahell inquired in a disgruntled voice.


    "Geez, you really think I''d lie about something like this? Anyway, I''m rolling again."


    Urich shook the dice in his hands and tossed them lightly as if he were spraying them onto the table.


    "Would you look at that, this is what I¡¯m talking about." Urich clenched his fist.


    "Ugh."


    Pahell groaned at the dice. Urichughed and flicked his finger. Several gold coins changed hands in an instant.


    It was a tranquil moment. Three days had passed since Urich''s return. It didn¡¯t take Urich too long to fully recover his strength.


    <i>¡®He really is close to Varca.''</i>


    Damia murmured, watching them beyond the curtain. Urich and Pahell talked without any formality. It was a sight unimaginable for a barbarian and a royal.


    "Varca. Are you there?" Damia softly called her brother''s name.


    "Sister!"


    Pahell sprang up and rushed to the bed. He parted the curtain and firmly grasped Damia''s hand.


    "It''s been a while," Damia spoke with dry lips.


    "Here''s some water."


    Pahell brought a cup of water to the bed. After wetting her lips, Damia looked alternately at Urich and Pahell.


    Urich watched from behind as Damia and Pahell reunited. Their exchanges of concern and greetings were sweet and warm.


    ''Hmm.''


    Urich crossed his arms and stepped back. He decided it was best to leave the siblings alone.


    "I wish you''d speak to me casually like before. Soon when you be king, I too will have to address you formally."


    "No, Sister. Nothing will change from before," Pahell said as he shook his head.


    "Seeing that you returned safely... puts my heart at ease."


    "It''s all thanks to you, sister. The knight you assigned me was extremely loyal. Sir Phillion is the knight of knights who would even sacrifice his own life for me."


    Damia was also the first to suggest the n to seek help from the Imperial army.


    "By the way, that man calls you Pahell."


    Pahell nodded.


    "He''s used to the name I used as an alias."


    "I just want to rest a bit more. Could you leave me alone for a while?"


    "Of course. Once you have recovered enough to walk on your own, I will have you sent to the royal castle. The battlefield is no ce for a woman. Though I wish to apany you, the war may drag on. I cannot afford to be absent from this war."


    Pahell stood up and spoke. Damia faintly opened her eyes to look at him. She remained silent, not saying a word.


    <i>''Sister has awakened safely.''</i>


    Stepping outside the tent, Pahell gazed at Harmatti Castle. The only thing left to end all of this was the fall of the castle.


    * * *


    As autumn wasing to a close, a military council was convened. Nobles andmanders gathered in one ce. In the expansivemand tent, more than ten men were present.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Pahell was thest to enter themand tent. Nobles parted to either side, bowing their heads. It marked the arrival of the young king, set to seize the power of Porcana.


    <i>''Rumors really are unreliable.''</i>


    In themand tent, there were nobles who had never seen Pahell before the civil war. They looked at the prince, who was clearly different from the rumors. His blue eyes were as cold as ice. There was no trace of a frivolous prince anywhere.


    "Please, take your seats."


    Pahell said, sitting at the head of the meeting table first. Only then did the other nobles, carefully observing, take their seats.


    <i>''He escaped as a fugitive and returned from the empire to im his throne.''</i>


    It was a fascinating story. It quickly removed the tag of a powerless prince. Although there were criticisms about bringing foreign powers into domestic politics, Porcana had been a vassal state anyway. The criticisms didn''t stick to the victorious prince.


    "Death to Harmatti!"


    "Death!"


    The nobles eximed.


    The young lords and nobles were especially favorable toward Pahell. The disy of a young prince outsmarting his cunning uncle resonated with them. Such incidents weremon in the noble world and could happen to these young nobles anytime.


    <i>''Who would have thought Varca couldmand the nobles like this? What in the world happened on his journey?''</i>


    Damia watched Pahell from the back of the meeting room. As she observed the proceeding of the meeting, she could feel the extent of Pahell''s influence in the tent full of nobles.


    "Well? What do you think? Proud, aren''t you? He¡¯s different from when you left the royal castle, right?"


    Urich, who had been quietly observing the meeting, approached Damia and spoke. He, too, had participated in the meeting but hardly spoke. He mainly just observed.


    <i>''That barbarian!''</i>


    Some nobles'' eyes quickly turned. They werepeting against each other to show how loyal they were to the prince, and each of them wanted to impress Damia at the same time. The fact that Urich the barbarian approached her so easily did not sit well with them.


    <i>''He''s getting ahead of himself just because he saved the princess.''</i>


    Jealousy was overflowing. Many of the nobles were already smitten by Damia''s beauty.


    "What do you mean by that, mercenary?" Damia sharply retorted.


    "Well, when I first saw him, Pahell was an idiot. Couldn''t tell shit from dirt, just blundering around."


    "That is insolent," Damia snapped back.


    "Insolent or not, it''s true. But you know..."


    Urich looked down at Damia with his yellow eyes, slowly moving his lips.


    ¡°You, our princess here, as I see it, seem to have a good sense of judgment. From what I¡¯ve heard from Pahell, you''ve read a lot and are quite smart. And, surprisingly, you were the one who came up with the n to borrow the Imperial army''s power and get Pahell out of the royal castle."


    His words were sharp, and his gaze was piercing through Damia.


    "...So, what?"


    "Just be careful."


    Urich said to Damia and then turned his eyes back to the meeting. Damia''s pupils repeatedly dted and then contracted.


    "We have a contact that came from inside the castle. Someone is willing to open the gates for us. It is my cousin, Sir Camilron," a noble said.


    "That man is a knight of Harmatti! We cannot trust him," another noble countered.


    "Loyalty is important for a knight, but Harmatti is a traitor and unworthy of loyalty. Moreover, the knight couldn''t bear to see the starving citizens die. That''s the news a deserter brought."


    The deserter who brought the news was dragged to the tent. He swore in Lou¡¯s name that the news that he brought wasn''t a lie. The nobles argued back and forth.


    "The citizens inside the Harmatti Castle are practically my own. If they are suffering, it''s only right to seize the castle as soon as possible."


    Pahell broke his silence. With his words, the nobles fell quiet.


    "We will immediately reorganize the army, Prince."


    An imperialmander spoke. With the leader''s decision to attack, even the opposing nobles held their tongues. Instead, they mored to lead the vanguard, wanting to impress Princess Damia with their bravery.


    "...I will ry that to the inside contact."


    The noble who proposed the n nodded his head.


    <i>¡®In a week, we will attack them.''</i>


    The nobles stood up and left themand tent. They each prepared their armies. This battle might very well be thest of the civil war. In other words, this was thest chance to earn glory. The camp''s activity noticeably increased.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    Phillion looked at his right hand. It was a right hand that only had its thumb left.


    <em>I thought Id be used to it by now.</em>


    He still asionally reached for a ss with his right hand, only to grasp at nothing. Naturally, wielding a sword was also out of the question forever. His life as a knight had ended along with it.


    "Oh well, it wasnt like I was that skilled to begin with.


    Phillion smiled bitterly. He was never an outstanding knight. Even over the twenty years that had passed since he received his knighthood, he had never achieved any notable deeds. He had never participated in the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians, and at most, he had only been involved in a bandit extermination mission.


    Lacking connections or political acumen, he had aged quietly as he upied his position. A knight destined to be forgotten, without any heroic tales or impressive reputation. All he could do now was wait for the day of his retirement.


    <em>It was a grand journey. I have no regrets.</em>


    Serving as the prince''s escort was a significant event in his life. He had spent each day feeling a sense of fulfillment. They were exhausting yet rewarding days.


    "The battlefield is no ce for a woman. Please escort my sister to the pce, Sir Phillion."


    Pahell entrusted Phillion with the task. After willingly epting the task, Phillion selected three knights and twelve soldiers for the escort duty.


    "Thank you, Sir Phillion, for keeping Varca safe," Damia opened the carriage window and said to Phillion. Phillion responded with a nod as he sat on his horse.


    "There''s no need to thank me, my princess. Its merely my duty as a knight of the kingdom."


    Damia smiled faintly. Her gaze lingered on Phillion''s right hand.


    "You must have lost it during the journey."


    "If I think of it as coteral for the prince''s life, it''s not a loss."


    There was no shadow on Phillion''s face. He was at an age where retirement wouldn''t be regrettable. His final journey in his old age had ended splendidly. His demeanor and actions exuded confidence and contentment.


    "Varca sure has changed a lot. Saying ''The battlefield is no ce for a woman''," Damia muttered under her breath.


    "He has be a man."


    Phillion beamed with pride, like a father watching his grown child.


    "...a man who is like every other man."


    Damia closed the carriage window, muttering to herself. Pahell no longer depended on her. In the past, he would seek her advice for every little issue. Now, he was giving orders to his men and taking charge of her safety and well-being.


    Men treated women as possessions or trophies. It was considered the norm. Women were simply objects moved around at the behest of men.


    <em>Creak</em>.


    Damia clenched her fist tightly.


    <em>''Even you, Varca.''</em>


    The carriage jolted, bumping the princess up in a regr interval. They would soon arrive at the pce, and in a few days, news of the victor of this war would arrive.


    <em>Varca will most likely be the oneing out of this victorious.''</em>


    Damia was aware of the situation of both camps. Pahells camp was high-spirited, while Harmattis was pushed back to resort to a defensive position in their castle. Without an exceptional strategy and ack of both forces and supplies, Harmatti stood no chance of victory. Even if he were a generational tactician, the scale had already tipped heavily in the princes favor.


    <em>''...at least ording to what Ive read in the books.''</em>


    Damia chuckled lightly. Though she had never experienced a war firsthand, she knew the theory behind them from books. The basics of war relied on the number of troops and the security of supplies. Only with these could other strategies and tactics be effective.


    <em>''Father truly let me do whatever I wanted. But that was all.''</em>


    Had she been a man, Damia would have already been sitting in a position of decent power. Even men who neglected their studies and training due to debauchery easily obtained respectable positions. But for women, the only ce for them was by the side of a man. No matter how intelligent or capable a woman was, it didn''t matter. A woman''s life was influenced only by her ''beauty.''


    "The prince truly cares for you, my princess. Once this civil war is over, he will surely arrange a good marriage for you. Someone with a good reputation and a good face, too, haha."


    Phillionmented. Damia did not respond.


    <em>''She must be quite tired.''</em>


    Phillion scratched his head and moved away from the side of the carriage. He checked the condition of the soldiers and looked ahead. As they were all on horseback, the journey to the pce wouldn''t take more than three days.


    * * *


    Urich was with his mercenary squad. The mercenaries of Urichs Brotherhood were brimming with high spirits. They were the undeniable heroes of the day. Though few in number, their influence was significant. Once this civil war ended, their fame would spread far, attracting many who would line up to join the squad.


    "This is the final battle," Donovan said as he lifted the shield on his back, adjusting the visor of his helmet and tidying his disheveled helmet.


    "Everyone, do not die. What awaits us after this battle?" Urich gazed at his mercenaries, puffing out his chest with pride.


    "Gold coins!"


    "That''s not all! You are getting whatever you desire! Be it women,nd, whatever!"


    Urich shouted, and the mercenaries roared in response. The heir of Porcana had promised them immense rewards. Those rewards were now within their grasp. The mercenaries had protected and put their lives on the line for Pahell for half a year with only that in mind.


    "Long live Prince Varca!"


    "Herees Urichs Brotherhood!"


    The mercenaries bustled with excitement, eagerly awaiting the start of the battle. Both mercenaries and soldiers took out their sacred objects to pray or went to the military priests to receive their blessings. They hoped to safely reach the embrace of Sun God Lou even if they were to die in this battle.


    "Urich, whom will you pray to?"


    Sven asked, standing next to Urich. He raised his weapon and murmured the name of Ulgaro. The Field of Swords always awaited warriors.


    "Maybe I''ll just try praying to the heavens?" Urich said as he rubbed his bare neck. He had thrown away the sun pendant in theke.


    <em>I''m not sure if I can live in the way that Lou wants me to. I''m far from benevolence. And I love blood and violence.</em>


    Would the soul of a man like himself be epted by Lou? Urich shook his head. That too would be an act of deceiving the god.


    <em>Ferzen must have known that. That has to be why he abandoned the Sun God and chose the god of the north.</em>


    Ferzen''s heart truly belonged somewhere else, and it was probably where the northern god was.


    "You''re still too young to worry about the afterlife. You won''t die in a ce like this. Cough."


    Sven coughed briefly and then pped Urich''s shoulder.


    "Of course! Thats pretty obvious."


    Urich shrugged his shoulders and warmed up his body.


    <em>Rumble, rumble.</em>


    The siege towers withdders that were tall enough to reach the city walls rolled forward on their wheels. Beside them, soldiers slowly advanced as they raised their shields.


    "When is the city gate opening?"


    "Any minute now, probably."


    The prince''s army patiently waited for the gates to open. The soldiers conserved their strength and maintained their distance from the Harmatti castle.


    Harmatti''s army underwent their own preparation for a defensive battle in their castle. They ced boiling oil and rocks tied with ropes along the castle walls, andmanders paced atop the walls, starting speeches to boost the morale of Harmattis soldiers. They watched the prince''s army slowly approaching.


    "Remember our great ancestors who fought against the Imperial army fifty years ago! Even that mighty Imperial army failed to conquer the Porcana Kingdom!"


    The Fortress of Porcana. The title originated from the empires Great Unification War. They held out longer than other kingdoms and managed to secure a better vassal agreement with the empire.


    "Now, fifty yearster, a traitor who abandoned his country returned with the Imperial army to invade ournd! Should we surrender? No! We have our hope! Who is our hope?"


    The soldiers shouted in response to themander''s words.


    "Harmatti!"


    "That is correct! The strong monarch who doesn''t bow to the empire and will protect our autonomy! We don''t need a king who sucks up to and grovels before the emperor! Only a strong king will protect this country!"


    "Uwaaaaaaah!"


    The soldiers let out a roar as if they were trying to cast away their fear.


    Duke Harmatti watched the situation unfold from the inner castle walls. The nobles around him fidgeted around, making it obvious that they were anxious.


    "Looks like you really wanted to end the war before winter, my nephew."


    Duke Harmatti stroked his chin. This was an opportunity for him.


    <em>''If the siege carried on like this, my self-destruction was inevitable. The earlier they bring on the all-out battle the better my chances actually be.''</em>


    If they managed to carry out their defense well enough, they could even reach a stalemate.


    <em>''Rumors say the Sword Demon Ferzen has disappeared.''</em>


    He had secretly feared Ferzen''s reputation. The situation had improved in several ways.


    <em>''Has Damia gone to the prince''s camp?''</em>


    Duke Harmatti smiled bitterly. Damia had recently disappeared. She had lured Count Zairon and escaped by some means. That was as far as Harmatti''s spection went.


    <em>''She wasn''t a woman to be easily held captive. My niece, truly remarkable. Had she been born a man, she would have been an extraordinary figure.''</em>


    Duke Harmatti licked his lips, savoring the thought. But in the end, she was only a woman. A frail, deceptive creature full of cheap tricks. Yet her pretty face was indeed remarkable.


    "The prince is rash. Who would have thought he wouldunch an all-out attack now? He must be in a hurry. A change of heart, perhaps?"


    "He simplycks the patience, as we would expect from a child, that is all."


    The noblesmented. They were cowards who couldn''t evenmand their own soldiers from the outer walls. But these cowards were so cowardly that they didnt even have the guts to betray Harmatti.


    "Hmm?"


    Duke Harmatti pondered, then looked at the nobles.


    "What did you all just say?" Duke Harmatti snapped, causing the nobles to panic. They stuttered, fearing the possibility that they may have had misspoken.


    "W-we just said that the prince is reckless."


    "And hecks patience due to his youth..."


    Duke Harmatti''s eyes widened.


    <em>''No, Varca is cautious because he''s a coward. He''s far from impulsive. He is certainly the type to miss the right moment due to his cautiousness, but he is definitely not one to act hastily and ruin things.''</em>


    Know thy enemy. That was one of the fundamentals of winning a battle in a war or politics. Duke Harmatti was well aware of what kind of person his opponent, the prince, was.


    <em>''Something''s off. The pace of their advance is oddly slow. They''re waiting for something.''</em>


    Duke Harmatti''s eyes flickered. Various thoughts raced through his mind. After all, he was the man who once nearly devoured the kingdom with his cunning. His mind worked on a different level.


    "Who''s in charge of the gate?" Duke Harmatti bellowed. An adjutant bowed and replied.


    "It is Sir Camilron."


    "Camilron..."


    Duke Harmatti was well-acquainted with his subordinates, and Camilron was no exception. Camilron was a straightforward knight who valued principles over racking his brain for his own gains. He was a trustworthy subordinate, but something felt unsettling.


    "How long has Camilron been guarding the gate?"


    "Its been about three weeks, my lord. He volunteered for the role of gatekeeper."


    Duke Harmatti rested his chin in his hand, pondering for a moment.


    "...Send ten of the royal guards to the gate. We need to reinforce the gate''s defense. Also, tell them to keep an eye on Camilron."


    Duke Harmatti could never overlook his unease. That was also the reason why he went out of his way to personally meet with Duke Lungell earlier.


    <em>''I should have just killed Varca in the royal pce, despite the noise it might have caused.''</em>


    Killing the prince in his own pce would have caused a stir. It seemed better to lure him out and kill him. The prince was killed by bandits on a whim trip  such a story would have been easier to fabricate. At the time, it seemed like the right decision, but now, looking at their dire situation, it felt like a mistake.


    "Understood, my lord."


    The adjutant gathered the royal guards and headed to the outer gate. They were Harmatti''s loyal followers, men who would be more than willing to give their lives for his word.


    "Sir Camilron! Our lordmanded us to reinforce the gate''s defense!"


    The royal guards ryed Harmattis message upon their arrival at the gate. Camilron was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the guards.


    "Shouldn''t we be more concerned about the walls than the gate?" Camilron responded as he looked towards the walls.


    "Our lord ordered us to guard the gate."


    The guards were firm in their stance. Camilron turned away, sweating profusely.


    <em>''Damn it.''</em>

 Chapter 94

    <h4>Chapter 94</h4>


    Camilron exchanged nces with the soldiers around him. They were men who shared the same goal as him.


    <i>''Have they figured out that I¡¯ve sold them out?''</i>


    Camilron cautiously observed the royal guards. They were standing behind the gate on standby.


    <i>''If they knew what I did, my head would have been gone by now. Duke Harmatti probably assigned them here on his hunch alone.''</i>


    Camilron felt a chill run down his spine. He tried to hide his expression while looking at the royal guards, who stood still without an expression on their faces.


    <i>''If I don''t open the gate, the prince¡¯s camp will retreat. They won''t proceed with the attack recklessly.''</i>


    Camilron gazed at the sky. It was high and cold. With each breath, he felt the winter creeping closer.


    <i>''How many more will starve if we¡¯re forced to go through this winter cut off from the outside world...''</i>


    Food was first distributed to the nobles and the army. Despite that, the soldiers were still starving. Each morning, the factions had to check their own men to see if anyone had died of hunger. The situation was even more dire for the civilians, with the number of starvation deaths growing by the day.


    <i>''What''s the point of principles when people are starving to death?''</i>


    Camilron was a knight who worshipped the sun god Lou. Loyalty to his lord was important, but the duties of a knight were even heavier. At least, that''s what Camilron believed.


    <i>''This civil war must end before the terrible winter arrives. At this point, it doesn¡¯t matter who wins.''</i>


    There was nothing more horrifying than innocent people starving to death. Camilron muttered a prayer, then looked at his fellow soldiers.


    <i>¡®These men share my values.''</i>


    Most of the men who sided with Camilron were local soldiers. They couldn¡¯t bear to stand idly by and watch as their neighbors and families starved.


    <i>''This tragedy must end.''</i>


    There wasn¡¯t a single personal ambition or interest on Camilron¡¯s mind.


    "Lou, the god of sun, grant me the courage. The courage to do what''s right."


    Camilron closed his eyes, recalling a scene. A young girl had copsed in an alley, a girl too young to have even developed breasts. Dirt clung to her emaciated lips. How hungry must she have been to think of eating the dirt from the ground?


    "Today, we fight... for those without fangs."


    Camilron drew his sword, swiftly turning around. He stabbed the neck of the royal guard standing before him in a quick motion.


    "Open the gates!"


    Camilron shouted with all his might. The soldiers who shared his values pulled the gate''s winch.


    "You''ve lost your mind, Camilron!"


    The royal guards raised their weapons after directly witnessing Camilron''s betrayal.


    "The civil war shouldn''t havee this far. When we were defeated at the Baldric ins, lord Harmatti should have surrendered," Camilron said as he shook off the blood from his sword.


    His men stood by his side with their shields raised.


    "Hold your positions! For the people of thisnd!"


    Camilron stood at the forefront. As the winch released, the gate started to descend. The royal guards rushed toward the gate without hesitation, and a sword fight broke out in an instant. The soldiers had no clue as to what was happening and hesitated to act.


    "These men are traitors! Kill the traitors!"


    After figuring out the situation, themanders shouted their orders to their men. But in the chaos, immediate action was impossible. The gate was crowded with the soldiers who had their shields raised in defense.


    <i>''This is not good.''</i>


    The guards of Duke Harmatti nced at each other. Dealing with the traitors was not the problem as the rebels wouldn''tst long anyway. But if the gate waspletely lowered before then, that was going to be the end of everything. Once the gate bes a bridge, the deep moat will no longer serve its purpose.


    <i>Grrrumble!</i>


    The trembling of the earth was felt from the other side of the walls. The prince''s army was approaching like a tidal wave. The disparity in numbers was overwhelmingly against them. Allowing the enemy''s entry was tantamount to defeat.


    "Die for your lord. Mardi, Paul."


    The called royal guards nodded. They led the charge toward the gate in a desperate attack without regard for their own lives.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    The two royal guards used themselves as bait, drawing the enemy''s attacks. They swung their swords wildly with their eyes ring, breaking the enemy line.


    "Charge!"


    The remaining royal guards followed suit. On the side of the traitors, Camilron was the only knight.


    "Keugh!"


    Camilron grunted as he blocked a sword of a royal guard.


    <i>''Just a little longer.''</i>


    Sacrificing their lives was also true for his side. If they weren''t prepared to die, they wouldn''t have dared such an act.


    <i>Grrrr.</i>


    As the royal guards and soldiers shed, blood sttered in every direction. The soldiers fiercely grabbed the ankles of the royal guards.


    "If we don''t open the gate, we''ll all starve to death! Either way, it''s the same ending for us, you bastards!" A dying soldier shouted toward the walls. His words caused unrest among the soldiers.


    "Ignore the words of a traitor, soldiers! Look ahead! The Imperial army who tramples our very homnd ising!"


    Themanders eximed as they pped their soldiers'' cheeks, trying to keep them focused. It seemed they might just prevent the gate from opening.


    "Fire!"


    The prince''s army had gotten into firing range. The soldiers frantically shot their arrows. The battle outside the walls had begun.


    "Camilron! Your betrayal will be remembered in history as the symbol of disgrace and dishonor!"


    A royal guard pressed Camilron hard. For Camilron, facing even one imperial guard was a challenge.


    Camilron raised his shield, attempting to parry the sword. The de of the royal guard slid alongside the shield, piercing Camilron''s neck.


    "Keugh."


    Camilron dropped his shield, clutching his neck. Had his chainmail not extended to his neck, he would have died from that blow. However, he was still severely wounded. Blood gushed profusely.


    "Where do you think you''re running off to, Camilron!"


    Camilron staggered toward the gate''s winch, leaving a trail of blood behind every step.


    "Get out of my way!"


    Camilron pushed away the soldiers turning the winch and raised his sword high. He was trying to cut the winch''s chain.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The chain of the winch didn''t break easily. Instead, the sword''s edge dulled.


    "Huff!"


    Camilron, not bothering to staunch the wound on his neck, gripped the sword with both of his hands. He struck the winch''s chain with all his might.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Camilron''s face turned red with effort, and even more blood poured out from the constricting blood vessels in his neck.


    <i>''Is this how it ends?''</i>


    He looked at the chain with desperate eyes. The chains simply refused to be broken. The reality was that If it had been that easy to cut, the soldiers would have done it already.


    The winch was not even halfway released. The chain lock required manual turning to release it properly. The half-lowered gate hung awkwardly.


    "Gah!"


    The soldiers blocking the royal guards started to fall one by one.


    "Waaaah!"


    Camilron screamed and repeatedly struck the chain, over and over again. The de of his sword was finished.


    "Hah, hah."


    Exhausted, Camilron looked at the royal guards with a weary face. Behind the guards, rows of archers stood ready.


    "...oh Lou, you did not lend me your hand today, but please, have mercy on the poor people of our castle."


    Camilron let his arms fall, resenting the Sun God.


    <i>Thwip.</i>


    An arrow struck Camilron''s head. He staggered for a moment, then fell to the ground.


    "Rewind the winch!"


    An imperial guard sheathed his sword and ordered the soldiers. Camilron''s rebellion was quelled, and it was now time to focus on defense again.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    The soldiers rewound the winch as they sweated profusely.


    "Eh?"


    A soldier watching the rising gate blinked in surprise. He saw something unusual at the edge of the gate.


    <i>''Is that... a person¡¯s hand?''</i>


    There was a hand hanging from the edge of the gate.


    "Huff, huff."


    The man clinging to the gate was Urich. His face was flushed red from beingpletely out of breath.


    Urich saw the gate being raised again and had leaped and clung to the edge. Many soldiers who attempted to follow him only fell into the moat. Urich was the only one who sessfully made it to the gate.


    <i>¡®That is just tragic.''</i>


    Urich awkwardly climbed over the gate and nced at the corpses of the soldiers who had colluded with the prince¡¯s camp. It was clear they had struggled mightily to open the gate for the prince.


    "You must have thought you failed as you died..."


    Urich muttered. He managed to get over to the other side of the gate just before it closed. Harmatti¡¯s soldiers shouted and swung their spears at Urich.


    "But you did not fail. Because I have arrived!"


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urich swung his two axes with force. The heads of the two soldiers who had lunged at him were cut off. The loose heads flew left and right, smacking into the wall. It was a clean and satisfying motion, like chopping off the head of a wooden doll.


    Urich crossed his blood-dripping axes and stared down his enemies. He took a slow breath, reading the flow of the battlefield.


    "There¡¯s only one of them, shoot!"


    A royal guard looked back at Urich and ordered his soldiers. Urich eyed the row of archers in front of him, who drew their bowstrings.


    <i>¡®This guy, I choose you! He¡¯s got a nice armor!''</i>


    Urich picked up the corpse with the sturdiest armor. It was the lifeless Camilron. His size was just big enough, andbined with his chainmail, his body made for an adequate human shield.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Arrows plunged into Camilron''s body from various angles. Urich, using Camilron''s body as a shield, shuffled sideways. He raised his axes high.


    <i>¡®I have to cut the chain on the winch.''</i>


    It was a task that Camilron had failed to do.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich struck the winch chain. The chain resonated loudly; the sound was different from Camilron¡¯s attempt before. Urich''s strength was extraordinary and his axes made of imperial steel were of a different quality than other iron weapons.


    The royal guards who had be anxious after watching Urich¡¯s strike drew their weapons and rushed in on Urich.


    "Haha, you¡¯re toote, dumbasses!!"


    Urichughed. He struck the winch chain one more time. This time, sparks flew as the chain links split.


    <i>Shrrrrr!</i>


    The broken chain ckened helplessly. The gate, which had been rising, plummeted down at an incredible speed.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The lowered gate became a bridge across the moat. Urich, hiding behind Camilron''s corpse, gleamed with anticipation.


    A silence took over the area. Not long after the thump of the fallen gate, a thunderous roar broke the heavy silence. Seeing the gate open, the prince''s soldiers flocked toward it.


    "Remember, the one who opened the gate is me! Urich!!!!"


    Urich screamed as if he was ripping his vocal cords out of his throat. His mercenaries had been waiting for the gate to fall for a while due to their confidence that it would since Urich made it over to the other side.


    "Uuuurich''s Brotherhooooood!"


    The mercenaries shouted and were the first to cross the bridge. They held their shields above their heads, blocking the pouring arrows.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The rocks fell and boiling oil rained down. Mercenaries hit by the barrage jumped into the moat, screaming. Only the mercenaries who avoided rocks and oil, basically the ones who were blessed with divine fortune, entered through the lowered gate.


    "Let''s go, my brothers!"


    Urich grinned at the mercenaries who caught up to him. His cheerful smile, which seemed impossible toe from a man who was on the brink of life and death, instilled trust in the mercenaries.


    <i>''Urich is always with us, leading us.''</i>


    The mercenaries'' hearts pounded, not with fear but excitement. The thrill of battle was enough topletely erase their fears.


    "Khehehe. Today is our day, my friends."


    Sven, gripping a two-handed axe, stepped forward. He had burns on his cheeks from the boiling oil, but he couldn¡¯t care less about some mere burns.


    "Ohhhhh!"


    Urich hurled Camilron''s corpse toward the archers. Camilron''s chainmail-d body was a sufficient heavy weapon. The archers were knocked down by the impact.


    "Chaaaarge!"


    Urich dragged out the word as he shouted. He was at the forefront of the charge, spreading his arms wide, roaring mightily as if he was inviting his enemies to attack, that is, if they dared. A great warrior''s cry always boosted the morale of the entire unit.


    <i>''Dammit, he''s already taken the lead.''</i>


    Other nobles and knights med themselves for not acting boldly.


    Urich had already made a notable contribution. He climbed the closing gate alone and was the first to break into the enemy camp. On top of that, he even led his mercenary squad to be the first unit to enter the walls.


    <i>¡®I have to at least beat him to Harmatti¡¯s head.''</i>


    The battle was essentially won. Now, the prince¡¯s camp fought for their individual achievement. They envied and resented Urich. They wouldn''t just stand by and watch a barbarian mercenary outdo them.

 Chapter 95

    <h4>Chapter 95</h4>


    From the ramparts of the inner wall, Duke Harmatti watched the outer city being ravaged. He grimaced, trembling with a burning turmoil in his mind. He felt an overwhelming urge to copse as the inside of his head nked.


    "Sigh."


    Duke Harmatti exhaled. It was a breath of despair. He staggered, struggling to stay on his feet, and was supported by his adjutant. The shock he suffered was immense, as what he was witnessing was the crumbling of everything he had.


    "We must n for the future, my lord," the adjutant suggested. Duke Harmatti scoffed quietly.


    <i>¡®If I were to n a future, where would it even be?''</i>


    He kept his thoughts unspoken. He was aware that the battle was not yet over.


    <i>''There is nowhere to run.''</i>


    He couldn''t summon foreign power like the prince had. Who would dly help a rebel when the rightful heir took back control of the kingdom?


    "Secure the inner gate. The battle is not over yet," Duke Harmattimanded, standing tall. The adjutant nodded in agreement. Knights and soldiers prepared forbat, regrouping their lines.


    "The duke is finished."


    "Let''s just get ready to surrender to the prince," the lower noblemen muttered amongst themselves. They had already lost their will to fight long ago.


    "Harmattiiiii!!"


    Duke Sever rushed toward Harmatti with a heavy grunt.


    "Duke Sever, you''ve arrived," Duke Harmatti greeted Duke Sever as he kept his arms crossed.


    "Surrender now! It''s the only way to save our heads."


    Both Duke Harmatti and Duke Sever were instigators of this civil war. On top of that, Duke Harmatti was the man who had gone for the throne. It was certain that he would face death. Duke Sever, however, still had a chance to save his life through negotiation.


    "You mean we could spare <i>your</i> head," Duke Harmatti sneered, staring at Duke Sever.


    "If I cut off your head here and take it to the prince... Ugh."


    Duke Harmatti quickly drew a dagger and stabbed Duke Sever in the stomach. Sever, spewing blood, trembled violently.


    "I-I should never have trusted you, Harmatti..."


    Sever groaned as he grasped Harmatti''s shoulder, uttering hisst words.


    "That''s too bad. I myself never trusted you for a second," Harmatti coldly responded, wiping the blood of Duke Sever¡¯s blood on the dagger on his own cloak. He kicked Sever''s body to the side and signaled the royal guard.


    <i>Drag, drag.</i>


    Sever''s corpse was dropped over the inner wall.


    "The battle isn''t over until my head is rolling on the ground. Go face the enemies!"


    Harmatti¡¯s men from the outer castle retreated to the inner castle. Only about five hundred soldiers remained, and even from that, half of them were injured.


    "Hmm."


    Duke Harmatti contemted as he looked at the outer castle.


    "Indeed, there is no way out," He murmured, realizing there was no chance of victory in any way. Victory was no longer the concern.


    <i>¡®Now, what matters is how I face my death.''</i>


    Duke Harmatti was born into royalty. He was the brother of the king and received the education of the royal family alongside his brother. With the support that was avable to the royalties, Harmatti was given a nominal ducal title, but through hard work and determination, he had turned into a powerful lordship.


    "It was not a bad life."


    Harmatti smiled, grasping his forehead. He was born as a man, and he dreamt like a man. He had no regrets despite his unfulfilled ambitions.


    "Farewell, Damia," Duke Harmatti said, gazing at the horizon.


    In the outer castle, numerous soldiers surrendered. The morale of Harmatti¡¯s men was on the floor, and a breached outer castle left few resisting.


    "Do not kill those who surrender! We are all soldiers of Porcana," the prince¡¯smanders shouted, restraining their excited soldiers.


    "Looting is forbidden! We are here to correct the rebellion!"


    In war, inhuman acts were the norm. Preventing them was part of amander''s duty.


    "You heard them, right? Don''t go into their homes. Don¡¯t rape anyone either," Urich, bloodied from the battle, warned his mercenaries. A mercenary who was about to enter a house smacked his lips.


    "A woman or two should be fine, no? No one will know. They said no looting, but they never said anything about not raping," the mercenary argued against Urich. As excited as they were from the battle, they were also brimming with lust. If they picked a random house, just any house, and broke in, they would see trembling women. They just had the pick the ones they liked.


    "If the boss says no, then it¡¯s a no, you idiot."


    Donovan pushed the shoulder of the arguing mercenary. The mercenary eventually nodded in eptance as he scratched his head.


    <i>¡®Things like this were supposed to be Bachman¡¯s job.''</i>


    It was Bachman who would usually calm and persuade the mercenaries.


    <i>''Bachman.''</i>


    Urich wiped the blood from his face and looked up at the sky. The sun shone peacefully, despite people dying all over the ce.


    The inner wall was lower than the outer wall. Soldiers withdders advanced under the protection of shields.


    "I will give a hundred gold coins to the first one who climbs the wall!" themanders shouted.


    Being the first one to climb the wall was dangerous. They had to risk their life. Without such motivation, soldiers wouldn¡¯t dare to put their lives on the line for the ascend.


    "Ooooh!"


    Soldiers quickly climbed thedders. They showed their eagerness for the reward through vigorous movement of their arms and legs up thedder.


    "Shoot them!"


    Archers released a cluster of arrows over the inner walls. Screams echoed from Harmatti¡¯s soldiers who were waiting inside the walls.


    <i>¡®So, this is a siege, huh?''</i>


    It was Urich¡¯s first siege experience. Various battle tactics intertwined. The value of the walls was immense. The casualties the attackers had to endure to breach even the weaker inner walls were significant. Dead bodies piled beneath the walls.


    <i>''So, there was a reason why they wanted to avoid a siege warfare that badly.''</i>


    Urich drank the water from his leather pouch, watching the walls as he swallowed.


    "There¡¯s our battering ram!"


    The siege weapon to break the inner gate arrived. It was a battering ram on wheels that used a wooden beam like a hammer to smash down the gates.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    ming arrows targeted the ram.


    "It''s not catching fire, dammit!"


    The top of the ram was covered with thick leather soaked in plenty of water to make it impervious to fire and withstand even boulder strikes.


    "Bring oil! Oil!"


    Themander on the wall ordered. The ram, already at the gate, pounded vigorously.


    "One, two! Oof!"


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Soldiers maneuvered the ram and struck the inner gate. The gate shook violently.


    "Pour the oil!"


    The soldiers guarding the gate were not going to go down without a fight. Even without supplies, they had stored plenty of oil, which they had boiled and poured repeatedly.


    "Aaagh!"


    Not even the battering ram''s roof couldn¡¯t withstand the boiling oil. The soldiers who were inside of the ram fled, screeching in pain.


    "Bring out the me arrows!" Commanders on the walls ordered. ming arrows showered the ram, sessfully lighting it with fire with the help of the oil.


    "My god, this is no joke. People are getting cooked whole," Urich said as he observed a soldier¡¯s corpse, whose skin had been torched red. It was a terrifying sight.


    <i>''That¡¯s actually scary.''</i>


    The prince¡¯s soldiers continued to climb thedders. They were brave men at first, but they were now just men who were being coerced by theirmanders. The soldiers who refused to climb and scurried back down were killed at the hands of their ownmanders. Without this coercion, none would climb thedder.


    "The Imperial Knights!"


    Cutting through the soldiers, Imperial Knights emerged. They were full of confidence in their full te armor.


    "Ho.¡±


    Urich rested his chin on his hand and watched the knights make their entrance. About thirty of them discussed something amongst themselves and nodded.


    "They''re having their turn now that the enemy¡¯s oil and boulders are running out. The frequency of the oil shower noticeably decreased."


    Svenmented beside Urich. He was already sitting down, catching his breath.


    "Sven, you old man, are you already out of breath?"


    Urich¡¯sment met no reply. Sven just smiled lightly, stroking his beard.


    Just like Sven said, the soldiers on the walls were panicking. The Imperial knights were advancing toward their wall, but their oil and boulders were depleted. Arrows were no use against their te armor.


    "Dammit! Bring something! Whatever you can find!"


    The knights climbed up thedders. Some fell to the remaining boulders, but even a few of them making it to the top of the walls was enough.


    "Eeeek!"


    An Imperial knight made it to the top. The soldiers on the wall swung their weapons at him, but the curvature of the te armor rendered their attacks utterly useless.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    As soon as they made it to the top, the Imperial knights mercilessly cut down their enemies. As they created more space on the walls, the other soldiers followed.


    <i>p!</i>


    The Porcana royal banner fluttered on top of the wall.


    "It¡¯s over."


    Even the inner wall had fallen. The prince¡¯s soldiers climbed down to the bottom and opened the inner gate.


    "Capture Harmatti!" the nobles shouted,peting for their own honor. The inner castle was their residence. They led their own soldiers inside in a rush.


    "Ughhh!"


    A nobleman, who had taken his soldiers into the castle, came running out, screaming.


    "T-there are knights inside!"


    Harmatti''s guards held their ground inside. They skillfully fought the encroaching enemies in the narrow corridors. The well-trained guards were undeterred even in a situation as dire as this, and they were prepared to die with their lord.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Harmatti went into his office. His cheeks were stained with blood. On his way, he had cut down several nobles who tried to capture him. They were nobles who had turned against him as soon as the inner walls fell.


    "Phew."


    Harmatti sat in his chair. Heid his sword on the desk and closed his eyes.


    "To think I''d fall by Varca''s hand. You really don¡¯t know with life."


    Harmatti chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. His time was running out; the time bought by his guards was brief.


    <i>''I must prepare myself.''</i>


    He didn''t want to beg pathetically for his life. If death was inevitable, he must face it with dignity.


    <i>''I''ve thought about this many times.''</i>


    Ever since his defeat on the ins, he had been preparing himself for this moment.


    <i>''How shall I spend myst moments?''</i>


    He didn''t want to be remembered as a petty man who was simply blinded by power. He wished to be remembered as a noble who rebelled for a cause.


    "A man¡¯s life is short, but history is eternal."


    Harmatti looked at his sword.


    <i>''Suicide is not an option.''</i>


    He must face his own end in front of other nobles and people, dering his ambitions and dying gracefully.


    "Huff, huff."


    Harmatti took deep breaths. He was a naturally charismatic-looking man. He had the ability to captivate people. That charm was a big reason why his guards were willing to loyally sacrifice their lives for him.


    epting death wasn''t easy. He needed topose himself with what little time he had left.


    <i>''I must not show any ugly weakness. I am Duke Harmatti.''</i>


    The noise outside subsided.


    <i>Thud, thud.</i>


    His heart pounded as much as the footsteps approaching his door.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The door to his office opened. A few knights entered first, scanning the room.


    "You are under arrest for treason, Harmatti," a bloodstained knight spoke.


    "It''se to this."


    Harmatti stood up, extending his arms. His voice and demeanor remainedposed.


    <i>''Indeed, Harmatti. He is no ordinary man.''</i>


    The knight thought as he tied Harmatti''s hands. Even with death staring him down, there was no tremble in Harmatti''s voice.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Harmatti, now bound, crossed the hallway. He saw the lifeless bodies of his guards. The corridor was soaked in blood from their fierce battle.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Harmatti kept walking. Exhausted soldiers who had finished the battle sat wearily, staring at him.


    "Boo! Traitor!"


    "Die, Harmatti!"


    The soldiers jeered. Harmatti walked through the jeers, holding his head high.


    Harmatti reached the outer castle. In therge town square, the nobles gathered, including those who had just surrendered. They were men who had previously sided with him.


    Everyone stood, except for one man in his chair. It was Pahell, now the ruler of the kingdom.


    "Uncle."


    Pahell quietly opened his eyes, looking at Harmatti.

 Chapter 96

    <h4>Chapter 96</h4>


    Harmatti was on his knees on the ground. He kept his head low, with only his eyes fierce and fixed on Pahell.


    "Take my head, nephew. Drink my blood and seize the throne."


    Duke Harmatti closed his eyes and lifted his head. He seemed ready for his death at any moment as he awaited his fate.


    "Wow."


    "He is soposed."


    "The way he is epting his death... he is truly a royal indeed."


    The nobles murmured in admiration. His fearless eptance of death was bound to be an inspiration for many nobles toe.


    "Why did you start the rebellion?"


    Pahell asked with his legs crossed. His eyes shimmered with a deep blue, the shiny blue resembling the sea.


    "It was all for the bigger picture. I only wanted to create a strong Porcana. To break free from the empire''s grasp and create a real Porcana kingdom... though now, it''s just a vain dream."


    Harmatti''s words flowed smoothly out of his mouth. There were many nobles present who would go on to tell the tales of the death of Duke Harmatti and it would be a legend. Perhaps, he would be immortalized as a leader.


    <i>¡®Man, a man¡¯s got to be handsome. Look at Harmatti, even those bullshit words of his sound beautiful thanks to his looks.''</i>


    Urich was observing Duke Harmatti from afar with his arms crossed.


    Harmatti was a strikingly handsome man. Even with his beard and hair disheveled, his charm was clearly evident. His words resonated with many, even among the nobles who did not side with him in the war. Independence from the empire was an age-old desire of all kingdoms.


    <i>''This is not good.''</i>


    Urich stroked his chin. The nobles'' restlessness was audible. Doubts were sprouting among them.


    <i>''A king who imed his throne relying on the power of the empire, and a young, inexperienced one at that.''</i>


    <i>''Can we put our faith in such a young king?''</i>


    <i>¡®What if we be constantly exploited by the empire?''</i>


    Duke Harmatti had sown seeds of discord.


    <i>¡®You can¡¯t let that guy keep bbering, Pahell.''</i>


    If Urich were in Pahell''s ce, he would have beheaded Harmatti immediately without hesitation. Violence was like second nature to him, and he used it to his advantage to lead his group. His way was the way of a true warrior.


    <i>''But Pahell is not like me. He''s not a warrior.''</i>


    Urich waited for Pahell''s decision.


    Pahell calmly interlocked his fingers. Pahell was young, but he would certainly grow into a handsome king. The grace was evident in his every move despite his young age. Like his uncle, his every action was beautiful.


    "...too much blood was shed today," Pahell spoke, to which the nobles responded with wide-open eyes.


    <i>¡®There is no way.''</i>


    Even Harmatti was taken aback. He gazed at Pahell with his eyes wide open.


    <i>''I am ready to die! I¡¯ve prepared for my death, Varca!''</i>


    Duke Harmatti wanted to scream but only managed to do so with his eyes. He wanted to stop Pahell from speaking any further. A faint smile crossed Pahell''s lips.


    "I do not want to spill any more blood here today, especially not of a kin."


    Duke Harmatti''s expression twisted slightly.


    <i>''I can live.''</i>


    Harmatti had abandoned all hope of life. The thought of survival had not even crossed his mind. It was easy to ept death when there was clearly no other way. But when a path to life appears, the heart inevitably inclines towards it.


    <i>''I can see a way to live.''</i>


    Light pierced through the darkness. It was a warm, sun-like light. The light illuminated the gateway to life.


    "I... can''t..."


    His words stuck. The very words he had repeated in his mind.


    <i>¡®Kill me.''</i>


    He couldn''t beg for his life. He mustn¡¯t, at least, that¡¯s what he thought.


    <i>''I must die here toplete the existence of Duke Harmatti.''</i>


    His fingers trembled. He had to reject the gateway to life and willingly crawl toward death himself, against the natural instinct to survive. Everyone yearned to live. It was an instinct ingrained since birth.


    "...Do not mock me! Take my head!" Duke Harmatti shouted with his eyes wide and teeth clenched.


    <i>''I must die here for my cause.''</i>


    The surrounding nobles admired his spirit.


    "This is kind of funny."


    Urich was the only one who chuckled, covering his mouth. Having toyed with countless lives, he was able to see the true nature of this moment.


    <i>''His entire body is clearly screaming for life. Keke.''</i>


    While a person''s mouth could lie, their body could only speak the truth. Fear of death was bound to seep through even the smallest bodily movements.


    "I have said it already, uncle. I do not wish to shed any more blood today."


    Pahell spoke firmly, though he too was sweating.


    Harmatti''s eyes trembled more than when he had been defeated.


    "I suppose you''ll lock me away in a dungeon for the rest of my life, my nephew?"


    Duke Harmatti said in a quivering voice. His desire to live was spilling out.


    "No. I will treat you as royalty, uncle. You''ll be stripped of your dukedom and sent into exile, perhaps an ind would be nice. You''ll be provided enough to livefortably, as long as you never leave the ind. If you step one foot off it, you''ll be arrested for treason."


    It was a tempting offer. Was this what a sip of water after wandering the desert felt like? Harmatti couldn''t respond immediately.


    <i>''I have to answer right away. I have to tell him to stop this nonsense and demand my death. Hesitating will ruin everything.''</i>


    But it was toote. The nobles were already murmuring. Harmatti had shown his desire to live.


    ¡°Ughhh.¡±


    Harmatti groaned, bending forward. He bit his lip, unable to die as he had intended.


    "All you have to do is kiss my hand and say, ''Thank you for sparing me,'' uncle. Then you can live the rest of your life in envy of no one," Pahell offered as he extended his hand.


    Harmatti''s facade shattered. With a tearful face, he looked around himself.


    <i>''They despise me.''</i>


    Duke Harmatti, the man who was once supported by many nobles, was now begging his enemy for his life. The nobles looked on in scorn, theirughter echoing in his ears.


    <i>Crawl.</i>


    As he crawled on his knees, tears trickled down Harmatti''s cheeks. He wished he could hide in a mouse hole from his guilt.


    <i>''How many men lost their lives for me?''</i>


    Yet, he wanted to live. It was obvious that the human instinct was to desire life, no matter how pitiful or dirty it was...


    <i>''I want to live.''</i>


    Harmatti sobbed like a child, as he grabbed Pahell¡¯s hand and kissed it.


    "Thank you for sparing me, ne-nephew."


    Pahell stretched out his hand to his side, washing it with water. It was the ultimate insult.


    "I hereby confiscate the duke''snds for the crown but grant a county for the Harmatti territory."


    Pahell ordered his scribe. The scribe hastily wrote down Pahell''s words. Pahell paused to ponder for a moment, then looked at Urich.


    "From now on, thisnd shall be known as Uscall. A blend of Urich and ''Rascal,'' symbolizing Urich''s Brotherhood. Uscall shall be the private property of the mercenary squad Urich¡¯s Brotherhood, under the condition that they fight solely for the kingdom."


    Pahell spilled his words in a deration, which left even the scribe in awe. The nobles were staring at Pahell, utterly shocked.


    "Do you ept this fealty contract, Urich¡¯s Brotherhood?"


    The man who was saying these words was Pahell, who was practically king already. It was almost sphemous to interrupt him, who wielded king-like authority. With the king in aa, Pahell held full proxy power even before his coronation.


    <i>''Impossible! Givingnd to mercenaries!''</i>


    The nobles frowned, but the situation wasn''t right for objection. The contributions of Urich¡¯s Brotherhood were undeniable. Opposing them nowcked justification. If the honor was given to Urich alone, they could have opposed citing his barbarian status.


    <i>''This is effectively hiring a warrior group withnd.''</i>


    It was a radical deal, but it was not unprecedented. Hiring warrior groups withnd for national defense had happened before. Over time, these groups settle and be nobility when theirplex rights are transferred to one person.


    "My goodness."


    "What did we just hear?"


    "He said that our mercenary squad is getting a fief. That young lord... just..."


    The mercenaries'' jaws dropped. They were ecstatic. They, a group of mercenaries, were bingndowners. Asndowners, everything toe out of it would be theirs. They no longer had the need to wander, they could settle down.


    The number of mercenaries who had survived until the end was about twenty. They would be the core of the mercenary squad, living as good of a life as minor nobles. The Harmatti territory, soon to be called Uscall, was wealthy enough to be a central domain of the duchy. They were going to be local lords there, living like no others.


    <i>''If Bachman heard this, he''d be overjoyed. Might have even kissed my cheek.''</i>


    Urich smirked bitterly, though he was showing no joy.


    <i>''This is a shackle.''</i>


    What Urich wanted wasn''t titles,nd, or gold. In terms of wealth, he was satisfied with having just enough to eat, sleep, and embrace women.


    <i>''So, this is your way, Pahell. You''ve grown.''</i>


    It was impossible for Urich to decline this offer. How could he, when his mercenaries were so happy? Urich had sworn when he started as a mercenary.


    <i>''I will consider these men my brothers.''</i>


    Urich couldn''t betray his brothers. It was the very act he loathed most.


    Urich stepped forward as the nobles parted to make a way.


    "What are you doing, you idiots! This isn¡¯t just for me! Clean yourselves up a bit and get your asses up here!"


    Urich beckoned his men. The mercenaries rushed forward, kneeling on one knee like knights.


    "...be noble and loyal guardians of the kingdom."


    Pahell concluded concisely, lightly tapping Urich''s shoulder with his sword.


    "Since when was this your n?" Urich asked, still kneeling. Pahell winked at him.


    "Not long."


    "But you knew I couldn''t refuse."


    Urich shrugged. It was a surprise move. If he had refused, Pahell''s face would have been lost.


    "Of course, you''re Urich."


    Pahell sheathed his sword and turned around, sitting back down.


    "Take care of my uncle. Treat him well with food and wine. Distribute the military rations to the people. Give medical attention to the surrendered and treat them well, and let no one harbor grudges over this civil war."


    Pahell was showing mercy, and his mercy was praised by the priests.


    "Your mercy will be an example for the entire kingdom, my prince."


    The biggest virtue of Srism was benevolence. Pahell practiced it in action.


    "Long live Varca Aneu Porcana!"


    "The ruler of the kingdom!"


    Hungry civilians rushed for the rations, shouting Varca¡¯s name as they each grabbed a handful of grains. Pahell responded with a wave, heading inside the inner castle. Since looting was forbidden to begin with, many rooms were left still intact.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    After getting inside his temporary residence, Pahell hurled a chair against the wall.


    "Huff, huff."


    He vented his anger.


    "You are one lucky man, uncle."


    He wanted to shout several times, ¡®Off with his head!'' He had to suppress his murderous intent and maintain hisposure. He had to put on a mask, just like his uncle did.


    "Gah, ugh."


    Pahell copsed, covering his face. Rage rose from not being able to kill someone who he so desperately wanted to kill. He saw himself hating his blood rtive infinitely. Emotions boiled over, confusing him. He didn''t even know why he was crying.


    Was it the joy of victory or the frustration of not killing his enemy? Was he regretting changing himself, or was he mourning the dead?

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    The night of victory deepened. The men who were still awake shouted and sang restlessly.


    "God dammit, we did it! We really made it!"


    The mercenaries celebrated in the town square with the barrels they emptied rolling on the ground. Mercenaries who drank to the point of bing half-animals sang arm in arm.


    "Oh! Oh! We are the loyal mercenaries!"


    "Uuurich''s Brotherhood!"


    From now on, thisnd will be called Uscall, and it will belong to the mercenary squad. With the profit created by thisnd, the mercenary squad was certain to grow bigger and bigger.


    Even the maimed mercenaries grinned widely. There were several administrative roles in the fief that could amodate their state after the war. If all else failed, they could bendlords, overseeing tenant farmers.


    In a mercenary squad withnd,pensation after service or retirement was a sure thing. That fact will sessfully attract more formidable warriors, and Urich''s Brotherhood was destined to be a leading military force in the Kingdom of Porcana.


    "We did it. We actually did."


    Even Donovan drank, stunned by their sess. The task they had taken on was a near-impossible one. Throughout their journey, they almost gave up multiple times. It was a gamble thatsted half a year.


    "We seeded."


    "To Bachman."


    "And to Rallo and Paul."


    The mercenaries raised their sses, calling out the names of their fallenrades. The squad was now half its original size. They remembered theirrades by pouring liquor into the fire in mourning.


    <em>Tssss.</em>


    Urich watched the alcohol vaporizing as it touched the mes. It was an offering to the fallen mercenaries, who were now with the sun god.


    Urich poured a long stream of alcohol into the fire.


    <em>''I know they were warriors who died fighting, but please ept them.''</em>


    Urich knew the sun god Lou. The god of benevolence hated warriors. Because of that, Lou''s followers added grand missions to their fights: for the weak, the lord, or the state.


    <em>''In Srism, a warrior''s struggle itself is sinful.''</em>


    The sun god rejected the life of a warrior. Warriors were men who fought in order to keep on fighting, and warriors believed that true glory was at the end of endless strife. They didnt fit the values of the sun god Lou.


    "To the Sword Demon Ferzen," Urich muttered as he poured the honey liquor into the fire. The strong alcohol content in the liquor added to the me.


    Urich thought that Ferzen must have been a devout follower of Srism initially. But to him, a lifelong warrior, its doctrine was too harsh. Urich felt it too. The value of benevolence didn''t suit a warrior.


    <em>''No matter how you dress it, a sword is a tool for killing. A warrior grows on the life and fear of others.''</em>


    A warrior could not possibly uphold benevolence.


    <em>''Ferzen lost faith in Lou and believed in the northern god. He probably thought that he, a pure warrior, would be rejected by the sun god Lou and be a wandering evil spirit in his afterlife.''</em>


    Urich stared into the darkness. The bonfire illuminated the mercenaries, but the alleyways remained dark.


    <em>''Will I join the evil spirits when I die, too?''</em>


    Urich gazed into the darkness. He saw the shape of humans in the wavering darkness.


    "Ive been seeing those things again ever since I abandoned Lou."


    The day he killed the Sword Demon Ferzen, Urich threw his Sun pendant into theke. Since then, he saw evil spirits at night. Without a god, Urich didnt have protection from anyone.


    <em>''I have no god.''</em>


    Even the strongest warrior had to face death. But what follows death? Even Urich couldn''t hide his anxiety. After his job was finished, all the thoughts he had pushed down came swelling back up along with tremendous anxiety.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Urich downed bottle after bottle.


    <em>''Heeheeheehee.''</em>


    He heard evil spiritsughing. They were spirits who were deprived of a gods salvation.


    His vision blurred. He saw the dancing mercenaries. Grown men wereughing purely like children.


    "Hey, leader, shouldn''t you be at the higher-ups banquet? You''re the top hero," one of the mercenariesmented.


    Urich nced at the brightly lit inner castle. The nobles banquet was in full swing. He had the right to a seat at that banquet. Even though he was a barbarian mercenary, he was the king''s sole friend. Even the nobles didn''t dare offend him.


    "Eh, I can always goter. Anyway, wheres Sven?" Urich said as he looked around. Sven had been missing.


    "He said he was tired and went to sleep. He was going that crazy during the battle, but I guess age is age."


    "Right, I guess he is pretty old. You cant hide your age."


    Warriors feared aging. Even the Sword Demon Ferzenmented it.


    "We did it. At least try to look happy."


    Donovan said to Urich as he filled his ss. Even Donovan, who was usually cold to everyone, was uncharacteristically kind to those around him that evening.


    Donovan and the mercenaries had achieved their dreams. They had aplished their life''s purpose.


    <em>''What about me?''</em>


    Urich questioned himself. Was he going to stop here?


    <em>''Why did Ie down from the Sky Mountains?''</em>


    He remembered the unforgettable blizzard. That day, Urich left his homnd for the unknown world with only his heart pounding in the cold that was enough to freeze his blood.


    "Not for this, thats for sure."


    Urich smiled and got up. Despite drinking the liquor like water, his steps were steady and light.


    * * *


    Pahell sat in the seat of honor, observing the banquet. Each of the nobles took turns ttering him, boasting how loyal they are to him to the point of tongue-tiredness.


    <em>''This too is a part of my future responsibilities,''</em> Pahell thought, letting nobles'' words go in one ear and out the other. Nobles were undoubtedly the backbone of the country; it was not possible to govern the kingdom well if the king was on bad terms with them.


    <em>''Without their support, it would''ve been hard to win the civil war. They joined me for their own reasons, but they were still helpful.''</em>


    Pahell looked toward the entrance. No matter how long he waited, Urich wasnt showing up.


    <em>So, he really isnting, huh,''</em> Pahell mused.


    He knew that it wasn''t exactly Urich''s kind of ce. On top of that, the nobles were wary of him.


    <em>''But there arent many that I can fully trust.''</em>


    Even the nobles, who seemed like they would offer their lives to Pahell in a heartbeat, would turn against him without hesitation if circumstances changed.


    <em>''I need to distinguish between trustworthy and untrustworthy nobles.''</em>


    Not all nobles were traitors, but Pahellcked the political experience to discern them. Recognizing one''s people was a vital skill for a king.


    <em>''That is definitely something Ickpared to my uncle.''</em>


    Harmatti was good with his men. He was a man who knew how to wield his charm. His guards gave their lives for him without hesitation, and many nobles followed him.


    <em>''and thats what I have to learn.''</em>


    Pahell was tired, but he still attended to each noble.


    "Urichs Brotherhood, the lords of Uscall, their leader is entering," a servant announced. As the banquet was nearing its end, Urich made his appearance.


    "Urich?"


    Pahell twitched in his seat. He wanted to get up right away and rush to greet Urich but sat back down for decorum''s sake.


    <em>Crunch.</em>


    Casually, Urich grabbed and bit into a piece of meat from a table, then left it where he found it.


    "I thought he wouldn''te."


    "It seems like hes notpletely uninterested in power."


    "Is he nning to join the noble society?"


    "A barbarian? That would be absurd."


    Whispers among the nobles followed Urichs entrance. Urich nced at them, encountering wary looks. However, some nobles were friendly toward him, preferring him as an ally rather than apetition.


    <em>''It''s good to be close to the king''s favorite.''</em>


    Though Pahell hadn''t held his coronation yet, he was essentially the king, and the nobles treated him as such.


    "Are you really okay with giving thisnd to the mercenaries? I heard it''s one of the best in the kingdom. You could''ve given them some worthlessnd instead; they would have liked it regardless."


    Urich sat beside Pahell, speaking casually.


    <em>How could he be so full of himself!</em>


    The nobles almost choked on their own tongues after hearing Urich''s blithement. Thend that was given to the mercenary squad was a highly coveted estate. Protected by high sea cliffs at the back and tall city walls at the front, and abundant farnds making it wealthy. It wasnd befitting for someone like Harmatti to base himself on.


    "At first, I was going to give the other estates we gained from this civil war to your squad as well, but they seemed too precious. So, I decided to keep them under my direct control."


    Pahell spoke nonchntly. He had absorbed all of Harmattis estates, but soon he would have to distribute some to his lieges. Soon, the powerful nobles would inevitablyin about the king''s excessive direct holdings, and those who lost their estates to Harmatti would demand their return.


    "So, you''re just a greedy man after all," Urich chuckled with his breath reeking of alcohol. He had been drinking all the way up to his appearance in the banquet hall.


    "How did the mercenaries react? They didn''t grumble about it not being enough?"


    "Grumble? They were overjoyed as if they were given the world. They''re probably still guzzling down alcohol, shouting your name."


    "Good. I owe them quite a bit, after all."


    Without the mercenaries, Pahell would''ve died long ago. Despite a few unpleasant memories, these men fought and died for him.


    Pahell and Urich stepped out to the balcony.


    "Finally, some fresh air."


    Pahell spoke as the cold breeze hit his face. He sounded relieved to be away from the nobles'' scrutiny as his face softened.


    "I''ll be leaving once your coronation is over, Urich said to Pahell. Pahell narrowed his eyes.


    "What else do you need? Were my rewards not enough?"


    "No, it''s too much, actually."


    "I know what youre thinking. I know you. But just wait ten years. Im going to put together a fleet to explore the eastern continent."


    "Then, see you in ten years."


    Urich was firm. His eyes were gazing into something in the distance.


    " are you leaving the mercenaries too?"


    "Im thinking of heading south or north first. I''ve gathered enough money."


    "People will say that you are mad. Most waste their lives chasing honor and wealth, and you''ve already got it all! Yet, you''re leaving it all behind?"


    Urich shook his head, touching his neck.


    "I lost something very important to me when I came to the world of civilization."


    Pahells eyes widened. Urich''s neck was bare. He wasnt sure since when it had disappeared, but the sun pendant was missing.


    "Apostasy... Lou will be furious. Thats not a wise thing to do, Urich. Go find a priest and seek forgiveness."


    Pahell shook his head. His voice was trembling.


    "I''m off to find my god. I must find the afterlife I lost when I looked for the civilized world. Lou''s embrace isn''t where I belong."


    Pahell was about to say something when a knight entered the balcony.


    "Harmatti the rebel has something to say to you, my prince."


    Pahell nodded to the knights news.


    "Urich, let''s discuss thister. But Im telling you, that is not a good idea."


    Urich shrugged and followed Pahell. The two men were guided to the room where Harmatti was confined.

 Chapter 98

    <h4>Chapter 98</h4>


    Harmatti sat in a chair. His shoulders were drooped, and his face looked at least a decade older in just half a day. Dark shadows fell across his wrinkled eyes, and his breath sounded metallic, like a dying old man.


    <i>¡®He looks like apletely different person.¡¯</i>


    Urich, too, was startled by Harmatti¡¯s appearance. The man who hadmanded countless soldiers and sought to engulf the kingdom now looked pitiful. The sight of a man who lost everything was tragic.


    "We don¡¯t need a guard anymore since Urich is here. Leave us."


    Pahell gestured, sending the knight away. He grabbed a chair and took a seat near Harmatti.


    "Uncle, I heard you wanted to see me," Pahell spoke calmly. Urich stood behind him.


    "Oh, Your Majesty," Harmatti muttered. Pahell flinched and leaned back.


    <i>¡®He''s gone mad.¡¯</i>


    Harmatti pulled at his hair, and the strands just broke off weakly.


    <i>¡®He''s alive, but at the same time... he really isn¡¯t.¡¯</i>


    Urich grimaced. From an outside point of view, it looked like it would be better for him if he were dead. His life was all he had left. He had thrown away everything that he had built for that life.


    "Is he just rambling from losing it?"


    Pahell clicked his tongue bitterly and rose to leave.


    "My brother..."


    Harmatti spoke slowly, making Pahell sit back in his chair.


    "...always kept an eye on me," Harmatti murmured to himself.


    "My father...?¡± Pahell asked. He seemed surprised.


    "Your face is bing more like my brother¡¯s, Varca."


    Harmatti¡¯s eyes were empty. The entire conflict started with the king''s copse two years ago. The fallen king never woke up again, and he has been bedridden ever since. The kingdom needed a new ruler, and Harmatti was the man who stepped up. Duke Harmatti, born as Sarha Aneu Porcana, had all the rights to be a regent as the king''s brother and a major noble. He stepped up to be the interim ruler of the kingdom.


    "After being granted the duke title, I expanded my power, and your father thought I''d be a threat to you. Varca, if your father were well, I would have been purged. My informants constantly warned me of danger. I had no other choice."


    "What are you talking about? You sound as if..." Pahell stuttered.


    ¡°...as if you were the one responsible for my father¡¯s copse.¡±


    Harmatti looked up at Pahell with his shaded eyes. It was like there was a dark swirl of despair in them with no sight of hope. This was the unfortunate fate of a man who instinctively chose his survival. He had lost everything that was important to him. For that survival, he lost his pride and honor.


    "It wasn''t easy. One day, my informants just started dying or getting bought by your father, feeding me false information."


    Harmatti was speaking like an old man telling his tales. His eyes were gazing into the past.


    ¡°Varca, you were oblivious. Your eyes... the eyes that were free from worldly greed... couldn¡¯t see the ugly, silent battle that was going on within the kingdom.¡±


    Pahell remained silent. He didn¡¯t have any rebuttal against his uncle¡¯s words. It was true that he was blind to the internal affairs of his kingdom. If he had been aware of it, he wouldn¡¯t have had to flee out of his home.


    ¡°I was on edge each and every day. I didn¡¯t know when your father was going to frame me for treason.¡±


    ¡°That is your own doing, uncle. You couldn¡¯t be satisfied with what you had, so you had to expand your power.¡±


    Harmatti opened his eyes wide. He stared at Pahell and spat out each and every one of his words clearly.


    "Tell me, Varca. Why should I be satisfied with what I was given? I just expanded my territory, as any man would seek morend."


    "You just described your rebellion."


    "Being satisfied with feeding on the leftovers of someone else makes you a ve. Varca, I always had to be content with what your father left me. When I finally gained something on my own with my own power, he called it a rebellion and frowned upon it."


    "If you want to keep that life of yours that you were so desperate for, do not try to justify your rebellion, uncle," Pahell warned him.


    "Then, by chance, your father copsed. Perfect timing, don''t you think, my nephew?"


    "Were you responsible for my father¡¯s copse...?"


    Pahell¡¯s hands were shaking. Harmatti shook his head.


    "Your father cut off all my supporters in the pce. He was incredibly wary of me, so I couldn''t do anything. Surprisingly, the person who contacted me was none other than..."


    Pahell¡¯s eyes widened. He rushed to his feet.


    "Enough! That''s enough, uncle. If you say any more..."


    Harmattiughed lowly. His rough voice carried on viciously.


    "Damia, that cunning girl. She poisoned her own father''s drink with her own hands. He probably would have never imagined that his precious little princess would do that, huh? Hehehe."


    Pahell¡¯s face contorted. He grabbed Harmatti¡¯s throat.


    "Do not lie to me! What are you trying to achieve here? Are you trying to split me and my sister? I will cut that tongue...!"


    "Pahell!"


    Urich shouted, and Pahell released his grip.


    "Cough, cough."


    Harmatti coughed, clutching his throat, ring at Pahell.


    "Damia isn''t the kind of woman you think she is. If she had been born a man, she would have be king. Remember what kind of rtionship I had with your father, Varca. To royalty, kinship is a terrible curse," Harmatti spoke to the end.


    "Uncle!!!!"


    Pahell lunged at Harmatti.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    It was the sound of flesh being pierced. Harmatti, who was imprisoned the whole time, couldn''t have had a weapon on him.


    "Cough."


    Harmatti coughed up blood, bending over as a dagger pierced his chest. It was a self-defence dagger Pahell had.


    "Ah, ahh."


    Pahell shook his head in disbelief as he looked down at his blood-stained hands.


    "Dammit."


    Urich was also shocked. He never imagined Pahell would stab Harmatti.


    <i>¡®It''s toote.¡¯</i>


    Urich examined Harmatti''s condition and shook his head. There seemed to be no chance of survival.


    "Cough, ... so this is how I spend the life I struggled to save," Harmatti muttered. Urich scoffed.


    "Why didn''t you just live happily ever after with that life you struggled so hard to save?"


    Urichmented on Harmatti''s end.


    "I thought about it and... I hated seeing him win."


    Harmatti dropped his head. Urichid Harmatti down and looked at Pahell.


    "Get a grip, Pahell. Look at me. Take a deep breath. In, out. In, out."


    Urich took a deep breath in and out and matched his breathing with Pahell. Gradually, Pahell stabilized as he followed Urich¡¯s breathing.


    "I-I killed my uncle. I shouldn''t have killed him like this, but I was... I was angry."


    Pahell''s face was that of a terrified boy. Urich calmly took Pahell''s dagger.


    "Don''t worry. This is not a big deal."


    To Urich, things like this were trivial. He was used to killing people even over minor disputes. But Pahell was not a murderer like Urich. He still had the sensitivity to grieve and mourn someone''s death.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    Urich drew his sword and deeply stabbed Harmatti''s chest, transforming the wound from the dagger into one made by a sword.


    "Pahell, Harmatti tried to kill you, and I protected you by stabbing him."


    Urich spoke calmly and ced the dagger beside Harmatti. It looked like Harmatti¡¯s failed assassination attempt on Pahell.


    There would be rumors, but no one would question Harmatti''s death. Harmatti was a man who should have been dead already. After showing such a disgraceful end at the fall of his castle, no one would sympathize with him.


    "Ugh, ugh. Sister... why."


    Pahell was in agony.


    "...It''s a lie. Uncle''sst words were a lie. If I had kept him alive, his lies would have caused chaos in the kingdom," Pahell muttered to himself, and Urich quietly looked at him.


    <i>¡®It didn¡¯t sound like a lie.¡¯</i>


    Urich had his own experiences with Damia. She was not like the ordinary women he¡¯d met.


    <i>''She was a dangerous woman.''</i>


    She was the one who plotted to kill a man who showed interest in her to escape. That''s not somemon, easy-to-find cold-heartedness.


    <i>''The way she so easily suggested killing someone means she''s experienced in such murderous ns.''</i>


    Urich had been wary of Damia ever since their meeting. She was a beautiful woman who easily distracted men''s attention. The essence Urich saw in Damia was far from a kind-hearted woman. She was not the woman Pahell always missed and talked about.


    "Hmm."


    Urich hummed and helped Pahell up.


    "Hey! There¡¯s been an assassination attempt! Call a doctor!"


    Urich shouted as he left the room. The knights who were on standby rushed in.


    Harmatti died attempting to assassinate Prince Varca, unable to endure the humiliation and resentment. The knight assigned to search Harmatti before their meeting was beheaded for negligence. This became the known story of the incident and what would be recorded in history. The truth was irrelevant.


    * * *


    The news of the prince''s victory reached the royal pce first. On the faces of the ministers and high officials, joy and anxiety intermingled. Among them were those who had implicitly supported Harmatti. If the prince returns to the pce, such dissidents might be identified and punished. It has always been the case that the subordinates under a king are purged whenever there''s a change of power.


    "Sir Phillion! I have some fine wine; would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"


    Powerful men who wouldn''t even spare a nce for a mere knight were now speaking to Phillion in a very friendly tone.


    "I appreciate the offer, but I have much to do before the prince returns. I will remember your kindness instead," Phillion declined politely.


    "If there''s anything I can help with, just say the word!"


    There were more than a few making such offers.


    Phillion was close to the prince. He had lost his fingers, which were almost as important as his own life to a knight, to save the prince¡¯s life and was known to be trusted and followed by the prince like a parent. The courtiers and nobles in the royal pce approached Phillion to gain favor with the new king.


    "Ah, there''s still so much to do."


    Phillion sighed deeply as he looked at the approaching nobles. Although he was a hero, he wasn''t of high enough status to disregard high nobility, and it was not in his nature to be stingy or act superior.


    <i>¡®I hope the prince returns as soon as possible.''</i>


    The pce was still in a state of unrest. The confusion would only settle once the prince returned with his army.


    <i>''The king doesn''t have much time left.''</i>


    Phillion had seen the face of the unconscious king recently. His face was lifeless. Renowned doctors had given up, and it wouldn¡¯te as a surprise to anyone if the king died at any moment.


    <i>''It would probably be best if we could finish the coronation before His Majesty passes.''</i>


    Phillion regrly met with the bishop to check on the coronation proceedings.


    <i>''As soon as the prince arrives, we can proceed with the coronation.''</i>


    Even while talking with the nobles, Phillion was lost in his thoughts. The dark shadows were thick under his eyes. Since arriving at the pce, he had barely rested.


    "You look very tired. I have something perfect for you. This is deer antler velvet from a stag I hunted myself. It was a huge stag, probably a gift from Lou himself."


    One noble offered Phillion his deer antler powder. He had been receiving several gifts besides this as well.


    ''I never thought I''d be treated so well like this.''


    He was pleased. Before this journey, he would have been a knight who faded into obscurity without any notable achievements. Now, he had be a hero whose name would go down in history.


    Phillion now had the honor he longed for such a long time and was a knight respected by others. His body was tired, but his steps were as light as a boy''s.


    "Sir Phillion."


    Even the patrolling guards greeted Phillion first, showing their respect. Respect and loyalty were some of the greatest virtues of a knight.


    <i>''I''ve made it. Perhaps I secretly desired this,'' </i>Phillion thought a materialistic thought with a mischievous smile, careful not to let others see.


    <i>''The sun.''</i>


    As Phillion headed to his office, he looked up at the sky.


    <i>¡®Could my soul be saved?''</i>


    Phillion carried a great sin. He had broken his oath to Lou for the sake of loyalty.


    Loyalty and faith, both were important values for a knight. Which one should be prioritized? Some betrayed their lord because of Lou''s teachings, while others betrayed Lou for their lord.


    Phillion hadn''t yet received forgiveness for his sin from Lou. A part of him was always uneasy. If he died like this, he would be a wandering evil spirit.


    <i>''But it''s too early to think about death. Well, if things go well, I might receive absolution.''</i>


    Phillion shook his head. Instead of worrying about distant matters, he decided to focus on the urgent tasks at hand. There were many pressing matters piled up on his desk like a mountain.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    "Ugh, even my back hurts now," Phillion said as he entered his room and sat in his chair. He stretched his body lightly.


    ''This really is a bit odd,¡¯ Phillion thought to himself.


    Since arriving at the royal pce, he met with many people.


    "There are definitely neutral groups who are staying silent, but there seem to be no loyalists to Harmatti.¡±


    Those who were especially close to Harmatti had long been executed or exiled from the pce.


    ''The king must have been preparing to pass the throne onto the prince. He had already started the process of removing the weeds so that there wouldn¡¯t be anyone opposing the session of the prince.¡¯


    Contrary to the rumors, the Royal Guard was not on Harmatti''s side. They remained neutral, focusing solely on the king''s safety.


    "¡­Where did the rumor that Harmatti wanted to kill the princee from?"


    Even though it was taken as a fact, there was no solid evidence for it. Killing a prince who was hidden in the pce was not only difficult but even if Harmatti seeded, it would only tarnish his legitimacy.


    ''It was Princess Damia who asked me to escort the prince. She said the Royal Guard and surrounding knights were untrustworthy, that they were bribed by Harmatti¡­ and asked me to escort him.''


    Phillion shook his head.


    "That can''t be."


    A sinister and uneasy thought crossed his mind.


    ''The ship Princess Damia said she had prepared never arrived.''


    Was it merely a coincidence?


    The so-called untrustworthy guards didn''t seem like they were bribed by Harmatti. If they were truly bought by Harmatti, they should have shown up on Harmatti''s side on the battlefield of the civil war.


    Phillion''s mind was troubled.


    ''I have to be cautious. I should not be jumping to conclusions. I will wait for the prince to return to discuss more details¡­''


    Phillion sighed and sped his head. After hesitating for a while, he swallowed a packet of deer antler powder, a gift he had received earlier.


    "It feels like it''s working, but then again, maybe not. Cough."


    The scratchy powder was stuck in his throat. As he searched for the water, he grimaced after seeing the empty bottle.


    "Bring, cough, some water!"


    Phillion coughed out his request. A maid hurried in with a ss of water.


    Phillion gulped down the water and washed down the powder.


    "Phew."


    After swallowing the powder, he felt a tingling sensation in his mouth, perhaps due to the powder itself.


    He walked over to his bed, nning to rest briefly. As soon as he closed his eyes, sleep overcame him.


    How long he slept, Phillion couldn''t tell. He woke up still feeling exhausted despite having rested for a good while.


    ''I need to get up.¡¯


    The pile of tasks on his desk was not going to go away on its own. He intended to remain diligent until the very end. However, he could not move his limbs. Only his toes and fingertips trembled slightly.


    ''Is this sleep paralysis?''


    That was Phillion¡¯s first thought. As he gained full consciousness, he could only blink, staring at the ceiling. His breathing becamebored as if he was drowning. Unbearable pain followed, overwhelming his body. However, he could neither scream nor struggle.


    While being fully aware of what was happening, Phillion slowly died. Calmly, in dry silence, his life extinguished on the bed.


    * * *


    Drip-drop.


    Rain poured down, heralding the onset of winter.


    "Phillion is dead."


    The army had entered the city two days ago. But the celebratory festivities hadn''t taken off. Pahell was in mourning, and that prevented anyone from hosting a banquet to celebrate his victory. The nobles were cautious even for holding simple dinner gatherings as they tried not to upset Pahell''s feelings.


    "Yup, he''s dead."


    Urich replied to Pahell as he stood beside him. He watched the smoke rising from the temple''s cremation site, piercing through the rain and reaching the sky.


    "Phillion''s soul will wander this world, unable to return to Lou¡¯s embrace. And it''s all because of me."


    Pahell was filled with self-me. Urich looked at him emotionlessly.


    ¡®This is not good.''


    Recently, Pahell had been showing decisive judgment and action one after another, impressing even Urich, who watched from the sidelines.


    ''But now, he''s exactly like what he was like before.''


    Shaken by several consecutive shocks, Pahell had be dispirited. With such a demeanor, even the loyal followers might distance themselves from him.


    "Pahell, arrest Damia."


    Urich concluded. Damia was a clear enemy. There was no reason to hold back anymore.


    "Shut your mouth, Urich," Pahell said fiercely as he raised his wet eyes.


    "Your sister is an enemy. Arrest her, interrogate her, destroy her. If you can''t do it, I will."


    "My sister is not an enemy. My uncle was delirious, so he was just spitting nonsense, and Phillion died in bed from natural causes. There were no external injuries." Pahell said monotonically. His eyes were hollow. Urich smacked the back of Pahell''s head.


    Thump.


    Pahell''s face hit the muddy ground.


    "How insol¡­"


    Thump!


    Urich immediately kicked Pahell. Though it was a light kick by his standards, Pahell''s body soared and tumbled before hitting the ground.


    "Cough, cough."


    Urich cracked his neck by tilting his head from side to side, approaching Pahell on the ground.


    "You know that''s not true, you idiot. You really think this was all just a coincidence?"


    Pahell struggled to stand up, holding his knees.


    "If I call the knights right now, your head will be gone. There are plenty of nobles who are out for your head."


    "Then try it. Do you think I would be afraid of something like that?"


    Urich shrugged andughed. Pahell knew Urich quite well. Like he said, he would be far from scared. In fact, Urich would use him as a hostage to escape. His threat wasn''t serious, just words uttered in anger.


    "...I trust my sister. She wouldn''t betray me."


    "Does anyonee into this world with a sign saying, ''I¡¯m going to betray you''? Civilization is truly peculiar."


    Urich said sarcastically as he circled the room, without even the slightest intention tofort Pahell.


    ''Blood must be washed away with blood.''


    Urich was already prepared. At Pahell''s word, he would barge into Damia''s chamber and drag her out.


    "There was some deer antler powder in Phillion''s room. He probably took it. That powder is suspicious.¡±


    Pahell¡¯s words made Urich frown.


    ¡°What the hell are you saying? There was no poison in that powder. The person who tried it waspletely fine afterward, hell, he was even happy because it was a natural remedy!¡±


    At first, everyone thought that the deer antler powder that Phillion had taken was poisoned, but it was just an ordinary powder.


    ¡°No, there must have been something wrong with that powder, there has to be. Damia has nothing to do with this. Why would she kill Phillion? Think about it. Her twin brother bes king! What could be better for the king''s sister?"


    Urich sighed, folding his arms.


    "Are you serious? Did I hit your head too hard? You sound brain damaged."


    "Shut up. I¡¯m going to look deeper into the deer antler powder. There has to be more to it. I¡¯m going to uncover the truth behind Phillion''s unjust death."


    Pahell''s eyes sparkled as he stood up. He clenched his fists and walked away.


    Drip-drop.


    The rain, after stopping for a moment, grew heavy again. Urich shook his head as he watched Pahell walk away after summoning the knights.


    "What a mess."


    He clicked his tongue, looking around his surroundings. The pce was in turmoil. The authority that Pahell had built was crumbling due to Phillion''s death. Pahell had lost hisposure, frequently showing his emotions.


    Throughout the civil war, Pahell had been walking a tightrope as he constantly tried to hide his true self and act the part of an ideal king. Any slip in his act would expose the vulnerable boy within.


    In the civilized world, the lieges were akin to dholes. As soon as their lord showed even a slight weakness, they would tear them apart to be the leader of the pack themselves.


    ¡®I guess that was the same in my tribe too.¡¯


    Urich shrugged his shoulders and stopped by the garden. He chose an ideal tree, cut off a branch, and then fashioned a wooden club from it.


    Whoosh!


    Urich swung the club a few times, then smiled with satisfaction. He whistled as he entered the royal pce.


    * * *


    Count Kanna was trembling. He was practically locked in the room that was assigned to him.


    ¡®Why did he die? God dammit, all I did was just give him a gift.¡¯


    Count Kanna wanted to impress Phillion, who would soon be a power in the kingdom. He hoped to befriend Phillion and gain advantages in various ways.


    ¡®Everyone thinks he died because of the deer antler powder I gave him.¡¯


    It did make sense. The desk of the deceased Phillion was conspicuously topped with deer antler powder. To anyone, it looked like he had died from consuming it.


    ¡°He could have had some underlying disease, fuck.¡±


    Count Kanna paced around the room. Even he had consumed the deer antler powder himself numerous times. On nights after consuming it, he felt so energetic in bed that he was able to make his women scream.


    ¡°Poison? What poison?¡±


    If the deer antler powder had been proven to have been poisoned, Count Kanna would have been executed immediately.


    ¡®I did nothing wrong, why is this happening to me?¡¯


    Outside of his room, there were knights guarding his door, effectively blocking any chance of his escape.


    The prince was grieving and angry. Rumors circted that Count Kanna was still under suspicion. He couldn''t leave the royal pce until his innocence was proven.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go insane.¡±


    Count Kanna''s protestations of innocence were not enough to dissipate the suspicions once they had started.


    ¡°Eh, whatever.¡±


    Hey down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Suddenly, Count Kanna sat up. He realized there was amotion outside. He peeked his head out the door to try to assess the situation.


    ¡°U-Urich!¡±


    Count Kanna fell on his butt in shock.


    The knights guarding the door were arguing with Urich.


    ¡°Man, just let me in for a moment. I have something to ask that Kanna guy or whatever his name is.¡±


    Urich stepped forward as he spoke.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t heard about your visit, Sir Urich.¡±


    The knight addressed Urich with the utmost respect. At the moment, Urich held more influence than any other noble in the kingdom. Although he was just a mercenary leader, he was practically a nobleman, owning a private domain.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to stand in my way?¡± Urich threatened, and the knights to flinch.


    ¡®Damn it, Urich here.¡¯


    Count Kanna trembled behind his door. He had heard the rumors about Urich several times.


    The wandering bards of the Porcana Kingdom had eagerly crafted songs about Urich.


    ''They say he skins people alive or folds a human''s spine with his bare hands... I¡¯m sure the songs are all massively exaggerated, but such rumors must in fact imply his brutal nature.''


    Urich was the prince''s closest friend. There was a possibility that he hade all this way to avenge Phillion on behalf of the prince.


    ''I''m i-innocent, but if that barbarian could d-definitely kill me before I even get a trial.''


    Count Kanna stepped back as he trembled in fear.


    ''Please, don''t let the door open. Protect me, you knights.''


    Count Kanna pulled out a silver sun relic from his pocket and prayed.


    Creak.


    The door opened. The knights looked at Count Kanna with a sense of mourning, as if they were bidding him farewell.


    "Are you Count Kanna?"


    Urich entered and immediately asked him, tapping his wooden club on his shoulder.


    "Y-yes, that''s me."


    Count Kanna tried his best to stand tall.


    ''I''m not a criminal. Be brave. Lou will acknowledge me.''


    Urich sat down and gestured Count Kanna to sit with his chin.


    "Sit down. Pa¡­, no, Varca thinks you killed Phillion."


    "I swear to Lou, I did no such thing."


    Count Kanna responded immediately. He was terrified of Urich''s every word. He felt like he might wet himself.


    "Whether you''re innocent or guilty doesn''t matter. What''s important is that Varca believes that you were the one who killed Phillion."


    Urich twirled the wooden club, making a menacing sound as it cut through the air.


    "But I believe you''re innocent. So, let''s go and prove it to the prince."


    Thump.


    Urich moved his hand, striking Count Kanna''s ribs with the club.


    "Urgh, Ack."


    Count Kanna clutched his ribs with a stream of saliva drooling out of his mouth. He looked up at Urich.


    "Y-you just said you believe me!"


    "I do believe you. That''s why you should trust me. I''ll prove your innocence for you."


    Urich''s eyes gleamed as he raised the club high, proceeding to beat Count Kanna.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    Count Kanna screamed in protest, but Urich was deaf to his pleas. Casually, he continued swinging the club, turning Count Kanna into a bloody mess.


    ''I''m going to d-die. I''ll die at this rate.''


    Count Kanna crawled on the floor with blood dripping down. Urich grabbed him by his leg.


    "Phew, this should be enough."


    Urich wiped the sweat from his forehead. Count Kanna''s body seemed sufficiently battered.


    "P-please, spare me. I-I really didn''t do it."


    Count Kanna trembled and begged. Urichughed, dragging him by the leg.


    "You don''t have to tell me twice. I know that you didn¡¯t do it. You''re innocent, don''t forget that."


    Clunk.


    Urich opened the door. The knights gawked in horror at the sight of a man turned into a bloody pulp.


    Drag.


    Count Kanna resembled a pig being dragged to the ughterhouse, leaving a long trail of blood.


    Urich walked across the pce courtyard as he whistled joyously. Maids screamed upon seeing the bloody Kanna, and nobles covered their mouths, whispering ''barbarian.''

 Chapter 100

    <h4>Chapter 100</h4>


    Pahell sipped the liquor he couldn''t even drink. It tasted disgusting. He couldn''t understand how anyone could find it tasty.


    "Sister."


    Damia was in the royal pce. He could meet her anytime he wanted to.


    <i>''I don''t have the courage.''</i>


    He felt like he was going mad.


    Pahell didn''t budge from his room. His loyal servant, Phillion, was dead. If Pahell didn''t show himself, the nobles would start murmuring among themselves.


    <i>''I will be king.''</i>


    Pahell looked up. He could see the sea beyond the window.


    "Oh, Lou, grant me the strength to ovee this despair."


    He managed to get himself up, praying desperately.


    "I have a mission."


    A light shone from the depths of his eyes. He frowned.


    <i>''Remember those who died for me. I''ve walked a path soaked in blood. Phillion''s blood has only been added to it.''</i>


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Pahell opened his door. The knights outside kneeled.


    "I will go see His Majesty."


    Pahell donned his cloak and said to the knights. He had put on his mask again.


    <i>''Phillion wouldn''t want me to fall apart.''</i>


    What Pahell had learned so far was how to rise from despair. Escaping despair was like walking a tightrope over a cliff. No matter how scary or dangerous, it never ends if you stop in the middle.


    "Prince Varca Aneu Porcana enters."


    The pce official in the king''s bedroom announced though the king couldn''t hear anyway.


    Pahell entered the king''s bedroom. The room was heavy with the smell of the diseased. He saw his father, who hadn''t awakened for two years.


    "Father, I killed my uncle with my own hands."


    Pahell said to his father as he sat next to him, gently grasping the lifeless hand that was as dry as kindling.


    "...You should have taught me more things."


    His father was kind to Pahell. With Pahell being a hard-earned son, the king was never hard on him. Even when Pahell skipped lessons or neglected his studies, his father patiently watched, believing there was still time.


    <i>''But there wasn''t all that much time, father.''</i>


    The session came earlier than the king expected. The king had been healthy and robust until his copse, and even the nobles thought he would reign for many more years toe. The unprepared session ended up leading to a disastrous civil war.


    "Father, what should I do? How much more blood must be shed? It''s bing unbearable. Every night, my heart feels like it''s being torn apart. People I know and cared for are dying."


    Pahell said with his voice breaking as he held his father''s hand. His thick tears fell onto the bedspread.


    "Sir Phillion is dead. He endured all the humiliation and even dragged his soul to the depths for my sake. He sacrificed his soul and body for me, yet I couldn''t do anything for him. This guilt is killing me..."


    Pahell poured out his heart as if he were in confession.


    "You were too kind to me, father. Even when I threw tantrums and acted immaturely, you believed time would solve everything."


    The king had absolute faith in his own health. He must have thought he had at least a decade more to rule.


    "Princess Damia Lineu Porcana."


    The pce official announced. Pahell lifted his head.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The door opened and Damia entered. Her face was as beautiful as ever, with a hint of pink on her cheeks.


    "There you are, Varca."


    The two pairs of blue eyes met.


    Pahell didn''t know how to react. He bowed his head slightly as he decided to let his instincts take over.


    "It''s as if our hearts just knew. I never thought you''de to see Father too."


    Aughter spilled out of his mouth. Damia responded with a smile of her own and sat next to him.


    "It''s been a while since we were both here. We used to visit Father together like this quite often."


    Damia ovepped her hand on Pahell''s.


    <i>''Her hand is warm.''</i>


    Her gentle warmth seeped into Pahell''s hand. His heart swelled with longing.


    "I know you''re heartbroken about Sir Phillion''s death. But be strong. Phillion would have wanted you to be king."


    Her words melted all his anxiety away.


    <i>''There is no way my sister would betray me.''</i>


    Pahell looked directly at Damia. They shared stories of their past. As siblings, they shared a childhood together, forging a bond of trust that was more solid than any other bond.


    "Do you remember what I said back then? That twins are two halves of one being," Damia whispered in Pahell''s ear. Her sweet breath touched his ear.


    "I didn''t understand it back then, but now I do."


    Pahell nodded. Twins were beings with a shared soul, who were originally meant to be one being but split into two. After death, they became one again.


    Pahell felt a deep bond. A closeness not felt with others, one that was exclusive to blood rtives.


    <i>Smack.</i>


    Damia kissed Pahell''s cheek. His face turned red.


    "I''d like to have dinner together. Before you be king," Damia said to Pahell as she rose from her seat.


    "I''ll prepare for it."


    Pahell answered with dreamy eyes.


    * * *


    "What did you do to that deer antler powder, huh?"


    The nobles gathered, buzzing with curiosity. A grand torture session was underway in the middle of the royal pce.


    "I-I didn¡¯t do anything, ugh-agagagh!"


    Count Kanna screamed as Urich twisted his arm behind his back. It felt like the muscles in his arm were being ripped apart.


    "Just bear with it, this is the only way to prove your innocence," Urich whispered in Count Kanna''s ear. Kanna''s mind went nk, unable to think of anything else.


    <i>¡®What the fuck is he talking about.''</i>


    Count Kanna groaned as he looked around at the nobles of the royal pce who gathered to see what themotion was about. Since the civil war was still recent, several influential nobles were among the crowd as well.


    "Who is that?"


    "That''s Count Kanna, a suspect in the assassination of Sir Phillion."


    "Ahh, that deer antler powder?"


    The nobles quickly grasped the situation.


    "Sir Phillion was a knight among knights. How dare someone assassinate him with deer antler powder?" Urich proimed loudly.


    "I-I said I didn¡¯t kill him!"


    Count Kanna thrashed about. His body ached, feeling like it was on the verge of death. There wasn''t a single joint left intact. Fortunately, none of his bones were broken, but he was still beaten so severely that it felt like his muscles were melting.


    "If it wasn''t you, then who killed him? You killed him with that deer antler powder, didn¡¯t you? What did you do to it, huh? Start talking."


    Urich pressed down on Count Kanna''s waist with his foot and bent both his legs backward. It looked like he was about to snap his spine.


    "Aaaah! Uaaagh!"


    Count Kanna''s face turned red. He beat the ground in agony, crying out.


    "Pleeeaaase!"


    Count Kanna was a suspect, but he was not yet proven guilty. Moreover, he was a noble, not just anothermoner. The sight of a barbarian like Urich brutally assaulting a noble was distasteful to the nobles. Those who already harbored ill feelings towards Urich frowned even more.


    "Stop this, Urich! What do you think you are doing!"


    A robust nobleman emerged from the crowd.


    "Count Yarp!"


    People around shouted the man''s name. Count Yarp was a warrior who had also led the army in the civil war.


    <i>''Look at you now, I knew this would happen someday.''</i>


    Count Yarp scanned the surroundings. Many nobles were secretly supporting him. The scene of a barbarian manhandling a noble of the kingdom was not a pleasant sight.


    "What do you want?"


    Urich red fiercely.


    "Even for a mercenary who doesn¡¯t know our manners, this is uneptable. I cannot tolerate such tyranny."


    "And what if you can''t tolerate it?"


    Urichughed, holding his stomach.


    "You behave so shamelessly while you hide behind the prince¡¯s favoritism!"


    Count Yarp attempted to draw his sword, but Urich swiftly grabbed his arm.


    "Don¡¯t pull that sword out. If you do, you''ll die."


    "Y-youuu!"


    Count Yarp yelled, trying to move his arm, but it wouldn''t budge under Urich''s grip.


    <i>¡®What kind of strength is...''</i>


    Despite his efforts, Count Yarp couldn''t draw his sword.


    "I don¡¯t hide behind the prince''s favor, I just help myself," Urich said as he gripped Count Yarp¡¯s wrist harder. There was a sound of something snapping in the wrist.


    "Keugh..."


    Count Yarp groaned and twisted his body. Urich looked down at him indifferently.


    <i>''The past me would have killed him already...''</i>


    Urich looked around. Killing a noble here wouldplicate things for Pahell.


    <i>''Have I be a civilized man?''</i>


    The barbarian Urich would have killed Count Yarp. He never left someone who opposed him alive. Leaving a problem unsolved was a fool''s act. Urich had always crushed his opponents thoroughly.


    The civilized world was tooplicated. He couldn¡¯t kill people as easily as he was used to. With intricate rtionships and issues that couldn''t be resolved with just an axe, Urich was now understanding thisplex world.


    "Hmm."


    Urich tilted his head, looking at Count Yarp.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    With his other hand, Urich grabbed Count Yarp¡¯s throat. His grip squeezed Count Yarp tightly.


    "Chk, chkkk."


    Count Yarp seemed like he was on the verge of death.


    <i>''Just squeeze a little bit harder, and he would be dead. No big deal.''</i>


    Urich felt scared. He must not forget the sensation of wielding violence.


    <i>''All I have is my skill in killing.''</i>


    What if that skill dulled and he started hesitating to kill? Urich shook his head at the thought. It was a terrifying notion. As a warrior, bing soft was unthinkable.


    "I am a warrior. Warriors kill."


    Count Yarp''s eyes widened as Urich¡¯s grip tightened.


    <i>''I-I¡¯m dying, I¡¯m going to die.''</i>


    Yellow liquid dripped from Count Yarp¡¯s trousers as he cried in fear, with tears and snot streaming down his face.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Suddenly, the surrounding nobles knelt down. They murmured, lifting only their gazes.


    "What the hell are you doing, Urich?"


    Pahell emerged from the parted crowd. The nobles greeted the ruler of the kingdom.


    "Hey hey, you¡¯re here?"


    Urich finally tossed Count Yarp aside. Red marks were left in the shape of Urich¡¯s hand on his neck.


    "All of you, leave us! This is not a show!"


    Pahell shouted, looking back. The nobles nced at each other before scattering.


    "T-this man assaulted me."


    Count Yarp pleaded as he gasped for air. Pahell looked at him with cold blue eyes.


    "Consider yourself lucky to be alive, Count Yarp."


    Count Yarp¡¯s eyes widened.


    "That mercenary may be a friend of yours, but I am your liege. And a liege swears loyalty to those who protect them."


    Pahell slowly turned around. His gaze was piercing. Count Yarp, realizing his words had crossed the line, flinched.


    "Are you threatening me, Count?"


    "...No, my lord. It was simply a piece of advice."


    Count Yarp bowed his head and then red at Urich onest time before leaving.


    "Urich, even if it¡¯s you, I can''t always cover for you disrupting the order of the royal pce. There are rules here."


    Pahell said this while making sure that the nobles had all left. His words scolded Urich, but his eyes followed Count Kanna, who was in a bloody pulp.


    <i>''The one who gifted the deer antler powder to Sir Phillion.''</i>


    Yet, strangely, Pahell felt no boiling hatred toward Count Kanna. Was it because he hadn¡¯t been confirmed guilty yet?

 Chapter 101

    <h4>Chapter 101</h4>


    Regardless of his true feelings, Pahell had to take a strong stance against Urich this time. Being in the middle of the pce, it was also a matter of Pahell''s dignity. He was no longer the impetuous prince and had to always show a dignified image to the nobles.


    "Well, let''s save the scolding for now. Here''s the guy who killed Phillion. I don''t know how he did it with the deer antler powder though."


    Urich dragged Count Kanna to Pahell¡¯s feet.


    "...Count Kanna."


    Pahell looked down at Count Kanna with aplex expression.


    "I-I didn''t do it, Your Highness. I swear I am innocent. I often consumed that deer antler powder myself. There''s no poison in it. Truly."


    Count Kanna pleaded, prostrating on his blood-stained body. He was afraid that he might lose his title and even life.


    "So, you still have the energy to lie? If it wasn¡¯t the powder, then why would Phillion just die like that? Might as well confess now. This is yourst chance to die without pain."


    Count Kanna couldn''t fathom Urich''s true intention.


    <i>¡®Is this mercenary really trying to clear my charges, or is he actually trying to kill me?¡¯</i>


    Urich grabbed Count Kanna''s hand and lifted it.


    "Haha, you¡¯re still lying! Maybe plucking out one or two fingernails will do the trick.¡±


    Urich pushed up Count Kanna''s fingernails.


    <i>Snap.</i>


    Count Kanna''s fingernail was bent backward and peeled off.


    "Argh, ahhhh!"


    Count Kanna screamed in agony. Pahell frowned.


    "Stop it, Urich."


    "Why? He''s clearly the one who killed Phillion."


    "We don¡¯t have any evidence."


    "Since when have I ever looked for evidence? Just say the word, Pahell, let''s avenge Phillion right now."


    Urich grinned, staring at Pahell.


    "Urich!"


    Pahell shouted angrily. Urich peeled off another of Count Kanna''s fingernails. The screech grew even louder.


    "Pahell, you actually don''t believe he''s the one either. This man didn''t kill Phillion. We already know who did."


    "Shut up."


    "You think the deer antler powder is suspicious? You think Phillion died because of that? If so, let''s kill this man right here. Surely he''s the one who killed Phillion."


    Urich drew a dagger, lightly cutting into Count Kanna''s throat. The de dug deeper, and more blood came oozing out.


    "I said stop it! We are going to impose strict punishment through a fair trial! Count Kanna has the right to be tried!"


    Urich ignored him. The dagger delved deeper into Count Kanna''s throat.


    ''If killing him helps Pahelle to his senses. And who knows? Maybe he really is the real culprit after all.''


    Theughter faded from Urich''s eyes. He was genuinely prepared to kill Count Kanna. Urich wasn''t one to bluff. If he decided to kill, he killed; if he decided to spare, he spared. Pahell knew this better than anyone else in civilization.


    "Uh, uhhh!"


    Count Kanna''s eyes rolled back. Ovee by extreme fear, he passed out.


    "I love my sister, Urich," Pahell spoke earnestly.


    "Phillion loved you too. He loved you more than he loved his own life. Does your sister love you as much?" Urich said as heid the unconscious Count Kanna down.


    "I¡¯m going to find that out myself. So, you should..."


    Pahell whispered something to Urich as he walked past. Urich nodded slightly.


    Urich watched Pahell as he walked away, then sat there for a while before waking Count Kanna who was passed out on the ground.


    "You¡¯re an innocent man. Congrattions, Count Deer Antler Powder."


    Count Kanna looked up, bewildered. He felt the soreness of the wound in his neck.


    * * *


    "What about this dress?"


    Damia asked her chief maid. She had repeated the process of putting on and taking off dresses several times already.


    "It suits you very well."


    That was all her chief maid could say. And it wasn''t just ttery, but the truth.


    <i>''What wouldn''t suit the kingdom''s most beautiful woman?''</i>


    No matter what she wore, Damia''s beauty stood out.


    "Good, this one it is."


    Damia adjusted her dress and rummaged through her jewelry box. She took out a set of earrings and a ne she had been saving, fearing their light might fade.


    <i>''She is truly terrifying.''</i>


    The chief maid had been loyal to Damia for a long time, and only she knew who the princess really was.


    "My sess is your sess."


    Damia caressed the maid''s cheek with her fingernail as if she was scratching it.


    The maid grew up with Damia. Her mother was Damia''s wet nurse, and they were raised on the same milk. In a sense, she was like a sister to Damia.


    <i>''What have I done?''</i>


    The maid''s hands trembled. Since that day, she has been hounded by nightmares every night. She felt ashamed to face the sun due to the deep guilt of her sins.


    "Do not worry. Everything is going as nned," Damia said to her maid with a hug. Her voice was warm enough to soothe the raging anxiety within the maid.


    <i>''The royal bloodline.''</i>


    The Porcana royal family had an inherent charm. Their voice and appearance easily won anyone''s favor. Even knowing it was false, one couldn¡¯t help but follow them when they came face to face with their unparalleled appearance and voice.


    "Today, I will change my fate."


    Damia smiled.


    <i>''Life is a series of despairs, Varca.''</i>


    Damia had tasted despair early in her life. Unlike other women, she couldn''t just conform to men. She was always full of discontent, questioning everything.


    <i>''Why? Why should I be like this?''</i>


    <i>''Why can''t I do anything?''</i>


    <i>''Why is my life''s ending already decided for me?''</i>


    Even as a princess, being born into this world as a woman meant a predetermined ending. Marrying a good man was supposed to be the purpose and happiness of life. There was no other ending for them.


    Damia was not happy with that.


    <i>''I choose my own fate.''</i>


    Damia opened her eyes that had been closed. Her blue eyes were intense. She remembered the pain of being pped by her father.


    <i>''Varca will be the king.''</i>


    That¡¯s what the king said. Since then, a question lingered in Damia''s mind, though she never voiced the question aloud.


    <i>''Varca and I are equal, so why can''t I be the king?''</i>


    Varca and Damia were born as twins. As children, they considered each other equals.


    <i>''But you can be a king while I am just a man''s trophy.''</i>


    Their fate was not equal. Damia couldn''t change a thing. Her voice was meaningless; no one heeded a woman''s words.


    <i>¡®Uncle Harmatti was the only one who held my hand.''</i>


    Only Harmatti, who was driven into a corner, paid attention to what Damia had to say. Perhaps they were drawn to each other due to simr plights.


    A strong feeling of inferiority toward a blood rtive, so simr yet so different. Had it been someone unreachable, maybe she wouldn''t have been jealous.


    <i>''Uncle Harmatti must have not mentioned my name before he died.''</i>


    Damia sighed in relief several times. If Harmatti, in his despair, had confessed everything, she would have been powerless.


    <i>''No personal feelings, Sir Phillion. It''s just that you were a more capable knight than I thought.''</i>


    It was only a matter of time before Phillion caught that something was off. There were many traces left by Damia in the pce, enough for him to follow those clues right to her feet. From Damia''s perspective, she had to kill Phillion before Varca arrived.


    "You look beautiful, princess."


    The chief maid said to her princess as she withdrew her hand from Damia''s ne. Her voice was trembling because she knew what her princess was going to do that day.


    "Your loyalty will be rewarded. I promise you that," Damia got up and headed for the central pce.


    "There¡¯s Princess Damia."


    "She¡¯s more prettied up than usual. Indeed, the rumors of her beauty weren¡¯t exaggerated."


    "She truly is the beauty of the century."


    Every time Damia passed by, men''s eyes followed her. One of the biggest interests among the kingdom''s nobles was Damia''s marriage. Who would Damia, now more than old enough to get married, choose? Nobles who were yet to have a wife yet hoped to be that lucky man.


    <i>''I heard Varca had an argument with that man Urich today. He must surely be troubled.''</i>


    Damia found Urich bothersome. The mercenary was surprisingly sharp-witted, especially for a. barbarian. But most importantly, he wasn''t charmed by her beauty. Most men''s judgment blurred in front of her, but Urich was different.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Damia stood at the door. A maid inside opened it, and she entered the room as if she were gliding on her feet.


    "I''ve been waiting for you, sister."


    "Just a few days left to call you Varca. You''ll be king soon."


    Damia replied as she sat down, and the food was served in sequence.


    "I remember the times you used to read to me. When I was still ying with wooden soldiers, sister, you had just started reading and were immersed in books. When I asked you what it was, you would spend a long time telling me about the stories from those books."


    "That was your strength, Varca. You could listen earnestly to others'' stories. Looking into your bright eyes made it so easy for words to flow out of my mouth."


    "Were some of those stories made up?"


    "I¡¯d say about half were," Damia covered her mouth slyly andughed.


    "See, I had no idea, so I searched here and there for those talester... I think I read most of the books you did. Perhaps I admired you reading."


    "I left you to it because I found it adorable. I often saw you wandering around the library."


    "Perhaps my love for books is also thanks to you."


    "Since we''re twins, our hobbies must have matched as well."


    Damia blinked her long eyshes.


    "''Twinse from a single soul.'' You used to say that a lot," Varca said as he wiped the meat grease from his fingers with a napkin.


    "You remember. I loved that saying and quoted it quite often. Every time I said it, I could feel that you were my other half."


    Varca slowly closed his eyes. A smile emerged. It was a pleasant time.


    "I believed and followed whatever you said, sister. I might not have felt a mother''s touch, but you were my mother and my whole world."


    His childhood wasing to an end.


    Varca opened his eyes. The boy who had always followed his sister was gone. He wore a mask like when he was facing his other subjects. His eyes turned cold, and a fake half-smile yed on his lips.


    "I can forgive you for attempting to take my life."


    "Where did you hear such nonsense, Varca?"


    "...I haven''t finished speaking. Do not interrupt me, Sister Damia."


    Damia''s eyebrows twitched.


    "But you really shouldn¡¯t have killed Phillion. Not him."


    Varca bit his lower lip, feeling a pang in his heart. He was now finally in a position to bestow things on others, but Phillion was no longer of this world.


    "You were always gullible. That''s why you get along so well with that mercenary Urich. A king must differentiate right from wrong and know who to trust."


    "I trusted you, sister, so I didn¡¯t doubt you for a second. It was almost like how a child never doubts their parents¡ªthat¡¯s who you were to me. An absolute good. Even though it was clear who the most dangerous person was..."


    "Varca, I..."


    "I told you not to interrupt me!"


    Varca hurled a ss at the wall. The servants who were serving their dinner had disappeared; only Damia and Varca remained.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Damia stood up and approached Varca.


    "There is a misunderstanding in your heart, Varca."


    Damia¡¯s arms wrapped around Varca''s neck tenderly. She gently bit his earlobe. Her white fingers freely roamed his body as if she was caressing a lover.


    "The royal lineage is strange. After the birth of a son and a daughter, the next generation often has even more blond hair and blue eyes. Ever wondered why, Varca? Why does this trait, the trait that fades in less than three generations in coteral lines, persist in the direct line?"


    The appealing look of the blonde hair and blue eyes were an advantage for rulers. The ancestors of Porcana must have known this early on. Knowing how much their appearance enchanted people... It was enough to make some even sacrifice their lives.


    "Varca... My Varca. The other half of my soul."


    Damia breathed into Varca''s ear.


    Varca held back his tears. He wanted to embrace his sister''s warmth right then, but he knew it was poison. It was deception and pretense.

 Chapter 102

    <h4>Chapter 102</h4>


    "Let''s head over to the bed, just the two of us. A drink might lighten the mood. This is a gift for you, the future king,¡± Damia softly said to Pahell. Pahell lightly caressed her cheek.


    ¡°I was always fond of you, sister, and that was why I always read the books I saw you read after you were finished with them. Among them was a book about fish. There was a detailed description of the venom of a pufferfish. I remember reading it with keenness because I found it so interesting.¡±


    "Your words right now are mere delusions. I¡¯m not surprised. You¡¯ve probably gone through too much suffering recently. Poor Varca."


    Damia pressed her lips to his. Pahell let her continue. Their saliva stretched between their lips. Wiping his mouth, Pahell muttered.


    "There isn¡¯t a single maid in the world who can endure Urich''s torture, no matter how loyal they may be..."


    Damia''sposure broke.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    "Hey, nice scene here. Mind if I join?" A massive barbarian entered, holding a bloodied maid in his left hand. Urich grabbed her by her hair and tossed her onto the table like a ragdoll.


    "Urich..."


    Damia barely managed topose herself. The maid thrown by Urich was her chief maid. Her fingers were brutally severed with dripping blood in ce of where her fingers should have been.


    "As you said, sister, a king must discern who to trust and who not. I love you more than anyone, but my greatest trust lies with the friend who shared life and death with me," Pahell said, standing up as he pushed Damia away.


    ¡°You have be cruel, Varca. What wrong has she done for you to treat her so poorly?¡±


    ¡°I could say the same about Sir Phillion. The only sin he had was that his loyalty trumped his faith.¡±


    Pahell stood in front of the chief maid. The maid nced back and forth between Urich and Pahell with eyes full of terror.


    ¡°I-I...¡±


    The maid stuttered. Damia blocked her mouth instantly.


    ¡°Send this poor girl to the doctor, Varca, right now...!¡±


    Damia snapped at Pahell. For the first time, she was tantly standing up to her brother.


    ¡°Urich! What did the maid say?¡± Pahell asked Urich, ignoring Damia¡¯s words.


    ¡°She was actually pretty resilient. Taking her fingers was almost not enough to get her talking...¡±


    Urich picked up the maid again by her hair, eliciting a groan from her as she opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Damia turned away, covering her mouth. Even Pahell groaned and looked on in disgust at the maid''s condition.


    "Once I gouged out an eye, she started talking easily," Urich said, lifting the maid''s eyelid to reveal an empty socket. Bloody tears flowed from where her eyeball should have been.


    "Y-you barbarian!" Damia cried out. Urich nonchntly shrugged as he casually picked his ears.


    "Did you just realize I''m a barbarian, princess?" Urich said, tapping the maid''s cheek. She trembled as if she had seen something unimaginable.


    <i>¡®He always gets the job done.¡¯</i>


    Pahell fought back his guilt. Urich did this by his order. Pahell knew that the maid who was close to Damia since childhood was her right hand.


    "I-I poisoned Sir Phillion¡¯s water," the maid confessed, falling to the floor as she was overwhelmed by the torture. Urich¡¯s torture was cruel enough to trump the friendship and loyalty she had built with Damia throughout her entire life. It was simply too much for a pce maid to endure.


    ¡°Cotria...¡±


    Damia whispered her name. The maid couldn''t lift her head to face her.


    ¡°Where did you get the poison?¡±


    Pahell asked as he tilted his head backward. He tried his best to keep his expressions hidden.


    "... the poison is from the pufferfish. I bought it from a fisherman outside the castle, and I ground its innards to extract the poison."


    Pahell already had an idea of the method. There were quite a few rare books among those that Damia read growing up as the king gave her whatever book she wanted. That¡¯s where Damia had learned how to extract a pufferfish¡¯s poison.


    ¡°Cotria, how dare you tell a lie? Do you know who you are speaking to?¡±


    Damia stepped forward, and the maid flinched.


    "B-but this is all my doing... what I decided to do on my own... u-ugh, arghhhh!"


    Urich jammed his finger into the empty eye socket of the maid and dug around. There was a chilling sound.


    ¡°Oooeuff.¡±


    Damia couldn''t bear the sight and vomited. The food she had just eaten spilled onto the floor.


    "Speak clearly. Confess everything exactly as you told me before I gouge out your remaining eye," Urich said in a low voice. His words seemed to be devouring the maid''s mind.


    Fear and pain were effective in clouding one¡¯s judgment. The maid, overwhelmed, blurted out everything without even being aware of what she was saying¡ªDamia''s thoughts up to this point, her dealings with Harmatti, slowly poisoning the king into aa, and poisoning Phillion.


    "Damia, I''ll give you a chance to defend yourself."


    Pahell did not say the word ¡®sister.¡¯


    "Do you believe this barbarian and the testimony obtained through torture more than me, Varca?"


    Damia picked her head up to shout at Pahell after vomiting violently.


    "Take your clothes off, Damia," Pahell said, intertwining his fingers and crossing his legs.


    "...Varca."


    "It would be better for you to undress yourself before I call a soldier to do it by force. If the maid is truly lying, you shouldn''t have any poison on you," Pahell signaled with a chin gesture. Damia started to approach him.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Out of nowhere, an axe flew between Pahell and Damia and embedded itself in the wall.


    "Move any closer, and that pretty face of yours will be half the size, not because of starving yourself, but because of this axe.¡±


    Urich said after chucking his axe with his throwing arm still extended.


    There was a bond between Pahell and Urich, a bond that was unknown to Damia. It was a trust built on shared harsh journeys. Urich had saved Pahell''s life several times, and Pahell had entrusted everything to him. There is no trust stronger than that shared through life.


    Pahell trusted Urich and believed he would never mean to harm him, so he pressed Damia for answers with his faith.


    <i>''This is not the Varca I know.''</i>


    The Varca Damia knew was an indecisive escapist boy. The old Varca would have fled from an unpleasant reality instead of facing it head-on. He would have rather used the person who used his sister instead of even considering the possibility that it might be true.


    "Undress yourself right there."


    Damia''s lips quivered. This was not her n.


    She had intended to gift Pahell a sweet night as her final present. A gift for a prince who would never wake again. If Pahell died, Damia would remain the sole legitimate heir and nobody would have been able to question her validity. She could have married into the adjacent lineage of the royal family and ruled as queen, with her husband as a puppet king. This way, she could choose her own fate.


    <i>''I should have ended it with my own hands from the start instead of sending him away.''</i>


    There were simpler ways. Did she hesitate to personally deal with her very own twin brother? Or was it to avoid the scandal of a royal poisoning before inheriting the throne?


    Whatever the reason was, Damia nned to eliminate Varca outside of the pce. That was the wrong move. Varca survived various dangers and returned changed. The boy, coddled and overprotected, had be a true heir to the throne through several harsh trials.


    <i>Slip.</i>


    Silently, Damia undid her dress. Pahell watched his sister''s nude body without any desire. He felt like crying out of sorrow.


    <i>''How did ite to this? How? Why?''</i>


    Pahell thought to himself but was unable to voice his thoughts.


    "Why did you join hands with Harmatti?"


    <i>''I hated the idea of you bing king...''</i>


    Damia, just like her twin brother, couldn¡¯t speak out loud. She didn¡¯t answer Pahell¡¯s question and just lowered her eyes with only her lips twitching.


    Damia strippedpletely, wearing only her undergarments. Her pale skin was so smooth that it was almost glowing.


    "Take off the rest," Pahell pointed with his index finger.


    "If you find nothing on me, how will you take responsibility, Varca?" Damia red fiercely.


    "Who would dare to hold the ruler of the kingdom ountable?"


    "How arrogant."


    "Shut up. Why couldn¡¯t you be satisfied with just being a princess? Who do you think is the arrogant one here? I never intended to send my sister to other royal or noble families who demanded her as a beautiful princess. A princess like you would make a good strategic tool. But if you wished, I would have let you live alone for the rest of your life!"


    Damia finally removed herst undergarment, looking at Pahell in self-pity.


    A small ss bottle fell to the floor, rolling all the way over to Pahell''s feet.


    "That¡¯s funny, Varca. Why should I be satisfied with what I have? Ultimately, you''re no different from your father. You may be saying so now, but a time wille when you will have no choice but to sell me out for politics. That¡¯s just the way it goes,¡± Damia said with a sad smile. Pahell picked up the fallen ss bottle.


    "...sister, you really were trying to kill me."


    Pahell thought it would have been better if this was all his paranoia. Everything would have been so much easier if the story ended with his kind sister forgiving the unhinged prince. Regardless, the truth was out.


    <i>''Sister came to me with this poison.''</i>


    She intended to poison him in some way. The type of poison would soon be known.


    "We were equals at birth. We were one. But I was made an object, while you were destined to be king."


    "I never thought of you as an object."


    "You eventually would have. I didn''t want you to be king. You''d change. You''d no longer be my Varca. A naive boy who loves his sister can¡¯t do a king¡¯s job."


    Damia,pletely naked, moved and grabbed a carving knife from the table.


    "Urich!"


    Pahell shouted. Urich''s eyes moved quickly. He didn''t look at Pahell but at Damia''s hand.


    <i>''I don''t need to protect Pahell. I must stop...!''</i>


    Urich made his decision in a second. He grabbed a bronze cup from the table and threw it as he spun. There was no time to control the amount of force he put behind it.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The thrown cup struck Damia''s hand, breaking her bones. She dropped the knife she was about to plunge into her neck.


    "I won''t let you escape by dying, sister... you will go to the emperor as a concubine. The emperor is an arrogant man who sees women only as tools and objects, and I made a deal with that man. As proof of my integrity, you will go to him. The emperor always desired a woman with the beauty of the Porcana royal bloodline."


    Damia looked up at Pahell from the ground, massaging her swollen hand.


    "So, in the end, it¡¯s just the same fate for me. Decided by others."


    "No, it''s the fate that you chose for yourself."


    Pahell removed his cloak and covered Damia''s naked body.

 Chapter 103: Coronation

    Chapter 103: Coronation


    A carpet, as blue as the sea, stretched long down the hall. It was embroidered densely with golden thread that depicted the fish of the Porcana sea. The golden fish were so vibrant, looking almost alive. In Porcana, fishes symbolized a wish for abundance and bountiful harvests.


    <em>Step.</em>


    Varca walked over the carpet, dragging his cloak of a length that was twice his height. His steps were leisurely. He had to walk slowly until the sun reached its zenith at noon.


    <em>''Nobles.''</em>


    Pahell narrowed his eyes slightly and moved his blue irises from side to side. He observed the crowd gathered to witness his coronation.


    "There''s a rumor that the princess led a rebellion."


    "Thats probably a rumor spread by the king to justify sending her to the empire. Who knew he was such a heartless prince? To use his sister as a condition to borrow the empire''s army. And not even as a wife, but as a mere concubine?"


    "He''s offering the kingdom''s greatest beauty to the emperor. All for his throne."


    The nobles murmured among themselves, unaware of the full story. Even if it were true that the princess plotted a rebellion, it would have been shameful to admit a kingdom was toyed by a woman. Politics and war were men''s domains.


    "Pity, such a pity. I wanted to embrace her at least once."


    "Tsk, tsk, you speak such disrespectful words."


    "A woman, even a princess, ultimately just needs to bear children well, right? What makes them happier than being loved by a man?"


    "Enough with the nonsense. You should take better care of your own wife instead."


    "With that belly she''s got recently, my desire fades away so easily."


    "Speaking of which, isn''t your daughter of age now? Why not bring her by the pce? Who knows, you might be the king''s future father-inw."


    "Not for now. She got with one of my people. I heard some noise one night, so I went into her room, and guess what I found? My daughter in bed with a familiar-looking man, smacking their bodies together."


    "Oh really? So what did you do?"


    "In a fit of rage, I beheaded that scoundrel. Tsk. Its been months since my daughter locked herself in her room for months."


    "At least she didnt get pregnant. Getting rid of illegitimate children is always a headache."


    The voices of the nobles intertwined. All the influential nobles of the kingdom were present at the coronation.


    <em>''Duke Lungell.''</em>


    Pahell turned to look at Duke Lungell, who faintly smiled and nodded in greeting.


    <em>''Duke Lungell will be my political rival.''</em>


    Duke Lungell hadn''t exhausted his forces one bit in the civil war. Not only that, he managed to gather supporters of his own and grew into an independent power. From now on, he would have significant influence in major decisions of the kingdom.


    <em>''Will Duke Lungell support the exploration of the eastern continent?''</em>


    The exploration of the eastern continent was almost a fictitious n, especially for middle-aged nobles who most likely wouldn''t live to see its results. Young, vigorous nobles might side with the king''s adventure, but convincing conservative older ones was certainly going to be difficult.


    "Oh, Lou."


    Varca murmured, looking at the ceiling. He was fullymitted to fulfilling the mission given by Lou for the rest of his life. That was all that was left for him.


    <em>''Sister.''</em>


    His heart felt like it had been split in half. Thinking of his sister made his breath unsteady and his heartbeat irregr.


    <em>''If only she had begged for forgiveness even just once...''</em>


    Pahell loved Damia. He adored her in every aspect.


    Had Damia put aside all her pride and begged for mercy, Pahell might have given in. Maybe, he was already prepared to forgive her even until the very end...


    <em>''In the end, I am just a younger brother who loves his older sister.''</em>


    Damia was a terrifying woman. She only showed her hostility at the very end. She had always been a kind and good sister. When he closed his eyes, he didnt remember anything bad that would cause him rage or hatred. Instead, he only remembered the good times. He remembered her putting flower crowns on his head in the garden. Her voice, which was still vivid in his ears, was sweeter than the fragrance of flowers.


    <em>''I handed such a precious sister to that beastly emperor.''</em>


    Pahell knew the man that Emperor Yanchinus was. He was a creature of desire. He did anything to satisfy his lust, yet he was not a ve to it. He waited patiently, like a predator stalking its prey.


    He thought of the women in the Pce of Ten Pleasures. They were beautiful women gathered from all over for the emperor. Would his sister be one of them? If luck is on her side, she could even rise to the position of a wife. She was an intelligent person, after all.


    <em>I am a fool. Look at me still worrying about my sister.''</em>


    Varca closed his eyes and reopened them, feeling a sting at their corners. He held back the tears that were on the brink of pouring down his face.


    Damia had already left. She was on her way to the empire, escorted by Imperial soldiers. Along with her, a letter detailing every one of her crimes was sent to the emperor. It basically exposed the shame of the kingdom, but the emperor needed to be alerted about what kind of woman Damia was.


    <em>''I can trust the emperor at least while the eastern continent exploration is in progress.''</em>


    Varca knew the emperor''s deepest desires. He wanted to leave his name in history. Having satisfied all his desires in this world, he longed for an honor that would keep his name immortal.


    "Come forth, Varca Aneu Porcana."


    The bishop spoke from afar. His beard was bushy, and his eyes were kind. In his hands was a crown that was familiar to Pahell.


    <em>''The crown father always wore.''</em>


    He knew it would eventuallye to him. But now that the day had arrived, it felt unreal.


    <em>''Was bing king my own will?''</em>


    All throughout his life, Pahell had thought it was natural for him to be king. He was the sole legitimate heir, and his father and subjects always said he would be the next king.


    The kingship was his predetermined path. From birth, people said he would be king.


    <em>''I will be king.''</em>


    Even though it was a fate that was already decided for him, Pahell still wanted to be king. A predetermined fate wasnt always different from ones own will.


    <em>''Sister just didn''t want a predetermined fate different from her will.''</em>


    Damia wanted to be equal to Pahell. Being one being with each other from birth, she couldn''t ept him moving ahead. Love was fickle and imperfect, easily changing to other emotions, like jealousy...


    If anyone was born with more blessings than any other woman in the world, it was Damia. She had a charm that ensnared any man. Her radiant beauty was praised by all. But Damia wasn''t content with such a life. The feeling of inferiority and jealousy for not being able to choose her own life twisted her. Even with a hundred concessions, the things she did were never going to be forgivable.


    <em>''A life of being content with what you are given.''</em>


    Most humans lived their lives like that. Whether they were ves or nobles, they were content with the fate given by Lou. But a few wanted something beyond what they were given. Whether that was status or gender, they had to ovee their circumstances in order to achieve what they desired.


    If a non-heir wants to be king, they must wage war; if a ve wants freedom, they must kill their master; what about a woman subjugated by men wanting to stand above them?


    "Failure is also a consequence of your decisions, sister."


    He had no intention of handing over what he had to someone out of pity. Life was an unfair struggle, and only the victors got what they wanted. Life doesn''t start fair. Some achieve their goals with ease while others struggle or fail.


    <em>''In this unfair world...''</em>


    Pahell walked. The sun had risen to the top of the temple''s head. The sunlight brightly illuminated the inside of the temple.


    "I just do what I believe is right."


    The bishop, with a smile of benevolence honed over a lifetime, gazed at Pahell.


    "Kneel before the sun god Lou. Varca Aneu Porcana."


    As Pahell knelt and bowed his head, the crown weighed heavily on his hair.


    "Rise, Varca Baneu Porcana. The Ruler of Porcana."


    The nobles pped. They celebrated the new Baneu Porcana.


    <em>Nod.</em>


    Pahell turned around and faced the crowd. Among them, he spotted Urich.


    "You have be the king you so desired."


    Urich''s voice couldnt be heard, but his lip movements were more than enough to make out what he was saying.


    "Ruler of Porcana!"


    "Long live Varca Baneu Porcana!"


    "Praise the king!"


    "Oh, Lou, prosperity for the kingdom! Blessing for the young king!"


    The nobles shouted. The crowd swayed, blurring Urich''s figure. Urich moved in the opposite direction of the crowd, being the first to exit the Sr Temple.


    <em>''Urich.''</em>


    Pahell raised his eyes again, but Urich had already disappeared.


    The celebratory procession extended to the royal pce. The people gathered to see the face of the new king.


    "Long live!"


    "Cana!"


    "Varca!"


    The voices were buried in each other.


    Pahell looked at his people from his horse. His poprity was high. A young man who became king after defeating his wicked uncle. It was a story that captivated the people. More than anything, his gentle appearance yed a significant role in increasing his appeal to everyone, regardless of their age and sex. Good looks were the asset of the Porcana royal family.


    <em>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</em>


    Pahell entered the royal pce. He walked towards the throne he had never sat in before.


    The lieges who arrived earlier were already in their ces. They bowed their heads, waiting for the king to take a seat on his throne.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Pahell stood in his ce. He touched the throne, the ce where his father always sat.


    <em>So much blood was shed just for me to sit here.''</em>


    When he closed his eyes, the faces of the dead appeared. There were far more deaths he could not remember. How many more unheard cries of grief were there?


    "Lift your head."


    Pahellmanded as he sat on the throne. He looked at his subjects, resting his hands on the armrests. There was no familiar face. They were all strangers.


    <em>''It''s not over yet.''</em>


    Pahell smiled, twisting the corners of his mouth.


    <em>''These men are snakes. They''re only thinking about how to boil the young king alive and eat him up.''</em>


    The people he could trust were all either dead or gone.


    Life is always a series of struggles, and the struggle of Varca Baneu Porcana was just beginning.


    This time, he stepped into a new battlefield all by himself, without holding anyone''s hand.


    * * *


    "Kylios, did you eat up? There won''t be such fine feed in the future," Urich said, patting Kylios''s neck. Kylios neighed as if he was answering his owner.


    <em>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</em>


    Urich left the festive royal city. His mercenary squad was staying in the Uscall territory. They were probably eagerly waiting for their leader Urich to return.


    "Take care of yourself, Pahell."


    Urich looked back and muttered to himself. He rode on Kylios, enjoying the scenery. With all the hectic eventsing to an end, he felt a sense of emptiness.


    "This is what peace of mind feels like!" Urich eximed dramatically, then rubbed his forehead.


    "Damn it."


    Pahell lingered in a corner of his mind. There was no one left by Pahell''s side now.


    <em>''If he at least has me by his side''</em>


    Urich shook his head at the thought.


    <em>''That''s not my life. It''s Pahell''s life. My job is done.''</em>


    Shortly after, Urich found himself turned onto a quiet woond path. Urich opened a map, checking which way to go.


    <em>"Dammit, it''s so hard to find the way by myself."</em>


    Urich said as he drew his steel axe. He dismounted Kylios.


    "Soe out and help me find the way, you bastards."


    Armed men emerged from the bushes. For bandits, they were quite well-armed. They wore neatly arranged armor, some even in chainmail.


    <em>''Ten of them. Thats a lot.''</em>


    Urich took a deep breath, looking at the enemies.


    "You''ve crossed the line as a barbarian, Urich."


    The man who looked like their leader said to Urich. There were many nobles who kept Urich in check. Also among them were those who knew how to take initiative.


    "Yeah, yeah. I knew you''d say that. Come at me then."


    Urich twirled his axe.


    <em>Hes not even slightly intimidated facing ten by himself?''</em>


    The man''s eyes widened. Urich showed no signs of fleeing. Even for an outstanding warrior, facing ten men was difficult, especially since these were not ordinary bandits but regr soldiers.


    The man was momentarily distracted. That was his mistake.


    <em>Crunch.</em>


    Thest thing the man saw was an axe de flying at him.


    Urich loved fighting. He even felt a strange thrill each time he killed someone. When he gambled with his one and only life in battle, he felt truly alive. The life of a warrior was his everything.


    He experienced an exhrating pleasure, trembling throughout his body, when he survived fights so intense that the inside of his head became nk. This feeling was even better than being with a woman.


    He shed, killed, shed, and killed.


    Urich swung his axe wildly. He rolled on the ground and then climbed up trees as if he was fleeing. He rushed into the forest, jumped into a swamp to hide, and then ambushed the pursuing enemies. He fought relentlessly, using the terrain to his advantage, almost to the point of cowardice. When he came back to his senses, his face was covered in blood.


    "Huff, huff."


    Urich grasped and pulled out an arrow embedded in his shoulder. He looked at the corpses with his yellow eyes.


    The bodies belonged to the ten men, not Urich. Their gruesomely torn bodies were scattered in all directions along the escape route. Their intestines hung on the tree branches, and their heads rolled in the dirt, mingling with the soil.


    "Dammit, this hurts like hell. I didnt think I''d be showing off my guts."


    Urich looked at his intestines, which trickled out from a slit in his belly. It seemed as if several pink snakes were living inside his stomach.


    "Hmph!"


    Urich pushed his protruding intestines back in with his hand and tensed his abdominal muscles to keep them in ce. In that state, he called for Kylios and mounted him.


    Not long after, a fork in the road appeared. Urich took out the map to look at it again.


    <em>''Uscall territory is to the left.''</em>


    Urich looked up and alternated his gaze between left and right. It didnt take long for him to make up his mind. Urich tore up the map.


    The horse''s head turned right. The pieces of the torn map fluttered away in the wind.

 Chapter 104: Frozen Land

    Chapter 104: Frozen Land


    In a civilized world, the evening scene at a farmhouse would be simr everywhere. After a hard day''s work, families gathered around their dining table to pray and eat.


    "Did you put the firewood inside properly?"


    "Yes, yes. I did it all. You don''t have to ask every day."


    "You always forget, that''s why I ask."


    Four family members sat around the dining table: the father, mother, son, and daughter. The son was a young boy who had just reached adolescence, and the daughter was just around the age where marriage proposals would find their way to her.


    Tonight''s dinner was bread and herring soup. Even the fishy smell of the hot herring soup was savory to them.


    "Let''s pray."


    The head of the family spoke, and the rest of the family closed their eyes.


    "Oh, Lou, thank you for giving us light today. All things..."


    During the prayer, the mischievous son slightly opened his eyes.


    <em>''This is so boring. Every day is the same. So hard. Ill never be a farmer.''</em>


    In his spare time, the son would always go outside and swing a crude wooden sword.


    <em>''I am going to be a knight.''</em>


    Such thoughts weremon for boys his age. Every one of them was determined not to lead ordinary lives like their parents.


    "Huh?"


    The son made a sound as his attention was drawn to something outside the window.


    "Close your eyes. Aren''t we in the middle of a prayer?"


    "T-there''s something outside the window!"


    "Jordan!"


    The father, who was reciting the prayer, got up from his seat and yelled at his son. However, seeing the expression on his son''s face, he quickly grabbed the firece poker. The red-hot poker made a fine weapon of self-defense.


    <em>Dammit, is it a bandit?''</em>


    Their farmhouse, located outside the city walls, was in an area with poor public safety. Especially since the civil war had drawn away everyst security personnel, the overall security in the Porcana Kingdom had deteriorated. It was going to take some time to restore the level of safety back to what it was before.


    <em>''Curse this civil war.''</em>


    The people who suffered the most from the civil war were themon folk. Their taxes were spent on the nobles'' battles. The reason that they paid their taxes was simple. It was to be protected from the violence that inevitably arose from the absence ofw.


    Recently, there have been many cases of farmhouses being attacked by bandits. This was due to the depleted security force not being able to fulfill its role.


    "Honey..."


    "It''s okay, trust me."


    The man, holding the firece poker, slowly approached the door. He listened closely and was able to hear some footsteps outside.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    The door opened. Arge hand pushed the door aside.


    "Get out of my house right now!"


    The man shouted. The mere opening of the door made his hair stand on end.


    "Sorry, but I just need to rest here for a bit?"


    The intruder spoke. His deep voice carried an intimidating presence, and there were bloodstains on his hands.


    "Get out right now! Or else..."


    The intruder ignored the fathers warning, and he stabbed at the intruder with the poker.


    "Thats dangerous, man."


    The intruder grabbed the poker with ease. He held the red-hot poker barehanded, scorching his palm with a sizzling sound. Yet not even a groan leaked out of him.


    "Ugh!"


    The intruder forcefully tugged on the poker. The father lost his only weapon and fell to the ground.


    "Ah, its perfectly heated."


    The intruder pressed the poker against his wounded shoulder and cauterized the open cut.


    <em>Thump, thump.</em>


    The intruder chucked the firece poker back into the firece and walked further inside.


    <em>''He''s huge.''</em>


    The family members all widened their eyes in shock. The intruder was arge man, obviously a warrior. He had two axes on the back of his waist and a sword at his side. Thankfully, he was wearing a pair of trousers but his upper body was mostly bare, covered only by a fur cloak.


    "Were you guys in the middle of dinner?"


    The intruder dipped some bread into the fish soup and gulped it down in one bite. Then he scooped up a handful of fish meat from the soup and shoved it into his mouth.


    <em>Chew, chew.</em>


    He just ate away after breaking into a strangers house. The family members, huddled in a corner of the room, watched him warily.


    "My name is Urich."


    Urich wiped his fish-oil-stained hands on his fur cloak and extended his hand for a handshake. The family was taken aback by his unexpectedly formal demeanor.


    "M-my name is Ges."


    "Just let me stay for a few days. I''ll pay you for the trouble."


    Urich said to the family as he sweated profusely. Although he pretended to be calm, his physical condition was not good. He was seriously wounded from the ambush earlier, so he had toe into the first farmhouse he could find.


    "Honey, let''s just host him for now."


    The wife spoke, and Ges nodded. The intruder was clearly a warrior who had just been in battle. They decided it was better not to provoke him and risk their entire family getting murdered.


    "You, over there," Urich said as he pointed at the daughter of the house.


    "A-are you talking to me?"


    The girl stepped back in confusion.


    "Yes,e over here," Urich spoke irritably. His face was contorted in pain.


    <em>Dammit, I really feel like Im dying here.</em>


    The wound on his belly was too severe. It felt like his intestines could spill out at any moment.


    "D-dont you dare touch my daughter, I wont let you!" Ges threatened, grabbing a kitchen knife in desperation.


    The wife stopped her husband and approached Urich.


    "T-take me instead. My daughter has never been with a man yet..."


    Urich nced at the wife.


    "No, youre too old and dry."


    Urich stood up decisively and drew his dagger.


    "Keep your hands off my family!" Ges cried out and charged at Urich with the knife.


    "My god, this is so annoying."


    Urich swept Ges aside with a swing of his hand, throwing him to the ground.


    "Keugh, not my daughter, you bastard!!!"


    Ges clung to Urich''s leg persistently.


    <em>This shit already hurts and this guy</em>


    Urich just dragged Ges along as he approached the daughter.


    The girl screamed and copsed on the floor.


    "Leave my sister alone!"


    Even the boy tried to attack Urich, who nonchntly moved with the father and son hanging onto him.


    "Come here. Now!"


    Urich grabbed the girl by her hair and swung the dagger.


    <em>Snap.</em>


    The girl stopped screaming and blinked. Urich, having gotten what he wanted, returned to the dining table.


    "M-my hair?"


    Urich had cut just enough of the girl''s hair. The family finally let go of their grip on him.


    Urich exhaled deeply and twisted the girl''s hair into a makeshift suture thread. He and his fellow tribe warriors believed that wounds stitched with young female hair healed better.


    <em>''Normally, these wounds end up being the end...''</em>


    Even if the intestines were pushed back and stitched up, most died. Urich had seen countless warriors die from such injuries.


    "What are you looking at? Just take this and finish your dinner."


    Urich looked at the family, took some gold coins out, and tossed them.


    "G-gold coins!"


    Ges picked up the coins in surprise. Each was worth a hundred thousand cils.


    "My eyes are getting blurry."


    Urich murmured as he took out a needle made from a beast''s fang. The needle made from a beast and a girl''s hair both had magical significance. They were the best suturing tools that Urich knew of.


    Urich slowly rxed his muscles and stitched the wound.


    Oof.


    The family finally saw Urich''s injury. A bloody line crossed his belly, with flesh bing nearly visible with each breath he took.


    <em>''Eating is out of the question.''</em>


    With such a scene beside them, it was impossible to eat.


    "You all go to your rooms."


    Ges sent the children to their rooms and proceeded to watch Urich from a distance.


    "Your wound looks serious."


    "I might be a corpse by the morning."


    Urich replied calmly. He had just fought off ten men in a fight where he was surrounded. They werent just any men, they were well-trained regr soldiers. Though he had picked up a serious injury, surviving was an achievement by itself, and he was proud.


    "Damn."


    Urich cursed, his hand trembling. His fingers didnt move the way he wanted them to, and the needle kept missing its mark.


    "When are you going to finish at that rate? Let me do it."


    The wife said as she approached Urich. Urich stared at her for a brief second then handed the needle over.


    <em>Thats pretty impressive.''</em>


    Urich was surprised by her bravery and scratched his head.


    <em>''He is a rich man with a lot of gold coins, maybe he''ll give more if we treat him well.''</em>


    That was the wifes thought even in all this. Each day was a struggle with their resources shrinking. The moment she saw the pouch of jingling gold coins, her fears were wiped away.


    She skillfully finished the stitching. After tying up thest knot, she brought hot water and a clean cloth to clean the wound.


    "Mm."


    Urich grunted as the wife washed his wound and wrapped it with cloth. After finishing the job, she extended her hand for payment. Urich, holding his painful belly, chuckled.


    "You have a remarkable wife."


    Urich said to Ges, who just shrugged.


    <em>Clink.</em>


    Urich handed the wife a few gold coins.


    "You can use the room over there while youre staying with us."


    Urich nodded and struggled to his feet, holding his belly. He staggered to the bed.


    <em>''I really need to rest in bed now.''</em>


    Urichid down in the bed, cing his axe by his head.


    "Keke, get lost. Did youe for the smell of death?"


    Urich saw shadows flickering on the ceiling and believed it was an evil spirit watching him. He tried to touch his sun pendant out of habit, but nothing touched his hand. He desperately felt theck of divine protection.


    Huff, huff.


    Urich took deep breaths and closed his eyes. He slept for almost two days straight. He opened asionally whenever there was a noise but closed them again shortly after.


    <em>''It''s hot.''</em>


    Urich suffered from a fever. He went through countless vomiting and diarrhea, losing blood from both ends. He drifted in and out of consciousness several times, lingering on the brink of death.


    The end of a battle didnt always immediately decide life or death. Even a minor wound could be fatal, which is why warriors prayed to their gods. They believed that the protection of their gods could fend off death.


    Urich, still in his bed, felt a movement. He managed to move his fingers and grabbed his axe.


    "Im here to change the cloth."


    The daughter entered. Urich let go of the axe and sat himself up.


    <em>Squelch.</em>


    The daughter removed the old cloth that was stuck to his body from the blood and pus. There was a horrendous stench from the infected wound.


    "My mother said... if you give us more gold coins, she''ll go buy some ointment."


    The girl said bitterly as she changed the cloth. Urich nodded and handed her a gold coin.


    <em>''I wonder if it''s okay to keep taking his money.''</em>


    Urich was a man who came to their farmhouse because he was in need of help. They didnt know why he was injured, but one thing was clear. He had already paid enough.


    The next day, Urich received the ointment and applied it meticulously to his wound. The herbal scent was refreshing, and after a few days, the pus around the wound subsided, centering around the area where the ointment was applied.


    "It''s healing."


    Urich touched his forehead and felt that the fever had subsided. The wound was healing. Having been injured severely countless times, he knew whether he would live or die.


    <em>Grumble.</em>


    Urich, now hungry, stood up. He grabbed three smoked herrings from the firece and chewed them down.


    "Hey! You can''t just eat that without asking!"


    The wife, returning fromundry, scolded Urich as she held out her hand. Urich smiled sheepishly as he licked his greasy fingers clean. He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out another gold coin.


    <em>''A-another gold coin? Exactly how rich is this man?''</em>


    The wife was surprised to see another gold coin. She thought that Urich could be a significant person. That evening, she bought a chicken for dinner and twisted its neck.

 Chapter 105

    <h4>Chapter 105</h4>


    Urich, now deep in the recovery phase, spent his days in bed like a man already dead. The only thing he did was just eat the food brought by the wife or the daughter of the farmhouse.


    "Phew."


    Urich briefly got up and swung his sword slowly, feeling each fiber of his muscles move with the de. He felt a sharp pain as soon as he moved his abs. He checked his body''s condition by touching the painful area.


    <i>''Should be alright as long as I don''t swing too big or hard.''</i>


    He figured he could swing the sword a bit as long as he controlled how much he contracted his abs.


    "This hasn¡¯t been too bad."


    Although they were mostly motivated by money, the farmer¡¯s family took good care of him. Despite the hassle, they brought fresh hot cloth every day and provided ample food. Even Kylios, who was tied outside, seemed to have been fed quite well.


    <i>¡®They like money a little too much, but they¡¯re still good people.''</i>


    Urich eavesdropped on the warm family conversations in his bed. The words they were exchanging were quite heartwarming. With nothing else to do, listening in on the family¡¯s chatter had be his only pastime.


    "Did you move the firewood?"


    "I do it without being told every time."


    "Last time, you left it outside in the rain and it got soaked."


    Their bickering voices reached him as hey looking at the ceiling. A smile leaked out without him even knowing.


    <i>Click-ck.</i>


    Urich heard some footsteps approaching his room. He could tell that it was the daughter right away.


    "Here¡¯s your meal. Today¡¯s menu is..."


    As Urich expected, the daughter entered.


    "Pork today, huh?"


    Urich said as he sniffed, recognizing the smell even before the girl opened the lid.


    "Thanks to you, my brother and I are eating quite well as well."


    The girl decided to express her gratitude. Urich''s presence meant her family wouldn''t have to worry about the winter. They had received enough money from him to livefortably through it and more.


    "Really? That''s good. Eat a lot, it helps your chest grow. Men like women with big chests. You look like you should eat more so you can grow them a lot more."


    Urich said to the girl while eating the pork from the te.


    "G-good to know."


    The girl blushed and replied. She was annoyed but decided not to voice it. He was a guest, and one that paid handsomely.


    <i>''How rude.''</i>


    The girl thought to herself and left the room and closed the door behind her.


    "Hmm, she doesn¡¯t seem too grateful for my great, valuable advice."


    Urich shrugged and chewed the pork. His appetite hadn¡¯t returned yet, but he still forced himself to eat.


    <i>''Maybe I''ll head north.''</i>


    Urich nned to explore both the south and north. He wanted to meet the gods and humans there.


    <i>''Ulgaro.''</i>


    Even the Sword Demon Ferzen had abandoned Lou to put his faith in Ulgaro.


    <i>¡®Just what did Ferzen see in the north? What was it that he found sopelling that it made him abandon his own god?''</i>


    His chewing slowed down. He became deep in his thoughts as he rested his chin on his hand and watched the meat get cold. Without moving his body around, all sorts of useless thoughts roamed freely in his head.


    Ferzen''s ending was a huge shock to Urich. He didn¡¯t know how to put it into words, but it resonated deeply with him. That day, Urich abandoned Lou. Was it out of admiration for Ferzen or mourning for a man who died as a warrior until the very end?


    <i>''If I manage to live to that age, I want to live like Ferzen.''</i>


    Ferzen lived as a warrior, and died as a warrior.


    <i>Chew.</i>


    Urich tossed the remaining meat into his mouth and finished it off in one bite before deciding to go outside to move his stiff body around.


    "Try not to go too far during the nighttime. The area¡¯s not that safe thanks to the poor security around here."


    Ges warned Urich when he saw Urich leaving the house.


    "Thanks for the advice."


    Urich stepped outside and took in the night air. He checked on Kylios in the barn, then walked further.


    "I¡¯m actually alone for a change."


    It was a good feeling. He had left behind Pahell and the mercenaries. It was both sad and liberating. The feeling of not being tied down was something he hadn¡¯t felt in a while.


    <i>''I used to go hunting alone all the time before crossing the Sky Mountains.''</i>


    Whenever Urich wanted some solitude, he used to go hunting to return after a few days. Urich was a skilled hunter who was capable of surviving alone in the wild. Even the chief¡¯s son was jealous of him.


    "Can¡¯t see the mountains from here, obviously."


    Urich looked west.


    In the past, on his lone hunting trips, he would stare at the mountains all night by the dying fire, wondering,<i> ''Is the world of spirits really beyond those mountains?''</i> He wanted to see it for himself if it really was there.


    <i>''But it turned out to be just another ce with people exactly like us.''</i>


    Urich nced back. He saw the farmhouse with its lights still on. They were people just like him.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    Urich kneeled and touched the soil. The dirt trickled through his fingers. It was moist and rich.


    <i>''This is goodnd.''</i>


    The people might be the same, but thend was very different. Urich''s homnd was barren with an uneven climate. The rainy seasons were short while the dry seasons were long.


    <i>''I miss it.''</i>


    He longed for that barrennd. He wanted to smell its scent. It had been over a year since he left his home.


    <i>''But not yet.''</i>


    Curiosity outweighed his longing. A strong desire circled his eyes.


    <i>''Someday I''ll return home. And then I...''</i>


    Urich''s eyes blinked. The darkness as deep as a moonless night squirmed inside him. He saw warriors. The stench of the nonexistent blood reached the tip of his nose. Thend was on fire.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Urich breathed heavily. The wound in his stomach stung.


    ¡°...ahhhhh!¡±


    Urich¡¯s ears twitched from the faint scream.


    He quickly turned his eyes to look in the direction of the distant farmhouse. His eyes widened, and he took off as he grabbed his stomach.


    * * *


    "Keke, the new king is making life more fun for us."


    A bandit stuffed the smoked food hanging by the firece into his sack. His aplices were rummaging through the house, not missing a corner.


    Six bandits had raided the farmhouse. It wasn¡¯t hard to see a bunch of criminals teaming up to work as bandits. Their targets were usually passerby travelers, but they had boldly attacked the farmhouse that was located near the castle.


    "Come on, we gotta move quicker."


    "What''s the hurry? The guards aren¡¯t evening. They haven''t patrolled this area for days."


    The bandits had surveyed the area for several days. After confirming that there were no patrols in the area, they boldly attacked the farmhouse.


    "Long live Varca Baneu Porcana! Hehehe."


    The bandit shouted the new king''s name. The civil war had worsened Porcana''s security. The new king had been anointed, but it was inevitably going to take quite a bit of time for order to be restored. The bandits thought that this was going to be theirst big job, so they decided to go all out.


    "If you stay quiet, you¡¯ll keep your lives."


    Ges''s face was swollen from being beaten after retaliating against the bandits. Powerless, hey on the ground, looking shamefully at his family.


    <i>''Dammit.''</i>


    He had heard of the rise in robberies in the area but abandoning his home and livestock to flee to the castle was not an option for farmers.


    "Woah, would you look at that? Gold coins."


    One of the bandits said after finding the gold coins stored underneath a drawer.


    "How much is all this? Probably over a million cils, easily. Right?"


    "Hold on to that, we can split it evenlyter."


    "I found it, it''s mine. You never heard of ¡®Founders keepers?¡¯"


    "Stop your bullshit. You want to die?"


    The bandits quarreled over the gold coins. Loyalty meant nothing to them; they banded together only because it was more effective than plundering alone.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    A bandit who was quietly watching the quarrel attacked his aplice from behind. The one who had found the gold coins fell to the floor with a thud with a de protruding from his belly.


    "We obviously should split the loot equally. Even bandits need some honor. Dumbass."


    The killer spat on his deadrade''s body, and the five remaining bandits divided the gold among themselves.


    "U-ugh, ugh."


    The daughter covered her mouth. She wanted to scream as loudly as she could. Her legs were shaking in fear.


    "This is more than enough to get us through the winter, thanks! Thanks a lot."


    The bandits mocked as they stuffed their bags full with the money and supplies that the farmer¡¯s family had reserved to get them through the winter.


    <i>¡®If they take that, we¡¯re as good as dead.''</i>


    Without winter provisions, they were certainly going to starve. The post-war winter was expected to be harsh, and no neighbors would have food to spare.


    "...what do you think? The guards aren¡¯ting, anyway."


    The bandits, having packed their loot, started discussing something among themselves. They gestured at the daughter.


    "Alrighty then, let¡¯s just take care of that here too. Hey,dy,e over here for a second. Just let us do what we do, and no one has to get hurt. And who knows? Maybe we''ll change our minds and leave the food for your family."


    ¡°Keke.¡±


    The bandits knew that taking the food meant the family wouldn''t survive the winter. They would likely be found dead from starvation.


    "Please, not my daughter. Anything but her."


    Ges pleaded, only to be kicked in the head by a bandit, knocking him out. The bandit dragged the daughter out by her arm.


    "No, sister!"


    The son tried to get up from his seat as he called out to his sister, feeling the need to protect his family with his father unconscious.


    The daughter suppressed the tears on the verge of flowing out.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let my family get hurt.¡¯</i>


    She bit down on her lower lip and held in her tears.


    "I actually prefer a woman with some experience more than a young one."


    "Ugh, why would you want such an old woman?"


    ¡°It¡¯s called the appeal of someone else¡¯s woman, you wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    The bandits dragged out both the wife and the daughter. The two women clenched their teeth as tears inevitably dripped down their eyes. At this point, anything was better than death.


    ¡°Take your skirts off and open your legs, before I slice them open with this!¡± One of the bandits threatened as he pulled out his dagger.


    <i>''Even in death, you won''t find Lou''s embrace and will be evil spirits, you bastards!''</i>


    The wife cursed internally. She couldn¡¯t bear to look at her daughter.


    ¡°This bitch might be t chested but she has one hell of an ass. You¡¯ve got those child-bearing hips!¡±


    The banditmented on the daughter''s physique as he pped her butt.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Suddenly, something crashed through the window.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    The cool night air rushed inside the house as warm liquid sshed on the daughter''s back.


    ¡°K-kyahhh!¡±


    The daughter looked back and screamed upon seeing the axe embedded in the head of the bandit who was about to vite her. His skull split and blood came pouring out.


    The daughter copsed. The urine that she had managed to hold in until now was released, and the steam with its odor floated up.


    "W-what happened?¡±


    The bandits panicked and picked up their weapons. When they looked out the window, they saw a pair of yellow eyes ring at them.


    Urich burst in, forcefully tearing off the door that was shut closed with a lock. His steamy breath leaked out of the corners of his mouth.


    Urich slowly drew his imperial steel sword. Its gleam was extraordinarily fierce in the candlelight. It was a fine sword that a mere bandit could never see in their lifetime.


    <i>¡®This guy is not a joke. He ripped the door open with his bare hands.¡¯</i>


    The bandits couldn¡¯t attack first. Intimidated by Urich¡¯s aura, they stumbled back.


    ¡°My diligent workers, I see that you¡¯re working hard spilling all that blood, but...¡±


    Urich finally opened his mouth, and there was rage underlying in his voice.


    "...It''s time to close shop."

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    It was an up-close battle inside the narrow house of the farmer. The five bandits struggled to find space to maneuver, but they only ended up getting in each other''s way.


    <em>Crash!</em>


    Urich threw a table, using it to block the bandits'' view, and swiftly swung his sword.


    The bandit who was the closest to Urich became his first target. He raised his sword to try to block Urichs attack.


    <em>aaang!</em>


    The sh highlighted the difference in the quality of their weapons and their strength. Urich easily broke through the bandits de, shing from the bandit''s corbone to his side, literally splitting him in half.


    Gahhhh!


    The bandit, his body split, copsed with a screech. His blood pooled on the floor.


    <em>Ssh.</em>


    Urich quickly set his sights on the next target.


    Eeeek!


    The bandits were already defeated in spirit. They were unable to use their numerical advantage against Urich and were being picked off one by one.


    Oooooh!


    Urich roared and swung his axe, smashing into a bandit''s skull like a hammer.


    Benevolence was a luxury for a warrior. A warrior was supposed to be devoid of empathy orpassion toward his enemy. Understanding the pain of the opponent was a barrier to bing a top-ss warrior. Regardless of the enemy''s circumstances or story, a warrior must be able to take a life without hesitation. The essence of a warrior is not mercy and love but hatred and anger.


    <em>Crunchh!</em>


    Urich grabbed a bandit''s head and thrust it into the firece.


    Kaaaagh!!


    The bandit''s head caught fire. He iled out of pain and panic, but Urich didn''t pull him out of the firece until he was dead.


    Phew.


    Urich withdrew his burned hand and singed arm and brought his eyes to the remaining bandits. They had already lost their will to fight and escape was the only thing left on their minds.


    Hmph.


    Urich grabbed the firece poker from beside the firece and hurled it with force. The poker pierced one of the bandits who were trying to escape and protruded from his mouth.


    "Now just one left."


    Urich muttered, clutching his abdomen. The bloody line across his stomach was evident. His wound seemed to have reopened from the exertion.


    "Y-Youre a monster."


    Thest bandit, seeing hisrades killed one by one, was terrified. The level of violence was beyond anything he had experienced. He too had been one to do some cruel things to the people he had robbed in the past, but they were not evenparable to what the man in front of him was showing him. He was treating humans as if they were nothing.


    <em>I have to run.</em>


    The bandit ran toward the window, nning to leap through it to his escape.


    <em>Grab.</em>


    Urich lunged forward and grabbed the bandit''s leg.


    <em>Thud!</em>


    The bandit fell heavily to the floor like a rag. Urich repeatedly lifted him up and mmed him down.


    Gughh.


    The bandit''s pelvis and leg joints dislocated, and he hungidly from the leg that was caught by Urichs hand. He screamed before being smashed to the ground again. His front teeth, which smashed into the ground, shattered and fell out of his mouth. It felt like his head was being overwhelmed by a loud and bright thunder and lightning.


    <em>Crunch.</em>


    Finally, Urich twisted the bandit''s ankle in the opposite direction.


    Ugh, gugh,


    The room was silent. None of the bandits were unharmed. They were all either broken in several ces or were about to die.


    "Dammit."


    Urich looked at his bleeding wound. The cut that was gradually healing had reopened and blood was dripping out of it.


    "Hey... no, never mind."


    Urich started to speak to the cowering family in the corner, then stopped. Their faces were pale. They were trembling out of fear of Urich. The being who had saved them was neither heroic nor holy. It was ruthless, merciless violence that had rescued them.


    <em>Drag, drag.</em>


    Urich dragged the fallen bandits outside the house.


    "Keughhh, p-please let me liv..."


    Urich made sure that any bandits still breathing were finished by shing their throats. His motion was cool and calm as if he was simply wringing a chicken''s neck.


    "I''ll help too."


    Ges, with a swollen face, staggered outside. Urich nodded and gathered the bodies together.


    "I must have missed quite the ordeal while I was out. Even my wife, that tough woman, was terrified. Shes worried we might have to spit out all the gold coins you gave us."


    "It''s fine. I gave you gold coins because I had no change."


    "Try to understand our family''s reaction. Theyve never seen people die like this before."


    Ges nced back at his family, who were still very much fearing Urich.


    "But you don''t seem too scared."


    "I was conscripted twice when I was a young man. Both times were for some lords territorial disputes. I''ve hidden under corpses with intestines spilling out just to survive."


    Ges spoke calmly. Urich wiped the sweat off after piling the bandits bodies together.


    "How will we get rid of the bodies? Dump them in the mountains?"


    Any funeral methods other than cremation were one of the most terrifying things for the followers of the sun god Lou. Without it, souls cannot reach Lou.


    Ges shook his head.


    " No, we''ll cremate them."


    Urich was surprised. His eyes widened.


    "Cremate them? Even though these guys tried to vite your wife and daughter? Are you sane?"


    "They paid for their sin with death. You must surely be a judge sent by Lou."


    Ges spoke faintly. He believed that Urich was an extraordinary warrior. He wiped out every single one of the bandits all by himself. He didn''t think someone of Urich''s caliber would visit by chance.


    <em>This must be Lous revtion.</em>


    Ges prayed and recited Lous name.


    "Bullshit. I have nothing to do with Lou," Urich said as he sat on a log.


    "I simply follow Lou''s teachings. The mercy I show today will return to me in the future. Lou will acknowledge it."


    Ges piled up the wood and poured oil on top of the pile. He ced the lifeless bodies of the bandits and set them aze.


    <em>Crackle, crackle.</em>


    The scent of burning human flesh filled the air. It was indistinguishable from any other meat if one didn''t think of it as a person.


    Urich looked at Ges''s face. He was swollen, but his eyes were at rest.


    "Thanks to you, my son won''t babble about bing a knight now. He''s seen what it means to take a life. Boys his age think they''ll be something grand. One day, out of nowhere, they steal a cow, trade it for a sword, and run off, only to realize toote how lucky they are just to havend they can farm."


    Ges smiled through his split lips.


    Urich and Ges chatted as the bodies burned, exchanging trivial words. As dawn broke and the bodies nearly finished burning, only asional sparks flew.


    Ges nudged the dozing Urich. The two men went back inside.


    "A-ah."


    The girl who was cleaning the blood-stained house stuttered upon seeing Urich.


    Ges looked sternly at her.


    "Thank him properly. He is our savior."


    The girl steadied her heart and cleared her throat.


    "T-thank you for saving us."


    Finally, Ges nodded in satisfaction.


    Urich ate breakfast and went to bed. Unlike the others, who hadpletely lost their appetite after what they had witnessed, he had a hearty appetite and devoured their meat and bread.


    After the meal, the wife brought a clean cloth and tended to Urich''s wound.


    "Here''s a gold coin."


    Urich offered a gold coin as usual, but the wife silently shook her head to refuse the coin and left the room.


    Ges''s family provided for Urich without epting any more money during his stay. He stayed there for three more days.


    "I heard you''re leaving soon," Ges''s daughter said as she entered Urich''s room.


    "Yeah, I have a long way to go. I have to get moving as soon as I can walk properly."


    "I see. This it''s almost winter, and I thought you might need it."


    The girl offered a hand-knitted woolen scarf,rge and long enough to wrap around Urich''s neck and shoulders. Her eyes looked tired like she hadnt been getting much sleep recently.


    "Huh, this is the first time I''m getting something other than a p from a woman," Urich muttered. Hearing this, the girl chuckled and smiled brightly.


    Urich awkwardly wrapped the scarf around his neck and shoulders, struggling to get it right. After seeing him struggle, the girl came up behind him to help.


    "Just wrap it like this to hold it in ce."


    Urich touched the scarf, finding the fluffy sensation not unpleasant. It was even softening his alert senses.


    "It''s white. It will soon be stained with blood."


    Urich spoke of his future.


    "I didn''t have time to dye it."


    "I''ll take care not to stain it with blood."


    Urich almost patted the girl''s head but stopped his hand when he saw her flinch.


    And umm


    The girl hesitated before leaving out the door and looked back.


    Urich, who was poking around his new scarf, looked up.


    "What?"


    "I-I''ll eat a lot and be a big-chested woman."


    She hurriedly closed the door behind her and left, leaving Urich chuckling to himself.


    * * *


    Urich left the farmhouse on Kylios back, with Ges'' family seeing him off. To them, Urich was undoubtedly a hero. He had practically saved their entire family, which is much more remarkable than any king or knight. He was a hero greater than anyone else.


    "Let''s go, Kylios. Gained some weight, have you? Didnt take you too long, did it?"


    Urich tapped Kylios'' sides yfully, and the horse snorted in response.


    It wasnt difficult to pick the next path. Urich just needed to follow a well-trodden path in the northern direction.


    <em>Clop, clop.</em>


    Traveling was no longer an issue for Urich. He was a wealthy traveler, and even without that, he was a survivalist fully capable of sustaining himself in the wild. He camped out in mountains and hunted to keep himself going, and replenished his supplies whenever he came across a vige.


    "Its getting colder. This scarf is reallying in handy."


    The only challenge was the cold. The winter only grew harsher as he traveled further north. His homnd had a warmer climate, so they never had to worry about the cold. Even Urich, as strong as he was, couldnt stand the cold.


    "Woah, woah. What''s that? Theres something there."


    Urich reached a in with low grass. It felt like the cold along with the damp air was making frosts on his face. He rubbed his face to warm up.


    After thawing out of the frost on his face, Urich opened his eyes wide to look straight ahead of him.


    <em>''Someone''s passed out over there.''</em>


    Urich tied Kylios somewhere nearby and approached. A traveler, wrapped in a fur cloak,y on the ground.


    <em>''If he''s dead, I could use his supplies.''</em>


    Urich had been running low on food after passing thest vige over a fortnight ago.


    "Huh?"


    Urich rubbed his eyes.


    Is he a northerner?"


    The weaponsid beside the passed-out traveler looked familiar. They were a round shield and a two-handed axe.


    Sven used to bring these around. I wonder what hes up to now?


    Urich flipped the traveler over with his foot.


    " that answers it.


    Urich muttered in disappointment. It was Sven, passed out with his face pale.


    <em>''He''s still alive.''</em>


    Urich checked Sven''s breathing. It was irregr and slow.


    <em>''Hurry up and light up.''</em>


    Urich quickly gathered dry wood and leaves, creating sparks with flint and steel to start a fire. After a few attempts, he sessfully made a campfire.


    "Hey, gramps."


    Sven didn''t respond. Urich noticed blood on his lips and shirt.


    <em>Did he hurt his guts?''</em>


    But there wasnt a sign of a fight. Had he been attacked by bandits his armor and weapons should have been stolen.


    "Youre sick, huh, Sven?"


    Urich chuckled bitterly. He brewed a meat soup with some jerky and the herbs he''d gathered in the mountains.


    "Eat up, old man."


    Sven struggled to swallow. The meat and soup came spilling out around his beard.


    "Man, do I really have to do this?"


    Urich chewed the tough jerky until it was soft and then mixed it back into the soup.


    "Oop."


    He filled his mouth with the soup and meat, then opened Sven''s mouth. Like a mother bird feeding her young, he transferred the meat soup.


    "Phew."


    After repeating this process several times, Urich rinsed his mouth with water and spat several times.


    "Ptooey, ptooey. Never thought I''d do something like this."


    Urich frowned, sticking out his tongue. It seemed like his efforts were paying off as Sven swallowed the food without spilling it this time.


    Urich dozed off beside the campfire.


    Whether Sven came to or died, it was his fate. Urich had no control over it; he had just done his best.


    "Urich! It seems Ulgaro has guided us to each other. Oh, Ulgaro!"


    Sven''s first words upon regaining consciousness were of thanks to Ulgaro with his arms outstretched.


    "It wasn''t Ulgaro who saved you, it was me, you old fool."


    Urich opened his heavy eyelids andined.

 Chapter 107

    <h4>Chapter 107</h4>


    "How long was I out?"


    Sven checked his equipment piece by piece. It seemed like he hadn¡¯t lost anything while he was unconscious.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m a lucky man. I can¡¯t believe it was Urich who found me.''</i>


    Anyone else, like a bandit or even another traveler, might have stolen his armory at the very least. If really unlucky, he could have been sold into very.


    "I don''t know how long you''ve been out. Anyway, how long have you been feeling ill?"


    "The coughing started up when the civil war began. Never had a cold in my life, but then the coughing got worse, so I knew something was up, kehehe."


    Sven let out a raspyugh. It seemed like breathing was quiteborious for him.


    "You think it¡¯s terminal?" Urich asked as he poked around the campfire with a stick he found.


    "Judging by the bloody cough, it seems my time is limited. I¡¯m feeling less and less energy every day."


    "Where are you trying to go in this condition?"


    "Me? What about you? I thought you''d be enjoying yourself with booze and food in the Uscall territory by now."


    "I really don''t fancy indulgence... it makes my senses dull. Been there before."


    Urich gazed at the dying fire, his eyshes flickering.


    "You are young, and time is on your side. No one would me you for enjoying it a little bit. Cough."


    Sven drank some liquor as soon as he woke up.


    "Warriors don''t die in order of age. Who can guarantee I have more time than you?"


    "So, you left right away, just like that?"


    "Yeah, I thought I¡¯d head north for now. What about you, old man?"


    "I was heading north too."


    Sven looked northward. The sun wasing up, but the moon was still visible in the dawn sky still tinged with blue.


    "What about your other northerners? Did they let a sick old man leave by himself?"


    "In our culture, we leave our tribes quietly when death nears. There is no need to care for the sick."


    "That''s a bit cruel."


    Urich spoke candidly. Back in the Stone Axe tribe, the people cared for the elderly as long as the resources allowed. But when a severe famine came around, the elderly left the tribe on their own.


    "How far north are you going?"


    "As far as my legs take me."


    Svenughed, offering Urich a drink from his leather sk.


    "Kehaha! I wonder how far you¡¯ll manage to go."


    "What about you, gramps? Were you going to just die wandering? You won''t get into the Field of Swords that way."


    Sven hesitated. He was rambling, quite unlike himself.


    "There was someone I wanted to see before dying. I never expected to have this opportunity. I really thought I''d die as a diator or mercenary. Perhaps old age or impending death brings these thoughts... "


    "You have family. "


    "... that¡¯s right. My wife died of illness and my son in battle, but my daughter married into another n. If she¡¯s still alive, she''d be raising children by now."


    "So, you¡¯re going to go see your grandchildren?"


    Sven coughed awkwardly and chose to remain silent. Perhaps, he was embarrassed as a warrior.


    "Anyway, I''m heading north."


    Urich watched Sven, scratching his head.


    "Let''s travel together for now. We¡¯re going the same way, anyway, so might as well."


    Sven didn¡¯t have any reason to refuse. He didn¡¯t show it, but he was also shocked by the fact that he copsed out of nowhere.


    <i>¡®I guess I¡¯m not getting into the Field of Swords.¡¯</i>


    There was no eternal rest for those who died of sickness.


    <i>Thump, thump, thump.</i>


    Sven eyed Urich''s back. The grip of his hand on his axe tightened. He yearned to die by a great warrior''s hand and reach the Field of Swords. It was truly a warrior''s instinct and desire.


    <i>''Father.''</i>


    He heard a voice. His daughter''s face was shing before him. She was hisst kin. Only now, when he was facing his death, he yearned to see her, a desire as strong as his warrior''s instinct.


    "Cough."


    Sven coughed and swallowed the blood rising in his throat.


    <i>''At least until I see my daughter.''</i>


    Hoping his body would hold up, Sven looked up. He spotted his horse that had run away, leaving him behind. After preparing for their departure, he and Urich headed north.


    * * *


    Urich and Sven traveled together to the north with Sven sharing various stories along the way. The two barbarian warriors reached the lower northern territory without any trouble.


    The north was a region of fear and conquest for the civilized. They had resisted the civilization¡¯s invasion and retaliated for a decade. Most, if not all families in the empire had a son who was killed by a northerner in battle.


    "In the deep, frozennds of the north, there are still northern people who haven''t sumbed to the Empire. This includes the sacred site."


    "Sacred site?"


    "It¡¯s the tomb of Ulgaro, also known as ''Mulin''. It means ''cemetery'' in the Northernnguage. I visited there once as a child on a pilgrimage with my father,¡± Sven said as he looked up with his calm eyes.


    As the terrain sloped, Urich and Sven saw winding ridges and stopped their horses on top of one.


    "It''s white."


    Urich said as he squinted against the harsh northern wind. He pulled his scarf up to his nose, his breath visible through it. The horizon from the ridge was stark white as if someone had drawn a white line marking the start of the northernnds.


    "That¡¯s the north over there. We must be at Yabhorn by now."


    Sven smiled. He had finally returned to his homnd.


    "I never thought I''d be back..."


    Sven reined his horse and led the way to rush down the ridge. Urich followed.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    There was enough snow on the ground for the horse hooves to sink into. The winter of the north didn¡¯t allow its snow to melt. Once piled, the snow stayed until the beginning of summer.


    The two men saw a castle wall in the distance. The snow had only melted along the road that people traveled on. People in fur coats nced at Urich and Sven.


    "Stop right there."


    Imperial soldiers near the gate stopped Sven and Urich. Sven frowned, irked at being interrogated by the invaders in his own homnd.


    "We''re just on our way back home."


    "You speak the empire''snguage well. Is he your son beside you?"


    "He''s apanion. We¡¯re traveling together."


    "Hmm. Both of you seem like warriors, are you nning to join Mulin? Where is your pass?"


    "Since when do free men need a pass to travel? We should be free to go anywhere we want."


    "You¡¯re right, you can go anywhere for sure. But not inside the walls."


    Sven''s voice rose in anger, but the soldiers persisted. He continued to refuse their entry and insisted on asking numerous questions.


    "Sven, we won''t get in at this rate. Let''s just go around the walls."


    "We need supplies, Urich. You can¡¯t wander the north without any preparation. Even our horses won''tst."


    Urich decided to stay silent. He understood that Sven knew the northernnds better than he ever could.


    The northernnds that were under the reign of the empire were called the northern Imperial territory. Such territories were ruled by the viceroy and army that the empire appointed himself.


    "This is annoying for us, too. You can¡¯t just waltz over here and ask us to let you in just like that."


    The imperial soldier whom they had been arguing with voiced his annoyance.


    ¡°Since when have you people been the rulers of thisnd? Why does a northern man need your permission to roam the northernnd?¡±


    As Sven growled, the expressions of the imperial soldiers changed. The soldiers on standby behind them reached for the hilt of their swords.


    ¡°Because you lost the war, that¡¯s why,¡± the Imperial soldier snarked.


    Sven¡¯s hands trembled. It was taking everything he had to hold back the rage. There was no point in engaging in a fight here.


    ¡°Sven,¡± Urich calmly called Sven¡¯s name as he looked around their surroundings. There wasn¡¯t a single person who was going to help them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not cause amotion here.¡±


    A northerner hunter intervened Sven and the soldier. He was dressed quite warmly in his fur coat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to cause any trouble,¡± Sven replied.


    ¡°Why are you trying to get inside the walls?


    ¡°We have a long way to go, so we need supplies.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, just camp out here, and I¡¯ll buy those for you and bring them to you. Just tell me what you need.¡±


    The offer sounded great to Sven. He gratefully epted with wide-open eyes and a couple of nods. The hunter received gold coins from Sven and meticulously noted down their needs after receiving payment from Sven.


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Sven replied and lightly nodded.


    "We''re all descendants of Ulgaro, aren¡¯t we? I will be back before dusk tomorrow."


    The hunter left for the walled city.


    ¡°Did you see that, Urich? This is the spirit of the northerners. We are all brothers, helping each other get through our lives,¡± Sven said, stroking his beard.


    Sven and Urich camped beside the road. The wind,den with frost, was bitterly cold. Urich huddled close to the campfire and wrapped his fur cloak tightly around himself.


    ¡°It''s damn cold.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only going to get colder. Cough. But it''ll be easier to spend the night after we receive our supplies tomorrow.¡±


    Urich nced at Sven, worried about his health.


    <i>¡®Even though he¡¯s a northerner, Sven is ill. It¡¯s best to avoid camping as much as possible.¡¯</i>


    After a shivering night, a new day had dawned. Urich and Sven, with stiff eyelids, watched the people passing by outside the city walls.


    ¡°There are a lot of merchants from the empire passing by,¡± Urich said with a yawn.


    ¡°Fur is one of the main imports of the north. They buy good quality fur cheaply here and sell it at a high price in the empire. It¡¯s a profitable business for the empire''s merchants.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I''ve heard of that.¡±


    Urich and Sven sat by the roadside, pathetically putting together and eating a mishmash porridge.


    The empire''s soldiers near the city wall looked at Urich and Sven, clicking their tongues.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like they are mocking us? Should we go beat them up?¡± Urich said, slurping his porridge.


    ¡°Let it be. We¡¯ll be leaving soon, anyway, so let¡¯s not cause any trouble.¡±


    Sven shook his head, looking at the city gate. It was about time for the hunter they asked for supplies to arrive.


    <i>Creaaaak</i>.


    Urich and Sven waited for a while until the night fell and the curfew was in ce again. After watching the gate close. Urich and Sven sighed silently.


    ¡°He got us.¡±


    Sven said bitterly. They had been scammed by a fellow northerner, something unimaginable in the past. Back when they lived in n units, scamming was impossible since everyone was rted and knew each other.


    ¡°The spirit of the northerner? Helping each other get through life? Haha.¡±


    Urichughed heartily, patting Sven¡¯s back. Sven¡¯s shoulders slumped.


    <i>¡®A few pennies don¡¯t matter.¡¯</i>


    But they were warriors. More important than money was their pride and honor. Sven seemed especially deeply hurt, staring nkly at the city wall.


    Urich and Sven waited near the gate again the next day, keeping an eye on the passersby. Naturally, the hunter who deceived them was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had escaped through another passage.


    ¡°How did northernerse to deceive each other like this...¡± Sven said, shaking thest drop of the alcohol he had onto his tongue.


    The Imperial soldiers guarding the city gate watched Urich and Sven. They clearly knew that Urich and Sven had been scammed.


    ¡°How long do you think they¡¯ll hold out?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be gone by tomorrow. I¡¯ll bet fifty thousand cils on that.¡±


    The soldiers bet on how long Urich and Sven would hold out.


    ¡°Who are those vagrants?¡±


    ¡°Ah,mander.¡±


    ¡°Call me Sir Gremor, notmander. I prefer that.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Sir Gremor.¡±


    Gremor was a guardmander who had recently been appointed. As most new hires are, he was meticulous in maintaining discipline among his soldiers.


    ¡°We can¡¯t allow such people to camp near our wall for days. We protect the peace here in the name of His Imperial Majesty!¡± Gremor said, ring at the guards.


    ¡°I will drive them away right this instance.¡±


    ¡°No, I will go down there myself.¡±


    Gremor picked four soldiers. He and the soldiers went down to where Sven and Urich were.


    <i>¡®A knight must lead by example.¡¯</i>


    Gremor preferred direct action overmanding others. He believed his subordinates would naturally follow his lead if he set an example.


    ¡°This new guardmander is a tiresome man.¡±


    ¡°Typical of those uptight ones from the capital, huh?¡±


    The empire''s soldiers whispered behind him.


    Gremor strode toward Sven and Urich.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Sven asked.


    ¡°I am the guardmander. I¡¯ve seen you loitering around our gate for d... Hmm,¡± Gremor stopped mid-sentence, staring intently at Urich.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Urich replied coldly.


    Gremor, resting his chin on his hand, thought for a moment before asking cautiously.


    ¡°Urich?¡±


    He recognized Urich. Urich tilted his head.


    ¡°...The Armor Breaker!¡±


    Gremor eximed to express his awe.

 Chapter 108

    <h4>Chapter 108</h4>


    "You know me?"


    Urich looked at Gremor''s face. Urich was pretty good at remembering faces, but he had never seen Gremor before.


    "Indeed, I do! This is no ce for you to be. Come inside!"


    Gremor spoke heartily, gesturing with his hand. The soldiers behind him stood with puzzled expressions.


    "Let''s go inside for now."


    Sven nudged Urich''s side. Urich followed Gremor inside the city walls.


    "Yabhorn is one of the frontier strongholds of the north. It serves as a bridge between civilization and the north. You should have gotten a pass in the Imperial capital, but you went through the trouble ofing here. With your reputation, it wouldn¡¯t have been difficult to obtain one.¡±


    Gremor headed toward his residence within the territory.


    "I came straight up from Porcana."


    "Ah, by the way, has the civil war in Porcana ended? I heard the prince was faring well, but since I was assigned here, I¡¯ve been out of the loop.¡±


    "The prince won. He had his coronation not long ago."


    ¡°That makes sense. With the Imperial army at his side, how could the rebels even dream of taking the throne."


    Gremorughed. As soon as he saw his servant, he immediately ordered him to treat his guests well.


    "I was worried about not being able to get inside the wall, but you made it easy for us."


    "I am themander of the guard here. If I vouch for someone, no one can stop them. First, warm up."


    At Gremor''s gesture, a servant brought warm honey water for Urich and Sven.


    Urich and Sven felt the warmth and drank the honey water. As soon as the warm honey water entered the system of their camp-frozen bodies, they couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Urich wiped his sticky lips with the back of his hand and asked.


    "Where did you see me? In that jousting tournament?"


    "I saw you for the first time at that duel trial, but I never imagined meeting you here."


    Gremor rested his chin on his hand, gazing at Urich.


    "Well, thanks for the wee."


    "Make yourself at home while you''re here. My servants will take great care of you as they do me. Now, you must excuse me, my duties are not yet finished."


    Gremor left the room first, and Urich and Sven enjoyed a nice, warm meal for the first time in a while. They ate bread and meat, along with a warm soup and drinks to heat their bodies.


    "A room has been prepared for you."


    After the meal, a servant came to take Urich to the guest room.


    "That¡¯s alright, we''re heading out," Urich declined the servant''s guidance.


    "Do you need a guide?"


    Urich looked at Sven, who nodded in agreement.


    "Yes, give us a guide."


    Urich and Sven sat for a bit before heading outside. A soldier was waiting for them.


    <i>''Damn, it''s my day off, and now this...¡¯</i>


    The north alwayscked manpower. The soldier looked at Urich with a frown on his face.


    <i>¡®These beggars outside the wall knew the guardmander. Unbelievable.''</i>


    He was one of the soldiers who had been observing Urich and Sven for days.


    "We are looking for someone," Urich said, fastening his fur cloak.


    "Yabhorn might not be muchpared to the cities in civilization, but it''s still one of the most notable cities in the north. Especially with its bustling trade, finding a person here won''t be easy."


    The soldier grumbled. His afternoon rest waspletely disrupted because of Urich and Sven. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t in a good mood.


    "If you can find the person, you''ll be rewarded. It¡¯ll be a decent pay."


    Urich said, taking out a gold coin. The soldier''s expression changed quickly upon receiving the coin.


    "I said finding someone isn¡¯t easy, but not impossible. I¡¯ll do my best. Just leave it to me."


    "He was dressed like a hunter..."


    Urich described the appearance of the scammer who had taken their money.


    "So, a typical northern hunter. If he has already left Yabhorn, it will be difficult to find him, but if he¡¯s still here, he¡¯ll be enjoying himself with the entertainment establishments. After all, it¡¯s obvious what a northerner with some money would do."


    Sven frowned at the soldier''s words. Urich held him back.


    "Just follow me for now."


    Urich and Sven followed the soldier''s guidance through the streets of Yabhorn.


    "The fact that a sr temple is tantly standing in thend of the north, my god."


    Sven muttered after seeing the temple of Srism. A sun sculpture was prominently embossed on top of the temple entrance.


    "The Subjugation policy was implemented over ten years ago. It¡¯s not that strange anymore. Converting to Srismes with benefits like tax reductions, so a lot of northerners are converting. Frankly, for northerners living in border cities like Yabhorn, which are practically part of the civilized realm now, converting makes their lives easier."


    The soldier shrugged nonchntly. Sven expressed his difort with a sip of his drink.


    "...One must not forget their roots."


    Sven''s muttering was hollow. No one was capable of stopping the tide of change. The defeated northerners were being assimted into civilization.


    <i>Ding, ding.</i>


    The bell rang. As the sun set and people finished their day''s work, they started to fill the streets. The followers of Srism headed to the temple for the evening gratitude service.


    Urich and Sven passed by the temple and entered a tavern. Men who had just finished their days were drinking inside.


    "Normally, a tavern like this isn¡¯t a ce for Imperial soldiers like me. You could easily get beaten up by an angry northerner. Ten years have passed, but the emotional rift is still there."


    Exactly as the soldier said to Sven and Urich, the looks they received were far from friendly.


    "An Imperial soldier? You have the nerveing here without even changing out of your uniform," the tavern owner said.


    "I brought with me true northerners, whom you would appreciate. I¡¯m just guiding them for the day."


    The soldier spoke calmly. He remained unfazed by the jeers around him, not even blinking an eye.


    A soldier stationed in the north had only two fates: die at the hands of a northerner or be a battle-hardened warrior! Those with only ordinary courage didn¡¯tst long in the north.


    "At least this ce still has the smell of the north," Sven said contentedly, ordering honey wine.


    "I haven¡¯t seen you before. What¡¯s your name?" The tavern owner asked.


    "Sven."


    "That¡¯s toomon of a name. Where are you from originally?"


    "I¡¯m Sven of Gorigan."


    The tavern owner''s hand paused.


    "Gorigan? I heard the people there left home looking for the eastern continent?"


    "We encountered a storm and were shipwrecked. I¡¯m guessing only a few survived.¡±


    "Hmm, so the eastern continent is just a myth after all..."


    The existence of an eastern continent was more legend than history even to the northerners.


    "For Gorigan, let¡¯s have a toast. On the house," The tavern owner said. The other northerners in the tavern also raised their sses.


    "To the brave explorers!"


    "For Gorigan!"


    The men exchanged their toasts. Sven quietly raised his ss and then drank it.


    <i>¡®These loafers, posing and showing off...¡¯</i>


    The soldier sitting next to Urich quietly drank his wine and thought to himself. The conflict between civilization and the north had ended long ago. The remaining warriors of the north were nothing more than street thugs, wasting their days away with alcohol and women.


    Their weapons were rusty and chipped, and their potbellies made them look nothing like warriors. Drunk on their past glories, the thugs gathered in taverns every night, spouting dirty talk. The northerners in the tavern vowed to one day again shout the name of Ulgaro and fight while drowning themselves in liquor.


    "Anyway, you''re looking for a scammer?" The tavern owner tilted his head and asked after hearing the end of Sven''s story.


    "Any ideas?"


    "There are too many ideas, that¡¯s the problem. There''s no work in the north. All those warriors are just wasting their days away. They can¡¯t even plunder or wage war because of the empire. The women may chatter about the era of peace, but for a true northerner, it''s like living in hell. In the old days, we fought and killed honestly and took what we wanted, but now it''s the age of scams and thievery."


    The tavern owner rambled. Sven looked around with creaky eyes.


    <i>''So, we¡¯re just warriors in a warless time.''</i>


    He saw the dulled northern warriors who had lost their edge. They were mere shadows of their former selves, in the shape of fleshy blobs.


    "Sven."


    Urich opened his eyes narrowly.


    "It looks like it¡¯s going to be hard to find him, Urich."


    "Nope, I found him. Over there, head down, just waiting for a chance to run. Don¡¯t look that way. Let¡¯s jump him in one go."


    While Sven and the tavern owner were talking, Urich scanned the tavern. He recognized the scammer among the blurred faces. A man, head down, sipping his drink.


    <i>''He has his buddies, four in total. Weapons ced beside them.''</i>


    The soldier listening to Urich panicked.


    "D-don¡¯t cause trouble. I¡¯m the one who will be reprimanded."


    "Don¡¯t worry. Gremor will fully understand that you couldn¡¯t stop me."


    The soldier opened his mouth in disbelief.


    <i>''Who does he think he is, ordering me around like this?''</i>


    To the soldier, Urich was just a young barbarian with a bigger body.


    "Sven, you ready?"


    "I¡¯ll cover the right."


    Urich nodded and looked to the left, mentally mapping the tavern''syout and nning his movements.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich drew his axe and moved to the left. The scammer screamed and drew his sword, as did hispanions.


    "A fight!"


    The northerners in the tavern scattered in all directions, shouting. Some even spilled their drinks in excitement.


    <i>''These guys have slow reactions.''</i>


    Urich rolled his eyes, assessing his opponents. He had plenty of time to do just that.


    <i>¡®Are Sven and the other northerners in the mercenary squad just exceptional?''</i>


    That was indeed the case, as they were warriors handpicked by Sven. Sven and they were among the best in the north.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Urich had no intention of holding back. He swiftly swung his sword, slicing the neck of one of the enemies.


    "D-did he really kill him?"


    The tavern murmured. It had been a long time since a murder urred.


    "Woahhh!"


    Sven roared and swung his one-handed axe like he was never sick. He was a warrior who had fought all his life. Although his prowess had declinedpared to his prime, his experienced skill remained unvanquished.


    <i>¡®Oh my, heavens. He really killed someone.¡¯</i>


    Urich''s eyes gleamed as he searched for the next target.


    "I, I''m out of this!"


    A northerner, who was drawing his weapon, raised his hands to surrender and awkwardly backed away.


    "Hey there, scammer."


    Urich tapped the man¡¯s shoulder with the t of his sword. The cornered scammer drew his axe.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich swung his sword. The scammer¡¯s axe flew off and buried itself in the wall.


    ¡°Geughhh.¡±


    The scammer groaned, clutching his palm where the skin had been peeled off by the force of Urich¡¯s swing.


    <i>¡®How, why is he so strong.¡¯</i>


    The situation ended swiftly. Urich and Sven had gotten the scammer.


    "H-hey! I''ll give you back the money! No, I¡¯ll give you double!"


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Urich sheathed his sword and drew his axe.


    ¡°This man lied to me and stole my money!¡±


    Sven shouted to the other northerners in the tavern, seeking their approval.


    ¡°Liars should have their tongues cut out!¡±


    ¡°He practically stole from you, so chop off his hand too!¡±


    The crowd eagerly chattered, excited by the spectacle.


    "Wait! He might be a bit slow, but he is my cousin."


    A man with a deep scar on his cheek walked out from among the spectators.


    ¡°P-please, save me, Orgnal!¡± The scammer whimpered.


    "The ¡®Smileless¡¯ Orgnal!"


    The people in the tavern murmured. Smileless Orgnal was a famous warrior in Yabhorn. Ever since he got the scar on his face, his lips never curved up, always bearing a perpetually angry expression.


    <i>¡®Orgnal is dangerous. There are rumors he¡¯s involved in assassinations.¡¯</i>


    The soldier flinched. He couldn¡¯t let Urich and Sven die here; after all, they were guests of the guardmander.


    "Dammit, should I call themander?"


    The soldier looked around and slowly started heading toward the door.


    "I¡¯ll pay you back more than fairly, outsider gentleman. So, please let my cousin go."


    Orgnal spoke casually, raising his hand as three men armed themselves.


    "I¡¯ve already seen blood here. Then we should see it through, no?"


    Urich grabbed the scammer by the hair and mmed him to the ground. The scammer¡¯s nose broke with a crunch.


    "You might have been considered strong outside, but this is Yabhorn. And I am Orgnal. The name Smileless Orgnal makes people here steer clear," Orgnal spoke emotionlessly and his lips moved slightly unnaturally.


    "How famous is this name of yours, Orgnal?" Urich grinned broadly.


    "In Yabhorn, there¡¯s no one who doesn¡¯t know my name."


    ¡°Haha, then you''re not as famous as I am. I''m Urich.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of that name. Sounds like you need to be taught a lesson in blood.¡±


    Orgnal slowly drew his sword. Urich also ced his other hand on his axe.


    The soldier who had guided Sven and Urich hurriedly left the tavern. He went straight to find the guardmander, Gremor. It was just his luck that there were no patrolling soldiers in sight. It wasn¡¯t umon for soldiers to not patrol near taverns frequented by northerners. Such ces were almost like extraterritorial zones, where interference was minimal.


    Gremor was just leaving his office after finishing work.


    ¡°What''s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Huff, huff. There¡¯s a f-fight, sir. A big fight has broken out. Urich and Sven, your guests, are in a brawl with Orgnal.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Gremor spoke calmly. The soldier raised his voice in frustration.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Smileless Orgnal! You might not know, being new here, but he''s considered very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I am well aware. There are rumors he¡¯s secretly involved in assassinations. I¡¯ve been nning to arrest him as soon as he shows any sketchy signs.¡±


    ¡°Your guests might get killed!¡± The soldier shouted, and Gremorughed out loud.


    ¡°You say that because you don¡¯t know who my guest is. That man is Urich. A warrior once famous in the capital. Winner of the Hamel Jousting Tournament, and before that, known as the Armor Breaker. Compared to him, Orgnal is merely a local thug. If Urich gets killed by Orgnal... well, then I¡¯ve misjudged the man.¡±


    Gremor leisurely gathered his gear and summoned ten soldiers. He headed toward the tavern where the fight was imminent.

 Chapter 109

    <h4>Chapter 109</h4>


    ''Smileless'' Orgnal was a warrior rich inbat experience. He had been taking assassination inquiries ever since the war ended, which allowed him to maintain his sense of killing.


    The instinct for murder was crucial for a warrior. No matter how much one sharpened their skills through spars and training sessions, without the experience of real killing, they could never be a true warrior. To be a real warrior, one had to be able to ruthlessly take the life of their opponent. Hesitation was something that could be felt in the sword of a warrior unustomed to killing.


    <i>''I am the one to fear in Yabhorn.''</i>


    Everyone in Yabhorn feared Orgnal. They shrank away in his presence.


    Even the Imperial soldiers didn''t dare provoke Orgnal. The northerners followed strong warriors, and provoking Orgnal could lead to a riot. In the days of n society, Orgnal would have been a war leader or a tribal chief.


    The tide of the times was cruel. The north was no longer a world of warriors. The strength of a warrior alone could not grasp everything. Warriors who would have been glorified in the past were now mere street thugs.


    "Keeeuf!"


    Orgnal took a deep breath, waking his mind. His reminiscing of the past ceased in an instant.


    "You there?"


    Urich shook Orgnal''s cor. Orgnal''s face was swollen and puffy.


    <i>''What happened?''</i>


    Orgnal''s memory was fuzzy from being struck in the head. He couldn''t even recall what had just happened.


    <i>''My men...''</i>


    Orgnal''s followersy sprawled on the ground. Some had their limbs severed.


    "Smileless Orgnal? So, you really don¡¯t smile, huh? But look, you''re smiling so pretty right now."


    Urich grabbed the corners of Orgnal''s mouth and pushed them up and down. Orgnal felt his vision warping. Without a sense of direction, he was unable to stand properly.


    <i>¡®Did he beat me?''</i>


    Bits of memory starteding back to him. He couldn''t stand by as his cousin was being beaten by a foreigner. So, he challenged them to a fight.


    <i>''I was confident. We outnumbered them, and I didn¡¯t think my skills wereckingpared to them.''</i>


    Orgnal had witnessed an unreal scene. Each swing of Urich¡¯s arm sent one of his men flying.


    <i>¡®I drew my sword.¡¯</i>


    Only then did Orgnal look at his right hand. His fingers were all broken. He felt a searing pain.


    The moment Orgnal drew his sword, Urich threw his axe, hitting Orgnal''s hand. The back of the axe struck, not severing the hand, but breaking the fingers and making him drop the sword.


    "Ughhh."


    Orgnal grasped his shattered fingers. The bone fragments that were piercing through the skin were sharp and jagged.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich struck down on Orgnal''s face with the base of his fist. Orgnal screamed, clutching his face. The impact burst one of his eyeballs, making a squelching noise. His copsed face was grotesquely distorted.


    "Orgnal... lost...."


    The tavern buzzed. Orgnal''s gang was decimated in an instant with all of them suffering clearly serious injuries.


    "Now, no one will interrupt me cutting off your hand."


    Sven spat on the floor and raised his axe. The scammer screamed in terror.


    "Wait! S-stooop! Ahhhhh!"


    With a swift motion, Sven swung his axe. Like meat on a butcher''s block, the scammer¡¯s hand dropped to the floor.


    "A-aaahhhh!"


    The scammer rolled on the floor, screaming, clutching his severed wrist. Blood sttered in all directions.


    The northerners watched the bloody scene with wide eyes. The thrill of ughter they had forgotten was right there. Their hearts pounded and their blood boiled. They too had once lived on battlefields tangled with blood and iron. Urich and Sven possessed the warrior spirit they had lost.


    "Sven, you should also cut off his tongue."


    Urich said, throwing Orgnal against the wall.


    "I know. Don''t treat me like a senile old man."


    Sven pulled out a dagger from his waist. The well-maintained dagger had a sharp de.


    "I never did, don¡¯t put words in my mouth."


    Urich looked around. It seemed no one else was willing to jump in.


    "Gguk, gguk."


    The scammer desperately kept his mouth shut. Sven, with a troubled expression, pped the scammer across his face.


    "Hey, open up, it''ll be over before you know it."


    Who would willingly open their mouth knowing their tongue was about to be cut off? The scammer just shook his head.


    <i>Tug.</i>


    Sven grabbed the scammer''s lower jaw and pulled. The jaw dislocated, and the mouth dropped open.


    "Ughhh!¡±


    The scammer struggled, but Sven had already grabbed and pulled out his tongue.


    <i>Squeeeelch</i>.


    A gruesome sound followed. The severed tongue twitched on the table.


    "Gurk, gurk."


    The scammer spat out the blood filling his mouth, writhing in agony. He scratched the ground desperately out of pain with his nails.


    "Barkeep! We¡¯re sorry for the mess. Here, take this."


    Urich rummaged through the pockets of the fallen enemies and pulled out their money. He gathered the coin pouches and tossed them to the tavern owner.


    "It''s the Imperial army!"


    Someone in the tavern shouted. The northerners scattered in all directions, and Imperial soldiers walked in. Gremor was at the center of them.


    "It really is Orgnal. Is he alive?"


    Gremor looked at the fallen Orgnal. One of the soldiers approached Orgnal.


    "He''s still breathing, sir."


    "He won¡¯t be for much longer in that state, anyway. Leave him be."


    The tavern''s patrons swallowed hard, observing the situation.


    <i>''Those foreigners will be arrested now. After causing such a chaos...'' </i>That was what everyone was thinking.


    Gremor lifted his eyes to look at Urich and Sven.


    "You''ve caused quite a scene, Urich."


    "They attacked first. I was only after the one who tricked us."


    Urich shrugged his shoulders, gauging Gremor''s reaction. He still held his weapon tightly, ready to fight if it were toe down to that.


    "No need to be on guard. I have no intention of fighting someone of your renown," Gremor assured Urich as he spread his arms.


    <i>''He really beat the shit out of Orgnal.''</i>


    The soldier who had summoned Gremor was wide-eyed. The scene clearly showed Urich''s overwhelming victory. Urich and Sven were unscathed, while the other northerners were on the floor, most in a bloody pulp.


    "Is that man famous?"


    The northerners murmured, watching Gremor''s reaction. In the empire, Urich''s name might be known to anyone who wielded a sword, but his fame hadn''t reached the north.


    <i>''Fame.''</i>


    Urich muttered to himself. Ferzen the Sword Demon had once made enemies kneel with his mere reputation.


    <i>''My name must not have reached this far.''</i>


    Urich felt a tinge of envy. Ferzen was renowned not only in the civilized world but also in the south and north. He was a living legend, an immortal knight.


    "There''s no need to intervene in every fight that breaks out over a drink. Clean this up."


    Gremor gestured to his soldiers. Urich and Sven were let off without any punishment.


    <i>''If I had been an unknown barbarian warrior, Gremor would have tried to arrest me. In fact, I wouldn''t have even been allowed inside the city walls.''</i>


    Gremor harbored goodwill toward Urich, purely based on his reputation. Urich was a famous warrior, and Gremor wanted to befriend him.


    "Let''s go back together, Urich," Gremor said again as he yet again greeted Urich warmly.


    "Who is that guy? Why is the guardmander being so nice to him and letting him off the hook?"


    The soldiers following behind were muttering in confusion.


    "I heard he was the winner of thest Hamel''s Jousting Tournament?"


    "Why is someone like that here? Normally they would be in the Order of Imperial Steel."


    "Who knows."


    The Hamel Jousting Tournament was well-known even amongmon soldiers. Its winner would be weed even in the Order of Imperial Steel.


    "I didn¡¯t think that tournament was going toe in handy in a ce like this."


    Urich shrugged his shoulders. His experience in the jousting tournament had be a significant asset for him. Many people knew his name, and their reactions were usually favorable.


    Back at the mansion, Gremor prepared a banquet as he removed his armor. He generously offered good wine and salted meat.


    "I was nning to deal with Orgnal soon myself, anyway. In a way, you''ve done my job for me."


    Gremor was also unperturbed by the murder Urich hadmitted. It would have been an issue if an Imperial had died, but everyone injured or killed in this incident was a northerner.


    The mood of the drink table warmed up. Gremor praised Urich''s skills, elevating his mood. Urich, feeling good, kept drinking.


    "By the way, just out of curiosity, is your destination Mulin?"


    Gremor asked cautiously, thinking Urich was a northerner.


    <i>''Rumor has it that the Prince of Porcana, no, he¡¯s the King now. Anyway, he is on friendly terms with him.''</i>


    Gremor had a reason for being overly kind to Urich. Although Urich was a barbarian, he was a jousting tournament champion and had connections with royalty. Establishing a connection here could be beneficial in the future.


    "Sven, where were we heading again?"


    Urich, responding to Gremor''s question, tilted his head and asked Sven.


    "Marldalen."


    Sven answered briefly and got back to his drink. He wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of the gathering with Gremor, but it was an undeniable truth that themander''s goodwill had made things easier, so he attended without a fuss.


    "Ah! Marldalen! I¡¯ve heard the timber from there is of excellent quality!"


    Gremor pretended to know what he was talking about. However, the north''s specialties really were timber and fur.


    ¡°And what about going to Mulin? Is there a reason we shouldn¡¯t go there?¡± Sven asked sharply. Gremor hesitated before answering.


    ¡°Soon, there might be a military sh with Mulin. Mulin is still inhabited by northerners who haven¡¯t submitted to the empire. Until recently, there had been no trouble between us and them, buttely, warriors from Mulin have started attacking trade caravans and raiding viges within the empire¡¯s northern domains. The situation has worsened to the point where the northerners themselves are asking us to exterminate Mulin¡¯s warriors.¡±


    Sven¡¯s eyes widened, but he soon nodded.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s not that surprising. We were always enemies with each other, after all.¡¯</i>


    Before the empire¡¯s invasion, the north was divided into various tribal alliances. Resources were always scarce in the north and raiding each other was a part of life. In this cycle, weaker tribes disappeared while stronger ones survived.


    Ironically, the northerners started to develop a unified identity only after the Imperial invasion. Faced with amon formidable enemy, the northerners began to unite. But before a unified north could fully form, they were defeated by the empire.


    ¡°We¡¯re not heading to Mulin,¡± Sven dered.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. There are caravans passing through Yabhorn heading to Marldalen. If you want, I can connect you with them. Traveling with a caravan could be more convenient for many reasons. The northern winter is harsh, especially for travelers.¡±


    Gremor offered kindly. Sven, despite his dislike for the imperial invaders, did not show hostility toward the amiable Gremor.


    <i>¡®But to think that Mulin¡¯s warriors are attacking fellow northerners.¡¯</i>


    Sven bitterly smiled. The taste of the wine turned even more bitter. Mulin had long been a sacred ce for northerners. Even the warring northerners behaved themselves in Mulin. It was, after all, the resting ce of Ulgaro.


    It had been five years since Sven left his homnd. Not an extremely long time, but much had changed. Now, it was an era of chaos, a mixture of barbarism and civilization. It was overwhelming for those resistant to change.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110


    Marldalen was a vige nestled in the forest. Most of its people were involved in the lumber business, and the timber produced in Mardalen flowed into the empire through the caravans.


    The white and straight birch trees stood out the most in the forest. The birch forest had an almost mystical air, as if spirits or fairies could dwell within its silence.


    "Well be in Marldalen soon," one of the merchants of the caravan announced.


    Urich and Sven had joined a caravan for their journey to Marldalen.


    "Ugh, Im still tired no matter how much I sleep."


    Urichined as he stretched his body on top of the carriage''s cargo. The cold weather had left his muscles frozen solid, leaving him with considerable stiffness.


    "Youll be able to sleep in a warm bed soon enough."


    "Thats if your daughter wees us."


    "I am her father. Its only right for a daughter to wee her father."


    Sven stated firmly. His only remaining family was his daughter.


    Like many ces in the north, Marldalen was originally the name of a n. About a decade ago, Svens daughter married into the Marldalen n, and Sven received two cows and five sheep in return.


    "The walls are made of wood here."


    Marldalen was a small vige. The people were wary of outsiders.


    "We''re here. Help us unload our cargo."


    The caravan leader asked Urich and Sven. The caravan had allowed them to join their trip in exchange forbor.


    "Hup, you stay right there, you oldy. Take it easy."


    Urich yfully pped Svens chin. Svenughed heartily, looking at Urich.


    "Hey, our deal was that both of you were going to help... well, never mind."


    The caravan leader stopped his own sentence. He saw Urich carrying a box in each hand, easily carrying what would normally take three men.


    "He definitely uses his size, thats for sure," the other porters murmured among themselves as they watched Urich work.


    Sven walked around the vige while Urich worked. Vigers gathered near the caravan to haggle for the merchandise. Among the crowd were many women who were attracted to the luxury goods and trinkets made in the empire.


    "Do any of you know an Irene from Gorigan?"


    Sven asked the vigers. Irene was amon name in the north, but there would be only one Irene from Gorigan.


    "Irene, thatdy! Shes from Gorigan."


    "Yes, yes, youre right!"


    The womenughed and chattered among themselves.


    "And who might you be?"


    Sven hesitated for a moment before responding.


    "I am Irenes father."


    The women exchanged looks with each other.


    "Just go straight down the main road and ask around. Everyone here knows where each other lives."


    "Thank you."


    Sven nodded. By then, Urich had finished unloading the caravans cargo and had left them.


    "Did you find your daughter?"


    "Ill find her soon."


    Urich and Sven continued their search on their horses. It didnt take long for them to grab the attention of the locals. Two outsiders, warriors with weapons, at that, drew wary nces.


    "We are looking for Irene of Gorigan."


    "Go past five more houses that way."


    Sven''s steps slowed. Urich silently watched his back. Svens hesitation was evident.


    <em>Is it hard for him to face his daughter?</em>


    Urich didnt understand Svens feelings but he decided to wait for him patiently.


    <em>Knock, knock.</em>


    After a while, Sven finally knocked on the door.


    "Who is it?"


    A voice came from inside.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    The door opened. A woman stood with an apron around her waist. She wiped the water on her hands on her apron and looked up.


    "Ffather?"


    The womans eyes widened in surprise. Sven awkwardly nodded.


    "Its been a while, Irene."


    Sven said as he cautiously waited for his daughters reaction.


    The girl who cried all night because she didnt want to marry a stranger had now be thedy of the house. Her delicate hands had be rough from household chores, and her tightly tied hair was coarse. She had a determined look, much like her father, Sven.


    "you were alive!"


    Irene eximed, embracing Svens neck. Sven held back the tears welling up in his eyes.


    In truth, Sven hadnt thought much about his daughter since he sent her off. Continuing the family lineage and passing on hisbat skills was reserved for his son. And now, he came looking for his daughter with an old and ailing body.


    <em>How shameless am I?</em>


    Sven patted Irene on the back with his thick hand.


    "Ah, look at me, where are my manners? Come in,e in. And who might this be?"


    "He is a friend of mine."


    "You have a young friend. Hello." Irene smiled at Urich. It was a warm smile.


    <em>She noticed my age right off the bat. I guess she really is a northerner.</em>


    Urich was secretly pleased. In the empire, everyone treated him as if he were a fully grown man.


    "She''s really weing. I guess thats family," Urich murmured from behind Sven.


    The inside of the house was warm from the firece. Irene pointed to some chairs and asked them to sit for a moment. Sven and Urich took a seat and looked around the house.


    "You keep the house clean."


    "Of course."


    "And your husband?"


    "He''ll be back before sunset."


    Irene was boiling some water in the kettle with her back turned. Shortly after, warm honey water was served.


    "I heard the people of Gorigan went in search of the eastern continent. I never thought I''d see you again, dead or alive. What about mother?"


    "She couldnt ovee her illness. She didnt even get to go on the boat."


    Irene wiped her eyes briefly.


    "So, that great Gorigan vanished overnight."


    Sven''s n, Gorigan, was a tribe of considerable size and power, enough to receive tributes from surrounding ns. It was their power that allowed them to embark on the quest for the eastern continent in the first ce.


    Many stories made their way back and forth between the father and daughter. Each recalled events that had transpired, with even the taciturn Sven talking more and more.


    "Mom! Huh?"


    Suddenly, the door burst open. A boy, not yet a teenager, ran into the house, covered in dirt.


    "Who are these people?"


    The boy looked at Urich and Sven.


    "This is your grandfather and his friend."


    Irene answered the boys question as she dusted the dirt off him.


    <em>Thump.</em>


    Sven put down his cup of honey water abruptly. His eyes were trembling.


    "I-is this, my grandson?"


    Sven stuttered. His beard quivered with the corners of his mouth.


    "Yes, he is nine this year. His name is Karhi."


    Irene introduced her son. Karhi looked up at Sven.


    "Oho! You are my grandson! This boy is my grandson! Urich! I have a grandson!"


    He had expected this, and he knew it in his head. As long as nothing unusual had happened, he would have had a grandchild. But seeing the boy in person, he couldn''t contain his excitement.


    "Whoa!"


    Sven lifted Karhi high. The boy was startled at first, thenughed.


    "Yes! You are my grandson! Karhi! Karhi of Marldalen!"


    Sven eximed joyfully. His booming voice carried to the neighboring houses.


    "Ive warmed up some water, so you should wash up first. You need some rest after all that traveling."


    Irene pointed to the bathtub.


    Sven and Urich took turns in the bathtub. The warm water rxed their tense muscles, making them feel like they were melting away. Urich closed his eyes and enjoyed the bath with a content expression.


    "I never knew soaking in warm water could be this blissful."


    "This is one of the north''s delights."


    Sven, who hade out of the bathtub first, said as he dried himself with a towel. He walked over to Urich and whispered.


    "Urich, dont mention that Im ill. I dont want her to worry."


    "Got it."


    Sven, eager to see his grandson, quickly left the bathroom as soon as he dried off.


    Urich sat in the bathtub, listening to the chatter of Sven and his grandson outside. The dirty debris floated on the surface of the bath.


    Here, let me add some more water.


    Irene entered and said to Urich. She scooped out the dirty water and threw it outside and added hot water to raise the temperature.


    Ah, thank you.


    You must be a warrior as Id expect from my fathers friend. So many scars, and a strong body. I see why my father calls you a friend despite your young age. And youre even bigger there than my husband. Women must like you.


    Irene casually nced at Urichs naked body before leaving. Urich shrugged and smiled.


    Urich, youll catch a cold if you fall asleep in the water.


    Urich dozed off, then lifted his head. The water had cooled quite a bit as he was falling asleep.


    Ille out soon.


    Urich dried off and looked at the clothes Irene hadid out. They were a bit small but wearable nheless.


    <em>She is a good woman.</em>


    Urich chuckled as he clumsily put on the clothes.


    Hello, Urich. Ive already heard about you from my father-inw. My name is Durigand, Irenes husband.


    Durigand extended his hand heartily. Urich shook hands with him.


    Nice to meet you, Durigand.


    Durigands hand was quite rough. He had the hands of a lumberjack.


    A warm dinner weed them. Despite the sudden visit, Durigand showed no displeasure in hosting Sven and Urich.


    But I see no weapons in this house. Werent you a warrior as well, Durigand?


    Sven asked Durigand. He had sent his daughter to marry a warrior. In the north, a mans primary role was always a warrior.


    A moment of silence ensued. Durigand scratched his head and opened his mouth hesitantly.


    Ive stored my battle axe and shield in the cer. Ive had no use for themtely.


    A man should always be ready to protect his family. Its best to keep your weapons where you can see them.


    Sven remarked, somewhat disapprovingly. Northern men had forgotten how to fight. The empire had taken away their battles and given them peace in return, leaving no tribal battles or stealing.


    Father, theres no need to fight anymore.


    Irene said, to which Sven rolled his eyes. Durigand quickly waved his hand.


    He is right, Irene. You never know what might happen. I should have my weapons ready for use just in case.


    Exactly, thats a northern man right there.


    Sven smiled to show his satisfaction. Irene looked at Sven with displeasure.


    Anyway, Ive prepared a ce for you to sleep. How long are you nning on staying?


    Not too long. I just wanted to see your face.


    Irene finally rxed her expression.


    I missed you too, Father. Though, I did resent you at first when I came here as a bride.


    Durigand was a good man. I knew you would be happy with him. He is a man of strong responsibility, Sven looked at Durigand and said. Durigand smiled shyly.


    Well, that, you were right about, Father.


    Irene kissed Durigand on the cheek and smiled.


    After dinner, Urich and Sven stepped outside. They went to the stable to check on the horses and breathed in the night air.


    Cough.


    Sven covered his mouth as he coughed. Blood stained his palm.


    The night air isnt good for the sick. You should head inside now, Urich said to Sven as he nodded toward the house.


    If I ever  Sven looked at Urich with anxious eyes.


    I know, I know. Ill send you to your Field of Swords, old man.


    I can trust you. You are a true warrior.


    Sven washed the blood around his mouth to hide his sickness before going back inside the house.


    Ulgaro, please hold on just a bit longer.


    After making sure he had no blood stains, Sven went back inside the house.


    The air inside the house was different from that of the outside. It was warm inside. That was where Irene, Durigand, and Karhi were.

 Chapter 111

    <h4>Chapter 111</h4>


    The northern nights were long, and even the sun seemed pushed away by winter.


    "It''s still dark."


    Urich woke up in his bed. It was still pitch ck outside. Those ustomed to the northern weather hadn''t risen yet. Even Sven, who had grown familiar with the empire over the years, was still sound asleep, exhausted.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich grabbed his weapons and carefully slipped out to the backyard.


    "Hoo."


    Urich¡¯s chest swelled with the night air.


    The darkness unsettled him. Before, he was never afraid of the dark. He often stared right into it even in his childhood.


    <i>¡®When I gaze into the flickering darkness, it feels like they are watching me.¡¯</i>


    The wandering evil spirits roamed aimlessly. Urich blinked several times.


    He had lost the blessing of god. Evil spirits eagerly awaited his death. They were those like Urich, who had lost their afterlife. Perhaps they were his brethren or ancestors.


    "Do you think I destroyed your world?" Urich spoke into the darkness.


    He had crossed the Sky Mountains, witnessing the world of humans, not spirits. The souls who crossed the mountains in search of the afterlife became wandering evil spirits because of Urich.


    "Hmph."


    Urich chuckled, twirling his axe. His muscles warmed up, and pale steam rose from his body.


    <i>¡®The Owl Stance.¡¯</i>


    He set down the axe and drew his sword. Then, he got himself into the stance he learned from the Sword Demon Ferzen.


    It was a high-raised sword stance that was named after a hunting owl. It was also the mostmon in a knight¡¯s swordsmanship. The attacks from the Owl Stance were shy and aggressive.


    "Hupp."


    Urich breathed in and out. As he steadied his breath, he slowly swung the sword.


    Daybreak approached. No matter how deep the darkness, the sun always came up. Urich watched the sunrise as he wiped his sweat away.


    Morning in Marldalen began. The hostess, Irene, was busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen.


    The breakfast she prepared was mainly bread and meat soup. Durigand ate quickly as if he was in a rush and left with his axe.


    "Looks like lumbering is busy," Sven said as he watched Durigand leave. Irene replied while clearing the empty tes.


    "We make just enough to get by with his job selling wood. We have to work hard."


    Urich and Sven were practically idle in this vige. Marldalen was a ce without fights. Without battles, warriors existed with no purpose. Like countless northern warriors who lost their purpose, Urich and Sven spent their time aimlessly.


    "Yawn."


    After breakfast, sleepiness overwhelmed Urich. He watched Sven and Karha in the backyard.


    Sven was teaching Karhabat skills.


    "I''ll have to have a word with Durigand when he returns. A nine-year-old boy not yet taughtbat skills..."


    Sven handed Karha an axe. It was a hand axe normally used to chop firewood, but it looked like a battle axe in his small hands.


    "C-can I really swing this at you, Grandpa? This is a real axe."


    Karha questioned as he looked at the axe in his hands. Svenughed heartily, drawing his hand-axe and shield.


    "Swing at this old man all you want. Is there someone you don¡¯t like?"


    Karha thought for a moment, then spoke.


    "Torjan. He always makes himself the leader when we y."


    "Then imagine you¡¯re attacking Torjan. Pour your anger into it. A warrior''s attack should be filled with anger and hatred. That''s the source of power. Alright,e on, Karha!"


    Sven tapped his shield with the axe, but Karha still hesitated.


    "Karha,e on!"


    Sven urged, almost scolding the boy.


    <i>''He¡¯s petrified as he¡¯s swinging the axe.''</i>


    Urich yawned, watching Karha. Not only were his attackscking any rage, they were nervous and almost feeble because of Sven¡¯s intimidation.


    "How do you expect to kill someone with such an attack?"


    Karha closed his eyes and swung the axe. Sven held up his shield, helping him sense the impact.


    "Strike with anger! Like this!"


    Unable to watch anymore, Sven swung his axe in a big motion. Although it didn''t make contact, it was sufficiently threatening.


    "Uh, uhh."


    Karha trembled violently. The initial excitement was nowhere to be found. Sven''s teachings were not child''s y.


    "When I was your age, I beheaded a prisoner captured from a neighboring vige. My father taught me the feel of cutting through a man."


    Sven pushed Karha with his shield.


    "Ugh.¡±


    Karha, hit by the shield, fell to the ground.


    "One more time."


    Sven pushed his shield out, urging Karha to attack.


    Karha was no longer enjoying it. He reluctantly held the hand axe out of his fear of Sven.


    "Durigand hasn''t raised you to be a man. All men of the north be warriors. The sooner, the better. You are of my blood, you will be a great warrior, Karha."


    Sven''s eyes shone with excitement in his voice. He pushed and knocked down Karha threateningly several times. Karha stood up with a tearful face.


    "Do not cry, Karha! Warriors should shed blood and sweat, not tears!" Sven shouted at the boy.


    "Karha! What do you think you¡¯re doing!"


    Irene ran out of the house. She wiped her wet hands on her apron and held Karha.


    "Irene, Karha''s education iscking. He hasn''t even grasped the basics of a warrior,¡± Sven reproached Irene. Irene red at her father.


    "What is this? What are you doing?"


    "I was teaching him the mindset of a warrior. Look at Urich over there, Irene. In about ten years, Karha will be Urich¡¯s age. Urich is a great warrior. Karha will be too."


    Irene hugged Karha as if she was trying to protect him from Sven.


    "Karha will not be a warrior, Father."


    Sven''s eyebrows twitched. He barely managed to suppress his anger before speaking.


    "Every man of the north is a warrior. Without being a warrior, one cannot go to the Field of Swords."


    "Karha doesn''t need to be a warrior."


    Irene rummaged under her shirt. She pulled out a ne with a sun engraving.


    "...Irene, what is that?" Sven asked as his hands trembled.


    "Our household no longer believes in Ulgaro. We live by working diligently. Go to the Field of Swords after dying in battle? Who are we fighting now? Warriors who search for a ce to die in battle are insane! I won''t let my child die in battle. We will return to Lou¡¯s embrace together, who is epting of even those who die in bed after living a peaceful life.


    Irene sent Karha inside the house.


    "You are my daughter. Not believing in Ulgaro is uneptable."


    "Then you better ept it, father. Since when were you so attached to me? Wasn¡¯t it you who left for the eastern continent without a goodbye, and now you show up like this? If you truly thought of me as your child, you shouldn''t have left like that."


    Irene poured out the stone-cold words that carried her pent-up emotion. Sven was speechless, unable to find words even with his heart boiling.


    "That is not what¡¯s important right now! Not believing in Ulgaro? Did the other people of the vige not say anything about that? Without being a warrior, Karha will be ostracized! Treated as a worthless man! Are you just going to watch and let that happen to your own son as his mother? "


    "The people in this vige believe in Lou. There''s no longer a reason to fight, and we can live just fine without fighting."


    The northerners sold fur and wood and bought scarce resources from the merchants of the empire. There was no need for raids due to resource scarcity. Thanks to farming techniques from the empire, regions that were rtively southern saw a surge in agricultural production.


    The northern warriors gradually abandoned their weapons and found their new upations. Swords could not support families, and warriors who abandoned their swords had no reason to remain faithful to Ulgaro. Ulgaro despised non-warriors, but Lou loved those who lived diligently.


    "I will speak to Durigand about this when he returns. I know you are my daughter, but I can''t speak with a woman who isn''t a warrior."


    Sven put away his weapon as he said his words to Irene. Irene bit her lower lip.


    "Karha is not your son, but mine. And unlike you, Durigand respects a woman''s words."


    Sven said no more. Irene took Karha and went inside.


    Only Sven and Urich were left in the backyard. Urich had witnessed the entire scene.


    "She is truly your daughter, old man. Quite firm," Urich chuckled.


    "My daughter doesn¡¯t believe in Ulgaro..." Sven mused.


    Women could also make it into the Field of Swords. If a husband died as a great warrior, his women and children also joined him there. Even in that realm, women cooked and served drinks for their warrior husbands and sons. Dead children became fairies serving warriors.


    Sven waited outside for Durigand to return. Returning from work, Durigand greeted Sven with a broad smile. "Sven, let''s get wasted again tonight."


    "There''s something I want to talk to you about, Durigand," Sven replied, sitting on a log. He was resting his chin on his hand supported by his axe rooted in the ground.


    "It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s chat inside."


    "No, we have to talk out here. Grab these weapons, Durigand. I must see if you''re still a warrior."


    Sven tossed a hand axe and shield to Durigand and took up a two-handed axe himself.


    "What did my wife say to you?" Durigand asked awkwardly as he scratched his head to show his hesitation. He bent down clumsily to pick up the axe and shield.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Sven swung his axe, the force stirring Durigand''s hair.


    "Act like a warrior. You might be going to the Field of Swords tonight."


    Upon hearing Sven¡¯s words, Durigand closed and then opened his eyes to show a chill in his gaze. He stomped on the axe handle and shield.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The weapons bounced up from the impact, and Durigand caught them stylishly.


    "I can''t go to the Field anymore, so I¡¯m afraid I can''t die here, Sven."


    "Have you really abandoned Ulgaro? You are a warrior at heart! You can''t leave Ulgaro behind!"


    Sven roared. He''d met Durigand several times before handing his daughter over to him. Durigand was hearty and a great warrior, and most importantly, he was responsible, which was an essential trait for a husband. Sven wouldn''t have let his daughter marry him if that weren¡¯t the case.


    "No matter what anyone says, I am still a warrior, just don''t believe in Ulgaro. I have no intention of abandoning my family just so I can die in battle, to be crow''s feed. Test me if you doubt me."


    Durigand widened his stance, raising the shield.


    "Hmm."


    Urich watched the duel between Sven and Durigand unfold.


    <i>''Stable stance. Shows how much blood he''s shed.''</i>


    Durigand was a lumberjack and warrior, and his words were no empty words. As soon as he held his weapons, he transformed into a fighter.


    Sven swung his two-handed axe.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Durigand blocked Sven¡¯s attack with his shield and swiftly counterattacked with the hand axe.


    "You''ve aged, Sven! Haha!"


    He charged into Sven¡¯s side immediately, using the momentum to push Sven with his shield.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Sven stumbled backward. Durigand aimed a kick at his groin.


    "You probably have no use for these anymore, so I¡¯ll just pop them right now!"


    Durigand, who was now a Srist, fought like a true northern warrior in battle.


    "Krgh!"


    Sven barely blocked the kick with his shin.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Durigand''s attacks were relentless. His hand axe was pressed hard on Sven''s axe, showing the prowess of his lumberjack muscles that were formidable in battle.


    "Now you see I''m a warrior."


    Durigand threw down his weapons after dominating Sven.


    "Why did you turn your back on Ulgaro?"


    Sven said as he gasped for air. He was quite weakened by the illness in his lungs.


    "There is no ce for warriors in the north now. Carrying a weapon only makes one a thug. I''ll talk to Irene, Sven."


    Durigand went into his house.


    Urich, after staring at Sven on the ground for a bit, helped him to his feet.


    "Everyone''s forgetting their roots," Sven muttered.


    "Yes, yes. Can''t forget the roots," Urich replied nonchntly, smiling.

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112


    The diligent men and women who were heavily engaged in their livelihoods were the first to convert to Srism. Thest to convert were the warriors and the elderly.


    The young of Marldalen, instead of offering the blood of livestock to Ulgaro, went to the Sun Temple and the shrine. They prayed at noon and thanked the sun god.


    "People these days are forgetting Ulgaro," a scarred old manmented. He was surrounded by vigers who still believed in Ulgaro.


    The old man ughtered a sheep and collected its blood in a bowl to use as an offering to Ulgaro.


    "Northerners believing in Lou, how absurd is that?"


    There were people in Marldalen who still worshipped Ulgaro. They held separate rituals from the followers of Srism.


    Religious conflicts weremon in any northern vige. Lou was a god too tempting to reject. Lou was different from Ulgaro, who epted ughter and blood as offerings.


    Sometimes, the conflicts escted, leading vigers to kill each other. In such cases, the Sun Warriors or the Imperial Army intervened, actively protecting the Srists.


    "Ulgaro, please forgive my daughter," Sven pleaded, smearing the blood of the animal on his face. He participated in the northern rituals with others in Marldalen who still believed in Ulgaro. It was a ritual for the winter hunt as many hunters still remained faithful in Ulgaro.


    "One day, Ulgaro will resurrect and lead the northern warriors. When that dayes, those who believed in Srism will regret it. The day of judgment is not far off," one of the hunters said.


    Hunters needed Ulgaro''s blessing for a sessful hunt. He disapproved of the increasing number of Lou worshippers.


    It was hard to stay strong in their faith in Ulgary. The northerners had been defeated in the war. The god of war lost to the god of benevolence. What meaning was left for a defeated god of war? The northerners lost more than just territory. They were losing their root and identity.


    "Outsider sir, how many years has it been since youst came home?" the hunter asked Sven after finishing his ritual.


    "Its been about five years."


    "That''s when the changes became more drastic. The sun priests roamed the north freely. A decade ago, it would have been unimaginable. A Sun priest in the north would have been torn limb from limb."


    Svenughed at thement.


    The onlookers also found it hard to believe the changes. The perceived eternal strength of the north had been shattered. Even those who tried to stay strong in resistance eventually sumbed, and the gifts of civilization tempted the northerners.


    "It seems there are no longer warriors of Ulgaro in the north," Sven said with a bitter smile, standing up.


    "Go to Mulin. The old north is still there."


    The northerners dispersed after the ritual. Sven watched their backs. On the other side, people were going to and from the Sun Temple. It was a strange sight, seeing two gods existing in one ce.


    "Urich, we''re leaving tonight," Sven told Urich upon returning to his daughters house. Urich, dozing in front of the firece, lifted his head.


    "Oh? We should say our goodbyes then."


    "No, we''ll leave without farewells," Sven insisted firmly and shook his head.


    "Youre gonna without saying goodbye? Are you still pouting about what happened the other day?"


    "Just listen to me this time."


    "Irene and Durigand are good people, Sven."


    Urich genuinely thought so. During his three-day stay, he had been treated well. He would risk his life to fight for Irene and Durigand.


    "I know that."


    Sven went to bed without even eating dinner.


    Urich, on the other hand, finished his dinner as usual,ughing and chatting. He couldnt quite fall asleep and opened his eyes deep into the night. There wasn''t much to pack, as all he had were his weapons and a travel bag.


    "Phew. Take care, Irene, Durigand."


    Urich lowly whispered as he stepped outside, pulling his scarf up to his nose. The northern winter night was fiercely cold as if intent on killing a person. A blizzard raged in the distance.


    <em>''If this northern weather really is Ulgaro''s will, then Ulgaro must indeed be a brutal and cruel god.''</em>


    Urich liked Ulgaro. He, like Sven, had grown up as a warrior. He had never considered a life other than that of a warrior. It was natural for Urich to be drawn to Ulgaro.


    <em>''Ulgaro is surely a god of warriors.''</em>


    But those who were not warriors could not endure Ulgaro''s brutality.


    "Sven."


    Urich went to the barn. Sven''s shadow peaked out of the barn.


    Youre up, I was just about to wake you up."


    Sven was loading luggage onto the horses. The horses wore quilted coats like armor, which was necessary for them to survive in the northern cold.


    "Kylios, bear with it a little longer," Urich said as he stroked his horse.


    Urich knew how to sense his horse''s mood. Kylios disliked going out on a blizzard night.


    <em>Clop.</em>


    Urich and Sven rode out of Marldalen. A gate guard recognized them and simply nodded.


    "Sven! The blizzard is worse than we thought! Lets head back for now!"


    Urich raised his voice, stretching his hand forward, looking at the blizzard in the darkness.


    "We''ve already left! We are going!"


    "Where are we heading? I just followed you blindly!"


    "To Gorigan! The ce where I was born and raised!"


    "Didnt you say there was nobody there anymore?"


    "There should be new settlers."


    Urich frowned. The blizzard made it impossible to see even a step ahead. Roars like Ulgaro''s fury were heard intermittently.


    <em>We picked the wrong day to leave, this isnt good,</em> Urich thought, ncing at Sven with a frown. Sven showed no intention of changing his mind.


    "Hah," Urich sighed, brushing off the snow clinging to his face.


    <em>Wriggle.</em>


    Urich looked at Sven''s horse, his pupils dting as if piercing the darkness.


    <em>Something moved.</em>


    The load on Sven''s horse squirmed. At first, Urich thought it was the blizzard shaking the load.


    <em>The load is moving.</em>


    Urich brought Kylios closer to Sven.


    "Sven!"


    Urich shouted, but his voice struggled to be heard over the blizzard.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "What are you carrying back there? Did you steal a dog to eat on the way?"


    "It''s nothing. Dont worry about it. Lets just keep going."


    Urich looked into Sven''s eyes. Sven, a straightforward man, was not a good liar.


    "Stop, Sven."


    Urich jumped off his horse, drawing a dagger and cutting the straps on the load.


    "Ugh, ugh."


    Urich''s lips twitched.


    As Urich opened the fallen load, one gagged and bound Karha appeared. He was bound so tight that he couldnt move, and his eyes were filled with terror.


    "Im going to raise Karha to be a true northern warrior," Sven dered as he dismounted his horse. Karha was his grandchild, a boy with his blood. The moment Sven saw him, he knew that Karha had to be raised as a warrior.


    <em>A warrior to offer blood and flesh to Ulgaro.</em>


    Sven picked up Karha from the ground. Urich''s face twisted in disapproval.


    "Do you think an old man like you who lived his entire life as a warrior can raise a child? You dont even know how much longer you have!


    "I''llst as long as I can. This is whats right for Karha. Durigand is a warrior, but he doesn''t intend to raise his child as one."


    "Let''s go back to the vige. It''s too stormy. You''re doing this out of the sense of betrayal you felt. You won''t do this once you cool down."


    Urich patted Sven''s shoulder. Sven brushed off Urich''s hand, holding Karha tightly.


    "This boy is my blood and he will surely be a great warrior! He will be a warrior just like you! I''ll devote everything to earn Ulgaro''s blessing for him. He''ll be a warrior blessed by the gods, just like you! Im sure of it!


    Sven took a few steps back, still holding Karha, ready to mount his horse.


    "Sven..."


    Urich trailed off, staring at Sven. He slowly drew his sword and the sound of his de cut through the blizzard.


    "Ulgaro, Lou, fuck all of that. Forget it! Theres only one thing I believe right now, and thats the fact that this kid needs to go back to his parents. What Karha needs is his parents. Not a senile grandfather!"


    Sven put Karha down and reached behind his back for his axe and shield.


    "Are you standing in my way? I dedicated myself to you in the mercenary squad! Is this how you repay me, Urich?"


    Sven spread his arms, crying out.


    "That''s why I promised to send you to the Field of Swords."


    Sven had always been a reliable man. In the mercenary squad, he had fully supported Urich, always siding with him no matter what the situation was like.


    "Urich, please let me go. Im going to raise this child as a great warrior."


    It was a plea, bending even his pride. Sven knew his limits. He was old and sick, while Urich was a warrior in his prime.


    <em>There is a light shining from Urich.''</em>


    Sven blinked to clear his blurry vision. To him, Urich was a dazzling warrior, unbound by anything, roaming the world relying only on his strength.


    "I''m stopping you for your own good."


    Urich extended his sword forward.


    "What I want is to make this child a warrior! Thats what I need!"


    "I dont care what you think. If you''re a warrior, convince me with your strength."


    "Uuuuurich!"


    Sven shouted, spitting out blood. He coughed up blood clots from his throat and raised his axe.


    <em>ng!</em>


    Urich swung his sword through the blizzard, his heavy steel de striking Sven''s shield.


    <em>''Heavy.''</em>


    Sven couldn''t immediately counterattack. Urich''s physical abilities were extraordinary, unlike any other man. Despite the forceful swing, he wlessly continued his attacks without any gap between his swings.


    "Huff!"


    Sven blocked Urich''s vision with his shield while swinging his axe, a strikeing from Urich''s blindspot.


    <em>ng!</em>


    Urich jumped to the side, dodging Sven''s axe. Sven quickly turned his shield toward Urich after his attack attempt. The fight was intense, neither giving any opening.


    <em>Urich, the warrior blessed by the gods. I must finish this with the next strike. I can''t hold out any longer.''</em>


    Sven gasped for breath. He was suffering from lung disease. But Urich didn''t wait for Sven to catch his breath. This wasn''t a friendly sparring match to gauge each others skills.


    <em>ang!</em>


    Urich''s sword shed with Sven''s axe. Urich''s sword stuck to Sven''s axe. Sven tried to move his axe, but Urich''s sword was stuck fast.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Urich headbutted Sven''s head. Sven staggered backward. Urich then pushed him over with a kick.


    <em>Thud.</em>


    Sven fell helplessly. The cold metal of Urich''s sword touched his neck.


    "Let''s send Karha back, Sven," Urich said with his sword at Sven''s throat.


    "That boy is myst hope. If you want to stop me, youll have to send me to the Field of Swords.


    Sven slowly stood up. Urich''s de pressed against the leather covering his neck. Sven didn''t care if the de cut into his flesh. He stood up defiantly as if he was daring Urich to kill him.


    Urich''s face contorted. He had resolved to send Sven to the Field of Swords himself, but not like this. It felt utterly unsatisfying.


    "Sigh."


    Urich exhaled and nted his sword into the ground. Sven rushed to Karha''s side.


    "Thank you, Urich," Sven murmured.


    "Let''s see how well you raise the child as a great warrior after stealing him from his parents, you renowned warrior of the north! Fuck!"


    Urich couldnt get himself to kill Sven right there and then. Sven was like a brother to him.


    "Karha, you''ll thank meter. I''ll raise you as the greatest warrior of the north," Sven said, picking up Karha. He looked into Karha''s eyes. The boy was shaking with fear.


    Sven was a warrior of the north. Since childhood, he naturally engaged in raids and battles. When he was old enough to wield a weapon, he participated in raids. Life in the north was a struggle. To survive, one had to disregard the screams of others.


    <em>''One mustn''t keep the pain and screams of others in their heart.''</em>


    Sven remembered the faces of warriors returning from raids, satisfied even after killing fellow men. It was the joy of being able to feed their families. Warriors sustained their families with the lives of others.


    "Why am I..."


    Sven fell to his knees, holding Karha, unable to look into the boy''s eyes.


    <em>''The eyes of the plundered.''</em>


    Karha had the eyes of the plundered, and Sven was the raider. Sven was the raider taking everything from Karhahis family and lifeuprooting everything that the boy knew.


    <em>''This is wrong.''</em>


    A warrior never had to understand the pain and screams of others. But they were also those who raged for their family and brothers. They never ignored their family''s pain.


    "Guh, guuuuh."


    Sven sat, scraping and squeezing the snow with his fingers. Despair deeper than his illness weighed heavily on his heart. He realized what he had done.


    "Dammit, Sven. If youve finallye around, let''s bring Karha back," Urich grumbled from behind.


    "Urich, what should I do now? My offspring isn''t a warrior, nor do they believe in Ulgaro. How can I possibly face my ancestors on the Field?"


    Sven knelt and wailed. Then he stood up with his axe. He jumped and roared like a raging bear.


    "Ulgaro!"


    Sven brandished his axe in the air. His voice was lost in the blizzard. The blood he had tried to hold in trickled from his mouth.


    "How long will you watch from that Field! When will youe down and save us! After all those who believe in you are gone? What were you doing when we spilled our blood against the empire! Is our blood and life still not enough for you?"


    Sven vented his rage. After his outburst, he copsed. A man as old as one could sit to cry like a child. His tears froze as soon as they touched the snow. The north did not ept the tears of a warrior.


    Urich and Sven returned to the vige before dawn.


    Irene, holding Karha, sprawled all the curse words she knew at her father, and Durigand, who had fetched his weapon from the basement, swallowed a heavy silence.


    "I''m sorry, Irene."


    Sven had to leave the vige without a farewell from his kin.


    When the two men were far enough from the vige for it to be a dot in the distance, Urich finally spoke.


    "Sven, I just want to say one thing."


    Sven looked up.


    "Youve done this to yourself."


    Urich smiled mischievously. Sven scowled.


    "Dickhead."

 Chapter 113: Mulin

    Chapter 113: Mulin


    Sven returned to Gorigan, his birthce and childhood home. Most of the original n members were gone and had been reced by new settlers. Once a ce of glory so strong that it received tribute from surrounding ns, was now just an ordinary fishing vige.


    "Do you know anyone here?" Urich, sitting by the beach, asked Sven who was walking over to him.


    "Just a few," Sven replied, gazing at the horizon. The sea was frozen, halting any ship departures during winter. The frozen sea was majestic.


    "Frozen sea! How cool is that? If we walk across, do you think we would reach the Edge of the World or the eastern continent?" Urich chuckled, looking at the frozen sea. He stood up, and the children of Gorigan, seeing the strangers Urich and Sven, nced at them and ran away.


    "What are you going to do now? You''ve seen your daughter and came back to Gorigan."


    Urich wiggled his fingers. He was always ready. His sole purpose in following Sven was to guide him to the Field of Swords. That was his role.


    "Mulin," Sven said as he pointed northward.


    "Mulin? Ah, the sacred site of the north," Urich mused after tilting his head in confusion for a second.


    "Even here theyve lost the old traditions. This isn''t the north I knew."


    "Not a bad ce, though, eh? Its quiet and peaceful."


    "Tradition and faith aren''t just about good or bad. They''re just something that is silently passed down and preserved," Sven coughed softly, staring at the sea. Memories of the past shed through his mind.


    "If you''ve made up your mind, we dont have to waste any more time here."


    Urich and Sven resupplied in Gorigan and mounted their horses.


    Mulin was and of extreme cold, even for the north. It was almost too harsh for people to live in. But that was also the reason why the sacred site of the north could remain outside the empire''s territory, as its conditions made it too difficult for the Imperial to maintain control even if they managed to get it in the first ce.


    "The north was originally thend of dragons. Our forefather Ulgaro vanquished them and settled thend for northerners."


    "Ive heard that story over and over, Sven."


    "And in Mulin lies the remains of the dragon that inflicted deep wounds on Ulgaro."


    Sven spoke carefully. It was a secret even among the northerners.


    "What?"


    Urich turned his head, eyes wide.


    "I thought you''d want to see the dragon''s remains."


    "Dragon''s remains exist?"


    "I saw them myself as a child. My father had ess thanks to his renowned status."


    Sven''s eyes, crinkled with webs of wrinkles, remembered that day that felt like a fever dream. Deep inside the sacred site''s cave, walking for a long time with a torch soaked in whale grease...


    "Dragons are just in legends, no? Like that dragon figure from the eastern continent."


    "That was the dragon of the eastern continent. They look different. The ones that Ulgaro defeated were evil ones that preyed on humans."


    Urich was taken aback. Sven''s words didn''t sound like an exaggeration. Sven wouldn''t casually say such things if they werent true.


    "Its my gift to you for following me all the way out here. If Mulin is still a sacred site of the northerners, they will recognize a true warrior like you. They''ll dly show you the dragon''s remains."


    "Really?"


    "I''ll do my best."


    It was Sven''sst gift. He had enjoyed a good journey thanks to Urich. Without Urich, he might have met an unbing end as a warrior.


    <em>''And he stopped my despicable act.''</em>


    Regret came to his mindte. Kidnapping Karha was wrong. A warrior''s de should never turn inward. Sven was ashamed of his mistake. He had no right to face the ancestors on the Field of Swords.


    "Dragons, huh," Urich muttered, stroking his rough beard. His eyes sparkled like a boy''s.


    This young man is not like me. Ive already met my limit, but Urich is a young and curious warrior, still with room to grow.''


    Urich had potential and a future. He was a shining warrior. Sven envied him. Next to Urich, Sven felt petty, awaiting death with all possibilities closed.


    <em>''If only such a young warrior had been my offspring.''</em>


    Sven wanted to make Karha like Urich. If he had a blood like Urich, he could die without regrets and face the ancestors on the Field of Swords with pride.


    "Tell me about your homnd. Theres no one else to hear it now."


    Urich hesitated before sharing stories of his homnd. His homnd was and with distinct dry and wet seasons, where forests and wastnds coexisted. The scarcity of resources made permanent settlements impossible, leading to frequent relocations.


    "And I always looked at the Sky Mountains. The shaman said it was the world of spirits. When we die, we go there, treated ording to our deeds in life. Warriors, of course, receive the best treatment."


    Urich gazed westward, where the sun was setting. The Sky Mountains were not visible from here.


    "Is that so..." Sven observed Urich.


    Urich was young and open-minded. Once he learned that the world of spirits was not real, he decided to enjoy his exploration of civilization.


    <em>''I wouldn''t have dared such a thing.''</em>


    Urich wasn''t afraid of his worldview being shattered, and it couldnt have been only due to his youth; his temperament was different. He easily believed and then discarded Lou.


    <em>''Urich abandoned his god but remains a warrior blessed by one.''</em>


    Sven coughed every night. The signs of his illness were increasingly evident. Urich teased the dying Sven without changing face.


    "Isn''t it better for you this way, anyway? In this world, even your only family shuns you. If you die quickly, you can meet your son on the Field. That must be nice, real nice.


    "Keke."


    Svenughed by the campfire, clutching his stomach. Each breath orugh brought pain. His lung disease was getting worse by the day.


    The next day, Urich and Sven continued their journey. As they drew closer to Mulin, they asionally passed through ruined viges.


    "It seems the rumors of Mulin''s warriors raiding the surrounding viges are true. The people here must have either fled or were wiped out," Sven remarked, surveying the ruins for any food that may have been left behind. But it was clear the vige had been thoroughly plundered.


    Sven and Urich didnt seem bothered by what they were seeing. They did not despise the act of raiding. To them, raiding was a way of life, just another duty of a warrior to provide for their family and tribe.


    "Sven, weapon," Urich said calmly, sensing a presence around the ruins.


    <em>Schriiiing.</em>


    Urich grabbed his axes.


    "Imperial soldiers?"


    From the ruins emerged Imperial soldiers d in leather armor, surrounding Urich and Sven. There were five of them.


    "Judging by their attire, they''re scouts."


    Sven and Urich backed up against each other. The soldiers hesitated to approach rashly.


    "We''re just passing travelers," Sven told the soldiers.


    "Thene with us for identity verification. We need to make sure youre not a part of Mulin!"


    The soldiers shouted with their shields and swords ready. They were scouts sent to inspect viges attacked by Mulin. They had discovered suspicious individuals, and they nned to take them for questioning.


    "I''d rather not provoke these Imperial soldiers," Urich muttered. Defeating them wasn''t the issue, but provoking the Imperial Army could lead to troublesome consequences. Urich was well aware of the empire''s might.


    "We''re barbarians. If we''re lucky likest time and someone recognizes you, maybe well be off the hook. Otherwise, theyre just going to torture us. Plus, we''re on our way to Mulin. The Imperial Army will think we''re joining them."


    Sven was ready to fight immediately.


    "Well, I guess theres only one way out," Urich said, spinning his axes, eyeing the soldiers'' positions.


    Urich and Sven were about to engage, but the soldiers instead retreated, avoiding confrontation.


    <em>Theyre Imperial soldiers from the north, alright!''</em>


    Sven scowled. The soldiers didn''t rashly attack the two barbarian warriors even though they outnumbered them, knowing well the danger they posed.


    The soldiers retreated like true scouts and fired a whistling arrow into the air.


    <em>Peeee!</em>


    The whistling arrow was a special arrow that produced a flute-like noise. The arrow soared high, spreading sound in all directions.


    "Shit."


    Urich cursed and ran after the fleeing soldiers, but they were too quick. It was clear the area was heavily patrolled by the Imperial Army.


    "Mount up, Urich!" Sven shouted. They needed to escape the area quickly.


    "Kylios!" Urich whistled. Kylios and Sven''s horse galloped toward them.


    Urich mounted Kylios, scanning the surroundings and spurring the horse on.


    "Theyre closing in from all directions."


    Urichughed, looking around the snowyndscape.


    "That means their army is nearby. This isnt the time tough!" Sven yelled, searching for an escape route.


    <em>''There will soon be a sh with Mulin.''</em>


    Urich remembered the words of Yabhorns defense captain Gremor.


    <em>''Is this the army preparing to sh with Mulin?''</em>


    Urich had to make a decision: fight his way out or bet on his fame.


    <em>Thwip.</em>


    There was no time to think. Urich looked to the side. Sven had been hit by an arrow and fell from his horse. His weakened state couldn''t withstand even one arrow.


    "Typical old man," Urich smirked, raising his hand to greet the approaching Imperial soldiers.


    "My name is Urich," he announced to the soldiers surrounding him.


    * * *


    Such a headache, those Mulin barbarians," Duke Langster, the viceroy of the northern provinces, grumbled in the cold. He tightened his coat and looked out over the snow-coveredndscape.


    "All the nearby viges seem to have been attacked. Such cruel brutes," a knight reported to Duke Langster, who nodded in acknowledgment.


    <em>''If they had just stayed quietly in Mulin, they would have saved their lives. Why do they do this to themselves?.''</em>


    Mulin was and even the Imperial Army was wary of. Attacking a holy site, even of a different faith, was enough to incur the wrath of the gods. Moreover, the fierce cold killed their men just by advancing toward Mulin.


    "Youvee out here yourself; that will surely make them tremble in fear," remarked another knight.


    Duke Langster scoffed at thisment.


    "As if they know how to tremble, you fool."


    Duke Langster was a distant rtive of the royal family, but he was not appointed viceroy solely due to his lineage. He was also a knight who had faced the northerners in battle several times and knew their ways well.


    <em>''Damned sycophants. I cant believe I have to carry these idiots around.''</em>


    He nced disdainfully at his knights. Some werepetent, but many were rejects sent to the north after being virtually exiled from their families. He wanted to dismiss all these fools, but doing so would provokeints of dishonor from their families. Noble society was frustratinglyplex.


    "Ugh, it''s disgustingly cold here.


    Duke Langsterined as he adjusted his coat again. He was leading the northern army to Mulin and his scouts were collecting information in every direction.


    "We have captured two men presumed to be Mulins scouts," a scout reported. Duke Langster smiled with satisfaction. You could never have enough information about your enemies.


    "Good, good."


    Duke Langster went to meet the captured barbarians with a wide grin on his face. As he approached, the soldiers bowed their heads to the viceroy.


    "My name is Urich! I demand proper treatment as a free man, not a captive," Urich dered, facing Duke Langster.


    Sveny beside him with the wound from the arrow earlier on top of the illness he had been carrying already. Without immediate medical attention, Sven was in danger.


    "Treat the injured prisoner and torture the other for information," Duke Langster ordered briefly before turning to leave.


    "Sir, this man is..." A knight interrupted Duke Langster. He was a knight who had just recently been deployed to the north.


    "What about that barbarian?" The duke frowned.


    "If I remember correctly... it might be wise to treat him properly. That man is Urich, the winner of the Hamel Jousting Tournament. He was the first barbarian to ever win thepetition, so I remember him clearly."


    "What? Why is a jousting champion in a ce like this?" Duke Langster was noticeably surprised. He had been away from the capital for over five years and was out of touch with the empire''s news.


    "Many soldiers already recognize him. He''s a barbarian, but apparently, he has connections with the royalty. It would not be good if word spread that we treated him poorly."


    The knight offered his counsel in the politest way he could think of. Duke Langster turned to look back.


    "Tsk, treat them as guests, not as prisoners!" Duke Langster waved his hand dismissively. He then called the knight who advised him aside to hear more details.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114


    "Already on your deathbed, old man?"


    Urich asked while sipping warmed wine, looking at Sven lying down. A military priest was treating Sven.


    "Judging from the fact that I can hear you mocking me, I guess I can''t die just yet. Hmm."


    The priest removed the arrow embedded in Sven''s shoulder with a pair of tongs, causing Sven to grimace in pain.


    "Lucky for us, someone recognized me. I was half in doubt, you know."


    Urich had surrendered because of Sven, who was hit by an arrow and fell off his horse. If he had been by himself, he might have escaped the encirclement.


    "You should have left me. Dying in battle would have been a fine ending for me."


    "You might be content with that, but abandoning a sick old man would haunt my dreams," Urich shrugged.


    The priest applied ointment to Sven''s wound, finished the treatment, and then left the tent after a brief prayer.


    "Next time, leave me behind, Urich. Ive lived long enough," Sven spoke sternly, almost like a warning.


    "That''s not for you to decide, gramps. Whether I fight or run, thats my call to make. Where and how I use up my life is up to me," Urich replied, to which Sven widened his eyes.


    "...You''re absolutely right. But I can''t rest easy knowing you died because of me. So, do that for me, Urich."


    Urich silently finished his wine. Thanks to the furnace, the tent was warm. Their cold bodies felt like they were finally melting.


    "The viceroy requests your presence, Urich," a knight peeked into the tent.


    "I''ll be right there."


    Urich stood up and looked at Sven lying down.


    "Rest up, I''ll be right back."


    As soon as Urich walked out of the tent, he felt the piercing gazes around him. Soldiers were whispering, and many rumors were already circting.


    "The winner of the Hamel Jousting Tournament... maybe the Order of Imperial Steel might have been a stretch because you are a barbarian but couldnt you have at least joined the Sun Warriors?" the knight escorting Urich asked.


    Dont really like being tied down," Urich answered shortly. He crossed the encampment to thergest tent, guarded by well-armed soldiers.


    Inside, Duke Langster sat with two armed knights standing beside him who seemed like they were ready to draw their weapons at any moment.


    "Urich," Duke Langster murmured lowly. He had heard enough about Urich from his men.


    <em>''Jousting tournament champion, Armor Breaker, acquainted with the King of Porcana.''</em>


    Duke Langster knew about the shift in the Porcana monarchy and the empire''s involvement in it. His mind raced, weighing the pros and cons of how to deal with Urich.


    <em>''His reputation as a warrior means little. After all, he''s just a barbarian.''</em>


    No matter how big his fame was, Urich was still merely a barbarian warrior. Killing him here wouldn''t disadvantage Duke Langster one bit.


    <em>''But his ties with the King of Porcana are troubling. The current king is quite pro-empire with his close rtionship with the empire.''</em>


    Duke Langster watched Urich enter. Urich looked every bit the well-trained warrior. Scars on his face were like badges of honor. His rugged hands looked capable of killing a man barehanded, and his intense eyes were intimidating, almost beast-like.


    <em>''No harm in treating him well.''</em>


    There was no reason to incur Urich''s wrath. Duke Langster had finished his calctions.


    "I am Duke Langster, viceroy of the northern territories. How is yourpanion doing?"


    "If hes lucky, hell live. If hes not, well then, you know.


    Urich replied with a half-smile. His words were no lie. Unlucky men could die with just a single scrape, while those with luck on their side manage to survive even when their guts are spilling out of their stomach. Hence, few believe in the gods as fervently as warriors do.


    "It was a necessary action. I hope there are no hard feelings," Duke Langster indicated a chair opposite him. Urich sat down, facing Duke Langster.


    "We''re travelers. We had no reason to be attacked by the Imperial Army."


    "We''llpensate appropriately for that. But you were the one who tried to flee from an inspection."


    "We''re barbarians. Had you not recognized me, you''d have tortured us first, right? This army is heading to attack Mulin, after all."


    Duke Langster fell silent for a moment. Urich''s point was valid.


    "Why linger near Mulin, knowing it''s to be attacked?"


    "Where I go is my freedom. I''m a free man."


    "There''s no guarantee you and yourpanion won''t join Mulin in the battle."


    "Two warriors joining Mulin won''t change anything against the empire''s might. Even if Mulin knows about the attack, can they stop it? They''re just remnants of the defeated northerners."


    "You speak as if you''re not a northerner."


    "Thats because Im not."


    Duke Langster looked puzzled for a moment as his preconceived notion was shattered. After learning that Urich wasnt a northerner, he almost seemed like a southerner.


    "So, I don''t care what happens to Mulin. Whether it''s destroyed or not is none of my concern," Urich said, looking at Duke Langster.


    <em>''But I do want to see the remains of the dragon.''</em>


    He wanted to visit Mulin before the Imperial Army''s attack by any means necessary.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Urich leaned back in his chair.


    "I have no interest in the Imperial Army''s fight with the northerners. Id appreciate it if you could just let me go."


    Duke Langster shook his head.


    "I can''t be certain you''re not a spy for Mulin. I understand your frustration, but please bear with us for a while."


    Duke Langster was cautious. No matter how advantageous, the oues of war were unpredictable. The fewer variables they had to worry about, the better it was.


    Urich frowned. He had no intention of being held back here.


    <em>''But if I try too hard to escape, they''ll think I''m a spy from Mulin.''</em>


    The reality was that it was true Urich was on his way to Mulin. It was a perfect situation to buy their suspicion.


    "I''ll treat you as a guest, and it wont be too bad either. Getting a good meal and a warm bed in this frozennd is tough. We willpensate yourpanion for his injury with gold coins."


    Duke Langster dered, deciding to hold Urich until they made contact with Mulin.


    <em>I guess it is what it is. Sven will be bummed out, though.''</em>


    Urich had no intention of forcefully breaking out. The dragon''s remains wouldn''t disappear if he waste. He could still visit after the Imperial army''s attack on Mulin.


    "Alright. Just make sure there''s enough food and drink."


    "Good to see reason in you, Urich," Duke Langster smiled satisfactorily.


    "Very well then, I think were done here."


    Urich nodded and left the tent. The knight who had guided him earlier was waiting for him outside of the tent.


    "I heard you fought in the Porcana civil war. Is General Ferzen really gone?"


    The knight inquired cautiously. Ferzen''s whereabouts were still a topic of interest among knights. His sudden disappearance sparked many rumors. Many believed he was still alive, and that he had be immortal through the blessing of Lou.


    <em>Youve be an immortal knight, Sword Demon Ferzen.''</em>


    Urich envied Ferzen in some ways. He was a warrior who achieved his life''s purpose and died without regrets.


    "Well..." Urich closed his eyes. Ferzen''sst moments were still vivid.


    Opening his eyes, Urich looked around the encampment. Many soldiers were busily moving around.


    The Mulin subjugation force was over a thousand strong, a significant number for a hastily assembled force. More soldiers from northern military bases were on their way to join. Once the mobilization wasplete, the attack on Mulin was going to start.


    "Hmm?"


    Urich noticed a group of soldiers. It was a group of about ten soldiers who were dressed as imperial soldiers, but something about their gait felt off.


    Passing the group, Urich looked back. One of the soldiers also looked up at Urich, then hurriedly averted his gaze.


    <em>Sssst.</em>


    Urich''s intuition warned him of danger. It was hard to pinpoint, but a deep unease and alien feeling signaled danger.


    <em>Sshhk.</em>


    His fingers instinctively reached for his axe handle.


    "Urich?


    The knight leading him turned, puzzled at Urich''s sudden halt.


    "Something stinks," Urich muttered and walked back toward the viceroy''s tent.


    "The viceroy is a busy man. Your next meeting will be..."


    The knight tried to dissuade Urich.


    "No, not that. Don''t you feel something''s off? Those guys," Urich pointed at the group of soldiers. His animal-like senses were incredibly sharp, enough to be able to dodge iing arrows.


    "Eh? Aaaaah!" The knight looked where Urich pointed, then screamed. He drew his sword and rushed into the viceroys tent.


    "Attack! It''s a surprise attack by the enemy!"


    The group of soldiers Urich had passed suddenly drew their weapons and charged toward the viceroys tent. The guards at the entrance were swiftly in.


    "Ullllgaro!" The soldiers, throwing off their helmets, shouted. They were northerners who had infiltrated the camp.


    "Ooooooh!" The northerners tore through the viceroys tent and charged in. They showed no fear or hesitation, intending to kill the viceroy and die in battle.


    "The Field awaits us! Brothers!"


    The northerners shouted fiercely, cutting down any soldier in their path. They were formidable warriors. Their faces were deprived but they still had a remarkable frenzy in their eyes.


    "Hmm, what do I do?" Urich grasped his axe, contemting.


    Various calctions ran through Urich''s mind. The oues if the northern warriors sessfully assassinated the viceroy or failed. And if he helped save the viceroy, any suspicions about Urich would be dispelled...


    "Too much thinking can also be a problem," Urich chuckled, shaking his head.


    "There is a battle breaking out right in front of me. As a warrior, I should fight first and thinkter!"


    Urich walked into the tent, holding a sword in one hand and an axe in the other. The smell of blood was already overwhelming, tingling his nose. A thrilling tension exploded in his mind and soon spread throughout his entire body.


    "You cheap barbarians!" Inside the tent, the battle was in full swing. Duke Langster, too, was seething with rage, roughly drawing his sword. Knights around him stepped forward to protect the duke.


    "Woooooo!" The situation was on a knife-edge. The viceroys tent was in the center of the camp. The northerners who had broken in were like arrows whose only target was the viceroy. Arrows released from the bowstring couldnt turn back. A surprise attack with the readiness to die was highly effective.


    <em>''The discipline has ckened. Those barbarians disguised as our soldiers got this far without being noticed!''</em> Duke Langster cursed, facing a northerner with his sword.


    "Keugh!" He was outnumbered. Even after stabbing a northerner in the stomach, the barbarian didn''t stop. Only a cut to the throat or heart could stop them. That was the terror of northern warriors, who took pride in dying on the battlefield.


    "Ugh." The other knights in the tent fell to the ground.


    The northerners used even the death of theirrades to press the attack. They believed their brothers would help them kill the enemy even in death. Some even stabbed through their own to kill the enemy along with them.


    "We shall meet again on the Field!" A blood-soaked northerner shouted, advancing toward Duke Langster. If they dyed the job any longer, more imperial soldiers would arrive.


    <em>''I need to finish this now. This is ourst chance.''</em>


    Another attack like this wasnt going to work again. The Imperial Army wasn''t stupid. The fact that this attack seeded was almost a miracle.


    "Dammit."


    Duke Langster frowned. The northerner he just stabbed wasn''t letting go of his sword, even as he was dying. He couldn''t face the northerner unarmed, and there was nothing nearby to use as a weapon.


    "Imperial, receive the wrath of the north." The northerner muttered as he strode toward Duke Langster.


    <em>''Foolish northerners.''</em>


    Duke Langster was merely a cog in the machine called the empire. There were plenty to rece him. Killing him would only increase discrimination against the northerners.


    <em>''Oh Lou...''</em>


    Langster sensed his impending death and called upon Lou.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    A sound of crushing flesh echoed. Langster checked if he was in Lou''s embrace.


    <em>''I''m not dead yet, then that means</em>


    Langster''s eyes widened when he looked up. The northerner who was about to deliver the final blow to him had an axe buried in his head and was killed instantly from his cracked skull.


    <em>Thud.</em>


    The northerner fell, revealing a sturdy man behind him. The man exuded a different feeling from the other barbarians.


    "Urich..."


    Urich stood there, covered in the northerner''s blood.


    "It''s better to wear a helmet. Otherwise, your head might split open in one blow."


    Urich, who wasnt wearing a helmet himself, said to the northerner whoy lifeless on the ground. The north wind blew through the torn tent, wildly tousling Urich''s hair.

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115


    Urich swung his sword boldly, precisely slicing the throat of an oing northern warrior. He protected Duke Langster and yed the enemies one by one. Imperial soldiers had already crowded into the tent and surrounded the northerners.


    <em>Schluck!</em>


    The northern warriors did not go down easily. The imperial soldiers feared death, unlike the northerners, who embraced it. The soldiers hesitated to approach the northerners directly and only managed to circle them.


    <em>Their determination is overwhelming the numerical disadvantage.</em>


    The soldiers were reluctant to make the first move, and each of them hesitated in order to save their own lives.


    Urich clicked his tongue, watching the scene. Duke Langster had already been moved to a safe location.


    The surrounded five northern warriors menacingly swung their weapons in the air and maintained a tense standoff.


    "Archers!"


    The imperial archers had gotten into their positions during the standoff. The soldiers kneeled, clearing a path for the arrows.


    "Fire!"


    The archers released their bowstrings. The northerners huddled and ovepped their shields on top of each other.


    "Argh!"


    Even with the shields, it was hard to protect every part of their bodies. There were gaps. Northerners hit by arrows in the legs or shoulders groaned.


    "Stab them!


    The spear-wielding soldiers attacked the northerners. The spearmen cautiously poked at the northerners while maintaining a safe distance, killing them slowly. Desperate northerners charged at the soldiers but were quickly cut down by the other soldiers who were waiting for them to pounce.


    <em>This is more like hunting some animals, not a battle between humans.''</em>


    The Imperial Army killed the northerners with efficiency. Despite their numerical advantage, they avoided direct confrontation. This was why they were considered the mightiest army.


    <em>This isnt the way I like to do things, but... the Imperial army is undeniably formidable.''</em>


    Urich retrieved his axe, pondering. Each northern warrior was formidable as individuals, but as a group, they were no better than a pack of beasts. In contrast, each imperial soldier performed the role given to them, moving as one entity.


    "You saved my life," Duke Langster said to Urich, looking at the northerner''s corpse. He was unscathed, thanks to Urich.


    "Do you trust me now?" Urich grinned. Duke Langster felt a chill at his smile but didn''t show it.


    "You might not realize it, but your axe just brought peace to the entire north. If I had died, anti-barbarian nobles would have used my death as an excuse to push for policy changes. Even the good northerners who dont make any trouble would have been oppressed and enved."


    Urich shrugged. He didn''t care for such politics.


    "I don''t want to be held up here. I can leave whenever I want, right?"


    "Of course."


    Duke Langster nodded. His suspicions about Urich were fully resolved. If Urich had been a spy for Mulin, Duke Langster would already be dead.


    Urich felt the soldiers'' gaze on him turn favorable. He had saved the viceroys life. If he had died, many would have been held ountable with their lives.


    "You''ve saved countless lives today, both barbarian and civilized."


    The knight who had guided Urich earlier spoke, wiping the blood from the battle from his face. He too had fought the northerners to save Duke Langster.


    "I didnt do it to be praised, but it doesn''t feel bad. Haha."


    Urichughed, sheathing his weapons. He washed off the blood and then returned to the tent where Sveny.


    "Was there somemotion outside? I heard some noises," Sven asked, lying prone. He seemed groggy, perhaps just awakened from sleep.


    "Nah, it turned out to be nothing. Also, I got permission from the viceroy to leave."


    "Ah, that''s good. Did your name do the trick?"


    "Obviously, they were like, ''Ah, Sir Urich! We''ll let you be on your way right away!''"


    Urich didn''t tell Sven about the attack by the northerners. It would surely sadden him.


    <em>''No need to add to his worries when he''s already weak.''</em>


    Sven struggled and managed to sit up with the little energy he had.


    "Let''s leave as soon as possible, maybe even tomorrow, if possible."


    Urich nodded. Sven was injured from the arrow and usually, they would have waited for his recovery. But time was pressing. They didn''t know when the Imperial army would attack Mulin... and Sven didn''t seem to have much time left.


    Sven knew time was of the essence and rushed Urich.


    * * *


    Urich and Sven left the Imperial army''s camp the next day.


    "Got a good amount here." Urich, sitting on Kylios, jingled the gold coins. While money wasn''tcking, it was never bad to have more.


    "There are a few things to keep in mind before we arrive in Mulin," Sven, with shadows under his eyes, said in a weak and raspy voice.


    "Huh?"


    "You''re not fluent in Northern. Men in Mulin will quickly realize you''re not from the north. They won''t be very willing to show the remains of the dragon to someone who isn''t a northerner."


    Urich frowned.


    "Then what? Im assuming youre taking me there because you have another way."


    "I am going to introduce you as my son. You''re unfamiliar with the north because you spent your childhood in civilization. No one would suspect a father taking his son on a pilgrimage to Mulin.


    Urich listened, then nodded.


    "Thats not a bad idea."


    "It''s customary for northern men to visit Mulin before adulthood. They won''t stop someone from keeping our tradition."


    Sven reminisced about the past. Northern men brought their sons to Mulin before they came of age. Sven''s father did the same, and Sven had also gone with his son before he died.


    Urich and Sven traveled further north. The barren, snowyndscape stretched endlessly. It seemed impossible for life to thrive there. The road to Mulin was harsh.


    <em>Thud.</em>


    Suddenly, Sven fell off his horse. Hey in the snow, gasping for air, seemingly losing consciousness.


    "Hey, Sven. Come on, get up."


    Urich tapped Sven''s cheek, but he didnt seem toe around.


    "Dammit."


    Urich hoisted Sven onto the horse and looked for a ce to camp.


    <em>Crunch.</em>


    As Urich led the horse, he had to stop in his tracks. He noticed three men emerging from a densely wooded coniferous forest.


    "Who the hell are these guys?"


    Urich dismounted as heined. His feet sunk into the snow up to his ankles.


    The men were d inyers of leather and had almost skull-like faces. They drew their weapons and approached Urich. They made it clear that they were not friendly.


    "Give us everything you have and walk away, and we''ll spare your life.


    The three men said to Urich in Northern. Urich didn''t understand everything, but he got the gist of it. No worded response was necessary for a robbery threat.


    <em>Schring.</em>


    Drawing his weapon was his response to their threat. The men, understanding, nodded.


    The men were warriors staying in Mulin. But Mulin was and with no capability to produce food on its own. The isted warriors starved and were driven to plunder nearby viges and travelers.


    "If you want it, take it, like a true northerner."


    Urich said to the men in Imperial, crossing his sword and axe. He decided that three was a manageable number.


    <em>''They''re starved.''</em>


    Urich noticed their poor nutrition status. On the other hand, Urich, even though he was traveling, was well-nourished. His muscles were tight, and his face was full.


    The men couldn''t let Urich get away. Urich and Sven were travelers with two horses even in such harsh conditions. They surely had plenty of food.


    <em>''He seems pretty strong, but we need those horses and food.</em>


    The men circled Urich with their weapons drawn.


    <em>Whoosh!</em>


    Urich threw one of his axes. A northerner deflected it with his sword.


    <em>''Huh, not bad.''</em>


    Urich had hoped to start off by killing one with a surprise throw, but the man deflected it well.


    <em>Zap.</em>


    The man who deflected the axe widened his eyes. Even after the deflection, the axe was heavier than expected, numbing his hand with its impact.


    <em>''He''s no ordinary man.''</em>


    The men exchanged nces, signaling each other. They simultaneously attacked Urich from all sides. Urich had to leave his position to dodge the simultaneous attacks.


    Urich rolled to the side to avoid theirbined assault and quickly stood up, swinging his sword. The men relentlessly followed.


    <em>ng! ng!</em>


    Urich tirelessly swung his sword. He was managing to block the men''s attacks but he was unable to find an opening for a counterattack.


    The harsh sound of shing steel echoed across the snowyndscape. Urich, with patience, retreated, looking for an opening in the men''s defenses.


    <em>I mean, if you really think about it, three isnt a joke, dammit!''</em>


    It seemed he had becent due to recent victories in uneven battles. Urich regrasped his focus and raised his sword high, assuming the Owl stance. It was a technique from knightly swordsmanship.


    "Die, you sons of bitches!"


    Urich swung his sword powerfully in a diagonal sh from above. It was a simple but potent move known as the Owl''s Fury in knightly techniques.


    <em>ng!</em>


    One of the men raised his sword to block Urich''s attack, but he failed to withstand the force. Urich overpowered him, slicing deeply into his shoulder.


    "Argh!


    The man screamed. His wound extended from his corbone to his heart. Staggering, he copsed in the snow, gasping hisst breaths as he faded away.


    <em>He definitely blocked his sword. He simply overwhelmed him with his strength alone.''</em>


    The two other men flinched, shocked by Urich''s brute strength and the effectiveness of his sword.


    "Huff..."


    Urich exhaled and shined his yellow eyes. He quickly wiped the blood off his sword before it froze.


    "Come at me quick before I forget how to sh. I''ll send you all to Ulgaro. Im quite an expert in that area. I even have a waitlist."


    Urich chuckled, ncing at Sven, who was lying across the saddle.


    "Sven! Wake up! The fight you''ve longed for is here! How long are you gonna lie there?"


    The northerners already knew there was another person lying on the saddle. They had just ignored him since he seemed unresponsive.


    <em>Swoosh.</em>


    Sven reacted to Urichs words. The dying old man picked up his axe and got off his horse. His steps were unsteady, but his will to fight was clear.


    "Cough."


    Sven coughed up blood and opened his eyes, looking at Urich who was already fighting. Though he was a bit lost, he saw Urich engaged inbat.


    "Ulgaro...!"


    Dying in battle was the end of it. His body was ill but he had no fear. He brandished his double axe and charged.


    "What do you think youre doing, you sick old man!"


    Two men stood before Urich and Sven. They raised their weapons and rushed toward the thin line between life and death. Soon, half of them would be dead. At the crossroads of life and death, the warriors called out to their gods.


    Urich had no god to call out to. He was struggling to simply avoid bing an evil spirit.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Sven swung his axe. His feverish brain was nk, but he fought on the instinct that was ingrained in his body. His innatebat skills cunningly aimed for the enemy''s vitals.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    Sven''s axe split open one of the mens chests. Hot blood sttered on his face.


    "Youve still got some move left. I wont have to worry about you dying on me too soon, old man," Urich shouted, fiercely decapitating the remaining man.


    "I can''t die until I repay the debt to you," Sven muttered, smiling faintly at the fallen men.


    <em>''Looks like Mulin is in pretty bad shape.''</em>


    Mulin was a sacred ce. Even the harsh northerners refrained from raiding and killing in its vicinity.


    <em>Guhhhhh!</em>


    The fierce blizzard gradually cleared. Urich''s eyes widened. As the view cleared, they saw a mountain. On top of it were the clustered houses and arge temple.


    "That is Mulin, Urich."


    Sven closed his eyes. This was his third visit. First with his father as a child, then with his son as a grown man, and now with a friend from far away.


    <em>''And there won''t be a fourth time.''</em>

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    Urich and Sven pulled the reins on their horses and ascended the mountain. The path was steep but well-trodden, showing that people frequent it.


    "Pilgrims?"


    "Theyve brought horses."


    Along the mountain path were shabby huts. The northerners emerging from them observed Urich and Sven closely.


    "Be careful with the horses. They might get stolen and eaten the moment we take our eyes off them.


    Sven warned Urich after noticing the famished state of the Mulin northerners. Their faces were gaunt, showing their desperate hunger from being isted in thisnd where hunting was the only means of sustenance. Yet, their eyes shone with religious fervor.


    <em>''These people are all either enduring physical suffering for the sake of preserving their tradition and religion, or they''re fleeing the empire.''</em>


    The residents of Mulin, regardless of their reasons, were those who had turned their backs on the empire.


    "The Imperial army is going to be here soon. Can these people really stand up to them?" Urich skeptically remarked as he nced at the residents. Sven didnt respond.


    "Stop right there."


    Halfway up the mountain, armed warriors blocked their path. Their faces looked healthier than those below.


    "Were pilgrims."


    "Pilgrimage at a time like this? You have to know that thats suspicious."


    "What could possibly be suspicious about northerners visiting Mulin?"


    Sven argued, and the warrior couldnt argue with his point. It was only natural for northerners toe to Mulin.


    "Hmm, fine. Your names?"


    "I am Sven from Gorigan. This is my son, who grew up in an Imperial territory and is visiting Mulin for the first time."


    The warriors murmured among themselves after hearing Svens words.


    "Well summon a priest. Wait here, Sven of Gorigan."


    Mulin was thend of priests. They survived day to day on the offerings brought by pilgrims.


    "Sven of Gorigan"


    A priest in long tattered clothes appeared. He was briefly informed of Sven and had approached him.


    Hmm.


    Urich was caught off-guard by the unusual appearance of the priest. The priest was without a single strand of hair, and he was painted pitch ck from the top of his naked scalp down to the bottom of his neck. The priest, who was under a shade, looked like a silhouette with only the whites of his eyes floating in the air.


    "What is the purpose of your visit?"


    The priest spoke slowly. His speech was long and sounded like it reverberated from deep inside of his throat. His voice echoed as if two were speaking together.


    "For a pilgrimage for my son."


    "He seems rather grown for a pilgrimage."


    "He forgot his northern spirit growing up in imperialnds."


    "So, youve been wandering outside and decided toe at a time like this..."


    The priest pondered before pointing at the horses.


    "Offer one of your horses as a sacrifice."


    Sven nodded and led his horse away, following the priest. Urich calmed Kylios while observing the surroundings.


    "Hey mister, how about you offer up that horse to us as well."


    "Heehee, horse meat sounds good. This one looks well fat too. You mustve been feeding him pretty well during your journey, huh?"


    Two northerners approached Urich as soon as Sven and the priest left. Their speech mixed northern and Hamelian. Urich understood northern speech better than he could speak it.


    "Put your hands away before I break your fingers."


    Urich said as he crossed his arms. The northerners touched Kylios who was tied to a tree, ready to steal anything they could.


    "Hey now, lets not do this. Arent we all brothers?"


    Desperation tinged the voice of the northerner who was trying to convince Urich. They had been without a proper meal for a long time. The hunting resources near Mulin had dried up long ago, and the looted food was insufficient to share with everyone.


    Those who were gathered in Mulin werent all there for their religious devotion. Some were exiled from their homes or havemitted crimes and were wanted by the Imperial army. Those without faith to depend on found it difficult to withstand the harsh conditions of Mulin.


    <em>Cutting off a toe from an overnight frostbite is nothing.</em>


    Few in Mulin were fortunate enough to keep all their fingers and toes.


    <em>''Such snakes.''</em>


    Urich frowned at the clingy northerners. They were eyeing his food supplies.


    One northerner reached for Urichs bag.


    <em>Crack.</em>


    Urich grabbed and twisted his hand, breaking his fingers.


    "Argh!"


    The injured northerner drew a hand axe with his other hand, but Urichs reaction was quicker.


    <em>Thud.</em>


    Urich outstretched his leg and kicked the northerner in the groin, causing something to break and blood to stain his lower body.


    "Uggh, argh, ughh."


    The northerner copsed in agony. He felt like death would be better than the excruciating pain he was feeling from Urichs kick.


    "I warned you. Why dont you listen?"


    Urich nonchntly grabbed the fallen northerner by the scruff of his neck and tossed him into the bushes. The other northerners who had been pestering Urich backed away discreetly.


    "You fight quite well," a warrior who had been watching the fight from afar remarked. Urich nodded, waiting for Sven.


    Follow us, Urich," Sven called Urich from a distance. His hands were stained with blood from ughtering his horse, which was now an offering to Ulgaro.


    Urich nced at the dead horse. Priests swathed in cloaks were gathered around it, greedily consuming its raw flesh, showing that they probably hadnt tasted meat in a long time.


    These northern priests werepletely different from the solemn and pious Sr priests. With their shaved heads and ck-painted faces, they seemed more primal than others. The sight of them devouring the carcass was grotesque, some even ripping out the innards with their hands to chew on.


    "Be mindful of your actions from here on out," Sven warned, pulling at Urich''s cor. They followed the priest up a staircase made of stacked stones. The staircase was high enough that it seemed endless.


    "Ulgaro is watching us," Sven remarked again. Urich looked around.


    <em>''The sky feels so close here.''</em>


    The sky was clear after the blizzard, and the temple was built close to the heavens.


    <em>''Surely the Field of Swords must be in the sky.''</em>


    The sky was unattainable and unreachable for humans. Even from the Sky Mountains, it remained a distant entity.


    <em>''Whether it''s the sun god Lou or Ulgaro, they reside in the heavens.''</em>


    Urich ascended the stairs. The beings called gods must be watching humans from up there. The ground was for humans and spirits, and the sky was for lofty gods.


    Urich found himself lost deep in his thoughts. He wondered if there was something sacred about this so-called holy ce. Was it just a feeling? Was it because Ulgaro was watching, as Sven said?


    Climbing the monotonous, consistent stairs felt trance-like as if they were going nowhere, climbing the same steps over and over again.


    "Urich," Sven paused to gather his breath.


    "Hmm?"


    "Have you ever thought about believing in Ulgaro? A warrior like you would surely be weed by Ulgaro as well."


    Urich flinched. He clutched at his chest, only to remember that he no longer had the Sun pendant there.


    I already believed in Lou once and abandoned him. I dont want to make the same mistake again.


    "Lou isnt a warriors god. But Ulgaro is."


    "I believed in Lou without even fully understanding what he was all about, probably out of fear of bing an evil spirit after I die. It would be the same if I believed in Ulgaro. I dont understand him, and I cant get myself to believe in a god just because of my fear.


    "Gods arent there to be understood, just to be believed in. They''re called gods because they''re beyond ourprehension."


    Urich paused and opened the eyes that he had closed. His gaze was tranquil.


    Urich?


    Sven looked at Urich, who was walking ahead of him, with a puzzled look on his face.


    <em>An illusion?</em>


    Urich rubbed his eyes. He saw a warrior in a winged helmet behind a tree.


    <em>Ulgaro?</em>


    Or was it just a reflection of the sunlight? The image that he saw had already disappeared by the time he finished rubbing his eyes.


    "Did you see something?" Sven asked Urich as he gripped his shoulders. His eyes showed his seriousness.


    Urich''s eyes flickered slightly. He looked in the direction where the winged-helmet warrior had vanished. Each time he blinked, the sunlight rippled.


    <em>''Am I going crazy?''</em>


    He shook his head slightly.


    "Urich, if you see something, dont ignore the vision."


    "It''s nothing. I just felt a bit dizzy for a second, thats all."


    The air was thin; it wouldnt have been strange for him to be seeing things.


    As they neared the end of the stairs, the temple came into view. Next to the entrance stood a full-size statue of Ulgaro, carved from stone.


    <em>''Winged helmet.''</em>


    The statue of Ulgaro wore a winged helmet. Urich clutched his chest as his heart pounded uncontrobly.


    Urich did not know that Ulgaro wore a winged helmet.


    <em>''What I saw just now''</em>


    Urich''s pupils grew and shrunk repeatedly. Maybe he had heard somewhere that Ulgaro wore a winged helmet without realizing it. Or it could have been someone''s trick to fool the visiting pilgrims.


    Urich took deep breaths to control his rapid breath and calm himself.


    "Enter, Sven of Gorigan and his son Urich."


    The priest who was already waiting at the temple entrance said to the two men.


    "That priest looks frail, but he''s got good stamina."


    Urich whispered to Sven upon seeing the priest. Sven frowned and pushed Urich forward.


    "Stop talking nonsense and lets just go inside."


    The temple was warm inside. As Urich and Sven entered, the door closed behind them.


    ''It''s dark.''


    Unlike the Sun Temple, which was designed to maximize the natural lighting entering the temple, the interior of this temple was dark, with no windows. Even during the day, it was lit only by torches. The stark shadows covered the corners where the torchlight couldnt reach. It was a temple of stark light and shadow.


    "Those who left the north have returned."


    The high priest stood at the altar. He, too, was bald with ck face paint, but he wore a helmet adorned with deer antlers. The high priest leaned his dark-painted face close to Sven.


    "Is this man truly your son, Sven of Gorigan?"


    The high priest''s breath smelled foul, and his nails were unusually long as if they had never been cut.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    The high priest scraped along Svens face with his long nails.


    "Yes, he is my son, and he is a warrior of whom I am very proudmore than anyone else."


    The high priest clicked his overgrown nails together, tilting his head at an angle. He took his eyes from Sven to Urich, moving silently around them like a ghost, his robes trailing on the floor.


    "...He doesn''t look like you."


    The priest mumbled, and Urich calmly looked down at the high priest.


    <em>''Itll take me less than a punch to knock this one out.''</em>


    But priests are different from warriors. Their strength lies elsewhere. Urich understood this, so he just watched quietly as the high priest went about his ritual.


    "No matter. Now offer your blood to Ulgaro."


    The high priestughed hoarsely with phlegm building up inside his throat. He pointed to a basin on the altar, which was stained and caked with dried blood. How many northerners had offered their blood here?


    Sven nodded and went first. He took out a dagger and made a cut in his palm.


    <em>Drip.</em>


    Sven tightened his grip, squeezing out his blood. He let his blood drop into the basin. Sven closed his eyes, shivering as if in ecstasy.


    The priests hidden in the shadows kept their mouths closed and only used their vocal cords to make a vibration-like sound. The sound they produced echoed throughout the room, disorienting those present.


    "Ulgaro..."


    Sven murmured, kneeling. He smeared the blooding out of his hand across his face, mixing it with his tears. His eyes glinted through his spread fingers.


    "Urich, son of Sven."


    The high priest called Urich''s name and led him to the basin.


    "Offer your blood to Ulgaro."


    The high priest whispered into Urich''s ear.

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    Urich took a step forward. The humming of the priests filled his ears, and the north wind thumped against the walls of the temple.


    <em>''Ulgaro...''</em>


    He was the god who enchanted countless warriors. A cruel and arrogant god, forcing and demanding his descendants to struggle after driving them into this barren frozennd.


    "Your blood," the high priest repeated.


    <em>Beeeeep.</em>


    Urich''s ears rang strangely. He looked up in the dark temple, where the only light source was the torches.


    <em>''Light.''</em>


    But there was sunlight that seeped through a twisted crack in the wall, touching Urich''s feet. The small fragment of sunlight was warm. Dust danced in the light as they floated in the air.


    <em>''The sun god.''</em>


    Urich stared at the sunlight for a while.


    "Urich," Sven called from behind. The high priest stood beside Urich, blocking the sunlight.


    <em>''I know.''</em>


    Urich cut his palm and offered his blood to the basin.


    <em>Drip, drip.</em>


    His blood trickled down. It was a sacrifice of life. An overwhelming wave of euphoria blurred and then cleared his vision. The priests'' voices churned in his head.


    <em>Wooooh.</em>


    Urich heard a buzzing in his ears. He squinted toward a corner of the temple. Each flicker of the torch seemed to reveal Ulgaro''s figurea warrior in a winged helmet, holding an axe, looking at Urich.


    <em>''Illusion.''</em>


    Urich didn''t let his consciousness drift away easily. He bit his tongue to keep himself together.


    "Well done."


    The high priest smiled contentedly. He looked down at the blood that was pooled in the basin. His eyes were gleaming with a look that was almost manic toward the blood.


    <em>Stumble.</em>


    Urich missed a step as he was walking down from the altar.


    <em>Thud.</em>


    He fell to the ground,ughing at the absurdity as he looked up at the ceiling.


    "Haha."


    Urich got up as he put his hand on his face. His face was half-covered in sticky, warm blood that trickled out of his cut palm.


    "You have offered your blood to Ulgaro," the high priest said to Urich, grabbing his arm with his stained hand.


    "Remember this day, for Ulgaro will remember you. Keke."


    The high priest cackled with his hand over his mouth. He turned away after finishing his job.


    "Hold on, I want to show my son Ulgaro''s achievements," Sven called to the high priest, who waved his fingers in the air.


    "Ah, you know of the dragon''sir," the high priest mused.


    Sven nodded, intending to fulfill his promise to Urich.


    "What makes you think you have the right to see the dragon''s remains?"


    "How arrogant.


    The priests murmured. The high priest calmed them by raising his hand.


    The dragon''sir was considered a sacred site even within Mulin. It wasnt a thing that anyone could see willingly. Only a warrior who had done enough in Ulgaros eyes or one who had aplished feats acknowledged by the priests could see it.


    "The end is near. Ulgaro''s return is not far. He will lead the warriors to divine retribution against the heretics..."


    The high priest muttered. The priests of Mulin awaited the end. They knew that the Imperial army was approaching and that it was going to be their final war.


    "Your life is nearing its end.


    The high priest said to Sven as he caressed his cheeks. He stared into Svens eyes, observing his condition.


    "When I close my eyes, I can already feel Ulgaro calling me to the Field.


    "You are worthy to see the dragons remains, but not your son."


    "My son is a great warrior. Better than anyone in Mulin."


    Sven spoke with conviction. In his eyes, no warrior was greater than Urich.


    "Hooooh, can you stand by those words, Sven of Gorigan?"


    The high priest smirked, swallowing a breath.


    "I do not lie before Ulgaro."


    "Are you saying your son can be tested to see if he is worthy of being in the presence of the dragons remains?"


    "If it is a test for a warrior, then yes, anything."


    Sven rolled his eyes to look at Urich, who nodded in agreement.


    They had traveled far to see the remains of this dragon. Urich had no intention to give up aftering so close.


    "Looks like were going to have blood for Ulgaro," the high priest said, summoning a priest.


    "Summon Yorcan the Giant."


    The priests murmured. Sven''s eyebrows twitched.


    <em>''A giant?''</em>


    Sven had never heard of such a being. Giants were mythical, like fairies, belonging to legends and myths.


    * * *


    The priests ascended to the top of the temple and blew their horns loudly. The northerners who were sparsely gathered around the temple swarmed like ants at the call. They waited, in their disheveled appearances, for the high priest to emerge.


    As darkness fell, torches were lit at regr intervals, illuminating the darkness. The high priest emerged from the temple, following the trail of torches.


    "Today''s offering to Ulgaro shall be human. Ulgaro will ept this blood offering and lead us to victory."


    Urich watched the northerners from behind the priests.


    <em>''Theyre going to use me as a sacrifice.''</em>


    Human sacrifices were not umon. It''s rather Srism, which refrained from such practices, that was unusual. Human life was the most precious offering that existed; offering it to god was the ultimate sacrifice.


    "Yorcan the Giant!"


    "The bloodline of giants!"


    The northerners chanted. A giant warrior was summoned by the priest.


    "My god."


    Sven, who had been keeping hisposure up until this point, widened his eyes in disbelief. Northerners were indeed known for theirrge stature, but there was one man who stood out. His size could not be described by the usual words ofrge or big.


    <em>''That is not normal.''</em>


    A grotesque face appeared next to the torchlight. His shoulders were slightly stooped, but even then, he stood twice the height of an average man.


    "A... giant."


    Sven looked up.


    "Wow, that is a real giant."


    Urich''s eyes sparkled as he observed Yorcan the Giant.


    "Urich, something''s wrong. This is"


    Sven stuttered unusually. Urich was indeed a formidable warrior, unmatched by many humans. But this opponent was not human. He was a literal giant.


    "Ul, Ul... garo!"


    Yorcan the Giant stuttered in a deep and clumsy voice. His nose was t and wide and his jaw was long and protruded. His limbs were abnormally long even for his abnormal stature, and his hands and feet wererge enough to grasp a person''s head.


    "Is he truly from the bloodline of the long-extinct giants?"


    The giants from stories were standing right before their eyes. Yorcan''s facial features suggested he was quite young. His reputation had spread only about five years ago, which exined why Sven hadn''t heard of him.


    "He''s pretty damn hideous, isn''t he?"


    Urich stabbed Sven''s shoulder as they observed Yorcan.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Yorcan ripped a small tree from the ground and threw it aside. His strength was monstrous.


    <em>This was a trap. They were never going to test Urich. They were going to use him as their sacrifice all along.''</em>


    Sven thought he had to save Urich. His grip tightened, ready to draw his axe at any moment.


    "Urich, I''ll handle this. I''ll be the sacrifice."


    "What nonsense! You think I''d let you have all the fun?"


    Urich pushed Sven aside,ughing. He was not intimidated by Yorcan; instead, he seemed invigorated.


    <em>''The world is vast. Im so d I came all the way out here.''</em>


    Urich was delighted. He was witnessing a legend he had only heard in tales. The existence of a giant was right before his eyes, looking down at him with immense strength.


    "For Ulgaro, for Ulgaro, I will kill you," Yorcan dered. Yorcan the Giant was once a human child, just like everyone else.


    He had always been taller than others, surpassing adults in height before even reaching ten years old. By the time he was old enough to be considered an adult, he had already earned the nickname ''giant.'' His strength was as immense as his size, unmatched by any warrior.


    When Yorcan came to Mulin on a pilgrimage, the priests proimed him as a giant blessed by Ulgaro and appointed him the guardian of Mulin.


    <em>''Like Urich, he''s a being blessed by a god,''</em> Sven thought.


    He asked the northerners around him about Yorcan, learning that Yorcan was indeed a being blessed by Ulgaro. An ordinary human child couldn''t be a giant otherwise.


    Sven couldn''t stop Urich. He was already ignited with a fire inside him and was already gearing up for the fight.


    <em>''Two warriors blessed by gods. Whose blessing is going to prevail...?''</em>


    Urich, though unknown which god''s blessing he had, was also believed by Sven to be a warrior blessed by a god. The Urich he had been witnessing had aplished feats beyond human capability.


    "The Field of Sword craves the soul of a warrior."


    "Ulgaro is starving. He desires a new warrior."


    Priests muttered as they circled the two warriors.


    "Raiding is a proof of life."


    "Life is about taking that of others''."


    "Battle, warriors."


    The starving northerners, forgetting even their hunger, shouted their chants and raised their arms with the cries of Ulgaros name. In a frenzy, they inflicted self-harm, spilling blood on the ground. Men embraced emaciated women, sowing the seeds of life.


    <em>Whoosh!</em>


    Priests threw powdered dried mushrooms into torches and bonfires, creating an intoxicating, hallucinogenic aroma. Those intoxicated drifted further and further away from reality.


    "Are you worried about your son, Sven of Gorigan?" The high priest wiggled his fingers as he spoke.


    "I didnt expect you to put him against a warrior with Ulgaros blessing... "


    "Do not resent us as this is all Ulgaro''s will. You came to us on the day of sacrifice. You might be thinking that it was purely your will, but it was all arranged by the god."


    Sven wiped his face with his palm, wanting to behead the priest in anger. The rage of a warrior boiled from within.


    "I see that even priests misinterpret Ulgaro''s will at times, Sven said to the priest as heposed himself.


    "You speak nonsense. Is a warrior like you questioning a priest serving Ulgaro?"


    The sacrifice prepared by Ulgaro today is the giant, not my son.


    Are you saying that the will of Ulgaro was better interpreted by a warrior than a priest, Sven of Gorigan?


    The high priest showed his distaste. Receiving the will of Ulgaro was the duty of the priest.


    "In old legends, giants, fairies, dragons... they all eventually fall to human warriors. Just like Ulgaro was once human before bing a god."


    Sven smiled, shaking off his anxiety, and looked at Urich''s back. Urich stood firm and calm, unsheathing his sword with calmness as he always does.


    "Yorcan the Giant, I''m genuinely happy to meet you. Im being serious."


    Urich held a sword and axe in each hand. He widened his stance, ring upward.


    "Ooo, aaaaah!"


    Yorcans roar was almost a screech. He was holding a two-handed axe in each hand like they were one-handed axes.


    <em>Chomp, chomp.</em>


    Before heading into battle, Yorcan chomped down whole mushrooms. They were pain-relieving mushrooms, necessary for Yorcan, who couldn''t properly run due to severe knee pain without the numbing mushrooms.


    Yorcan foamed at the mouth, swinging his axes vigorously. His intimidation was unparalleled.


    "Hooooooh."


    Urich exhaled deeply, his breath visible in the cold night air. Darkness enveloped him as the night deepened.


    <em>Buuuup</em>.


    A priest blew his horn, and Yorcan, reacting to the sound, charged at Urich.

 Chapter 118

    <h4>Chapter 118</h4>


    The strikes of Yorcan the Giant were heavy, the centrifugal force emanating from his towering stature was immense. Not only was he exceptional in size, but his strength was also extraordinarily powerful.


    Boom!


    Urich twisted his body, narrowly dodging Yorcan''s axe. His eyes coolly followed Yorcan''s movements.


    ''There''s no need to panic over hisrge movements. Being intimidated by size and momentum will only cloud judgment.''


    Urich felt like he was fighting a giant beast, like a bear. While warriors often let their rage take over during their battles, at times they also had to know how to maintain theposure of a peacefulke.


    ¡®Giant, human, whatever he is, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll die when he gets stabbed!''


    Urich''s eyes gleamed as he thrust his sword forward. His sharp stab aimed for Yorcan''s abdomen.


    "O-ohhhhh!"


    Yorcan roared, swinging his axes mercilessly. Urich halted his thrust mid-way and stepped back to increase the distance between him and the giant.


    ''He¡¯s faster than I expected for a thing of his size.''


    Yorcan wasn''t carelessly chosen by the priests. He was a warrior, trained inbat since youth, with amplebat skills toplement his natural physique.


    "S-sacrifice y-your life to Ulgaro."


    Yorcan''s speech became more slurred. Eating the mushrooms relieved his pain but dulled his senses.


    "My life is mine! Who are you to tell me what to do with it, you idiot!"


    Urich spun his axe in his grip and threw it at Yorcan.


    ng!


    Yorcan, with widened eyes, deflected Urich¡¯s axe. The mushrooms he consumed not only acted as painkillers but heightened his focus, allowing him to see things he normally wouldn''t.


    "Yoooorcan!"


    The northerners chanted the name of the giant. They had no doubt of his victory, as the priests proimed Yorcan to be blessed by Ulgaro. Such a giant couldn''t possibly lose to a mere warrior.


    "Hmm."


    Urich drew another axe from his belt and pondered.


    "Nah, screw that."


    He casually threw the axe he just drew to the ground, widening the eyes of the watching northerners in surprise.


    ¡®One weapon is all I need.''


    Urich firmly held his sword with both hands, raising it high. His stance was rock solid. Despite being smaller in size than Yorcan, his presence was heavy. Yorcan hesitated to attack rashly even though he had been dominating the fight with his brute attacks.


    ''I won''t lose in strength.''


    Urich flicked his fingers and removed his fur cloak. The wavering torchlight revealed his body which was visibly scarred and marked. It was the body of a great warrior. The scars were evidence of survival through life and death.


    "He¡¯s got many significant scars."


    "He too must be a man of a god¡¯s blessing."


    The northerners remarked on Urich''s scars. Surviving multiple severe wounds like the ones suggested by his scars requires more than just a warrior''s own skills. Infected wounds could kill even the greatest warriors. Only those under a god''s protection could survive such injuries.


    ¡ªang!


    Urich''s sword shed with Yorcan''s axe. Instead of evading the axe, Urich parried and redirected the attack.


    "Ooh!"


    The northerner crowd cheered.


    Criiiing!


    The table had turned and Urich was now the one dominating the battle. His two-handed imperial steel sword wielding overpowered Yorcan''s axes. The sword, true to its reputation of the perfectbination of hardness and flexibility, absorbed heavy blows without faltering. A normal sword would have been damaged, but it remained straight and unyielding.


    ''Couldn''t have countered like this with any other sword.''


    Urich had used the imperial steel sword for a long time. It felt like an extension of his body.


    ng!


    He parried Yorcan''s axe, feeling a twinge in his wrist but enduring the pain. He spun around, gaining momentum.


    Slice!


    Urich was the first to draw blood. Yorcan stepped back, clutching his wound in his thigh.


    ''That was too shallow. A little deeper and I could have hit the artery.''


    Urich licked his lips, shaking his wrist, which throbbed with pain. The force from the giant''s long arms and massive build was daunting. Even Urich felt his arm nearly buckle with each sh.


    "Ugh."


    Yorcan spat out foam, ring at Urich. He chewed another mushroom, and his eyes trembled fiercely, on the verge of rolling back.


    "You shouldn¡¯t be relying on such cheap tricks, tsk," Urich spoke as he sweated, spinning his sword.


    "O-owowowoh!"


    Yorcan was now emitting an almost animalistic sound, stretching his arms long and charging at Urich.


    ''A giant.''


    Urich watched the approaching Yorcan.


    ''Meeting you is a great gain from this journey.''


    Yorcan was truly a giant. Not just a tall human but distinctly different in appearance, limb proportions, and huge hands and feet, almost beast-like.


    Urich smiled even at the brink of life and death. Who else had the opportunity to meet and fight a giant? Urich was proud of his unique experience.


    Thump!


    Yorcan''s axes moved even faster, his joints creaking and muscles seemingly tearing, but he didn''t stop. The mushroom-induced frenzy consumed him.


    Urich''s eyes followed the axes. He rolled on the ground, slipping between Yorcan''s legs.


    Yorcan¡¯s upper body weak points were difficult to target because of his massive stature. Urich had only one ce he could target.


    Fwoosh!


    Urich''s de prated upward through Yorcan''s groin.


    "K-kyeeeee!"


    Yorcan screamed freakishly, swinging his axes wildly without aim.


    Urich twisted his head, dodging the axe. As he pulled out the sword lodged in Yorcan''s groin, he sliced at Yorcan''s ankle. The severed muscle caused Yorcan to drop to his knees.


    Squish.


    Blood poured from Yorcan''s lower body as the wound gaped open. The northerner crowd grimaced, empathizing with Yorcan''s agony. It was a pain that all males could rte to.


    "Grrr."


    Yorcan, now seated, still swung his axe. He crawled on his knees to chase after Urich.


    "Your head is finally within reach."


    Urich picked up his axe from the ground. He leaped over Yorcan, spinning in mid-air.


    Step.


    Urichnded behind Yorcan. Yorcan''s head was split open with Urich''s axe embedded in it. His brain matter oozed out from the messy wound.


    Squeak.


    Urich pulled out the axe from Yorcan''s head. He pushed the corpse with his foot, confirming the death of the giant.


    ¡®I won.''


    His fist clenched itself. Urich raised his hand high in the air in triumph.


    "Ulgaro!"


    The northerners chanted. Despite Yorcan''s defeat, they weren''t perturbed. Life and death, victory and defeat, all were in Ulgaro''s hands. They cheered, believing this too was Ulgaro''s will.


    Urich looked at the chanting northerners. Smoke wafted from the bonfires among them.


    ''Winged helmet...''


    Urich spotted a warrior in a winged helmet among the crowd. When he blinked, the warrior vanished. He could no longer discern reality from illusion. The existence of gods was always ambiguous, beyond what humans could understand with their wisdom.


    "The sacrifice Ulgaro received... was indeed not your son, but Yorcan," the high priest murmured. His previously limp fingers were now still.


    "What did I tell you?"


    Sven shrugged, chuckling. He gazed at Urich, who had in the giant. Divine grace seemed to follow him wherever he went.


    "Yorcan has received the calling of Ulgaro."


    The high priest dered as he stepped forward. Several priests lifted Yorcan''s body onto the altar.


    Click.


    The high priest raised a ceremonial dagger high. It was a bone dagger, carved from human bones.


    Squelch.


    The high priest sliced open Yorcan''s abdomen. The priests reached inside, pulling out the giant¡¯s extraordinarily long intestines and organs.


    Ssh!


    The priests threw Yorcan''s guts onto the ground. The scattered intestines formed an ominous pattern. It was a divine message delivered in the form of human organs. The northerners awaited the interpretation of this human entrails divination.


    The high priest slowly descended from the altar, looking at the strewn organs. He pressed his fingernail deep into Yorcan''s liver and tasted the blood on his nail.


    "¡­Ulgaro has spoken," the high priest spoke as he stood up.


    "We will emerge with glory from theing battle. On that day, Ulgaro will descend with his warriors to fight by our side! Taking the blessed giant Yorcan signifies that day is near."


    The northerners erupted in cheers upon hearing the prophecy. They raised their weapons, roaring. Some, unable to contain their excitement, swung their weapons, even fighting to the death on the spot. They weren''t afraid to spill blood or pull out their entrails.


    The men believed without doubt that the day of resurrection was near.


    ¡®Is this madness or bravery?''


    Urich gazed at the bonfire. The few women, all emancipated ones at that, clung to him.


    "Yorcan the Giant was asrge there as his height, so no woman could handle him."


    "I wonder what you¡¯re like?"


    The women whispered. Urich chuckled. It had been a while since he had been with a woman, and the excitement of battle only heightened his desire.


    "Urich, shouldn''t we visit somewhere before you bed a woman? The fight wasn¡¯t what we came here for, was it?" Sven gestured to Urich, who, regaining his senses, pushed the women away and followed Sven and the high priest into the temple.


    "Urich, son of Sven, you have won Ulgaro''s favor. Those scars prove that God cherishes you."


    The high priest said in a calm tone, despite having lost his prized giant. It was all Ulgaro''s will; he harbored no resentment.


    Urich didn''t deny the receiving of a divine favor. He had survived countless wounds that would have killed an ordinary warrior.


    "You''ve proven your worth. Ulgaro will be pleased."


    At the bottom of the temple was a staircase that led to an underground cave. The high priest lit a torch and walked down the stairs.


    "It''s been a while. Old memories areing back," Sven mused as his pupils dimmed.


    The elderly saw more of the past than the present or future. While the young build themselves up, the old reflect on what they''ve already built. Having walked too far along their path to shift away from it, if they were to deny their past, they would be left with nothing.


    "Ulgaro was severely wounded during his battle against thest dragon. At the foot of death, he buried his body and sent his soul to the Field of Swords, prophesying his return to his descendants," Sven told Urich the tale every northerner knew.


    "Ulgaro''s tomb must be somewhere in Mulin, but no one will ever find it. The fairies keep it hidden."


    The high priest halted. He recited a prayer, then slit his wrist, smearing the blood on Urich and Sven''s faces.


    "This will keep you safe from the dragon''s curse," Sven exined after he noticed Urich¡¯s difort.


    "Ulgaro gifted thisnd to his descendants after ying the dragon. The undeniable proof is right here." Sven''s eyes sparkled youthfully as he waited for the priest to open the door.


    Creak.


    The steel door to the cavern opened, releasing a damp, icy chill. It felt like their feet were submerged in cold water.


    "This is the ''Last Dragon'' that was killed by Ulgaro," the high priest announced as he took a step forward and spread his arms with his eyes closed.


    ''A frozenke inside the cave.''


    A solidly frozenkey inside the cave. Urich, holding a torch, peered down. A giant skeleton formed a shape beneath the ice.


    "The dragon¡­"


    Urich knew very little of dragons, only from stories. Yet, he immediately recognized the bones as a dragon''s. An instinctual shiver ran through him, like a prey animal before a predator.


    Just by looking at the skeleton, the dragon''s form came vividly to mind. Its forelegs were smaller than he had expected, a tail as long as its body, a massive skull, and ferocious teeth hinted at its nature. It surely must have been a fierce creature that preyed on humans.


    The dragon was an overwhelming being, probably capable of swallowing scores of people in one gulp. Urich couldn''t take his eyes off the remains. The awe that he was feeling wasparable to when he climbed the Sky Mountains.


    "¡­dragons really did exist."


    After a while, Urich finally spoke, unable to contain the amazement that was pouring out of him.


    ''Dragons and giants.''


    Urich felt an explosion of excitement in his mind, a euphoria no hallucinogen or drug could match. He had discovered and confirmed mythical beings. This was a quest worthy of a warrior''s life.


    ''If a human killed such a dragon, they can only be described as divine.''


    Urich lingered on the ice, finally moving only after several prompts from the high priest.


    "Sven, the north is a fascinating ce," Urich whispered.

 Chapter 119

    <h4>Chapter 119</h4>


    Sven was fast asleep in an old wooden house. His face was serene and at peace.


    <i>Twitch.</i>


    It was a light sleep. Sven was walking on the border between dream and reality as his wrinkles twitched intermittently.


    <i>''Blood and iron.''</i>


    Like most northerners, Sven had lived his entire life as a warrior. He took what he needed by force and killed to survive. There was no need for guilt, as that was the way of life in the north. Whenever he returned to his vige after killing and plundering, he was hailed as a true warrior by the vigers.


    But did no one ever really feel guilty? Was there no one who questioned the life of repeated plunder and ughter? Did no one desire peace and coexistence? Was there no warrior who, upon seeing a woman wailing with her child, remembered his own mother and wife? Were all northerners heartless murderers with no mercy or empathy for another?


    The old man reflected on his past. Many northerners had converted to Srism, drawn to its benevolence, likely tired of Ulgaro''s teachings. Tired of a life that only involved fighting in life and even in the afterlife, they turned to the teachings of benevolence.


    <i>''It''s peaceful.''</i>


    Sven turned in bed, pulling the flea and lice-infested fur nket up to his chin. Warmth surged from his belly. Deep sleep, deeper than darkness, awaited him. It was afort he didn''t want to leave.


    Even with his eyes closed, Sven saw a light¡ªa light as warm and brilliant as the sun. He wanted to rest his body in that light. The supremefort awaited him in a world of light without fighting or killing.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    Sven''s body jolted. He shook as if he was pinned down by sleep paralysis, struggling to escape his dream. In a hazy consciousness, he groped for his axe beside the bed.


    "Argh, ack!"


    Taking a deep breath, he sat up, sweating profusely. He had escaped the light that was seducing him.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Sven clutched at his chest as he gasped for air. His breathing became rougher, and blood trickled from his mouth.


    ¡°Cough.¡±


    He crawled out of the massive bed that once belonged to Yorcan the Giant.


    <i>''I can''t go like this.''</i>


    It was a tempting sleep, one that he desperately wanted to surrender to. But his warrior spirit couldn''t ept it.


    Sven stumbled to his feet as he leaned against the wall. He staggered out of his room with only his axe in his hands.


    ¡°Urich.¡±


    Sven entered the room next to his, waking Urich.


    Urichy entangled with a woman, naked. Startled by Sven''s noise, he awoke.


    "What are you doing up so early...," he started but stopped, seeing Sven''s sweaty state.


    "The day hase. It''s time to keep your word," Sven said and left. A cold breeze from the open door pped Urich''s face.


    "Dammit."


    Urich ran his hands through his hair and murmured to himself. The woman who was sleeping beside him lifted her head and wrapped her arms around Urich.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°None of your business. Just go back to sleep.¡±


    Urich roughly shoved the woman aside. He threw on his fur cloak and buckled his weapon belt around his waist.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    The dawn was still a ways away. Urich, standing in between day and night, looked up at the clear, star-filled northern sky. He walked as his eyes followed the Milky Way stretched along the night sky.


    "Cough."


    Sven stood coughing in a clearing among dense trees, his footprints marking the unmelted snow.


    "You seem pretty lively. Isn''t this a bit of an exaggeration?" Urich taunted.


    "I just had a dream, Urich. It was warm like sunlight. A world of light was trying to take me away," Sven''s fingers trembled.


    "A world of light?" Urich tilted his head, puzzled.


    "Perhaps it''s because I''ve been in the civilized world for too long. Maybe the sun god Lou has settled in my heart... Yes, that must be it. Urich, if we see the gods, they see us too," Sven muttered.


    Urich didn''t understand Sven''s words. He simply checked his weapons for any faults, choosing an axe with the sharpest de.


    <i>¡®I have to make it painless.¡¯</i>


    For Urich, there was only one thing that mattered now, and it was alleviating Sven''s pain.


    "I belong to the Field. I have no right to anything else."


    Sven lifted his axe. His grip was as firm as ever as if his fingers hadn¡¯t been trembling just a second ago.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Urich also raised his axe, its de shining sharply.


    <i>''Sven''s axe is still more than capable of shing my throat.¡¯</i>


    Urich advanced calmly as he remained vignt. A warrior seeking the Field of Swords would not die easily. Even desiring death, he would fight with all his might.


    The ecstasy of reaching the Field injected strength into Sven''s frail body. Forgetting the pain in his gasping chest, Sven lunged first.


    "Wooooohh!"


    Sven roared, swinging his axe wildly. It was a fierce strike that knew no fear of death. It was a blow that said, ''Even if I die, I will take you with me.''


    Sven''s axe aimed for Urich''s neck. Urich ducked, narrowly escaping, with a few strands of his hair getting loose.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich reached to quickly jab Sven in the sr plexus.


    "Cough."


    Already suffering from lung disease, Sven gasped as blood surged up his throat and nose with Urich¡¯s strike.


    "Dammit, who said you could lunge in like that? Just give me your neck, you idiot!"


    Urich grumbled, readjusting his axe. Sven red at Urich, spitting out blood.


    Sven hadn''t changed his way of life. He had many chances to choose afortable life, but he never did so. He never denied the path he had walked, facing his bloodstained life squarely. Sven despised those who tried to wash away the stains of their past like they were simply dirtyundry.


    <i>Spray!</i>


    Sven coughed and kicked the ground, covering Urich''s face with snow and dirt. He used every tactic to win, employing all hisbat skills.


    "Uuuurichhh!!"


    Sven clung to him, spitting his blood in Urich¡¯s face.


    "That is disgusting, you dog."


    Urich wiped his face and leaped back as Sven''s axe grazed his chest.


    <i>¡®You shine, Urich.''</i>


    His opponent was a young, beautiful warrior, whose existence alone seemed to symbolize the future.


    What path would Urich take? Sven wanted to watch the journey, but he had no time left. Like a moth to a me, he lunged at Urich.


    Urich retreated, spinning with momentum, swinging his axe wide.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Sven''s aged strength couldn''t block Urich''s powerful blow. The axe cut off Sven''s hand in one swift move.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Sven struck Urich''s face with the stump of his severed wrist. Bone and flesh touched Urich''s face.


    "Oooooo! Ulgaro!!"


    Sven, with his remaining hand, tried to strike Urich with his axe, but Urich''s cunningbat skills shone. He quickly grabbed Sven''s hand, crushing his fingers.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Sven fell backward in the middle of his attack stance. He tried to grasp his axe, but one hand had already been severed, and the other crushed.


    "Ptui."


    Urich spat on his palm and raised his axe high, ready to deliver the final blow to Sven''s head.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Sven struggled until the end. He kicked Urich''s ankle and stumbled to his feet. Urich''s shaky axe struck Sven''s shoulder.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    Blood stained the clearing. The moon and Milky Way hid their faces. The long night wasing to an end, and the morning was dawning.


    "Sigh."


    Urich exhaled, looking at the bloodied Sven. Sven''s bleeding was severe; he would die if left alone.


    "I''m sorry I burdened you like this, Urich."


    Sven tried to stand but copsed to his knees, his strength empty. His consciousness flickered like a dying candle. His eyes kept closing.


    "Don''t mention it." Urich nodded, straightening his posture.


    "Urich, I see Ulgaro. He''s waiting for me in that forest right over there." Sven bowed his head slightly, exposing his nape.


    Urich hastily looked in the direction Sven mentioned. Only shadows fleeing from the rising sun were visible. Urich blinked andughed softly.


    "You¡¯re right, I see him too. He¡¯s here to take a great warrior."


    Hearing Urich, Sven shrugged his shoulders.


    "Cough, cough. You kind liar."


    Urich blushed, scratching his head. He sighed and swung his axe.


    Thanks to Urich¡¯s wless technique, not a single groan came out of Sven. The world spun, and Sven saw his headless body. His lonely head blinked twice.


    Urich ced Sven''s head upright on the snow. He sat down beside it, putting away his axe.


    "How''s the view there?"


    Urich asked, watching the sunrise. Sven''s eyes were empty.


    Urich scooped up some snow, cleaning his hands. He then gently closed Sven''s eyelids with his clean hands.


    * * *


    Though they hade as two, only one was leaving.


    Urich gazed at the snowyndscape as he stroked Kylios. Despite the sunrise, the snow showed no signs of melting.


    "Fighting the Imperial army is madness."


    "The priests said there would be glory, they didn¡¯t say anything about winning."


    As the Imperial army approached, people began leaving Mulin. Most were criminals or exiles who were staying in Mulin out of necessity. They eyed Urich''s bag and horse but couldn¡¯t dare to attack him.


    <i>''He killed Yorcan the Giant and even has Ulgaro''s blessing.''</i>


    Yet some, hoping for any gain, still followed Urich.


    "Look, the Imperial army."


    Urich squinted from a ridge, spotting the distant army. It was a force of thousands. The Imperial army seemed determined to wipe out the entirety of Mulin with this war.


    "T-the Imperial army!" The northern men following Urich panicked and fled. Urich alone faced the army on horseback.


    "Hey! You should run too, mister!" One of the fleeing men looked back at Urich. But Urich shook his head and approached the Imperial army.


    "Stop!"


    Mounted scouts approached through the snow with their crossbows aimed at Urich.


    "My name is Urich. Tell them that,¡± Urich said nonchntly and waited for the reaction.


    A knight who recognized Urich emerged from the camp. He confirmed Urich''s identity and dismissed the scouts.


    "This man saved the life of the viceroy! Do not disrespect him!" The knight dered, and the soldiers with crossbows retreated.


    "Sir Urich, it''s been a while. The viceroy regretted not being able to properly thank youst time. After this battle, we n to hold a grand banquet. It would be great if you could grace the event."


    "nning a feast before the battle¡¯s even started? That''s some confidence."


    Urichughed, looking at the Imperial camp. The confidence seemed more deserved than arrogant.


    "Dying gods can''t lead their warriors to victory, Sir Urich. Mulin, just like its name, will be the literal graveyard for Ulgaro and his warriors."


    The knight spoke with shining eyes. Urich didn''t respond. Taking the silence as a refusal, the knight nodded and turned away.


    <i>Doong, doong, doong.</i>


    It was the sound of the Imperial drums. The army resumed their advance. Urich watched them pass, then took hold of Kylios¡¯ reins.


    "Kylios."


    Urich stroked Kylios¡¯ mane, stiff with frost. Kylios shook his head as if he wasining.


    "Yeah, sorry. I hate the cold too."


    Urich exhaled, pulling his scarf up to his nose. After looking around his surroundings, he headed south.

 Chapter 120: Hamel

    Chapter 120: Hamel


    Urich traveled with a fur trading caravan that traveled between the north and Hamel, the imperial capital.


    "God, we really spent the winter in the north. I thought we were going to die."


    "But we have to make our move in the winter to avoid thepetition. Come spring, everyone will be scrambling for furs."


    Fur trading has been immensely profitable in recent years. The merchants bought furs at absurdly low prices and sold them at a high margin in the empire. Good businessmen easily profited ten times over. Almost every merchant with decent resources had jumped into the fur trade.


    "Fewer caravans move in winter, so its a bit easier for us to buy more fur during this time. Wait till spring, and you''ll hardly find any left in the north."


    Urich listened to the merchants chatter. The caravan, consisting of about thirty people, had wagons filled with furs.


    "Hey, mister barbarian. Are you heading to the Imperial capital as well?"


    "Yeah, to Hamel."


    Urich replied on Kylios.


    "Youre free to travel with us, but make sure you pay for your meals on time."


    The weather was gradually warming. They had crossed the north''s border, and the season was transitioning to spring. Heavy clothes were loosening.


    <em>''They have about ten guards.''</em>


    Urich noted, eyeing the caravan.


    The caravan was well-armed as the merchants invested arge part of their profit in security. Long-distance trade was filled with risk, and the heatedpetition in the fur trade sometimes led to attacks even by rival merchants.


    <em>''This barbarian named Urich seems like hes got some experience using his strength.''</em>


    That was the reason why the merchants weed Urich on their trip. More fighters meant better chances in a fight.


    In the caravan, there were three investor merchants, with the rest being apprentices, porters, and guards.


    "Did you hear? Apparently, the Porcana Kingdom has a new king. I heard it in a barst night."


    "Did the prince win the civil war?"


    "What does it matter to us? Who cares who their new king is."


    "I wish I were born noble or royalty."


    News of Porcana had reached many by now.


    The caravan was crossing the vague boundary between the north and the empire. Patches of green grass were beginning to peek out of the melting snow.


    As the night fell, the caravan set up camp. Urich checked his weapons by the fire.


    "Damn, the de''s dulled a lot."


    His weapons were all made of steel, but even steel wasnt immune to the usual wear and tear.


    "Thats a fine weapon. It still has the luster of steel despite looking pretty old," a chainmail-d guard said as he approached Urich.


    Imperial forge-made weapons underwent unique heat treatments. Imperial steel was instantly recognizable next to ordinary weapons.


    The guard recognized the unusually high quality of Urich''s weapon but, being unfamiliar with Imperial steel, didn''t realize its true nature. Even if he had seen one before, most wouldn''t expect a barbarian to possess a weapon forged from it.


    <em>Schriing.</em>


    Urich took out a whetstone to sharpen the de. For more serious repairs, he''d need a cksmith.


    <em>''Weapons reflect a warrior''s skill.''</em>


    The guard assumed that Urich was a formidable warrior. Befriending a skilledpanion was never a bad thing.


    "My name is Norman. Im the senior of the guards here.


    "Urich. Nice to meet you."


    Urich extended a hand for a light shake. Norman sat beside him, admiring Urich''s weapons. He too was a warrior, so it was only natural for him to swoon over a quality weapon.


    "May I?"


    "As long as you don''t take it."


    "Of course."


    Normanughed, examining Urich''s sword.


    <em>''This is no ordinary sword. Is this what fine weaponry is like?''</em>


    Norman''s eyes sparkled. Suddenly, greed surged inside him, but he managed to keep it together.


    "This is truly a fine sword. Not sure if it''s imperial steel since Ive never seen one, but I would assume this isparable to it," he said as he returned the sword to Urich.


    "Eh? This is an Imperial steel sword."


    "W-what, really?"


    Norman looked up with a bitter look on his face.


    "These are also made of Imperial steel," Urich said nonchntly as he juggled his axe pair, catching them with a flourish.


    "Stop ying with me. You must think those Imperial steel weapons are justmon things..."


    "It''s true, you dont have a lot of trust, do you?"


    Urich grumbled, stowing his weapons. Norman looked skeptical.


    <em>Were those really made of imperial steel? Actually?''</em>


    Imperial steel weapons were so rare that even money wasnt always enough to acquire one. They were sought after even by nobles for their collections. Only renowned knights and warriors typically wielded them.


    <em>A barbarian like him has Imperial steel weapons?''</em>


    Norman had never seen imperial steel, so he couldn''t be sure.


    <em>''Real imperial steel?''</em>


    The thought troubled Norman even as he tried to fall asleep. He tossed and turned in his bedroll, eventually managing to fall asleep.


    Early morning frost knocked on the campsite. People grudgingly opened stiff eyelids. Camping in the cold winter was harsh, with near-screams of stretching heard all around.


    "I feel like my brain is freezing over, shit."


    "Stopining and just rekindle that fire."


    Aborer revived the extinguished campfire. Before departing, the caravan members shared a pot of stew, warming up with the hot broth. The little bit of warmth seemed to wake their minds a bit.


    "Hey, what''s that?"


    Norman, slurping his stew, looked up. He frowned at a group of men approaching on the horizon.


    "Theyre not bandits, thats for sure. Theyre too well-equipped for that, one sharp-eyed caravan membermented.


    "Get your weapons ready just in case."


    The caravan leader gestured, and the guards put on their fur-lined helmets and armed themselves.


    "Damn, they''re knights. See the noble crest?"


    The merchants murmured, their expressions turning grim.


    "Bandits would''ve been better.


    The group got close enough for them to see face-to-face. A young knight from the other group stepped forward and shouted.


    "This is Count Frederick Hakin, the ruler of Hakin! Bow and show respect, merchants!"


    The merchants grimaced. One of the worst possible case scenarios was unfolding.


    "E-Ehem."


    Count Hakin cleared his throat and straightened up, looking down at the merchants from atop his horse.


    Count Frederick Hakin was a young noble. He had inherited his domain from his father after his death less than half a year ago.


    The caravan leader kissed the Count''s hand and greeted him. Count Hakin nodded, then made his demand.


    "From here is my territory. As a toll, leave half of your wagon''s contents and be on your way."


    Out of nowhere, Count Hakin demanded half of the caravan''s goods. The caravan leader bowed with his face contorted in frustration.


    <em>This noble brats lost his mind.''</em>


    The leader managed topose himself and spoke up.


    "As far as I know, this area lies between Yabhorn and Takarta, and I''ve paid tolls to both. I was under the impression that we aren''t on yournd, Count Hakin."


    "No, you are indeed in my domain. The maps must be wrong. I''m exercising my rightful authority," Count Hakin stated firmly.


    The leader looked at his group with a gloomy expression. The loss was seemingly going to be substantial, but they also couldn''t afford a conflict with the nobility. He wasn''t a powerful merchant with influential backing. No one would listen to his grievances.


    "What''s all this fuss about? Its still early in the morning.


    Urich, with his sword in his hand, spoke up after observing the situation. Norman tried to stop him.


    "Don''t get involved, Urich. This is a matter for nobles. Our leader will handle it."


    Norman judged that a barbarian angering a noble could lead to bloodshed.


    "I''ll pay the toll in gold coins, but please, not the wagon..."


    The leader pleaded with Count Hakin.


    "In my domain, merchants going in and out of the north through mynds pay half the toll with half of their goods. It''s thew of mynd, so how could I make an exception for you?"


    Count Harkin spoke, feigning pity but with a smile on his face.


    <em>My, how could I be so clever?''</em>


    The leader''s ims were correct. The caravan wasnt actually in Count Hakin''s domain. The Count patrolled beyond his borders, extorting traders by iming they were inside hisnds. Even if some were to im any disputes against this, it was his words against theirs.


    Count Hakin rode around the caravan, eyeing for more loot to plunder.


    The merchants were simply unlucky. Not just bandits, but corrupt nobles were their enemies too. They sighed heavily, waiting for the Count''s decision.


    "Hmm?"


    Count Hakin stopped, locking his eyes on Urich among the caravan. He was a barbarian who didnt fit in with the rest of the caravan.


    <em>''Could it be...?''</em>


    What caught the Count''s eye was Urich''s drawn sword, gleaming sharply after being oiled and polished the previous day.


    <em>''Is that Imperial steel?''</em>


    Count Hakin was a noble with a keen interest in Imperial steel armaments. He approached Urich closely.


    "You, sell that sword to me."


    Count Hakin casually tossed a few gold coins toward Urich.


    "Nah."


    Urich didn''t even nce at the coins. Count Hakin''s eyebrows twitched as the atmosphere among the caravan turned from tense to icy.


    <em>''Dammit, this is a big problem. Somethings about to go down.''</em>


    Not only the caravan leader but also Norman was restless.


    "What''s the problem? Im paying you."


    Count Hakin called his knights, seven heavily armed men. Although outnumbered, their strength was more than enough to decimate the caravan.


    "You think you can buy anything with money? Then, let me buy that arrogant tongue of yours. Stick it out."


    <em>Ting.</em>


    Urich flicked one of his coins, hitting Count Hakin''s forehead. The Count touched his reddened forehead in disbelief.


    "Y-you bastard...!!"


    Count Hakin gripped his sword hilt in anger.


    <em>''I should probably run.''</em>


    Urich sighed and looked toward Kylios tied to a tree. He envisioned the situation in his head. If necessary, he could take the noble as a hostage and flee. Even with knights before him, Urich wasposed.


    "My Lord."


    Suddenly, an elderly knight grabbed Count Hakin''s hand. The Count looked at the knight, who was a loyal servant who had served his family for generations and also his swordsmanship instructor. Count Hakin couldn''t easily dismiss him.


    "What do you mean? Did you not see that Ive just been insulted?"


    "You should not mess with that barbarian. I think it''s best we just leave."


    The elderly knight whispered to Count Hakin, ncing at Urich.


    "W-what are you saying? Just leave all these goods here?"


    "That man is not an easy opponent. If he is in charge of this caravan, it''s best we avoid conflict. We''ll be at a loss."


    The knight handed his lord over to another knight. Count Hakin frowned but followed his trusted knights advice.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Urich. Please forget today''s incident."


    The knight recognized Urich and spoke to him. He nodded lightly and led his lord away. They left without taking anything from the caravan upon recognizing Urich.


    "If you dont give me a good enough exnation, even you..."


    Count Hakin watched the departing caravan and murmured. The knight sighed in relief.


    "That man is Urich. He is famous for winning the Hamel Jousting Tournament and is rumored to have shattered a te armor with his bare hands in a duel. A year ago, when I apanied thete Count to Hamel, I saw him joking around closely with the current King of Porcana. Although a barbarian, he''s not someone to mess with without a solid n to silence those around him."


    Count Hakin wasn''t entirely convinced but nodded. Even from the exnation, he understood Urich was a tricky man to deal with.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    The caravan managed to keep their goods from Count Hakin and continued as nned toward the Capital of Hamel. Along the way, the caravan members kept ncing at Urich with bewildered expressions.


    <em>Who the hell is this man?''</em>


    The merchants had clearly seen Count Hakin retreat hastily with their own two eyes. The man who seemed to be taking half of their products, or even all of it, stepped away without a fuss.


    <em>''He fled just at the sight of this barbarian, Urich.''</em>


    Naturally, they began to treat Urich differently. He was given more meat in his soup, and generous amounts of expensive liquor were poured for him.


    "That noble ran away like a frightened rabbit at the sight of you! It was a sight to behold, it really was! Here, drink as much as you like!"


    The caravan leaderughed heartily, patting Urich''s back and opening a bottle of honey wine that he had reserved as merchandise. Considering the value of half of the wagon''s contents, nothing was too good for Urich.


    "Ah, this is nice. If only we had some women around."


    Urich chugged the strong honey wine, feeling his cheeks flush warmly.


    "But just why did that noble run away like that?" Norman asked, sitting by the campfire.


    "Eh, I dont really know either. It seemed like the knight next to him recognized me."


    Urich stroked his beard which had grown out a little bit.


    "You knew him?"


    "No, no. It was my first time seeing him, but he recognized me."


    "Are you someone of high standing?"


    Norman asked tentatively, considering the possibility that Urich, despite his barbarian appearance, might be some entric noble. Otherwise, it didnt really make sense that a noble like Count Hakin would run off after learning who he was.


    "High standing? We''re all just humans born from someone''s belly."


    Urich chuckled and held out his cup for more. Norman refilled it.


    <em>He isn''t just an average barbarian warrior. From his weapon to how he chased off the noble...''</em>


    Norman thought as he squinted at Urich.


    Urich was already a part of civilized society. When he had just crossed the Sky Mountains and arrived in thisnd for the first time, nobody would have batted an eye at his death. He was practically a mere bug. Not a single soul in civilization would have mourned his death, nor would they have been interested in his whereabouts.


    Urich was now an undeniable member of the dynamic yetplicated society. His death or appearance had an impact on his surroundings. Although his influence wasnt significant yet, he had reached the status of a public figure. If news of his death broke out, some might even search for his killer and avenge him. Once Urichs identity is revealed, nobody would be able to easily kill him due to his fame and connections with several nobles and even royalty, just like how nobles couldnt kill another noble without consequences.


    <em>''Am I a part of this ce?''</em>


    Urich gazed at the fire, feeling at home in the civilized world. He was no longer a mere ant to be trampled upon. To kill Urich, one would need either a stealthy assassination or a justifiable reason. And to kill him publicly, the executioner would need to be someone of significant power, who could disregard Urich''s connections with various notables, nobles, and royalty.


    "Phew."


    Urich took in the cold air with his drunken mouth and then exhaled. He could feel the drunkenness leave through his nose and mouth.


    After drinking enough, Urich wrapped himself in his cloak andy down.


    The next day, the caravan continued its journey ording to its schedule and arrived in Hamel before winter''s end. As soon as they entered the city, wholesalers flocked to haggle over the price of the furs.


    "Ah, we can''t do that. Do you know how harsh this winter was? There aren''t many others who brought in this much."


    "We''re offering a good price."


    The faces of the caravan''s traders were filled with big smiles. With sessful negotiations, they could easily secure a solid foundation for their next trip.


    "This is a gift for you, Urich."


    The caravan leader handed Urich a wolf pelt as he was leaving. It was a top-quality pelt with shiny gray fur, and even the head was well-preserved, exuding a formidable aura.


    "Oh wow, thanks."


    "Safe travels, Urich. I won''t forget your name."


    The caravan members bid farewell to Urich. Thanks to him, they had profited from this business venture. Even when they sessfully grow into a big business, his tale would remain a topic of conversation among them for a long time.


    "Hup."


    Urich looked back at Hamel. This was his second time visiting the capital, and it was as bustling as ever.


    <em>''I''ll spend the rest of the winter here, stock up on supplies, and then head south.''</em>


    There wasnt a single city that was as economically active as the Capital of Hamel. Here, Urich could find almost anything he wanted, and his steel weapons needed the touch of a skilled cksmith.


    "You, stop right there."


    Passing city guards called out to Urich.


    "What do you want?"


    Urich turned around, annoyed. The guards remained undeterred by his fierce face.


    "Take off your top. We need to check for tattoos."


    "Tattoos?"


    "Snake tattoos. We suspect remnants of Serpentism have infiltrated our proud capital. There have been frequent disappearances of infants. I know its a nuisance, but we need to conduct a body search."


    The guard requested Urich''s cooperation. Urich sighed deeply and spread his arms.


    The body search was being done in the middle of the street, but passersby showed little interest. It wasn''t umon for barbarians to be searched in this manner. Even barbarian women were often stripped in public.


    "This is... quite a weapon you have."


    A guardmented, noting Urich''s steel weapons and frowning.


    "Is there a reason I can''t carry these?"


    Urich''s aggressive response made the guard shake his head.


    <em>''Two axes, one sword. Carrying this many steel weapons...''</em>


    Although it seemed suspicious, the guard couldnt find any snake tattoos on Urich.


    "Pleasee with us to the guardhouse."


    The guard demanded that Urich follow them. Urich frowned.


    Traveling alone in civilized society as a barbarian was incredibly challenging. Despite policies to integrate barbarians into civilization, discrimination was rampant, and they were often arrested on the slightest suspicion.


    Especially with the remnants of Serpentism bing more active, people lumped all barbarians together in suspicion, regardless of their northern or southern origin.


    "Are you kidding?"


    "It''s a simple procedure. We just need to confirm your identity, then you''ll be free to go."


    The guard looked sternly at Urich.


    <em>''So, this is what happens when Ie to a big city by myself.''</em>


    Urich had always traveled with people of civilization, whether diators, mercenaries, or even royalty with confirmed identities. He never faced such issues with those groups because someone was always there to vouch for him.


    "My name is Urich," Urich spoke in a low, threatening tone.


    "Huh? Hah, okay, Urich, let''s get moving."


    The guard tilted his head, then nudged Urich and led him away. Urichughed hollowly, feeling powerless.


    At the guardhouse, various individuals detained by the guards due to their unconfirmed identities sat around. They were mostly barbarians or vagabonds.


    "It''s crazy that remnants of Serpentism are in Hamel, a city known for its security."


    The captain of the guards was frustrated, rubbing his head due to the pressure. If they didn''t quickly deal with those of Serpentism, his neck was on the line.


    Serpentism was infamous for sacrificing infants to their god, and they were widely known throughout the empire. Even though the empire was a melting pot of various religions, Serpentism was one that was not epted anywhere, and those a part of it were executed on sight.


    "This barbarian here was loitering around. Interestingly, he carries three steel weapons."


    A guard reported, bringing Urich into the interrogation room.


    "Keep your hands off my weapons. Or else."


    Urich warned as a guard tried to confiscate his weapons. The captain signaled the soldier to back off after ncing at Urich.


    "Leave us! He seems to be a northerner, not part of Serpentism. Listen, barbarian, just answer a few simple questions and you''ll be free to go."


    The captain handled the situation smoothly. Urich sat down, visibly annoyed.


    "I''m a free traveler. I shouldn''t be treated like this. You know? I''ve even had drinks with... those high-ups of yours."


    "Alright, enough of that. Your name?"


    The captain asked, pen in hand.


    "Urich."


    "Ah, Urich. Sounds familiar. Must be amon name. Where are you from?"


    The captain shrugged nonchntly.


    "From the north. I even saved the life of the northern viceroy. He even invited me to his banquet, but I declined."


    "Really? Do you know the name of that northern viceroy?"


    "Duke Langster, obviously."


    "That''s his surname. If you''re really close, you should know his first name."


    Urich, who had a good memory, couldn''t recall hearing the viceroys first name. He had only referred to him as the viceroy or Duke Lancaster.


    "Anyway, you should know that owning three steel weapons isnt normal. Where did you get them?"


    The captain scrutinized Urich, who didn''t exactly look wealthy.


    "I got them from the emperor himself. I know his name, Yanchinus," Urich spoke casually. The captain''s face hardened for the first time.


    "You should''ve just answered simply, Urich. Don''t mention His Majesty so lightly. Answer seriously."


    Urich''s smile faded. His patience was running out. He had been patient enough so far, especially considering his usual temperament.


    "You think I''m lying? I hate to brag but go find out who won thest jousting tournament. I got these as a reward."


    The guard captain flinched. He kept feeling that the name Urich was familiar for some reason.


    "Excuse me for a moment."


    He hastily left the interrogation room and asked his soldiers to check who thest jousting tournament winner was.


    "U-Urich! Yes, that''s him! Urich! How did I not recognize him earlier!"


    "Dammit!"


    Although the captain was flustered, he quicklyposed himself. He decided to treat him well enough and just issue a pass in his name.


    <em>''Seems like he''s not the type to make a fuss over this. Should be no problem.''</em>


    Just as the captain was about to re-enter the interrogation room, a soldier hurriedly approached him.


    "Captain! Captain! Where are you? There is an extremely urgent matter!"


    The captain, already overwhelmed with tasks, looked at the soldier with a stern face. He was about to lose his mind.


    "I''m over here! What is it? It better be something big..."


    The soldier, even skipping the salute, rushed to the captain.


    "T-the emperor!"


    "What? Out with it!"


    "The emperor is on his way to the guardhouse! He''ll be here any minute now!"


    "Just out of nowhere? Get everyone together!"


    The captain yelled out loud, choosing a few strong soldiers to stand by outside.


    <em>''Great, thest thing we need is a high-ranking visit.''</em>


    The soldiers grumbled but moved quickly. The emperor was the ultimate authority. He was the Ruler of the World. One could lose their life by simply displeasing him, and no one would say a word against him. Even the Church of Srism, with their Pope, seldom condemned the emperor for most matters unless they were extremely significant.


    "W-what about Urich?"


    "Who cares? Leave him in the room for now! Get ready to greet the emperor!"


    The captain barely managed to prepare his soldiers for the emperors arrival. His face was already sweating profusely.


    Silence fell over the streets.


    <em>Clop, clop.</em>


    Only the sound of horses and footsteps echoed softly. People who were walking in the streets knelt down, bowing their heads. The man who silences Hamel, the heart of the world, led his steel knights down the main road.


    "Ah, good to see you, northern guard captain, its been a while. Is this our first meeting since your appointment?"


    The third emperor, Yanchinus Hamelon, dismounted from his horse, his violet eagle cloak fluttering.


    "Hail the Ruler of the World! Long live Emperor Yanchinus!"


    "Long live His Majesty!"


    The soldiers chorused, raising their weapons high. Despite the hasty assembly, the salute was precise, showcasing their excellent training.


    "I''ve heard about the remnants of Serpentism here. Despicable actions indeed. But I firmly believe you won''t be defeated by such heretics. You''ll catch them soon enough. After all, you all are the hands and feet of the empire!"


    <em>p.</em>


    Yanchinus smiled and pped his hands. At the back of the procession, porters hurriedly carried boxes.


    "Ah!"


    The captain gasped, realizing the reason behind the emperors surprise visit.


    <em>''Motivation from His Majesty himself.''</em>


    His heart warmed immensely with a sense of overwhelming gratitude. The boxes contained freshly baked bread, newly ughtered meat, and top-grade wine that was often only reserved for the royal pce.


    "Drink in moderation, Northern Guard Captain Varane."


    "I swear to Lou, Your Majesty, I shall celebrate with your wine only after we''ve dealt with the cult."


    The captain''s voice choked with emotion. He kissed the emperors ring, overwhelmed with gratitude.


    <em>Bang!</em>


    Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from behind. Soldiers and even the emperor''s steel knights gripped their sword hilts.


    "How long are you going to keep me locked up!"


    Urich smashed through the door of the interrogation room and came bursting out. He was fully intending to wait as long as he could but went with hisst resort as there seemed to be no signs of his release. He was breathing aggressively with his axe in his hand.


    "H-huh?"


    Urich nced around, rolling his eyes busily. Something unusual was clearly happening, but he couldnt hear what was happening outside from the inside of the soundproof interrogation room.


    <em>''...I''m doomed.''</em>


    The captain looked desperately between Yanchinus and Urich. Yanchinus expressionless face toward Urich only made the captain even more uneasy.


    "Hmm, Urich."


    Breaking the silence, Yanchinus spoke. His voice suggested pure curiosity, without a hint of rage or pleasure.

 Chapter 122

    <h4>Chapter 122</h4>


    ¡°S-stop him and kill, no, capture him alive!¡±


    The guard captain yelled as he rose to his feet in panic. Regardless of his status, Urich had broken out of the interrogation room. The captain couldn¡¯t let him get away with that without hurting his pride.


    The soldiers grabbed their spears upside down and lunged toward Urich.


    ¡°Hah?¡±


    Urich whistled and did the same with his axe so that its blunt handle would point toward the enemies. He pummeled through the soldiers, using his axe as a hammer.


    <i>''Capturing a barbarian warrior is no ordinary feat. After all, they''re a kind that won¡¯t stop unless they¡¯re killed.''</i>


    Yanchinus leaned on his chin and chuckled. He held back one of his knights who was attempting to intervene and watched Urich fight. Already, seven soldiers were rolling on the ground.


    "This man is my guest. It seems there has been a misunderstanding!" Yanchinus called out to the guard captain.


    <i>''Now he says that! Dammit! Dammit!''</i>


    The guard captain was in a bind, stamping his feet helplessly. Urich stood there, breathing like a beast, having knocked down the soldiers.


    <i>¡®I hate him. What a cunning man.''</i>


    Urich had been aware of Yanchinus''s gaze from the start. Yanchinus had more than enough power to quell the chaos instantly, yet he chose to stand idly by and watch, allowing the disorder to persist.


    "Stop! Stop the fighting!"


    The guard captain stepped in front of the soldier and Urich, yelling. He raised his shield to block Urich''s axe and swung the spear shaft.


    Urich¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the guard captain''s spear shaft. It was faster and more unpredictable than he expected.


    <i>''He¡¯s good.''</i>


    The title of guard captain was not given just for show. As the captain of the Imperial Capital''s guards, he excelled in both military and civil spheres.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Urich knocked the spear shaft away with the back of his axe and looked at the guard captain.


    "Are we good?"


    Urich asked, twirling his axe around.


    "Lay down your weapon. His Majestymands that you be treated as a guest."


    Urichughed, drained of energy. He lifted his head to look at Yanchinus. Steel knights, with their faces hidden, stood around him.


    Yanchinus looked back at Urich. He had been deep in thought since earlier, his lips curling into a half-smile.


    * * *


    Urich stayed at the Swallow Pce as a guest of the royal family. He was familiar with the ce, having stayed there before with Pahell¡¯s party. Some attendants even recognized Urich. Many were still waiting to be received by the emperor, and some were unjustlyining to the innocent pce officials.


    Urich bathed and dressed in clean, neat clothes. Even the most free-spirited had to dress appropriately in the royal pce. Urich frowned at the tight-fitting clothes.


    <i>''This is ridiculous, the clothes feel like they''ll rip if I move even just a little.''</i>


    Urich moved stiffly, sighing. A pce official knocked and entered his room.


    "His Majesty invites Sir Urich to a hunt."


    "Eh? Me?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s right," the official said, narrowing his eyes.


    <i>''He probably doesn¡¯t realize what a great privilege this is.''</i>


    Many waited to be received by the emperor, yet Urich was a guest directly chosen by the emperor himself. Right upon his arrival, he got the opportunity to meet the emperor and even go hunting together.


    "Hunting, huh? Noble hunting games aren''t really to my taste."


    Urich knew how nobles hunted. It was entirely different from the hunting Urich knew, which had the sole purpose of surviving. Game animals were released in private forests and fields, and beaters and hunting dogs drove them to the nobles, who only had to pull back their bows.


    <i>''That''s not hunting. It''s just child''s y. I wouldn''t even use that to teach a ten-year-old to shoot an arrow.¡¯</i>


    Urich prepared to join the hunt despite all his grumbling. Whether he liked it or not, it was true that he was practically indebted to Emperor Yanchinus. Regardless of the circumstances, Urich had caused a disturbance in the guardhouse. He could have lost his head if things had gone wrong and it would have beenpletely justified.


    <i>''Traveling alone as a barbarian isn¡¯t the most pleasant thing to do.''</i>


    Only when alone did he acutely feel the discrimination and prejudice against barbarians. Despite the empire¡¯s efforts in the barbarian inclusion policy, guards would first arrest barbarian travelers whenever a crime urred. Indeed, many barbarians in civilized society engaged in dirty and violent deeds.


    <i>''It¡¯s a vicious cycle.''</i>


    Barbarians are only able to engage in such jobs because that¡¯s what they are viewed as.


    Urich was treated well because he was an outstanding warrior. His exceptional prowess overcame the barriers between barbarians and civilized people. Sometimes, extraordinary beings are not bound by their origins.


    "This is your hunting attire," the official said as he presented the clothes. Urich scowled.


    "You want me to change again? Fucking hell."


    "Please watch yournguage in the pce," the official said expressionlessly. ustomed to dealing with various nobles, he was good at hiding his emotions, simply stating facts without inciting anger.


    Urich got dressed in the hunting attire with the help of the pce attendants. The clothes were hard to put on alone. He tiedces, buttoned up, donned a vest, and then an overcoat. The hat''s brim curved excessively upwards, making him question its utility.


    "You look splendid!" an attendant eximed, sweating.


    "This is splendid? Your eyes must be useless. Better pluck them out right away."


    Urich snapped, making the attendant fall silent.


    "The attire suits you well, Sir Urich," the official who was waiting for himmented.


    "Splendid, my ass."


    Urich followed the official to the Swallow Pce stables. Kylios was well cared for by the royal stablemaster, and his mane and skin were finally glossy again after the rough northern journey.


    "Hey, Kylios."


    Kylios neighed upon Urich''s arrival, hisrge eyes gazing at him.


    "Will you be riding your personal horse?"


    "Of course."


    Urich and Kylios headed to the royal hunting grounds. It was a while after Urich''s arrival that Yanchinus and his knights appeared. The emperor¡¯s hunting attire wasvishly embroidered with gold threads, easily identifiable as himself even from afar.


    "Ah, Urich."


    Yanchinus smiled at Urich. He had a refreshing smile on his handsome face, but Urich found it chilling. He had already experienced what kind of person Yanchinus was.


    "Off your horse! Show respect in His Majesty¡¯s presence!" a knight beside him shouted. Yanchinus raised his hand to stop the knight.


    "Shut it. He''s a barbarian. Of course, he doesn¡¯t know our manners."


    Yanchinus embarrassed his own knight while taking Urich''s side.


    <i>''This sly fox, what¡¯s he plotting?''</i>


    Urich looked down at Yanchinus. He was a head taller.


    "Do you enjoy hunting, Urich?"


    "I like hunting, not ''hunting games.''"


    "Haha, of course, it must seem that way to you. You''re right. This is a hunting game."


    Even as he was saying these words, Yanchinus still signaled the start of the hunt. The servants bustled about preparing for the hunt. The royal hunting grounds were vast, seemingly endless. It looked like they would have to ride for a while.


    "It''s quite something, causing such a ruckus at the guardhouse. Normally, one would have lost their head for that. Of course, you must have had your reasons. We couldn''t just chop off the head of the champion of thest jousting tournament. It''s a matter of dignity."


    "I didn¡¯t really think things through."


    Urich shrugged his shoulders, and Yanchinusughed as if he was momentarily at a loss for words.


    "I didn¡¯t expect to meet you again. I thought you were doing well in Porcana, eating and drinking to your heart¡¯s content. King Varca seemed to favor you."


    A warrior favored by the king. Urich''s feats could have earned him a title and more.


    "I''m not one of Varca¡¯s men. Just... a friend."


    Urich muttered thest word. Yanchinus squinted his eyes.


    "That''s why I have been watching you and King Varca closely. A barbarian and royalty being close was an incredibly unusual sight."


    "Incredibly unusual? That sounds a bit exaggerated."


    Urich replied, receiving a bow from a servant. He lightly plucked the bowstring.


    Dogs barked in the distance. Beatmen shouted, driving the game toward Urich and the emperor.


    "But it was unexpected to hear that Ferzen disappeared in Porcana, but I wasn¡¯t surprised. He didn¡¯t have too long left to live, so it would have made sense for him to disappear. Noya was always that kind of man."


    Urich gave no indication of being affected. His heart was calm. There was no sting. If anything, Urich was a victim of Ferzen''s schemes.


    <i>''It feels like I keep getting used by old mentely.''</i>


    Urich grumbled, looking at the forest. The sound of bushes rustling came through.


    <i>Cre¡ªeak!</i>


    Yanchinus drew his bowstring. He shot an arrow toward the moving bushes.


    "Ah, I missed. I''m really no good at archery. What about you?"


    "If it were my bow, maybe, but this one... eh."


    Urich widened his eyes as he pulled the bowstring. He spotted a brown hide moving through the bushes.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    The moment Urich released the bowstring, he sensed the arrow would hit. It was a hunter''s instinct.


    "Hit! Excellent!"


    Yanchinus patted Urich''s back.


    "Let''s see what you caught. Hiya!"


    Yanchinus spurred his horse forward, followed by his knights. The animal seemed to have run quite a distance even after being hit.


    "Beaters!"


    The beaters released the dogs. They followed the blood trail, barking and running. Yanchinus and Urich cut through the forest, following the dogs.


    "Ha! Here it is."


    Yanchinus found Urich''s quarry first. He beckoned Urich over.


    "Grrr..."


    A groan was heard. Urich frowned and dismounted.


    "To run off this far even after being hit in the thigh, not your usual game, right?" Yanchinus said as he pointed at the game. Hisughter was light.


    "The game was a person..."


    Urich looked at the man rolling on the ground. Urich''s arrow was lodged in his thigh.


    <i>¡®No wonder I couldn¡¯t tell. Who knew he''d be wearing deer hide head to toe.''</i>


    The man couldn¡¯t remove the deer hide himself even if he wanted to. It was stuck to his skin with glue. Removing it would peel off the skin too.


    "You''re a skilled hunter, Urich. But you must finish it off properly."


    Yanchinus raised his sword. He stabbed the neck of the man hit by the arrow. The smooth de cut through the flesh without hesitation. The emperor showed no hesitation in taking a life.


    Yanchinus was a man who stood at the pinnacle of the world since birth. He had never seen anyone above him. Every person in this world was simply a tool for his use.


    "Isn''t hunting people a bit too perverse for so-called civilized people?"


    "That would be the case unless the prey is of Serpentism. That man kidnaps and eats children. It''s fine to treat him like a beast. Lou would forgive it."


    Yanchinus threw his blood-stained sword to a servant, who carefully cleaned it.


    "That damned Lou, so convenient. Do whatever and just seek Lou¡¯s forgiveness."


    Urich spoke sarcastically. Yanchinusughed off his sarcasm.


    "There''s a disease called Serpentism in my city. They''ve infiltrated the heart of the empire. I n to eradicate thempletely. I need a strong, ruthless remedy... someone who can carry out brutal justice in my stead."


    Yanchinus raised his hand and pointed at Urich.


    "Eh? Me? What, a man like you, the emperor, doesn''t have enoughpetent men under you?"


    Urich looked at the knights around Yanchinus. They just kept their mouths shut, expressionless.


    "Finding the Serpentists hidden in the underworld is not for everyone. If a civilized person approaches, they''ll just run away. Using Sun Warriors is risky as their strong faith might spoil the task. There are many capable people, but none are ideal. I''ll offer amplepensation, whatever it may be. You can have money or whatever you want."


    Yanchinus looked at Urich. Urich was a cunning being who had infiltrated civilization without losing his barbarism. He oscited between civilization and barbarism.


    "You talk as if you know me so well. We''ve barely spoken a few times."


    "Of course, I know you. My concubine keeps cursing and ranting about you. She says you''re someone who shouldn''t exist in this world."


    Urich''s pupils dted. He hadpletely forgotten.


    <i>''Damia.''</i>


    Princess Damia must be Yanchinus''s concubine. She hated Urich. This was not good news for him.


    "And you still want to use me?"


    Yanchinus''s lips twitched. He burst into a heartyugh.


    "Did you know? The greater the man, the more he incurs the wrath and hatred of women. Just like me!"

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    In the infamous underground prison of the empire, Urich was held captive.


    <em>Clunk.</em>


    Urich looked at the iron bars. The air was damp. An odd stench wafted through the darkness.


    <em>''So, this was what he was talking about.''</em>


    Untilst night, Urich had been treatedvishly. He had indulged in the royal family''s finest delicacies and drank exquisite wine like water. Heughed and chatted while embracing slender-waisted dancers.


    "Ugh."


    Urich massaged his head that felt heavy with a hangover. He recalled his promise to the emperor.


    <em>''There is a heretic captured by the guard in this underground prison.''</em>


    He slowly recalled the memory.


    <em>''I have to escape with that heretic and find the hideout of the Serpentism remnants.''</em>


    Despite the empire''s many talents, none were suitable for this task. A civilized persons approach wasnt going to be trusted by the heretic, and the Sun Warriors, with their strong faith, would likely kill the heretic before the job was finished. It was rare to find a barbarian both trustworthy andpetent.


    <em>Aaaaaaaaah!!</em>


    From deeper levels than where Urich was imprisoned, intermittent screams arose. Tortured prisoners were dragged out in a dreadful state. Some no longer resembled humans.


    "The shedding snake achieves immortality, merely leaving the flesh in order to advance to the next world..."


    Urich heard a prayer. They came from the cell next to his.


    <em>Tap, tap.</em>


    Urich knocked on the wall.


    "What is it?"


    "Im new here. Thought we might introduce ourselves."


    There was a hesitation from beyond the wall. Urich waited for the person to speak.


    <em>''Just as nned, the Serpentist is in the cell next to mine.''</em>


    The emperor had said this person held a significant position along the Serpentists.


    " They locked me up just because I''m a barbarian, and that pissed me off. So, I smashed the guardhouse door. Next thing I knew, I was in this dungeon."


    Urich mixed half-truths into his story. Afterall, it was true he had been imprisoned in the guardhouse for being a barbarian.


    "We both are left with nothing but to await death," the man in the next cell spoke softly, returning to his prayers.


    "So, you''re the infamous Serpentist."


    Urich broached the subject.


    "Infamous, indeed, the man responded dully.


    "Given what your religion does, isnt the hatred more than deserved?"


    "Misunderstandings often apany infamy."


    "Misunderstandings my ass."


    Urich scoffed.


    "The world is a hell. Its only natural for those who do good deeds in hell to be persecuted."


    Serpentism was a religion born in the harshest deserts of the south. It was a minority religion even in the south but has survived tenaciously.


    Urich spent three days in the prison. The stale air made his throat raw after just three days, and theck of light frayed his nerves.


    <em>This feels like death.''</em>


    Urich did push-ups to keep himself going. If he didnt move, he felt he might truly lose his mind.


    "Youre making quite the noise there, Kylios."


    Urich had said his name was Kylios. The name Urich might be known to some.


    "I dont n on dying here, Trikee."


    The man''s name was Trikee. Over the past three days, they had shared many conversations. Urich''s natural charisma had led them to open up to each other.


    "Your attachment to life is strong."


    "Yeah, no shit. Hup!"


    Urich responded, doing one-handed push-ups.


    "I am not afraid of death. Im just saddened that I cant guide more people before moving on to the next world."


    "The next world?"


    "A better world than this. Each time we shed our flesh without regret, we move toward a better world. The more we cling to the flesh, the worse the world were dragged into."


    "I dont get it."


    Urich frowned.


    "Were merely providing salvation."


    Serpentism was persecuted as a heresy, not just as a pagan belief. Even other barbarians, let alone civilized people, couldn''t understand the values of Serpentism.


    <em>''Could I understand them?''</em>


    Urich also had a strong aversion to Serpentism. Its doctrines were neither empathetic nor understandable. There was no promised glory or honor like in Ulgaro, nor the warm benevolence of the sun. Serpentism was filled only with emptiness.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    The jailer walked through the prison. He checked the number of prisoners, then nced at Urich. The jailer signaled to Urich with just his mouth.


    Urich reached through the iron bars. He grabbed the jailer''s nape and yanked him forward.


    <em>Crash!</em>


    A loud noise rang out. The jailer, his head hitting the bars, copsed. Urich rummaged through the jailer''s clothes and found the keys.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    As Urich opened the bars and stepped out, prisoners from all sides shouted.


    "Save me too! Please, mister!"


    "Over here! Here!"


    "You''re not leaving by yourself, are you?"


    Urich unlocked the cells one by one. From the emperor''s perspective, releasing the prisoners was eptable if it led to finding the hideout of Serpentism. Serpentism was a thorn in the side. The unrest it caused led to distrust of the emperor and the imperial army.


    "Finally, we meet face to face, Trikee."


    Urich opened thest cell, Trikee''s. Trikee was a gaunt man. His emaciation was partly due to the prison, but he didnt look like he wasrge in stature to begin with. His hair and beard were unkempt, yet his eyes were clear.


    "Woaaaahh!"


    The prisoners had already escaped and were fighting with the guards.


    Urich and Trikee took advantage of the chaos to escape the underground prison. Normally, the surveince would have been strict, but today the soldiers werex.


    "Prisoners! The prisoners are escaping!"


    Reinforcements arrivedte and brutally suppressed the escaping prisoners.


    "This way, Kylios."


    Trikee, ncing around, spoke. The entrance to the underground prison was connected to the fortress of the guards.


    "This is...?"


    Trikee pointed to a spot with arge t rock. The rock seemed to be covering something. It was sorge and heavy that it was difficult to move by hand.


    "We need to flip this together. It leads to a sewer entrance. Going out straight through the fortress is basically suicide. We need something to use as a lever. We can''t do it with bare hands... Ah!"


    Trikee''s eyes widened, and he eximed.


    <em>Screeeeech!</em>


    Urich pushed and lifted the rock with his bare hands. His face turned red, and his muscles seemed ready to burst.


    "H-Hurry!"


    Urich, face flushed, urged Trikee. Trikee quickly dropped into the sewer.


    <em>Ssh!</em>


    Trikee fell into the sewer filled with waste.


    <em>Thud!</em>


    Urich also entered the sewer, setting the rock down. His hands would have been crushed if he were even a second dyed.


    "That was some incredible strength, I''ve never seen someone so strong."


    Trikee had thought of Urich as just another barbarian. But now, he realized Urich was an extraordinary warrior. The scars etched on his body were no ordinary marks.


    "Huff, huff."


    Urich was still catching his breath, rubbing his arms. Bruises were forming on his arms from the burst blood vessels.


    "It''s best we move quickly. It''s not safe here either. To think I''d get another chance... means that I still have work to do in this world."


    Trikee muttered. Urich looked at Trikee''s back.


    "Who wouldve thought thered be something like this under the city."


    "Even the city guards don''t know all the paths of the sewers. Thanks to that, it''s a haven for vagrants."


    Urich followed Trikee through the sewers.


    The sewers were so dark they could hardly see a foot in front of them. Trikee and Urich groped along the walls, moving cautiously.


    "Where are we going?"


    " I don''t know either. Without a map or a torch, we can only walk blindly."


    "What a mess."


    Urich grumbled. After walking for a while, he grabbed Trikee''s arm and covered his mouth.


    "Mmph!"


    Trikee''s eyes widened as he looked at Urich. Urich put his finger to his lips and whispered ''shh.''


    "There was a noise from over there. It was the sound of footsteps."


    Urich whispered, and Trikee nodded in agreement.


    <em>Step, step.</em>


    There were footsteps. Around the corner of the sewer, a red light flickered. A group holding torches was approaching Urich''s direction.


    <em>''There are three of them.''</em>


    Urich readied himself against the corner, prepared to spring out at any moment. He couldn''t let Trikee be caught here.


    <em>''The emperor promised to grant any request if I finished this task.''</em>


    Urich smirked. Considering Yanchinus'' actions so far, he seemed to be a man of great generosity. As long as the request wasn''t too outrageous, Yanchinus would likelyply.


    <em>''Forget about the reward for now, I have to deal with those guys right now.''</em>


    Urich''s fingers twitched. He had already visualized the battle in his mind.


    <em>''First, snatch the torch and throw it away, then use the darkness to overpower the enemies.''</em>


    Urich''s heart pounded. His eyes narrowed fiercely, and he crouched low like a predator stalking its prey.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Urich leaped out silently. He acted as nned, pouncing on the shadow cast by the torch. He threw the torchbearer against the wall. The other two noticed Urich and shouted. Urich raised his fist, ready to smash their heads.


    "S-stop!"


    Suddenly, Trikee threw himself at Urich, grabbing his waist. Despite Trikee hanging on, Urich moved unfazed, his body strong and solid.


    "These are my disciples!"


    Trikee shouted. Only then did Urich stop and pick up the fallen torch.


    "Disciples?"


    Urich asked. Trikee and the men were speaking in anguage unknown to Urich.


    "Speak Hamelian in front of me."


    Urich kicked the wall and demanded. Trikee nodded.


    "This man helped me escape from the prison. He is not our enemy."


    Trikee pointed to Urich, exining. The man who had been hit by Urich slowly lifted his head.


    "Is that true? Did you save our Ark?"


    "Ark?"


    Urich looked at Trikee in confusion. The term ''Ark'' the men used to refer to Trikee was unfamiliar to him.


    That is what they refer to me as, Kylios. These men are my disciples, they must havee to find me.


    Trikee hugged each of the three men.


    We heard about the riot in the jail and rushed here in the hopes that you had escaped through the sewers.


    You have my gratitude, Bahan.


    We are d you are safe, Ark. You still have much to teach us.


    Urich nced between Trikee and Bahan, who whispered among themselves, looking back at Urich.


    Its best to leave him here. His identity is unconfirmed.


    This man was locked in the prison with me, not to mention that he saved me from it as well. If he goes on by himself, hell just be captured by the Imperial soldiers again. We must take him with us, Trikee demanded that Urich move with them.


    If thats what you wish, then


    Bahan nodded and snatched the torch out of Urichs hand.


    Come with us, Kylios.


    Trikees men took the lead. Urich jabbed Trikees side and asked.


    Whats an Ark?


    "Think of it as arge boat," Trikee exined.


    Urich''s confusion wasn''t cleared. He would have understood if it were a shaman or a priest, but ''Ark'' was a term for a boat.


    ''Why would they use ''Ark'' as a title for a person?''


    Urich looked at Trikee and his disciples. Trikee was in a higher position within the religion than what the empire had assumed.


    <em>''So, following them means going straight to the heart of Serpentism.''</em>


    Urich felt around his waist, but it felt empty without his weapons. He shrugged and followed the others through the sewer. The stench of filth was familiar to him.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    Trikee''s disciples knew their way around the structure of the sewers. They navigated through theplexwork without much difficulty.


    <em>''They''ve left marks at every corner.''</em>


    Urich observed the actions of Trikee''s disciples closely. They had left their own marks throughout the sewers to help them navigate through the maze.


    "I''ll go up first."


    Disciple Bahan was the first to climb thedder. After reaching the top, he pushed aside a stone cover and emerged above the ground.


    "Trikee the Ark has arrived."


    Bahan announced to the Serpentists on the surface. They widened their eyes and hurriedly moved.


    "You''ve managed this ce well without me, Bahan."


    Trikee came to the surface as he grasped Bahan''s hand.


    "There is nothing we can do without the Ark."


    Bahan humbly replied and guided Trikee and Urich.


    Urich rolled his eyes, looking around at his surroundings. They were still in the city, but the atmosphere was grim, with many rag-wearing vagrants wandering about.


    <em>''This is where the lower sses live.''</em>


    The greater the metropolis, the darker its shadow is. Hamel was no exception. The marginalized lower sses lived like ghosts in the dark corners of the city.


    "Follow me, Kylios."


    Bahan spoke cautiously to Urich, eyeing him. Bahan was a robust man.


    "I know, I know."


    They wound through thebyrinth-like streets. The haphazardly built shanty houses made it difficult for outsiders to find their way around them.


    <em>''He''s also deliberately taking a bunch of detours. Probably because hes wary of me.''</em>


    Bahan didn''t fully trust Urich. Although he was a benefactor of Trikee, an outsider always had to be treated with caution. That was how the heretics of Serpentism survived this long.


    <em>''The problem with Trikee is that he is too trusting. I need to stay alert to make up for that.''</em>


    Bahan entered a red-light district. Messy, half-naked women were calling for their potential customers.


    "Get your hands off me."


    Urich swatted away the hands of the women, showing his annoyance.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Bahan quickly turned a corner in an alley and pushed a stone wall. What appeared to be a mere wall slid aside, revealing an interior space.


    "Come in, Trikee the Ark."


    Bahan allowed Trikee to enter first. Urich was thest to enter.


    "The Ark!"


    "I knew it wouldn''t end like this."


    Men who appeared to be Trikees disciples knelt before him with their voices trembling. Trikee embraced them one by one.


    "And who might this be?"


    The disciples looked at the unfamiliar Urich with rather unfriendly eyes.


    "This man saved me from the empires prison. Treat him as well as you would treat me."


    "Ahh!"


    Upon hearing this, a few disciples looked at Urich with eyes now filled with warmth.


    <em>''Serpentism.''</em>


    The disciples bore snake tattoos on their bodies, which Urich had seen several times before.


    <em>''This is strange.''</em>


    Urich stroked his chin, observing the Serpentists gathered here. They were delighted that Trikee had returned safely.


    <em>''This is different from the Serpentism I know.''</em>


    Urich closed his eyes, deep in thought. The Serpentism he knew was rough and aggressive. Their warriors were as strong as the average mercenaries, and their shamans had a sensual wildness.


    <em>''These people are very orderly, almost closer to Srism than the Serpentism Ive seen. They don''t seem like heretics who would kidnap babies.''</em>


    Urich slowly opened his eyes. Without the snake tattoos, he wouldn''t have believed they were Serpentists.


    "A room has been prepared for you, Kylios," Bahan called out to Urich. His gaze was still sharp.


    <em>''Bahan seems to be the highest ranked among Trikee''s disciples.''</em>


    Urich followed Bahan.


    "Youre a warrior, arent you?" Urich suddenly asked. Bahan halted.


    "I wielded a sword in the past."


    "In the past? So, not anymore?"


    "I am no longer a warrior."


    Bahan answered bluntly. He showed Urich to a shabby room that didnt even have a window.


    "It should be better than a prison."


    "This is quite enough."


    Urich chuckled and sat on the hard bed.


    "How long will you stay?"


    "I''m also an escaped prisoner. I''ll only stay here until things settle down, so don''t worry."


    Bahan looked at Urich and closed the door. His silent warning was palpable.


    <em>I guess things are going as nned for now.''</em>


    After being left alone, Urich surveyed the dark room. Without any windows, Urichs vision was relying on a single candle for light.


    <em>''Theres two outside.''</em>


    Footsteps asionally sounded near Urich''s door. They were keeping watch on him out of caution.


    <em>Trikee the Ark and his disciples.''</em>


    The atmosphere was different from what he had expected. Urich was intrigued by them.


    <em>''Is this their headquarters? It feels like there has to be more than just this.''</em>


    Serpentism that unsettled the capital couldn''t be just this small in scale.


    <em>''Serpentism, known for kidnapping and eating infants.''</em>


    Urich had heard countless tales of Serpentism''s infamy. They were notorious for kidnapping newborns and eating their flesh after offering them as sacrifices. That''s why they were persecuted, not only by civilized people but also by other southerners.


    "Hmm."


    Urichy on the bed. He closed his eyes, and sleepiness enveloped him, but he didn''t fall deeply asleep. This wasn''t a safe ce. Even in sleep, he kept his ears open.


    Urich observed Trikee for several days. He was revered by the other Serpentists who called him the "Ark."


    "This world we live in is no different from hell. It is full of endless pain, and rebirth only leads to more suffering. We discriminate and fight against each other, living in misery. If there is a god who created this world, it must be a god who deeply hates us."


    One day, Trikee gathered people for a sermon. Surprisingly, many people came to listen to his teachings, mostly vagrants and prostitutes from the lower sses.


    "Is there no god in Serpentism?" Urich murmured, and a disciple nearby responded.


    "We don''t have a god like Lou."


    Serpentism didn''t have named gods like Lou or Ulgaro. What they believed in was another world in the afterlife.


    "If we don''t realize this and keep reincarnating, we''ll only face eternal suffering. We shouldn''t return to this exact same world but move on to the next."


    This present world is a wed one. That was the core of Serpentism''s teachings. They rejected the idea of reincarnation preached by Srism,beling it as eternal suffering.


    "If suffering is the purpose of this world, we have the freedom to reject it. Like a snake shedding its skin bes bigger and stronger, we, shedding our physical bodies, will go to a better world."


    The people''s expressions rxed. They med their suffering and poverty on the world. ording to Serpentism, they were mere victims of the world.


    "Do those nobles live in peace? Are the kings in their high ces happy? They are not. Everyone lives in pain because this world itself is hell. When we all stop reincarnating and move to the next world, this hellish present world will disappear, and everyone will be saved."


    Listening, Urich tilted his head.


    <em>''Theyre quite hostile to Srism. They''re outright saying reincarnation is wrong.''</em>


    A man in the crowd raised his hand, and Trikee paused to listen to his question.


    "I am already tainted by the secr world and my soul is heavy. Can I still go to the next world?"


    The man pushed back his hood, revealing a face destroyed by burns. The wounds were rotting, oozing pus.


    "Come here and hold my hand."


    Trikee extended his hand. The man cautiously grasped it.


    <em>Shiver.</em>


    The man holding Trikee''s hand started to tremble. His eyes rolled back, showing only the whites. After shaking for a while, he copsed to the ground.


    "Oooh!"


    The crowd gasped, watching the scene. The fallen man staggered to his feet.


    "Now, your soul will be with me. Come on, let''s go to the next world together."


    "Th-thank you, Ark."


    The man spoke tearfully. This spurred others to reach out to Trikee, creating chaos as they tried to grab even a piece of his clothing.


    "Ahh."


    Urich mmed his fist into his palm in realization.


    <em>''So, that''s why he''s called the Ark!''</em>


    It clicked. Trikee''s role was now clear to Urich. He was the vessel leading countless people to the next world.


    "Trikee the Arik is the savior of this world. You''ve rescued a great man, Kylios."


    Bahan said, standing beside Urich as if he was keeping watch.


    Trikee led about twenty disciples. They moved between hiding ces set up all over the corners of the city, preaching their doctrine. Serpentism was already rooted deeply in the cities. Those dissatisfied with the current world yearned for another.


    "Bahan, where to next?" Trikee asked as he adjusted his sleeve.


    "It might be best to stop for today, Ark."


    "No, there are many waiting for me. Thanks to Kylios, I have more time now. I cannot afford to waste it."


    Trikee nced at Urich and smiled.


    "If that is your will..."


    Bahan found the way to the sewers, the usual path for the followers of Serpentism. It was dirty and smelly, but it was the safest option.


    "Would you like toe with us, Kylios?"


    Trikee asked as he extended his hand toward Urich. Urich was intrigued by Trikee.


    "Of course."


    Urich followed Trikee down into the sewers, along with Bahan and three disciples.


    <em>''Serpentism is meticulous. They rule the city''s underground.''</em>


    Even the emperor, with his absolute power, was troubled by Serpentism.


    <em>Whoosh.</em>


    Bahan led the way with a torch in his hand. They moved along the edges of the pathway to avoid the filth.


    <em>The emperor was right. Im the only one who could have taken up this task.''</em>


    If Urich had been a civilized person, he would have been chased away long ago. A Sun Warrior couldnt have tolerated Serpentism''s doctrines and would have caused amotion.


    Bahan, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped. He extended the torch forward to illuminate the path.


    "Its a corpse."


    A body floated in the sewage. In the sewers, finding bodies wasmon. Bodies dumped in the sewers were hard to find, often resulting in a few floating around at all times.


    No one in the group was startled by the sight of the body. They continued walking calmly.


    <em>Sssss.</em>


    Urich looked back. He felt his hair standing all over his body.


    "Hmm?"


    Urich narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.


    <em>Twitch.</em>


    Urich grinned. He walked back toward the body that had just floated past.


    <em>Crrrrunch!</em>


    The sound of a spine breaking echoed throughout the sewer. Urich stepped right on the floating body''s waist, crushing the spine. The sewage sshed noisily.


    "W-what''s wrong?"


    Bahan looked back at Urich. Urich lifted the body that everyone thought was a dead one. The man, with his spine shattered, looked at Urich with disbelief, foaming at the mouth.


    "G-guuuuuugh."


    <em>''How did he know?''</em>


    It was a perfect disguise. The man had pretended to be dead, not even breathing. But Urich sensed that the supposed corpse was a living person. It was simply a warrior''s intuition built on experience.


    <em>Crack.</em>


    Urich twisted the man''s neck with his bare hands, ending his life.


    "There should be more of them. Be on guard."


    Urich spoke calmly. His warning was correct. The walls of the sewer rippled. Men holding torches and weapons emerged stealthily.


    <em>''They''re not Imperial soldiers.''</em>


    One of the attackers, shirtless, bore snake tattoos on his body.


    <em>''I dont know whats happening, but Serpentists are attacking fellow Serpentists. This is unexpected.''</em>


    Urich, dropping the now truly dead body, looked up at the attackers.


    Bahan and the disciples positioned themselves protectively around Trikee. They looked perplexed, facing the attackers.


    There were six experienced-looking enemies. Unlike them, Trikee and his disciples seemed vulnerable inbat. Only Bahan, who was only physically strong, picked up a club, ready to fight.


    <em>''This is serious. We must protect Ark Trikee at all costs.''</em>


    Bahan, once a warrior, was not confident against six seasoned fighters.


    "This is the end of your lies, chatan Trikee."


    An enemy spoke. Urich, standing at the back, responded instead of the sweating Trikee.


    "Maybe if I wasnt here."

 Chapter 125

    <h4>Chapter 125</h4>


    Urich pushed through the group and stepped forward, tapping Bahan, who was confronting the attackers, on the shoulder.


    "K-Kylios?"


    Urich snatched the club from Bahan.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urich produced a terrifying sound with just a single swing of the club with one hand.


    Urich lightly stretched, eyeing the six attackers. Their number didn''t intimidate him one bit. The sewer passage was narrow, and behind him was Bahan who wasn¡¯t very strong but still a force regardless.


    <i>''These enemies aren¡¯t even properly armed.''</i>


    The enemies were modestly armed, fitting for the impoverished. They were all bare-bodied with crude daggers or clubs at most.


    "Stay behind me."


    Urich stepped forward. To others, he appearedrger than he really was. Intimidation makes a person seem bigger. Urich was a warrior who knew how to use such intimidation to his advantage.


    "Huh?"


    One of the enemies, suddenly face-to-face with Urich, looked up. Urich swung the club mightily.


    <i>Cru¡ªunch!</i>


    One hit was enough. Therge club moved faster than the dagger. The enemy hit by the club flew against the sewer wall and crashed.


    "K-keugh!!"


    His flesh was squashed, and his bones broke. Being alive was more painful than death. Even if he managed to survive, he was certainly going to be crippled.


    "Kill that one first."


    The enemies said among themselves as they pointed at Urich, unfazed by their beatenrade.


    "Hoh? You guys are brave. Come at me."


    Urich, with a smile, spread his legs. He stood firmly, facing the charging enemies. Swinging the club with one hand, he also punched and kicked with his free limbs. He fought several at once, like a lion going against a pack of wolves.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s stupidly strong.''</i>


    Bahan''s eyes widened. Urich didn¡¯t even need his help.


    Bahan too was once a warrior. He had faced enemies as a desert warrior. Since bing Trikee''s disciple, he rarely wielded a weapon, though sometimes force was needed.


    Bahan realized Urich''s exceptional warrior skills. He wasn¡¯t just strong, but he was also cunningly evasive. He skillfully fought multiple opponents, showing that he was clearly experienced in such battles.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich crushed an enemy¡¯s head with the club. Brain matter flowed in the sewage.


    "Huff, huff."


    Urich looked around, shoulders heaving with each breath.


    <i>''Maybe I should''ve spared one.''</i>


    Urich¡¯s regret was toote. All six of the enemies were dead.


    "Impressive," Bahan eximed as he approached Urich.


    <i>''He could wipe us all out if he wanted.''</i>


    Bahan had to trust Urich. At this point, even if Urich were an enemy, Bahan couldn''t do much.


    "Why are these Serpentists attacking other Serpentists?"


    Urich asked as he lifted a body with a snake tattoo on its shoulder.


    "They don''t acknowledge Ark Trikee as our savior."


    Bahan frowned.


    "They don''t acknowledge Ark Trikee? Interesting."


    "First, we should move to another hideout. This might have revealed our location to the rest of them."


    Bahan suggested as he unfolded a leather map. It was intricately drawn, showing the sewers they''d explored. The map''s ckened leather showed how long they''d roamed the city''s underground.


    "At the moment, Serpentism is split into two factions. Ark Trikee''s followers, who see him as the savior, and the fundamentalists, like those enemies, who don''t."


    "Split into two factions?"


    Urich stroked his chin, listening.


    "We believe that Ark Trikee can lead everyone to the next world as the savior. But the fundamentalistsbeled him a false prophet, so they are hostile to us."


    Bahan checked the map again. They headed to another hideout that was right in the city''s heart. Urich was seeing how cunningly hidden the Serpentists were. The empire had no chance of finding them.


    <i>''No wonder the imperial forces can''t find them.''</i>


    To the imperial forces, whether fundamentalists or followers of the Ark, all Serpentism members were targets.


    "This world is wrong. It''s neither equal nor fair. If the god of Srism loves us humans, how could he demand us to live in such a painful world that he created himself?


    Bahan scowled.


    The core belief of Serpentism was that the current world was simply wrong. That was the value that was shared by both the fundamental Serpentists and the followers of the Ark.


    "We''ll save all of humanity through the Ark, no matter how long it takes. Someday, we''ll destroy this wrong world and move to a better one that is without hunger or poverty."


    "Hmm... This world is wrong...?"


    Urich murmured. He had never thought that way. Humans are thrown into the world from birth, fighting with no guarantee of anything. Urich, a warrior, thought a life of struggling was only natural. Even if the world had malice, enduring it was a warrior''s life.


    <i>''But they say the world itself is wrong.''</i>


    Urich found the idea refreshing but did not necessarily like it. It was a futile conclusion. Their hopes of destroying the world weren¡¯t very warrior-like.


    "The fundamentalists do not care about others'' salvation. They only want themselves to escape this world and see that as enough. What¡¯s even worse is that these sons of bitches try to kill Ark Trikee by calling him a fake prophet..."


    Bahan''s words turned aggressive. Trikee, overhearing this, raised his voice.


    "Bahan! Watch your words! They may have different views, but they are still our brothers nheless!"


    "What kind of brothers try to kill each other!"


    Bahan, riled up, retorted. Urich scratched his cheek.


    "Brothers here seem to kill each other without much trouble."


    In noble society, one¡¯s own blood was the most dangerous being. With a single title or throne with multiple brothers eligible for it, conflict was inevitable. Childhood affection or blood ties meant very little. Where wealth was involved, the rtionship between kins often became worse than that of strangers.


    <i>''If there was nothing to own, brothers would stand together. Having a lot is also troublesome.''</i>


    Urich looked at Trikee.


    Trikee was right. The kings and nobles in civilization also lived in pain. Had Pahell gained the throne happily? Were the nobles Urich had met all happy? Everyone suffered in their own agony and pain.


    <i>''Whether poor or a king, everyone lives in pain.''</i>


    Even Emperor Yanchinus, who had everything in his hands and was called the Ruler of the World, was oppressed by the achievements of his predecessors and was obsessed with surpassing them. If he failed to achieve more than what they did during his lifetime, he would die unhappily.


    Urich''s eyes were clear as ss. He fell into a tranquil reverie.


    "Kylios, we''re here," Trikee said as he grabbed Urich''s arm.


    "Ah, right."


    Urich came to his senses and looked at the new hideout.


    "If it weren''t for you, many of my disciples would have been greatly wounded."


    Trikee held Urich''s hand in gratitude. Urich felt a strange emotion from Trikee''s sincere gratitude.


    <i>''Savior...''</i>


    The Serpentists called Trikee their savior, a title of a higher spiritual position than a priest or shaman.


    <i>''I have a soft spot for religious people.''</i>


    Urich scratched the back of his neck.


    Even after reaching the hideout, Trikee and his disciples didn''t rest. Trikee was especially busy, writing something on paper.


    Trikee noticed Urich staring at him and put down his pen for a moment.


    ¡°This is the scripture that will serve my people going forward.¡±


    "A scripture?"


    "I realized something today. If I die now, what will happen to my disciples? Was there a misunderstanding in anything I said? They might split into factions and fight each other. To prevent this, I''m writing a scripture so that even in my absence, they can feel and act as if I''m here. Srism has been doing this for a long time."


    "You''re writing in Hamelian," Urichmented after recognizing the letters.


    "It¡¯s embarrassing, but we don''t have our letters. We have no choice but to borrow that of another culture.¡±


    Urich nodded. One of the first things he learned in the civilized world was writing. With a script, one could convey messages without it being altered by time or space. It was a remarkable feat.


    "There''s a spelling mistake there."


    Urich pointed out Trikee''s error. Trikee''s eyes widened.


    "You know how to read?"


    "I studied it whenever I could. I can read and write decently."


    "That¡¯s unexpected, really unexpected."


    Trikee murmured. Urich''s appearance suggested he was far from literacy. Amon barbarian warrior wouldn''t be interested in the empire''s letters.


    "When did you be your people¡¯s savior?"


    Urich asked as he sat by the window. He was no longer closely watched by the Serpentists. After all, it wasn¡¯t like anyone could stop him even if they were suspicious.


    "I used to be a shaman of Serpentism, no different from the fundamentalists. But after losing my homnd, I started to doubt Serpentism. So I converted to Srism and studied it, but I couldn¡¯t find true salvation there either. I wandered and learned a lot, then had a dream one day. In that dream, all of humanity was moving on to the next world. There was no pain there. The dream repeated every night until I realized..."


    Trikee stared nkly at the dark wall.


    "After that, I sought my people again. Serpentists marked for persecution, wandering without knowing where to find salvation, pushed by the world. Eventually, I became known as the Ark, a savior. Of course, many of our brothers also despise me."


    Urich crossed his arms and tilted his head.


    "Hmm."


    Urich saw a clear conviction in Trikee. He had seen such people before. They were men who were capable of oveing even the fear of death with faith.


    "Kylios, I''m not sure how long you''ll stay with us, but it would be best if you stuck with us at least until tomorrow."


    "Tomorrow? Howe?"


    "Tomorrow, we can eat well. Please allow me to treat you."


    Trikee smiled faintly.


    <i>''Odd.''</i>


    Urich watched Trikee''s smile.


    A shaman of Serpentism, who studied Srism, returned to Serpentism. Ark Serpentism lost its barbarism, adopting a universal concept of salvation that was eptable even to civilized people.


    <i>''But what''s this about good food tomorrow...''</i>


    Urich helped Trikee with the scripture until he fell asleep.


    "Mmm."


    Urich woke up and pushed off the nket. He sniffed an intriguing scent.


    <i>''That is a delicious smell.''</i>


    It was still the middle of the night, far from supper time.


    <i>''Trikee?''</i>


    The smell came from Trikee''s room. Strange sounds wereing from inside.


    <i>Chew, chew.</i>


    It was the sound of eating. Urich walked as quietly as possible.


    He peered through the door gap. He blinked several times, observing. Trikee, back turned, was eagerly eating something.


    <i>¡®What is he eating so deliciously? He calls himself a saint, but indulges in good food by himself without sharing with his disciples?''</i>


    Urich grumbled, looking at Trikee''s hand. As soon as he saw what was in Trikee¡¯s hands, his eyes stiffened.


    <i>''Human meat.''</i>


    In Trikee''s grasp was a well-cooked leg of a baby.


    <i>¡®Serpentism sacrifices and eats babies.¡¯</i>


    The words echoed in Urich''s mind.

 Chapter 126

    <h4>Chapter 126</h4>


    The birthce of Serpentism was a barren desert. In that desert, they were discriminated against even by fellow southerners and starved at the bottom of life. There, where even a drop of blood or a morsel of flesh was precious, cannibalism was a familiar custom.


    "Kylios, what are you doing here?"


    Bahan''s voice came from behind Urich, sending a chill down his spine. Urich instinctively reached for a weapon only to realize he was unarmed and clenched his fist instead.


    "Bahan, who''s that woman with you? I''m lonely at night too, why didn''t you share?"


    Urich jeered, eyeing the shabbily dressed woman standing beside Bahan.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Before Bahan could even respond, the door opened. Trikee, who was inside, rolled his eyes and looked at Bahan and Urich.


    "What are you doing here?" Trikee asked Urich first.


    "I smelled something delicious. Is that the fine food you promised to treat me with? If so, I''m very disappointed. I don''t enjoy human flesh."


    Trikee and Bahan exchanged nces at Urich¡¯s sharp words.


    The atmosphere turned tense. Urich looked ready to subdue the situation at any moment with his fists.


    "There seems to be a misunderstanding, Kylios."


    "A misunderstanding?"


    Urich twisted a smile.


    They were kidnapping babies to eat them. Cannibalism was not a problem for Urich. If it was necessary to survive in poor conditions, it was justified.


    <i>''But not in this situation.''</i>


    Cannibalism was ast resort even for barbarians. Eating their own kind was instinctively repulsive. Even in Urich''s homnd, the act of kidnapping children to eat them was unheard of.


    "Then what''s in that pot?"


    Urich pushed Trikee aside and entered the room. He reached into the hot pot and pulled out a boiled piece of meat. The faint form of a baby was still discernible.


    "That is human meat, just as you thought."


    Trikee did not deny it.


    "Trikee, your actions don¡¯t align with what you¡¯ve been telling me all this time."


    "Watch your mouth when you¡¯re speaking to the Ark!"


    Bahan grabbed Urich''s forearm, ring at him.


    "A cannibalistic savior, how unique."


    Urich shook his head. The sound of his neck cracking was audible.


    "...did my child enter safely?"


    The woman beside Bahan suddenly sat down, speaking. She clutched Trikee''s clothes, weeping sorrowfully.


    "This child will move on to the next world with me. We have be one," Trikee consoled the woman.


    <i>''Is the child she''s referring to the one Trikee just ate? But I don¡¯t sense any hatred from her.¡¯''</i>


    Urich, confused, put the child back in the pot. Trikee gave Urich a reproachful look.


    "You shouldn''t have shown that to the child''s mother, Kylios."


    Trikee scolded with slight but obvious anger. Urich looked around, not understanding the situation.


    Bahan left the room, supporting the weeping woman. Trikee sighed and sat back down in front of the pot.


    <i>Chew.</i>


    Trikee kept eating the human flesh. Despite almost vomiting, he forced himself to swallow the baby. Urich watched this scene from behind.


    "Why doesn''t that woman hate the man who ate her child?"


    Trikee didn¡¯t even turn around. He gasped for air as if eating was a struggle.


    "This child was already dead at birth. It¡¯s quitemon in brothels where health isn''t cared for. Before being led by Lou into reincarnation without discernment... Eating the remaining flesh and blood with a soul is harvesting. It''s part of the Ark''s role. The Ark is a savior who saves every soul, taking them to the next world."


    Trikee gagged several times. Despite a full stomach, he forced himself to eat. Even while gagging, he desperately covered his mouth and swallowed the meat.


    What Urich was witnessing was the result of Serpentism''s old cannibalistic culture and the new-found salvation belief. Trikee ate the baby who didn¡¯t even get to open its eyes for its salvation. It was undoubtedly a bizarre scene to a civilized person, but it was a conclusion drawn after long contemtion for Trikee.


    In Serpentism, it was believed that a human''s soul and life force transfer through flesh and blood. Perhaps this belief stems from the faith birthed in harsh deserts and barren wastnds, where cannibalism was frequent.


    "This child will go to a world without pain with me. U-ugh."


    Trikee leaned over, gagging. He hastily drank water. His body was emaciated, but his belly protruded like a tadpole¡¯s.


    Urich quietly observed Trikee. If he were a civilized person or a Sun Warrior, he would have immediately struck Trikee down. To them, Trikee eating a baby would only be seen as monstrous.


    Urich vacited between disgust and an invading sense of reverence.


    <i>''Is this also a way of life?''</i>


    * * *


    There was a man who was born with everything in his hands. Some might say it''s impossible, but the third emperor, Yanchinus, was destined to inherit the world from the moment of his birth. The empire built by his grandfather and father was strong, and oddly, Yanchinus did not have a single sibling.


    Yanchinus effortlessly attained the riches and glory that no ordinary person could even dream of achieving in a lifetime. Hecked nothing of this world''s material possessions.


    "People eventually die, but what matters is what they leave behind during their allotted time," Yanchinus said.


    He craved immortal achievements. He felt the need to leave his name in history like his grandfather and father. He refused to be remembered as just another emperor who luckily inherited the world. He, too, was a man of ambition, with the fierce blood of his predecessors flowing in his veins.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Yanchinus took a step forward.


    In a secluded chamber of the Pce of White Night, also known as the Pce of Ten Pleasures, a tremble was felt from the dark shadows.


    "The beauty of the Porcana Royal Family has finally fallen into my hands. But even the most famous beauty fades with time. A woman''s prime is short, and they must desperately bear children in that short window."


    Yanchinus lit a candle. In the chamber, Damia was hanging from the ceiling by her arms. She looked at Yanchinus with a tired expression.


    "You have a nasty hobby, Your Majesty."


    Damia muttered. She was wearing a dress as she hung from the ceiling with her slender body stretched long by her uplifted arms.


    "There are two types of princesses. They are all either well-educated and submissive or foolish enough to think they are true royalty. Only men can be true royalties, and even those men often be pawns, let alone women who are simply just political tools. Yet they act all high and mighty, thinking they are true royalty."


    Yanchinus unbuckled his leather belt. He held it like a whip and swung it hard.


    <i>p!</i>


    The belt struck Damia''s side fiercely. She clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes, suppressing any moan.


    <i>''Madman.''</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus''s sexual preferences were far from normal. He must have been with countless beauties even before he reached puberty, indulging in every kind of extravagant pleasure, so developing bizarre sexual inclinations was inevitable.


    <i>Squeeze.</i>


    Yanchinus grabbed Damia''s cheek and pressed hard.


    "I like you, Damia. The more finely crafted a doll is, the more satisfying it is to shatter it. Treasure that petty pride like a jewel. If it shatters, unable to withstand my desires, you''ll be thrown down to the other women below, used merely to entertain guests."


    <i>p!</i>


    Yanchinus raised his palm and pped Damia''s cheek. Her head whipped around, and blood spilled from her mouth.


    <i>''Monster.''</i>


    Damia feared Yanchinus, but she did not show it.


    <i>''If I submit to him out of fear, he''ll just lose interest in me.''</i>


    That was the kind of man Yanchinus was. A man like him could never love a woman. In fact, it seemed he didn''t regard anyone but himself as human.


    <i>''Every man is his tool, every woman his toy.''</i>


    Damia saw through Yanchinus. Even in their intimate moments, there was no warmth in her under region, only coldness.


    "Blonde hair shining like the sun, blue eyes brighter than jewels."


    Yanchinus gently stroked Damia''s hair as if he hadn''t just hit her.


    "You seem excited."


    Damia opened her eyes half-heartedly. Life in the empire was more brutal than she had thought. She knew she was going to be used as a sexual object, but this was beyond that.


    <i>''Varca, did you know I would be treated like this? If you did, then you are already a great king.''</i>


    Damia thought of her one and only brother.


    "Ah, I ran into an interesting man. You¡¯d be happy if I told you who it was."


    "An interesting man?"


    Damia responded, hanging from the ceiling. Her arms were starting to ache as if they were only moments away from popping out of the sockets of her shoulders.


    "Urich."


    Yanchinus uttered the name and watched Damia''s reaction.


    <i>''Urich.''</i>


    Damia concealed her expression, but Yanchinus had already noticed the slight twist on her face.


    "A man you truly despise."


    Yanchinus'' smile widened, corners of his mouth almost hanging by his ears.


    "It is in the past."


    Damia replied calmly. She had once whispered in his bed before the emperor had revealed his true form, hoping to use him, not knowing it was Yanchinus'' trap.


    "I''ve given that man a troublesome task. If he does well, he deserves a reward."


    Yanchinus slipped his hand under Damia''s dress.


    <i>Rip.</i>


    The dress tore, revealing Damia''s bruised body. It was clear evidence of their nightly activities.


    "What if you were given to Urich? How would you cry then?"


    "I am Your Majesty''s concubine. To be given to such a barbarian would tarnish Your Majesty''s honor..." Damia spoke desperately.


    "Shut up. I simply want to see you cry in the arms of your archenemy. I don''t care about the rest."


    Yanchinusughed. Just the thought alone excited him. His sadistic desires red for the first time in a while.


    Damia''s face turned cold and hatred filled her eyes.


    "That''s the face I wanted to see. That''s what whets my appetite. To hold a woman who truly hates me is a conquest for a man."


    Yanchinus took out a knife and cut the rope connecting the ceiling, dropping Damia to the floor.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Damia barely had time to gather herself before Yanchinus unleashed his desire upon her. Despite her body bruising from the fall, Yanchinus showed no consideration, choking her in his pursuit of pleasure to show that there was nothing more important than his own desire.


    <i>''A terrible monster who lives in the heart of the empire.''</i>


    Damia gasped for air. Her mind flickered between pain and pleasure, her head muddled.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to kill him someday.''</i>

 Chapter 127

    <h4>Chapter 127</h4>


    The morning came, and Urich, who had been dozing, woke up. He didn''t linger in the remnants of sleep and immediately became alert.


    <i>¡®This ce isn''t safe.¡¯</i>


    Urich was, after all, a spy sent by the emperor. Even Trikee and Bahan, who were currently friendly toward Urich, could turn on him at any moment.


    ¡°You got a stomach ache. I saw thating.¡±


    Urich yfully thumped Trikee on the back with hisrge hand.


    ¡°This is nothing new to me.¡±


    Trikee struggled to sit up.


    ¡°You promised me a good meal today, didn''t you?¡±


    Urich shrugged his shoulders with anticipation.


    Trikee nodded, but Bahan, looking uneasy, whispered something to Trikee.


    ¡°Are you really going to bring Kylios with us?¡±


    ¡°That man saved our lives. That alone is a good enough reason to trust him, Bahan.¡±


    Bahan remained silent. As a disciple, he could offer his advice, but the decision was ultimately up to the Ark.


    <i>¡®The Ark has decided.¡¯</i>


    Bahan stared intently at Urich.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t act rashly from now on. Please show proper decorum.¡±


    ¡°Are we meeting some higher-up noble? I''m surprisingly familiar with high society, you know.¡±


    Urich said cheerfully. He hadn''t been satisfied with the food since he started acting with the Serpentines. As a big barbarian, he needed to eat well to maintain his physique. Urich, still growing, had bulked up even more sinceing to the civilized world where nutrition was more essible.


    ¡°Stop with the false bravado. Just stay behind the Ark and keep your ce,¡± Bahan replied irritably.


    <i>¡®The man we¡¯re meeting today is important. It would be great if Urich doesn''t cause any trouble...¡¯</i>


    Serpentism had deeply infiltrated the city, enlisting many lower-ss citizens. But to spread their influence and teachings, they inevitably needed the power of the nobility.


    Today was the day to reap the fruits of their longbor. Bahan touched the snake tattoo on his left chest.


    <i>¡®As the snake sheds its skin, it grows stronger... Do not fear casting off the flesh.¡¯</i>


    Bahan opened his eyes, which he had tightly shut. Even amidst the strife between factions within the same people, the Arkists sought salvation.


    <i>¡®The old Serpentism has to fade away.¡¯</i>


    The Arkists were reformers, while the fundamentalists were conservatives. The fundamentalists clung to tribal beliefs. Without proper scriptures, they relied on only the myths that were passed down orally. Moreover, they encouraged human sacrifice and cannibalism, even in times of rtive food abundance.


    The fundamentalists believed that eating humans strengthened their life force and soul.


    <i>¡®Such selfish and indiscriminate cannibalism only breeds hatred from others.¡¯</i>


    The Arkists allowed cannibalism only in very limited situations, as a means to take the souls unable to move on on their own to the next world along with the Ark.


    <i>¡®Reformation is the only way for Serpentism to survive.¡¯</i>


    Bahan nced at Trikee. Trikee was a shaman of Serpentism who had immersed himself in Srism before returning to his original religion. He had applied the elements that made Srism a major religion to Serpentism.


    ¡°Bahan, lead the way,¡± Trikee said after he entered the sewer.


    They walked the sewer for a long time in order to leave the poverty area, asionally emerging above ground only to descend into another.


    <i>¡®Are we getting closer to the heart of Serpentism?¡¯</i>


    Urich had learned a lot about Serpentism. Even if it weren''t for the emperor¡¯s mission, his curiosity was piqued. He still hadn''t found the afterworld where he would belong. Despite being influenced, his rootsy on the other side of the Sky Mountains.


    A light flickered at the end of the sewer. Bahan rhythmically swung torches left and right. The same rhythm was maintained even at the far end.


    ¡°Bahan, and... the rumored Savior. The master has been waiting for you. Who''s the one in the back?¡±


    A well-dressed man spoke. Hesitant, Bahan replied.


    ¡°He''s apanion trusted by the Ark, his name is Kylios.¡±


    Bahan introduced Urich. The man looked at Urich with suspicion.


    ¡°It feels like you don''t trust us, bringing a bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°That is not it at all,¡± Bahan hastily exined.


    ¡°Anyway, the master wants to meet you. Please follow me.¡±


    The man seemed reluctant about Serpentism.


    <i>¡®A noble''s servant. Who would¡¯ve thought that a noble would have been won over by Serpentism... The emperor would be furious if he found out.¡¯</i>


    Urich rolled his eyes. The meeting was secretive, involving multiple detours. Whether Serpentism or nobility, this meeting could mean the death of them. It was a meeting full of suspicion, a meeting between parties who couldn¡¯t trust each other even if they wanted to.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The basement door opened. Despite the dreary underground, candles flickered brightly to illuminate the room, and a well-prepared banquet was in view.


    ¡°Count Baldor.¡±


    As soon as Trikee entered, he bowed.


    ¡°Oh, no need for formalities with me, Ark!¡±


    Count Baldor, who had been waiting for Trikee, hurried toward him.


    ¡°Atst, we can hold our meaningful meeting.¡±


    Count Baldor led Trikee and his party to the banquet table. Bahan was on high alert, surveying the surroundings.


    <i>¡®If need be, I must ensure the Ark can escape.¡¯</i>


    Bahan still didn¡¯t fully trust Count Baldor. Being an imperial noble, the Count was gambling on potentially ruining his entire family.


    <i>¡®It could be a trap by the empire.¡¯</i>


    Bahan looked around the room and sat next to Trikee.


    "I''ve heard a lot about you, Ark. I even nned to personally rescue you from the underground prison. I have quite some connections, you see."


    Count Baldor spoke with warmth. Pleasantries were exchanged. The Count talked about how much he had been looking forward to meeting Trikee and his deep belief in Serpentism.


    "To be precise, it''s not Serpentism I believe in, but your philosophy, Ark. The idea of saving those living in a wrong world and moving to the next, that struck a chord with me. There''s no guarantee I''ll be happy reincarnating in Lou''s embrace. I might be reborn as a poor soul, suffering all my life. A world where so many suffer can''t be normal."


    Count Baldor spoke intensely. Trikee looked at him with wide eyes.


    <i>''He understands exactly what I''m trying to say. He didn''t ask to meet me just for the sake of it.''</i>


    Count Baldor was a noble who had lost his faith in Srism. Despite being middle-aged, he had no heir to his name. His title andnds were about to pass to a nephew whom he had only faced a few times in his lifetime.


    <i>''Lou must hate me. Then I won''t serve him either.''</i>


    Being childless was seen as divine punishment. Rtives and nobles whispered that Count Baldor must have done something wrong to deserve the anger of Lou.


    <i>''You gave me, who has been your loyal servant, only misunderstandings and distrust instead of a child.''</i>


    Count Baldor couldn¡¯t receive salvation from the northern god either, as he was not a warrior.


    For those tired of Srism, Serpentism was the only option. Especially the Arkist branch of Serpentism, after its reforms, had rational doctrines even a civilized person could understand. The teachings of the Arkists, spreading through underground meetings, were gradually reaching the nobility.


    <i>''This is getting interesting.''</i>


    Urich suppressed a smile as he watched the meeting.


    "Thank you, Count Baldor."


    Trikee expressed his gratitude for the Count''s cooperation. Count Baldor promised support for the Ark¡¯s proselytization. He intended to fund Trikee''s activities to ensure that his activities could be done with no difficulties.


    "There are many around me dissatisfied with Srism. But it''s hard to just ask them to believe in Serpentism. Misunderstandings and prejudices against it have deep roots that date back."


    "I understand. And most of those prejudices and misunderstandings are true, Count Baldor."


    "Such negative rumors do not need to follow us. What is really important is your philosophy, Ark... I was hoping we could drop the name ''Serpentism'' and consider adopting a new one."


    Trikee and Bahan were startled at Count Baldor''s suggestion.


    "That is quite a sudden proposal. Going forward without the name ''Serpentism''..."


    Trikee stroked his chin.


    "In your philosophy, Ark, the snake is merely a symbol, a metaphor. We no longer worship the snake itself."


    It was an idea that was only possible because Count Baldor was a civilized man. Trikee and Bahan, from the southern desert, found it hard to deny their roots in Serpentism.


    "But..."


    Before Bahan could say more, Count Baldor strongly pushed the idea.


    "A name is merely a facade. Ark! What matters is the salvation philosophy of a painless next world where everyone goes together."


    Count Baldor was almost rude in his passion, but his face was full of fervor.


    <i>''I am witnessing the birth of a brand-new religion.''</i>


    Count Baldor''s heart raced. Perhaps something surpassing Srism was being born here.


    <i>¡®Trikee the Ark, you are bing a new symbol. The savior leading us all. I will be the first civilized disciple by your side.''</i>


    Disappointment with Srism, the desire for immortal glory, and the longing for new salvation drove Count Baldor. Ecstasy and exaltation surged from inside him.


    <i>''This nobleman is truly sincere.''</i>


    It was a fervor that couldn¡¯t be faked. Bahan gradually set aside his doubts and discussed the direction of the faith.


    "If many nobles tacitly support the faith while we distance ourselves from Serpentism, the empire would no longer be able to persecute us."


    Count Baldor, who had been speaking fervently, suddenly looked at Urich.


    <i>''Why has this massive man been silent this whole time? Is he not a Serpentine?''</i>


    Urich was simply devouring the food on the table. He had nearly cleared half of the dishes by himself.


    <i>''Never mind, this man isn''t important right now.''</i>


    Count Baldor turned his gaze back to Trikee but quickly looked at Urich again.


    "H-huh?"


    Count Baldor stared intently at Urich. His face looked familiar. Nobles attending jousting tournaments got the best seats, close enough to see the participants'' faces.


    "Howe?"


    Count Baldor''s lips quivered at the imusibility. Nothing was making sense. It was too suspicious.


    "What is it, Count?"


    Trikee''s eyes widened.


    "Are you sure we can trust this man?"


    Count Baldor pointed usingly at Urich.


    "Put that finger away before I break it."


    Urich, who had been tearing into the meat, red as the amiable atmosphere quickly turned tense.


    <i>Chomp.</i>


    Urich firmly grabbed a leg of veal. He twisted his head and tore into the remaining meat.


    "This man saved my life!" Trikee said.


    "So, you must know who he is. He is Urich, the barbarian warrior. He has quite a reputation in civilized society and holds a significant status."


    Count Baldor said, reading the room. Trikee and Bahan were shocked, showing that they werepletely unaware of Urich''s identity.


    Fame wasn¡¯t always good. It also meant that enemies could recognize you easily.


    <i>''The emperor couldn''t have predicted I''d meet a noble while investigating Serpentism.''</i>


    Urich slowly stood up. The only people who could recognize Urich by face were either knights or nobles. Average civilians or peasants only knew him by name, at most.


    "Kylios?"


    Bahan spoke in disbelief. Urich shook his head.


    "Nope, my name is Urich."


    Hearing this, Count Baldor mmed the wall. Soldiers waiting outside rushed in.


    "Exin yourself, Urich the Armor Breaker. What are you doing here?"


    Count Baldor asked as he hid behind his soldiers.


    "Hmm, if I told you I believe in Serpentism... you wouldn¡¯t believe me, would you?¡±


    Urich smiled at his own words as if he found himself funny. He fell silent, then lifted the veal leg bone like a weapon.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128


    Count Baldor, hiding behind his soldiers, narrowed his eyes. Being no warrior, he took a step back for safety.


    <em>Why on earth is this man here?''</em>


    Count Baldor recognized Urich. Though now somewhat forgotten, Urich was a hot topic among the elite months ago. If he had stayed in the city and befriended some of the nobles then, he might have be quite an influential figure in the empire.


    <em>''He is a barbarian, but he is a man with various backgrounds that trump his origins.''</em>


    Why would such a man believe in Serpentism? Why hide his identity and infiltrate the core of Serpentism?


    <em>How could I not be suspicious?''</em>


    The soldiers surrounded Urich. The air grew tense as more people entered the underground room.


    <em>Grip.</em>


    Urich clenched the bone and eyed the soldiers.


    "Put your weapons away."


    Trikee jumped in between Urich and the soldiers.


    "Do not harm the Ark!"


    Count Baldor restrained his men.


    "I''m not sure what Kyl no, Urich''s motives are, but he is no enemy, Count Baldor."


    "How can you be so sure, Ark?"


    "I''ve spent thest few days with him. I don''t know why he hid his identity from me, but he will not harm me. I trust Urich."


    Trikee reached and knocked the bone out of Urich''s hand.


    "What makes you trust me?"


    Urich rxed his arms, looking intently at Trikee.


    "You pitied the boiled baby in the pot. You have intentions to do good. Tell me, were the actions Ive done with you wrong in your eyes?"


    Urich, lost in thought, finally spoke.


    "It didn''t seem like you were doing anything wrong."


    "Then we''re not enemies, Urich. Neither of us has done wrong to each other."


    Trikee spoke calmly, gesturing to the soldiers to back off.


    <em>''He really is leader material. He is incredibly influential, despite the circumstances.''</em>


    Urich squinted and sat down, observing the unfolding situation.


    Count Baldor also nodded, reluctantly choosing not to oppose the Ark. His intention to serve Trikee was genuine.


    <em>''Is Trikee simply a good man, or is he smart enough not to make me an enemy?''</em>


    Urich leaned his head with his arms crossed, intrigued by Trikee.


    <em>''To be honest, I dont care one bit about the emperors task.</em>


    Urich was not the emperors subordinate. He owed no loyalty to him. His actions were always interest-based and self-centered. People might fear the emperor, but not Urich.


    "Why did you lie about your name? Tell us that much."


    Trikee pressed Urich.


    "The truth is..."


    Before Urich could speak, he suddenly looked up.


    <em>Thump, thump, thump.</em>


    Loud footsteps sounded. A group was moving quickly above.


    "Count!" Bahan shouted at Count Baldor.


    "I don''t know what''s happening either!"


    Count Baldor sent his subordinate to check outside.


    "Aaaah!"


    After the soldier stepped outside, only his scream came back. Count Baldor panicked and stumbled back.


    "Death to the apostates!"


    Suddenly, a servant behind Count Baldor drew a knife. He held it to the Count''s throat, threatening the surroundings.


    "S-so you were the traitor, Heisen!"


    Count Baldor eximed. The servant pushed the knife closer, frowning.


    "There''s no duty to be loyal to one who betrayed Lou. Count Baldor! You fools! To immerse in heresy with your master! Dirty apostates! Lou will not ept your souls!"


    The servant shouted at the surrounding soldiers. He had waited for Count Baldor''s meeting with Serpentism and had informed the Imperial Army in advance.


    Heisen held Count Baldor hostage, stopping his escape. The surrounding soldiers couldn''t do anything and just waited. The Imperial Army was going to arrive through the door at any moment.


    "We must escape, Ark!" Bahan urged Trikee.


    "We cannot leave the Count! He''ll die if we leave him here!"


    "He is already useless to us! Hell be a fugitive, just like us!"


    "Will you only save those who are useful to you, Bahan?"


    Urich watched the argument between Trikee and Bahan. The ceiling-rattling footsteps approached. Shouts from the guards outside were heard.


    Creak.


    Urich lifted a carving knife.


    "Hmm, would''ve been better if it was an axe."


    Urich swung his arm back and flung the knife.


    <em>Schluck!</em>


    There were two screams. The servant rolled on the floor with a knife in his face, while Count Baldor had an ear cut off.


    "Sorry, sorry. I tried to be careful, but I cut your ear off."


    Urich nonchntly said to the Count. He saved Count Baldor but was ultimately responsible for the injury.


    "T-thank you."


    Count Baldor, grateful for being saved regardless, thanked Urich.


    "Let''s escape through the sewers," Bahan said as he opened the sewer exit.


    <em>Thump! Thump!</em>


    The cer door was being pounded from outside. The soldiers on the other side of the door were going to break through in no time.


    <em>There goes my Countship.''</em>


    Count Baldor bit his lower lip as he exited into the sewer. He would now live on as a wanted apostate.


    "It is not the end, Count. It''s just the beginning," Trikee consoled Count Baldor.


    <em>Bang!</em>


    The door shattered. Imperial soldiers burst in, swiftly overpowering Count Baldor''s dozen personal guards.


    "Stop right there, you heretics!"


    The soldiers shouted as they entered the sewer.


    "Like we would just stop," Urich muttered, ncing behind.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Urich''s ears twitched. He recognized a familiar sound.


    <em>''Crossbows.''</em>


    It was the sound of a crossbow being loaded. Urich quickly used his limbs to knock down hispanions.


    <em>Thwip!</em>


    The crossbow bolt skimmed past the heads of the group fallen to the ground.


    "Spit, spit! There''s sewage in my mouth..."


    Bahan grumbled, then fell silent seeing the bolt embedded in the wall. Urich''s quick action had protected them.


    "Do not raise your heads! Theyre shooting again!"


    Urich squinted, warning the group as bolts kept flying over their heads.


    <em>The famous Imperial Army. They can flexibly adapt to any situation.''</em>


    The Imperial Army alternated crossbow shots to prevent the escape of Urich and the Serpentines. The narrow sewer that stretched long left no room forteral movement.


    <em>Ssh, ssh.</em>


    Taking advantage of the heretics immobilized the crossbow shower, the Imperial infantry with swords and shields slowly advanced.


    <em>Goddamned Imperial army! Theyre way toopetent.''</em>


    Even when Urich was surrounded by Count Baldors private soldiers, Urich was confident. But against the Imperial soldiers, things were different. He was well aware of their superiorbat skills and tactics.


    "Urich, take this."


    Bahan, still lying down, called Urich. He handed Urich a leather map.


    Urich stared into Bahan''s eyes. They were filled with resolve.


    <em>Shit, theres that look again.''</em>


    Bahans gaze was firm. Urich had seen many with the same firm eyesit was the eyes of someone who was about to sacrifice their life for what they believed in.


    "...please take care of the Ark."


    Bahan stood abruptly with his arms shielding his vital points as he advanced.


    <em>Thunk!</em>


    The crossbow bolts brutally lodged into Bahan''s body.


    "Ark! Please take care!" Bahan screamed hisst words.


    "We can''t leave Bahan behind..."


    Trikee''s cry was in vain.


    Urich didn''t waste the time Bahan bought for them. He hoisted Trikee over his shoulder and ran with Count Baldor.


    "Ooooooh!"


    Bahan charged at the soldier. His vision was already blurred from heavy bleeding, and he was practically hurling his weakened body forward.


    <em>Schluck!</em>


    A soldier''s sword pierced Bahan''s abdomen.


    ''Ahhh, am I finally moving on to the next world?''


    Bahan copsed, pondering. His body felt heavy, but his consciousness was incredibly light as if his soul was leaving his body.


    "Youre going to turn into an evil spirit and wander eternally, you damn heretic scum."


    The Imperial soldier spat on the fallen Bahan, pouring curses on him.


    "Go after them! Make sure to capture Count Baldor alive!"


    The Imperial soldiers scrambled through the sewers after the fleeing heretics. Urich''s group managed to get out of the straight path into thebyrinth-like sewage system.


    <em>''I was prepared to lose everything, but actually losing it feels rather empty.''</em>


    Count Baldor chuckled bitterly, now only left with his faith.


    "Urich, I am sorry for doubting you."


    Count Baldor apologized to Urich, who was looking at the leather map for directions. Urich shrugged in response.


    "Dont worry about it. After all, I did in fact infiltrate for the emperor''s secret mission."


    Hearing this, Count Baldor''s eyes widened, and Trikee also looked quite shocked.


    "Then why? Why didn''t you hand us over to the Imperial army?"


    "I just didn''t feel like handing over Trikee. My heart didnt want that."


    Urich spoke nonchntly, but it greatly impacted Count Baldor.


    "Betraying the emperor... That is no ordinary courage."


    "We betrayed our gods, so why shouldnt I do the same to the emperor?"


    Count Baldorughed softly. During their walk through the sewers, he had heard why Urich infiltrated Serpentism.


    <em>''He refused an offer from the emperor promising anything he wanted as a reward. He''s not a typical man, thats for sure. I guess he never seemed the type to seek societal sess.''</em>


    Urich had rejected wealth andfort, choosing a nomadic life. It was his nature. He preferred to jump into the unpredictable waves over a clear, bottom-visibleke because it was unseen and he couldnt tell what was waiting for him. Thats what intrigued him.


    "I have an idea, Urich. I''ve already lost everything, but the emperor doesn''t know you''ve betrayed him."


    Count Baldor was racking his brain.


    "So what?"


    "Let''s find the base of the Fundamentalists. Giving them away to the emperor and having him subdue them will make him believe the roots of Serpentism are eradicated. Unlike them, we wont be kidnapping infants or using extreme methods. If the Fundamentalists are gone, Serpentism won''t bother the emperor anymore. If things go well, you''ll receive the emperors reward, and we can safely spread our teachings."


    "Hmm. You''ve got a good head on your shoulders."


    Urich liked the idea. Baldors idea was both realistic and good. It sounded reasonable to anyones ears.


    "No matter how good the idea may be, we cannot betray our own people, Count Baldor."


    "I am no longer a Count, so please, simply call me Baldor. From now on, I will be your servant and disciple, Baldor pleaded, to which Trikee hesitantly nodded.


    Baldor, as the Ark, I cannot condone such action. They are in the same position. Its true they see us as their enemies, but they do not sell their brothers out to the Imperial army. It would be shameful to even think of doing such a thing.


    Ive been captivated by your philosophy, Ark. Salvation no longer depends on ones origin. Is the path to the next world not open to everyone, much like how Srism embraces both civilization and barbarians? You, Ark, were the very man who gave us that message! Why do you think Ive thrown away everything I have to stand here with you?


    Baldor kneeled before Trikee, pleading.


    "Betraying your own people is shameful, Baldor."


    "Then my being here, betraying my fellow civilized people, is also shameful."


    "That is..."


    Trikee hesitated. Baldor seized the opportunity.


    <em>''I''ll surely bring this religion and the Ark to the bright surface!''</em>


    Baldor continued passionately before Trikee could even speak.


    "We are a global religion! Ethnicity and origin do not matter. If we can save even a few more people, that''s the right thing. If I''m wrong, I must havee to the wrong ce. Have I, a civilized person, ignorantly sought a desert tribe''s religion?"


    Baldor''s eyes sparkled. Trikee pondered, reflecting on the scriptures he himself had written and the sermons he had preached.


    "...You are right, disciple Baldor. Thank you for broadening my narrow view."


    Trikee nodded resolutely, and Baldor''s face finally brightened.


    <em>''I didn''t even agree, and they''re going ahead with it. Well, I would''ve gone along with them anyway...''</em>


    Urich watched the scene that was unfolding before his eyes as he scratched his neck. A clump of dirt fell from under his fingernails.

 Chapter 129

    <h4>Chapter 129</h4>


    Serpentism, born in the particrly harsh desert regions of the south, was a faith where survival equated to struggle. If their looting attempt failed, they had to resort to cannibalism, even if it meant consuming their deceased kin, to stay alive. Blood and flesh were considered the soul and life, and they believed in bing stronger through cannibalism. Their stark worldview led to nihilism, harboring no attachment to the present world where they only saw suffering.


    "Serpents eat other serpents smaller than themselves."


    A warrior of Serpentism stated. He was the chief warrior of his tribe and was adorned with significantly more tattoos than other Serpentines. A body inspection in the empire would certainly and immediately lead to his execution.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    In a cave not far from the Imperial capital of Hamel, a fire crackled. Fundamentalist Serpentism did not engage in proselytization, so they had no reason to establish a base or stay within the city.


    "Ones who destroyed our desert."


    The chief warrior muttered, looking at the distant city of Hamel. Hamel was a city so developed that it shined bright even at night.


    The empire had conquered even the deserts. While other fertile regions in the south were worth conquering for agricultural purposes, the reason behind their invasion of the barren desert remained a mystery. What value did and unsuitable for agriculture hold?


    "So, you couldn¡¯t bring Trikee''s head," he said to other warriors.


    "Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. We don''t need those who follow trash who came back after defecting to Srism.


    The chief despised Trikee. His followers, about forty strong, stayed near the capital, causing disturbances in the empire¡¯s security. They were quite strategic, as would be expected from those who have been surviving as long as they have after losing their home.


    "The weak exist only to sustain the strong. That is thew of this world," the warrior chief murmured. He and his people were living in what felt like hell on earth.


    <i>''The next world...''</i>


    One day, when deathes, he will move on to the next world.


    <i>''But not yet.''</i>


    He opened his eyes and pulled a human leg out of the pot. The thoroughly cooked human flesh easily separated from the bone.


    <i>Chew.</i>


    He bit into the flesh deeply.


    "Ah."


    It felt like life was surging within him.


    "Now, eat."


    After the chief started eating, the others finally reached for the pot. They were consuming the meat of a child they had abducted that day. For them, cannibalism was a sacred ritual, transforming another''s life into their own.


    <i>¡®It seems like it¡¯s time to leave here soon.''</i>


    Serpentines typically parasitized around bustling cities. It was easier to operate undercover as vagrants that way.


    <i>''The Imperial capital isn''t called the heart of the Empire for nothing. Many of our brothers have been captured, with the empire''s surveince and patrols growing tighter by the day.''</i>


    Staying away in another city for a few years before returning didn''t seem like a bad idea. Compared to the desert, the civilized world was a blessed environment just about anywhere one went. Food was abundant in the mountains, and one could roam naked during the day without worrying about getting sunburnt. The nights were warm enough with just a campfire.


    "Perhaps we will hold a feast tonight."


    The chief walked deeper into the cave, looking at the women tied to the cave walls. They had abducted more than just infants. Women were a valuable resource for them. Most Serpentines were involved in human trafficking, with women serving as good trade items, food, and ythings.


    <i>Sss.</i>


    The chief pulled a snake from a wooden barrel.


    "Choose, my darling."


    The snake released from his grasp eyed the tied women. It slithered on the ground, flicking its tongue.


    "Perhaps it would be best to refrain from feasting today, warrior chief."


    A woman at the cave entrance spoke. She stood out with her dark skin. She was the priestess and shaman of Serpentism.


    "Everyone''s tired. A feast today would help them rx," the chief told the shaman.


    "The stars are not favorable tonight. There is a red star in the sky. Do you see it over there?"


    The shaman was gazing at the stars alone. Astrology was a crucial skill for desert tribe shamans. In the desert, it was impossible to navigate byndmarks. They used stars for navigation and even to foretell the future.


    "Will you alone handle the warriors tonight? You might be a bit too old for that. It¡¯ll wear you out."


    The chief growled at the shaman.


    "Just be vignt tonight, and sleep with your weapon by your side."


    "Bullshit."


    The chief dismissed the shaman''s warning. The others looked on anxiously at their argument.


    The shaman''s influence had wanedpared to the past. The Fundamentalist Serpentines no longer lived in the desert. In the civilized world, navigation didn''t require stars, and astrological predictions often failed. Instead, the chief warrior, who took on more practical jobs, gained more power.


    <i>Sss.</i>


    The snake climbed the leg of a tied-up woman, who screamed in terror.


    "Shh, shush. You''re the chosen one tonight."


    The chief looked at her, his pupils resembling a serpent''s.


    The fate of the woman chosen by the snake was predictable. If she survived the night with dozens and dozens of men without breaking, she would be sold to ve traders. If not, she''d end up as a meal.


    <i>Rip.</i>


    The chief cut the rope tying the woman and threw her among the other warriors.


    "Ahhhh!"


    Her screams echoed in the cave.


    The woman screamed as soon as the gag was removed from her mouth. The warriors covered her mouth and vited her. The warriors put aside all thoughts and simply enjoyed the banquet of frenzy. They felt neither sympathy nor empathy for the woman they were assaulting. Just as civilized people separate themselves from barbarians, they too do not see civilized people as their equals.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    A man staggered into the cave in which the Serpentines were hiding, seemingly injured, with their body swaying with each step.


    "Ughhh."


    Hearing the groan, a warrior approached the cave entrance.


    "Huh? Aren¡¯t you..."


    Their contact who should have been in the city copsed at the entrance of the cave, wounded. A sense of dread shed through the warrior''s mind, echoing the shaman''s earlier warning.


    "Chief... kak!"


    Before he could turn and shout, an arrow pierced the throat of the warrior. He fell to the ground only to be showered with even more arrows.


    <i>Creeeak.</i>


    The sound of crossbows loading came from the bushes. Imperial soldiers, having silently approached the cave, had already surrounded the area.


    "Excellent work, Urich. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d find the heart of Serpentism this quickly."


    Yanchinus, on horseback, apuded Urich as he looked at his advancing soldiers. The cave and the surrounding area were now illuminated by torches.


    "It was easier than I thought."


    Urich shrugged, watching the Imperial troops. They had surrounded not only the cave but the entire mountain. Escape was impossible for anyone, no matter how skilled they may be.


    "They were a real headache."


    Yanchinus gritted his teeth. He intended to spare none of the Serpentines. His pride in Hamel was immense, and the Serpentism incident felt like a part of him was trampled by a heretic.


    <i>''Thanks to Trikee, everything went smoothly.''</i>


    Once Trikee, the leader of the Ark Serpentism, decided to betray the Fundamentalists, locating them was easy. Urich interrogated the Serpentines entrenched in the underworld, one by one.


    <i>''Tough bastards. They didn¡¯t break even under my torture.''</i>


    The Serpentines didn¡¯t reveal their hideout even under Urich''s torture. If they were going to give in to such trivial methods, they would have been found by the Imperial army long ago.


    Urich devised a n and ''appropriately'' battered a Serpentine. The severely wounded Serpentine, thinking he was just beaten by a nasty northerner, unwittingly returned to his headquarters.


    "Whatever you say, Urich! After all, considering the magnitude of this aplishment, no amount of gold coins is too many!"


    Yanchinusughed, listening to the Serpentines'' screams. He had promised to grant Urich whatever he asked.


    <i>''But asking for too much could cost me my head.''</i>


    The offer of anything was vague. It was unclear how far he could push without angering the emperor. An excessive demand could enrage him, and given his capricious nature, a modest request might provoke him for being taken lightly.


    "Lately, only good things are happening. It seems Lou is watching over me."


    "Good things?"


    Urich questioned back.


    The subjugation was nearing its end. The emperor¡¯s soldiers were capturing Serpentine followers to bring them to their execution. Bound and bloodied Serpentines were dragged out as they were met by the curses and spitting of the Imperial soldiers.


    "Urich, have you ever wanted to make a name for yourself in history?" Yanchinus suddenly asked.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "I asked if you have a desire to be remembered like the Sword Demon Ferzen. A great war is on its way. Like my grandfather and father, I n to start a war that will go down in history. In that war, regardless of background, there are opportunities to make a name for yourself. There will be countless opportunities for even barbarians to rise through the ranks."


    Urich closed and then slowly opened his eyes.


    <i>''There¡¯s going to be a war?''</i>


    Yanchinus was certain a significant war was imminent. It didn''t seem rted to the eastern continent.


    "I¡¯m going to pay good money to hire barbarian warriors, even the unconverted ones. The barbarian warrior unit will always fight at the forefront of our lines. Their leader must be strong enough to overpower other barbarians, as they won¡¯t follow the weak."


    "That sounds interesting," Urich said nonchntly.


    "You are more than qualified for the position. You¡¯re not just skilled inbat, but very intelligent. I never expected you to find the Serpentine hideout so quickly."


    Yanchinus genuinely admired Urich''s abilities, which exceeded expectations.


    <i>''I thought he was too good for the king of Porcana... He is a very useful barbarian. He can handle just about any task.''</i>


    Anyone who met Urich sensed something different about him. He was truly an extraordinary individual, respected by subordinates and trusted by superiors.


    "But you haven¡¯t told me the most important part yet. What war are you talking about?"


    There is no longer a war significant enough to require the emperor¡¯s direct involvement. The recent Porcana civil war was the biggest in recent times.


    "I intend to shatter the world as we know it."


    Yanchinus spoke under the moon and stars, his eyes gleaming with ecstasy.


    "...Lou said that there is a waterfall at the end of the eastern sea and a bottomless abyss beyond the western mountains. That was the limit of the world we currently know."


    Urich paused, his gaze lost in the darkness. He pinched his thigh to hide his emotions, tearing off a chunk of flesh exactly the size of his fingernails.


    "But I, Yanchinus, irreverently... proved Lou wrong. Ke, keke."


    Yanchinus covered his face with one hand,ughing madly, baring his pearly white teeth. Then, he looked up again.


    "I won¡¯t be remembered just as the heir of capable ancestors; I¡¯ll be a great explorer who opened up an entirely new world. Urich, will you not lead the charge into this new world under my banner?"


    Urich suppressed the emotions rising in his throat.


    "A new world?"


    "My expedition force has finally crossed the Sky Mountains. It wasn¡¯t a bottomless abyss. There¡¯s and with people just like us, it¡¯s thend of humans! Can you grasp how incredible that is? Yes, I, a mere human, have broken the world created by Lou! This Yanchinus!¡±


    Urich remained silent, unable to open his eyes. He was certain that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the murderous intent in them.

 Chapter 130

    <h4>Chapter 130</h4>


    A choice had to be made. Time was of the essence.


    Yanchinus thought Urich was surprised and was taking his time to respond.


    <i>''I know as well. What it means to shatter the world as we know it...''</i>


    Urich murmured. He opened his eyes narrowly. His eyshes seemed calm as if they were frosted. A barely contained murderous intent lightly grazed the ground.


    Most people don''t believe in the existence ofnds beyond the eastern continent and the Sky Mountains. If someone imed suchnds existed, they would be deemed a madman or sphemed.


    However, asionally there were those who defied the gods'' warnings and stepped toward the unknown, within their closed worldviews. Urich was one of them and...


    <i>''Emperor Yanchinus.''</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus was also one who sought to shatter the world.


    Urich nced around. The knights surrounded Yanchinus, and their eyes were fixed on Urich''s fingertips.


    The emperor¡¯s personal knights were carefully selected for their skills. They would not hold their attacks and wait for Urich to draw his weapon and attack the emperor.


    "You seem surprised, Urich. You can answerter! Remember this: more important than the riches and glory of life is leaving your name after death. A mark that even time cannot erase."


    Yanchinusughed, grabbing the reins. The captured Serpentists were brought out in a line after the capture. The women who survived the abduction of the Serpentists praised the emperor''s name as they wept in relief.


    The roots of Serpentism were finally eradicated, or at least on the surface. The Serpentists, who disturbed the city''s peace and upset the emperor, were practically exterminated.


    "Booooo!"


    "Die, you heretics!"


    The next day at noon, in the city square, the execution of the Serpentists took ce. People flocked to release their pent-up anger. Rotten vegetables and stones were hurled at the execution stand. Soldiers around the stand raised their shields to block the projectiles.


    "Was this truly the right thing to do?"


    A hooded Trikee muttered, blending in with the crowd watching the execution. Next to him, Baldor, a former count who had lost everything, nodded.


    "Even if we hadn''t intervened, they would have met this end eventually. The Imperial Army is relentless. We might be safe for now, but it''s not the time to rx. The empire will soon know about another faction of Serpentism. Until then, we must gather more disciples who can influence the civilized world. Starting with my close acquaintances. Those who won''t betray me..."


    Baldor remained calm despite losing everything to his name. He had decided to dedicate his life to the Ark belief. That was all he had left.


    Baldor urged Trikee to leave the crowd as quickly as possible. Lingering in the square was not going to do them any good.


    "I have to express my gratitude to Urich...,¡± Trikee muttered, looking back.


    "Meeting Urich again would not be good for him or us, Ark."


    Despite his words, Baldor couldn¡¯t help but feel regretful.


    <i>''If we had drawn Urich into Serpentism and made him a disciple, the situation would be much better going forward.''</i>


    Urich was a strong and powerful warrior. Among his disciples, someone like Urich was needed.


    <i>''Sorry Urich, but I must exploit your name.''</i>


    Baldor pondered. It was true that Urich had saved Trikee and Baldor. Although not a Serpentist, Urich did have deep ties with Serpentism.


    <i>''A renowned barbarian warrior was so moved by the Ark that he offered his sword willingly... A good story.''</i>


    It was a tale that many would believe. Though not yet, it was surely going to be useful in the future.


    Trikee and Baldoor, still a minority within Serpentism for now, quietly made their way through the crowd and disappeared into the underground society, believing that one day they would face the sun...


    * * *


    "Praise the emperor for the subjugation of the Serpentists!"


    The capital was buzzing with a festive atmosphere. Emperor Yanchinus opened the national treasury and generously distributed it to the people. The smell of baking bread was incessant, and every tavern echoed with songs praising the emperor.


    Nobles from all over the empire did not hesitate to travel long distances to attend the celebration banquet at the imperial pce. The banquetsted three days and nights without interruption.


    <i>nk, nk.</i>


    The sound of chains, out of ce in the banquet hall, echoed throughout the hall.


    "What is that?"


    "Is that a barbarian from the south?"


    The nobles murmured behind their hands, looking at a male ve chained by the neck.


    "Regal Arten presents himself to the Ruler of the World!"


    A man leading the ve shouted. He looked weary from a long journey, but he had rushed to the banquet hall where the emperor was, without even taking a moment of rest.


    "I received your letter beforehand, Regal Arten! Come forward and show me your face!"


    Yanchinus stood up from his chair, a rare gesture of extreme hospitality. The attention of the nobles was instantly focused.


    "If it''s the Arten family, they have produced several steel knights..."


    The Arten family, although without their own domain, held a barcy. They were a respected martial family known for producing outstanding knights generation after generation.


    "Pay attention!"


    Yanchinus tapped his expensive ss with a finger. The eyes of the nobles turned toward him.


    "Regal Arten has been exploring the unknown world under mymand. Not only him, but many men, including his brothers, have set off westward with my support."


    The mention of ''west'' caused a stir among the nobles.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s done something, that emperor.''</i>


    The priests at the banquet frowned. The Church of Srism was well aware of the emperor''s ambition. Despite the Church''s opposition, Yanchinus had emptied the Imperial treasury to organize bold expeditions. He had sent the best knights into the mountains on a cruel journey from which they might not return if they failed to achieve results.


    "Regal Arten! What was it that you saw in the west?"


    Yanchinus shouted. The nobles stopped eating and drinking. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Regal Arten''s response.


    "I have seen beyond the high and mighty mountains. What lies there is not an endless cliff, but a vastnd. This is the proof."


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    Regal pulled the chain. A man with dry eyes was dragged forward.


    "Remove his gag but be careful! Several have had their fingers bitten off by this man!"


    Regal instructed the servants in the banquet hall. They cautiously removed the man''s gag.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    The gag fell to the floor. The man red and shouted something unintelligible, a roar close to a howl. It was unclear what he was saying, but it was certainly a curse.


    "Look! Anguage unknown in both the south and the north! This man lives beyond the Sky Mountains. Beyond the mountains lies and of barbarians, just like the north and the south. I, Regal Arten, a loyal servant of the sun god Lou, swear I have seen thend beyond the mountains!"


    Regal proudly presented the barbarian he had captured from the west. The murmurs of the nobles almost reached the tall ceiling of the banquet hall.


    "Send a letter to the Pope."


    The priests became busy. They had taught that beyond the Sky Mountainsy an abyssal cliff, as spoken by Lou.


    "Oh, Lou..."


    "What is happening, priest!"


    Even the nobles, distressed, pressed the priests in the banquet hall. This news would reach the Pope, and a council would be convened to discuss the current doctrine. Until a conclusion was reached, the priests could not speak rashly.


    "Is Lou wrong?"


    "Lou is never wrong! sphemous words!"


    "Then are you saying that the knight, who received the emperor¡¯s secret mission, is lying? Priest?"


    The nobles and priests in the banquet hall were thrown into panic. Their worldview had been shattered.


    A man who crossed the mountains himself imed the existence of and that should not exist. If others had said this, they would have been dismissed as nonsense, and the speaker would have been hanged.


    <i>''But if the emperor, the person at the pinnacle of power, is the one saying it... it can''t be suppressed or refuted by force.''</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus had announced the existence ofnd beyond the mountains. It was a direct challenge to the authority of the Sr Church and Lou.


    "This is sphemy! Your Majesty!"


    A court priest bravely shouted.


    "What is sphemous about it?"


    Yanchinus mocked the priest''s courage.


    "T-this is against Lou. There cannot bend beyond the mountains. Lou said..."


    "Have you crossed the Sky Mountains?"


    "No, but..."


    The priest hesitated.


    "Regal Arten has crossed the mountains. The brave knight has seen the west with the eyes that Lou has gifted him. Go and tell His Holiness! This son of Lou has discovered a new world! He must think we are ready! We are prepared to face this new world!"


    The banquet hall quickly shifted from celebration to discussions about the newnd. It was unbelievable even upon hearing. Even the nobles close to the emperor showed many negative and skeptical reactions.


    "My goodness."


    The priests observed the barbarian from the west in shock. They were schrs as well as clerics. Even they, well-versed in many disciplines, had never heard thisnguage.


    <i>''The emperor and Regal Arten are for sure not lying.''</i>


    The priests broke out in cold sweat. They wanted to deny it, but the existence of thend beyond the mountains was now a fact. There had been spection about such and before, but it was suppressed by the authority of the Sr Church.


    <i>''The tide can no longer be held back.''</i>


    The high priests at the court were already holding meetings to draft letters to the Pope. A change in the interpretation of doctrine was necessary.


    "Lou is always right."


    "Then it must be the fault of the church for the misinterpretation of his words."


    When reality and doctrine did not align, it was necessary to change the interpretation of the doctrine. This was how the Sr Church had survived for many years, with its teachings bing more ambiguous and metaphorical over time.


    "Sir Regal Arten! We will never forget your hard work! You are truly my very own hero!"


    Emperor Yanchinusvished praise on Regal Arten, seating him at his own table to hear about the new world.


    <i>''He''s going to rise in status.''</i>


    The nobles looked at Regal with envy and jealousy.


    "Be careful, Your Majesty. He''s a very rough one. Originally, we captured four of them, but three died on the way, leaving only this one."


    Regal reported as he brought the western barbarian along.


    Yanchinus approached the barbarian from the west, while the nobles observed from a distance. The man''s skin was brown, typical of barbarians, and smelled foul from not bathing for a long time over the journey beyond the mountains.


    "They don''t look much different," Yanchinus remarked, slightly disappointed.


    "Barbarians from the south and north also don¡¯t differ much from us beneath our clothes."


    "I guess that¡¯s true. But the church will try to deny the existence beyond the mountains. It would have been better if he were more unique. Don¡¯t you think? Urich! Come here and take a look at this thing!"


    Emperor Yanchinus called Urich over. Urich, who had been drinking and eating at the banquet, got up from his seat.


    "Two eyes and ears, one nose, one mouth. It¡¯s not like he has a bunch of arms. What¡¯s there to look at?"


    Urich sneered. He stared at the western barbarian.


    <i>¡®Shit.''</i>


    Urich¡¯s emotions boiled inside. It was aplex, unexinable emotion. He felt like he was going insane from these strange feelings.


    <i>''He''s from a different tribe... Why am I... in anguish?''</i>


    The gagged man was undoubtedly from beyond the mountains.


    <i>''Fordgal Arten crossed the mountains before Regal Arten. If Fordgal hadn¡¯t run into me and died, this would have happened long ago.''</i>


    The knights of the Arten family formed expeditions under the emperor¡¯smand. Given Fordgal¡¯s precedent, there must have been quite a few who seeded in crossing the mountains.


    But Regal Arten was the first to return.


    <i>''He¡¯s from another tribe, it¡¯s none of my business.''</i>


    Urich tried tofort himself. Other tribes were rivals for survival. The fewer other tribes in one''s territory, the better. In his homnd, he wouldn''t have felt any sense of kinship with someone from another tribe.


    For the first time in his life, Urich felt a sense of solidarity as a westerner. He felt a bond with someone from a culture and customs close to his own.


    <i>''I want to save him.''</i>


    He felt a need to save this man, who was neither his tribe nor family nor brother. This sense of mission thumped in Urich''s chest.


    <i>''A man who would have been an enemy back home.''</i>


    Judging by his ent, the man seemed to be from a tribe far from Urich''s Stone Axe tribe. If they had met in their homnd, they would have been wary of each other, perhaps fighting over a single prey. Urich would have enjoyed the victory, beheading him without a second thought.


    <i>''Could I kill the emperor here?''</i>


    The thought crossed his mind several times. Did he have a way to kill the emperor? Even if he managed to kill the emperor, would it end there? Could he be sure the civilized people wouldn¡¯t cross the mountains again?


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich chewed on a chicken leg that was now meatless from his chewing. The bone crumbled and slid down his throat.


    "Urich, haven¡¯t you decided yet? I fancifully assumed you were simr to me. If you¡¯re not obsessed with fleeting wealth and glory, I thought you''d pursue immortal glory like me."


    Yanchinus spoke softly, disappointment seeping through his tone.


    <i>''Was he just one to hesitate to challenge the unknown? I had high expectations for a barbarian highly regarded by Noya...¡¯</i>

 Chapter 131

    <h4>Chapter 131</h4>


    Yanchinus had been closely observing Urich, particrly after the Sword Demon Ferzen likened Urich to the reincarnation of Mijorn the Brave of the north. Initially, it was Ferzen''s assessment that caught Yanchinus''s attention, but now, Urich''s actions intrigued him.


    <i>¡®What do you wish to do?¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus swallowed his question. He was an emperor. He could and should not cling to those who rejected him. He was the sun and center of the world. An emperor did not move toward anyone else. He selects only those who approach him.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    The barbarian dragged in chains, vomited blood, causing the nobles to step back to avoid the blood.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s a mess.¡¯</i>


    Urich realized the man''s life was hanging by a thread, weakened by the journey and captivity. The body that has been weakened had the shadow of death hanging over it.


    <i>Grip.</i>


    Urich clenched his fist, feeling a sense of righteousness.


    <i>¡®I cannot save that man. I¡¯m only a warrior...¡¯</i>


    He suppressed his rough impulse to cause a disturbance. He wanted to grab anything that could serve as a weapon and kill all the civilized people around him. For the first time, Urich recognized a warrior from another tribe as his kin.


    "Kin."


    The northern barbarians united as one people, calling themselves northerners, only after facing themon enemy of the empire.


    Urich and this western man were not rted by any means, but they shared the samend and culture, and that was enough to echo in Urich¡¯s heart. This man from his homnd was being humiliated by civilization. One of his own was being brutalized and mocked by the civilized.


    "Be careful, this is one of the most savage barbarians I''ve seen. A beastly creature," Regal Arten warned a noblewoman approaching the barbarian.


    <i>¡®I want to rip that mouth to shreds.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s fingers twitched. It wouldn''t be hard to grab his neck and wring it. He closed his eyes and listened to the screams of terror in his imagination. He was chasing after the screaming nobles, crushing their heads, and shattering their spines with his feet.


    <i>¡®But whates after?¡¯</i>


    Urich, dripping with cold sweat, envisioned his own end: after killing Regal and the nobles, he would be shot with arrows and spears, dying a meaningless death without glory. It would simply be a fit of rage.


    The pressure on his back was immense. If it was just his life at stake, he wouldn''t care. He could burn brightly for a moment and put his life on the line with no hesitation. In civilization, he was a free man. He roamed the world fearlessly and put his life on the line wherever he went.


    But Urich from the west was not a free man; he was Urich of the Stone Axe tribe.


    <i>¡®Be cunning, Urich.¡¯</i>


    Now was the time for the wisdom of a fox, not the bravery of a lion.


    * * *


    The banquet was finished. The nobles whispered among themselves, and the priests left with anxious faces. Regardless of what the people wanted, a storm was sure to follow this brief calm.


    "You haven''t mentioned your reward yet, Urich. After all, I can''t let you go empty-handed after your hard work," Yanchinus said, walking with Urich in the garden.


    It was a rare privilege to walk with the emperor. Many waited months just for a few words with him, proving Yanchinus still held Urich in high regard.


    "Steel armor... and the path over the mountains," Urich said as if he had already thought it through.


    Yanchinus stopped walking, and the knights escorting him gripped their swords. If Urich had greatly upset the emperor, they would have to kill him instantly.


    "...That is a bold request," Yanchinus said, lifting a finger and smiling. The knights then rxed their shoulders.


    "You were the one who said you''d give me anything," Urich reminded him.


    "The path over the mountains will be known to you if you ept my offer anyway, whether you like it or not. The preparations will bepleted in a year or three at thetest."


    Crossing the Sky Mountains was no small feat. It was a roundtrip that took even the greatest explorers countless trial and error. It would take an inch-perfect preparation for an army to cross over the rough mountains.


    "I just want to see the west with my own eyes."


    This was a lie. Urich double-checked to make sure he hadn''t stuttered.


    "I know you have a wanderlust, but..."


    Yanchinus nced at Urich''s face.


    "I just want to see what I haven''t seen before, whatever it may be."


    A truth that dispelled any momentary doubt.


    "Regal Arten will return to the Sky Mountains after sufficient rest to establish an outpost. The mountains will no longer be a barrier! The divided worlds will connect, and my name will be on that new path! If you wish, Urich, you may follow. You wouldn¡¯t be a man if your heart doesn''t race at the discovery of a new world.¡±


    Yanchinus showed kindness to Urich, who had refused his offer. The generosity of a man trained in imperial ways was always going to be a calcted move.


    <i>¡®Even if he manages to see the world beyond the mountains, it will be thend of strange barbarians. Even a strong warrior can''t wander alone. If he wants to explore the new world, he¡¯ll have to work with the Imperial Army. He''ll see it''s the best way.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus still believed Urich was a man thirsty for adventure and exploration, and that he had rejected his offer simply because of his nature to serve under someone.


    <i>¡®Indeed, he''s not a man who fears challenges and adventures. My and Noya''s eyes couldn''t have been wrong.¡¯</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus was smart and arrogant, believing his empire was the best in the world. Because of that, there was one possibility that had slipped through his fingers.


    <i>''The possibility that someone else had already crossed the two worlds.''</i>


    Urich smirked bitterly. The empire was great. Without its expedition, Urich would never have crossed the mountains. He would have just grown old fantasizing while looking at the Sky Mountains.


    <i>¡®Fordgal Arten.''</i>


    Urich muttered the name. The man who brought him from the other world, likely the brother, or at least a cousin, of Regal Arten.


    <i>''Fordgal was a great explorer.''</i>


    Urich finally realized how remarkable the unfamiliar knight was. He had directly connected the two worlds. Although he might not be remembered in human history, the gods would remember Fordgal Arten.


    ¡°And for that steel armor... I¡¯ll order the smithy after you do one more favor for me.¡±


    Yanchinus grinned cunningly.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Yanchinus and Urich headed toward the Pce of White Night, enveloped in sweet scents. Fresh flowers picked daily adorned the entrance.


    <i>Creaaak.</i>


    A servant opened the door as he kept his eyes low. The women of the pce prostrated themselves before Yanchinus, who nonchntly stepped over them to enter the room.


    "There''s a woman here who despises you."


    ¡°I think I know who you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Urich gazed at the barely clothed women. They were surrounded by women who only had their private parts covered with a few strands of clothes.


    ¡°She is a woman who I just can¡¯t seem to break. I like those, but on the other hand, I really want to destroy them. Do you understand me?¡±


    Urich nced into Yanchinus¡¯ room. Although he was an emperor, the word ¡°tarnished¡± befitted him the best. It seemed like he was incapable of exchanging normal affection.


    "Embrace Damia, Urich."


    Yanchinus spokemandingly, his eyes filled with passion and madness. He anticipated Damia''s reaction to being embraced by Urich, knowing his excitement would only grow as their night deteriorated. The mere thought aroused him physically.


    <i>¡®Any other day, I would have begged for this but...¡¯</i>


    Damia was an incredible beauty. Many men threw their lives on the line just for a single night with her. Urich, much like any other man, felt lust toward her multiple times.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The door opened without Urich''s touch, revealing Damia, elegantly dressed, looking at Urich and Yanchinus.


    "Aah," Damia sighed ambiguously. She looked up with teary eyes.


    "Tonight, Damia, yourpanion is Urich. Treat him as you would me," Yanchinus said from outside the door, his lips twitching.


    <i>''The man who led me to ruin.''</i>


    Without Urich, Varca would never have ascended the throne.


    Silently, she took Urich''s hand, leading him to the bed. Urich remained silent as he couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. His lower body responded to the soft touch of a woman despite his disturbed mind.


    <i>''I am now nothing more than a courtesan,''</i> she thought with a hollow smile on her face.


    "You''re a wretched, wretched woman. You did this to yourself," Urich remarked.


    "I know. You don¡¯t have to tell me. Do you want me to undress, or will you rip it off?"


    Damia asked, ying with her dress strap. Urich hesitated, then reached for her hands that were undoing the straps.


    "I won''t sleep with you. Whatever happened before, you''re just a pitiable woman now," Urich said, standing up.


    <i>''Embracing Damia now might just break her.¡¯</i>


    Pahell wouldn''t want to see his sister''s soul shattered.


    "Don''t... pity me, you filthy barbarian! Embrace me like the barbarian you are! You beast who only knows desires, you scum!" Damia yelled in anger. Urich pushed her away in annoyance.


    "My name is Urich, and I¡¯m not a beast.¡±


    "Shut up, you''re a beast! A beast who lusts after women at the sight of them!"


    Damia lunged at him, trying to strangle him.


    <i>''It tickles.''</i>


    Urich thought. Her hands couldn''t even fully grasp his neck, and his well-trained neck muscles didn¡¯t help her case. Her well-kept nails couldn''t pierce his skin even if she tried.


    <i>''You pity me? A barbarian like you? The one who drove me into this?''</i>


    Her long-suppressed anger and hatred were reignited by Urich¡¯s small sympathy. Damia''s almost cringey pride was the only thing keeping her sane.


    "Aah, now I see! You loved my brother! A man who loves men, how disgusting! You''re not just a beast but a cursed one! You helped my brother for that reason! How impressive, Varca, seducing men with your backside. I admit it as well, Varca''s backside is indeed nice to look at!"


    Damia rambled like a madwoman, with Yanchinus''sughter heard from outside.


    "You''ll regret this, Princess Damia," Urich gave hisst warning.


    "Regret? Do you think I would do such a thing?"


    <i>p!</i>


    Damia struck Urich''s cheek hard.


    <i>''This bitch,''</i> Urich thought, now fully alert, hisst bit of sympathy gone.


    "Better to be a regr beast than be misunderstood as a cursed one," Urich muttered, grabbing Damia''s hands. He tore her dress apart and quickly removed his trousers.


    "You really are a beast... in many ways," Damia realized, momentarily regretting seeing Urich''s lower half that was hidden underneath his pants until now. It exceeded her expectations in all ways.


    Come morning, Damiay unconscious on the bed, and Urich stood up, sweeping up his sweat-drenched hair.


    "See, I told you you''d regret it," Urich said, leaving the room, tightening his trousers in the hallway as he blinked his drowsy eyes.


    "That was excellent, Urich!"


    Yanchinus eximed from the next room, still filled with women''s endless moans and screams. Urich had no desire to know what was happening there.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    As Urich passed by, the door to Yanchinus''s room opened. A guard dragged out a woman, bloodied from being whipped ruthlessly.


    To Emperor Yanchinus, all men were tools, and all women, toys. Good tools were inherited and used across generations, but toys, once worn and broken, were simply discarded.


    The man from the west died after three days. Urich was the one and only person who mourned his death. Until the end, he never had the chance to meet the man alone or even learn his name.


    Three monthster, Urich left for the Sky Mountains with Regal Arten, who was tasked with establishing an outpost and pioneering the path through the mountains. The season was passing spring and heading into summer. It was the time of the year when even the majestic aura of the Sky Mountains seemed to soften with the warm, thawing air.

 Chapter 132: Homecoming

    Chapter 132: Homing


    <em>He''s a barbarian, but a person dear to His Majesty.</em>


    Regal Arten thought, looking at Urich who was apanying him.


    <em>This man might be the leader of the yet-to-be-named barbarian warrior division.</em>


    The empire was gathering barbarian warriors. Unlike the Sun Warriors, these warriors didn''t need to convert to Srism, and that freedom attracted many barbarians. Though the Sun Priests and nobles disapproved of having unconverted barbarian troops directly under them, they didn''t express their discontent to the emperor.


    <em>It won''t hurt to get closer to him.</em>


    Regal didnt look down on Urich just because of his barbarian origin. Instead, he treated him as an equal.


    "Cliffs and ravines?"


    Urich tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. Regal was heading toward a gorge in the Sky Mountains, known for its treacherous terrain, followed by about a hundred imperial engineers.


    "It''s actually better this way, Sir Urich. Many expeditions have challenged these mountains, but all faced disappointment. Climbers go up and then we lose all contact. It''s quite the enigma."


    Regal exined, looking at the gorge''s steep cliffs. No path was visible; below, the water from a waterfall churned violently. The river''s course was blocked by several waterfalls, making it impassable even by boat.


    <em>Honestly, even I''m not confident about crossing the Sky Mountains alone.</em>


    Urich admitted, looking up at the towering mountain range. He had been dragged to the peak by Fordgals expedition team, then practically rolled down the other side recklessly.


    If it were easy to traverse these mountains, the two worlds would have made contact long ago. The mountains still remained a divine domain, untouched by human footsteps.


    Regal added to the description, carefully reading Urichs reaction.


    "I''ve tried several times along the gentler ridges, but no matter how mild, you still have to climb to the top. Mountain sickness, uh, it''s something that happens at high elevations..." Regal rambled on before pointing again at the gorge as he paused to catch his breath.


    "So, basically, youre saying that it''s impossible for an army to cross the mountains."


    Urich nodded to show his understanding.


    "Exactly. You are quite clever, Sir Urich. Nobles who haven''t experienced it themselves think it''s doable. ''The imperial army can do it!'', Mountain sickness is for the weak!'' they say. But even small expedition teams have been spending enormous resources and time. No matter how high-spirited the Imperial army may be, they wont be able to ovee these mountains on passion and courage alone. Mark my words, if the army tried to climb over these mountains, theyll bury their bones in the snow up top."


    Regal was a talented explorer. The emperor had been sending countless expeditions to the Sky Mountains, but he was the only one to have made a round trip in thest ten years. He conquered the mountains bit by bit, considering the realistic limits.


    "This gorge is the most dangerous in the Sky Mountains. One wrong step and you''re dead. For your information, its name is Arten Gorge, heh," Regal chuckled, scratching the back of his head. His family, the Arten, was among the major exploring families.


    "Are you sure we can get through here?"


    "I crossed the mountains through this gorge. Not ''over'', but ''through''.


    "Oh?"


    Urich pped his knee, intrigued by this unexpected idea.


    Regal was excited by Urichs reaction. Unlike the bored nobles, Urich was genuinely interested in his story.


    "The gorge is rtively lowpared to the rest of the mountains. Still high, mind you, but much more manageable than other routes. We''ve looked everywhere, but this is the only passable path for an army."


    "Youre making it sound like conquering the Sky Mountains is just around the corner.


    "But there''s a critical downside to Arten Gorge."


    "No need to tell me," Urich grimaced, understanding the implication of ''the most dangerous terrain in the Sky Mountains.''


    "Of my forty-two original expedition members, only 18 returned after crossing the Arten Gorge. My members, who were mountain specialists who spent a decade looking at these mountains, were halved. We captured four western barbarians but had to throw two weaker ones off the cliff due to manpower shortage. Another gave into illness on the way back.


    Urich clenched his fist, which was holding the rock that he was fidgeting with. Its pieces fell to the ground as Urich crushed it in his grip.


    "...And yet, you''re confident the army can pass through here?" Urich asked, catching his breath.


    <em>It''s not the time to kill Regal yet.</em>


    Regal held much useful knowledge.


    "Were going to build bridges anddders along the steep cliffs. When theyre finished, this gorge will be much easier to cross. It''ll take quite some time, though. Once itspleted, it will be known as ''Yailrud''.


    "Named after Yanchinus, that''s funny. The man who sits far away without even lifting a finger."


    "Mind your words, Sir Urich," Regal warned, though he shared the sentiment. If not for the emperorsmand, he would''ve named the path after himself.


    Regal and the imperial engineers established the Arten Base Camp at the foot of the Sky Mountains. They employed locals asborers. Two months had passed since its construction and the camp grew enough to attract merchants and pimps.


    "Kylios, it looks like I won''t be able to take you with me."


    Urich said while sitting in the base camp''s stable, splitting a carrot. He tossed a piece into Kylios'' mouth and chewed on the rest himself.


    Neighh.


    Kylios expressed his good mood and licked Urich''s cheek with his long tongue. Urich looked toward the Sky Mountains.


    The Imperial army was busy building a bridge along the cliffs of the gorge. They ced logs in the spaces of the cliff only just wide enough to fit a foot on and secured them with oil-soaked ropes, weaving them tightly. Despite working without taking a single day off, progress was slow, andborers often fell to their deaths.


    <em>Its a bridge built on blood.</em>


    Urich thought, as the pioneering path extended with each casualty. Urich left Kylios at a farm not too far from the base camp, paying the farmer plenty of gold coins to take care of him.


    "Take good care of him. If Kylios is in bad shape when I return..."


    "O-of course, my lord," the farmer nodded vigorously, and Urich patted his cheek with a smile.


    <em>Preparations areplete.</em>


    Regal and his expedition team nned to cross the mountains again,bining the climb with a survey for the construction of Yailrud. Urich also joined this climb. After the final preparations werepleted, Regal gathered his team.


    "Are you nning to carry all that, Sir Urich?" Regal asked, shaking his head at Urich''s luggage, which was twice as much as others.


    "You never know when you run into those barbarians. I gotta take my armor."


    Urich replied, tapping his steel breastte fitted to his size. Ayer of fur coat stuck out underneath the te. The steel breastte, made in the Imperial smithy, was a rare, high-quality piece. It alone was sufficient to prevent fatal injuries. Neither arrow nor sword could prate it.


    "Hup."


    Urich donned the breastte lined with fur and stuffed the rest of the armor pieces in his bag. The armor wasn''t a full suit but still included a helmet, greaves, and gloves, significantly increasing the bulk and weight of his luggage.


    <em>The quality is there. It''s not a garbage piece likest time.</em>


    Urich smiled as the smooth surface of the te brightened his mood. Yanchinus, pleased with Urich''s ruthless treatment of Damia, had fulfilled his promise by providing the steel armor.


    <em>And I cant forget this.</em>


    Urich packed the seed pouch carefully. Civilized people, with their long history of settled farming, had sturdy crop varieties.


    <em>These might grow even in the barren westernnds.</em>


    Urich quietly followed the expedition trail.


    The expedition team that was apanying Regal was formed with six men. Their primary goal was pathfinding and reconnaissance, so six was enough to carry out the mission.


    "This is where the pioneering path thats being constructed will end."


    One of the team members said, looking at the stakes they had ced during the previous climb.


    "They''re still firmly in ce," Regal noted, checking the stakes on the cliff. They had created paths where none existed to breach the mountains.


    "I''ll go up first and lower a rope, Sir Regal.


    A nimble team member climbed the cliff barehanded with only a rope around his waist.


    <em>Whoooosh!</em>


    A sudden gust of wind blew through the gorge. It came out of nowhere.


    "Dammit!"


    Regal eximed, looking up anxiously. The team member, tied to a rope, had fallen.


    <em>Thud!</em>


    The member narrowly avoided falling to his death thanks to the rope connecting him to the peg, but he hit his head on the face of the cliff.


    "Shit!"


    They wanted to rescue him immediately but had to wait for the wind to die down. Once it stopped, they lowered the injured member.


    "He''s dead."


    Regal confirmed that the member had stopped breathing, then announced his death with a bitterugh.


    The next member climbed the cliff without any issue, and once at the top, lowered a rope to bring up another person, followed by the rest of the gear.


    "Hold on tight as you climb," Urich was advised as he grasped the rope and ascended the cliff.


    The team proficiently overcame several cliffs in this manner. Their skills showed their extreme experience.


    <em>This is truly impressive. I''ve learned a lot.</em>


    This was the first time Urich was experiencing proper mountain climbing. The method was the result of the team''s decade-long experience.


    <em>"A small expedition can cross this way, but an army can''t. That''s why they''re building a path along the cliff. It''ll take time but once the cliff path isplete, the army can pass through."</em>


    It is difficult for people to understand something without seeing it, and there is no better way to understand something than seeing and experiencing it themselves. Urich hadpletely understood the reason why they were working so hard to construct the pioneering path.


    <em>Experienced explorers are dangerous.</em>


    With time, such explorers might freely traverse the mountains. The first time is always hard, but it would only get easier the second, and the third time.


    <em>Thats too bad.</em>


    Urich smiled bitterly. He bore no personal grudge against the expedition team. They were merely fulfilling their duty under imperialmand, and Urich was a barbarian who understood civilization.


    <em>Regal and his team are good people from the civilization''s viewpoint.</em>


    Regal had conquered the mountains and brought back a barbarian from thend of the myth as proof. They had done nothing wrong from the civilizations point of view. Conquering the barbards was natural for civilization, much like stealing was just a daily urrence to barbarians, unrted to good and evil.


    <em>But my brothers are not your ves</em>


    Urich had seen the fate of the conquered barbarians with his own eyes.


    Urich realized his root identity after witnessing the death of a nameless fellow westerner. No matter how much he adored and lived in the civilized world, his soul belonged in thend west of the Sky Mountains. The ce he had to return to was in the direction that the sun goes down.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133


    Looking up, the ring of snow midway up the mountainside was visible. Despite it being summer, a cold wave struck the mountains, rendering the season practically null.


    Sigh.


    The breath lingered long in the air, and a chill ran over the skin.


    The expedition members all took out another coat and prepared themselves without a word. They spent two more days in the mountains. The cliff area ended, and a gentle ridge appeared, but no one said that it was over. They knew this was just the beginning.


    Do you see down there? Regal said as he pointed to the gorge spread out beneath the ridge.


    I do see it, Urich, stroking his frost-coated beard, nodded.


    We''ll continue building Yailrud all the way down there. Right now, there''s nowhere to step, so no one can pass, but if we keep building bridges along the cliff, it will be a path. After passing through there, a trail going all the way down appears if we climb the gorge.


    Oh, so if we go down that path, we finally get to the west? Urich asked, his eyes wide. Regal shook his head.


    In theory, yes, but in reality, it''s a rocky and downhill path, so there''s a high risk of hurting your ankle. Many in the expedition have broken their ankles when we tried to pass there. I n to clear the rocks and make a new path. For now, we''ll focus on finishing the cliff bridge.


    Regal had not crossed the mountains once simply by chance. After witnessing the existence of the westernnds and the barbarians, he thought nightly about how to bring the army there. The pioneer road was alreadyplete in his mind.


    <em>''Regal is a remarkable man.''</em>


    Following Regal''s finger and exnation, even the unconstructed road seemed clear.


    Urich thought of the imperial army crossing the mountains. Once Yailrud wasplete, the army would have no problem crossing the mountain range. It wasn''t impossible at all.


    <em>''The emperor will cross the mountains at any cost. He has that much power.''</em>


    Urich shivered from the chill creeping down his spine as a slight smile appeared on his face.


    <em>''Let''s give it a try.''</em>


    The mountain nights were long, and the stars shone brighter. The higher they climbed, the closer to the sky they felt.


    As the day faded, the expedition pitched tents behind arge rock, sheltering from the wind. Soon, they warmed themselves with a campfire made from the wood they brought.


    <em>Crackle, crackle.</em>


    Urich stretched his hands near the fire. The warmth felt nice.


    "If we hadn''t gone through the gorge, we''d have had to pass through there. You see that high peak? My brother, Fordgal Arten, tried to conquer that path, but we''ve lost contact. He''s probably dead. It''s amon urrence in expeditions."


    At the mention of Fordgal Arten, Urich''s eyes narrowed.


    <em>''Fordgal Arten.''</em>


    It was an unforgettable memory.


    <em>''So that was the path I took down.''</em>


    Urich gazed at the peak''s base and pondered. When he first descended the Sky Mountains, he didnt have the luxury to memorize the path.


    <em>''I''ve memorized it all this time.''</em>


    If Urich told Regal he already memorized the entire path, he wouldn''t believe him.


    Barbarians like Urich generally had a good memory. In the barbarian world, where there are no set paths or markers, those with poor memory can''t even find their way alone. There''s no one to patiently teach them step by step. If you don''t remember, you just perish.


    <em>''The civilized world amodates even the weak so that they can survive.''</em>


    A world where even the weakest, who would naturally fall behind in the wild, can survive. That was the virtue of civilization. The reason barbarians are more resilient and robust than civilized people isn''t due to different gics or luck. In the more natural barbarian world, the weak are weeded out, leaving only the smart and strong to carry on.


    The idea that barbarians are just strong and dumb is nothing but a civilized delusion. Barbarians were as smart as they were strong.


    "The west I briefly saw looked deste. There are forests and mountains, but also a lot of wastnds. The scenery was extreme, unlike anything Ive seen elsewhere. There were waterways, but irrigation canals would be needed for farming."


    Regal spoke of his observations of the west. Urich, chewing on dried bread, nodded.


    <em>''He knows what hes talking about.''</em>


    Regal''s description matched Urich''s memories.


    "The emperor will try to conquer beyond the mountains at any cost, but in my opinion, looking at thend alone, it''s not a profitable venture. The empire will most likely start another ve market to cover the expedition costs, just like when we first conquered the south and north. The costs for that venture were also covered by selling ves. There''s a good precedent, so it''ll likely be followed."


    "They say all that about the Barbarian Inclusion Policy while they do that. It''s something to have barbarians as ves roaming around," Urichmented sarcastically.


    "This is unrted to the policy. There are many civilized ves too. Whether barbarian or civilized, the unlucky can be a ve. Anyway, its going to cost a tremendous amount of money just for the army to cross the mountains. The ve business is the only thing that could possibly make up for that loss in such a short time.


    Regal smiled faintly beside the fire.


    <em>The Arten Family finally has its chance to grow into high nobility.</em>


    Although the Arten family had produced many knights, it wasn''t a prestigious house. It was so fragile that a sudden downfall wouldn''t have been surprising to anyone. Their active involvement in the perilous western exploration was all for their descendants.


    <em>''The Artens will be remembered as the family that pioneered the western conquest. We can take the lead in the ve trade.''</em>


    The ve business was profitable. Once a family umted wealth, it was not easily lost.


    Regal''s eyes glinted with ambition. Without desire, one cannot achieve greatness. Whether ugly or noble, it is the longing and ambition that drive humans.


    "It''s a shame that the captives we tookst time were all men. I was curious about the taste of the barbarian women from this side of the mountains," said an expedition member, twitching hisher region.


    "Ha, that reminds me, youve stuck yourself into women from both the south and the north. Which hole was the best?"


    Regalughed and indulged in the crude talk.


    "The women from the south are deliciously supple. Tight. The north has a robust and hefty vor, but ultimately, the southern women are the best. Let''s capture a few women this time."


    "Our mission is reconnaissance. We''re not yet ready to attack their viges. We don''t even have an estimate of their size."


    "Even if we leave the conquest of thend to His Majesty, shouldn''t we be the first to conquer the western women?"


    "That also makes sense!" Regal eximed, pping his knee.


    <em>''I feel disgusted.''</em>


    Urich sighed, listening to their conversation. He too had often spoken like that, but hearing it from their mouths made him seethe with anger.


    "If we bring back one of their women, they''ll sell for a very high price. Nobles will pay a fortune to taste the m of the west. Our pockets will swell! Aren''t you interested as well, Sir Urich? You''ve been quiet the past while."


    Regal turned to Urich, trying to include him in the conversation.


    "I tasted a princess."


    Urich said out of nowhere. His alreadyrge figure seemed evenrger due to the thick fur he wore.


    "A princess?"


    "Princess Damia was delicious."


    "You mean the Damia who came to Porcana! A royal and the emperors concubine... That''s a poor joke."


    "Its not a joke, I spent the night with the princess in the Pce of White Night. At first, she pretended like she wasnt feeling anything, but her true colors showedter. In the end, a princess, a royal, once stripped, a bitch is just a bitch. Theyre all the same naked."


    "Sir Urich, I respect you, but it''s hard to overlook a barbarian touching royalty. Such a joke could cost you your head in front of His Majesty."


    Regal spoke with a warning tone. There were limits to lewd jokes, and in Regal''s view, Urich had crossed the line.


    "Are you saying I''m lying?" Urichughed.


    "If you were offended by our talk about barbarian women, I apologize. Let''s stop this. Hey, apologize to Sir Urich!"


    Regal finally realized, perhaps a bit toote, that Urich''s reaction was serious. The expedition member who had made the crude remarks humbly apologized to him.


    "I really did sleep with Princess Damia."


    Urich continued, stirring the campfire, even after the apology.


    "Sir Urich, please stop. We have already apologized."


    Urich was deep in thought.


    <em>''How far does the range of my kin extend?''</em>


    In the past, his sense of kinship extended only to his tribe. Other tribes were both trading partners and enemies. Before encountering the civilized world, Urich had never felt a kinship with the broader concept of the west.


    <em>''Do others think like me? How would my former enemies react to the arrival of civilized people? Would we feel a sense of kinship as fellow people in the face of this civilization?''</em>


    Urich wasn''t sure.


    <em>''Will the people of the west develop a sense of being the same nation, of being kin?''</em>


    Urich''s heavy silence brought tension.


    "Sir Urich."


    Regal carefully observed Urich''s expression.


    "A long time ago, there were men who gang-raped a woman from my tribe. They were warriors from another tribe. I immediately rushed to their territory and killed everyone Iid eyes on. I ambushed them over three days and killed thirty men. Looking back, it was a remarkable feat. I became famous even among the neighboring tribes with that event."


    The expedition member''s faces hardened.


    "Are you threatening us?"


    "No, I''m pondering. I''m wondering how far to extend the range of my tribe. What I''m about to do is going to change people''s mindset."


    "What do you mean by that..."


    "You civilized people would be furious if a civilized woman was raped and killed by a barbarian. Even if you''ve never seen that civilized woman, you''d hate that barbarian. If you heard barbarians casually talking about a civilized woman, you''d find it unpleasant. If a knight heard it, he''d draw his sword and behead those barbarians. Hearing such a story, you''d praise the knight and feel satisfied, because you''re all the same civilized people, of course."


    Urich closed his eyes. He thought about where his weapon was hung behind his closed eyes.


    "We have neither insulted nor raped your tribal women nor excessively insulted the women of the north. And even that, we apologized for."


    Regal was slowly getting annoyed, angered by Urich''s nitpicking.


    "I never thought of others as my kin before. They were just strangers, sometimes friendly, sometimes not. Now, I must change that mindset, myself and others too. So I''ll start with myself."


    <em>Schriiing.</em>


    Urich drew his sword.


    "You are crazy, Urich!"


    Regal shouted. The other expedition members also drew their weapons.


    "I''m not crazy. Urich of the Stone Axe tribe came from the west. Now, I will be Urich of the west."


    Death to those who insulted his brothers. And death to those who insulted his western kin.


    His decision was made. This was right. Urich thought so. Just as Sven of Gorigan was Sven of the north in the civilized world, Urich was of the west in front of the civilized people.


    The white snow was soaked with blood. Swords and axes shed. Blood touched the campfire and hissed as it evaporated. Urich screamed, crushing the skulls and splitting the spines of the civilized men.


    The wind blew across the mountains. Urich, holding a corpse in each hand, threw them off the cliff.


    After disposing of the bodies, Urich looked alternately west and east. His eyes looking east were distant. No anger, no hatred. A longing for civilization still burned in a corner of his heart.


    Urich walked, with his back turned on civilization, heading toward his homnd.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134


    In the Sky Mountains, there were many wild animals. For every tribe, the mountains were a forbidden area, and even the most experienced hunters did not venture deep into them.


    "Huff, huff."


    Urich leaped about the rocky mountains like a mountain goat. A misstep could easily lead to a fall down a slope or a broken ankle.


    "Shit."


    Urich spat out a curse as he looked back. His breath stretched out long in the cold air.


    <em>''My ankles and knees are aching.''</em>


    He leaped back and forth between the rocks with his heavy load on his back.


    "What a joke."


    Urich scratched his head and fished out some raw meat from his pocket.


    <em>Chomp.</em>


    He ate the raw meat even while hopping about. It felt like fresh life seeping into his body.


    <em>''Chased by a deer, of all things. Not a wolf, not a bear, a deer.''</em>


    It would beughable to anyone who heard it. Urich, who could hunt even a bear all by himself, was being chased by a deer.


    <em>Should I have left this thing alone...?''</em>


    Urich continued his descent down the rocky mountain, only to find that below was a cliff.


    "Fucking fuuuuuuuck!"


    Urich cursed, drawing his sword and thrusting it into a crevice in the rock.


    <em>ng!</em>


    Even the Imperial steel sword wobbled and swayed. A regr iron sword would have broken by now.


    "Phew."


    Urich narrowly avoided falling off the cliff. He awkwardly reached out his arms, climbing back up the rocky cliff. He started running along the edge of the cliff again.


    <em>Goddamn Sky Mountains.''</em>


    Though he had passed the roughest terrain with Regal''s expedition team, the rest of the way below was just as harsh.


    "Oo, ooooooo!"


    A low howl came from a distance. Urich pricked up his ears and looked back.


    "There he is. Were the ones I killed your mate or your kid?"


    Urichined to himself. He had grown tired of dried food and craved fresh meat. All he did was hunt for what he wanted, as always. He chased a herd of deer and shot one with his bow.


    Since he couldnt eat the whole deer by himself, he only cut off the fatty and tasty parts. While he was butchering the deer, a white deer was watching him.


    <em>''It was him.''</em>


    Urich watched the white deer easily leap up the rocky mountain. Its entire body was covered in clean white fur that seemed to glow from a distance. Its solid antlers were longer than any ordinary knife.


    <em>That thing is massive. Its bigger than a bear.''</em>


    Ordinary deer he could catch with his bare hands, but this one was extraordinary.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    The deer leaped, kicking arge tree with its front hooves. Its muscr front legs shattered the tree in a single punt. A human would certainly die from one kick.


    "Ooooo!"


    The white deer stared at Urich and kicked the broken tree with its hind legs.


    <em>Boom!</em>


    The log flew right toward Urich. Hey t on the ground to avoid it.


    "This is insane."


    <em>Creak!</em>


    Urich quickly pulled out his bow. He took a few shots at the deer, but power wasnt the white deers only strength.


    <em>''Arrows arent going to cut it.''</em>


    Urich clicked his tongue.


    This deer was bigger than an average bear. Even bear skin couldn''t be easily prated by arrows. The white deer''s skin was thicker than a bear''s, and its long white fur tangled the arrows before they could even reach the skin.


    <em>''This is the strongest beast I''ve ever encountered. Its stronger than any bear.''</em>


    The white deer was persistent. It chased Urich for half a day, even leaving its own territory as if he were its sworn enemy.


    This deer was different from any Urich knew. Deer were usually timid creatures. But this white deer he encountered now was a predator itself.


    <em>''Is this one of those monsters of the Sky Mountains...''</em>


    There were asional legends and stories about monstrous creatures in the Sky Mountains. Urich had mostly thought them to be exaggerations. Older warriors tended to embellish their exploits and hunts to impress the younger ones.


    "Humans are two-legged animals. We can''t move quicker than these four-legged ones."


    Urich shook his head, throwing down his load. He drew his sword and axe and faced the white deer squarely.


    <em>Schriiing!</em>


    The sound of metal echoed as the de of the axe and sword crossed. Urich steadied his breath, looking at the white deer.


    "Do you hate me?"


    Urich murmured. He wasnt expecting the deer to understand what he was saying.


    <em>''But I can see its emotions.''</em>


    Urich closed and then opened his eyes. The white deer had gotten closer. Itsrge eyes were not innocent by any means. They were the eyes of a warrior, not prey.


    <em>ng!</em>


    The deer''s antlers tangled with Urich''s sword. Urich tried to split the deer''s head with the axe in his other hand.


    <em>Whoosh!</em>


    The white deer violently twisted its head. The force of its neck alone flung Urich''s body out of striking range with ease.


    "You little shit."


    Urich eximed as he sprang to his feet.


    "Keeeee!"


    The white deer stretched its neck out long and roared.


    <em>''Tears?''</em>


    Urich noticed the deer''s eyes moistening. The white deer was indeed shedding tears. The roar was tinged not just with anger, but also with sorrow.


    "Are you crying?"


    Urich rummaged in his pocket. He took out the raw meat he had left over from earlier.


    <em>Chomp.</em>


    Urich slowly chewed the raw meat in front of the white deer. Fresh blood from the meat dripped down his mouth.


    "Mmmmm it tastes so good, very good."


    It was a clear provocation. The deer Urich had hunted must have been special to the white deer. Even animals unable to speak had emotions.


    "Oooooo."


    The white deer lowered its head in rage.


    "You''re clever. This is truly remarkable."


    Urich swallowed the raw meat. He took a stance, extending his sword forward.


    The white deer, blinded by rage, charged straight at him. It intended to push Urich over the cliff with its antlers and bulk.


    <em>''You''re smart enough to understand my provocation, but too immature to restrain yourself That''s why you lose.''</em>


    Urich leaped high in ce. He jumped over the charging white deer, spinning in mid-air. The de of his sword pierced the back of the deer''s neck as it dashed through.


    <em>''I got it.''</em>


    He felt the sensation in his fingertips. In that instant, Urich severed the deer''s neck with his sword de.


    "Phew."


    Urichnded and turned around. The white deer, who was darting toward the cliff, copsed. Ity there, panting, its eyes rolling to look at Urich.


    "You think Im cheap?"


    Urich approached the head of the white deer.


    "Forgive me, survival is inherently despicable."


    <em>Schluck!</em>


    Urich struck down with his sword,pletely severing the white deer''s head.


    "If I bring this back to the tribe, everyones going to freak out."


    Urich grabbed the deers head by the antlers and lifted it. It was as big as Urich''s torso. The tribe''s warriors would look at Urich with envy when they learned of such an impressive hunt.


    Urich was tired, but his steps were light. He could already see his homnd below.


    <em>''I''ve always missed it.''</em>


    He never forgot the scent of his homnd. Part of his heart was always here. Could anyone live away from their roots? That had to be the reason why Sven despised the Sun Warriors because they had abandoned their roots.


    * * *


    It wasmon for shamans to live outside of their viges. They pursued something spiritual and maintained a sense of mystery by keeping a distance from the tribe members. The shaman of the Stone Axe Tribe followed this tradition and lived alone in the forest.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    The wind blew. The door made out of wood swayed.


    The old shaman woke up from her nap. Still groggy, she lit her dried herbs, producing smoke. As soon as she inhaled the first mouthful of the smoke, her mind felt refreshed and clear.


    "Oooh."


    The shaman trembled her lips, closing her eyes. Her wrinkled face was dotted with liver spots.


    <em>Grrrrr.</em>


    She cast a stone divination to help her boredom. Well-shaped stones were thrown on the ground to glimpse the flow of the heavens.


    Suddenly, the door burst open. The wind blew in fiercely, scattering and flipping the thrown stones.


    "Eek!"


    The shaman hastily gathered the scattered stones.


    "Put it away, olddy."


    It was a familiar voice. The damp stench of a warrior filled the shaman''s house.


    "U rich."


    The shaman slowly lifted her eyes. She had heard the rumors. There were tales that Urich had been captured by the spirits of the mountains. The evil spirits that live in the mountains punished warriors who vited the taboos of the Sky Mountains. The warriors who had gone up to the midway point of the mountains with Urich had been punished.


    "So, the one who vited the taboo has returned. Are you an evil spirit? Or a person?"


    The shaman''s hands trembled. She couldn''t be sure of Urich''s identity. Shamans move between the spiritual and the material world. Sometimes, they couldn''t distinguish if someone was a worldly or spiritual being even after seeing them with their own eyes.


    "A person, obviously."


    Urich answered as he tapped the shaman''s wrinkled cheek and sat down in front of her.


    "What punishment did you receive for viting the taboo?"


    "Even if I tell you, you won''t believe it. What the world beyond the mountains is like... This is a gift."


    Urich took out a shiny pearl. The shaman''s eyes widened at the sight of the sea gem.


    "What trick is this, you scoundrel!"


    The shaman hit Urich''s head with her staff. Urich looked at her incredulously.


    "What the hell was that for?"


    "Such an ominous object! Oh, oh!"


    The shaman was startled by the pearl. It was an enchanting orb, but its beauty felt ominous. Shamans were beings who trusted their intuition and emotions over anything.


    "Well, then screw it."


    "You, once a warrior of light, have brought back a curse! To return unscathed after viting the taboo!"


    The shaman started an incantation around Urich, lighting incense. Urich yawned, watching her silly actions.


    "Do you think Ill be weed if I go to the vige now?" Urich casually asked.


    "Everyone thinks you''ve been taken by the evil spirits for viting the taboo! You''ll surely be driven away as soon as you step foot into the vige if you go now!"


    "But I have to go back to the tribe. Soon, the evil spirits that took me away wille crashing down on us."


    The shaman''s eyes reddened with veins.


    "You''ve brought disaster upon us, Urich!"


    The shaman pped Urich''s body with a dry twig.


    "Stop it, you old hag. I dont have time for this nonsense."


    Urich grabbed and snapped the shaman''s twig. The shaman fell on her bottom, staring at him.


    "I-I see an evil spirit behind you! Oh! Protectors of the mountains, please calm your anger!"


    Urich looked at the burning incense in the corner of the room. He had been feeling high from the smoke for a minute now.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Urich picked up the incense burner and chucked it outside.


    "Uuuuurich!"


    The shaman hurried outside to retrieve the incense burner.


    "Eh, at least I know you''re healthy. That''s good enough, you old hag!"


    Urichughed heartily. He walked toward the direction of his vige.


    "You could have been a great warrior, Urich! A warrior of light! A chief who would lead the tribe to prosperity! But you ruined everything! Cursed for viting the taboo! Disaster will follow you!"


    The shaman, holding the incense burner, shouted at Urich''s departing back. Urich did not turn back but simply waved his hand.

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135


    Vald, a warrior of the Rock Axe tribe, often had a recurring dream.


    <em>''I shouldn''t have left him behind and ran for my own life.''</em>


    Vald was part of the warriors who climbed the Sky Mountains with Urich. He had left Urich behind, and Urich had disappeared after fighting the evil spirits of the mountains alone.


    "Dammit!"


    Vald woke up from his sleep, shouting and sitting up abruptly. His face was drenched with sweat. Despite sweat pouring down, his muscr body was cold.


    Vald grabbed a leather water pouch hanging nearby. He drank the water in big gulps and wiped his mouth.


    <em>''I dreamt of that day again.''</em>


    Vald''s jawline was sharp. Three years ago, when he climbed the mountain with Urich, he still had traces of boyishness, but now he was a fully grown adult warrior.


    <em>''It still feels like an illusion.''</em>


    That day''s events were vivid yet unreal. As soon as they descended the mountain and arrived at the vige, he told the shamans and the elders about what happened.


    <em>''You vited the taboo and were attacked by the spirits guarding the mountains!''</em>


    That''s what the elders said. Vald shook his head.


    "That wasn''t an evil spirit or a ghost. It was a person just like us. Urich died saving us," Vald murmured to himself.


    <em>''Urich shouldn''t be treated as a criminal who vited the taboo. He was a brave warrior. He deserves praise.''</em>


    Urich had stood alone against the enemies to protect his brothers. His actions were an example for warriors.


    Because they had supposedly vited the taboo, the shamans didn''t mourn Urich''s death. Some even cursed that his soul wouldn''t find peace.


    <em>''And the son of the tribe leader we hated eventually became the chief.''</em>


    Vald chuckled to himself. He had secretly thought Urich would be the tribe leader. Who else but Urich could lead the Stone Axe tribe? There were many elders who valued a warrior''s spirit over the chief bloodline. If Urich hadn''t disappeared, many would have supported him as the next chief.


    <em>''Did we ruin everything ourselves, Urich?''</em>


    The recklessness and curiosity of youth were grave sins.


    The current tribe leader disliked Urich and his group, and Vald was still treated poorly. He didn''t tter the chief just to improve his status.


    <em>''Those who owed their lives to Urich eventually submitted to the chief. It''s inevitable. I dont me them for what they didthey had no choice. Im the one whos just too principled.''</em>


    Isted among the tribe warriors, no one joined Vald for his hunts. He hunted alone.


    "I can''t be losing sleep like this every day."


    Vald rolled up the leather covering the window. It was still night, with the moon hanging in the sky.


    <em>Crackle.</em>


    Vald added a piece of firewood to the dying fire. The mes revived, warming the room.


    <em>Schring.</em>


    Vald took out his spear. He greased it with a lump of fat. There might be a fight soon, given the recent tensions between tribes.


    <em>Ive been using this one for a long time.''</em>


    A tribal warrior cherishes their weapon. There were several reasons, but one was the difficulty of acquiring a new one.


    Iron was among the most valuable items in trade. Its supply directly enhanced a tribe''s warpower.


    "Like the Red Sand Tribe, it''d be great if we also had a lot of iron."


    The Red Sand Tribe was a tribe known for iron production. Thanks to their iron-richnd, many tribes lined up to trade their hides and meat for the iron of the Red Sand.


    Vald, after repairing his spear, prepared to hunt, carrying also a bow and arrows. Being disliked in the Stone Axe Tribe, no one was willing to share any of their food with him for free.


    "Hey, Vald. You''re up early."


    As morning dawned, some tribal members were already outside. Despite being ostracized, many greeted Vald. At the end of the day, they were still family living shoulder to shoulder and would unite against external threats.


    "Gotta catch something if I want to survive."


    Vald nodded in response.


    The Stone Axe Tribe was considered one of the stronger tribes nearby. The foothills of the Sky Mountains were resource-rich, drawing envy from neighboring tribes. Except for extreme droughts, water was abundant, and the forests at the mountain base offered plenty of wild animals, fruits, and roots even for children to gather.


    The Stone Axe tribe had about a thousand men, who were all warriors, which was a formidable numberpared to surrounding tribes.


    "Why dont you swing by Gizzles? If you show him the hide of that wolf you caughtst time, hell surely like it."


    Gizzle was the name of the current chief and was the man who once opposed Urich. Without an exceptional warrior like Urich, chiefship usually followed bloodlines. If there was ever a conflict regarding two candidates, it was decided by a duel, or peacefully by splitting into a separate n.


    "Nah, it wont look good if I crawl over to him now."


    Vald declined with a smile, citing pride rather than old grudges.


    <em>ng, ng!</em>


    The sound of the vige bell signaled a visitor, not an emergency.


    "What''s going on?"


    At the entrance to the vige, around a dozen warriors were already gathered. The man who was standing on the watchtower squinted to identify the approaching figure.


    Someonesing. Hes alone.


    "An exile?"


    Being exiled was one of the most feared punishments in the tribe. Once someone was marked as an exile by their own tribe, they were rejected by all other tribes as well as they believed there must have been a valid reason behind it.


    "If it''s an exile, just drive them away. Beating them is fine too."


    Vald joined others at the entrance and stared into the horizon. A lone man was walking through the ins toward the vige.


    Hes big, and so is his load. I hope hes an exile.


    Exiles were fair game for plundering, but foreign guests were to be treated well. It was customary to treat guests as best as they could, regardless of the rtionship between their tribes.


    "Hm?"


    The warriors looked at the outsider with a puzzled look. The approaching stranger stopped, still quite a distance away from the entrance, and spread his arms.


    "IIIIIm baaaaack!"


    The man shouted. His thunderous voice reached the vige even from afar.


    "Urich?"


    Vald was the first to recognize the voice and rushed forward, shoving those in front of him out of the way.


    <em>''It can''t be.''</em>


    He thought that Urich was surely dead. Certainly, after three years of no news.


    Tribal warriors were typically in light leather, and many were even shirtless.


    <em>''What is that? Is that an armor made of iron?''</em>


    Urichs attire was different from that of the usual tribal warriors. His chest was protected by a shiny steel armor, something that the tribe couldnt even dream of. Tribes never even considered using their scarce iron for armor.


    "Wow, Vald. Perfect timing for a wee."


    Urich greeted Vald nonchntly as if they''d only been apart for a few days.


    "Urich!"


    Vald ran to him with a yelp, embracing him with his two arms and bumping their shoulders together.


    "Goddammit! You''re alive, alive! My brother Urich was alive!"


    Vald cheered and waved to the tribespeople.


    "Urich? Is it really that Urich?"


    The warriors who were standing around the entrance questioned each other in disbelief.


    "Urich has returned."


    The elders and shamans said Urich had received the curse of the mountains, but the fact that he was a renowned warrior of the tribe was undebated. Urich''s return deeply moved the other warriors in many ways.


    "What the hell happened? Everyone thought you were dead, you bastard!"


    Vald grabbed Urich''s cheeks with both hands.


    "Why would I die? It''s a long story. Let''s go inside first. My whole body aches like it''s going to break."


    Exhaustion was evident on Urich''s face. Crossing the Sky Mountains was no ordinary feat, and his body felt like it was creaking at all joints.


    <em>''But I''ve bought a lot of time. Without Regal, they won''t be able toplete the pioneer road as easily.''</em>


    Urich had thrown Regal and the expedition members off the cliffs of the Sky Mountains. Without Regal''s extensive knowledge of exploration, it would be difficult to quicklyplete the pioneer road Yailrud.


    <em>''I can already see the emperor raging.''</em>


    Urich smiled faintly as he entered the vige.


    "Urich, youre back!"


    "The blessing of the mountains must have been with him!"


    "Urich''s return is going to scare many."


    The warriors patted Urich''s shoulder. Whatever the situation was, they weed their brother''s return.


    "Where''s my tent?"


    Urich looked around the vige.


    "It was given to someone else a long time ago. Let''s go to mine for now."


    Vald patted Urich''s shoulder. The rest of the vigers who came out for the morning air widened their eyes at the sight of Urich.


    "U-Uuuuurich?"


    "It''s Urich!"


    Even before his disappearance, Urich was a highly anticipated warrior in the tribe. Few vigers didn''t know him.


    "What exactly happened?"


    Urich entered Vald''s tent.


    "Good, good. This is it. Get me a drink first."


    Urich felt the familiar warmth. He took off his leather garments, set down his heavy load, and sat leisurely in front of the firece.


    "Damn, you really make me curious. Bloody hell."


    Vald brought out some liquor. It was a fruit wine made from various crushed and fermented fruits.


    "Yuck, this is basically vinegar."


    Urich grimaced as he sipped the fruit wine from a buffalo horn cup.


    "Just drink it. You''ve be more sensitive over the past three years. Now tell me what happened. Everyone thought you were dead," Vald sat down and said.


    "I was taken by them. That''s how I crossed the mountains."


    "Beyond the mountains..."


    Vald said softly. His heart was pounding.


    "As you know, the ones we ran into that day were humans. There were always people living beyond the mountains."


    Urich calmly recounted what had happened. He exined to Vald whaty beyond the mountains and the kind of people who lived there.


    <em>''Beyond the mountains is not a world of spirits.''</em>


    Vald felt an itch all over his body. He wanted to shout out loud.


    "They have much more advanced technology than us."


    Urich drew his imperial steel sword and passed it to Vald.


    <em>Schriiiing.</em>


    Even the sound of the sword was extraordinary. It was like a well-crafted piece of art. The mirror-like de gleamed in the light.


    Youre telling me this is iron? Theres no way. How does it shine like this?"


    "That''s a sword made with the most advanced technology from beyond the mountains. They have loads of weapons that ours simply cannotpare to."


    Vald looked at the imperial steel sword as if he were enchanted by it. His touch was gentle as if he was handling a sacred object.


    <em>''A warrior can''t help but recognize the value of a weapon.''</em>


    Urich smiled contentedly.


    <em>''I want it.''</em>


    Vald felt the urge. Any warrior would naturally think that way in front of a good weapon.


    <em>Woosh!</em>


    Vald swung the sword lightly, satisfaction appearing on his face. Only the wealthy warriors in the tribe possessed swords, as it was difficult to make due to the high amount of iron required.


    "This is a really nice sword, Urich."


    Vald smacked his lips and handed the sword back to Urich. He believed every word Urich said. There was no reason for Urich to lie, and the immediate evidence was right in front of him.


    While Urich and Vald were catching up, other warriors approached the tent. Urich, sensing their presence, turned around.


    "Urich, the chief and the elders are waiting for you."


    Another warrior entered the tent and announced. Outside the tent, elite warriors wearing fancy feathered hats were waiting for Urich.


    "...I was waiting for that."


    Urich stood up and said.


    Vald looked at Urich with anxious eyes. The current chief, Gizzle, never liked Urich. Nothing had changed.

 Chapter 136

    <h4>Chapter 136</h4>


    Urich remembered Gizzle, the son of the tribe chief. He was now the leader of the Stone Axe Tribe.


    <i>''He was a warrior with decent skills.''</i>


    Gizzle stood out among his peers. As expected from the son of the chief, he was a warrior who grew up eating well and learningbat and hunting skills from great warriors.


    Urich''s very existence was Gizzle¡¯s misfortune. Gizzle was undoubtedly a remarkable warrior, but he was alwayspared to Urich, who just happened to be around his age. Whenever Gizzle achieved something, like a good hunt or a battle contribution, Urich surpassed him without even trying.


    The tribe chief''s tent was in the center of the vige. Tribe members flocked from all sides to see Urich¡¯s face.


    "Wow, that really is Urich, huh?"


    "Urich the cursed..., the man who defied the taboo..."


    People whispered. Urich just smiled at them.


    "Enter, Urich.¡±


    A warrior holding a spear said to Urich, parting the leather at the tent entrance. Urich bent his upper body to lower himself and entered.


    A few rays of light streamed in through the tent''s windows. In the center, a hearth burned.


    Urich turned his gaze. There sat the tribe chief Gizzle, with influential elders and shamans on either side.


    "You''ve returned, Urich," one of the elders, who was slightly stooped, said.


    "I''d love to wee you home, but try to understand the situation, Urich."


    Gizzle spoke as he remained seated. His eyes were darkened with the charcoal paint underneath them, giving a fearsome look. He was dressed in shiny, quality leather befitting a chief and was adorned with eagle feathers on his head and shoulders to make him look muchrger. It was a necessity for a tribe chief''s presence.


    <i>''Gizzle has changed a lot since thest time I saw him. He has the dignity of a chief now.''</i>


    Urich walked forward. He had no intention of disrespecting Gizzle. The Stone Axe Tribe was his beloved family, and its leader, regardless of who it may be, deserved his respect.


    "I''ve crossed the mountains and returned. I want to be Urich of the Stone Axe Tribe again," Urich stated inly.


    "Crossing the mountains, such sphemous talk!" one of the male shamans eximed, shaking his wolf skull staff. He wasn''t just a shaman awaiting death on the vige outskirts; he presided over important tribal ceremonies.


    "It¡¯s true that I went up the mountains. But I don''t think I climbed high enough to break any taboos. I just followed a bear up a bit. The mountains'' bears led us. Doesn¡¯t that mean we were guided by the mountains themselves?" Urich spoke calmly.


    "Nonsense! You defied the taboo and were captured by the evil spirits! You are out of your mind, cursed by evil spirits. Eaten by them!" The shaman retorted. The other elders nodded in agreement.


    "I went up the mountains. From the snowy peaks, I looked to both the east and west. I crossed the mountains, and it wasn''t a world of spirits! In fact, it was a world inhabited by people like us. I saw it with my own eyes. You can keep talking, but I''ve experienced beyond the mountains with my own two legs. If you doubt it, go see for yourself if I¡¯m really lying."


    Urich took out one of his loads and opened it to show the room.


    <i>Chrrrrr.</i>


    Gold coins, gems, and ornaments spilled out of his bag. The tribe had never seen such treasures. To their eyes, the fine craftsmanship of civilization seemed beyond human skill.


    "Oooh, oh!"


    Even the elders marveled at the sparkling treasures. It was a vast fortune.


    "Does this look like something given by evil spirits? They''d hardly gift such treasures to a cursed one. Beyond those mountains, things like these are everywhere. Even the average woman walking the streets wear nes like this," Urich said, lifting a sun ne.


    "Are you mocking us? ying with us? Urich!" The shaman was furious.


    Chief Gizzle, who had been sitting quietly, stirred.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    "Enough! This is not a ce for your argument!"


    Gizzle''s intervention made the priest nod in agreement. The young tribal chief seemed to have earned considerable trust since his appointment.


    "It is true that Urich has broken the taboo, chief," the priest dered, then fell silent. Gizzle, with eyes closed, rhythmically tapped the armrest of his chair.


    "Urich, you have tantly returned after you disregarded our traditions and taboos. If I were you, I wouldn''t have returned at all."


    Gizzle leaned his chin on his hand, pointing at Urich.


    "I came back because I wanted to protect our tribe. Invaders from beyond the mountains areing, and they are armed with shining swords and armor."


    "If such people exist, then they must be evil spirits you have attracted. Are you trying to make yourself the savior? No way that¡¯s going to happen. We have more pressing matters to attend to."


    Gizzle sneered, his gaze falling upon the treasures and swords Urich had brought.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s no doubt that Urich really saw something from beyond the mountains and brought them here. The question is... what could he possibly have seen?¡¯</i>


    Gizzle didn¡¯t believe Urich''s entire story. He pondered before continuing.


    "For now, you must reflect and be confined. You are still our brother, so we will not exile you."


    "Gizzle, the true enemy lies beyond the mountains. Think about it. You are a young and capable warrior, unlike these senile elders and deluded shamans who are stuck to their ways and always high on their herbs."


    Urich gestured toward the elders and shamans, who stood up in anger, hurling insults and curses at him. Urich nonchntly shrugged.


    "There is going to be a battle soon. If you prove that you are still our brother, I will reconsider your words."


    Gizzle dismissed the conversation with a wave of his hand, and Urich left the tent.


    Silence lingered in the tent after Urich''s departure.


    "Chief! We must banish Urich immediately! He will bring cmity! Did you not see the shining swords and treasures? They are harbingers of doom, signals from evil spirits!"


    The priest''s fervent im was supported by the shamans, who banged their staffs on the ground in agreement.


    "You are not the chief; I, the son of Stezo, Gizzle, am. Are you challenging my authority?"


    Gizzle retorted coolly. He had be a chief at a young age. He was sensitive to his authority and therefore did not tolerate any challenges to it.


    "No, chief," the priest conceded, stepping back.


    Gizzle scanned the elders and shamans.


    "The Blue Mist Tribe''s threat looms over us. They are right under our noses. We have more pressing issues than concerns about mountains or taboos."


    "Young chief, we have had frequent rains for a while now. It will keep us fed. It might not be unwise to ede to the Blue Mist Tribe''s tribute demands."


    One of the elders offered his advice. The tide was in favor of the Blue Mist Tribe who were about two tribes away from the Stone Axe Tribe. They were conquering their neighboring tribes at an rming rate and were demanding tributes from them.


    "Nonsense! Paying tribute to them is absurd!" Gizzle vehemently opposed the idea. It was an uneptable result.


    "There are rumors of the Blue Mist Tribe finding iron-richnd. If true, they would be heavily armed."


    Iron was the most valuable resource in trade. Judging by the rate of the expansion of the Blue Mist Tribe, there was a good chance that the rumors were true.


    "Conceding without a fight is madness. Do you not trust me?" Gizzle challenged aggressively.


    "It''s not that, chief. Let''s conserve our warriors until we confirm the facts. Rushing into battle without proper evaluation would be unwise."


    Gizzle dismissed the conversation and stood up to show that he didn¡¯t care for their opinion.


    <i>¡®Old cowards.¡¯</i>


    Gizzle shooed away the elders and shamans as he clicked his tongue. The young chief Gizzle was being tested. The future of his tribe was up to his decision. Is he going to face the massive threat that is the Blue Mist Tribe, or is he going to y it safe and offer the tribute like they demanded?


    Despite knowing which choice was safer without being told by the elders, Gizzle yearned for glory and honor found in victory, not submission. He didn¡¯t want to be a cowardly chief who gave in to his enemy without a fight.


    <i>''And now this madman speaks of threats from beyond the mountains... I am going to lose my mind.''</i>


    Yet, Urich''s formidable presence and quality weapons reaffirmed his value as a warrior. In these times, such a warrior was indispensable. Otherwise, Gizzle would have already issued an exile order.


    * * *


    Urich stayed in Vald''s tent for a while. Despite being supposedly confined for a while, many warriors visited him regardless. Young warriors, unconcerned about curses or taboos, were curious about Urich''s im of crossing the mountains, especially since he brought back treasures and swords as proof. Many believed the story of his journey across the mountains.


    "Blue Mist?"


    Urich asked Vald about a name he had been hearing frequently.


    "Yes, that Blue Mist."


    "They''re just a tribe that fish around ake, right? They''re quite far from us, what do they have to do with us?"


    Urich recalled the Blue Mist Tribe''snd. It was a ce that was always foggy during the rainy season and abundant in water even in dry seasons.


    "It''s just a rumor, but apparently they¡¯ve found iron-bearingnd," Valdmented, sipping from his horn cup with a frown.


    <i>''Iron.''</i>


    Urich paused. Iron was a precious resource in the tribe; hence cksmiths were highly respected.


    <i>''If the Blue Mist Tribe has found iron, it makes sense they''d expand.''</i>


    Iron meant power.


    "So, they are demanding tribute?"


    "They''ve been subjugating nearby tribes one by one. It''s like they''re dering themselves the dominant power in the area."


    "Crazy bastards."


    Urich cursed. However, establishing a hierarchy among tribes wasmon. Tribes had fought each other for ages.


    "If the Blue Mist Tribe messes with us, we''ll have to fight back. Gizzle isn''t the type to pay tribute. It¡¯s just not in his nature."


    Vald said as he caressed his spear. He too was a warrior of the Stone Axe Tribe who was always prepared to offer his life for them.


    "Vald, I''ve heard you''ve been through a lot."


    Urich hadn''t been idle during his confinement. He went around town and gathered people who showed him favor, collecting information about events that happened during his three-year absence.


    "What hardship? I never liked Gizzle anyway. And you practically saved my life. Soon, those who clung to Gizzle will return to you too, so don¡¯t be too harsh on them."


    Vald chuckled.


    <i>''Our brother Urich has returned.''</i>


    Urich''s influence was remarkable. He quickly won over the tribe''s youth. His tale of crossing the mountains drew both disdain and admiration.


    "But Urich."


    Vald gazed through the tent p at the mountains.


    "Huh?"


    Vald looked up with uneasy eyes.


    "If beyond the mountains isn''t the resting ce of spirits, where do our ancestors'' spirits rest?"


    Urich smiled bitterly. He knew the question was going toe. But he was no shaman, nor was he a priest.


    "Well, I don''t know."


    Urich answered, waving his hand over the fire.


    "I trust you, Urich. But we need an answer. Where do our souls go? It''s not just me wondering."


    "I know., I know."


    Urich understood Vald''s feelings. The uncertainty and restlessness of lost souls. Yet, even Urich hadn''t found that answer yet.


    <i>''Where do we go after we die?''</i>

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137


    Urich stood in the vige square with several warriors. He drew his sword from his waist.


    "This is the imperial steel. Its strong and also highly flexible."


    He swung the imperial steel sword lightly, demonstrating its superior qualitypared to the tribe''s crude iron weapons.


    "Are there a lot of people with weapons like that beyond the mountains?"


    A young, curious warrior asked. He was a boy just beginning to grow a beard.


    "Not many have steel weapons. I got lucky with this one, too. But even their standard iron weapons are way better than ours. They even have enough iron to make armor. ''Knights,'' they call their skilled warriors, mostly wear iron armor."


    Urich spoke slowly, drawing an increasinglyrge audience. His words seemed factual, too detailed to be mere lies. Young warriors and impressionable children who werent stuck to their ways like the older adults primarily followed him.


    "Don''t listen to his nonsense! He''s deluded by evil spirits!" the shamans and elders passed by, dismissing Urich''s ims about thends beyond the mountains. Urichs discovery was simply uneptable to them.


    <em>If that''s true, where do the souls of our ancestors rest?</em>


    It was an unthinkable notion for them. They couldnt ept it. Urich''s statements meant that the world beyond the mountains also belonged to humans. It wasnt the most exciting news for the elders.


    "But where else could such weaponse from if not beyond the mountains?" the boy standing near Urich asked.


    "I-its a gift from evil spirits, no doubt! There must be a great price to pay!" an elder shouted, looking angrily at Urich.


    "If I could have a weapon like this, I''d dly sell my soul for it. Haha!" The boyughed, performing a front flip in the air. The westerners, though not as physically imposing as the northerners, were agile warriors with remarkable endurance and stamina thanks to roaming the ins and barrennds without any other means of transportation.


    "You are all mad! Urich has bewitched the young ones!" The elder stormed off, deeply unsettled. Urich''s ims about the mountains brought unease to the older people of the tribe. If Urichs ims were indeed true, where would their souls go after theyre dead? It was simply uneptable.


    "Urich, tell us about the women that smell like flowers!"


    The boys on the cusp of adolescence were deeply interested in Urich''s tales. Whether true or false, Urich''s stories of his adventure were captivating.


    "In thends beyond the mountains, just a few days'' journey, there''s a bustling vige with..."


    Urich began his tale, frequently ncing at the tribe members around him.


    ''Many keep their distance, wary of the elders and shamans, yet they''re curious. It wasnt just me intrigued by what was beyond the mountains. There''s a shared sense of wonder and question about it.''


    Urich felt pleased. His curiosity wasnt alone. Other tribe members also fantasized about crossing the mountains as he did, except they didnt have the courage to put it into action.


    <em>''The north couldn''t stop the empire, but it grew into a formidable presence.''</em>


    Urich knew the history. He learned why the empire seeded and the north failed.


    <em>''The north unified toote. They rallied only after the empire took over most of theirnds.''</em>


    He recalled the tale of Mijorn the Brave, the northern hero who nearly became a king but was in by the Sword Demon Ferzen. Mjorn''s unification effort almost engulfed the empire''s northern territories even though it was ratherte.


    Urich had witnessed the fallen north with his own eyes. Warriors lost their battlefields, and people were stripped of their traditions and culture.


    <em>''Do I want to be a king?''</em>


    He questioned himself, but his heart wasn''t stirred. All he wanted was to protect his kin, not see the west sumb like the north.


    "Urich! We heard you''ve returned!"


    Warriors who had been away hunting for days returned, many of whom had fought alongside Urich before.


    "It''s been a while, Numir."


    They greeted each other warmly, with hearty ps and robust embraces.


    "Urich the Cursed, how cool is that?"


    Some warriors, unfazed by the shaman''s warnings, joined Urich.


    "Here''s a gift. Give it to a woman you fancy."


    Urich tossed ornate trinkets to the warriors, aiming to win as many allies as possible. He had always been a good leader, but his experience as a mercenary leader also taught him how to handle rough men.


    "Incredible, who wouldve thought Id be receiving gifts from Urich?"


    The warriors marveled at the trinkets that they had never seen before. It was surely going to be appealing to women. They didnt care whether something was cursed as long as it was beautiful.


    "You guys probably don''t know because you were basically fetuses back then, but Urich is extraordinary. His feat of ying thirty men is still talked about."


    Numir yfully ruffled the hair of the young boys.


    "We know!"


    "What would you know, you little brats?"


    Urich''s legend was unparalleled in the tribe. Had he not disappeared, Gizzle would have struggled to be chief this easily.


    Urich quickly reintegrated into the tribe despite his three-year absence. But not everyone keeping an eye on him was friendly.


    "Chief Gizzle, we can''t let Urich do whatever he wants like this. No matter how much we need a great warrior..."


    A warrior advised Gizzle, who watched Urich from a distance. Urich''s influence had swiftly regained its former strength.


    "Why shouldn''t we leave him be?" Gizzle asked coldly, grinding his teeth.


    "Ill be honest as your friend, Gizzle. Urich is a man who is a threat to your position. Everyone knows Urich''s prowess, regardless of his curse. If he still has his old skills, he could easily be the war chief. Instead, not appointing him could cast doubt on your leadership."


    Threat to my position? The garbage thates out of your mouth


    Were not boys anymore, Gizzle. If it werent for your chief bloodline, you wouldnt even have been considered apetition to Urich. Thats the reality, Chief Gizzle. Im going to stand with you until the very end, but warriors tend to follow stronger warriors. Put your chief pride aside for a bit and keep an eye on Urich.


    Gizzle seized the warrior''s throat, his eyes icy with fury.


    "A-are you saying that Im inferior to Urich?"


    The warrior calmly swatted away Gizzle''s hand.


    "Dont act like you dont know it, Gizzle. We couldn''t never beat Urich''s gang as kids. But now, you''re the chief of the Stone Axe Tribe. You have a tribe and a position to protect. We only need one chief."


    "Dammit, Kirungka!"


    Gizzle called out his friend''s name. Kirungka had been with Gizzle for a long time. Men who hunt in groups often had allies they grew up with, and the bond between Gizzle and Kirungka was closer than blood. Calling them brothers was by no means an overstatement.


    Gizzle and Kirungka bumped their fists together. That evening, Gizzle summoned Urich and assigned him a task.


    * * *


    "It''s practically a temporary banishment."


    Urich walked toward a forest far away from the Stone Axe Tribe, where an old shaman lived.


    <em>''I didn''te back just to take care of an olddy''</em>


    Caring for the elderly shaman was the order from Chief Gizzle. Without a valid reason to decline the order, Urich gathered his belongings and headed to the forest.


    <em>''Still keeping me in check, I see. A wise choice for you, Gizzle.''</em>


    It was true that Urich had been encroaching on Gizzle''s influence. Young warriors were more drawn to Urich than Gizzle. Between a conservative, traditional chief and an adventurous, progressive wanderer, it was quite clear which side was making the hearts of the youth beat.


    "But now is not the time for us to fight each other."


    Despite several meetings, Urich and Gizzle never saw eye to eye.


    To Gizzle, the threat of the Blue Mist Tribe was more immediate and realistic than the unseen imperial army beyond the mountains. He regarded the army as a fabricated threat by Urich to usurp his position.


    <em>Squeak, squeak.</em>


    Urich spotted arge rat emerging from the bushes. He swiftly threw his axe from his waist, slicing the rat in two.


    Might as well make her some nice food."


    Urich quickly cleaned and skinned the rat on the spot, leaving only the edible meat hanging.


    "Hey, olddy."


    Urich entered the shaman''s tent.


    "Piss off, cursed one!"


    As soon as he entered the tent, the shaman threw a stone at him. Urich dodged the stone with a quick shake of his head.


    "The chief ordered me to take care of you, olddy. Feed you some meat as well."


    Urich casually unpacked his belongings inside the tent.


    "You will bring disaster upon us! Disaster!"


    The shaman trembled. She once praised Urich as a warrior of light.


    "Disaster wille when it''s time."


    Urich skewered the rat meat on a stick and ced it over the fire.


    <em>Sizzle.</em>


    The rat meat quickly cooked to a golden brown. Despite all the curses she threw at Urich, the shaman''s mouth watered at the sight of the meat. Living alone in the forest, she rarely had the chance to eat meat.


    "I''ll be staying here for a while."


    Urich sat in front of the fire after unpacking. He knew the shaman well. Despite her outward demeanor, she didn''t truly dislike him.


    <em>''She''s just a little upset.''</em>


    The shaman had known Urich since he was a child. It was unlikely she truly hated the warrior she once adored like he was her own grandson.


    "I knew that Gizzle would push you out."


    She spoke with her wrinkled face.


    "A chief''s order must be followed, even if I dont really like it."


    Urich, who rarely obeyed orders from others, made an exception for the Stone Axe Tribe. Though usually unresponsive to authority, he respected the chief of his own tribe. The chief was the head of the family that was his tribe.


    "If you hadn''t climbed the mountains that day, you would have be the chief. Women of the tribe would have vied for your seed and thrown themselves at you day and night, and neighboring tribes would have offered tributes out of fear. You lost all that by breaking the taboo!"


    The shaman spoke passionately, almost spitting blood, regretting the missed opportunities


    for Urich. To her, Urich was the warrior who could have led the Stone Axe Tribe to its golden age.


    "I gained much more instead."


    "Nonsense! All you gained is a curse!"


    "Granny, what I gained beyond the mountains is wisdom and knowledge. Treasures I would have never found here."


    Urich spoke as he flipped the cooking rat meat.


    " Was that worth sacrificing the tribe''s glory and the chief''s position?"


    The shaman sighed and brought out rock salt, seasoning the rat meat.


    "More than worth it! I''m not joking. Beyond the mountains, I saw people living. I saw them with my own eyes, and I have their blood on my own two hands. There were friends and foes, just like here. Not spirits or souls, just a world inhabited by people."


    Urich spoke with excitement, recalling his encounters beyond the mountains, including with sun god Lou and Ulgaro from the north.


    The shaman''s eyes trembled. She saw a childlike innocence in Urich. How could someone possibly be lying with a face like that?


    The shaman, with trembling fingers, spoke. Her lips turned blue. She took several deep breaths to calm herself.


    <em>Woosh, woosh.</em>


    Strange sounds whistled past her ears. Shadows in the tent seemed to move, red-eyed spirits lurking. Despite being near the fire, a chill ran down her spine. She closed her eyes and then opened them again.


    "Continue, Urich. Tell me about the gods and humans beyond the mountains."


    The shaman gathered her courage.

 Chapter 138

    <h4>Chapter 138</h4>


    The Blue Mist Tribe had subdued three of their neighboring tribes already. The subjugated tribes offered their children as ves and sent tributes. It was a formidable presence. The news quickly spread across the ins and wastnds, and the surrounding tribes were wary of the Blue Mist Tribe''s expansion.


    ¡°Woo-boo-boo-boo!¡±


    The warriors of the Blue Mist Tribe beat their mouths, making sounds, and some blew horns from behind. The sharp sound of the horn trumpets reached the entrance of the Stone Axe Tribe.


    ¡°It''s the Blue Mist!¡±


    The Stone Axe Tribe also rang their bells several times to alert their vige. The warriors armed themselves, and Chief Gizzle, wearing a lion-skin helmet, stepped forward.


    ¡°How many are they?¡±


    ¡°Seven, chief.¡±


    ¡°A delegation, then.¡±


    Gizzle frowned.


    The envoys of Blue Mist, despite being mere envoys, acted threateningly. They had blue war paint from their faces down to their upper bodies, made from dried reeds ground into powder and mixed with glue.


    ¡°We knew this wasing.¡±


    The Stone Axe Tribe had anticipated the Blue Mist Tribe''s contact. They had been preparing for war, stockpiling arrows and weapons.


    The envoys of Blue Mist walked menacingly into the vige, their steps exuding dominance.


    ¡°This is a fine vige, Chief Gizzle.¡±


    The envoy looked around the vige and said. Gizzle brought the envoys into his tent and offered them warmed goat''s milk.


    ¡°What brings the Blue Mist Tribe all the way here?¡±


    The key figures of the Stone Axe Tribe entered the tent: the priest, the chief, influential warriors, and elders. Everyone present was influential in the chief''s decisions.


    The envoy of Blue Mist shed his white eyes from his blue face, his yellow teeth fiercely bared.


    ¡°Chief Samikan of the Blue Mist Tribe wishes for peace with the Stone Axe Tribe.¡±


    The envoy bowed his head as he spoke.


    ¡°We also would like peace with you.¡±


    Gizzle''s expression remained stern. If what they wanted was truly just peace, there would be no need to send envoys in such a threatening manner.


    ¡°Chief Gizzle, the Stone Axe Tribe has always been renowned for its bravery. When warriors of the Stone Axe Tribe moved in groups, tribes of the wastnd trembled and hurriedly hid in their tents.¡±


    The envoy''s words were not an exaggeration. The Stone Axe Tribe was aggressive. During droughts, their warriors would raid neighboring tribes to prevent their own from starving and endure the dry season.


    ¡°... Our Chief Samikan is concerned about the aggressiveness of the Stone Axe Tribe.¡±


    The envoy looked at Gizzle, whose eyes narrowed.


    ¡°So your point is?¡±


    ¡°Send the boys who have yet to grow hair to the Blue Mist Tribe. Then there will be peace.¡±


    As soon as the envoy spoke, shouts and curses erupted from all around. The warriors seemed ready to kill the envoy on the spot.


    Gizzle calmed the warriors. He nodded after scanning the faces of his advisors.


    Sending the young boys of his tribe as hostages and ves to another tribe was akin to losing the future of their own tribe.


    ¡°Is that the proposal of Chief Samikan of Blue Mist?¡±


    ¡°It is the will of Blue Mist.¡±


    The envoy bowed his head, waiting for an answer.


    ¡°There is not a single speck of dirt or de of grass on thisnd that we will give to you.¡±


    Gizzle dered. The warriors who were waiting for this exact response stomped their feet and cheered, hurling jeers at the envoy.


    ¡°Very well, there will be war, then.¡±


    ¡°You better run fast, fish-eating warrior.¡±


    Gizzle warned, and the envoy bowed his head. They left the vige on foot. No oneid hands on the envoys.


    <i>Creaaak.</i>


    After distancing themselves from the Stone Axe vige, the envoy drew his bow. They shot arrows towards the entrance of the vige.


    <i>Thuck.</i>


    The arrownded near the vige entrance, adorned with a fishbone. It was a warning of death.


    "War!"


    The warriors shouted as they ran throughout the vige, their cries echoing in every direction.


    "Oooooooh!"


    The warriors halted their daily tasks and began to sharpen their weapons. At most, they had five nights before the start of the war.


    "Chief, I''ll gather all the warriors."


    The warrior chief spoke. He was about ten years older than Gizzle.


    "Leave out Urich. He''ll just talk about crossing the mountains again and lower our morale."


    Gizzle excluded Urich from the force. Although he was an excellent warrior, Gizzle didn''t want to give him a chance to earn glory.


    ''I was going to use him as a force... but his influence has grown too much.''


    Urich had blended into the tribe with much more ease than Gizzle expected, and that irked him. He would have left Urich alone if he had stayed quiet as if he was dead.


    The warrior chief gestured to the other warriors, who dispersed to gather those not in the vige. The Stone Axe Tribe was preparing to mobilize all its forces against the Blue Mist Tribe. In tribal wars, victory or defeat often hinged on a single battle. There was nowhere to hide now.


    * * *


    Urich lived in the forest with the old shaman. Time passed so quickly that it was hardly noticeable.


    "Look, olddy, I caught not one, but two rabbits today."


    Urich said, lifting the rabbits by their ears. It was a simple day-to-day life. The threat of the empire''s invasion or the Blue Mist Tribe seemed irrelevant. This peace, away from the secr world, was enough to ease even Urich''s anxiety.


    <i>¡®Maybe the empire won''t be able to cross the mountains.¡¯</i>


    He was having suchcent thoughts. Urich had killed Regal Arten in the Sky Mountains. He thought that could very well cause the empire to abandon its conquest.


    <i>¡®If the empire doesn''te, I''ll probably bebeled a liar. Well, that wouldn¡¯t be too bad, actually.¡¯</i>


    Urich had openly proimed the existence of enemies beyond the mountains, but even the tribal warriors who followed him were skeptical of that.


    <i>Chirp, chirp.</i>


    The sound of insects chirping filled the air. Urich was confident he could survive alone as long as he needed to.


    <i>¡®Am I nning to throw away everything and live in seclusion?¡¯</i>


    Urich chuckled as he skinned the rabbits he caught.


    "Put the meat in the pot there."


    The shaman poked her head out of the tent, instructing him.


    Urich ced the prepared meat into the pot. The shaman came out, unsteadily holding a basket of wild herbs.


    "Don''t put too much of that in, it makes the meat bitter."


    Urichmented, looking at the herbs.


    "What¡¯s bitter is good for your body."


    The shaman ignored Urich''sment and poured the entire basket into the pot. Urich frowned.


    "There goes the good meat, damn old hag."


    Urich watched the pot, emitting a strange aroma, with a serious expression.


    The shaman''s daily routine was simple. She wandered between the forest and the base of the Sky Mountains, gathering herbs. asionally, she would cast divinations using animal bones or read the sky''s patterns, as befits a shaman.


    "Urich, from what you tell me, Ulgaro is an ancestral god, and Lou is a spirit."


    The shaman stirred the pot with a wooden spoon. The stew bubbled vigorously.


    "The sun god is a spirit? Nah, that doesn¡¯t sound right."


    Urich waved his hand, dismissing the shaman. In the civilized world, the sun god''s prestige was immense. It was hard to believe he was just a spirit.


    "Every element in the world houses spirits, even this little pebble here. There''s no exception for the sun."


    The shaman lifted a small stone, exining.


    "Spirits..."


    "And our souls, after we die, head toward the mountains."


    The shaman raised her thin fingers, pointing toward the snow-capped peaks of the mountains.


    ¡°What happens next? Where do our souls go after crossing the mountains? Do we just wander as evil spirits or demons, as the people beyond the mountains say? Really?¡±


    ¡°Well, that, I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    The shaman answered, revealing her ck teeth. Urichughed emptily.


    ¡°...What are we supposed to do if even the shaman doesn¡¯t know where we¡¯re going to end up?¡±


    ¡°All we shamans can see is souls heading toward the mountains. Naturally, we assumed there would be a world for souls beyond them.¡±


    The shaman handed Urich a joint mixed with traditional medicine ording to ancient recipes. Thebination of herbs was the shaman''s most guarded secret, as the effects varied with the recipe.


    "Warriors don''t smoke that garbage."


    Urich declined the shaman''s herb. It was something smoked only when severely injured. Retired warriors often received it from the shaman when they had nothing to do.


    <i>I know exactly what happens when you get a taste for it.''</i>


    Lethargy and immersion in pleasure, with no ambition for anything.


    "Didn¡¯t you say you sometimes see evil spirits in the darkness?"


    "Sometimes."


    "If you smoke this, you''ll see them more clearly. It¡¯ll let you see things you can¡¯t usually see."


    Urich was momentarily tempted by the shaman¡¯s words. He took the herb and put it in his pocket.


    "I''ll smoke it when I''m hurt."


    Urich said, storing the herb away. The shaman shrugged and took out the rabbit meat from the pot.


    "Eat up, olddy."


    Urich tore off a rabbit leg and passed it to the shaman. She chewed the meat with the few teeth she had left,ughing.


    "The one good thing about youing back is that I eat meat more often. Keke."


    "Was there no one to bring you meat while I was gone?"


    "Everyone is concerned about their own hunger first."


    "That¡¯s true."


    Urich nodded, taking a big bite out of the rabbit''s body.


    Urich and the shaman ate the meat and drank the broth in silence. Urich gathered the leftover rabbit bones and threw them into the nearby forest.


    The shaman, high on the herb, mumbled to herself. Urich sat beside her, looking at the darkening sky.


    Urich, watching the shaman already lost in her own world, murmured,


    ¡°... there¡¯s nothing in this world that I fear, but if it¡¯s true that our souls have nowhere to go, I think that might actually scare me a little.¡±


    * * *


    Vald limped through the forest, using his spear as a crutch, struggling to move forward.


    "I have to let Urich know."


    Vald''s body was covered in cuts, and bloodstains still marred his clothes and skin.


    "Damn bastards."


    Curses slipped out as he exhaled deeply, his eyes furrowing in anger.


    The Stone Axe Tribe, known for its aggression and strength, had long instilled fear in neighboring tribes. Eventually, even their rival tribes sumbed to them.


    <i>¡®We really lost.¡¯</i>


    Vald couldn¡¯t believe it. Even after two days, the battle reyed vividly in his mind.


    "Cowards."


    The Stone Axe Tribe had been defeated by the Blue Mist Tribe. The vige was trampled by warriors with stark blue battle paint. Boys, with their hair not grown yet, were taken as ves, and women in their prime were taken as spoils.


    <i>¡®Our future has been stolen.¡¯</i>


    Young boys destined to be warriors, and women who would bear children were taken away. The Stone Axe Tribe would quickly decline without them. Even if they recovered, it would take decades.


    <i>¡®The neighboring tribes will line up to raid us now that they know we''ve been defeated.¡¯</i>


    Most of the Stone Axe warriors were wounded from the war. The weakened fighters couldn''t defend their tribe against external invasions. The Stone Axe Tribe was on the brink of aplete wipeout.


    <i>¡®Even in this situation, Gizzle tells us not to bring Urich! He''s blinded by power.¡¯</i>


    But the addition of just one warrior wasn¡¯t going to change the situation, anyway. At least, that¡¯s what everyone thought.


    <i>¡®But if that one warrior is Urich...¡¯</i>


    Vald went looking for Urich, holding onto a strange hope. Urich, a man who confidently seeded in doing things that others said were impossible.


    "Urichhh!!"


    Vald shouted in the forest, his voice carried away by the leaves and the wind.


    <i>Shhh.</i>


    There was no response. Vald walked on, blood seeping from his wounded leg.


    "Vald."


    Urich emerged from the forest, armed with a bow. Seeing Vald''s state, he understood everything without being told.


    "We''ve..."


    "I know. You lost the war against the Blue Mist."


    Urich helped Vald, already aware of the rumors about the Blue Mist''s impending attack.


    "Yes, we lost. The children and women were taken."


    Urich closed his eyes, grinding his teeth.


    "Did they have more men than us?"


    "About the same, maybe slightly more. But the difference in numbers wasn''t what was important."


    Vald said as he recalled the battle.


    <i>''The Stone Axe warriors defeated...''</i>


    Urich looked at the disheveled Vald, lost in thought.


    The Stone Axe Tribe had long been dominant. Even if the Blue Mist had discovered iron-richnd, as rumored, it was hard to imagine the Stone Axe losing so easily.


    "It was a new way of fighting, Urich," Vald muttered as if he was bewitched.


    "What was it?"


    "Some had long spears, othersrge shields. They moved as a group..."


    Urich stopped abruptly, turning his head sharply.


    "Tell me more. Don¡¯t leave anything out."


    Vald sat on a rock, drawing on the ground with a stick. He exined the Blue Mist Tribe''s battle tactics to Urich.


    <i>''The Hedgehog Formation.''</i>


    Urich was certain. The Blue Mist Tribe''s tactics were what he had seen in civilization.

 Chapter 139: Red Sand

    Chapter 139: Red Sand


    Urich left the old shaman with Vald and descended alone to the Stone Axe Tribe''s vige. The vige tents were scorched and broken, with women and children''s cries asionally heard across from the vige. On one side, defeated warriorsy groaning, while shamans busily tended to them. The tents were filled with the pungent scent of burning herbs.


    "Are you here to mock me, Urich?" Chief Gizzle said as he sat with liquor in his hand. He was also heavily wounded withcerations all over his arms and legs. His feathered helmet, which was the symbol of his authority, was tattered.


    "Why didn''t you call me?" Urich asked, standing before Gizzle.


    "Do you think your presence would have changed the oue? You''re too arrogant," Gizzle scoffed, then scowled from the pain.


    If you had me, we wouldnt have beenpletely destroyed like this, Urich said as he pointed at the ravaged vige.


    "Shut it, Urich. You broke the taboo and casually came back... I took care of this tribe in your absence. It was me, not you, who protected the Stone Axe Tribe! Stop boasting and get out of my face before I banish you," Gizzle threatened.


    "It''s true I abandoned my brothers and family. In fact, I did have the chance to return," Urich calmly replied to Gizzles angry words. He had chosen curiosity and exploration of the unknownnd over staying with his brothers.


    "Then respect my authority and follow me instead of lecturing me. You''re merely a warrior, Urich.


    Gizzle said, poking Urich''s chest with the blunt end of his spear. Urich stumbled, grabbing the spear.


    " A chief must be respected. But that doesnt mean that Im just going to stand here and watch our tribe fall. I''ll ignore your authority any day if it means saving our tribe."


    "Uuuurich!"


    Gizzle got up, grabbed Urich''s cor, and swung his fist at Urichs head with all the strength his wounded body could muster up.


    <em>Thump!</em>


    Urich red at Gizzle and lightly shook his head after the punch. He grasped Gizzles arm to subdue him. The chief, wounded, was no match for Urich.


    Urich pulled Gizzles arm behind his back and jumped on his back.


    "You should''ve called me before the battle. I heard what tactics the Blue Mists used. It was probably something youd never seen or heard of before, but I know their ways. It was the ways of beyond the mountains."


    "More lies about what''s beyond the mountains!" Gizzle yelled, still subdued. The warriors who were standing around slowly approached the two men.


    "Urich! Are you trying to get yourself banished? What are you thinking, attacking the chief!"


    The warriors pointed their spears at Urich''s back.


    "It was just self-defense. The chief lost his temper first."


    Urich said, raising his hands. After being released, Gizzle raised his fist for another punch but stopped.


    "We''ve already lost, Urich. Our children and women are gone. I''m a defeated chief, keke."


    Gizzle said as he stumbled backward and sat back down. The responsibility and pressure of being a chief were weighing down heavily on his chest and shoulders.


    A tribe thats been defeated inevitably had a difficult time rising again within the same generation. That was what it meant to be trampled. Stone Axe Tribe, now under the Blue Mist Tribe''s dominance, knew this well from their own history of subjugating others. They were going to be serving tributes to the Blue Mist for a long time.


    "Snap out of it. Its not over yet. We need an alliance, Gizzle."


    "An alliance? Who would ally with a falling tribe? Youre just spewing even more nonsense," Gizzle said, shoving Urich away with a tired look.


    "The Red Sand Tribe," Urich snarked, stepping back.


    "You''re the one who needs to snap out of it. The Red Sand Tribe gains nothing from allying with us. You think alliances are easy?" Gizzle said, tired of Urich''s talk and motioning to other warriors to dismiss Urich, considering banishment if he persisted.


    "Are you confident we can ally with the Red Sand Tribe, Urich?" Kirungka, who was listening in from behind, intervened as he put himself between Urich and Gizzle.


    Kirungka, this is not your ce to step in! Gizzle shouted, waving his arm.


    Gizzle, if Urich can really push for an alliance with the Red Sand Tribe, we must send him. Without this, our tribe has no future.


    Kirungka looked at Gizzle.


    <em>You were the one who said to keep Urich in check, Kirungka.</em>


    Gizzles icy eyes seemed to say that.


    <em>Im always on Gizzles side, but if the survival of the tribe is at stake, its a different story.</em>


    Kirungka, like most of the Stone Axe Tribe''s warriors, was a man who would do anything for his tribe. The continuity of the tribe was more important than his personal emotions.


    We need to give Urich a chance.


    If we can bring the children and women back


    One by one, the warriors gradually paid attention to Urich''s words.


    Chief Gizzle had already faced defeat once. The warriors showed interest in Urich, who was showing them a different possibility.


    An unspoken pressure weighed down the defeated chief''s chest and shoulders. If he were to reject Urich now, the warriors might turn their backs on Chief Gizzle too.


    <em>I was the one whos been protecting the Stone Axe Tribe all these years, me, not that Urich.</em>


    Those words almost escaped his lips. But the warriors'' choice was realistic and harsh. Their loyalty was to the tribe, not the chief. They were different from the knights of civilization who were loyal to their lord.


    <em>This is our warrior way.</em>


    Urich knew the nature of warriors well. They follow the strong and respect those who achieve great feats.


    The position of a chief is always precarious. If weak, one dies. The status of a defeated chief was even more unstable.


    ...How will you form an alliance with the Red Sand Tribe? We have nothing to offer.


    Gizzle spokeboriously.


    I have something. Shiny metal and information about the world beyond the mountains.


    Beyond the mountains...! Do you think that nonsense will convince the Red Sand Tribe? Gizzle expressed his anger.


    <em>Schring.</em>


    Urich drew his sword and plunged it into the ground. The warriors'' eyes widened.


    <em>I''ve heard rumors, but it really is an incredible sword.</em>


    The imperial steel sword had apletely different glow from the tribe''s usual weapons. It was not something that coulde from the tribe''s forge.


    The Red Sand Tribe has long handled iron. To my knowledge, no tribe is better at it than them. The Red Sand Tribe will recognize the value of the weapon I have. They will be curious about where this weapon came from.


    You think they''ll believe it came from beyond the mountains? A story not even your own tribe believes? Gizzle continued to speak negatively.


    I believe Urich''s words.


    Urich doesnt have the silver tongue to fabricate such clever lies.


    As Gizzle''s influence waned, some warriors started to support Urich.


    We''ve already lost our future. It''s over if we can''t regain it. Whether Urich fails or seeds in his mission, we have nothing more to lose.


    The reaction of the warriors was cold. None responded to the chief''s words.


    Kirungka, you go with Urich.


    Gizzle, lowering his head, spoke. Kirungka nodded and moved next to Gizzle.


    We must bring back the children and women. For that, an alliance is necessary. The only thing that matters now is that.


    Kirungka patted Gizzle''s shoulder.


    <em>Schring.</em>


    Urich pulled his sword out of the ground and sheathed it. He looked around; many warriors had already gathered.


    If the chief has given permission, there''s no need to hesitate. We leave now. I need ten guys in good shape toe with me.


    Urich dered. The surrounding warriors mored, eager to step forward.


    <em>Gizzle has failed, now it''s Urich''s turn.</em>


    Kirungka crossed his arms and watched Urich. Urich picked ten warriors. Despite having been away from the tribe for a long time, he still handled the tribal warriors well. His natural leadership quality was evident, seemingly more ustomed tomand than even Chief Gizzle.


    Urich revealed his hidden ws. He hadnt been spending his past three years in the civilized world doing nothing; he had lived as intensely as if three years were ten. He had returned as a far greater warrior.


    * * *


    Urich, Kirungka, and ten warriors left the vige. It would take them ten days to reach the Red Sand Tribe even if they were to avoid getting lost on the way.


    "The people beyond the mountains form a formation when they fight. They dont fight just however they want like we do. They maintain a certain distance and follow predetermined actions, moving like one body ording to the situation."


    Urich exined while walking. He had been putting effort into sharing the knowledge he learned from beyond the mountains with other warriors, knowing it would be necessary in the future.


    "The Blue Mist Tribe warriors probably paired up with one carrying a shield and a short weapon, and the other a long spear. It was probably a strange method for you. If one blocks with a shield, the other stabs from behind. Moreover, shield warriors move like a wall, shoulder to shoulder. Charging directly at such a wall would only mean getting impaled by the spears."


    Urich, who had led and experienced many battles in the civilized world, had as muchbat knowledge as any civilized knight.


    "How did the Blue Mist use such battle tactics?" Kirungka wondered the same question that most of the traveling warriors were thinking.


    The Blue Mist Tribe had employed revolutionary tactics, unheard of in the tribal world. They acted as soldiers in a unit rather than relying on the prowess of individual warriors.


    "Someone from their tribe must have had contact with the other side of the mountains like me, or they might have someone from beyond the mountains..."


    Urich''s eyes trembled slightly. He desperately wanted to contact the Blue Mist Tribe and verify his hunch, but he couldn''t just watch the fall of the Stone Axe Tribe.


    "Again with that beyond the mountains stuff, huh?" Kirungka mocked.


    "Kirungka, if youve decided to trust me, don''t doubt me. If you find it hard to believe I crossed the mountains, go back to Gizzle," Urich said coldly, his warning intense. Until now, he had tolerated being called a liar, but he wouldn''t tolerate it anymore.


    "Understood," Kirungka said, his lips twisting, sweat breaking out.


    <em>Youre showing your true colors, Urich.</em>


    Until now, Urich had been patiently listening to the mocking of the other warriors in the tribe. But before he left the tribe, Urich was the tribe''s top warrior and a killer. While his peers hunted beasts for theiring-of-age, Urich killed a warrior from another tribe and brought back his head.


    <em>''That''s who Urich is.''</em>


    The realization hit Kirungka hard. Urich was like a disaster to his enemies. He wouldn''t have wanted to face Urich if they were from different tribes.


    The journey to the Red Sand Tribe was tedious, passing through wastnds and ins multiple times.


    "Thisnd is still so damn big. If only we had horses," Urich muttered to himself.


    "Horses? To eat? They don''t even taste that good," another warrior responded to Urich''s mumble.


    "No, you can ride them."


    "Bullshit. How can you ride a horse?"


    "Hah, seriously. If you tame them... Kr, hahaha!"


    Urich stopped mid-sentence, bursting intoughter, pping his knee. The surrounding warriors looked at him as if he were crazy.


    <em>Dammit, Bachman! So this was how you felt the whole time!''</em>


    Urich suddenly remembered Bachman, who had exined the sea to him. Until Urich saw it himself, he never believed Bachmans words.


    The horses in the west were not like those in the civilized world. Western horses were stouter, wilder, and rougher. The only simrity between them was their general appearance. The western horses were impossible to domesticate.


    Urich was neither hurried nor impatient. It was natural that his tribal brothers didn''t understand the civilized world beyond the mountains.


    <em>''Just as I learned over three years, they can learn too.''</em>


    Urich trudged along, and the warriors followed without much talk. They were well-practiced in running and walking.


    Three more days passed, and Urich gazed at the gradually emerging red hills.


    The Red Sand Tribe, as their name suggested, settled onnd draped in red. They were a tribe thats been prosperous for years and they remained untouchable, even by the more aggressive tribes.


    <em>Iron maniptors.</em>


    The Red Sand Tribe was located on an iron-richnd. Many tribes had to trade their products in order to gain ess to iron. The Red Sand Tribe gradually built up their size and strength with clever usage of their advantage, and now, even the tribes that survived on raids could not dare to touch them.


    "Was the Red Sand chief named Takadu?" Urich wondered, recalling his faint memory.


    "Takadu died a year ago," Kirungka replied.


    "Oh yeah? Then who is it now?"


    "Belrua."


    "That sounds like a girl''s name."


    "Thats because it is."


    Kirungka said briefly, and Urich turned his head.


    Judging by your boring face, youre not joking, Kirungka. A woman chief not even a priestess but a chief


    The Red Sand Tribes always had strange customs.


    Right, the cksmith who makes the best weapon bes their chief. Im surprised a bunch of men let a woman be their chief.


    Urich thought Kirungka was pulling a joke at first. A woman bing chief of a tribe was unheard of in the wastnds and ins. They were certainly going to be overlooked by not only the men of their own tribe but the other tribes as well.


    "I met Belrua just once. I felt the same as you do right now until I met her. But after, I had to acknowledge her. Belrua is undoubtedly the chief of the Red Sand. Don''t think of her as just a woman."


    Urich was about to see exactly what Kirungka meant.

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140


    Urich''s group crossed the red hill and arrived at the vige of the Red Sand Tribe, where smoke billowed from the cksmith''s forge. At the entrance, they saw people from other tribes, likely there to trade for their iron.


    "We''re from the Stone Axe Tribe."


    Kirungka had visited the Red Sand Tribe several times for trade. It wasn''t just him; warriors from neighboring tribes usually had experience visiting the Red Sand Vige due to its iron production. Thanks to their specialty, the Red Sand vige had be the center of trade among tribes.


    "You seem lightly packed for traders," a warrior of the Red Sand at the gatemented.


    "We''re not here to trade. We represent the Stone Axe chief and have important matters to discuss with the chief of the Red Sand. It''s urgent."


    The Red Sand warriors murmured among themselves, then one went deeper into the vige.


    "Come in. We''ve kept our guests waiting."


    The Red Sand warrior gestured them in.


    As Urich and the Stone Axe warriors approached arge tent in the vige, a clear, sharp voice was picked up by Urichs ears.


    "Youre joking, right? The skinning is so poorly done it smells rotten. What am I supposed to do with this? I should just split your skull."


    A man holding furs was kicked out of the tent, grumbling as he passed Urich and his group.


    "Hah, what would a bitch know? How dare she criticize my leather?" The man mumbled to himself as he put the furs back in his load.


    <em>Crunch!</em>


    Suddenly, an axe flew out of the tent, lodging itself in the man''s back.


    "K-kugh!"


    He staggered, screaming.


    <em>Step, step.</em>


    From inside the tent, a figure emerged.


    "What did you just say? You bastard."


    The person who walked out of the tent was a woman. Urich immediately realized that that was Belrua of the Red Sand, and Kirungka''s warning to not see her as just a woman all made sense.


    "I-I''m from the Thunderbird Tribe..."


    The man with the axe in his back struggled to speak. Belrua swiftly pulled out the axe, spun it skillfully, and chopped off the man''s hand.


    "Kaaaaagh!"


    He screamed, clutching his severed hand. Belrua signaled her warriors.


    <em>Drag, drag.</em>


    The warriors dragged the wounded man away. This was the Thunderbird Tribes first time trading with the Red Sand after their new chief took over, and they had certainly learned a lesson not to underestimate the new female chief.


    "Now you see what I meant, right? Urich."


    Kirungka whispered to Urich.


    "Youre right."


    Urich nodded in agreement.


    Belrua of the Red Sand was as big as an average male tribe member. Her forearms were muscr enough to throw men around, and her entire body was so solidly packed with muscle that there were no visible feminine curves.


    <em>Burn scars, a sign of an excellent cksmith.''</em>


    Urich observed Belrua. Her arms and shoulders were scarred with burns, extending to her neck and cheek. Her hands were rough like a warrior and scarred with burns, and there wasnt a single fingernail that waspletely intact.


    <em>''She''s earned the respect of warriors in the wastnd. Obviously, she''s better than most male chiefs.''</em>


    Belrua brushed her hair and red at Urich. The warrior who guided Urich whispered to her.


    "Stone Axe? They have no dealings with us."


    Belrua murmured after hearing about the Stone Axe. The Stone Axe and Red Sand tribes had a detached rtionship, engaging in trade only when necessary.


    Kirungka stepped forward.


    "We are here as representatives of the Stone Axe chief."


    At the mention of ''representatives,'' Belrua''s expression soured.


    "Come on in."


    Belrua flicked her finger and entered the tent first.


    <em>''Stone Axe, theyre located not far from the mountains. Why are they here?''</em>


    Belrua thought as she slowly sat down.


    "Seen what happened earlier, right? I don''t have much patience. So, you''re the leader, right?"


    Belrua nced at Urich and Kirungka alternately and then pointed at Urich. She quickly discerned the leader of the group, befitting the chief of the Red Sand who has to deal with other tribes on a daily basis.


    "Urich of the Stone Axe Tribe," Urich responded briefly.


    "Urich?"


    Belrua repeated, ncing at the other warriors. Urich had crossed the mountains when he was just about to gain fame as a warrior. His name hadn''t reached the Red Sand Tribe.


    "No need for long talks. We want an alliance with the Red Sand Tribe."


    As the word ''alliance'' was mentioned, the warriors of the Red Sand stirred.


    "An alliance, I didnt see thating."


    Belrua leaned back, her chin propped on her hand. She raised her repeatedly broken and healed fingers. She twisted her lips and spoke.


    " The Blue Mist Tribe got you, didnt they?"


    Belrua hit the nail on the head. She had heard the rumors of the Blue Mist Tribes recent activity. On top of that, the Stone Axe Tribe, known for its pride and aggression, came to propose an alliance.


    <em>''Its obvious.''</em>


    Belruaughed. She had be the chief only two years ago, but despite her rather fresh experience and young age, she had the observance befitting a chief.


    "I got you there, keke."


    Belrua slightly bowed her head and shrugged.


    "Losers are of no interest to me. An alliance? Id have to think about it even if your tribe was in good condition. How about this, juste under us, and we''ll protect you. If you dont like that, you can leave."


    The warriors of Stone Axe, including Kirungka, trembled. Belrua''s words were harsh but true.


    <em>''We didn''te all this way to be humiliated, Urich.''</em>


    Kirungka looked at Urich. It was Urich who imed the possibility of forming an alliance that led them here.


    "This is our trade offer."


    Urich dropped the load he was carrying.


    <em>Clunk, nk.</em>


    Pieces of iron tumbled on the ground. It was Urich''s steel armor: helmet, breastte, gauntlets, and greaves.


    <em>Schring.</em>


    A crisp sound of a sword, one clean enough to enchant ones ears, echoed inside the tent, revealing the smooth de of an imperial steel sword.


    "Iron armor?"


    Even the Red Sand Tribe, skilled in ironwork, didn''t make iron armor. It was more beneficial to use the iron to forge as many weapons as possible, and even if they spent the effort and resources on making them, they werent very useful.


    "I swear on my life, even the Red Sand Tribe cannot produce finer weaponry than this. If I''m wrong, you can take my head right now."


    Ironworking was a matter of pride for the Red Sand Tribe. Their warriors frowned and red at Urich, surrounded by a fierce aura. Urich stood calmly amidst them.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Belrua stood up and took a step forward, inspecting Urich''s armor and sword. She lifted, touched, and tapped them.


    <em>Thin,pared to its hardness.''</em>


    Despite being thin, the armor was exceptionally strong, more likepressed iron tes than simple thin sheets. It showed uniform resilience and strength even when tapped.


    <em>''Our tribe''s technology and iron can''t produce des this sharp.''</em>


    The tribe''s iron weapons were typically thicker. An attempt to make something as thin as the imperial steel sword would result in a de too prone to bending in battle.


    <em>Gleam.''</em>


    Belrua was mesmerized by the imperial steel sword. The metal itself seemed to radiate light, smooth enough to reflect a face. The imperial steel was a technology far beyond the tribe''s metallurgy.


    "So, do you want to cut off my head?"


    Urich spoke, startling Belrua into yelling out.


    "Shut up and stay put for a second! Hey, call the cksmiths!"


    At Belruasmand, her warriors left the tent.


    <em>It worked.''</em>


    Kirungka clenched his fist. The chief of the Red Sand Tribe was showing interest in Urich''s armory.


    <em>This isnt just a warrior''s desire, but a cksmith''s curiosity.''</em>


    Where other tribes would have been satisfied with killing Urich and taking his weapons, the Red Sand Tribe, proficient in ironwork, sought the method of production over the final product.


    "It doesn''t bend even when force is applied. Yet, it''s so strong, an old cksmithmented while handling Urich''s breastte.


    "Watch."


    Urich took an axe and lightly struck the breastte.


    <em>ng!</em>


    The breastte had a slight slope, and the axe de slid right off it. It wasn''t just the quality of the metal, but also the design of the armor that was exceptional.


    "See? Even when struck like this, the de just slides right off."


    "Remarkable."


    The old cksmith''s eyes widened in amazement.


    As Belrua observed Urich''s gear, she slowly stood up.


    "Urich, did you say? Where did these weapons and armore from?"


    "That''s part of the alliance''s terms."


    Urich replied, causing Belrua to clench and unclench her fist.


    "Would it be okay if we inspect these until dusk? We''ll continue our conversation over dinner."


    Belrua spoke calmly. She and the tribe''s cksmiths needed time to examine Urich''s gear.


    "I''ll be waiting for a good response."


    "Thank you, Urich."


    Belrua summoned people to entertain Urich''s party. Thevish hospitality was evident. Urich was led to a fine tent, and fresh fruits were served.


    "We''ve caught their interest!"


    "The start is promising."


    The faces of the Stone Axe warriors brightened. Even they could see that the Red Sand Tribe was highly interested in Urich''s gear. There was ample room for negotiation.


    "But don''t let your guard down. They might attack us to steal the gear."


    Kirungka cautioned, raining on their parade. Though forming an alliance would be ideal, they had to consider the worst-case scenario.


    "Don''t worry, they won''t."


    Urich reassured them, lying back and munching on the fruits with their skin still on.


    "You seem very sure of yourself, Urich."


    "Didn''t you see the chief''s eyes? They were sparkling. Even a woman in love wouldn''t shine like that."


    The warriors chuckled.


    "Forming an alliance with just a sword and some armor..." Kirungka murmured bitterly.


    "It''s not just the sword and armor. It''s the technology behind it I''m offering. You might not understand, but the Red Sand Tribe felt it''s a technology far ahead of theirs."


    "Is that so?"


    Kirungka reluctantly nodded, feeling distant from Urich. Urich had returned after living apletely different life from the brothers of his tribe. His way of seeing things and level of thinking felt foreign.


    <em>''Urich, are you still one of our brothers?''</em>


    Contrary to Kirungka''s worries, Urich was joking andughing just fine with the other warriors.


    * * *


    Red Sand Tribe chief Belrua gathered the tribe''s finest cksmiths.


    "Be careful. It belongs to our guests."


    Belrua instructed the cksmiths. They were not to damage Urich''s gear, which had to be returned unblemished.


    "I will give it a swing."


    <em>Whoosh!</em>


    A young cksmith swung the imperial steel sword, his eyes widening in awe as he looked around the room. The sword vibrated with a metallic resonance even after the swing.


    "This is a fine sword. Where could he have gotten such a weapon?"


    "The Stone Axe Tribe used to buy our iron and weapons. They can''t be better than us at ironworking. If they could make weapons like this, they wouldn''t have been defeated by the Blue Mist Tribe."


    The Red Sand Tribe prided themselves on creating the finest iron weapons. Their craftsmanship was so revered that one couldn''t be a chief without excelling in ironworking no matter how excellent of a warrior they were.


    "If we could make iron and weapons like these... this isnt a matter of alliance anymore. We must learn this technology at any cost."


    The old cksmith was overwhelmed by the potential of this new discovery.


    Belrua, sitting in her ce, listened to the cksmiths'' discussions with intense focus.


    "...This is my destiny as the chief."


    She touched the de with her robust fingers. Like all cksmiths, she always sought better iron and weapons. Now, she faced a challenge that seemed insurmountable, feeling a bitter sense of inferiority but also an exhrating heartbeat.


    Belrua closed her eyes. Even in darkness, the brilliance of the imperial steel shimmered in her mind.


    "This is a secret worth dedicating my entire life to."


    She spoke, and the cksmiths nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    The evening feast was grand. The women of the Red Sand Tribe ughtered an entire goat, grilling every part of it. The women who brought the food filledrge bowls with warm liquor made of goat milk.


    <em>Things are going well.''</em>


    Urich and the warriors of the Stone Axe Tribe were put at ease by the warm reception.


    <em>''The Red Sand Tribe is being friendly.''</em>


    Urich drank the goat milk liquor, surveying his surroundings. Just as thest dish was served, Chief Belrua made her appearance.


    "I hope the meal is to your liking."


    Belrua modestly spoke. There was no doubt everyone enjoyed the meal. Such a feast would be considered a grand wee in any tribe.


    Brief greetings made their way around the room, and the cksmiths brought in Urich''s armor and weapons. Urich collected his gear and gazed at Belrua.


    "How exactly are things at the Stone Axe Tribe?"


    Belrua asked while holding her cup.


    "Not good. Our women and boys have been taken from us."


    Urich bluntly stated, observing Belrua''s reaction. She whispered something to her confidants.


    "So, your request for alliance basically means you want us to fight against the Blue Mist Tribe for you, right?"


    "We still have some warriors left in our tribe. With Red Sand just adding numbers, it will be enough."


    "And your trade conditions... I need to hear if they are worth the blood of our warriors."


    Belrua squinted her eyes.


    "I don''t know how to make this sword and armor. I am a warrior, not a cksmith."


    "But you know where these armaments are made."


    "Yes, and that''s what I offer in the trade. I am going to do my best to help the Red Sand Tribe acquire the technology you desire."


    Kirungka and the Stone Axe warriors watched Urich anxiously.


    "Who, or which tribe, handles such armaments?"


    Belruas patience was running out. If Urich beat around the bush any longer, she was certainly going to lose her temper.


    Urich raised his hand, pointing east while seated in the tent.


    "Beyond the mountains."


    Urich spoke briefly, causing a stir.


    "I would like to dismiss this as a joke for mere entertainment... but you don''t seem like a man who would joke around with his life and the fate of his tribe on the line. Are you being serious, Urich?"


    Belrua leaned forward, gripping her knee. She red at Urich fiercely.


    "You already know, don''t you? It''s impossible for another tribe to forge what the Red Sand cannot. That means there is only one answer: these are objects from a whole different world."


    Urich lifted his sword, its de glowing red in the firelight.


    "Are you saying there is another world beyond the mountains?"


    "I have crossed the mountains and seen it with my own eyes. There, people with more advanced technology live."


    "That can''t be..."


    "And soon, those people wille to conquer ournd. They will bring warriors d in armaments made with superior technology. We must put an end to all our tribal disputes before that. If we don''t unite, they are going to tear us apart and make us their ves."


    Not only the Red Sand Tribe but even Urich''s Stone Axepanions were taken aback.


    "U-Urich?"


    Kirungka stammered. Urich had never spoken of such things. Even if he had, he might have been expelled for spreading fear.


    "The Blue Mist Tribe already has contact with those beyond the mountains, and their tactics are from the world beyond. Otherwise, our tribe wouldn''t have fallen like this. Consider this a warning; if you don''t join us, the Red Sand Tribe will be next in line."


    Urich''s words wereden with new information. Those present in the room were overwhelmed with the shattering new information. When he finished, silence fell.


    " You are either a sick liar or a great adventurer, keke!"


    Belruaughed behind her cup, while her confidants faces stiffened. The words that wereing out of Urichs mouth were words that could turn the world upside down.


    "Crossing the mountains is taboo, especially for tribes close to them like you guys, is it not?"


    "Thats why Ive been ostracized within my tribe ever since I came back. Even the chieftain didn''t believe me."


    Urich shrugged, and Belrua thought deeply while sipping her drink.


    <em>''If what Urich says is true, then every single one of his words must be taken seriously. If enemies areing from beyond the mountains and the Blue Mist Tribe is already expanding its reach through their contact with someone from that world... The idea of humans living beyond the mountains is suspicious, but theres nothing else that can exin this superior metallurgy.''</em>


    The evidence backing Urich was right in front of their eyes. The Red Sand Tribe, ustomed to metalworking for generations, couldn''t just ignore it. They were cksmiths, absorbing the heat of the forge and hammering iron. Dismissing the imperial steel armament was akin to denying their identity.


    <em>That man, Urich, saw an entirely new world. Thats for sure.''</em>


    Belrua opened her eyes which were closed in thought. Urich was reflected in her brown eyes.


    "Call the shamans for a meeting. Urich, follow me."


    Her words were heavy. Acknowledging the world beyond the mountains was almost like breaking theirws. Until the shamans concluded, they couldn''t rashly ept the idea of another world.


    Belrua gestured for Urich to follow, and Urich left the tent with her for a private discussion.


    "The moon is beautiful tonight."


    Belrua muttered, sitting in front of the tribal fire where people from the Red Sand Tribe were already gathered. At her gesture, the tribe members dispersed from the fire without wasting a moment.


    Urich also sat down, facing Belrua alone.


    "You believe my words, don''t you?"


    Urich said with a slight smirk, constantly observing Belrua''s reactions. She was a young and curious chieftain. Her first and foremost priority was her desire for better metalworking.


    "Almost, for the most part," Belrua replied briefly.


    "The people beyond the mountains call themselves ''civilized.'' They have discovered us and are preparing to cross the mountains. They need to repair their equipment during the expedition, so their army includes cksmiths. By the way, I''m fluent in thenguage of the civilized. Even if you capture their cksmith without me, learning the technology will be difficult."


    "If these are lies you made up in your feeble attempt to save your tribe, you will pay the price, Urich," Belrua spoke sharply.


    "On my name and my tribe, I swear Im telling the truth."


    Urich''s voice was low and heavy. Belrua was a chief skilled in trade and she had the eyes for reading people. A poor liar would easily be exposed by her.


    <em>Brush.</em>


    Belrua took out something from her inner pocket. It was a well-forged dagger.


    "Take a look at this, Urich. This is my greatest creation. The weapon that made me a chieftain."


    Urich took the dagger. It was smooth, with a faint glow on its surface. The quality of its material matched that of imperial steelit might have even surpassed it.


    " If you have the technology to make something like this, why do you need an alliance?"


    Urich evaluated the dagger and quickly recognized its value. It was far superior to typical tribal weapons.


    "This is meteorite iron. Its iron from the heavens."


    Belrua spoke with a distant look. What had happened was a fateful event for her.


    One night, when Belrua was gazing at the stars, she discovered aet falling toward Earth. She ran for days to get her hands on theet. It was iron beautiful enough to blind ones eyes. Belrua spent countless hours smelting the meteorite iron without even noticing her hands being ruined and forged the alien iron into a single dagger.


    There was a reason why they all epted a female chief.


    Urich nodded after hearing Belruas story.


    Belrua was a chief who had gained the throne of her tribe fair and square. She was a cksmith who had forged a dagger out of iron that fell out of the heavensa woman who had both the hard work and luck to be chief. Even the conservative shamans epted the will of the heavens and made her chief.


    The dagger forged with meteorite iron doesnt rust, even without grease. Its strength is unparalleled. But to find out that there are people beyond the mountains who forge iron that isparable to one from the heavens


    Belruas eyes were overtaken with exhration, and Urich knew exactly what she was feeling. Adoration and inferiority were the two strongest feelings one felt when facing civilization for the very first time.


    If you save my tribe, I will treat the Red Sand as my brothers for the rest of my life, Urich said to Belrua as he returned her meteorite dagger.


    Belrua got up and put the dagger away. She tapped Urichs chest with her fist, which was unnaturally solid for a woman.


    "The day I saw the meteor fall, I knew my destiny. I saw the path I must take. Within my power, I will help you and your tribe. So do not betray me, Urich."


    Belrua spoke, then returned to the tent. The shamans of the Red Sand Tribe were already gathered.


    The shamans, already informed of the current situation, were in heated discussion. The existence of the world beyond the mountains was debated.


    <em>''Arguing whether something that already exists really exists or not, how ridiculous. But for them, it''s the most important and serious matter in this world.''</em>


    Urich watched the Red Sand shamans as he drank. They red at the man who broke the taboo.


    The Red Sand was a tribe where the chieftain held strong power. The tribe was rtively worldly due to frequent trade and preferred creating things themselves rather than asking the heavens or spirits. The shamans'' influence was weakerpared to other tribes.


    "I have decided. I won''t let our neighbor, the Stone Axe Tribe, fall like this. The constant expansion of the Blue Mist Tribe is a matter that bothers us too. Discussing the world beyond the mountains can wait until they have been taken care of."


    Belrua dered, interrupting the shamans'' discussion.


    "Chief!" A shaman shouted in protest.


    "I said I have already decided."


    Belrua growled lowly, her teeth clenched. The shaman frowned and nodded.


    * * *


    The Blue Mist Tribe was basking in their recent series of victories. Now, they were the most powerful among the tribes at the foothills of the Sky Mountains. The entire tribe was exhrated and was enjoying an unprecedented revival.


    Located by ake that didn''t dry out even in droughts, the Blue Mist Tribe was once peaceful, rarely resorting to plunder. However, with the aggressive warrior Samikan bing the chief, they began conquering neighboring tribes. The warriors, discovering the thrill of looting and conquest, became increasingly ferocious.


    "Samikan, I am always grateful to you."


    A slightly awkward ent was evident in the speech.


    "No, I should be the one thanking you, Arten."


    Samikan responded. There was clear warmth in the tone of his voice.


    Samikan was chatting amiably with a man. The man, who went by the name Arten, was missing one of his legs.


    "I will make you the king of the west."


    Arten boasted as he drank, getting used to the taste of the alcohol he initially disliked.


    "King, huh? That always sounds strange. Just call me a great chief."


    Samikan patted Arten''s shoulder.


    "Is the Red Sand Tribe next?"


    Arten pointed to a leather-made map, something that was never used by a tribe.


    "There are a few tribes we have to deal with first. The Red Sand Tribe won''t be easy."


    "They won''t stand a chance against you and my army."


    Arten smirked. He and Samikan had tasted victory multiple times.


    <em>''Meeting Arten was a stroke of luck in my life,''</em> Samikan thought, raising his ss. Its been two years since he and Arten first met each other.


    "Its only been two years, but it feels like decades. I found you at the foot of the mountains, nearly dead. I didn''t think you''d survive, but you did. It''s impressive, really. Cutting off your own leg to save yourself, what a tough guy you are."


    "That was my only option."


    Arten looked at his right leg which didnt extend past his knee. He had amputated it himself due to frostbite. It was a terrible ordeal, but he managed to survive.


    <em>''I can''t go home with this leg.''</em>


    Crossing the mountains wasn''t an ordinary task. Even those fully able-bodied and supported by the empire found it difficult. Noah Arten, having cut off his leg, knew he could never return to the civilized world.


    <em>''I have to bury my bones here, whether I like it or not.''</em>


    Arten grew to regard Samikan, who saved his life, as a brother.


    <em>''I, Noah Arten, am a knight. Serving my benefactor is also a knights duty.''</em>


    Noah Arten also once headed the Arten family''s expedition team. He didn''t cross the mountains by chance. He regrly exchanged information with his older brother, Fordgal Arten. After Fordgal''s contact ceased three years ago, Noah climbed the mountains along Fordgal''s route to find his body. Though he didn''t find the body, he seeded in crossing the mountains.


    <em>''But the sacrifice was too great.''</em>


    Every single one of his expedition team members had died along the way, and he himself had barely survived, saved by the barbarian Samikan.


    All that was left for Noah was to help Samikan, to whom he owed his life. He used all his knowledge to help Samikan be the chief and taught the barbarians the empire''s strategies and tactics, which was more than enough to help the Blue Mist Tribe overpower other tribes.


    "Bring more alcohol!"


    An exuberant Samikan shouted. A captive ve woman brought more alcohol and food into the tent.


    <em>Cling.</em>


    A ne around the woman''s neck jingled.


    "Oh? That is a pleasant sound."


    Samikan grabbed the woman''s wrist and shoved his hand down her shirt.


    <em>Click.</em>


    Samikan roughly snatched the ne off her neck. She whimpered briefly, touching her reddened neck.


    "Oh, this is beautiful."


    The craftsmanship of the ne was extraordinary. Suddenly, Noah grabbed the ne from Samikan.


    "...This is."


    Noah''s eyes widened. He shivered slightly.


    <em>''This is made by a civilized person. No barbarian could have made this!''</em>


    Noah looked at the woman.


    "You! Which tribe are you from?"


    "S-stone Axe..."


    The woman answered fearfully. The jewelry distributed by Urich asionally made their way around the Stone Axe Tribe.


    Samikan looked puzzled at Noah.


    "Noah, what''s the matter?"


    "Oh, no, it''s just that the craftsmanship is so beautiful like you pointed out."


    Noah answered as he returned the ne, trying to stay calm. The leg he had amputated two years ago was starting to tingle.


    <em>''There is another person who crossed the mountains.''</em>


    The sight of the ne sobered him up. He had resigned himself to dying among the barbarians, but now he saw a glimmer of hope.


    <em>''Is this your guidance, Lou?''</em>


    Noah silently called upon a name he hadn''t uttered in a long time.

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142


    After his drink with Samikan, Noah called the female ve from the Stone Axe Tribe for a private meeting.


    "Where did you get that ne earlier from?"


    The woman was initially hesitant, but she soon confessed under Noah''s insistence. Noah''s eyes widened upon hearing her. His amputated right leg began to throb.


    <em>''Urich of the Stone Axe Tribe! Hes the man who crossed the mountains!''</em>


    Noah held a high position in the Blue Mist Tribe. Despite being an outsider, he was respected for being a key figure in the tribe''s revival. He was the chief''s close friend and advisor to the Blue Mist Tribe.


    <em>''I might be able to go back.''</em>


    A glimmer of hope, a hope that he had once abandoned, hade back. Noah didn''t know how Urich managed to cross the mountains, but he knew that Urich must know a way.


    <em>''A path I can take even with my leg.''</em>


    The chances were slim, but Noah desperately longed to return home.


    <em>''But Samikan helped me. He was kind to a stranger from anothernd.''</em>


    Samikan understood the world beyond the mountains. He was Noah''s only sympathizer and friend in this new world.


    <em>''Would Samikan understand me if I say I want to return to my side of the mountains?''</em>


    Noah didn''t want to betray Samikan. He was a knight who had sworn righteousness to Lou and valued duty.


    <em>''The emperor desires to conquer the new world.''</em>


    Noah had a duty to report the discovery of the new world to the emperor. But he also had a duty to Samikan.


    <em>''What am I supposed to do?''</em>


    Noah closed and then opened his eyes. He made up his mind.


    "Samikan."


    Noah put on his prosthetic leg and walked toward Samikan''s tent. Passing warriors bowed their heads to him. Even those who initially scorned Noah hade to respect him.


    "Noah?"


    Samikan, who was in the middle of embracing a woman, looked at Noah who was entering his tent.


    "I have something to tell you."


    After noticing Noahs serious expression, Samikan pushed the woman out of the tent and closed the curtains.


    "I thought the drinking was over?"


    Samikan took a sip of water from his ss, waiting for Noah''s response.


    "Gather some warriors and go to the Stone Axe Tribe again."


    "The Stone Axe Tribe is already subjugated. Trampling them twice will only decrease the tributes."


    "Samikan, there''s a man in the Stone Axe Tribe who returned from crossing the mountains."


    Samikan''s eyes widened as he brushed back his hair.


    "Youre saying we have to capture him."


    "Once we do that, Im going to find out how he crossed the mountains."


    "...Noah Arten, are you leaving our tribe?"


    Noah twisted his lips, then extended his fist to Samikan.


    "It is not the time yet. I haven''t repaid my life''s debt to you, not until you are the king of the ins."


    Samikan nodded. He still needed Noahs hand. The conquest of the tribes had already begun, and he couldn''t let Noah go at such a crucial time.


    <em>''But I''m also curious about this man who crossed the mountains.''</em>


    Samikan issued a summons, and by the next morning, prepared warriors were gathered. The tribal warriors'' quick mobilization was their frightening strength. In the tribe, there was no distinction between warriors and other jobs. All adult males were warriors, ready at the chief''smand in very little time.


    "Hoouuuu! Samikaan!"


    The warriors chanted their respected chief''s name. Samikan was leading the Blue Mist Tribe''s golden age.


    <em>Thump! Thump!</em>


    The Blue Mist warriors stamped their shields on the ground. The warriors, equipped like an army of civilization, carried shields and spears of almost identical shapes and sizes, moving in coordinated groups. Noah, a knight from the civilized world, had turned warriors into soldiers.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    It was difficult for Noah to travel distances with his prosthetic leg. He watched the tribal warriors from a pnquin.


    <em>''Individually, theirbat skills are impable. Like knights born in a martial family, they grew up fighting and hunting from a young age.''</em>


    The barbarians, in terms ofbat, were no different from the knights of the civilized world. Knights from birth were trained inbat skills generationally. The same was true for the northern barbarians, where fathers gave their sons weapons and shields, raising them as warriors. Western barbarians also formed groups of simr ages andpeted with each other, growing through rivalry.


    <em>Barbarian warriors are naturally born to be warriors, just as a knight is naturally born to be a knight.''</em>


    Noah looked at the Sky Mountains.


    <em>''Even the empire is going to struggle to conquer thisnd. The Sky Mountains are treacherous, and the barbarians on this side are as fierce and untamed as those in the north.''</em>


    * * *


    The Stone Axe Tribe was bustling with reconstruction. Healthy warriors went hunting, while women repaired tents and prepared preserved food. There was no time to rest, as they had to keep up with the tribute demands.


    <em>''If we don''t deliver the tribute on time, we''ll just be plundered again.''</em>


    A gloom hung over the Stone Axe vige. Fortunately, the dry season hadn''t arrived yet, allowing some leeway in rebuilding.


    Chief Gizzle did his best in the reconstruction efforts. The elders, who didnt even join the fight, grumbled at the defeated chief, but the warriors who actually fought bore no grudge against him.


    <em>''It was a style ofbat we had never seen. Losing was inevitable, and no one is to me.''</em>


    Even the brave Stone Axe warriors helplessly sumbed. They fell to the ground, pierced by spears.


    "Back in our days, all tribes around here trembled before us, not to mention the Blue Mist Tribe. How pathetic."


    Elderly warriors and elders spat out as they looked at the state of the vige.


    "Shut it, will you? Just wait till the dry season, I''ll be the first to send you off to the afterlife."


    A young warrior snapped back at the elders'' remarks. During the dry season, when food was scarce, the elderly would starve themselves without being told to do so. That was the tribe''s way.


    "These young ones, nowadays"


    The elders shook their heads and moved on, knowing what fate awaited them once the dry season came. In times of tribute, feeding unproductive elders was difficult. Not only warriors die in defeat. The entire tribe suffers.


    "Urich wille back with an alliance," a warrior abruptly stated.


    "Urich? That braggart? Hah! Yeah right!" An elder scoffed in disbelief.


    "I, too, will cross the mountains someday with Urich. A new world awaits there."


    The younger, more adventurous warriors yearned for a new world. Curiosity and thirst for exploration werent only Urichs. Those dreaming of the world beyond the mountains were increasingly inspired by Urich''s tales. It knocked on their hearts.


    "Chief! The Blue Mist bastards are back!"


    Returning hunters shouted as they entered the vige. They had spotted the Blue Mist warriors approaching the vige coincidentally.


    Tension rose with the news of the Blue Mist''s approach.


    <em>''What do they want now when there''s nothing left to take from us?''</em>


    Chief Gizzle, anxious, donned his feathered headdress. Despite losing his status, he was never going to surrender his pride.


    He climbed the watchtower, frowning upon spotting the approaching blue wave. The Blue Mist warriors, painted in blue war paint, were approaching in a swarm, kicking up a dust storm.


    <em>Step, step.</em>


    The Blue Mist Chief Samikan led his warriors into the vige, surveying it with narrowed eyes.


    "How is the reconstruction going? Good?"


    Gizzle wanted to tear Samikan''s throat out right there, but killing him would mean the annihtion of the Stone Axe Tribe.


    "The tribute isnt ready yet."


    "We didn''te for the tribute, Chief Gizzle. Understand we didnt want to do this either."


    The defeated could not voice anyints. The ins and the wastnd follow thew of the strong. The actions of a powerful tribe are justice.


    "I dont think you brought all these warriors for just a stroll, did you?"


    Gizzle clenched his axe. In the worst case, Samikan might be nning to exterminate the Stone Axe Tribe.


    "Urich."


    Gizzle''s eyes widened at the name Samikan mentioned.


    <em>Urich? Why is his nameing out of Samikans mouth?''</em>


    Samikan smirked at Gizzle''s surprised expression.


    "Hand over Urich, the one who crossed the mountains. Then we''ll leave without a fuss."


    "Out of everyone, I didn''t expect Chief Samikan to believe such tall tales."


    Samikan twisted his lips.


    "That''s why you, the Stone Axe, lost to us. Stubbornness in not utilizing what should be, surrounded by old fools who resist progress. When I became chief, the first thing I did was send the elders who opposed me to the mountains with just bows and spears. Despite many resenting me, I eventually proved I was right with my results."


    Gizzle''s pupils quivered. Samikan suddenly seemedrger.


    "...Urich isn''t here."


    "Don''t even think of hiding him. The knowledge from beyond the mountains is a precious treasure."


    Gizzle had never thought of Urich''s knowledge as a treasure. Instead, he had merely dismissed it as lies and bravado Urich was using to drive him out of his throne.


    Samikan persistently inquired about Urich''s whereabouts. He knew the value of knowledge from beyond the mountains. Noah was a human from beyond, while Urich was a tribal member who had crossed the mountains and returned.


    <em>I need to know more about this Urich.''</em>


    Urich, the warrior who killed thirty warriors, was more important to Samikan for crossing the mountains than for his fighting prowess.


    <em>''We must hide our intent to ally with the Red Sand Tribe.''</em>


    Gizzle didn''t like Urich but did his best for the tribe. If the alliance with Red Sand materialized, they could turn the tables with a surprise attack.


    The Stone Axe Tribe''s warriors understood Gizzles intention. They kept silent about the alliance with Red Sand. Even the elders, who grumbled about Urichs actions, did the same.


    "Are you really not going to hand him over?"


    "I really don''t know where he went, Samikan. He left and returned to the tribe as he pleased. Would it even be surprising if he left again after seeing the tribe in ruins?


    "I find it hard to believe that. We''ll have to use force to get the answer we want."


    Samikan threatened. An attack now would truly be the end for Stone Axe.


    "Samikan, are you saying youre going to destroy Stone Axe over a fantasy about beyond the mountains!"


    Gizzle shouted desperately.


    "Beyond the mountains is not a fantasy, Chief Gizzle. My very own right-hand man is a man from the other side."


    Samikan''s eyes opened slightly. He raised his hand high. If that hand extended forward, the Blue Mist warriors would wipe out the Stone Axe Tribe once and for all.


    <em>Tap, tap.</em>


    One of the Blue Mist warriors ran up to Samikan, whispering something in his ear.


    "The Red Sand Chief Belrua has arrived," the warrior reported.


    Samikan turned around. Belrua, with dozens of Red Sand warriors, strode over to the Stone Axe vige. Red Sand was not a tribe to be underestimated. They had gained influence and wealth through iron trading for a long time and had the most warriors in the area. Only dozens had followed Belrua to the Stone Axe vige, but there were more than two thousand behind them.


    "Better lower that hand, Samikan of Blue Mist. Stone Axe is an ally of Red Sand," Belrua warned.


    Samikan finally realized and smiled faintly.


    "I had no idea, Chief Gizzle, you are quite the strategist."


    Gizzle was just as surprised.


    <em>That was much faster than I expected.''</em>


    Gizzle hadn''t expected the alliance to form so quickly. He looked at Urich, who stood next to Belrua.


    <em>He must have formed the alliance as soon as he arrived and came back with them right away Was your offer that appealing to the Red Sand Tribe?''</em>


    The faces of the Stone Axe warriors brightened. They wanted to cheer for Urich but restrained themselves.


    <em>''Urich did it.''</em>


    Stone Axe was not yet shattered.

 Chapter 143: Blue Mist

    Chapter 143: Blue Mist


    Samikan had gotten into an unexpected situation. The Stone Axe Tribe, thought to have been subdued, had allied with the Red Sand Tribe behind their back.


    <em>I didnt expect them to be capable of doing such a thing.</em>


    Tribes dont form alliances without benefits. The Red Sand Tribe had been particr with their specialty in iron trade to use it to maintain neutrality for a long time.


    <em>Why did Red Sand ally with Stone Axe?</em>


    There were three chiefs, and none tried to rush into battle. Instead, they put away their weapons and held a trteral meeting.


    It seems like theres someone here whos not a chief?


    Samikan sat in a chair inside the tent, noting the presence of Gizzle of Stone Axe, Belrua of Red Sand, and then Urich.


    Despite being surrounded by enemies, Samikan was unfazed. The chiefs were honorable warriors who wouldnt draw weapons at a negotiation table. Even if they were to be treacherous and gain immediate benefit, their warriors wouldnt follow such a cowardly chief.


    I heard you were looking for me, Samikan. I am Urich.


    Samikan narrowed his eyes at Urich.


    <em>Urich, he is younger than I expected.</em>


    Samikan was a warrior approaching his thirties who was at the peak of his skill and experience. Belrua was in her mid-twenties, while Gizzle and Urich were barely in their twenties.


    Yes, I see, so you are Urich. The one who crossed the mountains. A great feat, I must say. You have my respect.


    Samikan raised his ss. Urichs eyes widened.


    <em>Dammit.</em>


    Urich cursed internally at Samikans attitude.


    <em>Samikan is not an easy opponent.</em>


    Acknowledging the opponent was a privilege for those with leverage. Gizzle didnt have such a privilege, but Samikan did.


    You believe so easily that I crossed the mountains.


    Theres no reason not to believe. Its true that the world beyond the mountains exists. The shamans bber on about how its a taboo, and how its all made-up, but the evidence cant be ignored.


    Samikan differed from other tribesmen. He naturally epted the existence of the world beyond the mountains asmon sense. He was a progressive figure, and under his leadership, the Blue Mist Tribe was flourishing.


    Have you crossed the mountains too? Like me? Urich asked, and Samikanughed, shaking his head.


    Not quite. But I cant reveal my secret just yet.


    Samikan crossed his arms, looking at the other chiefs. Noah Arten was his trump card. Noah''s knowledge of the civilized world was a precious treasure.


    Step aside, Urich. Im the chief to negotiate here, Gizzle intervened after hearing the conversation between Urich and Samikan.


    Of course, Chief.


    Urich responded with a bow. The immediate crisis was averted. With the Red Sand Tribe backing them, the Blue Mist Tribe couldnt rashly attack Stone Axe. A sessful negotiation could even free the captured tribespeople.


    <em>This is getting interesting.</em>


    Belrua smiled faintly, observing the dynamics between Gizzle and Urich while calcting benefits for Red Sand. She had learned that the world beyond the mountains wasnt exclusive to Urich. Samikan was also a potential negotiating party.


    Chief Belrua, we''ve already subjugated the Stone Axe. What we do with them is our business.


    Samikan challenged Red Sands intervention.


    Its the same for us in choosing who we ally with, Samikan. The expansion of Blue Mist has been a concern in our tribe. A neighboring tribe growing toorge is never good news for us.


    We are a bit too far apart to call each other neighbors, dont you think?


    Maybe in the past, you mightve been right. But youve grown. Considering the breadth of your tribes influence, I think its fair to consider you our neighbor.


    Samikan frowned, racking his brain to try to read Belruas intentions.


    <em>Is the Red Sand doing all this just to keep an eye on us? If thats the only reason, then there are better tribes for an alliance.</em>


    The chiefs werent just warriors. Each chief in this meeting represented tribes that stood out in their respective region, and thousands of tribespeople depended on them.


    Questions flew back and forth, digging for more information. The three chiefs all came to the same realization.


    <em>Samikan is the most experienced chief here.</em>


    Gizzle wascking in many areas, and Belruas strategies and mind games were no match for Samikans.


    We simply have one condition, Chief Gizzle. Hand over Urich, and we will leave peacefully.


    Samikan pointed at Urich, having sensed the strained rtionship between Gizzle and Urich.


    <em>No good wille out of another tribe gaining ess to the knowledge of beyond the mountains.</em>


    For Samikan, Urich was a must-have. If not obtainable, it was better to eliminate him.


    Did you just tell me to hand over Urich?


    Gizzles lips twisted.


    Im very interested in the world beyond the mountains. It seems you, Chief Gizzle, arent. We would dly host Urich as a guest back in our Blue Mist Tribe.


    It was a mild offer. As Gizzle hesitated, Belrua interjected.


    No, Im afraid we cant do that. Urich promised a gift to our tribe. Until then, he needs to stay where I can see him.


    Belrua tapped her rugged forearm with her fingers, showing annoyance.


    <em>This bastard and that bitch... Urich, Urich, Urich!</em>


    Gizzles face reddened. In this meeting where three renowned chiefs had gathered, all were eyeing Urich.


    <em>Is Urich that important? The one who defied the taboo to leave us only to return at his will!</em>


    He wanted to blurt it out, but he was a chief, and he had to separate his emotions from actions.


    Belrua desired Urich even more. Given Samikan''s reaction, the world beyond the mountains was real, validating most of Urichs truth.


    <em>''The Red Sand Tribe will be the first to have the advanced metallurgy in our hands. It won''t be handed over to other tribes.''</em>


    Belrua thought only of her own tribe''s welfare. Even other wise and exceptional chiefs would have done the same. They were unaware of the colossal threat of the empire. Even Urich''s verbal warnings would not be tangible to them. Despite receiving Urich''s caution, Belrua naturally prioritized the immediate power struggle that was right in front of her eyes over unseen threats.


    Im curious about that gift Urich supposedly promised you, Belrua.


    Samikan prodded, but Belrua just grinned, showing her teeth. Samikan wasnt expecting an answer in the first ce.


    "Samikan! Urich is a member of the Stone Axe Tribe. We wont just hand him over!"


    Gizzle eximed. Although it was true that he disliked Urich, he acknowledged Urich''s importance in the current scenario. If Samikan coveted him, there must be a reason. Moreover, if Urich, who facilitated the alliance with Red Sand, left, the alliance would crumble.


    <em>''I wont let Urich go right now.''</em>


    With Gizzle''s decision, Samikan sighed deeply.


    "If ites down to using force..."


    Samikan was prepared for a sh. Though it meant facing Red Sand and Stone Axesbined force, he was confident. Blue Mist warriors were highly spirited, andbined with the warriors from subdued tribes, they wouldn''t be heavily outnumbered.


    "How dare you even think about going against the Red Sand! You fish-eaters!"


    Belrua also fiercelyughed, epting the challenge. As a chief, she was also the most formidable warrior in her tribe. Though each tribe had its own customs, non-warriors could never be a chief anywhere. Belrua, a cksmith and warrior, was no exception.


    The chiefs almost seemed ready to dere war.


    "Hold on, I just realized something. Why the hell should I let someone else decide whether I go or stay?" Urich interjected while observing.


    "Urich, this is a chiefs'' meeting!" Gizzle tried to cut him off.


    "Gizzle, I respect you as a chief... But I am a free man. Where I go or stay is my choice."


    Urich looked at each chief, making eye contact.


    <em>None of you know who the real enemy is yet.''</em>


    If they were to go to war here, the loss of warriors would be significant.


    <em>''They dont realize it yet, but we need to fight as one people.''</em>


    Urich bitterly smiled. Telling them to unite against an external threat would be a joke here.


    "I will go as a guest to the Blue Mist Tribe. Ill stay there for a while."


    At Urichs statement, Samikanughed heartily, pping his knee, while Belrua looked crushed.


    "Urich, keep your promise with us."


    "Of course, I''ll honor my promise with the Red Sand. I am not betraying you. Trust me. This is for all of us."


    "If you betray us, it wont just be you, but the weakened Stone Axe Tribe will be our enemy too. Remember that," Belrua coldly warned.


    Urich announced his departure. Gizzle''s pride was severely bruised. In front of other chiefs, he was practically stamped as an ipetent chief who was unable to control even one tribe warrior.


    <em>Did youe back just to humiliate me, Urich?</em>


    Gizzle''s fists trembled. He had to let Urich go.


    <em>Everything was fine before you came. We were doing so well.</em>


    Gizzle had been performing well as the chief of Stone Axe. Everything started to fall apart after Urich''s arrival. Urich brought a disaster, a cmitous change in the world.


    * * *


    Urich was heading to the Blue Mist Tribe, with the main concern being Belrua of the Red Sand. The Red Sand was not entirely satisfied with Urich''s decisions and could break the alliance they formed with the Stone Axe Tribe at any moment.


    <em>''But if the major tribes sh now, we won''t stand a chance when the imperial army arrives.''</em>


    Urich was looking at the bigger picture. He would be relieved if the empire failed in its venture to build Yailrud. If the empire copsed on its own, Urich wouldn''t mind being ridiculed as a liar for the rest of his life.


    Vald hurriedly gathered his belongings and followed Urich. He had heard that Urich was going to the Blue Mist Tribe, almost like a hostage.


    "I won''t let you go alone this time. I don''t want to regret it again."


    "Ah, you''re making me tear up, Vald."


    Urichughed and bumped shoulders with Vald. Vald regretted having left Urich alone and fled three years ago. He had no intention of repeating that regret.


    <em>''Whatever situation Urich faces, I''d rather die with him than run away again.''</em>


    Vald vividly remembered Urich risking himself for his brothers. Had Urich not returned, Vald would have lived with regret, always reminiscing about that moment.


    "Are you ready, Urich? Samikan is waiting."


    A Blue Mist warrior was waiting for Urich. Urich and Vald followed him out of the vige.


    "Urich, we even managed to form an alliance with the Red Sand. It was worth a fight. If you avoid fighting like this, you''ll be rumored as a coward."


    Vald whispered into Urich''s ear. Urich chose to avoid the fight.


    "What do you think of the Blue Mist Tribe, Vald?"


    "What''s there to think? They''re despicable. I dont think Id be satisfied even if we ripped them into shreds."


    "It''s natural to think that since they''ve taken our people as hostages. But... maybe... in the future, we might call each other brothers. In fact, we have to."


    Urich swallowed his anger and suppressed his hatred.


    "What the hell are you talking about? That doesn''t make any sense."


    "I know it doesn''t. But I have to make that nonsensical thing a reality."


    Urich was convinced after meeting the tribal chiefs. They hated each other and only united for mutual benefit. Following this path, they would end up just like the north and the south. Urich was the only man in the west who had the lessons of the past.


    <em>Squirm.</em>


    Urich clutched his chest, feeling a throbbing ache. A surge of heat welled up in his throat.


    <em>Unity.''</em>


    If he voiced this now, everyone wouldugh at him. But if he didn''t achieve it, the only thing left for the west was the conquest of the empire.

 Chapter 144

    <h4>Chapter 144</h4>


    Urich entered the camp of the Blue Mist Tribe. Samikan told Urich that there was someone he wanted to introduce him to and brought him to Noah Arten, who had been waiting in a tent.


    <i>¡®A barbarian crossing the mountains back and forth.¡¯</i>


    Noah observed Urich, who stood in front of him.


    "Wow, I didn¡¯t expect to see a civilized man here."


    Urich spoke fluently in Hamelian, the Imperialnguage. It was evident to anyone that he had spent a long time in the civilized world.


    "How did you cross the mountains?"


    Noah asked, but Urich simply smiled in return.


    "I see no reason to tell you, don¡¯t you think?"


    Urich sat in front of Noah with a wide grin on his face.


    <i>''Noah Arten, huh? I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d run into another Arten here.''</i>


    Urich was well aware of the Arten family. Fordgal Arten and Regal Arten were both explorers who sessfully crossed the mountains. The Arten family included many knights under the emperor''smand, and Noah Arten was one of them.


    <i>''The man who came here under the emperor¡¯smand is helping Samikan.''</i>


    Urich stared at Noah¡¯s leg. There was a wooden prosthetic leg where his actual leg should be.


    <i>''He must have decided he couldn''t return with that leg.''</i>


    The process Noah took to reach the position he was in was clear to Urich.


    "Impressive. You''re fluent in Hamelian."


    "I¡¯ve even met the emperor."


    "Haha, you shouldn¡¯t say that, even as a joke."


    Noah sensed Urich''s familiarity with the civilized world. He couldn''t be taken lightly. The barbarian sitting in front of him was a man knowledgeable about both worlds.


    <i>''How did this barbarian cross the mountains?''</i>


    Noah knew about the culture of westerners. Crossing the mountains was taboo, and theycked the technology to do it anyway.


    "You look like you¡¯re curious about how I crossed the mountains."


    Urich bared his teeth in a grin at Noah, who felt a chill because it resembled a ferocious predator.


    "...You didn¡¯t cross it on your own, did you?"


    "Well, I don¡¯t know. I''ve crossed the mountains twice," Urich vaguely responded.


    Samikan observed the conversation between Urich and Noah. Whatever their conversation entailed, It was clear that Urich had crossed the mountains.


    "Samikan, do you know what kind of man Noah Arten is?" Urich asked as he turned to Samikan.


    "He¡¯s a man from beyond the mountains."


    "Not just any man. He''s the vanguard sent by the ruler of the world beyond the mountains."


    Noah¡¯s eyes widened, and Samikan''s lips twitched.


    <i>¡®I guess he didn''t know.''</i>


    Urich continued.


    "Even as we speak, they are preparing to send an army over the mountains."


    Noah, visibly flustered, looked back and forth between Samikan and Urich.


    "Noah, is this true?"


    Samikan had intended to gain more knowledge by bringing Urich and Noah together and unexpectedly ended up with more than he had hoped for.


    "I... No, everything he just said is true, Samikan."


    Noah started to exin but then gave up. Noah was not a man adept at lying. A clumsy lie would be immediately noticed by Samikan.


    "I see..."


    Samikan''s expression was subtly bitter.


    <i>''How much does this barbarian know?''</i>


    Noah red at Urich, whose eyes shone yellow.


    "Noah would have led an army to invade ournds if both his legs were good, Samikan."


    Samikan nodded at Urich''s words.


    "I see your point. But it doesn''t matter now. Noah Arten is my advisor and friend. He¡¯s a foreigner but he is also like a brother. Why Noah crossed the mountains doesn''t matter. The fact that he is by my side is what¡¯s important."


    Samikan grasped Noah¡¯s shoulder. Noah, and even Urich, were taken aback.


    <i>''So that''s how it¡¯s going to be.''</i>


    Urich chuckled.


    "Well, with that leg, he wouldn''t be able to run away anyway."


    "Urich, I''d like to speak with Noah for a moment. Please let us be."


    Samikan sent Urich out.


    Once Urich left, Noah spoke first to Samikan.


    "I didn''t want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings, Samikan."


    "You haven¡¯t betrayed me yet. I won¡¯t question this matter. You promised to make me a king, and you¡¯ve kept your word so far. That''s what matters."


    Samikan wasn¡¯t afraid to ept people to his side, which is why he took in the foreigner Noah as his closest ally.


    Noah flinched, feeling Samikan''s intense trust.


    <i>¡®And to think I was torn between loyalty and friendship...''</i>


    Noah was a conscientious knight, and Samikan¡¯s trust felt like a bond he couldn¡¯t break out of.


    "What do you think about Urich?"


    Samikan looked towards the door. Noah, after finally regaining hisposure, shook his head.


    "He has extensive experience beyond the mountains and knows the goals of the expedition. He is no ordinary man."


    "Is it true that an army ising from beyond the mountains?"


    Samikan squinted his eyes. He couldn''t overlook such a statement. He had indirectly realized the power of the civilized world through Noah.


    "That I¡¯m not sure about either. The leader of the tribe I belonged to, my ¡®nation,¡¯ wanted to conquer the world beyond the mountains. But that was years ago. I don''t know the current situation over there either."


    "Urich is going to want to free his tribe again. We can¡¯t trust everything that he tells us. You have to try to catch his true intentions. "


    Samikan trusted Noah more than Urich. No matter how much he seemed to enjoy the fellow westerner, Urich was still a member of the Stone Axe Tribe and was certainly harboring anger toward the Blue Mist Tribe.


    Samikan, along with his warriors and Urich, returned to the vige of the Blue Mist Tribe.


    * * *


    As Samikan headed toward the Blue Mist Tribe, he passed through viges of tribes subjugated to them. Everywhere he went, tributes andvish hospitality were offered. The Blue Mist tribe, akin to conquerors, had numerous smaller tribes, from ones with dozens to hundreds of warriors, under their control.


    "The Stone Axe Tribe is a major tribeparable to us, but smaller tribes benefit from our protection. Some even willingly offer tributes for it," Samikan told Urich.


    "You''ve adapted Noah¡¯s tactics well," Urich said to Samikan.


    Warriors are free spirits. Commanding them to pick up their shields and standardized weapons wouldn''t have been easy.


    "There was resistance initially, but after our first easy victory, they followed mymands without much fuss. Results almost always silence opposing voices."


    Samikan smiled as he looked around at his warriors. He had his own army, revered and followed by the warriors. They were ready to leap into the fire pit on hismand.


    "We, the Blue Mist, never had ambitions. Ournd andke were enough to live on, so we felt no need for plunder or expansion given that we managed to protect the things we already had. But with Noah¡¯s help, I saw an opportunity to expand our territory and influence. It would be a failure of manhood to hesitate when such an opportunity arises!"


    Samikan looked westward, where endless ins and wastndsy. Beyond the Red Sand Tribe, numerous tribes that they had only heard of existed, even some speaking differentnguages further out.


    <i>¡®Our goals are different... but we both need unification to achieve our goals,¡¯</i>


    Urich thought as he looked at Samikan. He was a man with ambition.


    "No tribe has ever sessfully unified and sustained multiple tribes. They quickly fall apart. The Blue Mist won¡¯t be able to swallow the Stone Axe; it¡¯s too big to stomach."


    Urich said as he narrowed his eyes.


    "I can ept a one-time opposition, but a real rebellion means annihtion. If it can¡¯t be digested, we¡¯ll throw it back up and crush it. The Stone Axe will set this precedent."


    Urich felt like he had been hit on the back of his head. It was chilling.


    <i>''This bastard...''</i>


    It was Samikan¡¯s warning and n.


    <i>''He never intended to keep the Stone Axe under him. He just wants to set an example by brutally crushing a bigger tribe like ours. That way, other tribes wouldn¡¯t dare rebel out of fear. It was all a nned humiliation.''</i>


    The Stone Axe Tribe was attacked initially as a means of terror governance. The Stone Axe people were known for their belligerence and strength. Even if they were subjugated, they were more than likely to rebel.


    <i>''Destroying a predestined rebellion of Stone Axe would ensure other tribes wouldn¡¯t even dream of it.''</i>


    Urich realized Samikan''s intent.


    "If you attacked us with annihtion in their hearts from the start, other tribes would band together out of fear. But if you only subjugate initially and crush us brutally when we rebel... the other tribes will bow down for survival, and not dare rebel. The Blue Mist never nned to assimte our tribe."


    Urich said with a frown. Samikan had chosen fear as a means to control other tribes, making Stone Axe the sacrificialmb.


    "But bringing the Red Sand as an ally wasn¡¯t in my ns. I didn''t expect opposition so soon. Impressive, Urich. You''ve practically saved the Stone Axe."


    Samikan''s tone was sarcastic. He averted his gaze from Urich, looking down.


    <i>¡®He is wasted in the Stone Axe. If it wasn¡¯t for Gizzle, you¡¯d have been a more challenging chief. The timing was perfect. If we¡¯d struck a bitter, he would have eventually overthrown Gizzle and be chief. He¡¯s a clever one.''</i>


    The grass grew taller, signaling that they were approaching the Blue Mist vige. Located by ake, they had fertilends.


    <i>¡®Perhaps...¡¯</i>


    Urich crouched and touched the soil.


    <i>''The soil is rich.''</i>


    He sniffed it, smelling the moist earth.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s no civilizednd, but it¡¯s clearly better than other ins and wastnds.''</i>


    Western tribes didn¡¯t practice agriculture. They surely must have given it a go a long time ago, only to fail. The soil was rough, and the unpredictable dry and rainy seasons made it hard for crops to grow. During sudden dry spells, nts died, and prolonged dry periods even dried up forests.


    <i>''I heard the Blue Mist¡¯ske doesn¡¯t dry up even during droughts.''</i>


    Urich looked at the Blue Mist vige. The recent influx of the ve poption made it bigger than Stone Axe. ves from different tribes were walking around in shackles.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich clenched his teeth, seeing ves from his own tribe.


    "Urich, you¡¯ll be treated as a guest, as long as you act like one."


    Samikan said as he patted Urich¡¯s shoulder. Urich nodded.


    <i>''Gizzle, you call yourself our chief, but you couldn¡¯t protect your people.''</i>


    The harsh reality wasid out right in front of him. His calm ns flew out the window, reced by the urge to liberate his people immediately. His inner beast awakened, desiring to draw axes and swords to tear apart his enemies.


    <i>¡®Screw the imperial army...''</i>


    Urich twitched, but Vald, standing behind, grabbed his arm.


    "Urich, calm down."


    Urich turned sharply to Vald.


    "...I know. Acting rashly here would only lead to pointless death."


    Urich watched Samikan, hailed as a hero by the tribespeople. To them, Samikan was a great leader.


    <i>¡®I still need Samikan going forward.''</i>


    Urich pursed his lips. Samikan was a capable leader. He was experienced, bold, and adaptable. If not an enemy, Urich would have liked to acknowledge him as a brother.


    <i>''To ally with Samikan, we must clear the animosity between us. But he won¡¯t willingly free the Stone Axe.''</i>

 Chapter 145

    <h4>Chapter 145</h4>


    Urich once dreamed of a lush wheat field. The day he saw the endless waves of golden grain in the civilized world, Urich couldn''t contain his overwhelming emotions. The farmers of civilization didn''t shed blood but cultivated food with just a hoe, water, and sunlight.


    His tribe had a precarious settled life. The sky was capricious, and thend was barren. That was a big reason why they needed arge territory. When hunting game and forests were depleted, the tribe took their tents apart and relocated to a new home.


    The Blue Mist Tribe was an exception. They were a rare tribe that pursued a settled life. Resources around theke were abundant, supporting arge poption and fending off neighboring tribes.


    The wind swept through Urich''s hair, annoyingly tickling his neck. He casually cut his hair which had grown too long.


    <i>Ssh.</i>


    Urich stepped into theke, which was the pride of the Blue Mist Tribe. They revered theke, which was their symbol of sustenance


    <i>''Ake exists without being connected to any river. Fascinating.''</i>


    The tribe worshipped theke''s spirit. It was formed by underground water flow, enriching the soil around it with its nutrients.


    <i>''Maybe...''</i>


    Urich rummaged through his belongings, finding a handful of barley seeds.


    <i>''The merchant told me it grows well even in harshnd...''</i>


    Urich, just like any other westerner, was ignorant about farming. He had simply bought the seeds based on what the merchants told him.


    The seeds that Urich just nted were a robust variety called Southern Barley. It had a strong bitter taste but was resilient against drought thanks to its robustness.


    <i>''Only the sky and earth know if these seeds will grow well.''</i>


    Urich nted the barley in a small plot, looking up at the sky. His hands were covered in soil.


    In the west, the sky was an absolute entity. Tribes thrived or perished based on the rainy or dry seasons decided by the sky. Extended droughts stained the west with blood and ughter. Warriors spilled blood to plunder other tribes for their people''s survival.


    <i>''If you have even an ounce of pity for us... Why don¡¯t you give us just a tiny miracle?''</i>


    Urich softly murmured, gently covering the seeds. He nted various seeds he brought from the empire.


    <i>''We need food.''</i>


    It was natural for civilized people to disdain plundering as they could survive by just sweating for what they needed. But if a barbarian were to do the same, they would end up starving their family. They had to shed blood in order to feed their families.


    <i>''Here, we waste our lives hating and robbing our neighbors.''</i>


    Urich thought this was the warrior''s life. Killing and looting to feed the tribe. That was the duty of a warrior.


    Urich looked up and looked at the mountains, then the vige.


    <i>''I don''t know which way is the right way... But a world where we don''t have to shed blood seems more humane. Not everyone can be a warrior like me.''</i>


    There were various lives in the world. In civilization, most men were not warriors. They lived their diverse lives without fighting and eventually built a brilliant civilization.


    A ce where non-warrior lives could be respected. That was the civilized world Urich saw. Although Urich was a warrior himself, he respected those who weren¡¯t.


    "Dammit."


    Urich cursed, looking at the Sky Mountains. He was missing the world beyond the mountains. He longed for it even though it wasn¡¯t his home.


    "So you were the one making all that noise."


    Noah Arten noticed Urich and approached him. Many women of the Blue Mist were gathering water from thekeshore.


    "Arten."


    "Call me Noah. I can see us bing close."


    "You wouldn''t want to be close if you knew what I did."


    Urich twisted his lips. He was practically an enemy of the Arten family. Two explorers from their family died by his hand. Both were probably pioneers revered as heroes in the empire.


    "The past doesn''t matter. I''ve practically abandoned mine as well. I can''t return home with this leg."


    Urich nced at Noah''s leg, shaking off the dirt from his hands.


    "Can''t cross the mountains with that, that¡¯s for sure."


    "Anyway, what did you nt?"


    "Crops."


    "Ah, you even had something like that in mind when you decided to cross the mountains again?"


    Noah reevaluated Urich.


    <i>''He¡¯s not just a simple warrior.''</i>


    There was no agriculture in the west. At best, they nted seeds of the fruit they ate and even then, they abandoned it . Irregr rain and drought left no room for crops.


    <i>''But if there are crops that can adapt to the west...''</i>


    Noah looked down at Urich''s small garden.


    "You crossed the mountains again thinking of your people''s future."


    Noah was in awe. He admired Urich''s courage. Crossing the mountains meant risking one¡¯s life. If any of Urich''s nted crops thrive, it would be a significant change for the west.


    "And you, Noah Arten, probably crossed the mountains for wealth and glory, on the emperor''smand."


    "I was honestly scared when you said that in front of Samikan. I really thought I was done for."


    Noah sat on a log. His prosthetic leg made standing for a while difficult.


    "I was hoping Samikan would punish you, but he just let it go pretty easily."


    Urich chuckled. He thought he hade up with a decent n, but Samikan didn''t make the mistake of discarding an important asset.


    "Let me ask you one question. How did you cross the mountains, Urich?"


    Noah had been curious for a long time and even lost sleep over it. About five years ago, he formed his own expedition, taking the steps that his brothers and cousins took. Even with the imperial support, he had struggled to cross the mountains. It seemed impossible for an average barbarian to cross alone.


    "What will you give me in return? I''m not like Samikan. You have nothing to offer me."


    Urich spoke coldly. In a way, Noah was responsible for the plight of Urich''s tribe. Without him, the Blue Mist Tribe wouldn''t have expanded so rapidly.


    Urich plunged his imperial steel sword into the ground.


    "...You must have been a great warrior on the other side as well."


    Noah recognized the imperial steel sword. Not just any warrior could wield such a weapon. It was proof of a formidable fighter.


    "I warn you, Noah Arten. You will never live to cross the mountains again. Be loyal to Samikan. I won''t tolerate someone who knows our customs and traditions siding with the empire."


    Knowing the opponent was a powerful weapon. If Noah sided with the imperial army, he''d be a valuable strategist. Urich kept an eye on Noah, as Noah did on him.


    "The empire hasn''t given up on conquering the west."


    "No, they haven¡¯t."


    "And you came back to stop it."


    "Even if I have to sacrifice everything I have," Urich dered confidently.


    "Do you want to be a hero saving your people, Urich?"


    "No, I''m not interested in that."


    "But to save them, you''ll have to be a legendary hero. A hero whose name is immortalized."


    "Like the Sword Demon Ferzen?"


    The name that came out of Urich¡¯s mouth was an unexpected one, and it made Noah''s eyebrows twitch. The Sword Demon Ferzen. It was a name he hadn''t heard in a long time. An idolized knight for every knight, including Noah as a child.


    "Have you met him?"


    "Ferzen died in the Porcana civil war."


    Shocked, Noah stood up hastily and reached for his prosthetic, questioning Urich about the events.


    ¡°W-what happened?¡±


    Urich detailed the civil war''s circumstances¡ªhow it was for the throne of Porcana, the empire''s involvement, Ferzen''s disappearance¡ªall of the publicly known information.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s only natural to want to hear about his home.¡¯</i>


    Noah listened intently. Urich knew all the details of the civil war.


    "But how do you know so much?"


    "I saw it firsthand. I was a part of that civil war as a mercenary leader."


    The recent news of his home gripped Noah¡¯s heart. In reality, they had nothing to do with him personally, but it brought him more joy than anything else in the world.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Noah expressed his gratitude to Urich from the bottom of his heart. For the first time, Urich felt a sense of kinship with Noah.


    <i>¡®A man who was dropped into a strange world all by himself.¡¯</i>


    Urich was once in his position. He understood what Noah was going through.


    <i>''You might be right, Noah. Maybe we will grow closer.''</i>


    Urich patted the emotional Noah''s back.


    * * *


    The name of a tribe is deeply rooted in the nature of the tribe and thend it upies. The Blue Mist Tribe was named due to frequent mists from ake, while the Red Sand Tribe was named after iron-rich sand. Tribes like the Stone Axe, with weapons in their name, were aggressive with a strong warrior culture.


    The Wind de Tribe, true to their name, was a tribe of strong warriors. About three hundred Wind de warriors prepared for battle, including even the elderly.


    "Those Blue Mist fools are out of their minds. Why can¡¯t they just stick to catching fish?"


    The Wind de warriors cursed as they grabbed their weapons and walked toward the vige entrance. The Blue Mist Tribe was approaching from beyond the hill.


    The Blue Mist Tribe invaded the Wind de Tribe, which had refused to submit and opposed them.


    "We have a chance. Fight to the very end."


    The chief of the Wind de Tribe encouraged the warriors.


    <i>''The Blue Mist Tribe has many tribes to manage. They won¡¯t be able to deploy all their forces.''</i>


    The Blue Mist Tribe had grown significantly. They were only deploying the absolutely necessary number of warriors for battle in order to manage their new ves and rebellions.


    <i>''They are about five hundred.''</i>


    The Wind de chief squinted, estimating the enemy numbers from the hill. They were against an enemy roughly twice the size of their own.


    <i>''Spears and shields.''</i>


    The Blue Mist warriors carried simr weaponry, with shields and spears as their standard weapons. Unlike typical tribal shields made of wood and leather, the Blue Mist¡¯s shields were reinforced with iron edges, as suggested by Noah Arten.


    Their spears were longer than usual tribal ones, allowing for longer reach, and the warriors also carried close-range weapons that were tailored to their preferences.


    Urich stood among the Blue Mist warriors.


    <i>''It¡¯s obvious why my brothers didn¡¯t stand a chance against the Blue Mist.''</i>


    The Blue Mist warriors were like a formal army. In mass battles, unified actions were far more crucial than individual skills. Urich had seen the power of a unified army countless times.


    "Huff."


    Urich donned his helmet. It was a droplet-shaped one covering only his head, providing good visibility. He adjusted his helmet, fiddling with the nose guard.


    <i>Clunk, clunk.</i>


    Urich wore only a breastte, helmet, and gloves. The greaves were for cavalry, unnecessary for infantry. His steel armor, though not full-body, offered excellent protection. With it on, the enemy had far fewer ces to strike. It protected nearly all vital spots.


    "What on earth..."


    The Blue Mist warriors gaped at Urich, seeing such armor for the first time.


    <i>''For each enemy you kill, I will free a member of the Stone Axe Tribe.''</i>


    That was Samikan''s offer. Hundreds of Stone Axe tribespeople, mostly young boys and women, were taken hostage. Without them, the Stone Axe had no future.


    <i>''I¡¯ll send home at least some.''</i>


    Urich joined the battle without hesitation, even wearing the helmet he usually found ufortable.


    Urich solely stood out among the warriors. He was a starkly different presence.


    Samikan, watching Urich advance, spoke to Noah.


    "How skilled do you think Urich is? Noah."


    "Exceptional, I''d guess. That armor and weapon are top-grade even where Ie from. For a barbarian to acquire such gear, he must have achieved something remarkable."


    When Noah first saw Urich''s armor, he was left breathless.


    <i>''Imperial forge goods... How does this barbarian have them?''</i>


    Urich''s armor bore the imperial forge''s mark, and judging by Urich¡¯s unusual size, it was clearly custom-made for him. It meant the imperial forge made armor specifically for Urich.


    <i>''The steel armory is the empire''s top secret.''</i>


    As Noah pondered, Samikan raised his hand. The horn sounded, and the warriors advanced with shields.


    "Make way, make way. Urich ising through."


    Urich pushed through the lines to the very front. The shield-bearing warriors frowned.


    "Hey, follow the Blue Mist battle tactics. Don''t act independently."


    The warriors had easily won their victories with the same tactics so far. Fighting in formation rather than melee brought easier victories and fewer losses. It was a revolutionary approachpared to traditional tribal warfare.


    "You don¡¯t understand. I have to cut off as many of those heads as I can, so I¡¯ll be going now. Just follow me, you blue-faced bastards."


    Ignoring the warriors'' warnings, Urich took the lead, loosening up with light jumps on the spot.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Urich darted forward, kicking up dust behind his steps. He broke from formation and charged alone toward the Wind de warriors.


    "A steel armor?"


    The Wind de warriors tilted their heads, puzzled. A seemingly insane figure was charging at them, all alone.

 Chapter 146

    <h4>Chapter 146</h4>


    "He¡¯s insane. Running out there all by himself."


    The warriors of Blue Mist followed Urich, but they had no intention of matching his impulsive actions. They maintained their formation, advancing calmly step by step.


    <i>''Charging alone is practically a suicide. I know that.''</i>


    Urich halted about twenty steps from the Wind de warriors. They looked at him, puzzled.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Urich swiftly threw his axe in a lightning-like motion. A Wind de warrior hit by the surprise throw copsed, blood spurting from his head.


    "You son of a bitch!"


    Other Wind de warriors simultaneously rushed toward Urich, hurling their spears and axes at him.


    "Hmph."


    Urich extended his arm backward to grab his shield. He held it up as a fierce spear pierced it but couldn''t prate his steel breastte and gauntlets.


    <i>Whisk!</i>


    Urich caught a flying spear out of the air and hurled it back at his enemies.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    A warrior impaled by Urich''s spear copsed to the ground.


    <i>''That¡¯s two.''</i>


    Urich counted as he stepped back. The enraged Wind de warriors chased him with the sole intention of killing him.


    <i>''See, this is the problem. They fight without discipline, all emotionally.''</i>


    Closebat was the fighting style of tribal warriors. Bows were seen more as hunting tools, and warriors were scorned by their peers if they didn¡¯t bravely charge into battle. They fought purely on heightened emotions. Such tactics were not going to be enough against the imperial army.


    <i>''I need to fight smarter than the civilized people.''</i>


    Urich eyed an iing spear and purposely exposed his side to invite an attack. The warriors, unfamiliar with steel armor, were greatly shocked by Urich''s armor.


    <i>ng!</i>


    A sound came from Urich''s side as the spear''s de bounced off. It would have eviscerated his insides if it weren¡¯t for the armor.


    "Iron armor! Ahhhhh!"


    The Wind de warrior, after failing his thrust, threw away his spear and grabbed an axe, roaring as he aimed for Urich''s face.


    Urich clenched his fist and swung it powerfully. His fist, wrapped up to the forearm by the steel armor, was practically a hammer.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich''s punchnded right on the warrior¡¯s face, shattering his skull and squeezing his brain. Blood and brain matter seeped into the metal seams of his armor. Urich, feeling the warm brain under his grip, kicked the corpse away and drew his sword, ready for the next warrior.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let them surround me.''</i>


    Urich continued to y off the attacking Wind de warriors.


    No matter how strong the armor, Urich''s wasn''t in full te armor. Even full body armor had vulnerabilities when surrounded. Ultimately, human-made objects were bound to have weaknesses. Even knights in full te armor covered each other''s gaps and weaknesses by standing with their backs against each other.


    <i>''He''s humiliating them all by himself.''</i>


    The others watching Urich fight from a distance marveled at his prowess.


    Urich provoked and drew out enemies, killing them one by one while skillfully retreating to avoid encirclement. His fighting strategy was built upon his strength to take down an enemy with a single blow along with his unending stamina.


    "Bows! Bring the bows!"


    The warriors, frustrated, finally pulled out their bows. Warriors from the rear moved forward with bows.


    <i>''That is some extraordinary courage, Urich.''</i>


    Samikan smiled, watching Urich''s retreat.


    Even while fighting, Urich kept his ears open, continuously observing his surroundings. Seeing the bows, he raised his shield and backed away.


    "Show how many battlefields you''ve survived. Not just anyone can cross the mountains!"


    As Urich bought time, the Blue Mist warriors approached. They advanced in formation, shields up and spears thrust forward.


    <i>Buuuup!</i>


    The horn signaled a charge. The Blue Mist warriors, well-coordinated from numerous real-life battles, mercilessly pierced the heart of the Wind de tribe.


    "Oooohhhh! Samikaaaaan!"


    The warriors shouted their chief''s name. The Wind de warriors, disarrayed by Urich, were easily defeated by the charging Blue Mist formation.


    "Second row! Forward!"


    The second line of warriors reced the first, continuing the relentless assault. Their timed attacks were wless with no room to counter. The result was a fully one-sided exchange. Dozens of Wind de warriors fell to their deaths for only a few injuries among the Blue Mist warriors.


    "Urich! Are you going to keep doing your crazy stuff? You scared me, you bastard!"


    Vald came up to Urich, scolding but with a smile on his face.


    "I just wanted to set the right tone."


    Urich caught his breath inside the formation, looking back at Samikan, who was standing at the very back of the line.


    <i>''Samikan is different from ordinary chiefs.''</i>


    Chiefs gain warriors'' trust by fighting at the front. But Samikanmanded from the rear and still earned their respect and trust.


    <i>''He behaves like a noble or king from the civilized world.''</i>


    After catching his breath, Urich, with Vald, charged back into battle. He fought for his tribe.


    The Wind de tribe suffered a brutal defeat. The Wind de didn¡¯t have therge size of other dominant tribes, but they were a tribe known for their tenacity and strength over vastnds. They had more casualties than any other before they knelt in surrender. It was almost aplete annihtion.


    <i>''The Wind de tribe will fade away.''</i>


    There weren''t enough warriors left to sustain the tribe. They were going to be absorbed by the surrounding tribes or end up as wanderers of the ins and wastnds.


    ¡°Urich, I trust you... but the Blue Mist is strong.¡±


    Vald grinned bitterly as he wiped away the spots of blood all over his face and body. Even among the piles of bodies on the ground, only a few were warriors of Blue Mist.


    ¡°I know, but the imperial army is much stronger. This isn¡¯t going to be enough.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Vald looked at Urich with wide-open eyes. His question meant to ask Urich how he was going to regain the Stone Axe Tribe¡¯s freedom from the Blue Mist, but Urich responded with somethingpletely different.


    ¡°The Blue Mist has to grow much stronger than this.¡±


    Urich stared at the Wind de vige as he sheathed his sword. The Blue Mist warriors had started the plundering and raping, and shortly after, the vige was filled with the screams of the women.


    ¡°What do you mean the Blue Mist has to grow stronger? What is this nonsense, Urich? Have you actually lost your mind?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, we have to unite all the tribes around the foot of the Sky Mountains within a year. Samikan is the right person for that.¡±


    Vald¡¯s eyes showed his visible confusion. He couldn¡¯t see what Urich was seeing.


    <i>¡®What the hell are you looking at, Urich?¡¯</i>


    * * *


    "Irond Urich, your contribution was remarkable. Honestly, I was inspired," Samikan called Urich aside to talk. They shared a drink in the ruins of Wind de vige.


    The wails of weeping women asionally pierced the air. The Blue Mist warriors went from house to house, killing all the male children.


    "Kill all the boys. It will be troublesome if they seek revengeter."


    Samikan knew that the Wind de tribe was doomed. There was no reason to take hostages from a tribe that couldn''t even pay tribute.


    Sitting by the campfire, Urich salted and grilled dried deer meat. He took a sip of goat''s milk liquor.


    "Inspired? I''m ttered."


    Urich brushed his sweat-soaked hair back.


    "As promised, I will release thirty people."


    "That''s generous. I remember killing only about twenty."


    That number itself was impressive. Urich cleaned the blood off his sword with hot water. The clean de was then coated with animal grease to prevent rust.


    "I''m a generous man, Urich."


    Hearing this, Urich burst intoughter.


    "Yeah, very generous. Extremely so."


    Samikan coveted Urich''s armor but didn''t take it. No matter how good the armor, it was only meant for one person. Urich was a warrior of much greater value.


    Urich sheathed his sword after the brief maintenance.


    "The threat from beyond the mountains ising, Samikan."


    "So what? I asked Noah about it. I haven''t taken your warnings lightly. But Noah said it''s nearly impossible for an army to cross the mountains."


    "Noah is a man from beyond the mountains."


    "But now he is mine."


    "People don''t change at the core that easily. Noah longs for his homnd and will return as soon as he is given the chance to do so."


    Urich didn''t want to speak ill of Noah. He understood Noah''s heart better than anyone. But to Urich, Noah was atent threat.


    "Noah Arten will honor the friendship that we have. Sowing discord is not befitting of a warrior, Urich. You''ve even earned the nickname ''Irond Urich,'' don''t act so petty."


    Samikan reprimanded Urich. Urich tilted his head, chuckling.


    "I have friends beyond those mountains too. There is even a person who promised me wealth and fame. Samikan, no matter how grand you are on this side of the mountains, beyond it, on the other side, you''re just a rowdy bunch."


    "Now it feels like you''re just taking advantage of my generosity and kindness."


    Samikan frowned, and the surrounding warriors red at Urich.


    "...I left everything and crossed those mountains. Neither Gizzle nor you can understand the sacrifices I''ve made. But my soul was drawn here, to thisnd''s rough soil and its damn capricious skies."


    Samikan followed Urich''s gaze eastward.


    <i>''Urich is not a liar.''</i>


    The rugged and sincere words of Urich fully resonated with Samikan.


    <i>''Should I also be prepared?''</i>


    Samikan quietly turned his gaze back to the campfire.


    Gizzle was blinded by jealousy and overlooked Urich, which led to his defeat to Samikan. If Gizzle had sought advice and help from Urich, things might not have gone this way.


    <i>''Could Urich have truly crossed the mountains purely to protect his brothers?''</i>


    A surge of emotion welled up in Samikan''s chest. Noah had mentioned that Urich most likely held a significant position beyond the mountains. Urich''s and Noah''s words matched seamlessly.


    The Blue Mist warriors left the ruined Wind de vige after staying for a day. They returned with loot and female ves. The Blue Mist tribe had grown significantly, which made them reliant on plunder and tributes for sustenance.


    "Wind de tribe had plenty of pastures. Bring the livestock over before the dry season. We should let them get fat."


    Samikan immediately began issuing various orders upon returning to the vige.


    Urich went to meet the captives from the Stone Axe Tribe. They recognized him and widened their eyes. They were crammed into arge tent, dozens of them living cramped together. The boys toiled in the mines upon waking, and the young women were burdened with various chores.


    "Look, it''s Urich! It''s Urich!"


    The captives eximed upon seeing Urich. He smiled bitterly. The children were emaciated from the harshbor, barely kept alive with just enough food.


    "...Only thirty of you can go home. You have to decide who amongst yourselves."


    Urich exined the situation. The boys who had just started to grow some hair discussed among themselves.


    "Urich, we''ll send the women first. Come forward, pregnant ones first."


    The boys looked at each other and nodded. They decided to send back the pregnant and weakened women first.


    "Good, that''s how men should be."


    Urich patted a boy''s head and smiled.


    "Urich, can we ever go home?"


    The boy held back his own desire to return first. The Stone Axe was short on childbearing women. Despite their young age, the boys chose to send the women back first for the future of their tribe.


    "...Trust me."


    Urich pursed his lips. He had crossed the mountains to save his people and brothers, but that was a future yet toe. The suffering people right in front of his eyes were his family.


    <i>''Who the hell do I think I am saying I¡¯m going to save the people of this side if I can''t even save these guys...''</i>


    rity. He saw exactly what he needed to do.

 Chapter 147: Gizzle

    <h4>Chapter 147: Gizzle</h4>


    The Blue Mist Tribe continued its expansion. It was an expansion unprecedented in the history of the tribe.


    In tribal wars, even with repeated victories, casualties were bound to umte. A tribal warrior was not only a fighter but also a hunter and a member of the society. As casualties mount, the social foundation bes unstable. Unlike the civilized world where life andbat were separate things, the number of warriors was not just a measure ofbat strength but also the foundation of tribal society.


    The Blue Mist Tribe adopted tactics from the civilized world to minimize their war casualties. The battle formation was not only for victory in battle but also excellent for preserving their forces.


    Urich continued to participate in the wars of the Blue Mist Tribe. Samikan freed the hostages of the Stone Axe Tribe ording to Urich''s achievements.


    "Urich, this time it''s twenty."


    Samikanughed, satisfied with Urich''s aplishments.


    "Add ten more on top of that. Vald fought too."


    Urich argued, wiping off the blood off his face. Samikan raised his hand, granting his wish and freeing more Stone Axe tribespeople.


    <i>''I should stop sending Urich into battle now.''</i>


    The number of hostages Urich had freed so far was getting close to a hundred. It was a significant number. Freeing more would make it hard to control the Stone Axe Tribe.


    <i>''If only I could get Urich to serve under mymand.''</i>


    Samikan coveted Urich. Hisbat skills were outstanding, and his asional disys of sharp intellect were extraordinary. Having a subordinate like Urich would make expansion much easier. Entrusting an army to Urich could allow for expansion on two fronts.


    <i>''I don''t have anyone else under me to entrust withmand.''</i>


    Noah Arten was an outsider on top of missing a leg. The warriors wouldn''t listen to Noah''s orders.


    <i>''Soon, we''ll have to prepare for a sh with the Red Sand Tribe. Our territories are starting to ovep.''</i>


    Stone Axe and Red Sand were allies. For Samikan, they were a troublesome force. Although they were wounded, the Stone Axe was still a beast with fangs.


    <i>''It''s troublesome. I should havepletely dealt with Stone Axe first before striking Red Sand...''</i>


    Moreover, if Urich rejoins his tribe, gaining the upper hand with tactics from beyond the mountains bes blurred.


    <i>''Urich needs to stay under me. If that can¡¯t be, then he must be killed.''</i>


    Urich the Irond had earned the respect of the Blue Mist warriors. No warrior could resist admiring his bravery of always leading the line and crushing the enemies. The enemies trembled and retreated in fear of Urich''s might.


    <i>''Such a warrior is too good for Gizzle to waste. Gizzle couldn''t use such a warrior properly and lost to us.''</i>


    Samikan thought deeply. He wanted to leave the name Samikan in the ins and wastnds. As time passes, the body decays back to earth, and only the soul ascends to the heavenly mountains.


    <i>''Leaving my fame, my name immortalized is the only way to mark myself into the history of this era.''</i>


    Samikan didn''t want to fade away meaninglessly.


    * * *


    The reconstruction of the Stone Axe Tribe was somewhatplete. They had as many tents as the number of families in the tribe and enough food stored tost for a while. It was a relief that the dry season hadn''t yet arrived. Furthermore, the Red Sand Tribe, which Urich had brought into alliance, did not hold back in providing various forms of support.


    <i>''Red Sand Tribe is also wary of the expansion of Blue Mist. They''ve realized they need an ally like Stone Axe.''</i>


    Gizzle didn''t refuse Red Sand''s help. Swallowing his pride, he secured everything he could. As a result, they were able to stockpile as many weapons as they had lost to Blue Mist.


    <i>''We are sharpening our ws again, Samikan.''</i>


    Gizzle bore the humiliation, vowing revenge.


    "The women who were captured have returned!"


    An uproar ensued outside.


    "Listen up. These women were saved by Urich. It''s a debt paid in his blood."


    Vald, who brought the women, emphasized several times that it was Urich who had saved the woman of the Stone Axe.


    "Pass my gratitude to Urich, Vald. For saving my daughter."


    The warriors bowed their heads upon seeing their returned daughters and wives. The Stone Axe tribespeople looked favorably upon Urich. Anyone who spoke of Urich being cursed for breaking a taboo ended up being scolded.


    It was Urich who had secured the alliance with the Red Sand Tribe and returned the hostages. He was doing everything that a tribal chief should do.


    Gizzle stepped out of his tent. The tribespeople''s eyes turned to him.


    "Looks like Urich is well-received and trusted by Samikan. How is he enjoying the special treatment?"


    Vald red at Gizzle''s sarcasm.


    "At least he''s getting the respect he deserves for his abilities. Unlike when he was under a certain someone."


    "So, he''s wagging his tail under our greatest enemies. He must¡¯ve bowed down to the ground in front of Samikan after standing tall before me."


    "Watch what you say about Urich, Gizzle," Vald warned.


    "And you shouldn''t speak to me like that! I''m the chief, Vald!"


    "A defeated chief, that is."


    "Y-you..."


    Gizzle''s face turned red with anger. The tribespeople murmured, witnessing their chief being insulted by Vald, who was a mere warrior. In the past, Vald would have been punished for such disrespect.


    Kirungka stepped in between them. He patted Gizzle''s shoulder.


    "Gizzle, I need to talk to you. Give me a moment of your time."


    Kirungka intended to take Gizzle away before he caused any more trouble. Losing what little respect the tribe still had left for him would certainly be the end for him.


    "You better be gone back to Samikan and that great Urich by the time I¡¯m back, Vald!"


    Gizzle pointed at Vald and stormed into his tent. Vald shrugged and waved to the surrounding tribespeople.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    As soon as Gizzle entered his tent, he kicked the hearth. Ashes spilled onto the floor.


    "Dammit, that goddamn bastard insulted me."


    "Calm down, Gizzle."


    "Do I look like I can calm down to you? Until recently, that man was as good as dead, and now he''s jumping around as if he''s got the chance of a lifetime! Our tribe is in crisis, and Urich and Vald are celebrating like they''ve seized an opportunity! Those bastards!"


    "Urich freeing the women is something we should be grateful for. It has lifted the spirits of the warriors."


    Kirungka spoke the truth. He didn''t like Urich either, but it was a fact that Urich had contributed a lot to the tribe. Excluding Urich thus far had been a mistake on the part of Gizzle and Kirungka, and Kirungka acknowledged his error.


    "Even you''re provoking me now. If you like Urich so much, why don''t you go and stick with him?"


    "You know that I didn''t mean it that way. Snap out of it! Do you really want to be ousted as chief?"


    "Ousted? I''m the chief! Who would dare oust me?"


    "The warriors and shamans, probably. The chief is just a representative who''s been delegated authority by everyone. There''s been talk going around about Urich. What if he had been the chief... that''s what people are saying."


    Gizzle slumped into a chair. He covered his face, his shoulders shaking.


    ¡°Goddammit, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been protecting the Stone Axe Tribe until now. Not Urich, but my father and me. Now that he''s done a bit well, everyone''s turning their backs on me? How is that fair? A man who irresponsibly abandoned the tribe?"


    "What you¡¯re saying is all right. People have forgotten about all the hard work you¡¯ve done for them. But that''s the reality. The one doing what the tribe needs right now is Urich."


    Kirungka bitterly grinned. He had no intention of just saying what Gizzle wanted to hear. If Gizzle continued to act foolishly, he was sure to be ousted from his position as chief.


    <i>''You have to face and ovee the reality, Gizzle.''</i>


    Kirungka had seen firsthand that Urich was a remarkable warrior. He was gutsy and bold. On top of that, he was smart and capable. Urichcked nothing to be a chief.


    "You¡¯re right, Kirungka... If Vald is still outside, feed him well before sending him off. Vald has worked hard. He deserves to be treated well for his work."


    "We made a mistake, but it''s not over yet. You''re still the pir of the Stone Axe. You will rise magnificently again."


    With those words, Kirungka left the tent.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Gizzle was left alone in the tent.


    <i>''Urich.''</i>


    Gizzle, born the son of a chief, had been tormented by the existence of Urich his entire life. No matter how hard Gizzle tried, the monster named Urich achieved more by the very next morning. The adults around them called it apetition, but for Gizzle, it was overwhelming just to act simr to Urich.


    <i>''Why did youe back?''</i>


    Gizzle stumbled as he wrapped himself in a fur cloak. He grabbed his hunting gear and preserved food.


    "Kirungka, I''ll be away for a bit."


    Gizzle called Kirungka again to let him know of his departure, then left the vige. He walked through the ins and entered the forest.


    "Oh? If it isn¡¯t our chief! What brings you here?"


    The old woman was in the forest. She was the shaman of the Stone Axe Tribe.


    <i>''I didn''t really mean toe here... I just walked mindlessly and ended up at the shaman''s hut.''</i>


    Gizzle stared at the old woman. Holding a basket of herbs, she cackled with her ck teeth showing.


    <i>¡®This old hag is close to Urich.''</i>


    Gizzle disliked the old woman. He thought of her as a survivor who should have died long ago.


    <i>''She''s always praised Urich, calling him the warrior of light, or something.''</i>


    No one knew the old woman''s name. She was probably the eldest in the Stone Axe Tribe. Everyone just called her the old forest shaman.


    "I came to hunt."


    "All by yourself?"


    "That''s none of your business."


    As Gizzle spoke, the old woman chuckled mysteriously.


    "If you manage to catch a rabbit, I''ll cook a delicious soup for you. It''s been a long time since I''ve eaten meat after Urich just randomly took off."


    Gizzle scowled but obediently went hunting. He hadn''t gone far into the forest before he caught two rabbits. He was exceptional with the bow.


    <i>''Well, I did train every day not to lose to Urich.''</i>


    A huntingpetition with Urich was almost torture for Gizzle. Even if he seeded in hunting, the next day Urich would return with an even bigger game. Thanks to Urich, every day was misery for Gizzle.


    "Good, you''re back! Put the meat in the pot, chief!"


    The old woman excitedly said, happy to eat meat after a long time.


    "Hmm."


    Gizzle frowned at the color of the soup. It was swampy and emitted a subtle nt odor and stench.


    "What are you doing? Hurry up and put the meat in! It''s delicious. Urich loved my rabbit soup, too. He was crazy about it."


    Gizzle hesitated to put the meat in the pot after seeing and smelling it.


    <i>Tap!</i>


    The old woman pped Gizzle''s wrist with adle, and the meat fell into the pot.


    <i>''My precious meat...''</i>


    The old woman scooped the muddy soup into a wooden bowl and served it. Gizzle grimaced as he drank the broth.


    "Hehe, I told you it¡¯s delicious."


    The old woman gnawed on a rabbit drumstick with her dingy nails, which were tainted with grime underneath them.


    "I guess I did manage to torture Urich, in a way."


    Gizzle forced himself to finish the bowl, feeling nauseated. It was like eating vegetables mixed with mud. Even the savory taste of the meat was lost in the earthy and nty smell.


    "Urich, yes, Urich. The son of the ins..."


    The old woman mumbled, her eyes half-closed.


    <i>''Damn shaman.''</i>


    Gizzle finally recognized the smell in the soup. His vision blurred. The soup was undoubtedly filled with hallucinogens.


    "Yuck."


    Gizzle stuck his fingers in his mouth to vomit what he ate. He red at the old woman, annoyed. She was already in her own world, paying no attention to Gizzle.


    "Urich was never cursed. He was born from thend and returned after being blessed by the heavens."


    The old woman sorted the rabbit bones and cast them. Sheid the bones in a line on the ground.


    "He broke the taboo."


    "It doesn''t matter, Urich is a great warrior. Great warriors are not bound by taboos. Keke."


    Gizzle grabbed the old woman''s cor. She justughed, her breath reeking of the aged stench.


    "If Urich is a great warrior..., then what am I, the son of Stezo? Why did I be chief?"


    Gizzle''s eyes welled up. He released the old woman''s cor.


    "That you would have to ask the heavens, chief."


    The old woman pointed upward.

 Chapter 148

    <h4>Chapter 148</h4>


    Where did the child of the inse from?


    Urich was a child found and picked up by warriors returning from a hunt. It wasn''t amon urrence, but it wasn''t unheard of either. In the west, many wandered as families. If they couldn''t afford it, they sometimes abandoned their children.


    The abandoned Urich was a child so scrawny he was hardlyparable to his present self. His emaciated body was as thin as a twig. His long hair covered his face, and his lips were cracked like the arid wastnds of a drought.


    <i>''They named him Urich after a warrior who died the day before. Urich of the Stone Axe.''</i>


    Gizzle remembered the day Urich arrived. The details were murky like looking through cloudy water, but Urich''s appearance was still vivid in his memory. The scrawny little Urich.


    Urich grew up alongside other children of his age. The tribe had plenty of resources at the time, so even an orphan like Urich had enough food, and he grew quickly, no longer the skinny child he once was. The tribe practicedmunal child-rearing, and orphans weremon, so Urich easily blended in with his peers.


    <i>Whoosh.</i>


    The wind descending from the mountains hit Gizzle''s cheeks. He shivered and wrapped his fur cloak around himself.


    <i>''Urich quickly grew in stature and absorbed all thebat lessons like a sponge. The adults found teaching him fun and took a liking to him in no time.''</i>


    Urich was expected to be a great warrior. Indeed, he proved his skills. When other children his age hunted deer or rabbits, Urich returned with a man¡¯s head.


    More and more children began to follow Urich. Even adults were saying he had the makings of a tribal leader under their breaths. Despite Gizzle being the confirmed next chief, people vaguely thought Urich would be the chief.


    <i>¡®Bullshit. I am the chief.''</i>


    Gizzle worked tirelessly. The position of chief wasn''t necessarily hereditary. But if the timing was right and one had sufficient qualities, it often followed the bloodline. Gizzle wasn''tcking in skills, but he wasn''t an outstanding candidate either.


    Because of the exceptional warrior Urich, Gizzle constantly faced tests from the adults. Even his father, Stezo,pared him to Urich and pushed him hard.


    "I hate you, Urich."


    The reputation and strength that Gizzle had spent his entire life building meant nothing in front of Urich.


    <i>Whoosh.</i>


    Gizzle climbed the Sky Mountain. He broke the taboo and headed upward.


    <i>''Do not cross the Sky Mountains.''</i>


    It was an ancient taboo. The Sky Mountains were where the dead went. Beyond ity the world of spirits.


    A living person stepping into the world of the dead. Gizzle felt chills down his spine. It was more a psychological barrier that was holding him back than a physical challenge.


    "You broke the taboo like it was nothing..."


    Scolding Urich for breaking the taboo was only momentary. The Stone Axe people liked Urich.


    <i>''I know. Urich is a dedicated warrior. He''d throw his life away for the Stone Axe Tribe.''</i>


    Gizzle looked up. The white snowy peaks were visible in the distance.


    <i>''If I hadn''t been the chief''s son, maybe I would have liked you too, just like the others did.''</i>


    Gizzle was destined topete with Urich, whether he liked it or not.


    <i>''What a harsh fate.''</i>


    There was no other choice. In tribal society, showing weakness was a sin. Men of the tribe must always be strong. Fear ofpetition and battle meant no respect.


    Gizzle faithfully carried out his duties. He didn''t run away or reject his destiny.


    "Father! What have I done wrong?"


    Gizzle cried out in the mountains. His voice echoed and faded away.


    <i>''Urich, if you crossed the mountains and gained wisdom, then I¡¯ll do just that.''</i>


    The mountains were harsh. Were there truly no warriors in the long, verbally passed-down history who tried to cross it? It was human nature to dream and seek adventure. Humans fear the unknown, yet conquering it is also human.


    <i>''I can barely breathe. My head is getting blurry.''</i>


    The reason the mountain was taboo was simple. The Sky Mountains, a subject of faith, was also a monster that devoured many challengers. Brave ancestors had experienced and warned about it. Do not cross the mountains, for there is only death.


    "... even Urich did it."


    Gizzle breathed heavily, pulling himself up the rocks.


    "Forefathers of the Stone Axe, grant me the power to gaze upon the heavens."


    Gizzle took out a talisman from his pocket. It was a ne with a rabbit''s foot. The olddy shaman made it, warning him of the evil spirits of the mountain.


    * * *


    "Samikan won''t send you into battle anymore. This is serious."


    Vald said inside Urich''s tent. He slightly opened the tent''s leather door, checking if anyone was listening, and then came back in.


    "It must be because if he releases any more hostages, he''ll lose the power to suppress the Stone Axe Tribe. Samikan is clever."


    "While we''re sitting around here doing nothing, Samikan is leading warriors and conquering the surrounding tribes. Recently, the me Ear Tribe even voluntarily submitted to him. After gaining more power, Samikan will surely strike both Red Sand and Stone Axe at once."


    "Yeah, probably."


    "Samikan trusts you. That''s why you can get close to him. Maybe we should...ugh!"


    Urich quickly covered Vald''s mouth. He shook his head and ced his finger on his lips.


    Urich whispered lowly.


    "We can¡¯t do that. And even if we manage to take out Samikan secretly, anyone who''s not a fool would know it was us. Where would the spears of the Blue Mist warriors, who lost a respected chief, point to? First, our tribesmen held as hostages would be massacred. That''s for sure. Killing Samikan will only make things worse."


    Urich looked at the situation coolly. Vald''s eyes widened at Urich''s calm words. Urich already had a political sense. Having experienced theplex world of the noble society, Urich¡¯s political thinking was on a different level than anyone else on this side of the mountains.


    <i>''Sometimes killing an enemy only creates more enemies.''</i>


    Killing the enemy didn¡¯t always solve everything.


    "But Urich, I can''t just watch my brothers and sisters suffer like this. They are my family."


    "I know that. I know I''ve been away for three years, but that doesn¡¯t make me an outsider! We are family."


    Urich ced his palm over the fire. He closed his eyes and felt the warmth of the me. The warmth turned into heat, with the fire charring even his calloused palm, which started to sting and blister from the burn.


    "Urich, there are many in the tribe who will support you."


    Vald had checked the tribe''s situation each time he brought the hostages back home. Chief Gizzle was losing his influence, and the tribespeople believed Urich would somehow help them.


    Urich grinned bitterly.


    "Gizzle is my brother too."


    "Urich, let''s do what we need to do. I will follow you to the end of my life. It''s natural for a strong warrior to be the chief. Wolves don''t follow a leader weaker than themselves, even if he''s a brother from the same womb."


    Vald looked at Urich with heavy eyes. Urich licked his lips, finding it hard to speak rashly.


    "Fine, I''ll be chief."


    Even as he spoke, Urich frowned and clenched his fist tightly.


    "Urich, this isn''t betrayal or humiliation. It''s courage for the sake of our family."


    "Don''t dress it up grandly. I am going to betray Gizzle and bow down to Samikan."


    Urich stood up and left the tent. His decision was made, and there was no hesitation in his steps.


    * * *


    Samikan was weighed down by the fatigue that¡¯s been umting. While the warriors took turns going on expeditions, Samikan continued to lead them without rest.


    Eightrge and small tribes had kneeled under the Blue Mist. It was an impressive conquest, something no one had achieved before. Controlling eight tribes simultaneously was a miraculous feat at the administrative level of a single tribe.


    <i>''I need loyal followers. Someone to watch over and manage other tribes on my behalf, warriorspetent enough to wage wars in my ce.''</i>


    There was a limit to handling everything alone.


    <i>''I should have kept someone by my side to nurture into my right hand.''</i>


    He had recently identified promising warriors to keep close, but none were reliable enough to be trusted as a deputy tribal chief.


    <i>''Without that kind of man, there is no expansion.''</i>


    The challenges Samikan faced were unheard of for previous tribal chiefs. The wisdom of his ancestors was of no use.


    <i>''I must think for myself, and I must find my own solution.''</i>


    Samikan called for Noah to consult him. Noah was always a reliable advisor.


    Listening to Samikan''s concerns, Noah nodded and began to speak calmly.


    "Ruling everything alone is tough. Innds where the ruler''s hand doesn''t quite reach, his influence fades. People don''t fear or follow what they can''t see. That''s why kings in our world distributends and people to ''nobles'' and take oaths of allegiance, solemnly sworn before the sun god Lou. Breaking an oath without a cause brings contempt among nobles and leads to the loss of followers. The nobles, having received thends, represent the king in those areas and exert influence."


    "So, a noble is someone exceptional enough to be entrusted with thend by the king?"


    "Nobles are high-quality talents who are well-educated from a young age to governnds. Not all nobles are excellent, but it''s still better than entrusting it to just anyone. Nobles have long-serving retainers who are experts in various fields. Even an ipetent noble can govern the territory easily with their help. It''s a safety built over many years. Sometimes, even apletely idiotic noble receivesnd."


    As Samikan listened, he leaned on his chin and tilted his head.


    "I don''t have such talented people like nobles. I didn''t even think to nurture them for a time like this."


    "Same goes for me. I was also a knight, a warrior, basically, so I was ignorant of such matters. Conquering isn''t just about military force."


    Noahughed. Samikan let out a faint groan.


    "If I had topare, the tribal chiefs are closest to nobles. Most tribal chiefs are either exceptionally capable individuals who ascended to their position or have been educated by a previous chief since childhood. They have the ability to lead and govern a group."


    Not just anyone could be a tribal chief. They had to be outstanding warriors respected by their peers, fair and unbiased in all matters. Most importantly, they needed to protect their tribe and look after its interests.


    Samikan was a chief who had brought immense benefits to the Blue Mist Tribe. The tribespeople respected and loved him.


    "But other tribal chiefs will betray you at the slightest sign of trouble. What''s certain is... if you, Samikan, die, the tribes you''ve subdued will rise up and strike the Blue Mist from behind. It¡¯s a very delicate and unstable governing structure."


    Noah was a noble with basic education, possessing some knowledge of history. The northern tribes, strong opponents of the empire, failed to unite even against amon enemy and fought the empire in a fragmented state.


    <i>''Until Mijorn the Great of the north appeared, the north never truly united.''</i>


    For barbarian tribes to unite, a hero must emerge. An exceptional hero whom all warriors can acknowledge and respect.


    <i>''That hero is you, Samikan.''</i>


    Noah had resolved to make his benefactor, Samikan, a king. Even if Samikan became a formidable enemy of the empire in the future, a knight following the sun god Lou must adhere to his duty.


    "If you weren''t an outsider, I would have entrusted you with various tasks. What a pity."


    "If I weren''t an outsider, I couldn''t have shared such knowledge."


    Samikan and Noah began to engage in trivial chatter. As true friends, they enjoyed even the smallest of talks.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The chatter ceased. A warrior peeked into the tent.


    "Samikan, Urich has arrived."


    Samikan nodded as if this was a moment he had been expecting.

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149


    Urich entered the tent, his eyes rolling around and scanning the inside.


    <em>''Noah Arten is here too.''</em>


    Urich gazed at Noah, who nodded slightly to him in greeting. They had no personal animosity; if it werent for theplex situation, they might have even been close, as they seemed to be sharing a strange bond.


    <em>''Hes also a man who crossed the mountains to experience both worlds.''</em>


    It was rare to find someone else whos also experienced the two worlds.


    "Ah, Urich. Come and sit here."


    Samikan happily invited Urich to a cushioned seat. Urich sat down and looked at the fire. There was meat being barbecued over the fire, and the sweet and savory aroma of the meat intensified with each drop of its grease burning in the fire with a sizzle.


    "You dont send me into battle these days."


    Urich grumbled, cutting the surface of the cooked meat, taking a bite, and washing it down with a drink.


    "You know exactly why I dont, don''t you?"


    "So, how long are you going to keep me here for no reason?"


    "Holding you here is the objective itself."


    Samikanughed, lifting a cup made of a buffalo horn.


    "I am a free man. I''m going to go back to my tribe."


    "That would be a problem for me. Why do you think I didn''tpletely wipe out the Stone Axe Tribe?"


    Urich spun the cutting knife in his hand. He could kill everyone here if he wanted to. Samikan was a great chief, but as a warrior, Urich was far superior.


    "I''ll be the chief of my tribe."


    Urich spoke, staring into the fire. The mes red aggressively as the grease dripped, casting flickering shadows in front of Urich''s eyes.


    "...Is that really your choice? You''re choosing a difficult path. I understand your strong attachment to the tribe, but it''s the same tribe that once turned its back on you. You''ve already done enough for them."


    Samikan wanted Urich as his own subordinate. Urich was a dual-natured warriorcautious yet impulsive, calm yet passionate.


    "I was an orphan of the ins. I don''t even know my parents'' faces or names. The Stone Axe is the tribe that took me in and raised me... Even if that tribe turns its back on me, I won''t turn my back on it."


    Samikan squinted his eyes.


    <em>''That''s why I wanted to keep him as my subordinate.''</em>


    Urich didn''t y games, nor did he rack his brains to find an easy way out. He chose the hard path, ording to his duty and principle. Those who y games betray those around them without hesitation at the sight of better opportunities.


    "You want me to send you back so you can be chief? That is ridiculous. I''m not foolish enough to let a potential enemy grow stronger."


    Samikan nced at a sword lying nearby.


    "I hold no grudge against your conquests. In fact, I support you, as long as my tribe isn''t the target. I want the tribes to unite as quickly as possible. In three or four years, and thats at most, we''ll all have to fight together."


    "Are you still talking about that enemy of yours beyond the mountains? Keke."


    Samikan chuckled, covering his mouth with his fist. He looked intently at Noah, who sat impassively.


    "Let''s make an oath of brotherhood, Samikan. That''ll be our vow not to be enemies."


    The smile faded from Samikans face.


    "Are you being serious right now? I am your tribe''s biggest enemy."


    "Let''s forget past grievances and be one. I''ve seen people manage to do that in the past."


    The north and west were simr in many ways. They both had limited resources, harsh environments, and people killing and plundering each other for survival. Even the north managed to be united after putting their mutual grievances aside.


    "If we make this oath and I be chief of the Stone Axe, us, the Red Sand, and the Blue Mist will all be virtually allies. We''ll be thergest and strongest power in the ins and wastnds. We can advance further west. Under the western sky, we''ll swallow all tribes."


    Samikan stared at Urich, enticed by the offer. A troublesome element seemed to have vanished in the blink of an eye.


    <em>I didnt think hed be the one to offer brotherhood first. His ability to see the bigger picture is quite impressive.''</em>


    Samikan had thought of brotherhood as a strategy but never believed Urich would ept.


    "You''re proposing an alliance of tribes."


    "No matter how strong your Blue Mist is, it''s at mostparable to Red Sand. It''s hard to conquer them, and I believe you know that very well."


    "Thats not a bad offer. But I have a condition, Urich. Support me as the supreme chief."


    Urich nodded. Samikan''s face brightened.


    "Well prepare the oath."


    Samikan went outside, summoning a priest to prepare the oath. The startled priest looked alternately at Urich and Samikan.


    "Is this real, chief?"


    "Yes, it is. I will make an oath of brotherhood with Urich."


    The priest of Blue Mist seemed displeased but kept quiet.


    When Samikan became the chief of his tribe, he purged anyone who opposed him and monopolized the power within the tribe. His will was the will of Blue Mist.


    In tribal society, the value of brotherhood was paramount. Betraying a brother was the most despicable of all crimes. Tribal warriors grew up hunting with peers, living as brothers until death. The brothers who they hunted and battled with were practically an extension of themselves.


    The oath of brotherhood was a vow to ept an outsider as ones own brother. Such brothers were equal and received the same treatment.


    If Urich became Samikan''s brother, he would be treated as an equal to Samikan within the Blue Mist Tribe. Conversely, Samikan would also be treated equally among the Stone Axe Tribe members. Naturally, there was bound to be resistance for various reasons.


    What quelled the dissent was Samikan''s absolute power. Moreover, Urich was already respected among Blue Mist warriors, only needing to suppress the opposition of the shamans.


    The sky was clear. The vige center buzzed with peopleing to witness the oath. The more witnesses, the better.


    "I have ambition, Urich."


    Samikan, in a feathered headdress, spoke. It was a more mboyant attire than usual that made him lookrger in stature.


    "Who doesn''t?"


    Urich chuckled, slicing his palm with a knife, and dripping his blood into a pan of goat''s milk.


    "Although we make this oath out of necessity... I will treat and support you as a brother. I believe you will do the same."


    Samikan red at Urich and cut his palm, also dripping his blood into the bowl.


    The priest raised his hand. Veiled shamans bowed their heads, singing in guttural tones. Their sound resonated lowly and heavily.


    "Under the sky, these two men shared their blood and became brothers. The word of this new connection shall be spread for ten days."


    The priest dered. The witnesses who were gathered on the day of the oath were obligated to spread the news that Urich and Samikan were now brothers. Those who heard the news from these witnesses would also tell others for the next ten days, and so on, spreading the word.


    In tribal society, important news was disseminated in this mandatory manner. Information spread slowly in a society that moved only on foot.


    Urich drank the blood-mixed goat''s milk, feeling it seep into his body. When he opened his eyes, Samikan looked a bit different, perhaps due to the change in his mindset.


    "Were now brothers."


    Samikan and Urich embraced and bumped each other''s shoulders.


    Come back here as a chief, Urich. That shall be our beginning."


    As a gesture of respect for his brother, Samikan freed all hostages from the Stone Axe Tribe. As chief, he couldn''t enve his brother''s tribe.


    Urich and Vald prepared to return to the Stone Axe Tribe. Freed Stone Axe women hugged each other, crying. Young boys, who would soon be warriors themselves, looked at Urich in admiration.


    Vald spoke to Urich as he packed his things.


    "There will be warriors unhappy about you bing brothers with Samikan. They were waiting for revenge against the Blue Mist. That was the only thing on their minds."


    "Do you feel the same?"


    Urich stared at Vald''s face.


    "Nope, I trust you. You and I are brothers, and you saved our tribe''s future. What more is there to say?"


    "I don''t intend on convincing those who don''t understand me. There''s no time for that. From now on, we can only move forward."


    Urich shouldered his load. Outside, the Stone Axe Tribe members had already formed a procession and were on the move. Older boys led the group, protecting the tribe.


    As Urich joined them, all eyes turned to him. Words of gratitude flooded his ears. After looking around at his people, he smiled at them.


    * * *


    "They''re back! They''ve returned!"


    "The women and boys are back!"


    The tribespeople of the Stone Axe Tribe ran around shouting. Those who were working also rushed outside in a hurry.


    "Urich has brought everyone back!"


    It was hard to believe, but the people standing before their eyes were real, not made-up. The warriors who were finally reunited with their sons, daughters, and wives whom they were only able to see in their dreams, cried and embraced their families. Warriors usually didn''t show tears as it was considered a sign of weakness, but not this time.


    "Thank you, Urich. Thank you."


    "Dont mention it."


    Urich greeted each person as he passed by. He wiped his face with a wet cloth to clean off the dust.


    "Kirungka!"


    Urich called out to Kirungka in the distance. Kirungka was also in disbelief, overjoyed to see his brother and sister again.


    "Urich, I should start with this. Thank you. I don''t know what kind of deal you had to make, but getting the family back is what matters most."


    Kirungkas smile was genuine. Urich patted his shoulder and nodded.


    "Where''s Gizzle?"


    Kirungka''s expression changed. He looked at Urich and shook his head.


    "He went hunting and hasn''t returned. It''s been three days."


    "A huntsting over three days is normal, but Gizzle is the chief..."


    "Yes, that''s the problem. Gizzle never leaves the vige for more than two days. Hes always prioritized his duty as chief more than anything."


    Gizzle was missing, and the whole tribe was aware of his absence.


    Vald approached Urich upon hearing this.


    "This could be a good thing for us. If Gizzle doesn''t return, you would naturally be the chief."


    "Well... I think I need to find Gizzle first."


    Urich asked around the tribe, but no one knew where Gizzle could have gone.


    Soon the Stone Axe warriors learned why the captives were freed. Hearing about the brotherhood pact with Samikan, they had mixed reactions. Influential warriors gathered and discussed.


    "An oath of brotherhood with Samikan, this is I don''t know what to say."


    "But that must have been the only way."


    "The important thing is that everyone is back."


    "But what about our revenge? Where should our anger and hatred be directed now?"


    Various opinions were exchanged. Some had forgotten their anger in their joy, while others still held on to it.


    "Urich made the brotherhood oath, and as a token of respect, our people were returned. We can''t attack the Blue Mist. That would be petty and despicable."


    Everyone agreed on that.


    "The bigger problem is the absence of our chief. Talking among ourselves is pointless without a leader. We dont have a head! If, for some reason, the chief never returns..."


    "Don''t let words be reality! Don''t speak carelessly!"


    Despite various opinions, the Stone Axe Tribe celebrated with a festival. They danced and sang all night.


    Urich took a chunk of smoked meat and headed to the forest. He always visited the old shaman when he returned from a trip.


    The old shaman weed Urich with the meat. She put a pot on the fire, telling him shed make a delicious soup.


    "Today I added the extra good stuff! You being so sturdy is all thanks to me, Urich."


    Urich shrugged and casually sat down.


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just give me a reading. Gizzle went hunting and no ones heard from him since. If you can tell me the general direction of where he went, I''ll go look for him."


    The old shaman, putting herbs into the pot, grinned, showing her yellow teeth.


    "That brat went up the mountain. I sent him with a talisman to ward off the evil spirits."


    Urich jumped up, his eyes wide.


    "He went up the mountain? Gizzle did?"


    "Don''t worry. He has my talisman, so hell return without any curses."


    "You stupid old hag..."


    Urich frowned. Hearing Urichs insult, the old shaman smacked his head with a wooden spoon. Urich snatched her fur cloak and wrapped it around himself.


    "Eat my cooking first, you rascal!"


    "Shut up. The mountain is dangerous, not because of evil spirits. It''s not a ce to cross without any preparation. Which way did Gizzle go?"


    Urich had crossed the mountains twice and knew how dangerous it was.


    <em>''Why did you cross the mountains, Gizzle?''</em>


    He already knew the answer. Gizzle was always like this. Whenever Urich achieved something, Gizzle tried to do the same. That was theirpetition.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150


    Gizzle blinked. His eyshes were frosted over and had turned white. The wind beating against his face felt like it was freezing the surface of his eyeballs. His toes had lost sensation, surpassing mere pain.


    <em>''Everything is white.''</em>


    He gazed at the snowy expanse. These were the white peaks he always only saw from afar.


    Gizzle clutched his cloak with trembling hands. He felt nauseous and dizzy. Each step made the world spin around him.


    "There are no such things as evil spirits..."


    Gizzle had climbed one of the countless peaks of the Sky Mountains. The ground below seemed incredibly distant and tiny. The sky viewed from the peak was much clearer and purer.


    <em>Swoosh</em>.


    He stretched his palm upward. His fingertips couldn''t reach all the way to the sky.


    <em>''So much for the name Sky Mountains.''</em>


    The sky remained a ce untouched by human hands.


    "Huff."


    He took a deep breath, alternating his gaze between west and east.


    <em>''A new world.''</em>


    He looked west again. His homnd stretched endlessly.


    <em>''Home.''</em>


    Gizzle blinked again. His body trembled incessantly. His teeth chattered, making a cking sound.


    <em>''Urich, you turned your back on your homnd to head to the new world.''</em>


    He lifted his quivering fingers to force his eyelids wide open. His body was in agony, but his heart was at peace.


    <em>''I''ve also seen the samendscape as you.''</em>


    Gizzle scooped up a handful of snow and melted it in his mouth. After wetting his throat, he looked up at the sky that looked ever so high.


    "If there are indeed people living beyond the Sky Mountains... where is the destination for our souls? Where are the spirits of my father and ancestors...?"


    There was no answer. Only the wind blew. The sky was as indifferent as ever.


    <em>''I guess Ill know when I die.''</em>


    Gizzle walked to the edge of the peak. It was time to make a decision.


    <em>''West and east. Home and the new world.''</em>


    Gizzle twitched his frozen lips. He pushed the corners of his mouth up with his fingers, forcing a smile.


    "I''m not like you. I won''t abandon my tribe. I am the chief, after all."


    Gizzle turned his back to the east without regret. He went back down the way he came.


    <em>''A defeated chief, enemies beyond the mountains, enemies right in front of my eyes, a powerful warrior vying for my position.''</em>


    Pain was the only thing that was waiting for his return. He could already hear the tribe''s reproach. He, as their chief, had failed to protect them. No matter who med him, Gizzle had no excuse. The crushing weight of duty and responsibility was enough to make anyone want to flee.


    <em>Step, step.</em>


    Gizzle walked down, stepping on the snow. He didn''t shirk his responsibility. No matter how torturous or painful, he was the chieftain. To do his best in his role until hisst breath: that was Gizzle''s honor.


    * * *


    Urich followed Gizzle''s trail. As it was a mountain range devoid of human traffic, finding Gizzle''s tracks was not difficult. He followed the trail of broken branches, as tall as a person, and the trampled underbrush.


    Signs of camping and fire were scattered around. Urich looked up.


    <em>''It''s getting higher. The Sky Mountains are not easy to climb without any preparation.''</em>


    Urich gritted his teeth.


    To cross the Sky Mountains, one needed both luck and skill on their side. Even Urich, with his exceptionally robust physique, had to risk his life each time he crossed the range.


    <em>''I feel dizzy.''</em>


    Urich tapped his forehead and continued climbing. Gizzle''s path was obvious. There were only a few climbable paths from Gizzle''s campsite. He must have avoided the steep terrain, and taken the gentler paths.


    "I don''t think this worked out in my favor at all."


    Urich muttered to himself. He was now stepping on the snowy path.


    <em>''I will be the chief through the tribal council. It shouldnt be like this. Don''t die on me before that, Gizzle.''</em>


    Gizzle, the son of the tribal chief, had always been Urich''s rival since childhood. Although Urich opposed Gizzle, he did not hate him. Sometimes he found Gizzle annoying and irritating, but they were brothers raised in the same tribe.


    "It''s cold."


    Urich rubbed his hands and looked at the sky. It was a clear day without a single cloud.


    <em>Fordgal Arten caught me.''</em>


    He remembered the first time he crossed the range. Captured as a prisoner, he was dragged to the peak without knowing anything. Thinking back, it was a feat to have crossed the mountains alive. Urich had broken through the mountains with nothing but his vigorous body.


    "Im not trying to brag, but it was only possible because it was me. Keke."


    Urich always trusted his body. His flesh and blood had never betrayed him. His body endured any injury and wound, moving as much as Urich wanted.


    <em>''And I don''t betray my body either.''</em>


    Though Urich lived a libertine life, he never neglected his training. There was just one time when he let his body and senses rust with alcohol, drugs, and women, and at that time, Urich exploded in unbearable rage.


    <em>''If I betray my body, my body will betray me.''</em>


    Urich pounded his thighs and continued to climb the rugged rocky terrain.


    He had reached midway up the mountain range. Urich gathered dry wood and lit a fire. He nned to rest here before continuing. Higher up, it would be hard to light a fire due to theck of wood.


    "Phew."


    Urich grabbed and struck the flintstone. After a few tries, the tinder caught fire. Urich protected the me and transferred it to the gathered wood.


    <em>Crackle.</em>


    Urich extended his palms to warm his body. The heat seeped deep through his skin.


    Rest was important. He needed to dry his wet body and shake off the cold seeping into his bones. Urich rested more than enough, almost feeling like he had rested too much.


    After a short nap, Urich set off again. Gizzle was still nowhere to be seen.


    <em>''If he went up to that peak... it''ll be hard to catch up to him.''</em>


    Urich had also hurriedly climbed the range without proper preparation. A life-threatening section was in front of him.


    "Gizzle."


    Urich looked up to see a smoke. Not far away, someone had lit a fire.


    "Hey, Gizzle!"


    Urich advanced, shouting. His voice echoed far as it bounced off the rugged surface of the mountains.


    <em>Hes not answering.''</em>


    Urich exhaled a steamy breath and grabbed his axe.


    <em>''Worst case, it could be another expedition.''</em>


    He crept forward with bated breath, keeping his body low. Instead of approaching directly, Urich climbed higher and then descended from above. It was a tactic to mask his location.


    <em>''I see him.''</em>


    Urichy t and approached slowly.


    Silently, only the campfire burned, without any movement. Urich peeked out, rolling his eyes.


    "Shit."


    Urich jumped up and ran. Beside the firey Gizzle, huddled and trembling, despite the fire nearby.


    <em>''The cold has already seeped into Gizzle''s body.''</em>


    It seemed Gizzle had barely managed to light the fire in the cold and then fallen asleep. Urich gathered more wood to fuel the fire.


    "Gizzle, wake up. You can''t sleep like this."


    Urich tapped Gizzle''s cold cheek.


    "Urich... you are my evil spirit."


    Gizzle mumbled with drowsy eyes. His vision fluttered, distorting Urich''s image.


    "Stop talking nonsense. Bite on this and open your eyes."


    Urich put stones in the fire. Once warmed, he ced them near Gizzle. Whenever the fire weakened, he ran to gather more wood.


    Thanks to Urich''s dedicated care, Gizzle''s color gradually returned. His numb skin started to tingle with a tickling sensation.


    "Damned bastard."


    As his consciousness returned, cursing was the first thing Gizzle did. The person who saved his life was none other than Urich.


    <em>Why did it have to be Urich?</em>


    Urich, who was dozing off after getting Gizzle back to a stable condition, opened his eyes at Gizzles voice.


    "Why did you climb the mountain? Climbing it without any preparation is madness, you dumbass."


    "That''s none of your business."


    "Hah? Is that how you talk to the person who saved your life?"


    Urich crossed his arms andughed. Gizzle was speechless and just scowled.


    "When did you return to the tribe? Ugh, I didnt think Samikan would let you go."


    Gizzle spoke but then gasped for air. His mind was alert, but his condition was still poor.


    "I made an oath of brotherhood with Samikan."


    Urich stirred the campfire with a stick and tossed a heated stone to Gizzle.


    "Are you out of your mind? You became brothers with Samikan?"


    Despite Gizzle''s anger, Urich remained calm.


    "In exchange, I secured the release of our hostages. Our women and children were returned to the tribe."


    "If you dont take revenge on Samikan and the Blue Mist Tribe, our deceased brothers wont rest in peace."


    "The dead dont matter to me. I only care about the living. The dead cant say nothing."


    Urich added more dry wood to the fire.


    "And that''s all? Just by making a brotherhood oath, you freed the tribespeople?"


    "There was also the condition that I be the tribal chief."


    Upon hearing this, Gizzle drew his dagger. He tried to stand but copsed, feeling pain in his foot. As his body warmed, his damaged soles screamed in agony.


    "Are you after my position? You must havee with that intention from the start!"


    "Think whatever you want. I''ll take you back to the tribe and hold a formal council meeting. Whether by vote orbat, I''m going to get that chief seat."


    It didn''t make sense. If Urich wanted the chief''s position, he could have just left Gizzle to die. Naturally, Urich would be the next chief, having recently risen in prominence.


    <em>''But that''s not our way.''</em>


    Gizzle understood Urich. Although he disliked Urich and kept him in check, he never banished him. That was a warrior''s pride.


    "Let me help you. Lets go home, Gizzle."


    Urich extended his hand, and Gizzle, stumbling, leaned on Urich''s shoulder.


    Supported by Urich, Gizzle walked. He looked back and muttered.


    "I climbed up to that peak over there."


    "Thats pretty impressive. If you managed to go up there without any proper preparation, maybe next time you could cross the mountain range."


    "Hah, I wont climb again even if you told me to. People should keep their feet on the ground. Its wrong to covet the sky."


    Gizzleughed aimlessly, and Urich sneered.


    "You sound like an old man. ''Crossing the Sky Mountain will bring a curse!'' ''Oh, you mustnt break the taboo!'' Bullshit."


    "I wont hand over the chief''s position just because you saved my life. Many warriors still follow me. The elders and shamans will support me over you."


    "Then Ill take it by force."


    "You''ll regret underestimating me, Urich."


    "Sure, sure. You''ve always been all talk. ''Dont mess around, Urich!'' ''Im the son of Chief Stezo!'' ''I, not you, will be the chief!'' all that talk."


    Gizzle suppressed the urge to stab Urich in the heart. He sighed and looked down. The gentle slope ended, and a steep, rugged path appeared.


    "Get on my back from here. You cant go down with that leg, even with help."


    Urich crouched and patted his shoulder. Gizzle, preferring to jump off a cliff than to be carried by Urich, reluctantlyplied.


    "Ugh."


    Gizzle clenched his teeth and grunted.


    "What are you doing? If you want to beat me, you have to stay alive to return."


    Urichughed and beckoned, flicking his finger at Gizzle. Gizzle extended his arm around Urich''s neck. Even with a grown man on his back, Urich hopped down the rocky path with ease.

 Chapter 151

    <h4>Chapter 151</h4>


    Urich carried Gizzle on his back, passing through the rocky path. However, carrying Gizzle meant he couldn''t use both hands properly. It was hard to descend the rugged mountain range with Gizzle on his back.


    <i>''It might take more time, but it''s better to detour sideways and go down.''</i>


    Urich was fairly familiar with the mountain paths of this section. If they followed the ridge southward, they would reach a gorge that led to Yailrud. The bottom of the gorge was a cliff difficult for humans to cross, but the terrain above was gentler and lower, making it easier to descend.


    "Gizzle, we''ll go down along the ridge. It''s too hard to go straight down."


    Urich said, but Gizzle''s response was barely audible.


    <i>''He''s lifeless. Gizzle needs to rest as soon as possible.''</i>


    Urich hastened his steps. He held a sword in one hand and advanced through the bushes.


    "Count sheep or something. Keep your mind focused."


    Urich reached back and tapped Gizzle''s cheek.


    "Shut up."


    Gizzle gritted his teeth.


    As they continued down the ridge, the terrain became smoother. Urich scanned and read the path of the gorge, moving quickly even while carrying Gizzle on his back.


    Even three years ago, Urich''s physical strength was considered exceptional. But now it was iparably greater. His muscle strength and cardiovascr endurance were almost superhuman, allowing him to traverse mountains off-limits to normal humans.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s like Urich is a man born to conquer the mountains.''</i>


    Gizzle thought, barely opening his eyes. Urich had closed the distance that took Gizzle days in just a moment. His knowledge of the geography of the Sky Mountains definitely gave him a helping hand, but his monstrous strength yed arge part. If it were easy to traverse, it wouldn''t have remained forbidden.


    "Found it."


    Urich found the ¡®Regal Arten Camp,'' traces of an expedition team annihted by his hands. Equipment from theirst camping site with Urich was still there.


    <i>¡®There aren¡¯t any signs of scavenging here. That means the imperial army hasn''t paved an expedition route here, yet.''</i>


    In the lightly snow-covered camp, various camping tools remained. Urich lit a fire, shook off the long-neglected nkets, and found preserved food tightly wrapped in a bag.


    "It should be good to eat as long as we cut the mold off. Nice."


    Urich took out a knife and scraped the mold off the surface of the hard bread.


    Urich and Gizzle rested at the campsite. With night falling, moving further was difficult. Even Urich couldn''t traverse the dark mountains. Night wasn''t a time for humans.


    "The smell is terrible. It''s starting to rot."


    Urich said while removing Gizzle''s leather shoes. The skin on Gizzle''s feet had turned a purplish-ck.


    <i>''Frostbite.''</i>


    It was a strange injury to the tribespeople. The necrotic area spreads and creeps further up the body, so the frostbitten limb had to be amputated.


    <i>''Can''t do it here. We need to wait until we¡¯re back in the vige.''</i>


    Urich searched the campsite and found a spare pair of fur shoes. The well-prepared leather shoes,yered with fur, were warm and didn''t get wet easily.


    "Ughhh."


    As his body slowly thawed, Gizzle groaned. The pain was intense as his body, frozen then thawed, ached everywhere. His face was pale, and breathing felt like needles in his lungs.


    "So, this is the curse of the Sky Mountains. Keke."


    Gizzle grimaced and chuckled. He looked at Urich, sitting up in perfect health.


    <i>''Are you the only one chosen by the heavens...''</i>


    Urich was special. All the tribespeople knew Urich was different. Warriors born in the same era as Urich could never reach the top, no matter how hard they tried.


    "It''s not a curse. Just your body rotting from freezing. We''ll have to cut off your feet when we get to the vige."


    Urich spoke calmly. Gizzle covered his face and leaned back.


    "...Congrattions on bing the chief, Urich."


    No warriors would follow a chief who couldn''t run or walk. Naturally, Gizzle would have to step down, and Urich would take his ce.


    "Gizzle, I don¡¯t need, or want your favor. I¡¯m the chief that the Stone Axe Tribe needs."


    "Are you saying I''mcking as chief? I''ve fulfilled the role of chief without any shorings. There were no problems before you came!"


    Gizzle erupted in suppressed anger. Urich pulled out the stick which he was stirring the fire with and pointed eastward with it.


    "Things were slow then. The times are changing. It would be toote if you tried to learn after experiencing it. You need to foresee the changes. You don''t have that skill, Gizzle."


    "Shut up!"


    Gizzle grabbed a stone and threw it at Urich, who caught it with ease and tossed it behind him.


    These were turbulent times. Samikan was uniting tribes using the power of civilized people, and the civilized were building the pioneering route Yailrud to cross the mountains. It was a time of continuous chaos inside and out. Being merely an outstanding chief wasn''t enough to respond adequately to those changes.


    "Soon the boundaries between tribes will blur, and we''ll call each other brothers, standing back to back."


    Urich stared into the fire, speaking as if he was predicting the future.


    "That''s impossible. The hatred and rage against the Blue Mist Tribe will never fade!"


    "You¡¯re right. There will always be minor anger. But we''ll fight together. Because If we don''t, we''ll die together."


    Urich closed his eyes. He wrapped himself in the nket and fell asleep.


    "Don''t act like you¡¯re so much better than me."


    Gizzle muttered. He looked at his spear. Its tip was sharp. He had a chance to pierce Urich''s heart.


    ''But I am the chief.''


    A chieftain''s spear shouldn''t turn inward. Gizzle bitterly smiled and closed his eyes, hoping he would wake up to see another day.


    * * *


    After the disappearance of Regal Arten and his expedition team, there was a long absence of leadership at the Arten outpost. Emperor Yanchinus summoned the remaining explorers to the outpost, but theycked experience in conquering the mountains. Under themand of these inexperienced explorers, the construction of Yailrud showed no clear signs of advancing.


    Emperor Yanchinus dedicated all his efforts to the mountainous expedition and made bold high-personnel appointments. He dispatched Duke Langster, the current viceroy of the north, as themander of the outpost.


    Duke Langster was apetent governor who had conquered the sacrednd of Mulin in the north and brought stability to the region. He had experience dealing with barbarians and knew how to fight in harsh and cold terrains.


    "It''s an ambiguous position. I can¡¯t tell whether it¡¯s a demotion or a promotion."


    Duke Langster grumbled but epted the role of outpostmander. Formally, it was a step down from being a viceroy to just a mere basemander, but it was a position that held the emperor''s substantial trust.


    <i>''Construction of the pioneer road has been sluggish since Regal Arten went missing.''</i>


    Regal Arten was a key figure in the mountain expedition. He was well-versed in the terrain of the gorges and had been the one correctly guiding the direction of Yailrud''s expansion.


    "What a crazy idea. Building a bridge over such a rugged gorge to send an army through..."


    It was an overwhelming task even for the great imperial army. People died for the emperor''s great achievement. Reports of deaths from idents came in almost daily.


    Even the local workers were reluctant to participate in the pioneering road, so wages had to be tripledpared to the beginning of the expedition, and ves were indiscriminately bought to take on the dangerous tasks.


    <i>''If sessful, it will be a great achievement; if not, he¡¯ll be remembered as a fool emperor in history.''</i>


    Under Duke Langster were knights and soldiers who had gained a plethora of experience in the north, and he also had several northern barbarians as subordinates. Northerners were known for their physical strength and resistance to cold.


    Duke Langster had his northern subordinates undergo the training necessary for the expedition. The trained northerners were superior to civilized explorers, with their innate cold resistance and robust strength being ideal for climbing the Sky Mountains.


    The northern exploration team became the vanguard of the outpost, scouting the mountains and drawing new maps. They meticulously surveyed the terrain to findnds suitable for connecting with Yailrud.


    "The emperor is paying close attention to this job. If we do well, we''ll make a fortune."


    A northern explorer said. The team climbed the snow-covered rock piles with ease.


    "All I ask for is the money going to my family."


    "Ulgaro will surely look over us."


    "What? I thought you converted? I saw your wife and daughter holding hands, entering the Sun Temple."


    "My wife is my wife, and I am me. I am going to the Field of Swords."


    The north was and mixed with followers of Lou and Ulgaro. It was evenmon for followers of both gods to live under the same roof.


    "Let¡¯s get ready to camp out here, and don''t forget to apply the ointment before sleeping."


    The expedition captain said to his members. They applied an ointment on the sole of their feet and their fingers to prevent frostbite. The ointment, which produced heat when applied, was a long-standing wisdom of the northerners ustomed to the cold.


    "Wait, don''t light the fire yet. See that over there? Smoke. Someone''s making fire over there."


    A northerner pointed to the sky. The expedition team was made up of eight members in total. They looked at the rising smoke and grinned.


    "That¡¯ll make a good souvenir for Langster."


    The northerners put down their loads and armed themselves. Even though they were northern barbarians, they were fully equipped with steel weapons and crossbows, thanks to the empire''s full support. The northerners, d in fur armor and wielding steel weapons, crept toward the direction of the smoke.


    "It¡¯ll get dark soon. Suck it up even if it gets cold."


    Darkness was setting in. The cold was unbearable even for northerners without a fire. They shivered, desperately enduring the cold.


    "Found them. They''re natives from the west."


    The northerners whispered, crouching low. They squinted their eyes, focusing on the campfire. Two natives were lying next to the fire.


    "We''ll get more money if we capture them alive."


    The northerners stopped mid-motion as they were pulling out their crossbows. They surrounded the natives, signaling each other. They nned to ambush and capture them alive.


    <i>Ssssss.</i>


    The night in the mountains was fierce. The wind howled as ferociously as the screams of evil spirits. The northerners advanced cautiously against the wind. The cold was painfully biting, but they did not utter even a single groan.


    Their ambush tactic was inch-perfect. Advancing against the wind, they made neither sound nor scent. Even sensitive wild animals would not have noticed.


    But Urich was not a wild animal. He was a warrior familiar with death. Death always warned Urich. His hair stood, and his consciousness, which had sunk, resurfaced. Urich was already awake.


    <i>''We¡¯re surrounded. I didn¡¯t wake up quickly enough.''</i>


    Urich slightly opened his eyes. A warrior naturally slept with his back to the fire, so his eyes were already adapted to the darkness. He saw something blurry in the darkness.


    <i>''Is Gizzle awake?''</i>


    There was no way to protect Gizzle if he was in deep sleep. Urich could only hope that Gizzle was awake.


    <i>Twitch.</i>


    Pretending to toss and turn, Urich reached for his weapon. As soon as he grabbed the axe handle, he sprang up and threw it.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    He felt the impact. A scream echoed in the darkness.


    "Gizzle!"


    Urich shouted, running in the direction he threw the axe, hoping Gizzle was awake.


    "I know, you idiot! Three on the right! Find the others!"


    Gizzle also got up, seizing his spear. The excitement of battle drowned the pain in his legs.


    Urich ran and swung his sword to cut off the breath of the enemy who was hit by his axe. While retrieving the axe embedded in the dead enemy''s shoulder, Urich''s eyes widened. He stared at the fallen enemy. The beard and build didn''t look like a civilized person.


    <i>''Northerners.''</i>


    Urich''s face twisted. Northerners were troublesome men. In such chaotic situations, northern warriors were more fearsome than the imperial army.

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152


    The northerners roared as they witnessed the resistance of the western natives. Valiant battle cries resounded powerfully. It was a style ofbat that began with overpowering the enemy with a roar.


    <em>ng!</em>


    Swords shed against each other. Sparks flew to briefly illuminate the surroundings.


    <em>Swoosh!</em>


    The des grazed past each other, aiming for the enemy''s throat like the teeth of a wolf.


    <em>''It''s hard to strike the neck in one blow. They are experienced warriors.''</em>


    Urich stepped back and pushed away a charging northern warrior with a front kick.


    "Gizzle! Get over here!"


    Urich grabbed Gizzle by the nape and ran. Gizzle was almost suspended in the air as he was dragged along. Urichs strength was tremendous.


    <em>''We can''t get surrounded. It''s impossible to fend off attacksing from all directions.''</em>


    Urich knew how to fight against multiple opponents simultaneously. He often fought in disadvantageous situations, constantly moving to induce one-on-one confrontations.


    <em>''Gizzle can''t move properly now. Defending him and fighting them at the same time is going to be difficult.''</em>


    Urich looked at Gizzle limping. The pain should have subsided in the heat of excitement, but his foot was as good as dead, making his movements sluggish.


    "Leave me here. I''ll try to buy you some time."


    Gizzle nted his spear in the ground and said to Urich. Holding the spear, he faced the enemies without being dragged by Urich.


    "What? Dont give me that bullshit. Come on, we have to keep moving!"


    Urich widened his eyes in disbelief as he nced back. Time was of the essence. Every second counted. The northern warriors were leaping through the trees toward them.


    "I''m a chief who can''t even move. I''ll use what''s left of my life for you."


    Gizzle pulled back his shoulder and arm, holding the spear. He exhaled andunched the spear.


    <em>Thwack!</em>


    Gizzle''s spear got buried in one of the northern warriors'' heads. The warrior fell backward and dropped dead. Gizzles ferocious maneuver made the advancing northern warriors flinch and draw their shields.


    "I said enough of your bullsh...... Shit, duck, Gizzle!"


    Urich grabbed Gizzle''s head and pushed him to the ground. Unaware, Gizzle''s nose broke from the sudden impact.


    <em>Thwip!</em>


    A crossbow bolt whizzed past where Urich and Gizzle had been standing. The northern warriors had given up on capturing them alive. They fired crossbows, fully intending to kill the western natives.


    "What the hell did you do that for... was that an arrow just now?"


    Gizzle looked at the bolt stuck in a tree. His eyes were opened wide.


    "That cross-shaped thing is basically a bow."


    Urich watched the northern warriors reload their crossbows.


    "Anyway, I said I''ll cover you! Go down to the vige, Urich! I can''t shake them off with my legs in this shape!"


    Another arrow barely missed Gizzle and Urich''s heads. The northerners alternated firing crossbows, pinning Urich and Gizzle down. Two warriors circled around to the nks to attack them from the side.


    <em>Theyre using the imperial tactics...''</em>


    Urich frowned. The northern warriors hired by the empire were skillfully employing imperial military tactics.


    "I don''t leave my brothers behind."


    Urich gripped Gizzle''s arm, his eyes shining.


    "Thats riching from the one who came to take my chief position! Let''s fight then, dammit!"


    Gizzle bared his teeth and scoffed. Urich handed him one of his steel axes.


    After quickly scanning their surroundings, Urich gave Gizzle a series of instructions in a rapid fire.


    "When I give the signal, run to the left. Even if your feet hurt, run and jump them from the left. I''ll circle to the right and kill the onesing from that side and then climb up on the right."


    Gizzle listened to Urich, a mere warrior, even though he was the chief. Without doing so, they had no chance of winning.


    Urich closed his eyes for a moment, recalling what he had learned. He knew not only the imperialnguage but also the northernnguage.


    "''Behind! Ambush from behind!''"


    Urich shouted in the northernnguage. In the darkness, the voice was confusing enough to act as a diversion. Distracting the northern warriors attention for a moment was enough. Urich and Gizzle ran in their respective directions.


    Gizzle gritted his teeth. Each step sent pain shooting up his spine all the way to his head.


    "Gahhhhhh!"


    Gizzle roared, practically screeching, as he ran. He turned left and ambushed the four northern warriors firing the crossbows. Their attention diverted to Gizzle.


    Urich, having circled around, encountered two warriors and quickly killed them with his sword. The sudden northern cry had distracted them, making them rtively easy kills. He then silently approached the right side of the crossbow group.


    "Ill send you bastards to Ulgaro''s side!"


    Urich yelled as he stabbed a warrior in the neck and sliced the face of another with his axe.


    "Uuuuulgaro!"


    The remaining northern warriors also shouted Ulgaro''s name as they died.


    Urich and Gizzle, panting heavily, copsed. Their breaths were ragged, almost nauseating. They had been moving and fighting without rest.


    "Huff, huff."


    Steam rose from their fired-up bodies. Urich looked at the dead northern warriors.


    <em>''Theyre using northerners as the vanguard. Whoevers behind this is pretty clever.''</em>


    The two worlds, separated by the Sky Mountains, were beginning to ovep more and more.


    <em>''It wont be long. Sending an army might still be hard, but sending scouts is definitely possible now.''</em>


    Urich felt anxious. The west had yet to unite. The tribes were still busy opposing each other. If the imperial army crossed over during this time, the fate of the west was predictable.


    "Gizzle, you alive?"


    Urich used his sword as a staff to help himself stand up. He looked up at the night sky, exhaling deeply. The Milky Way twinkled above.


    "Are these the enemies from beyond the mountains you talked about?"


    "This is just a taste of them. Give me back my axe and collect the spoils. They were carrying good weapons, all steel."


    Urich swung the weapons of the northern warriors. They were from the imperial workshop.


    "People really are living beyond the mountains, then."


    Gizzle picked up a steel sword. Even in the starlight and moonlight, the beauty of the de was apparent.


    <em>''If it wasn''t for Urich, we would have been killed.''</em>


    Gizzle ran his hand through his hair, self-deprecatingly. Only Urich could have stood against them.


    <em>''What was the point of my life...?''</em>


    It seemed like he lived only to pass the chiefship to Urich. Even in his own life, Urich was the main character.


    <em>''Chief Gizzle.''</em>


    That was his only pir of support and pride. Gizzle stood up, his fur boots soaked with blood. He didnt even want to check on his feet, as it was obvious what state they were in.


    Urich helped the struggling Gizzle down the mountain. It was a painful journey for him with his impaired mobility.


    <em>''The rots already spread throughout his body.''</em>


    Gizzle''splexion was poor. His temperature fluctuated, and he threw up everything he ate. ckened toes fell off one by one. These were symptoms of a dying warrior. He was weakened but was not recovering.


    "So, this is my fate? This is so unfair."


    Gizzleughed, looking at the sky as he descended the mountain. It''s the will of heaven whether a warrior lives or dies after an injury. Some survive even gruesome wounds, while others die from a mere surface scratch.


    Gizzle didnt get to have his frostbite treated in time. Rotten blood already circted in his body, tormenting him by the second.


    "Call the shamans immediately!"


    Urich shouted as soon as he stepped into the vige. Gizzle was carried away on a stretcher. The vige shamans burned incense and begged the celestial spirits for the chiefs life.


    "Woooo, mmmmm."


    The shamans shook palm branches and sang. The tent where Gizzley was filled with thick herbal smoke.


    Gizzle coughed up blood. His condition worsened, and the ominous voices of the shamans only made him dizzy instead of helping him recover.


    "The mountains have cursed you, chief."


    The priest warned. Gizzle propped himself up and grabbed the priest''s cor.


    "There are enemies beyond the mountains! How long will you keep spewing such nonsense!"


    "Evil spirits take on human forms. They stand against those who wish to cross the mountains."


    "Why is Urich unharmed then? Shouldn''t he also die for breaking the taboo?"


    Gizzle red at the priest, baring his teeth.


    "Urich will soon pay the price."


    "You sure talk a lot of shit for a coward who''s never set foot in the mountains!"


    The priest frowned at Gizzle''s scolding and retreated.


    Gizzle caught his breath andy back down. He sent a few warriors to bring Urich.


    "I heard you called for me."


    Urich, who had also climbed the mountains, stood calmly, unlike Gizzle. Gizzle put his jealousy aside for a moment and gestured for Urich to sit beside his bed.


    "I dont have long."


    "Call your brothers for a proper farewell."


    "There''s something more important. Our tribe is going through a change. I couldn''t keep up with it."


    "It''s natural you couldn''t. I don''t me you."


    Being confined by the era and convention wasnt ignorance. It was simply a limit of experience.


    "Don''t pretend to be nice, Urich. Youre telling me that youve never resented me once?"


    Urich awkwardly twisted his lips. Gizzle too chuckled, breathing roughly.


    "Are you leaving me your dying wish or something?"


    "The next chief is you. In these uncertain times, you''re the only one fit to lead the tribe. It''s annoying as hell... But before I die, I''ll dere my support for you, and my warriors will too. Just be careful of the priests and shamans."


    Urich nodded, taking in Gizzle''s words as seriously as they were.


    "Thanks, Gizzle."


    "Im not doing this for you. It''s for our tribe."


    "It doesn''t matter why youre doing it. You were an excellent chief who fulfilled the responsibilities of his position."


    Everyone stands in different ces. Gizzle and Urich, both wishing for the tribe''s prosperity and safety, saw different directions from their standings.


    "Remember, Urich. You must also fulfill your duties and responsibilities. You can''t abandon the tribe anymore. The tribe''s fate is more important than your curiosity and pride."


    Urich''s eyshes trembled. He was no longer a free warrior. He now bore the weight of his tribespeople on his shoulders and back.


    "A heavy burden to remind me of, Chief Gizzle."


    Urich sped and then released Gizzle''s hand. He stood up and left the tent. Gizzle didn''t have much time left, and he had to say goodbye to the other brothers.


    "Thank you for bringing Gizzle home, Urich."


    Kirungka said as he passed by Urich, nodding before entering the tent.


    Gizzle had told his followers to support Urich. Urich would take over as chief, and Gizzle had handed him his entire support base so that the transition would be smooth.


    "Kek-kek."


    Left alone, Gizzle chuckled. His insides boiled with resentment and frustration.


    <em>''Who will remember me...''</em>


    Gizzle''s name would wander the empty world before disappearing into the void. He was but a firefly lost in the brilliance of the great warrior Urich. He felt pitiful for having to help Urich knowing what it meant for himself.


    His head felt like it was being cooked by the fever. He gasped for air. The soundsing out of his mouth were shapeless. Gizzle iled his arms helplessly.


    "Guuuugh."


    Gizzle''s arm fell limply as he struggled.


    A warrior, who was waiting for Gizzle''s passing, awoke and checked his pulse. Realizing what had happened, he rushed out of the tent.


    The vige bell tolled, and a lifeless body grew cold.

 Chapter 153: Alliance

    Chapter 153: Alliance


    The Stone Axe tribe was one of the ancient tribes, so venerable it could be called an old tribe, maintaining its lineage for a long time. The tribe has held its warrior-like spirit for its reign and preserved its goodnd for many years.


    Urich sat in a chair draped with animal skins. It was the seat that many chiefs had upied. The armrests were shiny with grease and wear.


    <em>''Chief Urich.''</em>


    The title felt foreign. Urich had be the chief of his tribe. Despite a three-year absence, he received overwhelming support from the warriors. Although some elders and shamans disliked him, even they acknowledged that there was no better candidate than Urich.


    News of the new chief of the Stone Axe spread quickly, especially to the Blue Mist and Red Sand tribes.


    "The dry season ising. We need to focus on gathering and storing food."


    "It will be a harsh dry season. We must perform the rituals."


    Urich listened to the tribe''s advisers. He was still inexperienced as a chief. Leading amunity, not just a group of warriors, was new to him.


    For a while, the Stone Axe tribe focused on storing food. Warriors went hunting far away, women gathered fruits and roots at the foot of the mountains, and children and elders spent their days preparing preserved food.


    "The atmosphere is good. There are a lot of good expectations for the new chief. Everyone is waiting for you to show them something."


    Vald, who had been looking around the tribe, spoke to Urich.


    "I want to move the warriors to build cabins in the mountains and stand guard, but..."


    Urich yawned in boredom. The internal affairs of the tribe were important but dull. Although he was the chief, he couldn''t use the warriors unterally. To mobilize warriors, a suitable justification and situation were needed.


    The tribal warriors had plenty to do. They needed to hunt before the dry season arrived. Every warrior upied with other tasks meant fewer hunters.


    Urich was concerned about the mountains but couldn''t spare separate warriors. At best, he could send a few to hunt and keep watch.


    <em>''With the weakened Stone Axe tribe alone, it''s hard to monitor our portion of the mountain foothills. We need more people.''</em>


    Urich sent messengers to the Blue Mist and Red Sand, butmunication between tribes was difficult. A round trip could take at least a fortnight. Without writtennguage, there was distortion in speech, and conveying detailed thoughts was hard.


    <em>''And we have no means of transportation.''</em>


    To rule multiple tribes and ally with neighboring tribes, long-distancemunication methods were necessary, namely writing and transportation.


    Urich had no choice but to wait for the return of the messengers he had sent to other tribes. He wrote some letters on the ground, engrossed in thought.


    <em>''But I''m not a schr.''</em>


    Urich erased the scribble with his foot. He was overwhelmed with tasks from small to big jobs.


    Only after an entire moon cycle had passed, contact was made with the other tribes, and a council of chiefs took ce in the Red Sand Tribe.


    Urich led about twenty warriors to the Red Sand vige. He crossed the red hills and met with Chief Belrua.


    "I''ve heard about your situation. You''ve reimed the future of the tribe. Congrattionsin a lot of waysChief Urich."


    Belrua tied back her long hair. She wiped the sweat from working in the forge and sat down. When she gestured, women brought food and drink. Hospitality was generous in any tribe.


    Here, a gift for you."


    Urich presented a crossbow and three steel weapons.


    "These are made of the same metal as the weapons you use."


    "A month ago, we encountered enemies from beyond the mountains. These are the spoils from that encounter. It seems the pioneers have made significant progress over the mountains. It wouldn''t be surprising if they cross over anytime."


    Belrua was more interested in the weapons right in front of her than the enemies. She admired the exquisite craftsmanship of the Imperial forge. She tilted the de to eye level. A good weapon was more thrilling than bedding someone. She licked her lips, put down the weapon, and picked up the crossbow.


    "What is this thing?"


    "Its a weapon that shoots arrows. It''s called a ''crossbow''."


    "It looks like a bowid on its side."


    Belrua examined the crossbow. Urich demonstrated how to use it.


    <em>Creak.</em>


    Most of the Imperial army used crossbows. There were separate archer units, but crossbows were more convenient as standard weapons. Training time was significantly shorter, and the precision and power of the empire-made crossbows were superior.


    "You load an arrow like this, and then pull this part back..."


    Urich aimed at a distant tree.


    <em>Thwip!</em>


    The arrow flew and stuck in the tree. The warriors'' eyes widened, and some even fell backward.


    "It''s quite powerful. Id say its more vicious than an amateur hunter''s arrow."


    Urich pointed to the arrow lodged in the tree.


    Warriors eager to try the crossbow cautiously approached. They were greatly interested in the


    new weapons from beyond the mountains.


    "Youve brought a precious gift."


    Belrua smiled contentedly.


    The meeting attendees were three chiefs, but Samikan from Blue Mist had not yet arrived. Urich stayed in Red Sand for three days, waiting for him.


    The Red Sand vige, rich in iron, was a hub for trade between tribes. Iron was as good as currency in tribal society. Wherever there was iron, bartering was easy.


    <em>Tribes from the west.''</em>


    Urich watched the people who hade for trade.


    Even in the west, the Stone Axe and Blue Mist tribes belonged to the eastern part. To Urich, the west was only as far as the Red Sand Tribe.


    Belrua approached Urich. Sensing his curiosity, she said to Urich.


    "If you go further west, you''ll find tribes you cant evenmunicate with. It requires double or triple trantion."


    "Have you been to the very end of the west?"


    Urich gazed at the western horizon.


    "No, Ive only heard rumors. But look at this."


    Belrua brought out a wooden crossbow. It was crudepared to the empire''s crossbows.


    <em>Did shee up with a mock-up already?''</em>


    Urich fiddled with Belrua''s crossbow.


    <em>Click.</em>


    He pulled the trigger, and an arrow shot out.


    "This is like an old mans piss stream. Its gonna be hard to use in realbat, huh?"


    Urich chuckled while watching the sluggishly flying arrow.


    "Well, yeah. It''s just a prototype based on their principle."


    Belrua thumped Urich''s back with her palm. The pats felt as heavy as a hammer.


    "We are hunters. We dont need to rely on these crossbows like they do."


    Experienced archers preferred bows, and in a tribe full of hunters, there was no need to invest in developing crossbows.


    "I said I just gave it a try, you idiot."


    Belrua snatched the crossbow, speaking dismissively. The cksmiths studied the structure of the crossbow regardless of its practicality, intrigued by the technology of the civilized.


    <em>''The Red Sand Tribe did ept my proposal out of pure curiosity.''</em>


    The Red Sand tribespeople were amicable toward the alliance with the Stone Axe tribe. The new technology Urich brought was appealing to them.


    "It wasnt wise to form a brotherhood with Samikan. You should have contacted me, Urich."


    "Do you dislike Samikan?"


    "He is a man of great ambition. He will try to expand in any way possible and try to stand above us."


    "Right. Samikan is that kind of man. Thats why I formed the brotherhood. We need ambitious men like him because we''ll continue moving west."


    Even if the three tribes united, they would barely have five thousand warriors. It was indeed a significant number, but insufficientpared to the imperial army''s strength. The number of warriors they could station in a specific area was even fewer.


    <em>''We need even more warriors.''</em>


    In tribal society, time was the only way to increase the number of warriors. Unlike civilized societies, forced conscription didnt increase soldiers.


    <em>The only way is to absorb other tribes and their warriors.</em>


    Urich didnt know how many tribes were further in the west. In fact, nobody knew the exact number.


    A Red Sand warrior approached and whispered something to Belrua. After nodding, Belrua tapped Urich''s shoulder.


    "Samikan is here."


    Samikan entered the Red Sand vige, leading his warriors. He barely washed his face before sitting at the meeting.


    "Urich! My brother!"


    Samikan opened his arms in a rather exaggerated manner. Urich and Samikan embraced, bumping shoulders.


    "Congrattions on bing the Stone Axe chief. The Blue Mist and Stone Axe are now full allies."


    Samikan patted Urich''s back and stepped back.


    "For the first time ever, three tribes have formed an alliance."


    Urich cautiously started the conversation.


    Samikan and Belrua exchanged nces, only smiling mysteriously without revealing their true intentions.


    The three chiefs sat around the table, exchanging recent events. Urich detailed his experiences in the Gizzle Mountains and ins.


    "They might cross over sooner than we think. Maybe their scouting parties already made their way over and are scouring ournds."


    Urich brought several steel weapons unproducible by tribal society. That was the proof that the enemies beyond the mountains were further into their preparation phase than they had expected.


    "So?"


    "I think we should dispatch a hundred and fifty warriors from each tribe to watch the mountains."


    "A hundred and fifty? The dry season ising. It''s hard to spare that many warriors."


    Belrua expressed her objection. Samikan also looked rather troubled.


    "Even if we were to send that many, the mountains are vast. We can''t monitor the entire range with just that number."


    Samikan shook his head. Urich, as if he had been waiting for this, drew a map on goat skin with charcoal.


    "The mountains stretch here, with the Blue Mist tribe up here, and Stone Axe down here. Theres a gorge not far from the Stone Axe. The enemy ns to build a bridge there and send their army. All their scouts wille this way. With enough warriors, we can form a tight surveince."


    Urich pointed at a single point on the mountains with the charcoal.


    "Urich, as I said, a hundred and fifty warriors is too much. That means were going to be missing that many hunters. People will starve in the dry season."


    Samikan spoke. Belrua agreed, nodding.


    "Samikan, Belrua. We are not going to prepare for the dry season."


    Urich drew the Red Sand vige and pointed west with an arrow.


    "Urich, are you serious?"


    Samikan twisted his lips, staring at Urich''s map.


    "We dont have the time to waste preparing for the dry season. We''ll go on a western expedition. With fewer mouths to feed, our current supplies shouldst. The warriors will procure resources locally as we move west. We can do this."


    Samikanughed heartily at Urich''s words.


    "This is mad! Going on an expedition during the dry season! Brilliant! Dont you think so, Belrua?"


    Unlike Samikan, Belrua touched her chin, looking at Urich anxiously.


    "How far do you n to conquer? Just crossing three tribes westward, even I don''t know the names of those tribes. It''s apletely uncharted territory."


    "Exactly, it''s worth exploring because it''s unknown. There might be tribes that have what weck. But one thing''s certain. No tribe can withstand an alliance of five thousand warriors."


    Only Belrua hesitated at Urich''s proposal. Samikan was a man driven by a desire for conquest, and the Blue Mist Tribe was safe from the dry season with its geographical advantages of ake. He was quick to embrace Urich''s bold n.


    "The Red Sand Tribe is different from your tribes. Because of the cksmith and trade, we need to leave warriors in our tribe during the dry season. We''ll send only half our warriors on the expedition. But we''ll still split the loot equally. We''ll be taking care of navigation and trantion."


    Belrua pursed her lips. Urich nodded and looked at Samikan.


    "Belrua, you are making a clever offer. Fine by me, as long as you meet my condition! I will be the leader of our alliance. I have the most warriors and the widest influence. Its only natural I lead this expedition. Urich has already agreed."


    Samikan revealed his ambition with a wide grin. Belrua sought practicality, and Samikan secured honor and prestige.


    Belrua nodded after looking at Urich and Samikan. The three chiefs exchanged a few more detailed matters.


    After the meeting was over, food and drink flowed endlessly. Spirits high, even former foes wrestled and joked.


    Urich, relieved after getting one task over the line, also drank and ate heartily.

 Chapter 154

    <h4>Chapter 154</h4>


    The warriors walked through the wastnds and ins, carrying the hefty andrge loads, moving forward with heavy steps. Even under the scorching sun, the warriors didn''tin one bit and kept their lips tightly sealed.


    The procession of warriors was of unprecedented scale.


    <i>''If we exaggerate it a bit, we have about five thousand warriors.''</i>


    Urich nced back. He couldn¡¯t see the tail end of the procession.


    The Blue Mist Tribe had mustered about two thousand warriors, including their several sub-tribes. The Stone Axe Tribe contributed around eight hundred, and the Red Sand Tribe about a thousand. Though not quite five thousand, over four thousand warriors were on the move.


    The core tribes of the tribal federation were Blue Mist, Red Sand, and Stone Axe. The remaining tribes were smaller, subordinate to these three.


    "An expedition to the west, this is unreal. Whose idea was it?"


    "It was Urich. That Irond Urich."


    "The one who supposedly crossed the mountains?"


    "Don¡¯t you think they made that up? It''s impossible to cross the mountains, isn''t it?"


    Rumors spread among the warriors who were unaware of the situation. Their hearts throbbed with excitement. It was an unprecedentedrge-scale expedition. Conquest and plunder awaited them.


    <i>''We''vee together like this, united in strength. Who would have thought?''</i>


    The warriors were both doubtful and hopeful. They called each other neighbors to make it sound better, but when the dry season came, they were enemiespeting for survival, plundering each other. This expedition started only because of the unanimous agreement from the major tribes.


    <i>''If this alliance stays this way... does it mean we won''t fight among ourselves anymore?''</i>


    This time, they did not plunder neighboring tribes. The targets of the raid were external tribes to the west. Thenguage and customs subtly changed the further westward they got.


    "Make sure the Stone Axe and Blue Mist don''t interact too closely in the march."


    Samikan instructed his men as he looked back. The Stone Axe warriors still harbored hatred for the Blue Mist. They were only withholding their rage out of respect for their chief, Urich.


    "The next rain will probably be thest one. After it ends, the dry season will begin."


    A shaman apanying them shook his bell-adorned staff and dered. He read the weather by observing the sky, using oral knowledge passed down through generations.


    "Hurry up, we have to move fast. If they hear of our movement and set up wooden fences or something, it''ll be troublesome."


    Belrua encouraged the warriors. She gestured for Samikan and Urich toe over.


    "Listen, you dick-hanging bastards. The nearby tribes have already heard of the alliance and offered themselves to join us. At least two hundred more warriors will join us. They also said they''ll provide as much supplies as they can. My guess is that they thought voluntary taxes would be better than being plundered."


    Belrua unfolded a leather map and marked the territories of the tribes. Some smaller tribes, aware of the might of the Red Sand Tribe, surrendered as soon as they could. They even joined the raiding expedition to seek benefits for themselves.


    "We better hope there are a lot of those unknown tribes, huh?"


    Urichughed as he looked at the map. He clutched at his pounding heart.


    "If we don''t get enough loot, they mighte for our heads."


    Samikan nced at the warriors and spoke to Urich. That¡¯s what being the chief meant. The warriors followed the chief''s decisions, but the chief bore the consequences. If the warriors starved during the dry season due to a poorly nned expedition, they would me the chief.


    "There has to berge tribes somewhere in the west. I''ve met people from strange ces very asionally. They traded with us after multiple interpretations."


    Belrua was confident there were many tribes in the west. She tapped her sword which was as thick as a club on her shoulder.


    "Dark clouds!"


    "Rain ising!"


    Dark clouds rolled in from the west. A refreshing heavy rain poured down. The warriors set up makeshift tents to shelter from the rain. Urich also entered a tent with his warriors.


    <i>Drip, drip.</i>


    The thick clouds covered the sun, casting a dusk-like darkness over thend. The thick raindrops knocked on the tents.


    "Fill the water bags. The shaman said it''s thest rain."


    The warriors discussed among themselves. Some ran out into the rain to wash themselves.


    Vald sat next to Urich and spoke.


    "This rainy season was long. So the dry season will be just as long too."


    Urich looked away from the rain and raised his head.


    "The terrible times areing again. Either we plunder, or we starve."


    Urich smiled bitterly. He knew ways to live without plundering. In the civilized world, crops from thend supported arge poption. Their civilization was founded on agriculture.


    "We''re always on the plundering side, Urich! You must lead us."


    Vald emphasized firmly. It was Urich''s first raid as a chief, and it was an unprecedentedlyrge one. If he did well, Urich would firmly establish his authority as a chief. This also meant that if he failed, many tribesmen would turn their backs on him.


    <i>''We can live without plundering.''</i>


    Saying so would brand Urich as a weak chief. Warriors do not follow a chief who speaks of weakness. A chief must be the wisest, most brutal, and most violent. Urich once believed such values were supreme and correct.


    <i>''I want to show these guys a different way of life.''</i>


    Urich looked at the warriors who were excited about the uing potential raid. They would drink the blood, vite the women, and steal the wealth and food of the victim tribes.


    But Urich, who proposed the expedition, only smirked bitterly at the impending plunder.


    <i>''But in the west, there''s no other way. Plundering equates to survival.''</i>


    It was a practical solution. When the dry season came, even with the alliance between the tribes, it was inevitable that the tribes would start attacking each other once food became scarce. Urich turned the direction of the plunder outward while nning to simultaneously expand his power through the expedition.


    <i>''im what''s due for the bloodshed. That''s the warrior''s way.''</i>


    Urich shook his head, recalling what he had learned in his tribe.


    <i>''I''ve spent too much time in the civilized world. I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong anymore. Everything is bing blurry.''</i>


    The ways of the barbarian and the civilized often shed. Urich chose the barbarian''s path, but he was still fascinated by civilization.


    Urich looked at the campfire under the tent. Warriors who washed themselves in the rain gathered around the fire to dry themselves.


    "Urich!"


    A warrior ran up to him breathlessly. He called Urich''s name, and Urich nodded, indicating him to speak. The warrior caught his breath and reported.


    "There''s been a fight!"


    "If they don¡¯t make up after the fight, bring them to me. I''ll be the judge."


    Part of a chief''s role is to arbitrate disputes.


    "It''s not a fight within our tribe. Our guys got into it with the warriors from Blue Mist!"


    Upon hearing this, Urich breathed a deep sigh. Even though they were deliberately separated in the procession, it was difficult to control the warriors during rest.


    <i>''It was bound to happen at some point.''</i>


    Urich grabbed his knees and stood up. He instructed the warrior to lead the way.


    <i>Splish, ssh.</i>


    Urich walked on the ground soaked with rainwater. His freshly dried body was drenched again, which annoyed him.


    "I remember your face! You''re the one who stabbed Sejan in the stomach! I''ll kill you!"


    "What, I''ve killed more than just one or two that day, how am I supposed to remember all of them? Maybe I should turn your belly inside out too!"


    "You son of a bitch!"


    "Come at me,e at me. You couldn''t even touch us. You guys are just loudmouthed pigs."


    Over a dozen warriors confronted each other, shouting and threatening. They brandished their weapons, ready to erupt into violence at any moment.


    "It''s Urich! Urich¡¯s here!"


    The warriors of the Stone Axe Tribe cheered upon seeing Urich.


    "Urich! Those guys insulted our fallen brothers!"


    Urich nced back and forth between the warriors of the two tribes.


    The Blue Mist warriors flinched upon seeing Urich. Irond Urich was well-known even among them. Some had fought alongside Urich several times.


    <i>''Stone Axe chieftain Urich is also the brother of Samikan.''</i>


    The Blue Mist warriors had to treat Urich and Samikan equally, whether they liked it or not. Samikan was an absolute figure within the Blue Mist Tribe. Ignoring Urich was surely going to provoke Samikan''s wrath.


    "Chief Urich, we were just having a normal conversation. It was your men who picked a fight."


    A Blue Mist warrior protested. Urich nodded and turned to the Stone Axe warriors.


    "They were bragging about raping our women! Are we supposed to just sit there and let them do that? They were bbering it loud as if they wanted us to hear it!"


    The Stone Axe warriors were equally indignant.


    <i>''Dammit. So these are the kind of problems thate with an alliance.''</i>


    Raping women from other tribes was a kind of boasting among warriors. Looting naturally led to raping women. Half the conversations among warriors were about such deeds.


    "It''s not right to talk loudly about such things in front of our warriors."


    Urich warned the Blue Mist warrior. Their faces contorted.


    "You''re not even our chief, and you want to control what we say?"


    "Then do you want me to go to Samikan and sort this out with him? Tell him to discipline his warriors? Do the chiefs need to step in for such petty issues? Huh? Do you think the chiefs have nothing better to do?"


    Urich kicked a stone on the ground in irritation. The Blue Mist warriors also fell silent.


    "Oooh! Urich!"


    "Get lost! Go eat your fish or something!"


    The Stone Axe warriors responded with cheers.


    Urich red at his own warriors.


    "You guys shut your mouths too. I''m not telling you to treat the Blue Mist Tribe as your brothers, but they''re not our enemies either. If you respect me as your chief, respect the alliance I''ve worked hard to establish, dammit. If this happens again, I''ll take it as a challenge to my authority and duel the instigator."


    Urich sternly warned the Stone Axe warriors. They too lowered their weapons and returned to their tents.


    <i>Wooooosh.</i>


    The rain intensified. Everyone scattered as nobody wanted to get soaked for no reason.


    After quelling the fight, Urich gathered influential warriors within the tribe for a separate talk.


    "Control the warriors to avoid conflicts with the Blue Mist. It''s the chief''s order."


    Urich emphasized that it was an order. The warriors nodded.


    <i>''The warriors support me, but my authority isn''t high. I don''t have absolute authority like Samikan.''</i>


    Urich was new to being a chief and still young. The warriors often treated him more like a gang leader than a chieftain.


    Urich loved his tribe and brothers. He could be cruel and brutal to outsiders, but not to his own people. However, a position like a chief sometimes requires harshness.


    <i>''Gizzle, being a chief is kind of tough.''</i>


    Urich chuckled, watching the warriors leave.


    "The rain has stopped!"


    "Pack up the tents! We leave right away! It''ll be hellish once the sunes up."


    As soon as the rain stopped, the warriors rose. They packed up their tents and moved immediately. Water-filled pouches dangled from their waists.


    The expedition passed through several tribes for days. Following Belrua''s words, nearby tribes surrendered and sent warriors to join the western raid. So far, things have been going smoothly without any violent conflicts.


    The distance between tribes started to widen. It felt different from the territories of the allied tribes.


    "From here on, there might be tribes I don''t know. This is where the uncharted territory begins."


    Belrua said, looking at the wastnd. The ground began to crack. She gathered pathfinders from various tribes to draw a new map.


    While listening to the pathfinders, Belrua scratched her weathered neck and spoke to the other chiefs.


    "This might take a while. The pathfinders are saying they¡¯ve never passed through here during the dry season.¡±


    Urich spat on the ground and stared into the horizon of the wastnd.


    "We can''t turn back now. If we do, it''ll be just like before, fighting among ourselves."


    As Urich spoke, Samikan, who had been silent and deep in thought, slowly opened his mouth.


    "Before we proceed, we should have the shamans cast and perform a ritual. A favorable omen will boost the warriors'' morale."


    "What if the omen is bad?"


    "The omen cannot be bad, brother. If it is, the shaman who cast it will find his head in my hands."


    Samikanughed ominously. He held even the shamans and priests in the palm of his hand. He controlled and governed the tribe by manipting even the spiritual figures who supposedly delivered the will of the heavens, to suit his own purposes.


    <i>''I have a lot to learn from Samikan.''</i>


    Urich keenly felt this. While there was no warrior his equal, being a tribal chief was a different matter. Urich was still a young, new chief.

 Chapter 155

    <h4>Chapter 155</h4>


    Shamans read the will of the heavens and advise people. In any tribe, the influence of a group of shamans was significant. Shamans, though not warriors, held a respected position among people.


    Many shamans from various tribes apanied this expedition. Shamans also acted as healers, and they were needed to tend to the wounded warriors.


    "To cast a prediction, we need a live sacrifice."


    "How do you propose we find a live sacrifice here?"


    "If there''s none, we''ll do without. Samikan wants a ritual to ensure the warriors'' safety."


    "Hmph, crossing such a barren wastnd during the dry season. The heavens won''t be pleased."


    Various tribal shamans gathered and discussed loudly. Over twenty shamans argued about how to conduct the ritual and divination, as each tribe had slightly different traditions. It seemed like reaching a consensus was still difficult.


    While there was a decisive leader, Samikan, among the tribal chiefs, the shamans didn''t acknowledge each other. Each insisted on their way without yielding to others.


    "Keke, whether we have a sacrifice or not doesn''t matter."


    The priest of the Blue Mist Tribe spoke. The Blue Mist Tribe had a custom of appointing those with six fingers as their shamans.


    "Six-Fingered..."


    Other priests and shamans looked at the Blue Mist priest. They all called him ''Six-Fingered.''


    "Samikan simply wants divinations that boost the warriors'' morale and courage."


    The shamans red at Six-Fingered.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "I¡¯m telling you that all we have to do is just make up any good fortune divination. Tell Samikan what he wants to hear."


    "Propose a false divination? Are you mad? And you call yourself a representative shaman?"


    Other priests were outraged. False divinations were unthinkable to them. They followed ancestral methods to interpret the will of the heavens. Shamans were a link between heaven and people. They took as much pride in their work as the warriors did.


    "The shamans of the Blue Mist Tribe must all use such methods. How disappointing."


    "False divinations? We can never do that."


    The shamans murmured among themselves. Facing criticism, Six-Fingered just narrowed his eyes and smiled.


    "Whether the divination is false or not, our warriors need hope. If there is evidence that the heavens support our expedition, even this split wastnd can be crossed with ease. What''s a little liepared to that?"


    Some shamans nodded at Six-Fingered''s words, but prideful priests and shamans felt repulsed.


    "Speaking falsely of heaven''s will is certainly going to lead to terrible consequences. You will be severely punished."


    "Don¡¯t you think being born into this world with six fingers is ¡®punishment¡¯ enough?"


    Six-Fingered chuckled. The disagreement among the shamans persisted. For tribes like the Stone Axe, where shamans held great influence, false divinations were absurd.


    Upon seeing the shamans in dispute, Urich strode over with a rather arrogant walk.


    "Hey, oldies. Is the ritual far off? Want me to catch you a bird with my bow or something?"


    "Chief Urich, good timing."


    The Stone Axe shamans weed Urich. He rolled his eyes, observing the power struggle among the shamans.


    <i>''That¡¯s Samikan''s loyal shaman, Six-Fingered.''</i>


    In other tribes, shamans acted independently, and their actions often shed with the chief¡¯s. However, in the Blue Mist Tribe, the shaman and chief were always in agreement. It was because Samikan controlled his group of shamans.


    <i>''I''m not exactly on good terms with our shaman either.''</i>


    Urich was a warrior who broke taboos. He wasn''t favored by the shamans and priests of his tribe.


    "Six-Fingered of the Blue Mist is proposing that we cast false divinations. Even if it benefits us now, it will bring disasterter. The heavens are not to be overlooked."


    A Stone Axe priest whispered to Urich as if he was tattling. Urich leaned his chin on his hand, looking at Six-Fingered.


    "Well, I crossed the Sky Mountains and am still fine."


    "The former chief, Gizzle, paid the price with his death! His feet rotted in agony!"


    "That was because his feet froze, not because of some random curse."


    "Are you mocking the will of the heavens? Such an attitude could endanger the entire tribe, chief!"


    The Stone Axe priest raised his voice. Urich casually listened andughed. He was used to the shamans'' criticism.


    <i>''The wrath of the heavens... huh?''</i>


    Urich wasn''t afraid of heaven''s wrath or curses. He had betrayed the gods and broken tribal taboos, yet his limbs were intact. If he was supposed to be punished by the divine, Urich should have died several times over.


    Urich chuckled, and the opposing shamans grew more agitated.


    "You''reughing now?"


    "No, no. That¡¯s not what I meant. Anyway, as Six-Fingered says, wouldn''t it be better to have a good divination?"


    "Even you, Chief Urich? Have you all lost your minds?"


    Urich looked around at the shamans. He drew out his axe and spun it in his hand. The shamans flinched and stepped back.


    "I''m not a shaman, but I can try to make a prediction. My brother Samikan... if a bad divination lowers the morale of our warriors, he will choose to behead a few shamans and offer their heads to the heavens in hopes of changing their will. And of course, I won''t be able to stop him. Oh, I think I¡¯m seeing the future. Is this what you shamans see?"


    Urich spoke nonchntly, but the shamans who were opposing him and Six-Fingered turned pale. It was a clear threat.


    <i>''Is he saying that our heads will be gone if we cast a bad divination...?''</i>


    The face of the Stone Axe High Priest turned red.


    "A chief is supposed to protect his tribespeople. Urich, as our chief, you should be on my side."


    "I''d rather be hated by one priest than to have the warriors despair over a bad omen. You don''t really like me anyway, do you? Enough talk. I''ve already conveyed my and Samikan''s decision. Prepare the ritual as you see fit, wise shamans."


    Urich pped his hands and left the ce.


    The shamans who had initially opposed the false omen fell silent. If they didn''t want to lose their heads, they had to agree with Six-Fingered''s fake omen.


    Six-Fingered plucked a gray hair from his beard, watching Urich walk away.


    <i>''Stone Axe''s Urich, there was a reason why Samikan insisted on making him a brother. He is a man with a broad mindset like Samikan''s.''</i>


    Six-Fingered, although a high priest, was a shaman with little attachment to the heavens'' will. He was born with an extra finger, almost destined to be a shaman in the Blue Mist Tribe''s customs.


    <i>''The heavens may have decided my fate, but I won''t move ording to their will.''</i>


    It was sort of a rebellion. Six-Fingered prepared a false omen. The warriors didn''t understand the shamans'' ways anyway. All they had to do was just chant something usible and cast the omen.


    Under Six-Fingered''s lead, the ritual preparation waspleted. Since there were no sacrifices, the shamans cut their palms to extract blood. They waited for the heavens'' will, offering human blood.


    "Hmmm."


    Six-Fingered hummed, watching the blood drops scatter in the water bowl. The warriors held their breath, waiting for the omen.


    "The blood points west. The heavens also watch over this expedition."


    At Six-Fingered''s words, the warriors erupted. Their thunderous roars seemed to reach the heavens.


    "The heavens guide us! Let''s go, my brothers! We shall do what no one has done before. Pleasure and glory await us beyond!"


    Samikan raised his spear to the west and shouted. The warriors stomped their feet, roaring.


    "What a splendid lie. Has Samikan always led the tribe this way?"


    Belrua crossed her arms, watching the motivated warriors. Belrua didn''t mind the false omen either. The Red Sand Tribe, being cksmiths and traders, had a more secr mindset.


    "Come here! My brother, Urich."


    Samikan gestured to Urich. Urich walked beside Samikan. Samikan grabbed Urich''s hand and raised it.


    "Stone Axe Tribe''s Chief Urich! No one here is unaware of this man! The great warrior who was the first man to cross the Sky Mountains and return! A man who crossed the mountains is with us. What is a split wastnd inparison!"


    "Ooooh!"


    "Uuuurich!!"


    The warriors'' frenzy surged hotly. Even those who were half-believing the tale of crossing the mountains were swept up in the atmosphere and believed in Urich''s feat.


    The shamans frowned upon this break from tradition and taboo, but there was no stopping the current flow. Even if there was a way, breaking morale at a time like this would do no good.


    The alliance departed before the warriors'' vigor faded. They stepped toward the split wastnd. The cracked earth seemed to parch the throat just by looking at it.


    "It really is the dry season now."


    The sun was hot, and the air was dry. Each breath made one''s throat parch.


    The warriors who were initially talkative soon fell silent, conserving even their saliva.


    "Hmm."


    Urich snatched a scorpion emerging from the cracked ground. He snapped off its tail and chewed the scorpion alive.


    <i>Crunch, crunch.</i>


    Urich spat out pieces of the scorpion''s shell, gazing at the horizon. After three days of walking, there was still nothing in sight.


    <i>''There¡¯s no need to feel rushed. We still have enough water and food.''</i>


    The warriors knew how to conserve. In a dry season, they ate and drank as little as possible.


    The tribal warriors, ustomed to trekking across vast wastnds and ins, were veterans of marching and had strong endurance.


    "Phew, Urich. Walking mindlessly is getting boring. Tell me about beyond the mountains."


    Samikan approached Urich.


    "It''ll just dry out my mouth. No thanks."


    "I''ll give you one of my water pouches."


    "Well, that certainly changes things."


    Urich smiled, taking the water pouch and wetting his mouth and lips.


    "Did I tell you about crossing the mountains before?"


    "Roughly. Up to being captured by the expedition."


    "The expedition was clumsy. They underestimated my strength. They thought tying my arms with those ropes was enough."


    Samikan wasn¡¯t the only one who listened to Urich''s story. Other warriors also walked nearby, eavesdropping. The world beyond the mountains was now virtually a fact. Despite the shamans'' warnings of evil spirits and taboos, everyone acknowledged the world beyond the mountains.


    "When they were preparing to camp, I broke the ropes with all my strength. I snatched a sword from one of them and swung it. The expedition might have climbed the mountains well, but they weren''t good fighters. In their confusion, I cut off their heads one by one."


    Urich''s story was captivating. Just as the young men of the Stone Axe Tribe were drawn to Urich, the passionate warriors with eager hearts loved his tales of adventure.


    "Great lie, Samikan. Have you always led the tribe this way?"


    Beluwa, arms folded, observed the fired-up warriors. Beluwa had no qualms about the false omen. The Red Sand, being cksmiths and traders, had a more worldly mindset.


    "Come here! My brother, Urich."


    Samikan waved Urich over. Urich walked beside Samikan, and Samikan grabbed and raised Urich''s hand.


    "Stone Axe Chief Urich! No one here doesn''t know this man! The great warrior who first crossed and returned from the Sky Mountains! What does a mere split wastnd matter when a man who crossed the mountains is with us!"


    "Ooooh!"


    "Yuuurich-!!"


    The warriors'' enthusiasm surged hotly. Those who half-doubted the story of crossing the mountains were swept up in the mood and believed in Urich''s achievement.


    The shamans, disapproving of the breaking of tradition and taboos, wore displeased expressions, but there was no stopping the current flow. Even if there was a way, dampening morale at this time would do no good.


    The confederation departed before the warriors'' fervor died down. They stepped toward the split wastnd. The cracked earth seemed to parch the throat just by looking at it.


    "It really is a dry season."


    The sun was hot, the air dry. Every breath felt as if it dried the throat.


    Initially chatty, the warriors soon fell silent, conserving even their saliva.


    "Hmm."


    Urich caught a scorpion emerging from the cracked ground. He snapped off its tail and chewed the scorpion alive.


    Crunch, crunch.


    Urich spat out pieces of the scorpion''s shell while gazing at the horizon. After three days of walking, there was still nothing in sight.


    ''No hurry. We still have enough water and food.''


    The warriors knew how to conserve. In the dry season, they ate and drank as little as possible.


    The tribal warriors, used to trekking across vast wastnds and ins, were veterans of marching with strong endurance.


    "Phew, Urich. Just walking is boring. Tell me about the other side of the mountains."


    Samikan approached Urich.


    "It''ll only dry my mouth. No thanks."


    "I''ll give you my water skin."


    "Then it''s a different story."


    Urich smiled, taking the water skin, and wet his mouth and lips.


    "Did I already tell you about crossing the mountains?"


    "Roughly. Up to being captured by the expedition."


    "The expedition was clumsy. They underestimated my strength. They thought tying my arms with those ropes was secure."


    Not just Samikan listened to Urich''s tale. Other warriors also walked nearby, eavesdropping. The world beyond the mountains was now virtually a fact. Despite the shamans'' warnings of demons and taboos, everyone recognized the world beyond the mountains.


    "When they were preparing to camp, I broke the ropes with all my strength. I snatched a sword from one of them and swung it around. The expedition might have climbed the mountains well, but they weren''t good fighters. In their confusion, I methodically beheaded them."


    Urich''s tale was captivating. Just as the young men of the Stone Axe tribe were drawn to Urich, the passionate warriors loved his tales of adventure.

 Chapter 156

    <h4>Chapter 156</h4>


    Three more days passed.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    The warriors walked without a word. Only a fierce silence lingered among them. The dry, hot weather and the endless wastnd seemed like a powder keg, ready to erupt into a mass brawl at the slightest touch.


    "I got one!"


    A clear voice rang out. Belrua, who was searching through a rotten tree, lifted a snake in the air.


    <i>Squeak.</i>


    Belrua swiftly cut off the snake''s head and peeled off its skin. The pink-fleshed snake, even after having its head cut off, wriggled its tail.


    "This one''s quite hefty."


    Belruaughed, looking at the lively snake meat. She squeezed the snake¡¯s blood from the severed end of its body and drank it. Her throat gulped down the blood.


    "Grr."


    Belrua cringed as she wiped her mouth, drinking the snake¡¯s blood as if it were liquor. The surrounding warriors swallowed hard, watching her thoroughly enjoy the snake blood.


    "What a loud way to get your fill. If you cut off its head, make sure you bury it in the ground."


    Urich said as he approached Belrua, tapping the snake''s head with a knife. The severed head still tried to bite the de.


    A snake''s head could move for a while even after being separated from the body. It was best to bury the head to prevent it from biting any innocent passerby.


    "Anyone who gets bitten by a headless snake would be better off just dying here."


    Belrua chewed on the snake''s body like a snack. The munching sound echoed in the distance.


    "We still have enough food, yet you go to the trouble of hunting snakes. Do you like snakes that much?"


    Urich said as he buried the snake''s head.


    "I just wanted some fresh blood. The best thing you can do after losing blood is replenish it right away."


    Urich scanned Belrua for any injuries.


    "Oh..."


    Urich chuckled, realizingte what she meant. She ate half of the snake and then wrapped the rest to hang at her side.


    <i>''Such an extraordinary spirit. I guess it makes sense. After all, she got the position of tribal chief in the wastnd with a woman''s body.''</i>


    Urich stared at Belrua''s back. Her back was as broad as any man¡¯s. To attain such muscles and size in a woman''s body, she must have worked incredibly hard.


    "The barren wastnd seems endless, Urich. Some of the warriors are anxious that we might end up as white bones here."


    Kirungka approached Urich, voicing the concerns of the warriors of the Stone Axe.


    "Are the great warriors of Stone Axe scared?"


    Urich teased, and Kirungka shrugged.


    "They¡¯re afraid of dying a meaningless death from all this heat and hunger. If you were to order them to charge into an enemy, they¡¯d all dly do it right now."


    Kirungka''s words were true. Anxiety was spreading among the warriors.


    <i>''Their morale was so high when we first took off, now look at them. If we hadn¡¯t forged the omen and it came out bad, something worse might have happened by now.''</i>


    The shamans, despite their discontent with the fake omens, had to admit that Samikan was right in the end.


    "If we¡¯re going to turn back, it should be now while we still have water and food."


    "We''re not turning back. We should reach the end of the split wastnds soon."


    Urich gestured for Kirungka to return. Kirungka sighed and nodded.


    That night at the camp, Urich gathered the tribal chiefs. They too seemed to have received simr grievances from their men.


    "When will this empty wastnd end, Chief of the Red Sand? We haven¡¯t seen anyone other than ourselves so far."


    The chief of the Ash Wind Tribe asked Belrua. Other minor tribal chiefs nodded and urged her as well.


    "ording to the guides, there used to be a vige around here. We should start seeing people soon, but they''ve probably moved because of the dry season. Crossing the wastnd in the dry season is new to everyone, remember that."


    Belrua spoke as she roasted the snake caught earlier. The smell of the cooking snake meat was fragrant.


    "You and your tribe are responsible for finding the way. If not..."


    Belrua interrupted the chief of the Ash Wind.


    "I''m already irritated by all this blood running down my thighs. If you talk to me like that, I might bury you right here myself."


    The rtionship between tribes was not an equal one. It was the survival of the fittest. Weaker tribes had no say, and stronger tribes could disregard the weaker ones all they wanted.


    Urich, who had been watching idly, spoke up.


    "If what the guides said is true and the original vige already moved, it''s best to look for traces. It''ll reassure the warriors that they haven''t walked all this way for nothing."


    "That''s right! That''s what I meant to say!"


    The chief of the Ash Wind hastily agreed with Urich.


    "Hmm, it might not be a bad idea to send out some scouts with quick feet. Maybe we can track them down by their trails."


    Samikan nodded. The chiefs decided to select swift warriors from their tribes to send out on a scout.


    The chiefs all picked other warriors from their tribes to go, but Urich volunteered himself.


    "Is there anyone faster than me? I don''t think so."


    Urich picked four warriors while gearing up. Other tribe warriors also set out for scouting.


    "Stone Axe, head north."


    Belrua directed the departing warriors in their scouting direction. She was frowning more than the day before as if her menstrual pain was worse.


    Urich led the warriors lightly jogging northward. The warriors followed Urich, continually checking their direction by the sun''s position.


    "Ha, I knew it. It is here."


    Urich, running at the front, caught his breath and murmured. He waved his hand to the warriors following behind.


    ¡®He really is a monster...''


    The warriors trailing Urich gasped for air, looking at him. They started at a simr pace, but gradually the gap widened. Urich even had to slow down to match the pace of the other warriors.


    "How do you think he crossed the Sky Mountains? Now you know."


    Vald encouraged the tired warriors and moved ahead. Urich had found something and was calling the warriors.


    "It''s the remains of a vige."


    Vald stood next to Urich and said. Urich squinted, gazing at the horizon. A few abandoned tents were visible.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Urich, holding his axe, whistled and walked into the deserted vige. The pots that were scattered throughout the vige grounds were empty. The ground in what seemed like the vige center was ckened from long-term fire use. It appeared they had taken everything valuable, leaving nothing useful behind.


    "Just a few empty tents, that''s all."


    Vald scratched his belly and walked into an abandoned tent.


    "Urich!"


    Vald called out from inside the tent. Urich and the warriors gathered around where Vald was.


    "Grrrr."


    A growling sound was heard. A few emancipated old men staggered out from the seemingly abandoned tent.


    "Hah, look at these sick wolves abandoned by their pack."


    Urich looked at the old men. Their ribs were visible, and their skin was clinging to their bones. The men waiting for their deaths red at Urich and the warriors.


    Vald raised his spear, patting Urich''s shoulder.


    "These old men don''t seem to like us much, do they?"


    Moving an entire vige meant they had exhausted all the resources nearby. Smaller tribes who couldn¡¯t secure goodnd often moved their settlements. Typically, while moving, they would leave their elderly behind with some food. There was no luxury to care for those who couldn''t contribute.


    The abandoned old men also epted their fate. There was no room for the logic of good and evil, morality. It was simply thew of nature...


    "Kaaak!"


    An old man let out a dry scream. He rushed at them with a crude bone knife.


    "That¡¯s dangerous, old man."


    Urich tripped the attacking old man. The attack seemed as sluggish as ever to Urich.


    "It¡¯s hard tomunicate with them, but maybe we can understand each other with gestures and signs?"


    A warrior who had already captured an old man said. Theirnguage was difficult to understand, but a few words were familiar.


    "Ask them which direction the tribe moved to."


    Even if abandoned, no old man would betray his children and grandchildren.


    "They''re not talking that easily. Should we torture them?"


    "I''ll handle it. Step aside."


    Urich drew a sharp knife. The old man looked defiantly at Urich as if he was daring him to try.


    "When the body weakens, so does your mind, old man."


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Urich slid the tip of his knife under the old man''s fingernail. Using the theory of leverage, he twisted the knife, flipping the nail clean off.


    "Keeaaagh!"


    The old man shrieked in horror, shaking and wetting himself.


    "I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t have too much water to drink here, and you still go wetting yourself like that."


    Urich didn''t give the old man a chance to catch his breath. He flipped off each fingernail one by one. Even the old man, who was once a warrior, couldn''t bear the intense pain and screamed.


    "Phew, doing the work makes the water taste even better."


    Urich took out a water pouch and drank. He pretended like he was going to offer some to the old men, demanding their answers.


    The old men kneeled, overwhelmed by thirst and pain. Somey on their stomach, indicating they would tell everything.


    Urich and the warriors cross-referenced the directions given by the old men and found out where the original tribe had moved to.


    "It¡¯s northwest of here."


    "They must have gone that way because that¡¯s where the food is."


    "What should we do with these old men?"


    "Just leave them. The corpse cleaners are waiting patiently."


    Urich looked at the eagles circling in the sky and said. The warriors chuckled and left the vige. The old men, waiting only for death, crawled back into the tents.


    Urich and his warriors rejoined the alliance group. Other scouts were also returning one by one. Some had been unsessful, but some brought back information like Urich.


    "Where''s Belrua?"


    Urich looked for Belrua. A Red Sand warrior pointed to a tent.


    "Hey, Belrua. I think I found the location of the tribe you talked about..."


    Urich stopped talking as he entered the tent. He looked at Belrua lying face down.


    "God. Fucking. Dammit. I want to cut out my lower belly myself."


    Belrua groaned, clutching her abdomen. Urich sniffed sensitively. The tent smelled of women''s blood.


    "Should I call a shaman to make some medicine?"


    "Quack doctors'' medicines are useless."


    "Must be terribly painful, huh?"


    Urich said in a half-teasing tone.


    "It feels like someone is dancing with a knife inside my belly. Continue what you were saying. My issues are my concern. Work is still work."


    Belrua sat up forcibly. She was sweating profusely.


    "There was an abandoned vige. We tortured an old man there, and he told us the direction the tribe moved to."


    "It¡¯s probably the Scorpion Spear Tribe. They crossed the wastnds during the rainy season to trade with us."


    Urich nodded and left Belrua''s tent. Outside, warriors were gathering in small groups, chatting away.


    They were going to spend the night at the current campsite and move on tomorrow.


    Urich looked at the ground, searching for a suitable-sized rock.


    "What are you doing, Urich? You gonna cook some rocks? Is that a thing from beyond the mountains?"


    A warrior watched Urich curiously.


    Urich shrugged and heated a rock he found in the campfire. He took it out when it was hot enough and wrapped it in leather.


    "Belrua, this is a heated rock. Put it on your belly; it might help."


    Urich tossed the wrapped rock into Belrua''s tent, not bothering to enter.


    The next day, the warriors woke up before dawn to set off while it was still rtively cooler.


    Urich yawned and packed his belongings. He nced at Belrua''s tent. As she dismantled the tent, their eyes met.


    Belrua nodded slightly in greeting. Urich nodded back.


    "Let''s move!"


    Samikan shouted. The warriors set off again.

 Chapter 157

    <h4>Chapter 157</h4>


    The Scorpion Spear Tribe moved their vige around often. Their territory was far from being good, fertilend. The pastures were scarce, and half of thend became barren during the dry season.


    "Make sure to double-check the number of the goats."


    "This dry season seems like it will be long."


    The Scorpion Spear Tribe members looked up at the sky, frowning. There were no old people among them who couldn''t work. Those who couldn''t work had all been left behind in the previous vige.


    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>


    The men drove stakes into the ground to secure the tents.


    The area around the new dwelling had grass growing, albeit low. The children took the goats to the pasture to graze.


    "We probably have to go on a raid, right?"


    "How about the Dry Earth Tribe? If we go further north from here, we should be able to find their settlement. I saw them once before, and they had arge flock of goats."


    The Scorpion Spear warriors gathered to discuss how to survive the dry season. The conclusion always came back to raiding.


    The dry season was a dreadful time for everyone. Anything was permissible to survive.


    "We will survive."


    The warriors looked into each other''s eyes and agreed. The poption of the Scorpion Spear tribe was slowly increasing. When the current children became warriors, they might even consider expanding their territory.


    While the warriors were nning the raid, a boy ran up to them.


    "What''s the matter, Garhi?"


    A warrior stood up and asked the boy.


    "T-the goats... Huff, huff."


    "The goats what?"


    The expressions of the warriors hardened. Losing goats now would make surviving the dry season difficult.


    "Enemies! Enemies!"


    The boy didn¡¯t need to finish his sentence. The shouts of the tribe members were heard. A group of warriors was approaching from the horizon. The number of warriors, all armed, was greater than the entire poption of the Scorpion Spear Tribe.


    "A-are they raiders from the west?"


    The Scorpion Spear warriors grabbed their weapons and cursed. In total, they had only about three hundred warriors at most.


    <i>Buuuup!</i>


    The horn of the raiders sounded long and loud.


    "Stop them! We can¡¯t let them get any closer. Keep them out of the vige!"


    The Scorpion Spear warriors met the enemy at the vige entrance, but they were overwhelmed by the enemies without even knowing their identity. They screamed and knelt.


    "Blood and glory!"


    The raiders shouted.


    "Let the blood spill!"


    It was practically a one-sided massacre. The warriors'' patience ran out after crossing the barren wastnd, and misced anger was poured out on the innocent Scorpion Spear Tribe.


    "We crossed that goddamn wastnd so we could see your guts!"


    The warriors roared, beheading the enemies. Some, drunk on frenzy, even drank the blood of the victims. Warriors covered in blood strode into the vige.


    "Hey, this is a nice vige, Vald! Quick, go to the food storage and take control! Don¡¯t let these guys eat it all; we need it!"


    Urich twirled his axe and entered the vige. He called Vald and asked him to manage the food supply. If left unchecked, the exhrated warriors might eat up everything they can find.


    The Scorpion Spear warriors had already lost their will and copsed. The dead or maimed warriors groaned on the ground.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    All that was left was to reap the rewards. The warriors entered the tents and attacked the women. Women''s screams were heard.


    <i>¡®Even with a woman chief, the Red Sand Tribe is no different. After all, no warrior would follow a chief who forbids rape during raids.''</i>


    Warriors shed blood in battle and in return, possessed everything from the raid.


    "Oops, you should pick on someone your own size."


    Urich threw his axe. A young boy with a spear, who was attempting a sneak attack on Urich, was hit by his axe. The beardless boy was struck down.


    <i>Squelch.</i>


    Urich stepped on the boy''s chest and pulled out the embedded axe. His face wasn''t entirely joyful, as a bitter smile lingered.


    "We didn¡¯te all the way here just to plunder small viges, Samikan."


    Urich stood beside Samikan and said to him, "I know, it''s about conquest and consolidation. It''s unfortunate for the Scorpion Spear Tribe, but our tired warriors need a sacrifice. Today, we should let them indulge in their pleasures."


    Even Samikan wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the current frenzy. Trying to control the excited warriors could backfire in the future, even possibly in the form of a rebellion. To maintain power, a chief always needed the warriors'' support.


    "Hey, move aside, let me have a turn."


    Urich scratched his head and entered a tent where a woman''s scream was heard. Urich, too, had pent-up lust. Although he felt sorry for the women, he wasn''t kind-hearted enough to abstain from finding satisfaction throughout the entire expedition.


    "Just hold your waist up. I''ll make it quick."


    Urich said while pulling the woman''s hair back. The woman, somewhat understanding what he meant, nodded tearfully with a choked sob.


    <i>Slip.</i>


    Urich, with his pants down, sensed someone behind him and grabbed a weapon.


    "Urich, the chiefs are meeting. A bunch of them are going to bete because they¡¯re busy taking care of themselves like you, so take your time. And oh, you got a nice ass on you."


    Belrua leaned against the door, chuckling. She waved her hand lightly as she passed.


    "Man, shit."


    Urich felt disgruntled as if he had shown something he shouldn''t have. He listlessly held the woman''s waist for a moment, then pushed her away and pulled up his pants with a frustrated face, and left the woman and the tent.


    Outside, the chiefs were gathered. As Belrua said, other chiefs werete to the meeting due to their indulgence with women. They all seemed overly excited, standing awkwardly with their lower bodies still damp from the earlier deeds.


    "The hard work is over. From now on, we¡¯ll run into tribe after tribe."


    Samikan punted a bloodied Scorpion Spear warrior who had been brutally tortured. The warrior spewed insults in front of the chiefs.


    "We''ve crossed the split wastnd!"


    "Oho! We did it! Shout it out! Warriors!"


    Encouraged by their chiefs, passing warriors raised their weapons and hands, shouting loudly.


    "We should move as quickly as we can. This tribe didn''t expect us toe. It''s easy to crush those who are unprepared."


    "Only take enough provisions and gather the spoils in one ce to collect on our way back."


    "What if someone pilfers them?"


    "Judging by your immediate concern, it seems you''re nning to pilfer the spoils yourself."


    "Are you insulting me now?"


    The chiefs¡¯ mouths were harsh, still excited from the battle.


    "Whoa, calm down. If you want to fight, I''ll be your opponent. My body isn''t quite warmed up yet; I''m gonna feel stiff tonight."


    Urich, who was cracking some nuts, lifted his axe with his toes and said. He showed a trick of kicking the axe back and forth between his feet.


    "Ehem."


    The bickering chiefs sat down. Nothing good was going toe out of upsetting Samikan, Urich, and Belrua.


    After conquering the Scorpion Spear Tribe, the alliance rested for two days before advancing right away.


    The alliance''s forces moved westward. Raiders during the dry season weremon, but not on this scale. The alliance swallowed every tribe they met. Those who resisted were crushed, and those who surrendered were only levied tribute.


    The alliance from the east trampled two tribes and absorbed four. The notorious reputation of the alliance during the dry season spread westward.


    "That one¡¯s going to be a pain in the ass."


    Samikan squinted at the vige on top of a hill. Urich also keenly assessed the vige''s structure with his good eyes.


    "Samikan, the wooden fence surrounding the vige is taller than ourselves. There are several watchtowers too. Recklessly approaching will lead to heavy casualties. That slop is practically a cliff. Our heads are going to pop helplessly by their arrows."


    "The only gentle slope at the entrance is narrow. It¡¯s a perfect vige for defense. If Noah were here, he might have had an idea..."


    Samikan smacked his lips. It was difficult to bring Noah, who had only one leg, on the expedition.


    "That''s a fortified vige. Usually, those who have a lot to protect do this. We¡¯ll get a lot of the good stuff if we raid it sessfully. And that also means there must be raiders in this area that can''t be stopped without such a fortress. Everything happens for a reason. We should scatter outposts around to keep watch for external threats while we¡¯re here. What, why are you all staring at me? You jealous of my handsome face?"


    Urich muttered his thoughts, then suddenly felt the gathered gazes. Samikan and the other chiefs were looking at him.


    <i>''That is quite an incredible insight. Is it because of his experience beyond the mountains...''</i>


    Samikan twitched. Urich had deduced much just by looking at the vige from afar. Every time, Urich''s warrior capabilities were impressive. It seemed unlikely they would lose in battles or fights with Urich on their side.


    "So, how should we attack it? Brother. Of course, we could just push through with brute force, but our losses won''t be small."


    Samikan put his hand on Urich''s shoulder and asked.


    "There''s a tactic called the Turtle Formation. Since your Blue Mist warriors are already trained in formations, it should be easy for them to follow."


    Urich called the shield-bearing warriors. The chiefs naturally gathered, and the warriors also converged, paying attention to Urich''s exnation.


    "Stand close enough to feel each other''s sticky skin. Rubbing bodies against each other might not feel great for you men, but it''s better than dying. Hold the shields up and ovep them on top of each other, and make sure there aren¡¯t any gaps."


    Urich gestured to other warriors. The soldiers mimicked him, raising their shields overhead, ovepping them tightly.


    "This should be enough to block the arrows and stonesing from above. It should be enough against such a makeshift fortress. I doubt they have boiling grease or heavy rocks."


    Urich had experienced siege warfare in the civilized world. He learned much from the knights of civilization back then.


    The Turtle Formation was simple but effective. Especially since the Blue Mist warriors had experience in shield battles, they had many medium-sized shields suitable for the turtle formation.


    "The wooden fence seems high but it shouldn¡¯t be too sturdy. Hook a grappling hook into the gap and pull; it will copse pretty easily. If you don''t understand, I''ll show you. Samikan! Give me forty warriors good with shields."


    Urich took control of the war council. Encountering a fortified vige, Urich was like a fish in water, unleashing his knowledge.


    "I¡¯m saying this just in case, but do not flinch if you get hit by an arrow, and keep holding your shield straight up. If you drop your shield, it''s not just you who dies, but your brothers beside you too."


    Urich spoke to the warriors preparing the formation. They nodded, showing disciplined behavior. The Blue Mist warriors respected Urich. He was Samikan''s brother and had proven himself on the battlefield multiple times.


    "Alright warriors, let¡¯s take our baby steps forward!"


    Urich led the forty warriors toward the fortress. As arrows began to fly, they lifted their shields overhead, ovepping them. The shields covered the sights of not only the fortress but the warriors themselves as well. Blinded, the warriors listened to the sound of arrows falling on their shields.


    "Don''t panic and don¡¯t rush! Match the pace with the person in front of you! If the gap between the shields widens, we die!"


    Urich, at the very front of the formation, shouted. Urich and the forty warriors slowly advanced to the wooden fence. From a distance, it looked like turtles crawling.


    <i>Thump! Thud!</i>


    Urich heard the sound of arrows hitting the shields. The rhythmic sound, like a downpour, pleased him. Heughed loudly, and the warriorsughed along.

 Chapter 158

    <h4>Chapter 158</h4>


    The warriors shooting arrows from atop the fence were taken aback. As the raiders lifted their shields tightly and advanced toward their fortress, the warriors didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    "Look for the gaps and aim for them!"


    It was easier said than done; from above, those gaps were invisible.


    <i>Ting!</i>


    Drawing the bowstring was futile. The raiders with shields raised high were approaching right below the fence.


    The warriors had driven off numerous raiders until now. By building a dense wooden fence and shooting arrows and throwing stones from above, any raider group was quick to flee. It felt rewarding to repel the raiders, justifying the hard work put into fortifying the vige.


    "Shit, could they be the raiders from the east?"


    Rumors had been making their way around the area. A massive group of warriors from the east was heading toward the west. It was said their numbers could cover the vast wastnd.


    "It''s the eastern raiders!"


    "It really is them!"


    The warriors on top of the wooden fence shouted in terror-stricken voices. They looked toward the horizon. A stampede of warriors, seemingly around five thousand, were advancing with loud battle cries. If these ruthless warriors attacked all at once, they could easily demolish even a fortified vige like theirs with ease.


    ''But why are they sending only a small group to do this?''


    The goal of the alliance didn¡¯t stop at plundering only this vige. They nned to continue advancing west as much as their forces allowed. The alliance employed efficient strategies and tactics to conserve their forces as much as possible.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    Urich noticed the sound of arrows hitting the shield had grown less frequent. He slightly lifted his shield to look up at the fence. The warriors on the fence had lost half their fighting spirit upon seeing the alliance¡¯s forces appear on the horizon.


    <i>¡®I need to teach our warriors about the tactics used by the empire. They must admire but not fear the battle techniques of the imperial army. We fear things because we don¡¯t understand or know it, but once we do both, nothing can scare us.''</i>


    This was Urich¡¯s one goal. To teach the warriors the strategies and tactics utilized by the imperial army.


    When the imperial army crosses the mountains, presumably in the near future, the warriors will have to face them. The imperial army has developed strategies and tactics from its long history of national wars. If the warriors had to confront them without knowing those, they stood no chance.


    "Urich! The hill is too steep to climb up like this!"


    The warriors shouted. It was difficult to ascend the hill in front of the fence. Even if they managed to get their feet on the hill, the soft soil caused them to slide straight back down.


    <i>''Maintaining the Turtle Formation and climbing the hill at the same time isn¡¯t going to work.''</i>


    Urich took a deep breath, locking eyes with the warriors.


    "I''ll go up the hill and ce the hook in between the fences. Wait here."


    The warriors'' eyes widened. Urich had volunteered to do the most dangerous task.


    Urich received the hook from a warrior behind him. It was a hook connected to a well-oiled rope.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s as expected. The fence is tall, but it¡¯s not really sturdy. I guess a fence like this was enough to keep them safe around here.''</i>


    Urich surveyed the fence.


    To build walls like those of the empire, specialized skills and massivebor were required. Compared to that, this wooden fence was pitiful. And that was the gap between the uncivilized and civilized worlds.


    "Hmph!"


    Urich inhaled deeply and dashed forward. He held a shield above him as he quickly climbed the hill. Climbing the hill required using both hands, making it difficult to hold the shield.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich chucked his shield in front of him and under the fence. He climbed the hill using his hands to support himself.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Arrows flew. Urich twisted his head to dodge the arrows.


    <i>''Quickly.''</i>


    The warriors on the fence aimed at Urich.


    "I got him!"


    One of the warriors who shot the arrow eximed. But then, he widened his eyes in shock. The arrow that hit Urich''s belly powerlessly bounced off. Underneath Urich''s leather armor, a steel breastte glinted.


    "Heh."


    Urich scoffed and leaped. He reached the top of the hill in the blink of an eye and quickly grabbed the shield lying below the fence.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich wedged the hook into a gap in the shabby fence. He held the shield behind him and jumped down the hill.


    "Pull!"


    Urichmanded as he ran back down the hill. The warriors, maintaining the Turtle Formation, held the shield with one hand and the rope connected to the hook with the other. Their bronzed forearms bulged with tension.


    "Ooooh!"


    The warriors screamed as they pulled the rope. The fence trembled under their force.


    "One more time!"


    Urich joined the formation and shouted. He entered the center of the formation, protected by other shields. He grabbed the rope with both hands and roared nearly to the point of screaming.


    "Gaaaargh!"


    Urich pulled the rope with all his might. The sound of the fence splitting echoed.


    "Ooh!"


    The warriors leaned in unison, causing their formation to be slightly disrupted as arrows fell between them. A warrior was hit in the legs and thighs.


    "We''re almost there!"


    The warriors'' faces turned red. They gritted their teeth as they exerted themselves.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The sound of the fence breaking was audible even from a distance. The fence was about to copse.


    "The horn!"


    Upon hearing Urich''smand, a warrior blew the horn.


    <i>Buuuuup!</i>


    The horn''s signal reached the main force. The army of the alliance, nearly numbering five thousand, started their movement.


    The warriors pulled the ropes tighter, drooling with effort.


    "Oooooh!"


    The sensation of palms scraping against the rope and shoulders barely holding up was intense.


    <i>Craaaaack!</i>


    The wooden fence broke, and its surroundings crumbled. The fence, which was built to support each other, was flimsy once one side fell.


    "Chaaaaarge!"


    Urich, who had fallen over backward while pulling the ropes, stood up and shouted. The warriors rushed toward the breached fence.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Several warriors grabbed the weakly leaning fence and threw it aside. Soon, the main force of five thousand more warriors joined and rushed into the vige like a tidal wave.


    The fortified vige, which was expected to require a rather significant sacrifice of strength, was conquered much more easily by breaking down part of the fence.


    The looters entered, killing the resisting warriors. Soon, the vige chief knelt and bowed down.


    "ept our protection and pay tribute."


    Samikan sat on a chair and spoke. The message was conveyed through a double trantion. But the situation was clear even without words.


    "If you join the expedition and contribute, you will share in the spoils equally."


    Samikan said this and waited patiently for a response. The dialogue and negotiation were slow due to the necessity of a double trantion, but Samikan was a patient man who didn''t rush people.


    Urich looked at Samikan.


    <i>''Samikan might as well be called a king already.''</i>


    The tribes had no concept of a king. However, considering the number of other chiefs under Samikan and the territories he controlled, he could easily be called a king by the standards of the civilized.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Urich wiped the blood off his body. They had conquered a vige fortress with over five hundred warriors, yet the casualties of the alliance were only in the dozens. That was all thanks to Urich''smand in battle.


    "Do not rape the women even if you want to. Their chief here will soon offer them to you himself."


    The warriors did not act recklessly. Their desire for blood and sexual satisfaction had been somewhat satisfied earlier. They followed their chief¡¯s orders without making a fuss.


    On one side, the sound of moaning was in full swing. There were many women brought as ves, not just from the looted area. The warriors, excited by battle and blood, roughly manhandled the female ves.


    <i>''This is my people and my homnd.''</i>


    Urich passed by the rough men and climbed onto the fence that was still intact. As the day darkened, the heated ground cooled.


    The federation grew day by day. Even the Stone Axe warriors and the Blue Mist warriors, who once hated each other, began to mingle. Tribal warriors who grew up in differentnds started calling each other brothers under the alliance¡¯s bond.


    The battlefield was where the warriors shared their deepest friendships. There was no deeper bond than sharing each other''s lives and swinging weapons in the same direction, at the same enemy.


    "Urich! Why don¡¯t youe down and drink with us?"


    The other warriors called out to Urich. Everyone in the alliance knew him. Not just because he was one of the three major chiefs, but also because Urich''s feats in their looting and conquest stood out.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich heard someone climbing up the fence.


    "Greetings, Chief Urich."


    "This is the first time you''re speaking to me first, Six-Fingered."


    Urich looked at Six-Fingered. Six-Fingered''s face was painted ck, highlighting only his eyes and lips. He approached Urich, shaking a staff adorned with numerous fish bones.


    "I watched the battle quite well. It was a fight worthy of gaining other warriors'' respect, indeed."


    "It''s been a while since I''ve received praise from a shaman. My tribe¡¯s shamans never really liked me."


    Six-Fingeredughed with a voice mixed with phlegm.


    "Crossing the Sky Mountains is indeed an unforgivable taboo. It''s an act of challenging the sanctity of the Mountains."


    The tribes'' shamans only passed down knowledge orally. They didn''t have a sophisticated system of faith. Instead, there were just a few taboos, which varied from tribe to tribe. However, crossing the Sky Mountains was a universally acknowledged taboo.


    "But the Blue Mist Tribe epted the foreigner Noah Arten, even though he crossed the Sky Mountains."


    Urich chuckled.


    "If we didn¡¯t, Samikan would have had our heads. We had no choice."


    "Are youining about that?"


    "No, not at all. Our Chief Samikan is a great warrior. He has achieved tremendous feats even now. But you, who have crossed the Sky Mountains twice, have also achieved great feats. You are quiteparable to Samikan."


    Urich narrowed his eyes. Six-Fingered''s words were chilling, but Urich couldn¡¯t point out why.


    <i>''What does he gain by ttering me?''</i>


    Urich stared at Six-Fingered with suspicion. Six-Fingered observed Urich''s reaction andughed.


    "You challenged the sanctity of the Sky Mountains and still lived tomand the warriors. I heard that the former chief of the Stone Axe Tribe died trying to cross the mountains."


    "He died because he climbed without the proper preparation."


    "That''s not really important. The point is that multiple attempted it with the same approach, yet one died, and one didn¡¯t. That¡¯s what¡¯s important. Even Noah Arten lost his legs as a price for crossing. What did you lose for crossing the Sky Mountains?"


    "I lost the afterlife and gained knowledge. I learned that we have nowhere to go after we die."


    Six-Fingered widened his eyes and shook his staff. The fish bones ttered.


    "We ascend to the Sky Mountains when we die. We believed there was a world beyond for the souls to live in. But you''ve proven such a ce doesn''t exist. So, where did the souls that climbed the mountains go? We''re seeking answers to that question."


    "I don¡¯t think those are the words that should being out of the mouth of someone who deceives the heavenly omens."


    "That''s one thing, and this is another."


    Six-Fingered coughed and spread his six fingers. He used each of his six fingers freely.


    Urich watched the moving six fingers. The movement reminded him of insect legs, and it disgusted him.


    "After this expedition, just as the chiefs have gathered... the shamans will also gather under the Sky Mountains to seek the answer from the heavens."


    "Oh yeah? I hope you guys get some good results."


    "Chief Urich, remember. I can be of help to you."


    Six-Fingered said this and disappeared. Urich made sure that Six-Fingered was gone andughed.


    "What a cunning man."

 Chapter 159: The Dwarves

    <h4>Chapter 159: The Dwarves</h4>


    The negotiations between the tribes went well. The alliance took a new tribe under its wing, promising protection and a fair share of spoils.


    Urich slept soundly with a woman in his arms. There was no need for force, as many women desired Urich''s strong seed. Just as it was a man''s duty to be a warrior, it was a woman''s mission to bear strong warriors.


    "Sigh."


    Urich woke up to the morning dew. He climbed up to the fence, only to find the warriors on guard busy nodding off.


    "Wake up, you idiots."


    Urich kicked the sleeping warrior''s behind.


    "Ah, I-I wasn''t sleeping."


    The warrior hastily imed.


    "If you somehow miss an attack because you were too busy sleeping on your job, you''ll pay for it with your head."


    Urich issued a stern warning. Failure in guard duty could cost lives. Urich had seen too many cases like that.


    "People here have built the fence quite high. It can¡¯t possibly just be for keeping out wild beasts."


    A warrior muttered. Urich agreed with the observation.


    "That''s something Samikan will ask about today."


    The negotiations with the new tribe took the entirety ofst night. The discussion about the fence had to be set aside.


    "Hmm?"


    Urich squinted at the sunrise. He tapped the shoulder of the warrior beside him.


    "I see something."


    The warriors on guard also frowned.


    "A mountain goat?"


    Urich shouted. He saw a brown-haired mountain goat, though seeing one wasn¡¯t the surprising factor.


    <i>''There''s someone on the goat¡¯s back.''</i>


    It was blurry from the distance, but it was clear someone was riding the goat.


    The goat circled the vige from afar. A goat wasn''t an animal meant to be ridden by a person. If Urich tried it, he would snap the goat''s back.


    "Shit, it''s really fast."


    The warriors grabbed their bows and ran out, but the goat had already disappeared into the distance. Confused, the warriors looked at each other and then up at Urich.


    "Urich, what do we do?"


    "Wake up Samikan!"


    Urich looked southward, where the mountain goat had vanished. He felt a chill. There were those in the west who also tamed animals for riding.


    Urich immediately went to find Samikan. Samikan greeted Urich with a sleepy face.


    "Oh, Urich. Let''s have breakfast together."


    "Now''s not the time for breakfast. Call the chief of this vige."


    "I will, but I hope it''s something worth skipping breakfast for."


    "I spotted a mountain goat."


    Samikan frowned.


    "That¡¯s it? That¡¯s what you¡¯re making such a big deal about?"


    "There was a person riding it."


    "What?"


    Samikan was puzzled.


    "The person I saw tame goats for riding. The people here have to know who they are."


    Interpreters and tribal chiefs gathered one by one. They too heard the situation from another warrior.


    "A person riding a goat? Are you sure you didn''t just see a stray goat from the herd?"


    "The goat circled our vige and passed by. It was definitely scouting us, and someone was definitely on its back."


    Urich was certain. The other warriors who were also at the fence made the same testimony. The tribal chiefs exchanged nces and shrugged.


    "These people say they''re human hunters."


    The final interpreter spoke.


    "Human hunters?"


    "What does that even mean? Are you sure you didn¡¯t misinterpret what they said?"


    The chiefs were skeptical, but the interpreter was adamant.


    "The fences around the vige were built to keep out those human hunters."


    "What? Ask them for more detail."


    The chief who exined about the human hunters pounded his chest in frustration. The conversation was slow due to needing to be tranted twice.


    Eventually, the chiefs discussed the human hunters over breakfast. They sipped on a sticky meat porridge, listening intently.


    The locals called the warriors who rode mountain goats and wore wooden masks human hunters. They were warriors from somewhere in the south.


    "They wear wooden masks and ride around on the back of mountain goats. And they are also terrifying warriors skilled with various weapons."


    Urich, who was quietly listening, raised his hand for a question.


    "Even if they''re small, a grown warrior riding a goat? That''s nonsense, isn¡¯t it? Are you sure they¡¯re not using children? They''re hiding their faces with masks, right?"


    The interpreter ryed Urich''s words. After a while, the interpreter spoke again.


    "ording to them, they''ve captured a human hunter and removed his mask before, and it was a fully bearded adult. Although they¡¯re shorter than our chests, their ferociousness is extreme enough for the vige people to fear them.¡±


    The warriors murmured at this exnation. It sounded utterly bizarre.


    "Dwarf monsters."


    "They built their fences because they were scared of some dwarves? Hah, how pathetic is that?"


    The warriorsughed, but the chiefs didn''t find the fact that they were dwarves amusing.


    "This isn''t something to take lightly. If they''re warriors who ride goats, their mobility must be incredible."


    Samikan muttered. He had heard stories from Noah about the empire¡¯s cavalry. The zebras of the west were too wild to tame, but the dwarves had apparently tamed goats for riding.


    "Why do they call them human hunters and not just raiders?"


    The trantion went back and forth again.


    "They say their goal isn''t looting. They kill people to prove their bravery, taking their heads with them. They are literally hunting humans."


    "Hah, that¡¯s impressive."


    Urichughed. It would be a mistake to underestimate these dwarves for their small stature.


    "They''ve noticed the fence is down, so they''ll probably attack us tonight."


    Urich weed these words. He had seen giants in the north and dwarves in unfamiliarnds of his homnd. Excitement pounded in his chest.


    "Let theme. We''ll show them the strength of real men. If they''re half our size, their dicks must be half as well!"


    Urich stomped his foot and shouted, and the warriors raised their hands in response.


    "Tell them to bring it on!"


    "Woahhh!"


    The warriors armed themselves and waited for nightfall. The warriors on guard stood vignt, eyes wide open, not dozing off.


    * * *


    The warriors better known as human hunters were of small stature. Even fully grown adults looked simr to ten-year-old boys. They didn''t believe that physical size determined a warrior''s capability. Instead, they proved their prowess by killingrger men with their smaller bodies.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The human hunters pulled and checked their bowstrings. They lifted their wooden masks all the way to the top of their heads, grinning at each other. Their skin was darker than that of typical westerners.


    The human hunters called themselves the Phergamos, which meant ''small feet'' in theirnguage. The Phergamos were an isted tribe, so much so that even the closest tribe couldn''t understand theirnguage. To reach their actual dwelling, they had to ride their mountain goats far south.


    "Let the hunt begin, my brothers."


    One of the Phergamos warriors said to the others, lowering his wooden mask with a boyish, joyous face. The mask, modeled after a tree ghost, had elongated eyes and mouth, giving off an eerie vibe.


    The Phergamos warriors mounted their goats, grabbing the reins. The goats bleated loudly.


    "Kwaaa!"


    There were about fifty Phergamos warriors, all mounted on battle goats.


    Not all goats were suitable to be made battle goats. The Phergamos selected healthy male goats, feeding them a special diet developed over generations and subjecting them to rigorous training. The meticulously raised battle goats wererger and sturdier, capable of carrying a Phergamos warrior across thends, roaming at great speeds.


    The battle goat was the Phergamos warrior''s greatest asset. They regarded their goats as their own brothers.


    "Let''s show those no-good tall louts our strength."


    The Phergamos warriors rode out on their battle goats. They preferred long to medium-range weapons. Due to their small stature, no amount of training could help them best the taller men with spears and swords.


    <i>Creaaaak!</i>


    The Phergamos warriors grasped their short bows. They pulled the bowstrings with a strong force that was hard to believe came from their small frames.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    The arrows of the Phergamos warriors poured into the vige fort. They had seen the vige fence smashed in the morning.


    <i>''The vige has already been hit by raiders once. Easy pickings.''</i>


    The Phergamos warriors were not after food or wealth. They simply killed to unt their strength.


    <i>Thump, thump, thump.</i>


    A rumble spread throughout the vige. The Phergamos warriors sensed something was off and pulled their goats back.


    "Fire!"


    Samikan shouted from inside the vige.


    This was not in the calctions of the Phergamos warriors. They had no idea there were five thousand warriors stationed inside the raided vige. It was a careless mistake of scouting only the perimeter fences as usual.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A literal rain of arrows fell upon the Phergamos warriors. It was a shower that even the small-statured warriors couldn''t weasel around. About fifty Phergamos warriors were hit by the arrows and tumbled to the ground.


    "Arghhhhh!"


    A barely injured Phergamos warrior frantically pulled the reins, fleeing. He looked back at the vige, where torches flickered. An enormous number of warriors were visible.


    "With a wide shower like this, even the quick ones shouldn¡¯t be able to dodge the arrows."


    Urich walked out of the vige, looking at the strewn dwarfs.


    "Grab the ones that are still breathing and get them patched up."


    The alliance¡¯s warriors began to clear the battlefield. Their chatter was non-stop.


    "They really are dwarfs, huh? These guys are shorter than my little brother."


    "They have a child''s body but their faces are old. Truly freakish creatures."


    "Where in the hell did these monsterse from?"


    The warriors chatted as they moved the dwarfs.


    "Watch out!"


    Despite being hit by arrows, the goats suddenly stood up, ramming the warriors with their horns. The sharply curved horns were as good as any other weapons. A warrior screamed as his intestines were pierced by a goat''s horn.


    "Gaaaagh!"


    Urich threw his axe at a goat''s neck. The axe buried halfway into the goat''s neck, yet the goat continued to thrash wildly.


    "What kind of goat is this ferocious?"


    Urich, who had thrown the axe, said with a dumbfounded look. He drew his sword and decisively cut the thrashing goat''s neck. The sensation of cutting through was thick.


    <i>''These aren''t ordinary goats. They''rerger and more muscr. Like the bred horse species back over in civilization.''</i>


    The warrior pierced by the goat''s horn was as good as dead. His excrement flowed from the burst intestine across his abdomen.


    "Ask the shaman for some strong medicine. When your mind starts to fade, I¡¯ll end your pain without any suffering."


    "Dying by a goat''s horn, I don¡¯t even want to face my father on the other side... Keke."


    The warriorughed helplessly in the face of death.


    The shamans of the alliance treated the injured dwarfs. Though most were dead, a few showed signs of recovery.


    "They are a cursed tribe."


    Some shamans didn''t hide their disdain and disgust toward the dwarfs. To them, dwarfs were merely aberrant humans.


    "Whether they are cursed or not, they''re no ordinary folks. Even the sticity in this short bow is no joke."


    Urich remarked as he examined the dwarf''s equipment, noting the considerable craftsmanship. The practice of domesticating goats for riding alone indicated the tribe''s unique culture and technology.

 Chapter 160

    <h4>Chapter 160</h4>


    Chikaka, a Phergamon warrior, widened his eyes and stared at the bulky man standing before him.


    <i>''What does he want from me?''</i>


    Chikaka was on high alert because he was unarmed. He was shackled at the legs, preventing any swift movement.


    "...Urich."


    Therge man said as he pointed to himself. Chikaka understood what that meant.


    "I am Chikaka," Chikaka spoke cautiously.


    Urich attempted tomunicate with the Phergamon warrior.


    <i>''These dwarfs speak anguage that ispletely different from ours.''</i>


    Urich spoke with patience. Naturally, the Phergamon warriors red at Urich with hostility.


    "Here is some food. We have no intention to be hostile toward you."


    Urich offered a bowl of meat porridge and raised both hands to repeatedly convey he meant no harm.


    <i>¡®I guess I¡¯ll need strength to even flee or get my revenge.''</i>


    Chikaka ate the food offered by Urich. He was worried about the other warriors.


    <i>''I had no idea there would be this many warriors here.''</i>


    Had he known the number of warriors in the vige, he wouldn''t have attempted an attack.


    "Hey, I am Urich. Let''s be friends. You and me. Together."


    Urich alternated pointing at Chikaka and himself before joining his hands. Hisrge size made the gesture grand.


    "Hah, be friends? As soon as I get a sword in my hand, I''ll be taking that neck of yours."


    Chikaka boldly threatened murder, knowing he wouldn''t be understood.


    "I can see what you''re thinking in that tiny head of yours, you little bastard."


    Urichughed. Even if he didn''t understand Chikaka''s words, he could guess what he was saying. Warriors often had the same way of thinking. Urich would have thought the same in Chikaka''s position.


    Urich ate and acted alongside Chikaka, paying attention to every word he said. He didn''t miss even the most trivial-sounding words. Urich was fluent in the imperialnguage and could evenmunicate in the northernnguage. He had a knack for learning newnguages.


    <i>''What is he trying to achieve?''</i>


    Chikaka couldn''t understand what Urich was trying to do.


    "I¡¯m guessing you are the leader among the dwarfs you came with."


    Urich gestured as he spoke. Chikaka''s wooden mask was the most ornate among the dwarfs. Most of the time, in a tribe, the more colorful and numerous the decorations, the higher the person''s status.


    "And you must be the leader here."


    Chikaka pointed at other warriors and then raised his finger high toward Urich.


    "There are three highest people here. I am one of them."


    Urich exined by drawing a picture on the ground. Chikaka nodded.


    Chikaka was a respected warrior within the Phergamon tribe, high enough to be leading the goat warriors in human hunts.


    <i>''And I was caught like this, how shameful.''</i>


    Chikaka smirked bitterly.


    "I want to be friends with you. And with your tribe too."


    The alliance took good care of the injured Phergamon warriors and treated them well. Knowing their kindness, Chikaka willingly participated inmunication.


    Belrua approached Urich and Chikaka.


    "Urich, are you really nning to learn these dwarfs''nguage and include them in the alliance?"


    "Not dwarfs. They¡¯re called the Phergamon tribe."


    "Same thing, idiot."


    "You can tell how developed they are by looking at the way they¡¯ve been raising goats for battle. Plus, we need the mobility of these mountain goats. Samikan agreed too."


    It was already decided at the tribal council. Samikan was just as much interested in the Phergamon tribe as Urich.


    "So, you''re saying you want to stay here to learn theirnguage? Hah, that doesn¡¯t really sound like a warrior¡¯s job to me."


    Belrua scoffed. It was understandable and rather justified since the warrior who died from being rammed into by a goat was from the Red Sand Tribe. She voted in favor of wiping out the dwarf warriors.


    "The expedition is going smoothly, anyway. With Samikan and your skills, it should be more than enough."


    Urich and some Stone Axe warriors stayed in the vige to care for and monitor the Phergamon warriors. Meanwhile, the rest of the alliance warriors continued the western expedition.


    <i>''It''s not like I can learn theirnguage overnight.''</i>


    While Urich was learning the Phergamonnguage, the alliance warriors couldn''t just be left idle. The alliance had to keep raiding westward. Staying put meant starving from ack of food stores.


    "Don''t die. Urich, you made a promise to me. Also, Samikan is not to be trusted. He''d slit his brother''s throat in a heartbeat for his own ambitions."


    Belrua crossed her arms and red at Urich. She didn''t trust Samikan. She only tolerated him because joining the alliance brought tangible benefits to her and her tribe.


    "Try trusting Samikan a bit. He''s a decent guy."


    Urich, unlike Belrua, had a favorable view of Samikan. Even though Samikan had once invaded Stone Axe, it wasn''t something to hold a lifelong grudge over in tribal society.


    <i>''But Belrua''s not wrong. I need to be careful with Samikan. He''s willing to embrace foreign civilizations for his ambitions... but that also means he''d do anything for his ambitions.''</i>


    Urich and Samikan were both open to civilizations, but their reasons differed. Urich was driven by intellectual curiosity, while Samikan embraced civilizations for his ambitions.


    "Will these dwarfs really be of help to the alliance? They''re tinier than our women."


    Belrua looked down at Chikaka.


    "The fact that they ride around in goats alone will be a huge help. That you can hold me to it," Urich confidently replied.


    "Hmm, then good luck, I guess. I''ll be heading west with that damned Samikan."


    Belrua waved and left.


    Urich and about a hundred Stone Axe warriors stayed behind in the vige. They consumed the vige''s food while monitoring the Phergamon warriors. Some Stone Axe warriors, like Urich, tried to learn the Phergamonnguage and interact with the warriors.


    Another fortnight passed. They couldn''t keep depleting the vige''s food forever. Urich and the warriors roamed around, even in the dry season, looking to hunt something to eat. It was possible to catch a game or two with enough luck.


    "I hope our tribe and yours could act together."


    Urich clumsily mixed words and gestures.


    Chikaka understood Urich''s meaning.


    <i>''He¡¯s unshackling me. That is some balls.''</i>


    Chikaka hopped around freely on his newly freed legs. Urich took Chikaka out of the vige for hunting.


    <i>''There¡¯s nothing better than a hunt to build a bond between two men.''</i>


    This was true not just in tribes, but in civilized worlds too. Even the nobles beyond the mountains hunted together to strengthen bonds.


    "Take your bow."


    Urich even returned a bow and arrows to Chikaka. Chikaka''s eyes widened.


    <i>''I could shoot an arrow in his neck and run away right now.''</i>


    Murderous intent swirled in Chikaka''s eyes. Though small, he was a warrior who had lived a bloody life.


    "If you try to stab me in the back, I''ll snap that tiny neck and spine of yours. Don''t even think for a second that an arrow or two is going to be enough to stop me."


    Urich spoke fiercely. Though they spoke in differentnguages, Chikaka understood Urich''s words just from the tone.


    Chikaka swallowed hard and followed Urich.


    Despite it being the dry season, the stubborn grass of the ins held on with its roots deep into the soil. Urich and Chikaka had a significant difference in stride, but Chikaka kept up without falling behind.


    "Urich."


    Chikaka called Urich''s name. Urich had already crouched low and stopped.


    "It¡¯s a fox."


    Urich and Chikaka sidestepped in a direction where the wind wouldn''t give them away. They disguised their scent and footsteps to approach the fox closely.


    "I''ll take the shot, Urich."


    Chikaka was pleased with the feel of the bow he hadn''t held in a while. He was eager to shoot right away.


    Urich watched Chikaka grasp the bow. Despite his small frame, he pulled the bowstring significantly. Interestingly, their bows were carefully craftedposite bows. Composite bows were difficult to make and took a long time to perfect. The fact that all the mountain goat warriors were armed withposite bows meant the tribe had the resources to invest in such weapons.


    "Hoo."


    Chikaka took a deep breath, eyeing the fox. His eyes were those of a sharp hunter.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    The arrow flew.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    The arrow pierced the fox''s nape. It was an impressive disy of archery skills.


    Creak.


    Urich held up his bow. Chikaka frowned at him.


    "I got it in the neck. It''ll fall soon. That one¡¯s mine, so don''t waste your arrows."


    Despite Chikaka''s protest, Urich calmly shot his bow. The arrow grazed past the fox.


    "Hah! Idiot! I knew you''d end up like that aiming for my prey!"


    Chikakaughed at Urich''s arrow stuck in the ground.


    As Urich and Chikaka walked to retrieve their prey, Chikaka''s smile gradually stiffened.


    "You weren¡¯t aiming for the fox..."


    The fox Chikaka caught was gasping and lying down, and Urich''s arrow was not stuck in the ground.


    "I saw a snake."


    Urich lifted what seemed to be an arrow stuck in the ground. A snake''s head was skewered on the arrow tip. The snake still writhed powerfully, coiling around Urich''s arm.


    <i>''He spotted a snake from that distance and hit it right in the head.''</i>


    Chikaka watched Urich bury the snake''s head in the ground. Urich''s archery skills showed he was an extraordinary warrior.


    "Do you like snake meat?"


    Urich mimed chewing on the snake''s body. Chikakaughed and nodded.


    Urich and Chikaka didn''t head straight back to the vige. Instead, they continued hunting further away, taking turns shooting at prey. Since no hunter is always perfect, theyughed at each other''s misses.


    <i>Crackle, crackle.</i>


    As the day faded, they gathered dry branches and lit a fire under the purplish sky. The dry season made kindling abundant everywhere. Even animal droppings dried quickly and were perfect for burning.


    Laughter was constant. They held up the day''s catch, and somehow, they weremunicating.


    Urich and Chikaka wrapped themselves in their leather cloaks and closed their eyes. Though neither got a deep sleep, enough trust was built to sleep by each other''s side.


    The next day, Urich returned to the vige with Chikaka.


    "Urich!"


    A warrior ran up to Urich as soon as he saw him. The vige was in uproar. The Stone Axe warriors were armed and roaming. Not just Urich, but Chikaka''s expression hardened too.


    "Shackle up that dwarf too and lock him back up!"


    An enraged warrior shouted. Urich''s eyes grew cold.


    "Shut up and tell me what happened."


    "A dwarf shot at us with a bow!"


    "Anyone die?"


    "Someone got hurt."


    The fact that no one was dead was a big relief. Urich asked about the whereabouts of the Phergamon warrior who shot the arrow.


    "We haven''t caught him yet. He must be hiding somewhere in the vige."


    The Phergamon warrior who shot the bow was hiding somewhere in the vige. His small size made him difficult to find despite a thorough search.


    "Urich."


    Chikaka frowned at Urich. He went to the center of the vige and took a deep breath.


    "This is Chikaka! Come out!!!!!"


    The volume from his small frame was unbelievably loud. He called out several times, gathering other Phergamon warriors.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Eventually, the Phergamon warrior who had shot the arrow limped out.


    "That damn dwarf!"


    A Stone Axe warrior yelled, raising his weapon. Urich intervened, looking at Chikaka.


    Chikaka red fiercely at his warriors, then punched the stomach of the Phergamon warrior who shot the arrow.


    "Keugh."


    The struck Phergamon warrior gagged and knelt.


    "These people treated us, hosted me as a guest! And this is how you repay them! You''ve embarrassed me, Kabatu!"


    Chikaka was furious. The other Phergamon warriors remained silent. Their hierarchical order was strict.


    "B-but..."


    Kabatu tried to speak but shut his mouth after seeing the fierce look on Chikaka¡¯s face.


    "To aim a bow at those who treated us, even if they are these dumb tall strangers, shame on you!"


    Chikaka strode up to Urich and took a dagger from Urich''s waistband. The Stone Axe warriors watched silently, awed by his authority.


    "Ugh."


    Chikaka cut off Kabatu''s right index finger. It was a severe punishment for a warrior. Kabatu would no longer be able to shoot a bow.


    "Here, take it, Urich."


    Chikaka ced Kabatu''s finger in Urich''s palm. Urich threw the finger into the fire. Themotion and conflict quickly subsided.


    "Release all the shackles from the Phergamon warriors. It looks like we¡¯re not gonna need that now.¡±

 Chapter 161

    <h4>Chapter 161</h4>


    Urich continued to learn thenguage of Phergamo. There were other warriors learning thenguage, but they were far behind Urich.


    After a month, he reached a level where, though not fluent, he could at leastmunicate minimally. He had been practically glued to Chikaka all day long.


    Urich''s determination tomunicate with the Phergamo was remarkable. Chikaka admired Urich''s zeal as well.


    "Are you really nning to meet our tribe?"


    Chikaka asked during his archery training.


    The Phergamon warriors had their freedom returned to them. Many were worried, but Urich trusted Chikaka''s abilities. Actually, since that day, the Phergamon warriors had been as quiet as the dead.


    "I want to talk to your tribe leader and, um, borrow your mountain goat warriors."


    Urich''s speech was slow but clear. He enunciated each word, choosing them carefully to deliver precise meaning.


    "You could die. Here, everyone follows my orders, but when we return to the tribe, there are many with more power than me."


    Chikaka opposed Urich''s idea. He knew his tribe well. Phergamo was more exclusionary than any other tribe. As small as their sizes were, they lived in their own world.


    "I haven''t lived by only choosing what won''t kill me. At this point, saying I could die is trivial."


    Urich chuckled.


    "Well, if you''re prepared, we can leave as early as tomorrow. It''s a long journey. If we match your walking speed, it will take a while."


    Chikaka also spoke slowly enough for Urich to understand.


    Urich divided the Stone Axe warriors in half. Half stayed in the vige, and the rest headed to the Phergamo tribe.


    Urich and about fifty warriors set off with the Phergamon warriors. The surviving fourteen Phergamon warriors wore masks and rode their mountain goats. Despite their small size, they appeared fierce and brave.


    <i>''They''ve thought a lot in order to fight against enemies with their small stature.''</i>


    Urich and his warriors quickly followed the Phergamon warriors. Urich urged his warriors on, and they marched hard, even cutting down on sleep.


    "Aren''t we rushing too much? You should conserve your strength."


    Chikaka asked, lifting his mask. Urich suddenly looked west and frowned.


    "Well, I don''t have too much time."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "We don¡¯t know how soon the enemies are going toe from beyond the ''Sky Mountains''."


    Chikaka was puzzled. The Phergamo Tribe waspletely outside of the mountains'' influence. They didn''t even know of their existence.


    "Hmm."


    Chikaka listened to the description of the Sky Mountains from Urich. A series of huge mountains to the east. A massive wall that humans had never crossed. That wall was about to fall and a developed army wasing westward.


    "I''ve already experienced them once. They are phenomenal warriors. Individually, they might be weaker than us, but together, they are much stronger."


    Urich admired the imperial army as much as he feared them. He had never seen an army as beautiful as the imperial army. They moved as one entity, trained solely for war. The well-trained soldiers executed strategies based on drums, trumpets, and gs. Watching the army move from afar filled him with a natural awe.


    "It doesn''t seem like our tribe''s concern?"


    Chikaka felt no real threat from Urich''s words. The unseen Sky Mountains, and the armying from there, didn¡¯t mean much to him.


    "If they cross the mountains and settle in on our side, they''ll get here in no time."


    "It¡¯s going to be hard to convince the people of my tribe with those words, Urich."


    Urich and Chikaka walked for another fortnight. Despite the forced march, it took that much time. The warriors'' faces dripped with fatigue.


    Chikaka pulled hard on the reins of his mountain goat. He pointed to a canyon between rocky cliffs.


    "After we pass here, we¡¯ll enter our territory. It''s been a while since outsiders came, so everyone will be on guard. If you respond aggressively, you might end up with an arrow in your face. So, no matter what happens, leave everything to me."


    Chikaka advised Urich. Urich ryed the message to the other warriors.


    The bottom of the canyon was chilling. Moss spotted the rocks at the bottom. A damp chill flowed between the split cliffs.


    "They¡¯ve decorated the ce with skulls."


    Further on, poles with skulls hung on both sides of the canyon. There wereplete skeletons and some with just heads. Judging by the size, they weren''t from Phergamo tribespeople but outsiders.


    "It''s a warning."


    Chikaka grinned, showing his teeth.


    After a long walk, the group finally reached the end of the canyon. Urich and the warriors widened their eyes.


    "A forest..."


    A dense forest appeared beyond the canyon. Despite the dry season, the greenery was as alive as ever. Water streaming from the cracks of the canyon flowed toward the forest.


    "Goddammit! These guys had this great of and this whole time!"


    The warriors cursed, heavily mixed with admiration.


    "No wonder they''re so wary of outsiders."


    Urich too gaped at the forest. It was so vast it couldn''t be seen in one nce.


    <i>''If our talks don''t go well, it''ll be hard toe out alive.''</i>


    Chikaka raised his hand, sending four Phergamon warriors ahead to the vige.


    Urich asked various questions as he moved with Chikaka. Chikaka also dismounted from his mountain goat and walked.


    "As you can see, the reason why we insist on going out on human hunts is quite simple."


    "It''s to instill fear so nobody would even think ofing here."


    The warriors of Phergamo didn''t simply enjoy human hunting for its own sake. Whether it was plundering or human hunting, from the perspective of civilized people, these acts were barbaric and evil all the same. However, there were rational reasons and logic behind their actions. Barbarians were not the foolish race that civilized people think they are. They, too, were humans who think and judge rationally, just like civilized people themselves do.


    "Right. If they know there''s goodnd, there will be those who will invade it, even if it means risking their tribe''s fate. It''s all about showing our strength in advance and being proactive."


    The fearsome human-hunting tribe living in the south. Although small in stature, the Phergamons had a way of inting their notoriety. Indeed, tribes close to Phergamo were busy defending themselves, fearing the human hunters.


    "Is all of that your tribe''s vige?"


    Urich''s eyes widened. The fertilend supported a huge poption.


    <i>''This isn''t a vige; it''s a city.''</i>


    Smoke rose here and there in the forest. Instead of tents, there were houses made of wood and mud scattered around. Wherever he went, he saw crowds of small people.


    "They''re all staring at us."


    Urich and the warriors received all of the attention. The Phergamo people gathered around, poking at Urich and the warriors with branches and tossing words.


    "Just blindly ept whatever happens. Don¡¯t act even slightly threateningly."


    Urich once again advised his warriors.


    The people of Phergamo were small, meaning they ate less. The samend supported a muchrger poption, especially theirnd having forests and rivers flowing through them.


    <i>''Just how many are there?''</i>


    Urich couldn''t gauge the size of the vige blended with the forest. At least thousands lived there, maybe even tens of thousands.


    "ording to the legends, there was a great earthquake long ago, one that was strong enough to split thend, and from the crevices of the split rock cliffs, water sprang forth to be a river."


    The people of Phergamo were grateful for theirnd. They were aware of the harsh conditions outside and were content with thend they had.


    "Chikaka, the chief has called for you and the outsider. It would be best to exin the situation well. There''s considerable anger over you bringing an outsider into our vige."


    A warrior, seemingly of the same rank as Chikaka, said to Chikaka. Chikaka nodded and gestured for Urich to follow.


    Urich instructed the warriors to wait. They grumbled after bing a spectacle for the vige people.


    Urich and Chikaka went deeper into the forest.


    "Judging by what I¡¯ve seen so far, bringing me here was a huge decision, Chikaka."


    The Phergamo Tribe was even more closed-off than Urich thought. Not only was Urich''s life in danger, but Chikaka also risked his position and life by bringing Urich into his tribe.


    "The opportunity to connect with the outside is rare. We can''t live in our own small little world forever. Our tribe is strong. We deserve to venture into the outside world."


    Chikaka answered as he removed his mask.


    Urich sensed multiple presences all around him. Masked Phergamon warriors were aiming bows from the trees. Urich, trusting Chikaka, simply looked at them without reacting.


    Not only were there warriors in the trees, but dozens of warriors were also standing in a clearing in the forest, each of them armed.


    "Chikaka, first of all, seeing you return safely brings me joy."


    A man wearing a mountain goat horn mask stepped forward and spoke. He was the chief. A long white beard grew under the mask.


    "I¡¯ve lost many warriors. I''m ready to ept any punishment, chief."


    Chikaka spoke with respect. The Phergamo Tribe had a strict hierarchical society.


    "That was always a possibility. We understand the risks of venturing outside."


    The chief sat down at the base of a tree, resting his chin on his staff. He was of an age to have retired as a warrior, yet he still served as the chief.


    "This man is Urich."


    "I''ve heard the gist of it from the warrior you sent. You survived thanks to the generous kindness bestowed by the enemy."


    "...They treated me as a guest. And this man is a warrior from the far east across the wastnd, different from the tribes we guard against."


    "That doesn¡¯t change the fact that he is an outsider."


    The chief was displeased by Urich''s visit. The sentiment was clearly evident from their brief conversation.


    <i>''They¡¯re even more conservative than I thought.''</i>


    Urich''s goal was to borrow the mountain goat warriors. For the alliancecking cavalry, goat warriors were a necessary military asset.


    "How many warriors do you have here?" Urich suddenly interjected.


    "Do you speak ournguage?"


    The chief''s eyes widened.


    "I studied it really hard. Speak a bit slowly, please. I''m still not very good at either listening or speaking."


    The chief''s guard seemingly softened. It was the first time someone had learned the Phergamonnguage tomunicate with them. It hadn''t been long since Chikaka left. It meant Urich had learned the Phergamonnguage in a short time.


    "This man has been learning ournguage day and night so he could talk to us."


    Chikaka embellished Urich''s efforts. The sincerity oozed from the effort of learning thenguage. No one spits on earnest effort.


    "Then he''s at least worth talking to. Let him recover from the journey... and invite him to the feast."


    The chief said as he turned around.


    Chikaka''s expression brightened. He turned to Urich and nodded.


    Urich''s hands were drenched with sweat. Hot sweat beaded on his muscles.


    <i>''I almost drew my weapons.''</i>


    Fierce murderous intents were pouring in from all directions. Several times, he was tempted to draw his sword and axe to respond. Such was the instinct of a warrior, and being intentionally defenseless in front of other warriors targeting his life was extremely ufortable.


    "Urich, you''ve finally climbed the first step. I have done everything I can."


    Urich nodded slightly and thanked Chikaka.

 Chapter 162

    <h4>Chapter 162</h4>


    The alliance that advanced further west mercilessly trampled, plundered, and conquered.


    <i>''The customs andnguage of each tribe we encounter are quite different. It''s almost easier to find differences than simrities with us.''</i>


    Belrua looked at a vige billowing with acrid smoke. It was a tribe that had resisted right to the end, so the alliance had no choice but to burn down the entire vige and have its people massacred. The smell of burning flesh lingered.


    <i>''How long can we maintain such a size?''</i>


    The alliance now wasn''t justposed of tribes from the early days of the Sky Mountains. Several tribes from beyond the wastnds also joined the alliance.


    "Ah, there you are, Belrua."


    Samikan appeared behind Belrua. He was covered in blood, seemingly having participated in the battle.


    "You joined the battle yourself? What was the asion?"


    Belrua sneered at Samikan''s appearance.


    "Sometimes, leading by example is the only way to get the warriors to follow. I can¡¯t let rumors spread among the warriors that Samikan''s sword has rusted."


    Samikan grabbed a water pouch. He poured the water over his head to roughly wash off the blood.


    <i>''Samikan.''</i>


    Belrua narrowed her eyes, ring at him. He was the man who had rapidly grown the Blue Mist Tribe and achieved tremendous expansion. He was the undisputed leader of the alliance, and his achievements were destined to be praised by warriors for generations.


    <i>''He knows how to package himself and keep himself above others.''</i>


    From the perspective of those below him, Samikan was a great man. But Belrua wasn''t one of those below him.


    <i>¡®Looking at him from the same level of power, he can be a nauseating bastard at times.''</i>


    Samikan was chillingly cold and calcting. Every action of his had a reason.


    "How far are we going to advance?" Belrua asked.


    Though most things were determined through the tribal council, the alliance practically moved ording to Samikan''s will. Half of the chiefs attending the council were essentially Samikan''s subordinates.


    Samikan''s political and control power was the highest among the three great chiefs. Belrua had her political skills, but newly joined chiefs didn''t easily ept a female chief as their superior.


    "Until we see the end of all these tribes..."


    Samikan picked up his finger and pointed toward the western horizon.


    "If we go too far, we might not return."


    "We have lived our lives without truly knowing even our ownnd. A man should travel to the ends of thend connected to his feet. You, being a girl, might not understand. Keke."


    Samikan provocatively taunted Belrua. She was used to such provocations. Being born a woman was always an obstacle.


    "Even the high-rising sun eventually sets, Samikan."


    Belrua pulled out her meteorite dagger and cut some meat soaked in rock salt brine. She chewed on the meat while looking at the burning vige.


    "Do you think this is the peak? Because I don¡¯t. We¡¯re not even close to reaching our peak yet. Our world will intertwine not just on a tribal level but on arger scale in the future. Even looking at our alliance, the tribes from the Sky Mountains, yes, different tribes we thought of as Stone Axe, Blue Mist... and Red Sand... have united already."


    The tribes of the Sky Mountains relied on each other. Meeting tribes with entirely differentnguages and customs, they realized that their former enemies were actually brothers. This expedition brought significant changes to the warriors'' mindset.


    <i>''Viewing a broader world changes one''s way of thinking, just like it did for Urich.''</i>


    Urich was the first to cross the mountains to experience a different world. Now, the warriors were finally beginning to understand Urich''s words. The fact that they were fighting each other inside a small cage now seemed foolish.


    "Beyond the mountains, there are ''nations'' and ''kings.''"


    "I''ve heard. They refer to tribes with vast territories and their rulers."


    "The title of chief isn''t enough to describe my position. I am akin to a ''king.''"


    Upon hearing this, Belrua clicked her tongue.


    ¡°How arrogant of you."


    "Of course, the other chiefs won''t ept such titles. It deviates from our traditions."


    "This talk is boring me. Be content with being the Great Chief."


    Belrua spoke as if she was about to leave.


    "For me to fully control the alliance, I have to firmly weave the tribes under the Sky Mountains. Urich and I have be brothers, but you and I have no rtion."


    "...So what?"


    Samikan grabbed Belrua''s wrist.


    "Bear my son. Marriage and offspring are a firm alliance and promise. You being a woman is actually a good thing this time."


    "You must have a bunch of lives to spare if you¡¯re talking to me like that, huh?"


    Belrua frowned. She pointed her meteorite dagger at Samikan''s throat.


    "Belrua, I will use whatever I have at my disposal."


    "Sorry, but I have no intention of being used, so fuck off. I am Belrua of Red Sand. I have no intention of lying with a man who can''t even wield iron."


    "...Come to my tent whenever you change your mind."


    Through this expedition, Samikan understood the importance of unity. It was better for tribes to be as closely knit as possible.


    <i>''As Urich said, when an enemy appears from beyond the mountains, we will unite more firmly. Not just the tribes of the Sky Mountains, but all tribes of thisnd will stand as one against the external enemy.''</i>


    Unity through the use of an external enemy.


    Samikan wasn''t afraid of enemies beyond the mountains. Rather, he awaited their appearance. Samikan and the alliance were ready to fight. All that remained was to defeat a formidable enemy and be a legend.


    * * *


    Urich attended an outdoor feast of the Phergamo Tribe. It was primarily a celebration of the return of Chikaka and the warriors.


    <i>''This stuff isn¡¯t even close to filling my stomach.''</i>


    Urich thought as he looked at the sparingly served food. As would be expected from a tribe with vast forests, the food was fresh and varied. Though tasty, the portions were too small to be filling.


    <i>''In a situation like this, even picking up food feels awkward.''</i>


    Urich surveyed the banquet. The Phergamon warriors sat around a table made out of a log.


    "The chief will be here soon. He must have been in a meeting with the tribe''s advisors. It¡¯s likely that they didn''te to a good conclusion."


    Chikaka sat next to Urich and spoke.


    "I was prepared for that. But them talking to us at least means there''s a chance, right?"


    "A positive attitude is always good."


    Chikaka smiled. Urich picked up a worm skewer the size of his finger and popped it into his mouth. The outside was crunchy, but the inside was slightly undercooked, spreading the worm''s gooey innards in his mouth.


    "Woo-hoo-hoo!"


    Intoxicated warriors shouted and did somersaults. The Phergamon warriors were incredibly agile.


    "Quiet!"


    A warrior in a crimson mask pounded the ground with his spear shaft and yelled. The jovial warriors immediately fell silent.


    "He''s finally here."


    Urich stood up too. The Phergamon chief, escorted by his personal guard, entered the outdoor feast.


    "I hope the meal suits your taste,¡± the Phergamon chief sat down and said formally.


    "It''s good and fresh. You can really taste the life in it."


    Urich genuinely admired the food he was shown.


    "That''s good to hear. It might be yourst meal, after all."


    The Phergamon chief said coldly. Not just Urich, but the expressions of the attending Stone Axe warriors hardened. The Phergamon warriors who had been de dancing pulled out their masks from their waists.


    "You¡¯re threatening me already? Tsk."


    Urich drew his axe. He nted the axe in the log table and sat back down, crossing his arms.


    The Phergamon warriors'' eyes were drawn to the steel axe. The shine of the axe was extraordinary.


    Urich looked around. The Phergamon warriors had already surrounded the banquet. Archers were also positioned in the trees.


    "I didn¡¯t want to say this as a threat... But if you kill me, more than five thousand warriors wille and demolish this ce," Urich spoke slowly.


    "You won''t see our defeat. By then, the spirits will be guiding your soul."


    The Phergamon chief smirked. He raised his hand high. Lowering it would signal the start of the attack.


    "I am Urich, chief of the Stone Axe Tribe. Your hospitality seemscking. Do you also kill your guests as if they are intruders?"


    "Hospitality is a tale for kinfolk. We do not recognize you big idiots as kin."


    The conversation between the Phergamon chief and Urich was getting heated.


    Chikaka was the most anxious. Caught in a dilemma, he clenched his teeth.


    "Urich is my guest."


    Chikaka raised his head toward the chief.


    "That was your mistake, Chikaka. I''ve finished talking with the advisors. Letting an outsider who knows our location leave is dangerous."


    "I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what the advisors said to you. But they are not the ones who have seen the outside world. I, no, we, the mountain goat warriors, have always been in contact with the outside world. We made them fear us by killing. But this time, things are different. They won''t fear us because they have more warriors than us."


    Chikaka''s words stirred the warriors, especially those who came with him, nodding in agreement. They had seen a tremendous number of warriors in the vige. It was an army unseen in tribal society until now.


    "Are you saying we will lose, Chikaka? You became a coward after losing our warriors and returning."


    "There are those who talk bravely with their mouths but have never been outside. Anyone can fight with their words only."


    Chikaka''s bold statement caused a stir at the feast, especially among the mountain goat warriors, who resonated with his words. They always fought at the forefront, riding on mountain goats.


    <i>''Chikaka...''</i>


    Urich didn''t understand the entire conversation, but he grasped the flow of it. Chikaka was challenging the chief and the advisors'' opinions. Such actions were radical in the strictly hierarchical Phergamo Tribe.


    "Are you seriously supporting this man¡¯s threats! Chikaka, you''ve lost your mind!"


    The Phergamon chief exploded in anger. Chikaka flinched but didn''t blink.


    "I''m just stating what I saw. The mountain goat warriors have kept Phergamo safe by winning battles against other tribes. But the outside world is changing. Tribes are uniting. Once theye together, even our mountain goat warriors won''t remain a terrifying presence."


    Phergamo was a tribe that had settled in their rich, fertilends. They shunned contact with the outside, and their exclusive traditions weren¡¯t going to crumble overnight.


    "Chikaka has a point, chief. The losses of mountain goat warriors are increasing with each hunt. Incidents like this, where many warriors die, will only be more frequent."


    An older mountain goat warrior, rich in experience, supported Chikaka''s statement. His words encouraged other warriors to murmur in agreement.


    Urich sensed the subtle shift in the atmosphere. He still struggled with Phergamonnguage, so he rehearsed what he wanted to say in his head before speaking.


    "I, no, we, will ept the Phergamo Tribe as brothers. You have my word on that. Our alliance needs warriors as strong and brave as you. I''ve seen many tribes, but none fight as skillfully on mountain goats as you Phergamons do. ...I hold a position as high as the chief of Phergamo, yet I came here myself because I value your warriors enough to risk my life. My death would start a war, and my safe return would be the start of a new exchange."


    Urich''s words made the Phergamon warriors widen their eyes. No one dislikes being acknowledged. For the mountain goat warriors, it was ufortable to think of killing Urich, who had approached them with goodwill. Urich clearly showed goodwill toward the Phergamon warriors.


    "...And that was what I had to say to you as chief. If you still choose war, I will oppose you with all my might as a warrior. I will wreak havoc big enough to make sure you never forget me, even in your dreams. Bing the terror of the enemies is a warrior''s pride, just like your mountain goat warriors."


    Urich bared his teeth like a predator. He picked up the axe on the table and drew the sword from his waist.


    The Stone Axe warriors, not fully understanding the conversation, drew their weapons and assumed a battle stance. They were brothers with Urich and amunity of fate. Whether they lived or died, they simply followed their chief.

 Chapter 163

    <h4>Chapter 163</h4>


    The air between the Phergamon and Stone Axe warriors was so tense it was palpable.


    The oue of the fight was as clear as day. Urich and the warriors would not leave this ce alive. Struggling and fighting would only lead to death awaiting them. A warrior always lived with death by their side. They loved death like a lover and hated it like an enemy.


    Even if a warrior knew that death was imminent, they had to hold their weapon until the end and embrace death sweetly.


    "Hmph."


    Urich took a deep breath. It was chilling. Death was staring right at him.


    <i>¡®Even if this is the end, stay calm.''</i>


    Urich extended his sword forward. There was no fear in his yellow-glowing eyes.


    <i>''The warriors I''ve seen were dignified until the end. They did not fear death, and they faced their own demise standing straight up.''</i>


    The deaths of warriors that passed through Urich''s hands. If he closed his eyes, their vivid traces were still fresh. They all faced different deaths but were uniformlyposed.


    <i>''I want to be such a warrior too. A warrior who does not flee from death. A man who epts an unjust life and the world as it is without bending over.''</i>


    The fingers holding the sword tensed up. It felt like his axe could split any enemy.


    "Chikaka, step away from me."


    Urich said to Chikaka. He quietly closed and then opened his eyes.


    "If my tribe has decided to consider you an enemy, then I have no choice but to follow its will."


    Chikaka stepped back, putting on his mask. It was a mask mixed with red and aqua colors.


    "I don''t me you. That''s what being a warrior is. Now,e at me, if you dare."


    Urich crossed his arms and shed his weapon. A crisp sound of metal echoed.


    The Phergamon chief waited for the Stone Axe warriors to be ready. There was no ambush.


    <i>Clench.</i>


    The Phergamon chief clenched his fist raised in the air. The Phergamon warriors lowered their drawn bowstrings.


    "So, you''ve reallye here fully prepared to die. Why is that?"


    The Phergamon chief slowly removed his mask. His beard was gray, and his face was packed with wrinkles.


    "I told you. There''s something worth risking my life for in the mountain goat warriors. Why does no one believe what I say?"


    "Is that really the only reason?"


    "What else matters? I need excellent warriors."


    At Urich''s words, the Phergamon chiefughed. Seeing hisughter, the Stone Axe warriors rxed and dropped their arms holding weapons.


    "Will you treat our warriors as your own kin?"


    "Of course. I swear on my tribe and my name. They will share the spoils of the expedition just like us."


    "I will send those warriors who wish to follow you into the outside world."


    The tension that filled the air dissipated. The Phergamon chief promised the safety of Urich and the Stone Axe warriors and allowed exchanges between the tribes.


    "You will be remembered as the great chief who initiated a rtionship with the outside world."


    The Phergamon warriors respectfully spoke to their chief.


    The Phergamon chief put on his mask again and ordered the feast to continue. The Phergamon warriors beat drums made of mountain goat skin. Agile warriors danced and frolicked around.


    "W-we lived. Goddammit, I really thought we were goners."


    The Stone Axe warriors sat down, wiping off their sweat.


    "Urich, were you confident that the Phergamon chief would let us live? You really have a keen eye. I fully thought we were going to fight to the death."


    The warriors praised Urich. Urich shrugged his shoulders and looked at the warriors.


    "No, I was actually ready to fight. What else could I do? There was no other way."


    "Huh? Why, you..."


    A warrior tried to say something but just shook his head in disbelief.


    "Whatever, as long as the oue is good. That''s what matters."


    "I love that our chief is brave, but we all have only one life."


    "What a coincidence, huh? I only have one life too."


    As Urich retorted, the warriors burst intoughter. They enjoyed the food and drink provided by the Phergamo Tribe. The spirited warriors pped their hands and shook their bodies, mingling with warriors much smaller than themselves.


    The night deepened, but Urich did not get deeply drunk.


    <i>''The Phergamo Tribe is a ce with honorable warriors. They won''t promise one thing and do another, but it doesn''t hurt to be cautious.''</i>


    Around him, warriorsy scattered, sleeping carelessly. Urich walked around checking if anyone had drunk and cracked their head open.


    After checking on his warriors, Urich looked at the burning bonfire. He liked watching the bonfire alone. The mes seemed to burn away his thoughts, calming his mind.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    Urich looked up.


    Emerging from the bushes was the Phergamon chief. He sat down in front of Urich.


    "You seem quite young to be carrying the responsibility of a chief."


    "Ever think you''re just too old?"


    "You speak ournguage very well."


    "I''m used to learning new things."


    The Phergamon chiefughed as he ced his hand over the bonfire.


    "When you reach this age, you know, it bes scary to think and learn new things."


    "I know. Denying the way you''ve lived your life is like denying your life itself. I''ve seen many old people who couldn''t change until they died."


    The Phergamon chief''s eyes widened. The words that came out of Urich''s mouth were steeped in weary experience.


    "Your name was Urich, right?"


    The Phergamon chief finally embedded Urich''s name in his memory firmly.


    "Urich of the Stone Axe."


    "Your father?"


    "I don¡¯t have one. Our tribe took me in when I was abandoned."


    "Urich, Son of the Earth."


    "Hah, that sounds too grand for no reason. I''m just an orphan."


    Urich and the Phergamon chief exchanged various stories.


    "The goat warriors are mostly young and full of vigor. As we age and our eyes and hands slow down, riding on goatbacks bes quite difficult.¡±


    The chief of the Phergamo Tribe led a great tribe. Phergamo had two thousand warriors, of which about five hundred were mountain goat warriors.


    <i>¡®Speaking in imperial terms, it''s like having five hundred cavalrymen from a single count''s territory.''</i>


    The Phergamo Tribe could fight alone and be stronger than most tribes.


    "Once you be chief, you start thinking about the safety of your tribe first. Then, it inevitably bes harder to make novel choices. If you take a risk and fail, the chief must bear the responsibility. You are a brave warrior, but as a chief, you should not put your warriors in danger. If I hadn''t changed my mind back at the feast, you and your warriors would be lying around on our grounds as soulless bodies by now.¡±


    "We are a tribe of warriors. We do not fear battle or death."


    "That is exactly what a warrior would say! But as a chief, you must have fear. You must hold great fear toward the death of others due to your decisions. This advicees from my experience. Young Chief Urich, whether you ept it or not is your choice."


    "I will keep it in mind."


    The Phergamon chief took off. Urich watched his back. Although the man was only half his size, he felt significantlyrger.


    <i>''That man must have thought a lot too. For the future of his tribe... he must have been constantly agonizing over what the right choice is. That''s what being a chief means.''</i>


    Whether a choice was right can only be known after the resultse in. Hence, a chief, making decisions on behalf of everyone, constantly worries about the unseen future, searching for the right path.


    <i>''I was immature. I almost killed not just myself but also my tribe''s warriors. But my bold decision and courageous determination led to a good oue.''</i>


    Sess is deemed bravery, and failure, recklessness.


    <i>''If we could always know the correct answers, life would be pretty boring.''</i>


    Urich chuckled and added more wood to the campfire.


    * * *


    "Chaaaaarge!"


    The warriors of the alliance cried out.


    <i>Buuuuuup!</i>


    The sound of the horn echoed long, and warriors with drums strapped to their chests beat them in a steady rhythm, pumping the hearts of the alliance warriors.


    The tribes opposing the alliance grew more aggressive day by day. They, too, united against foreign invasions. Late but eventually, several tribes gathered their warriors to oppose the alliance. Their numbers reached three thousand.


    It was an unprecedentedrge-scale battle in western history.


    "The heavens watch over us!"


    "Samikaaaan!"


    Leading the front were the warriors of the Blue Mist. Their battle experience from expeditions was exceptional. Their tactical execution, honed through numerous real battles, was more than enough to have them be considered the elite of the alliance.


    "The enemy is full of kids and the oldies!"


    The enemy numbered three thousand. But both in numbers and the quality of troops, the alliance overwhelmed them.


    The warriors of the alliance were at their prime. However, the enemies were hastily gathered forces, including children and the elderly as long as they could carry a weapon.


    <i>Tududududu!</i>


    A strange sound spread across the battlefield. It was the Phergamo detachment that had slipped out from behind the alliance.


    "Woooooo!"


    Masked Phergamon warriors shouted. They held the horns of the goats with one hand and pulled the reins with the other, leaning their bodies forward.


    "Heree the human hunters!"


    "The dwarfs areing for your heads!"


    The warriors of the alliance also shouted upon seeing the Phergamon warriors. The Phergamon warriors joining the alliance numbered about three hundred. Considering the fact that every one of them was a mountain goat warrior, it was a formidable force.


    "For our homnd!"


    Chikaka, leading the group of goat warriors, shouted.


    "Phergamooooo!"


    The goat warriors shouted as they pulled their bowstrings. They swiftly maneuvered to the enemies'' nk and shot their arrows. While they distracted the enemies'' gaze, the main force of the alliance charged, colliding with the enemy.


    "As merciless as the drought!"


    The alliance bulldozed over the enemies. Only corpses remained where the wave of warriors passed.


    "R-run! Run for your lives!"


    The hastily formed army had low morale. With many barely qualifying as warriors, a single charge was enough to shatter their formation.


    "That monster!"


    Seeing the single warrior who was leading the line, both the alliance and foes uttered such words.


    "Charge! Warriors of the Stone Axe! We¡¯re not letting anyone steal our glory!"


    Urich, drenched in blood as if he bathed in it, roared. He stood out even on the battlefield. It wasn''t because of the armor. He had already ditched his helmet because it was suffocating him.


    Those who stood in Urich''s path were struck down in a single blow. The overwhelmed enemies hastily retreated.


    "Uuuuurich!"


    The Stone Axe warriors followed Urich, charging valiantly. The Stone Axe warriors were known for their exceptional charge within the alliance. Being the leading warrior and chief, Urich had no one who would not follow him at the forefront.


    "The first to im the spoils will be us, the Stone Axes!"


    Urich looked back, raising his axe in the sky. Blood dripped from the de.


    The enemies were routed. The number three thousand was merely a figure. On the battlefield, the quality and morale of the troops were as important as their number. Troops with low morale were practically as good as dead in an already disadvantageous battle.


    "Oooooooh!"


    The victorious warriors lifted their weapons, stepping over the bodies. The alliance had almost no losses.


    The alliance had subdued all the tribes they encountered as they traversed the western expanse. Now, including the joined warriors, the alliance had just over six thousand warriors. If the rebuilt tribes were called upon, the number would easily exceed ten thousand.


    <i>''Even Samikan would find it difficult to hastily gather arge force. If he summons warriors without being able to pay them their due, the hard-earned status of Samikan could also waver.''</i>


    Urich wiped off the blood and looked up at the sky. The expedition was nearing its end.


    <i>''The smell is briny and bitter.''</i>


    It was an unfamiliar scent to the tribes from the Sky Mountains.


    The alliance crossed the hill and passed through the forest grown in the sea breeze. The murmuring voices grew louder. Although some tribes knew of the sea, those from the Sky Mountains had no concept of it, causing them great shock. Like Urich in the past, the warriors were astounded by the sight of the sea.


    Undrinkable salty water, endless waves.


    There was no use describing it to those who have never seen the sea. It was something one couldn¡¯t understand until they had seen it themselves.


    "So, this is the end of the west."


    Urich smiled. The expedition was over.

 Chapter 164: The Great Chief

    <h4>Chapter 164: The Great Chief</h4>


    Urich walked through a coastal vige. Screams erupted everywhere as the raid began.


    <i>''This is a pretty big vige.''</i>


    Urich led about a dozen warriors into the vige hall made of logs. Inside, decorated with whale bones and such, the elders trembled.


    "Urich,e take a look at this."


    A warrior who had found something called out to Urich. Urich entered deeper into the hall.


    "What, is it a treasure?"


    "It looks like it. It''s something I''ve never seen before."


    The hall''s storeroom contained the vige''s treasures, including pearls and crafts made of gold and silver to be used in trades. Among them, a warrior lifted a fist-sized figure.


    "...''Jade,¡¯" Urich murmured.


    "Jade?"


    "Let me see."


    What the warrior held was a statue of pure green jade. The exquisite and intricate piece was not unfamiliar to Urich.


    <i>''It''s not shaped like a dragon like that eastern artifact. It''s a human figure, but in attire I''ve never seen. The sculpture has wide folds as if the clothes could flutter in the breeze any moment.''</i>


    Urich stared at the jade statue, entranced.


    <i>''This wasn''t made by this tribe. Compared to other crafts, the craftsmanship and sophistication are on a different level.''</i>


    Urich approached the hall''s elders with the jade statue.


    "Where did thise from?"


    Though they didn''t speak the samenguage, Urich demanded answers while pointing at the jade statue. The elders trembled, stuttering. They pointed westward, where the only thing in sight was the sea.


    Urich''s eyes widened. His lips quivered softly.


    "Bring the interpreter."


    Urich waited for the interpreter, fixated on the jade statue.


    <i>''How did an eastern artifact end up at the western edge?''</i>


    Urich was convinced the jade figure and the eastern artifact from the empire came from the same ce. Yet, the connection eluded him. The eastern artifacts must have crossed the eastern sea to reach the empire.


    <i>''This is the far end of the west.''</i>


    Two jade figures found at the ends of the continent.


    Two interpreters were summoned by Urich, and they spoke with the elder.


    "That thing was merely passed down from their ancestors. ording to their legend, it was a gift from an outsider who drifted ashore. In exchange for the treasure, our ancestors provided the foreigner with food and care."


    "Where is this outsider now?"


    Urich looked at the statue. The depicted person''s attire was unfamiliar, with loose tops and sleeves. It was something he had never seen elsewhere.


    "After resting, the outsider built a boat and set sail westward, back to where he came from."


    "What did this outsider look like?"


    The interpreters ryed the question. The elders chatted among themselves, seemingly arguing as if their transmitted stories were slightly varying. Eventually, quieting down, one elder spoke to the interpreter.


    "ck hair and ck eyes."


    The interpreter ryed this to Urich. It was as if he were struck by thunder. He recalled.


    <i>''There''s a legend among us that beyond the eastern sea lies anothernd. One of our ancestors supposedly set foot there and returned. It''s said people with ck hair and ck eyes live there.''</i>


    It was something Sven had said long ago. At the time, Urich had thought little of it.


    <i>''A jade figure and people with ck hair and ck eyes.''</i>


    It couldn''t be a coincidence. But how could the same people be encountered at both the east and west ends?


    "Urich, the other tribes areing this way. Let''s secure the treasure first."


    One of the Stone Axe warriors spoke. Urich nodded and ced the jade figure into a leather bag tied around his waist.


    The victorious alliance celebrated with a feast. They enjoyed food made from strange sea fish,memorating the sess of their expedition.


    "We''ve reached the end of the west!"


    "Who dares to stand against us!"


    "Woohoo! Hooh! Hooh!"


    The night sky was outshone byrge bonfires everywhere.


    Naked women could be seen all around. Warriors picked the ones they liked and embraced them before returning to the bonfires to drink.


    The alliance had endured the harsh dry season through raids. For every warrior in the alliance, there was someone who had been raided and killed. Yet, no one felt any guilt. The west was alwayscking resources, and some simply had to die.


    The joy of survival. The warriors expressed their overflowing vitality with their entire bodies.


    <i>''East and west.''</i>


    Urich stood on the beach, looking out at the sea. He could see the vige¡¯s anchored fishing boats. Warriors seeing the sea for the first time frolicked in the salty water. Theyughed innocently like children, having fun ying in the water.


    <i>''What lies at the end of this sea?''</i>


    Legend has it that the eastern continent lies at the end of the eastern sea.


    <i>''That outsider from the west had treasures from the eastern continent, and his appearance was probably the same since the features match. ck hair, ck eyes.''</i>


    The curiosity was unbearable. Urich wanted to cross the sea right away.


    "Shit."


    Urich kicked the sand in frustration. He felt the weight of responsibility. He couldn''t just abandon his duties and leave on a whim again.


    <i>''I am the chief.''</i>


    Urich was no longer a free man. He couldn''t act on his curiosity and desires alone. His priority was keeping up with the mission of the chief.


    As Urich gazed at the sea, Belrua walked up beside him.


    "Is this what they call the sea? It¡¯s amazing. That description ¡®endlesske¡¯ is spot on."


    "Those from the Sky Mountains are seeing it for the first time."


    The sea was vast. Belrua, too, was momentarily lost in admiration before speaking.


    "Soon, Samikan is going to dere himself as the Great Chief."


    "We chose Samikan as the leader of the alliance from the start of the expedition. Why act so surprised now?"


    Belrua frowned.


    "At that time, I didn''t think Samikan¡¯s ambition was this big. Honestly, I didn''t expect us to reach the western end. I thought we''d raid around a bit after crossing the wastnds and return home."


    "You underestimated Samikan."


    Urich looked at the distant crackling bonfires.


    "Urich, Samikan is a man of great ambition."


    "You can¡¯t do anything without an ambition like that. It''s because of his ambition that we allied with him."


    "For now, we are equals to Samikan. But will he still treat us as equals once he proims himself the Great Chief?"


    Belrua scoffed, asking Urich.


    Urich didn''t answer.


    * * *


    The alliance did not have the entire west under its control. There were still many small andrge tribes that had not sumbed to it. However, there was no tribe untouched by the alliance''s influence. The gap between tribes united under the alliance and those independent was bound to grow.


    Samikan had led this expedition sessfully. His poprity was high and his support was firm. He wielded strong power throughout the alliance.


    <i>''I have to be the Great Chief while my power is at its peak.''</i>


    Samikan did not wait for the alliance to return to the Blue Mist. He called himself the Great Chief while his power was at its zenith.


    All the priests and shamans of the tribes gathered to discuss. Shamans were those who interpreted the will of the heavens and preserved the traditions of the tribe. The priests debated how to view the unprecedented position of the Great Chief.


    "Samikan is only the Great Chief of the Sky Mountains tribes. He has not been recognized by the spirits and the earth outside of that."


    Shamans from tribes distant from the Sky Mountains agreed with this statement. Interpreters conveyed the message between the shamans and priests of the different regions.


    "I agree with that statement. While I acknowledge Samikan''s power and strength, that alone does not qualify him for the position of the Great Chief. We have our own traditions, just like you do."


    The Great Chief was a position that was going to represent all. Samikan had representativeness among the tribes of the Sky Mountains, but not among others.


    "Hah, drop the nonsense. Isn''t power and strength all that''s needed for a Great Chief?"


    Six-Fingered, from the Blue Mist tribe, spoke up. He was also a priest of Samikan.


    "You''re the one talking nonsense! What do you mean power and strength are everything?"


    "I will be honest with you. Samikan will kill anyone who obstructs his ascension as the Great Chief. If you want to live, you better keep your mouth shut."


    As Six-Fingered warned the other shamans, they stood up in uproar.


    "Are you threatening us right now? Is that what this is?"


    "We will inform our chief of this matter!"


    "You''ve crossed the line, Six-Fingered!"


    Hearing their uproar, Six-Fingered shook his head in annoyance. He raised his six fingers, calming the shamans. His six fingers waved like ripples.


    "It''s not a threat, just the truth. Do you think I''d be safe if I opposed Samikan? If I don¡¯t bring him good news, my head is just as gone as all of yours."


    Other priests fell silent, sighing. Six-Fingered continued cautiously.


    "...Some of you may know, but before we crossed the wastnds of the dry season, we even lied about the omens. I told them that if Samikan didn''t get an omen that fit his needs, he would have our heads."


    "What an outrageous...!"


    The shamans who heard this for the first time expressed their outrage.


    "Do you think the other chiefs will protect you if you rebel against Samikan now? Labeling one or two tribes as traitors and wiping them out is nothing to him. Samikan has more than enough power to do such a thing."


    Six-Fingered''s words were painfully urate. The alliance had seeded in its expedition and reached the end of the west. Warriors praised Samikan as a great figure, and his power had peaked. Opposing Samikan now was madness, and that''s why Samikan had imed the title of Great Chief, even if it seemed a bit early.


    "If Samikan seeks to be acknowledged by the heavens as the Great Chief, we have no choice but toply..."


    A heavy silence followed.


    The shamans had no choice. Samikan did not respect the shamans. He was a man who used shamans as political tools.


    Six-Fingered spoke up, breaking the heavy silence.


    "But if Samikan uses the will of the heavens and spirits as his tools, then so should we."


    "You''re the one who said opposing Samikan means death, Six-Fingered."


    "There cannot be two suns in one sky..."


    Hearing Six-Fingered''s words, the shamans listened attentively. They understood Six-Fingered''s implication.


    "Are you speaking of Urich?"


    Currently, in the alliance, only Urich had a reputationparable to Samikan''s.


    Although Belrua of the Red Sand was also one of the three major chiefs, her inherent limitations as a woman made it difficult for her to be recognized by other tribes.


    Urich led the strong Stone Axe force and performed as well as Samikan during the expedition. On top of this, his feat of crossing the Sky Mountains was still talked about among warriors.


    "Though he is my chief, Urich vited the taboos of the Sky Mountains."


    The priest of the Stone Axe Tribe spoke. He felt guilty for the sinsmitted by his very own chief, which often kept him awake at night.


    "In the end, we will all end up viting the taboos. Urich crossing the Sky Mountains is no longer a sin. It has be an achievement."


    Too much had changed. Changes that would not have urred even in decades all happened within a year. Worldviews and values shifted, and what was right or wrong became unclear.


    The shamans, who governed the way the world was viewed, were thrown into confusion. Everyone pondered which path to follow.


    "The Sky Mountains, known for epting no one, epted Urich. That man, who was born from the earth without parents, must have been blessed by the heavens. It''s not a false omen. There''s no other way to exin the path Urich has taken up to this point. A man who should have been cursed for viting the taboo liberated his tribe and became the chief. How could he have achieved this without the blessing of the heavens and ancestors?"


    The shamans murmured at Six-Fingered''s words.


    "Are you suggesting we make Urich the Great Chief? The alliance we''ve built will be broken!"


    "That is quite a jump to the conclusion. No, I am talking about acknowledging Samikan as the Great Chief and transferring power to him while also supporting Urich. Urich is a warrior who does not cater to Samikan''s whims and stands by his convictions. Just looking at his act of crossing the mountains against the taboo, he''s not someone who easily bends his will."


    The shamans nodded in agreement. Urich wasn¡¯t a man who would act solely ording to Samikan''s wishes. Since they had sworn brotherhood, Samikan could not harm Urich on a whim, either.


    "Proposing that we support Urich to keep Samikan in check... I would have never expected such words toe from the priest of the Blue Mist, Six-Fingered."


    "As I said earlier, I''m not safe from Samikan''s hand either... Keke."


    Six-Fingeredughed softly.


    The shamans looked at each other before unanimously recognizing Samikan as the Great Chief.

 Chapter 165

    <h4>Chapter 165</h4>


    "Dering Urich as the Son of the Earth... I never asked for such a thing, Six-Fingered."


    Samikan said, adjusting his feathered helmet. The meticulously ced feathers made his head look evenrger, and the gold-ted helmet shone like the sun itself.


    "The other shamans and priests agreed too. Without presenting Urich, the Great Chief¡¯s seat wouldn''t have been surrendered so easily. Everyone is wary of your monopoly on power."


    Six-Fingered spoke eloquently.


    "You always speak well with that silver tongue of yours. Today is a day of joy, so I won''t interrogate you any further."


    Samikanughed, patting Six-Fingered''s shoulder.


    Samikan stood up and looked toward the coastline. He had conquered all of thend from the foothills of the Sky Mountains down to the sea. The Great Samikan was not an exaggeration. He had united the scattered tribes into one alliance.


    Even if the alliance were to dissolve, the links that were connected once would not easily break.


    "Samikaaaaan!"


    Samikan stepped onto the tform, looking at the warriors. The alliance''s warriors gathered on the beach, shouting Samikan''s name.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The shamans threw finely ground hallucinogenic powder into the fire. The mes surged momentarily before subsiding.


    <i>Screech!</i>


    A hawk soared into the sky.


    "A good omen!"


    The warriors shouted, seeing the hawk as a good sign.


    "The heavens and spirits have led Samikan to be our leader!"


    Six-Fingered shouted loudly, drawing a response from the crowd of warriors. The hawk flew up at the perfect time. Obviously, it was one that was already caught and released at just the right time. The shamans were familiar with such tricks.


    "Woooooah!"


    The warriors roared, their hearts boiling with excitement. They swelled with pride, knowing that what they were partaking in was a legendary moment.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Samikan sat down on a chair that was prepared for him. It was covered with various animal skins. Lion and wolf heads hung from the armrests.


    "I, Samikan, have ascended here in obedience to the heavens'' decree, and I will not do anything that betrays the heavens'' will. It doesn''t matter where I, you, we, are from, whatnguage we speak, or what we believe. I, Samikan, will treat all brothers fairly, and no discord or discrimination during our expeditions and conquests will be a basis for inequality."


    Samikan, like Urich, desired unification. An intertribal group not bound by past resentments and tribal distinctions.


    "All warriors are equal and equivalent. From now on, there are no victorious or defeated tribes. We are one tribe born from the same earth, looking up at the same sky."


    Samikan took a deep breath. He held a sword and spear, one in each hand, and raised them high.


    "We are the tribe of the sky!"


    The warriors leaped and shouted. Even warriors who had no special feelings for Samikan were moved by the collective roar and joined in shouting Samikan''s name.


    "There shall be no ves anymore! We do not enve our brothers and sisters! Release the shackles! Those who wish to return home will be free to do so! If you wish to wield a spear, be given one!"


    "Ooooh!"


    ves were released in all directions. Not only male ves carrying the loads of the alliance warriors but also the female ves who had been sex ves were freed.


    <i>''There will be dissatisfaction, but such feelings will be buried in this flow.''</i>


    Urich watched the changing tribe. It wasn¡¯t possible toe up with a policy that satisfied everyone.


    "Urich, the Son of the Earth!¡±


    "A warrior born from the earth, fights like a beast, and is as solid as rock! The man who crossed the Sky Mountains with the permission of the heavens and blessings of the spirits!"


    The shamans elevated Urich, sshing the blood of beasts on his body.


    "Son of the Earth..."


    Urich murmured lowly. He never saw his parents'' faces. Abandoned in the ins, he was raised by the Stone Axe Tribe.


    No warrior opposed the shamans'' praise for Urich. Urich had earned his stripes as much as Samikan. Without Urich, the alliance would not exist.


    Samikan was the leader chosen by the heavens, and Urich was the warrior gifted by the earth.


    Urich and Samikan were sanctified by the priests and shamans. If they wished to do something, the warriors would follow without hesitation. Sanctity meant absolute righteousness.


    <i>''The shamans have granted Samikan and me immense power. It seems I''ve gained mine thanks to Samikan, though...''</i>


    Urich clenched his fist. He knew that it was a simple blessing of the shamans, but it still gave him a blood-rushing, dizzying sensation. The earth connected to his feet suddenly felt unfamiliar and disorienting.


    <i>Drip, drip.</i>


    Blood covering Urich''s body pooled on the ground beneath him.


    Urich closed and then opened his eyes.


    <i>''Where did Ie from, and where am I going...''</i>


    Urich bent down to grab a handful of soil.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    In the distance, waves crashed. Urich looked up toward the crevices struck by the waves.


    <i>''Ulgaro.''</i>


    A warrior wearing a winged helmet looked at Urich from the dark crevice.


    "Urich! Raise your hand and respond to the cheers of your warriors!"


    Six-Fingered approached Urich, whispering. Urich raised his hand high. The roar for Urich was no less than the des poured on Samikan.


    <i>''Sun god.''</i>


    As he looked up at the sky, Urich couldn''t open his eyes due to the sun emerging from behind the clouds. The harsh sunlight seemed to scold Urich. Shielding his eyes, Urich looked back down and shook his head.


    <i>''Pull yourself together, Urich.''</i>


    The earth, which had seemed to sway like being drunk, found its ce again. Urich took a deep breath and drew his sword. Looking at the smooth steel de, he regained hisposure.


    "Wooooah! Uuuurich!"


    As Urich drew his sword, symbolizing his resolve, the warriors also drew their weapons, showing that his resolve was reciprocated.


    <i>''...This is the only thing I can rely on now.''</i>


    Urich stared at the gleaming de. The eyes that were looking back at him were those filled with anxiety about having nowhere to rely on.


    * * *


    The dry season wasing to an end. Clouds gathered over the sea. The air was even more humid being near the coast.


    The alliance had taken ample rest and was preparing to march once again. They packed plenty of dried fish and had the cksmith hammer out their weapons.


    The alliance had ended most of the long-standing conflicts in the west. Neighboring tribes did not fight each other under the alliance¡¯smand. Resources and food were still scarce, but trade stimted by the alliance¡¯s expeditions somewhatpensated for the shortage.


    "I will serve the Great Chief with loyalty."


    The alliance retraced their steps through the tribes they had conquered. Samikan once again confirmed the loyalty of the tribal chiefs. The chiefs vied with each other to swear their allegiance to the new Great Chief''s authority.


    "I, too, will treat my brothers with fairness and sincerity."


    On the way back, Samikan collected tribute. In return, Samikan promised protection. Tribes under the wings of the alliance would not be attacked by other tribes.


    A new administrative system was necessary to maintain the unprecedented alliance structure.


    Samikan systematically trained interpreters fluent in multiplenguages and made several copies of the maps created on the expedition. Beyond the horizon was no longer an unknownnd. The territories of each tribe were clearly marked.


    Every time they camped, tribal chiefs and priests gathered to create newws. Laws created with the consent of as many tribes as possible became universally eptedmon sense.


    "There are still tribes that have not joined the alliance."


    "We''ve given them plenty of time to make their decisions."


    The return journey was not entirely peaceful. At the request of alliance-affiliated tribes, they trampled tribes that had not joined the alliance.


    The tribes requested the extermination of the stubborn tribes because getting rid ofpeting neighboring tribes allowed for the acquisition of morend. The alliance moved strictly for the benefit of its member tribes.


    Joining the alliance brought benefits, and refusing meant vanishing from the earth. It was a cruel measure but a necessary process for swift unification.


    The return path was also heavily stained with blood. Urich, as the Son of the Earth, always led the front. The warriors vied to stand beside Urich.


    Fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Urich was a great honor. Moreover, there was a belief that one would not die fighting beside the Son of the Earth.


    "We can''t fight the enemies beyond the mountains with enemies behind us. There are still quite a fewrge tribes that have not submitted to the alliance, just like this one."


    Urich stabbed an approaching enemy''s head with his sword. Brain matter slid down the de.


    "Hah, if I were them, I would''ve bowed to the alliance a long time ago. I don''t understand why so many are stubborn and retaliate."


    Vald swung his sword beside Urich, yelling. After taking heavy breaths, Vald beheaded a fallen enemy.


    "The Phergamo tribe would have also be our enemy if I hadn''t persuaded them. It shows that not all tribes are simply convinced by force."


    Urich indifferently threw his axe. The enemy, struck in the forehead by the axe, toppled over.


    "It always feels strange when you say something smart like that, my brother."


    "I''ve always been smart, you idiot."


    Urichughed heartily. He kicked a half-dead warrior grasping at his feet. The sound of breaking neck and jaw bones echoed.


    "Let''s go, Urich! Lead us!"


    Many warriors admired Urich. Samikan was a great tribal chief but an unreachable figure. However, Urich was approachable, and his essence was always that of a warrior.


    "Gaaaargh!"


    Enemies screamed in defiance against the alliance. They were fighting knowing they would certainly be defeated. Their resistance was somehow pitiful.


    "Damn bastards."


    The enemies resisted to thest man. Warriors who fought until annihtion were admirable. These warriors were not meant to die unnoticed.


    But those who couldn''t ride the current vanished into oblivion.


    The west was in turmoil. Countless were swept away and sank in the torrent. It was an era where even those who might have made a name for themselves died miserably. Only those with both insight and luck could ride the current.


    "Shit. The women and children are all dead."


    The alliance warriors said as they entered the vige.


    "Those warriors got rid of their ce to return to beforeing up to us. That''s why they resisted so desperately."


    Dead women and children''s bodies were seen everywhere in the vige. The warriors of this vige had killed their families before heading to battle with a resolve for death. They fought until death because they had nowhere to return.


    <i>''We''ve shed a lot of blood.''</i>


    Urich let his arm hang loosely, looking over the vige left only with death.


    <i>Drip, drip.</i>


    Dark clouds from the west caught up with the alliance. Rain poured down.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Lightning shed, and warriors opened their mouths, howling like beasts.


    "Ooooooooh!"


    "The dry season is over!"


    "Oh heavens! Look after us!"


    Warriors stripped down to their loincloths to wee the rain. They washed off the hardened scabs all over their bodies and moistened their parched lips and throats.


    "Hoo."


    Urich nted his sword in the wet ground. He ran his fingers through his hair as if he was showering with the rainwater.


    The warriors ran past Urich, jumping with joy. Urich stared at them. They were his kin and his brothers.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The dark clouds covered the sky, and the asional lightning illuminated the surroundings.


    <i>¡®Skulls?¡¯</i>


    The warriors, running around naked, suddenly looked like dry skeletons. Eerie lights shook in ce of their eyes.


    Urich rubbed his eyes in annoyance. When he opened his eyes to look again, the skulls were nowhere to be seen and the excited warriors had returned.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    Urich clicked his tongue and pulled his sword out of the ground.


    With the start of the rainy season, the alliance was able to rx a bit. Conserving supplies was no longer arge concern.


    They had already retraced half of the distance they traveled on their expedition and were crossing the same wastnd that caused them an inconvenience. But this time, thend was covered in greenery after the rain, as if it had always been this way.


    After sessfully finishing their expedition, the alliance was finally back to the Sky Mountains. Samikan was now called the Great Chief.

 Chapter 166: Collision

    <h4>Chapter 166: Collision</h4>


    Having returned from the expedition, a grand festival was held at the campsite of the alliance. Warriors shared the spoils of their raid, boisterously eating and drinking. The night was even more lively than the day.


    "Belrua,e have a drink. What are you so busy with?"


    Urich called out to Belrua as she passed by while he was drinking with the warriors. There weren¡¯t many who had the authority to offer a drink to Belrua of the Red Sand.


    "Shut up," Belrua responded harshly. Urich frowned.


    "You¡¯re so aggressive on such a good day."


    "Must be nice, Urich the Son of the Earth," she snapped back.


    Hearing this, Urich shut his mouth.


    <i>''The Red Sand Tribe must be pretty unhappy with how the situation is unfolding.''</i>


    Blue Mist and Stone Axe had gained quite a lot through the western expedition. Especially, Samikan and Urich, attained divinity, standing distinctly higher than other chiefs. However, Red Sand did not secure such benefits.


    <i>¡®Samikan and I are still equals, but Belrua has be someone who is technically beneath us.''</i>


    Urich felt sympathy for Belrua, but it didn''t bother him much. He too was merely caught in the political currents.


    "I don''t have the luxury to sit and gossip with you over drinks."


    Belrua left in annoyance. Urich shrugged and watched her back, then took another sip of his drink.


    Urich had heard about the internal strife within Red Sand through various rumors.


    <i>''The support for Belrua within Red Sand is waning.''</i>


    <i>''Beingpared with other chiefs in the alliance, it''s like a festering sore that''s finally burst.''</i>


    <i>''Many warriors think she''s fallen behind because she''s a woman chief and couldn¡¯t earn the respect of the other chiefs.''</i>


    <i>''Even if the Red Sand supported a woman chief, it all means nothing if other tribes don''t acknowledge it.''</i>


    There was much opposition within the Red Sand Tribe. Among the three chiefs, only Belrua failed to acquire divinity. Many warriors med her for this.


    "New warriors joining the alliance don¡¯t want to ept a woman chief ruling over them. There are many ces where the reputation of Red Sand doesn''t carry weight the same way it did back home."


    Vald picked his ear as he spoke. He often went around to gauge the mood of other tribes for Urich.


    Despite all this, Red Sand still remained an important tribe for the alliance. It was a key trade hub geographically, and its metalworkers were irreceable talents.


    "It''s unfortunate for Belrua, but it''s not really any of our concern," Urich spoke calmly.


    Whether female or male, one was responsible for protecting their own status. Belrua earned her position as chief with her ability, but if she can''t defend it, she must step down, whatever the reason may be. That was the harsh reality.


    "Aaaargh!"


    A scream echoed. The drumming stopped, and the warriors looked up.


    "If anyone questions my legitimacy, draw your weapon. If you think you can rece me, take my head as proof!"


    Belrua shouted with blood smeared over her face. Beneath her feety a Red Sand warrior with his entrails spilling out.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Belrua swung herrge sword, decapitating the warrior. She used a weaponrger than most to prove her prowess as a warrior equal to any man.


    "Oooh!"


    The warriors shouted upon seeing the blood. Though they didn''t know the details, they were excited by the fight itself.


    "I am Belrua of Red Sand. I am your leader! If you haveints, draw your weapon now! Are you nning to whisper behind my back like a bunch of little bitches?"


    Belrua spread her arms and shouted. Veins bulged on her neck which was marred by burns.


    The Red Sand warriors remained silent. Belrua was an exceptional warrior and cksmith. No one within Red Sand could deny that.


    <i>''But having been caught out like this, the same issues will continue to trip Belrua up.''</i>


    The fundamental discontent within the Red Sand Tribe remained unresolved. They wanted to stand equal with the Stone Axe and Blue Mist tribes.


    * * *


    The feast was reaching its end. After the feast, the chiefs would gather to decide their future course.


    Some chiefs would return to their tribes, while others would stay at the alliance''s base for more power.


    "Urich, wake up."


    Samikan entered Urich''s tent.


    "Huh?"


    Urich lifted his head, groggy from a hangover. He pushed away the legs of women that were almost covering him. The stale, white signs of lovemaking still lingered all over their thighs.


    There were three naked women inside Urich''s tent alone. All of them hade willingly the previous night, hoping to carry Urich''s seed.


    Urich, recognized as the son of the earth, had embraced many women. For a warrior with a strong body, spreading his seed was also one of his duties.


    "Noah sent this from our tribe. He said you''d like it."


    Samikan pulled out a cloth bag and opened it.


    <i>Rattle.</i>


    Barley grains spilled into Samikan''s hand.


    Urich, ignoring the women, abruptly stood up. The women, who had been sleeping soundly, stirred and opened their eyes.


    "Mmm, hmm? What, you want to go for another round?"


    The women cooed sleepily, but Urich paid them no attention.


    <i>''Barley...''</i>


    Urich snatched the bag of barley from Samikan. It was definitely barley.


    "If you''re up, put your clothes back on,dies. We men have matters to discuss."


    Samikan tapped the women''s buttocks, hinting they should leave. The women grumbled as they hurriedly dressed.


    "Hah, I didn¡¯t actually think they¡¯d grow here."


    Urich still seemed in disbelief as he fiddled with the barley grains. Thick barley grains fell through the gaps in his fingers.


    "Are we supposed to eat this? It doesn''t taste that great, that¡¯s for sure."


    Samikan also sat down, chewed on a barley grain, and grimaced.


    "If you cook it into a porridge with some other stuff, it''s quite edible. And it fills you up nicely, too."


    Barley was a grain with many uses. It could be fed to livestock, and, during diator times, there were diators who stuffed themselves with barley to the point of bursting to bulk themselves up.


    "I honestly don''t see what''s so great about this thing, brother."


    Samikan opened his eyeszily.


    "If we seed in growing barley, many things will change. It means we can secure food continuously and consistently without only relying on hunting and gathering."


    "... Like how they do it beyond the mountains?"


    "Agriculture is the foundation of civilization. In the world beyond, one farmer can support many people. The rest can live with various professions. Beyond the mountains, not every man needs to be a hunter or warrior to survive, and that''s why they could develop."


    "Hmm, I don¡¯t know. Those men sound like weaklings to me. Shamans are the only weaponless men we need. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of being born with a dick?"


    "With that kind of thinking, we''ll never catch up to them."


    Samikan''s eyebrows twitched at Urich''s words.


    "We''re all warriors, brother."


    "Beyond the mountains, there''s more to life than just being warriors. You need to respect different ways of living. This barley will be the beginning of that."


    Urich closed his eyes briefly. He remembered the golden fields he had seen long ago.


    "...To think you, of all people, would say such things."


    Samikan chuckled dryly. But both Noah and Urich emphasized the importance of agriculture. Samikan might not understand it easily but didn''t dismiss it lightly either.


    <i>¡®Whatever it is, if it can make us stronger, I''m all for it. Even if I don''t understand, if Noah and Urich say it''s right, then it must be.¡¯</i>


    Samikan wasn''t a man to impose only his own views. He always adapted flexibly to changes around him. Sometimes, one had to bend with the wind in order to not break.


    "Kirungka, take the warriors back to the vige first. They must all be homesick."


    Urich entrusted the Stone Axe warriors to Kirungka. Most of the Stone Axe warriors left the alliance''s base after the feast, heading back to their home viges to boast of their exploits and rest.


    Urich, Vald, and about fifty Stone Axe warriors headed toward the territory of the Blue Mist Tribe. Other chiefs also followed Samikan to visit the Blue Mist Tribe.


    Samikan became the Great Chief, and Blue Mist became the capital and center of the alliance.


    "But the ce where the alliance''s forces should gather is the Stone Axe Tribe," Urich mentioned casually.


    Samikan, walking beside him, lifted his head, and asked "Is it because of that pioneer road, that Yailrud or whatever?"


    "If they cross that, then the Stone Axe Tribe is the first thing they¡¯ll run into."


    "What about other paths?"


    "That''s the only path their forces can cross. Any other way is suicide. Trust me, brother."


    No one knew the Sky Mountains as well as Urich. This was true across both civilization and the west.


    <i>¡®Forming a brotherhood with the Stone Axe was the right choice, even if it took releasing all the hostages.''</i>


    Samikan was satisfied with his past decision. Urich turned out to be more exceptional than he thought. Although he didn''t scheme like Samikan, Urich''s political sense was no less keen. Had they be enemies, they would now be warring as two factions.


    <i>''Thanks to Samikan, the west became united much faster than I expected. He really is an impressive man. I couldn''t have dared to do it alone.''</i>


    Urich and Samikan became brothers due to their simr political interests. They had never hunted together, nor did they share their childhood.


    Yet, they recognized and relied on each other more than anyone else. They clearly understood that they needed each other.


    The Blue Mist Tribe was busy with the rainy season but weed Samikan''s return grandly. Samikan nodded as he heard about what had happened in the vige during his absence.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Noah Arten approached from the direction of theke.


    "Noah!"


    Samikan embraced Noah, eximing.


    "I heard you seeded in the expedition. Impressive. You''ve achieved a magnificent feat."


    "It''s all thanks to you! Anyway, I see the forest over there ispletely gone. The shamans are quite enraged and saying that we should execute you for burning down the forest."


    "We didn''t burn all of it. We just cleared enoughnd to kickstart our agriculture. A burnt forest makes good farnd."


    Noah Arten was a knight, not a farmer. However, he knew at least the basic knowledge of agriculture. That alone was significant knowledge in the west.


    "The southern barley was the only thing that managed to grow out of all the crops you nted, Urich," Noah said Urich.


    "I had my doubts, but at least we got one."


    Urich clenched his fist. Joy surged up to his throat.


    "This is as significant as seeding in the expedition. If only we can sessfully cultivate the barley fields."


    The other chiefs didn''t immediately grasp the importance of crop cultivation. There was much talk about why it was necessary to go through such trouble. But Samikan forcefully pushed for nting barley.


    "The tribes with goodnd will manage to grow barley. Thend of the Phergamo tribe is especially fertile."


    Urich also passed barley seeds to Chikaka.


    "We¡¯ll give it a try."


    Chikaka nodded.


    Several chiefs stayed in the Blue Mist Tribe to learn about barley farming. Agriculture had many variables and was hard to learn overnight, and neither Noah nor Urich were excellent farmers.


    But they did their best. They didn''t ignore even the smallest possibility.


    "It¡¯s true that all this is unnecessary at this very moment. In fact, it only makes things harder by taking up the hands needed elsewhere. Most will likely fail."


    Urich told the other warriors. Cultivating barley now wasn¡¯t going to make it a staple food. Warriors still remained warriors, and they needed to hunt. There was no guarantee that clearing thend for barley cultivation was going to make it any more sessful.


    "But this for the future, maybe for our descendants. To ensure those who aren¡¯t born yet can live by sweating, not bleeding."


    Not everyone understood what Urich was saying. But there were some who nodded. And that was enough for now.

 Chapter 167

    <h4>Chapter 167</h4>


    Even in summer, the people at the Arten outpost couldn''t easily shed their fur coats.


    The outpost was constructed at a high altitude and the cold stuck around all day long due to the chilly winds blowing from the Arten Gorge. The cold inspired the soldiers to call it by the nickname ¡®Cold Wind Gorge¡¯ instead of its original given name.


    Duke Langster, themander of the outpost, wrapped in thick wolf fur, led his knights. He looked at the bridge that was now wide enough for a double carriage to pass.


    <i>¡®Yailrud, the Pioneering Road.''</i>


    It was a bridge that was built clinging to a cliff where only one person could barely pass. Building it imed the lives of hundreds of workers. Later, ves were used to make up for the dying workers to somehow continue the construction.


    "They didn¡¯t return this time either? These mountains are truly harsh."


    Duke Langster clicked his tongue. Despite sending several scouts, one of which included a northern expedition team, no one had returned with news.


    <i>''Is it really because of these mountains, or...''</i>


    Duke Langster looked up at the Sky Mountains. Since ancient times, they were revered by the locals as a symbol of awe.


    "No wonder it¡¯s a symbol of awe. Even in the north, I¡¯ve never seen such high and steep mountains."


    Before being assigned to the Arten outpost, Duke Langster was the viceroy of the north.


    Many nobles found it strange that the sessful viceroy of the north was reassigned to the Arten outpost, but it wasn''t a demotion; it meant that he was that much in the emperor''s favor.


    <i>''Even Regal Arten, the originalmander, is missing...''</i>


    Duke Langster smiled bitterly. His life n was to retire as the viceroy of the north and spend his remaining years in the capital. That n had now gone out the window.


    "To be assigned to the frontlines at this age. And to the unexplored west, at that..."


    "Being too capable is also a sin, my lord."


    A knight said with a smile. Duke Langster was nearly fifty years old. The western expedition would take at least ten years, if not more.


    <i>¡®This is too much, even for the emperor.''</i>


    Duke Langster clicked his tongue. He walked along the pioneering road Yailrud. The bridge, unfazed by the gorge''s chilly winds, was incredibly sturdy.


    "If maintained well, it couldst even hundreds of years."


    Yailrud was a feat for the history books. The bridge, extending along the sheer cliffs, was a spectacle to say the very least. It crossed the gorge without being affected by the mountain''s elevations, serving as a means for the army to pass through the mountains.


    "Aaaaah!"


    A scream echoed in the distance. The sound reverberated through the gorge as it bounced off its steep cliff walls.


    "There goes another one."


    Duke Langster frowned and clicked his tongue. He didn¡¯t enjoy it by any means, but it was the emperor''smand.


    "Great achievements in historye with many sacrifices."


    Duke Langster had seen many achievements being born from sacrifice. The conquests of the south and north by the previous emperor were made on the sacrifices of both the empire and barbarians.


    <i>''Countless knights died, and even more barbarians fell to their knees.''</i>


    The knights secured the bridge''s safety ahead of Duke Langster. Ladders to climb the cliffs were ced at intervals.


    "Next time, we can move with a hundred men. It seems feasible now."


    A knight suggested. There was no need to move in small groups like an expedition anymore. Yailrud had extended far enough that altitude sickness wasn''t a concern.


    Duke Langster reached the current end of Yailrud. Workers bustled about, extending the bridge.


    "I''ll go up and see it for myself."


    Duke Langster said, grabbing thedder. It was a dizzyingly highdder.


    "It''s dangerous, my lord."


    "No, I need to see for myself what the mountains are like."


    No one could argue against Duke Langster. He climbed thedder with knights in tow.


    "Huff, huff."


    Duke Langster breathed heavily, looking down.


    <i>¡®If I fall, I¡¯ll surely die.''</i>


    Duke Langster had survived countless life-threatening situations. The most recent was nearly dying from a surprise attack by northern rebels retaliating against the subjugation of Mulin.


    <i>''Urich.''</i>


    The man who saved him from that attack was none other than a barbarian named Urich. It was ironic that a northern barbarian saved him from a northern barbarian attack.


    <i>¡®I wonder what that barbarian is doing now?''</i>


    Despite being a barbarian, Urich was a remarkable man. He was the winner of the Hamel Jousting Tournament and even had connections with the king of Porcana. Surely, he was enjoying wealth and glory somewhere.


    <i>Creak</i>.


    Duke Langster stretched his arms and climbed to the very top of thedder. He looked down from above the gorge.


    "It''s just as cold up here," Duke Langster said, facing the wind blowing over the gorge.


    "Just a bit further, and the terrain bes gentler, my lord. Our current n is to connect that area to Yailrud and build another fortress. That will be the start of the conquest."


    A knight pointed ahead and exined.


    The imperial army excelled in conquests. Both the north and south had knelt before them. Even the obstacle of the Sky Mountains was ovee with human will and technology.


    "You''ll be the viceroy of the west after the north, my lord."


    "If I live to see the end of the western conquest, that is."


    Duke Langsterughed, looking westward.


    <i>Ssssh.</i>


    The bushes rustled. The knights didn''t miss the sound.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The knights drew their swords, protecting Duke Langster.


    "Cough, cough."


    Someone emerged from the bushes. He was a deeply wounded man, but they were able to identify him as a member of the expedition team that was sent by Duke Langster. He was barely clinging to life.


    "T-they are waiting for us," the wounded man said.


    "Waiting? Who is?"


    Duke Langster approached, dispersing the knights.


    "Barbarians, they were hiding, w-waiting for us. It''s no coincidence the other expeditions didn''t return. My lord..."


    The man spoke as he gasped for hisst breath. It was toote for treatment; his face was already pale.


    Duke Langster tried to extract as much information as possible before the man died.


    "Speak clearly! I want details!"


    "More than dozens of barbarians attacked us. They blocked the mountain mid-slope so tightly, not even a mouse could pass... It''s as if they knew our ns."


    Duke Langster''s expression hardened. The fact that this man had run into more than dozens meant it wasn''t a mere chance encounter.


    "Are the barbarians setting up a barricade in the mountains?"


    The man nodded. After coughing blood, he shut his eyes.


    A knight checked the man''s neck for a pulse.


    "He''s dead, my lord."


    Duke Langster opened his eyes narrowly.


    The barbarians were on guard at the foothills of the mountains. Constructing Yailrud without proper consideration could lead to unforeseen consequences. Building takes time and dedication, but destruction happens in an instant.


    "Amass the troops and get them up thedders."


    Duke Langster rose andmanded.


    * * *


    Urich returned to the Stone Axe Tribe. He did not stay long within the tribe and immediately headed for the Sky Mountains. There was no time to unwind from the long expedition.


    The Blue Mist, Stone Axe, and Red Sand tribes each picked a hundred and fifty warriors from their tribes to guard the mountains. They followed their respective chief¡¯s orders and guarded the mountains for nearly half a year.


    <i>¡®There it is.''</i>


    Urich watched the smoke rising. At the base of the mountains, there was the warriors'' camp. Tents were pitched, and they took turns climbing the mountains to stand guard.


    "Urich!"


    The Stone Axe warriors recognized Urich and promptly stood up. Urich was apanied by Vald and a few other warriors.


    "Chief Urich."


    Warriors from the other tribes also greeted Urich. They had heard the news of the expedition''s conclusion.


    "You''ve been working hard."


    Urich praised the warriors for their diligence. They had silently guarded the mountains without the glory that those who participated in the western expedition gained. But in reality, their hardships were no less than those of the expedition.


    "I guarantee you that none of them crossed the mountains to step onto ournds."


    The warriors had repelled more than ten scouting and expedition parties trying to cross the mountains. Their pride was immense.


    "Any captives?"


    "We''ve kept about ten alive. We couldn''t interrogate them since theirnguage is different from ours..."


    "I speak theirnguage. Lead the way."


    The warriors were impressed by Urich.


    "Woah... he really is the one who crossed the mountains."


    The warriors guarding the mountains showed respect to Urich. The mountains were harsh, and even after spending half a year there, they still didn''t dare to cross. Urich, who had crossed the mountains back and forth, was a formidable warrior.


    Everything was going as Urich expected. Running into the northern scouts with Gizzle was not a coincidence.


    <i>''The empire has been sending people to cross the mountains. Yailrud wouldn''t have stopped just because I killed Regal Arten. If the warriors really managed to repel all the scouting parties, they shouldn¡¯t have too much information on us yet.''</i>


    As Urich was deep in thought, he arrived at the tent where the captives were kept. The tent reeked of filth. It was clear the warriors hadn''t managed the captives properly. Captives were seen relieving themselves in their trousers. Among them were northerners.


    "Do you believe in Ulgaro?"


    Urich spoke in Northern. A captured northerner widened his eyes.


    "A-a brother? No, that can''t be."


    The northerner looked at Urich''s face and shook his head.


    "You must have had a hard time crossing the mountains."


    This time, Urich spoke in Hamelian.


    The captives stirred. The western barbarian standing in front of them was fluently speaking northern and the imperialnguage.


    "Are you going to die here, wallowing in your own filth? You won''t make it to the Field of Swords."


    Urich mocked the northerner.


    "G-give me a weapon!"


    The northerner shouted with a flustered face. It was clear he believed in Ulgaro.


    "Answer my questions, and I''ll personally send you off honorably."


    The northerner nodded repeatedly. Long imprisonment had drained him of life. He had held on just so he could reach Ulgaro''s side.


    "Boooo! Traitor!"


    "Is betrayal the honorable path? This is why barbarians are..."


    The remaining prisoners hurled insults at the northerner.


    The northerner didn''t care. What mattered to him was getting to the Field of Swords. He had been a hired hand to cross the mountains. There was nothing for him to be loyal to.


    "Here, drink some water first."


    Urich offered the northerner a water skin. The northerner eagerly drank and smiled with a more rxed face.


    "How do you know ournguage?"


    The northerner asked, but Urich simply smiled.


    "That''s not important. Who''s inmand at the Arten outpost? Regal Arten should be dead."


    The northerner''s eyes widened further. The man in front of him, a western barbarian, knew the outpost''s name and its internal affairs.


    "Who the hell are you!"


    He had to ask again.


    "I''m Urich."


    "Urich?"


    He was the very barbarian who went missing along with Regal Arten. But no one knew Urich''s name. Even at the outpost, it was just recorded that Regal Arten and his party disappeared.


    "Anyway, that''s not important. Who''smanding?"


    "Duke Langster. He was also my employer."


    "Langster the northern viceroy? What''s he doing here? That¡¯s basically a demotion."


    Urich muttered in Hamelian. He was already acquainted with Duke Langster.


    "No, really, who the hell are you..."


    The northerner was even more confused. Here in the west, there was a man who immediately recognized the status of the northern viceroy Langster just by hearing his name.

 Chapter 168

    <h4>Chapter 168</h4>


    Urich thought hard about the reasons behind Duke Langster being appointed as themander of the outpost in the Sky Mountains. Rather unexpectedly, the answer came pretty easily.


    "So, they decided to appoint Langster, who already has experience as the viceroy of the north, as themander of the outpost... They really are serious about investing in the western expansion."


    Urich knew how much Emperor Yanchinus was obsessed with great achievements. His obsession was close to madness. It was no surprise that he was going to try to conquer the west at any cost.


    <i>¡®Duke Langster has it tough. This is almost like a demotion, no matter how you look at it.¡¯</i>


    Urich managed to get various information from the northerners.


    "The pioneering road Yailrud is nearingpletion. It''s a bridge made with the blood and lives of its workers."


    "That was quick. But I¡¯d expect no less from the empire."


    Urich stroked the stubble on his chin and blinked a few times. The construction of Yailrud was as fast as he had expected. He realized again that one should not hope for luck against the empire.


    <i>¡®They have about five hundred soldiers stationed at the outpost.¡¯</i>


    Considering all of them were imperial soldiers, it wasn''t a small number at all. The imperial army could easily take on forces several times their size in a groupbat. They were experts in collective warfare.


    "Give me a weapon now. I have nothing else to say."


    The northerner said and sighed, embarrassed by his own action. What he had done out of his desire to head to the Field of Swords was shameful and unmanly.


    "Sword? Or axe?"


    When Urich asked, the northerner chose the axe. Urich threw an axe to the northerner without hesitation.


    "Urich?"


    The surrounding warriors were on alert, puzzled by the act of giving a weapon to a prisoner.


    "It''s fine. It¡¯s sort of a ritual for them."


    Urich calmed the warriors and drew his sword. It made a clear sound.


    "Imperial steel..."


    The northerner muttered, looking at the axe and Urich''s sword. Heughed softly.


    Urich and the northerner shuffled and circled each other, sizing up. The surrounding warriors watched on.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The northerner swung his axe threateningly through the air. Urich loosened his body, following the northerner''s axe with his eyes.


    <i>''He''s sluggish from being a captive for so long, but he¡¯s still got his edge. I can see that he is going to give it his all.''</i>


    This wasn''t a duel. It was a fight to the death. Urich had no intention of showing mercy. He moved forward with all his might.


    <i>''A step and a half.''</i>


    Urich measured the distance urately and precisely, swinging his sword widely. The northerner rolled to the side, dodging the sword.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich added momentum to his charge, kicking the rolling northerner. It sounded like the northerner was hit with a hammer. It was a nimble sequence as if Urich had anticipated his opponent¡¯s movement.


    "Cough!"


    The northerner coughed up blood, rolling on the ground. Urich gripped his sword with both hands, slicing from below upwards.


    <i>Schluck</i>!


    The sword de split the northerner''s abdomen. Without armor, it was a lethal attack that was deep enough to spill the intestines.


    "T-thank you."


    The northerner expressed his gratitude as his lips quivered.


    Urich nodded and ended his suffering by cutting his throat.


    "Take care of the body and bury it properly in the ground. Also, ce a sword on the grave."


    Urich ordered the burial ording to the customs of the north. The warriors shrugged but followed Urich''smand without a word.


    "What about the other ones?"


    "We''ve extracted all the necessary information, but we can''t just let them go. They know too much about us."


    Urich gestured a throat cutting motion. Vald nodded, understanding the order. Screams followed from the captives¡¯ tent.


    "We have Urich on our side!"


    The warriors eximed. The enemy they were facing was notpletely unknown. Urich knew them well. There was no need to fear an enemy that you already knew about.


    Vald finished dealing with the rest of the captives and came out of the tent. The warriors, following Urich''s orders, piled up dry wood to cremate the prisoners.


    <i>''To the afterlife they desire.''</i>


    Urich had no intention of dishonoring the dead. Srists were cremated, and the northerners were buried.


    "Vald, we need more warriors,¡± Urich said as he looked up at the mountains.


    "We have over four hundred warriors here."


    "That''s not enough. For now, we need to bring in warriors from the Stone Axe Tribe as well. Vald, you have to go and bring them here."


    Vald nodded and went on his way.


    Urich went up the mountains with dozens of his warriors who were loyal to him. He needed to see the status of the mountain range for himself.


    <i>¡®Three shifts of one hundred and fifty men are on guard.¡¯</i>


    The four hundred and fifty warriors took turns guarding for a week at a time. There were several warriors watching the mountains day and night.


    Urich wrapped his fur tightly. Although it was summer, the wind blowing near the gorge was cold.


    "It''s Urich! Urich is here!"


    Unlike the camp at the base of the mountains, the warriors who have been keeping watch looked disheveled. Even in the harsh cold of the mountains, they couldn''t light a fire and had spent a week on the mountain, eating minimally and standing guard without rest.


    <i>¡®My people.''</i>


    Urich felt a surge of emotion looking at the warriors. While Urich and Samikan enjoyed the glory of the expedition, these men silently guarded the harsh mountains withoutint. Urich was the only one who could truly appreciate and understand the difficulty of their work.


    "I''m going ahead to scout. Those who will join, raise your hand."


    As soon as Urich finished speaking, the warriors raised their hands. Urich selected ten warriors who looked in good condition.


    Urich and the warriors went beyond the guard line. They kept watch in all directions, pioneering the path.


    "The shamans said we would all die from the curse of the mountains."


    One warrior spoke as he walked alongside Urich. Urich snorted at those words.


    "People don''t die easily from curses. The biggest killer of people is other people."


    The power of the heavens and gods was feeble.


    Urich knew from experience how frail the gods were. They only governed the afterlife. They had no influence on the present world that humans live in.


    <i>Whooosh.</i>


    Urich and the warriors walked above the gorge. Looking down, they couldn¡¯t see the bottom of it. asionally, they heard the sound of waterfalls, but only when they really focused on it.


    <i>''Beneath the gorge lies a waterfall, and above, the terrain twists and turns treacherously.''</i>


    Regal Arten had the brilliant idea to navigate along the cliff edges of the gorge. There were crevices just wide enough for one person to step on, and Regal Arten''s expedition team used them to cross the Sky Mountains rtively easily.


    <i>''And now, they are building Yailrud, a pioneering road, along that very cliff.''</i>


    Once Yailrud ispleted, even an army would be able to cross the Sky Mountains.


    Urich frowned. He pictured the imperial army marching along Yailrud. If they fully cross the mountains and establish a base below, it would be the end of everything.


    <i>''We have to cut them off in the mountains.''</i>


    After some walking, a path touched by humans appeared.


    "This must be the path their scouts have polisheding and going."


    Even the mountains, once so heavily resistant to human footsteps, were eventually conquered by humans.


    <i>''If possible, it would be best to destroy Yailrud now.''</i>


    No matter how strong the imperial army was, they weren¡¯t going to be able to cross the mountains without Yailrud.


    The warriors looked at Urich, who was deep in thought.


    <i>''The one who crossed the Sky Mountains.''</i>


    The warriors guarding the mountains knew unprecedented changes and crises were approaching. They saw the tangible threat of the empire with their own eyes and thwarted them with their own hands.


    <i>''In a time like this, Urich is the only one who can lead us.''</i>


    It wasn¡¯t just the Stone Axe Tribe who thought so. Even the warriors from other tribes also relied on Urich.


    "Urich, there''s smoke rising over there."


    A warrior who walked further ahead came back to alert Urich.


    "I wouldn¡¯t have expected anything less from the experienced conquerors. They''re slowly expanding their territory."


    Urich spat on the ground, baring his teeth. He crouched low and advanced. Seeing the source of the smoke, Urich''s eyes widened like a beast''s.


    Yailrud had already extended to the gentle ridges of the mountains. The imperial army was building a temporary camp to guard the iplete Yailrud.


    <i>''Duke Langster is a very cautious man. Even for the Mulin Subjugation, he gathered the northern imperial army to form a big enough force to advance leisurely. He uses solid and meticulous tactics.''</i>


    Duke Langster did not rush. He fortified his camp, slowly expanding the empire''s territory. His experience as the viceroy of the north was formidable and not to be overlooked.


    "What are they doing?"


    A warrior whispered to Urich.


    "They''re fortifying the camp. To prevent us from destroying the bridge. It would be better for us if they climbed up the unfinished bridge to attack us. If they¡¯re defending like this and gathering full forces to strike... there¡¯s no way for us to stop them."


    "No way to stop them? We are warriors!"


    The warriors were indignant at Urich''s words.


    "We are poorly armed, andpared to them, we severelyck experience in groupbat. We have to know the difference between bravery and meaningless death."


    "So what are you saying? Should we retreat?"


    "We''ll attack before they can finish fortifying their camp."


    Urich signaled with his hand. The warriors quietly retreated, heading back down the mountains.


    The empire''s engineers were skilled, and the camp was going to rapidly be fortified day by day.


    Urich gathered all the warriors waiting at the base of the mountain. There was no time to even wait for the rest of the Stone Axe warriors to join.


    Three dayster, Urich climbed the mountains again. There were dark circles under his eyes. He was deeply fatigued from not resting properly.


    <i>''Four hundred warriors.''</i>


    Urich looked at the warriors following him up the mountain. They cleared a path by cutting through bushes and trees with their axes.


    <i>''Judging by the size of the camp, there must be at least a hundred soldiers.''</i>


    Urich squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them. Despite outnumbering them, he couldn''t becent.


    <i>''These warriors put their trust in me.''</i>


    Urich felt a heavy sense of responsibility. This waspletely different from the time he was leading a mercenary squad.


    Mercenaries were men who risked their lives for money. They threw themselves into life-or-death situations for fairpensation, which helped Urich not feel guilty about their deaths.


    <i>''These warriors are risking their lives for their kin and brothers.''</i>


    There was no selfishness in the warriors'' eyes, only the desire to protect their family and brothers. Their pure and innocent motivation ignited a fire in Urich''s heart.


    "I won''t tell you a lie that all of you will survive this. After the battle, a lot of you will bleed out and die a cold death. We are going to start the fight without our shamans, and in the mountains, a deep wound means certain death."


    Urich looked at the smoke rising in the distance.


    The warriors'' gaze concentrated on Urich. They needed someone to rely on. Urich took a deep breath and continued.


    "...I am Urich, the man who was blessed by the sky to cross the mountains. The shamans call me the Son of the Earth. I can promise you only one thing. I will always stand in front and beside you. Let''s fight shoulder to shoulder."


    Urich invoked his divinity that was gifted by the shamans. He did not reject the symbolism he carried.


    Filled with tion, the warriors raised their weapons high. Their fervor was enough to dispel the mountain''s cold. Some warriors, showing how heated they were, even stripped off their fur cloaks and leather garments to stand bare.


    <i>''If the warriors need something to rely on, I will be that thing.''</i>


    Urich took a handful of ash from his pocket and smeared it on his face. His face turned menacingly dark.


    "The mountains did not give them their permission. We will deliver judgment to them in ce of the sky."


    Urich forced out the words, even if they were not what he really wanted to say. If such words could bolster the warriors, he was willing to say even more.


    <i>Screeech!</i>


    Suddenly, a hawk soared over the mountain ridge, crying long. The hawk spread its wings wide, circling above Urich and the warriors before disappearing.


    "The sky has answered!"


    The warriors eximed. Their eyes widened. The hawk''s flight seemed nothing less than a sign from the heavens. The heavens have responded to Urich''s words.


    Urich was just as surprised. The hawk''s appearance was most likely a coincidence. Life was full of astonishing coincidences.


    Urich watched until the hawk vanished with his eyes wide open.


    "Maybe this really is the will of the sky... Keke."


    Urich chuckled softly, shrugging his shoulders. He stood up straight, drawing his sword and pointing forward.


    As shouts filled the air, the warriors charged forward.

 Chapter 169

    <h4>Chapter 169</h4>


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    The imperial engineers hammered the wooden posts into the ground. They were constructing a campsite on top of the rugged gorge, fortifying the surroundings.


    "Go cut down some more wood and bring them over here!"


    The engineering officer raised his hand and shouted.


    The engineering and construction skills of the imperial army were superior to that of most average professional carpenters. They even brought up workers who were working on the construction of Yailrud to fortify the campsite on the gorge.


    "Duke Langster is worrying about nothing. To build a fortress in the middle of the mountains because he¡¯s scared of some barbarians..."


    The engineering officer grumbled.


    <i>''Building a fortress for barbarians who won''t evene up here is a waste of manpower.''</i>


    Dissatisfaction was evident on the faces of the soldiers working on the construction. They were already plenty tired from the long construction of Yailrud.


    Yailrud was a bridge made of blood, with people dying every time it underwent extension.


    "There is a lot of dissatisfaction among the soldiers regarding the construction of this campsite, my lord," a knight reported to Duke Langster.


    "They probably think it''s a waste of manpower. It''s natural to be unhappy about an increase in workload."


    "Do you really think it is worth building a campsite here?"


    Even the knight harbored doubts.


    The barbarians were merely standing guard from afar. The thought of them attacking first didn''t cross anyone''s mind.


    "What if they advance here and destroy Yailrud?" Langster asked the knight.


    "They probably don''t even know the existence of Yailrud, my lord."


    "Better safe than sorry. If I can take some criticism from the soldiers and prepare for the worst, it''s a gain."


    Duke Langster chuckled, lightly patting his stomach.


    <i>¡®The best-case scenario would be to avoid conflict with the barbarians altogether, but we must be prepared.''</i>


    Duke Langster surveyed the campsite under construction. His soldiers were diligently erecting fences to fortify the campsite.


    <i>''Yailrud.''</i>


    Duke Langster looked down the gorge. He could see the cliff-hugging Yailrud. At the end of Yailrud, workers were constructing a bridge, and from the direction connected to the base, portersden with materials were heading toward the campsite.


    "Lift!"


    Soldiers used pulleys to transport the loads from Yailrud up to the gorge.


    The campsite''s supplies were steadily piling up. Over a hundred soldiers were stationed.


    "We''ve put up the fences around the most vulnerable areas first. Even if the barbarianse, they won''t be able to attack rashly."


    The engineering officer reported to Duke Langster. He boasted, looking at the tightly set log fence.


    <i>Screeech!</i>


    Duke Langster raised his head as he received the report. A hawk cried out, soaring over the mountain ridge.


    "Woaaaaaah!"


    Shouts echoed from the direction the hawk came from.


    <i>Ding! Ding!</i>


    A soldier rang the bell in the campsite.


    "Enemies! The barbarians areing!"


    Soldiers hurriedly climbed up to the fence. They prepared their crossbows, spotting the approaching barbarians through the trees.


    ¡°All men, stay in your positions!"


    The adjutants encouraged the soldiers, shouting.


    "It¡¯s just as the Duke said. The barbarians have reallye."


    The soldiers murmured, looking at the barbarians. Their eyes were calm. Despite the surprise attack by the barbarians, they waited for orders from their officers without panicking.


    "Fire!"


    The soldiers released their crossbows in unison. Sharp arrows swept through the barbarians.


    "Keugh!"


    Urich watched as warriors fell beside him.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Even the warriors with shields couldn''t block the arrows from the crossbow. The arrow pierced through the shields, prating the warriors'' bodies.


    <i>''These crossbows have stronger tension.''</i>


    Urich frowned.


    The campsite''s crossbowmen were using improved crossbows with stronger tension. The soldiers used tools to step on and reload the crossbows. This allowed them to load the crossbows with greater tension and made the arrows'' impact more severe.


    "Duck!"


    Urich extended his arm, shouting. The warriors crouched and advanced.


    "Stick closer together!"


    As the arrows flew, more and more warriors copsed and rolled on the ground.


    Urich bit his lip in frustration, sweat dripping down his chin.


    <i>''We either retreat or continue advancing with sacrifices. But if we miss this opportunity... the fortress will only be stronger.''</i>


    Urich drew his bow. Amidst iing attacks, he stretched his arm and pulled the bowstring.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    Urich''s arrow flew toward the fortress. A crossbowman hit by the arrow fell down behind the fence.


    "The Son of the Earth is with us!"


    The warriors shouted. Those who were known for their archery skills took up their bows like Urich.


    "Shields!"


    The empire''s crossbowmen were formidable. They raised shields above the fence, hiding behind them to reload their crossbows. Crossbowmen only poking their faces out to shoot were no longer hit by the tribe''s arrows.


    Fortunately, the slow reloading speed of the crossbows gave them a glimmer of hope. The warriors were able to reach the base of the fence.


    "Go around the fence and break in!"


    Urich shouted, hugging the fence. Dozens of warriorsy dead behind him. They had suffered immense losses just by advancing.


    The fence did notpletely encircle the campsite. Warriors moved along the fence, entering the interior of the campsite.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    As soon as they turned the corner of the fence, the tribe warriors were impaled by spears.


    The imperial army was patiently waiting inside the campsite, already in formation to greet the barbarians.


    Barbarians crowded into the narrow path were ughtered, falling one after another. Meanwhile, crossbowmen on the fence continued to shoot their arrows.


    "These sons of bitches..."


    Urich ground his teeth. The damage was anticipated, yet the anger was still hard to contain.


    The warriors were much more poorly armed than the imperial army, and the attacking side was at a disadvantage. The only advantage the warriors had was their number.


    "Get out of my way!"


    Urich pushed through the hesitating warriors to move forward.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich, leading the charge, fiercely knocked away a spear aimed at his neck. He threw his axe, shattering a spearman''s head.


    <i>Schriiing!</i>


    Another spear dug into Urich''s side. The spear slid off Urich''s breastte.


    <i>''Armor?''</i>


    The soldier with the spear was flustered. This barbarian was wearing a breastte. On top of that, it was of such high quality that the spear slid off.


    "Oooooo!"


    Urich roared, seizing the moment the spear slipped to grab and pull it. The soldier with the spear was dragged out of formation and forward.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich swung his fist, smashing the soldier''s face. The eyes that popped out from the sudden burst of pressure rolled on the ground.


    Urich stomped on the fallen eyeball as he prepared himself to throw the spear that he had grabbed.


    The soldier''s spear was never made for throwing. It was heavy and long, making it difficult to throw.


    <i>Squeeeeze!</i>


    Urich used all his muscles to hurl the spear with all his might. His body leaned forward significantly as the spear flew among the imperial soldiers.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The spear thrown by Urich impaled three soldiers. Aghast cries erupted indiscriminately from both enemies and allies.


    "T-target that big barbarian first!"


    An officer shouted to the crossbowmen. However, the crossbowmen couldn''t aim at Urich as they were busy shooting at the tribal warriors closing in on them instead.


    Warriors roared as they advanced with the corpses of their brothers raised as shields.


    "Dieeeee!"


    Between the crossbowmen''s reloads, the tribe warriors climbed over the barricade. The faces of the warriors, covered in the blood of their brothers and enemies, were flushed.


    "Drop the crossbows and grab your swords! It''s a melee!"


    The imperial army''s formation had already been broken. The tribal warriors hadunched a reckless charge to break through the imperial ranks. Warriors roared as they broke through the imperial formation, stepping over the cold bodies of their brothers.


    As the melee ensued, the numerically advantaged tribal warriors seemed to gain the upper hand. The fighting capability of each warrior was not inferior to that of the imperial soldiers.


    "Ooooh!"


    A warrior roaring as he was cutting through the throat of a soldier turned his head.


    <i>Clunk, clunk.</i>


    Something was making a strange noise. It was the sound of metal shing and shaking.


    "Iron... armor? Are those the ones Urich talked about?"


    The warriors'' eyes widened. Knights in full te armor were emerging from a corner of the camp.


    The ten approaching knights were Duke Langster''s personal guards. They had called for their squires to don full te armor as soon as the battle broke out. The tide of battle had shifted considerably in the meantime, but they had the power to change its course.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The tribal warriors charged at the knights. Their weapons were axes, spears, and swords, all of which were lightweight because they couldn¡¯t splurge on iron like the knights had done.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    The tribal warriors attacking the knights seemed like children ying, their hits barely making an impact on the te armor.


    "Fall back!"


    Before Urich could even finish, the knights swept through the tribal warriors, cutting them down. Wherever the knights passed, tribal warriors fell in heaps.


    The ferocity of the tribal warriors meant nothing in front of the brutally advanced weaponry.


    "I... aming," Urich murmured as he licked the blood off his lips.


    "Kaaaa!"


    He felt the screams of his brothers. The hot blood they shed was warming the cold mountains.


    <i>''Urich, this is a cmity that you have brought.''</i>


    The evil spirits of the mountains whispered to Urich.


    <i>''You are not a son of the earth.''</i>


    <i>''You poor orphan.''</i>


    <i>''The burning earth will be reality.''</i>


    Urich heard the voices as he picked up his axe and sword, swinging them again in the chaos where his brothers and foe were entangled.


    <i>Thuck!</i>


    As he was busy battling, his body staggered as a crossbow bolt lodged in his thigh.


    "Aaagh!"


    Urich screamed and threw his axe at the soldier who shot the crossbow. Despite the distance being too far for a throwing axe, Urich''s impulsive throw managed to get his axe lodged in the crossbowman''s head.


    "That woke me right up."


    Urichughed as he snapped off the arrow in his thigh. He eyed the approaching knight.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich parried the knight''s sword with a steel de and sidestepped. He kicked the knight''s groin and broke down his stance. Urich had thought several times about how to fight a knight in full te armor. His attacks flowed naturally.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    The knight fell to one knee after being kicked. Urich grabbed the knight''s arm and pulled.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    A grotesque sound came from the knight''s arm. The joint dislocated and the muscles tore. The arm, extended by a palm''s length, dangled loosely.


    "Gaaah!"


    The knight screamed. Urich stomped hard on the knight''s head.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The thrashing knight''s neck broke.


    "With his bare hand...?"


    Onlookers shouted in shock.


    Urich had subdued and killed a knight in te armor, almost too effortlessly. Such a feat required high concentration, a high understanding of the structure of te armor, and the strength to crush human bones barehanded. The smallest mistake would have had Urich on the ground.


    "Phew."


    Urich exhaled deeply. His heated breath fluttered in the air. He shouted to the struggling warriors.


    "Pick up the spears on the ground! Use the long spears to stab them! Make them fall!"


    The warriors didn''t confront the knights directly and retreated. They grabbed the spears dropped by the imperial soldiers and attacked the knights with them.


    With the spears, several knights were entangled and fell.


    <i>''Hammer.''</i>


    Urich picked up a construction hammer used for building the campsite. Though way too heavy forbat, it was sufficient to ensure the fallen knight''s demise.


    <i>Crash</i>!


    Urich smashed the fallen knight''s head with the hammer. The recoil from the impact numbed his body.


    Having killed two knights already, Urich red menacingly at the other knights.


    "What the hell is happening?"


    The knights were bewildered. They were confident they could change the course of the battle with their strength.


    <i>''They fight as if they have experience battling against te armor.''</i>


    The barbarians didn''t seem like they were fighting the imperial army for the first time. They somehow found ways to defeat even the knights who were d in the full te armor.


    "Retreat!"


    Duke Langster made this decision. There were still at least two hundred tribal warriors left. The knights had not performed as well as expected, getting stuck against a singlerge barbarian and his warriors.


    <i>''Who on earth is that man!''</i>


    Duke Langster red at therge barbarian who seemed to be the leader. His face was ckened with war paint, making his features indistinguishable.


    There were about fifty remaining soldiers and knights. They were retreating after having lost half their forces. They abandoned the camp and fled.


    At first nce, it might seem like a victory for the tribal warriors, but from over four hundred warriors, only half remained. It was a devastating trade. They were in a disadvantageous situation in every aspect, and they had practically used the lives of the warriors as a tool for victory.


    "Urich! Urich!"


    "Ooooooh!"


    Urich looked at the corpses with half-closed eyes. The warriors shouted Urich''s name, rejoicing in their near-mad victory against a strange civilization.


    <i>''We can''t fight like this in the future.''</i>


    Urich felt more regret than joy. He pondered if there had been a better way. The death of his brothers weighed heavily on him.

 Chapter 170

    <h4>Chapter 170</h4>


    Duke Langster led his remaining forces down below the mountain ridge to their escape. Going directly down to Yailrud viadders would have only meant certain annihtion from the barbarians'' pursuit. Even while fleeing, they cut thedders behind them to prevent the barbarians from descending directly into Yailrud.


    "Be careful!"


    A knight caught the stumbling Duke Langster. The retreat path was treacherous and caused many of the soldiers to sprain their ankles.


    "Are these barbarians truly worse than the northerners..."


    The course of the battle just didn¡¯t make sense. They couldn¡¯t seize the victory even with their knights in steel armor.


    "There was an experiencedmander among them."


    One of the knights spoke up. Duke Langster also recalled that barbarian. There was one particrlyrge barbarian who stood out on the battlefield.


    "You''re talking about that big barbarian."


    "Judging by his gestures and voice, it was clear he was inmand. I watched him kill Sir Skajan with my own eyes, and he was definitely fighting as if he knew the structure of our te armor. It almost resembled the imperial armorbat strategy."


    Fights between knights in full te armor were rare since the armor was a symbol of imperial knights. However, there have been cases ofbat between those in full te armor, and tactics for such fights have also been well-studied.


    When two knights in full te armor shed, normal attacks were mostly ineffective. Encounters between two well-armored knights often resulted in closebat, targeting the gaps in the armor or deciding the oue through grappling techniques.


    <i>''He targeted the joints; the openings unprotected by the armor.''</i>


    The image of Urich was engrained in the knights'' minds.


    "His Majesty will be disappointed when he receives the letter. Thepletion of Yailrud will be pushed back than our initial expectation."


    Duke Langster smiled bitterly.


    The retreating imperial forces went down to the midpoint of the constructed Yailrud. They descended thedder and returned to the outpost to request reinforcement troops.


    "If the reason why those barbarians came out so aggressively was to try to halt the construction of Yailrud... they must be smarter and have a bigger way of thinking than we expected."


    Duke Langster thought to himself as he soaked in a bathtub upon returning to the outpost.


    Duke Langster dispatched the remaining forces to Yailrud to prevent the barbarians from destroying the bridges. Except for the rearmost, they cut all thedders connecting Yailrud and the gorge above and sent crossbowmen to the front of Yailrud to keep the barbarians moving across the gorge in check.


    * * *


    "Are you telling us that humans built that bridge? No way!"


    The tribal warriors were astonished as they looked down at Yailrud from above the gorge. The Yailrud spanning the cliffs maintained a wide width, stretching far into the distance, with its further portions appearing as mere dots.


    "Hey, be careful."


    Urich pulled back a warrior by the shoulder.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow flew from Yailrud. The warrior barely managed to get his head out of the way.


    Crossbowmen from Yailrud were aiming at the top of the gorge. They had pre-emptively cut all thedders connecting the top of the gorge to Yailrud.


    <i>''There''s no way to destroy Yailrud from above the gorge.''</i>


    Urich pondered, looking down. Yailrud was being built far below. They tried rolling down rocks and shooting ming arrows, but it was difficult to destroy the bridge. All they could do was dy the construction.


    "They really are incredible."


    Urich let out a sincere exmation. A year had passed since he killed Regal Arten.


    The imperial army stubbornly built Yailrud without Regal Arten. It was a magnificent structure, almost hard to believe it was made by human hands.


    <i>''But I have to destroy this great Yailrud.''</i>


    Urich grinned bitterly. The imperial army had conquered the divine realm known as the Sky Mountains with the strength of humans. A sense of respect for the invaders welled up in his heart.


    "The invaders are only going to bring more troops ande up here again. This is not the end."


    Urich repaired the campsite of the imperial army. There were plenty of supplies left in the camp, enough for the warriors who came empty-handed to station themselves.


    "Look, it¡¯s armor! I¡¯m wearing an iron armor just like Urich!"


    The warriors chattered as they looted the gear. The supplies left by the imperial army were a great help to the warriors, particrly so because many warriors were able to shed their crude tribal gear. Even the equipment used by lower-ranked imperial soldiers was practically a treasure to the tribal warriors.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich assessed one of the modified crossbows. Even he struggled to load it by hand. The tension was strong enough to tear the skin and muscles of the fingers if one tried to load it without wearing leather gloves.


    "Is this how it''s done?"


    Urich ced a stick across the crossbow string and stepped on it. The parts clicked into ce.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    The power of the modified crossbow was formidable. The arrow prated a tribal shield with ease.


    Urich too was hit by one of these crossbows in the thigh during the battle. He walked around the camp with his thick thigh wrapped in bandages.


    "Gather the looted gear in a warehouse and only take out the weapons you need. Don''t fight over them like idiots."


    Urich gestured andmanded.


    "Are we supposed to eat this? It''s rock solid."


    "Soak it in meat soup before eating. If you eat it as is, you''ll break your teeth."


    Urich was all over the ce. The warriors'' questions were endless, and he was the only man who could answer them.


    "Keep watch of Yailrud in shifts and form groups of five and go out on guard duty."


    There was no resistance to Urich''s orders. The warriors followed Urich''s words without a single word of objection. Urich was once merely a young chief, but his authority among the warriors now had be absolute. These warriors were men who would even follow him into a fire if he asked.


    "Tell Samikan to bring the Blue Mist warriors. Same for Belrua."


    Urich sent a warrior to each of their chiefs.


    <i>''We have to stop them in the Sky Mountains. If they get through the mountains, it¡¯ll be much harder for us to defend against them.''</i>


    Urich faced the wind blowing from the gorge.


    * * *


    It has been a fortnight since Urich seized the imperial army''s camp. The standoff between Yailrud and those on top of the gorge was still unchanged. Both sides were only able to gaze at their enemies due to the altitude difference even though they knew exactly where their enemy was.


    The warriors of the Stone Axe joined, and the number of warriors permanently stationed at the mountain camp increased to three hundred. Even this was hard to maintain. All the trees around the camp had been used for firewood, and the supplies left by the imperial army quickly showed the bottom of its barrel. There were also many warriors who descended the mountain, unable to endure the cold.


    The toes and fingers of tribal warriors turned ck with frostbite due to their inexperience and vulnerability in the cold. The camp was located in the mid-range of the mountain where they were directly facing the cold winds blowing from the gorge.


    "Dammit, how long do we have to stay here?"


    The warriors expressed their dissatisfaction. Due to theck of firewood, ten people had to huddle around a single fire. Unlike the imperial army, the warriors suffered from poor supplies as theycked a ground-connected supply route like Yailrud.


    "Shut your mouth. Even Urich stands guard every night."


    "What did you say? You¡¯re only saying that because you''re from the Stone Axe Tribe! I''m from the Red Sand!"


    Even the joy of victory froze up in the cold. As the situation worsened, fights broke out among the warriors.


    "Enough. If you want to go back down, go. I won''t stop you."


    Urich walked over after seeing the fight break out. But even those who voiced theirints had high pride. They were all men who wouldn¡¯t descend even if they were given permission to do so.


    "Why don''t we just go down to that Yailrud or whatever and attack them?"


    One of the warriors whoined said as he hugged himself in the cold.


    "The bridge is narrow. They¡¯re probably well-prepared to face us and we¡¯ll only end up dying meaningless deaths. If we¡¯re going to attack them, we need to catch them off guard."


    Urich had also put a lot of effort into thinking of possible strategies, but no clear solution came to mind. Maintaining the standoff was the best course of action until Samikan arrived.


    <i>Ding! Ding!</i>


    The bells rang. The warriors cursed and grabbed their weapons.


    "Do those bastards never sleep?!"


    The imperial troops scouting the ridge in the darkness were always eyeing the camp. They, too, were avoiding a head-to-head battle as their reinforcements hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Arrows flew back and forth in the night. It was a simple threat.


    "Grab your weapons! Let''s just go after them!"


    The riled-up warriors shouted.


    "That''s exactly what they want. They¡¯ve just lost their campsite. They¡¯re just as anxious as we are."


    The mountains'' terrain was rugged, and ces suitable for setting up a camp were rare.


    <i>''Those soldiers came up the far Yailruddders. They must be exhausted from the trek along the ridge up to here.''</i>


    The standoff was only painful for both sides.


    <i>''Samikan, I need your help.''</i>


    Urich longed for his brother''s aid more than ever. To break the current stalemate, the strength of the Stone Axe Tribe alone was not enough. A strategic n looking at the bigger picture with Samikan, the great chief of the alliance, was necessary.


    "Lower your heads. They''ll tire themselves out soon and go back."


    Urich told the warriors. They watched the dwindling campfire.


    * * *


    Duke Langster maintained the standoff until the empire¡¯s response arrived. He didn¡¯t make any attempts to take back the camp from the barbarians, but he did not give up any more territory either. The barbarians also rarely ventured beyond the camp.


    The empire had a courier system involving several horses. Thanks to this, the empire''s response was significantly fasterpared to the tribal society. A reply from the empire arrived in just a week.


    "Is His Majesty serious..."


    Duke Langster massaged his forehead upon receiving the reply. He had sent detailed reports of the situation, including drawings, across more than ten pages. He had meticulously informed the emperor of the dire situation.


    "He wants to take control beyond the mountains no matter what sacrifice it¡¯s going to take..."


    Duke Langster felt the emperor''s desire in the letter. The handwriting that looked as if he swung his pen conveyed a strong force.


    <i>''A force of three thousand conscripts and ve soldiers.''</i>


    Conscripts and ve soldiers were extremely low-quality forces. They were men who would normally be used in disputes among local lords. The imperial army, proud of its volunteer soldiers, rarely employed such inferior forces.


    "That¡¯s that, but even if they¡¯re ves and conscripts, where did he find three thousand soldiers so quickly..."


    Duke Langster muttered as he read the letter, then frowned. The forces were noting from the imperial capital but were conscripted from kingdoms around the mountains and were being sent to the Arten outpost. No kingdom dared to ignore the emperor''s decree, at least for now.


    <i>''Even if they are vassal states... These are kingdoms with guaranteed autonomy, unlike the barbarians. To demand forces in such a manner, especially ones to be sacrificed... This tyranny will surely turn to poisonter.''</i>


    Duke Langster frowned. The emperor''s order was rather extreme. He looked at the map included in the letter, which outlined the emperor''s strategic tactics.


    "So we¡¯re to send up ve soldiers and conscripts armed in tattered leather armor. He¡¯s saying that they are forces meant to die in the mountains anyway¡ªwhether by stabbing or freezing. Dammit.¡±


    The emperor''s order was a tactic of human waves. The difficulty in fighting in the mountains was due to the need to conserve forces. Without preparation against the cold, nonbat losses would be significant, thus only small forces could be sent.


    <i>¡®Troops that are disposable.''</i>


    Duke Langster sighed deeply. It was a distastefulmand. But the emperor''s will was firm, and the troops to be sacrificed were already on their way to the outpost.


    "Oh Lou, please forgive us..."


    Duke Langster touched his sun pendant. Workers and ves were already dying for the construction of Yailrud, but this time, the scale was going to be massively different.


    A weekter, troops gathered at the Arten outpost. They were poorly armed conscripts and ve soldiers. Even the so-called conscripts were no different from vagrants or beggars. The ves were mostly emaciated and sick. The vassal states, unable to refuse the emperor''s order, had somehow managed to fill the demanded numbers and sent them to the outpost.


    <i>¡®They''vee all this way not knowing that they¡¯re only going to be sacrificed.''</i>


    Duke Langster looked at the three thousand troops with a heavy heart. By no means were they proper troops. They had been lured by promises of ''a lot of money'' and ''freedom after one battle.'' They likely weren¡¯t even told that they would have to cross the mountains.


    "It is the emperor''smand."


    That was all Duke Langster could say. The imperial army urged the ves and conscripts on. They were sent up the gorge using the reardders of Yailrud. Since they climbed from the reardders, they had to march a long distance along the ridge to reach the camp.


    The ves and conscripts climbed the ridge, which was a task even the well-prepared imperial army found challenging.


    "Ughhh."


    Groans broke out in all directions. Screams echoed whenever the wind blew fiercely. It felt like their bones were freezing up from the inside.


    Even if the ves¡¯ legs and hands turned ck with frostbite, as long as they could move, they had to march on. Only death awaited those who couldn¡¯t walk anymore. The Sky Mountains voraciously gnawed on the lives of the humans who crossed into its territory.


    "If you safely cross the mountains, you will enjoy wealth and freedom! His Majesty has promised!"


    The imperial army encouraged the conscripts and ves. What they were saying was true. Surviving the crossing would grant them freedom and a purse full of gold coins. The question was how many would survive.

 Chapter 171

    <h4>Chapter 171</h4>


    Urich and the warriors battled against the cold. The chilling winds below the gorge felt ferociously cold, nearly enough to tear their flesh. Even the warriors, who often couldn''t distinguish between recklessness and bravery, bundled up tightly in the extreme conditions. The warriors from the west were not strong against the cold.


    "U-Urich, w-we should go back down to the ground too."


    Vald shivered as he spoke. It was an exceptionally cold night. The rainy season had already begun, and the cold had turned the rain into icy hail.


    "If you want to go down, you can go by yourself, Vald."


    Urich calmly watched the darkness from the top of the watchtower. His steamy breath was visible in the cold air.


    "Dammit, do you really expect me to go without you?"


    "Then stay here."


    "I¡¯m going to go mad. Let''s just give up this campsite and set up our own camp below the mountains."


    Vald grumbled. Below the mountain range, they could have been running around naked in the rain.


    "Has there been any contact from Samikan?" Urich asked.


    "The messenger might have met an exile on the way and died or something. Should we try sending someone again?"


    "Yeah."


    Urich nodded. They desperately needed Samikan''s support. However, themunicationwork of the tribal society was terribly slow and inurate.


    <i>''We need to fortify our defenses before the imperial army gathers their forces and pushes forward.''</i>


    With the Stone Axe Tribe¡¯s own power, they could only manage to station about three hundred warriors at most. Securing supply was even more difficult, and deploying more warriors would inevitably deplete the Stone Axe Tribe''s workforce. They needed to work diligently during the rainy season to prepare for the next dry season.


    "It seems the warriors from Red Sand and Blue Mist won''tst much longer before they go back down the mountain. They don''t see this battle as their own. They¡¯re not very happy with the fact that they¡¯re fighting up here without their chiefs."


    "How stupid. Defending this ce isn''t just the Stone Axe Tribe''s problem. It''s a problem for all of us."


    The Sky Mountains not only tied down the tribal warriors but also posed a fatal constraint to the imperial army. Their ability to stand on equal footing was thanks to the advantage provided by the mountains.


    <i>''Most of the imperial army is concentrated in the north and Hammel. It would take them a while to gather enough men to send to the mountains; there¡¯s no way they cane faster than Samikan and Belrua.''</i>


    Urich was somewhat aware of how the forces of the empire were distributed. It would take a considerable amount of time for the imperial army concentrated in the north and the capital to reach the west. He had evaluated that they had some leeway based on that calction.


    "Even if we can''t gather all the warriors of the alliance, if Samikan and Belrua join us, we can make do."


    Urich murmured. He nned to aplish what the northerners could not.


    <i>''We became one before the imperial army got to us. We won''t suffer the same fate as the north.''</i>


    Urich closed his eyes, lost in thought. He had gotten used to falling asleep in the cold. He opened his eyes wide, suddenly awakened by themotion.


    "They''re here again!"


    The warriors rang the bell and shouted.


    "Another pointless exchange."


    The exchange was going to end after shooting a few arrows back and forth. Urich believed the imperial army wasn''t ready for a full-scale battle yet. The imperial army, while brave, was a rational organization that didn''t move on uncertain chances.


    "H-huh?"


    The warriors on the watchtower panicked. The darkness lit up with torches. The number of enemies visible from the other side wasn''t small.


    "Gruhhhhhhh!"


    There was a whole crowd screaming. A mass of conscripts and ves with torches eyed the camp where the tribal warriors had stationed themselves.


    "Go! There''s no need to look back! Forward is the only way you can go!"


    The imperial army officers shouted, pushing the ves forward with their spears. They forcibly pushed the conscripts and ve soldiers toward the camp.


    <i>''Hundreds died crossing the ridge.''</i>


    Duke Langster frowned at the remaining conscripts and ve soldiers. The vassal states had sent such weak individuals that many copsed just crossing the ridge. Even those who survived seemed so frail that even a light breeze could knock them over.


    "Urich! There¡¯s a ton of them! It looks like over hundreds!"


    Vald shouted. Urich was just as taken aback.


    <i>''How did they replenish their forces so quickly?''</i>


    Enemies peeked through the irregr rocks and bushes. Urich squinted, examining the armament of the enemies. Upon closer inspection, they were frail conscripts, far from imperial soldiers. Fear swirled in their eyes without a bit of fighting spirit.


    "Stay calm! Don''t be afraid! Those men are not warriors."


    Urich yelled. The force that the imperial army had brought was merely for filling numbers.


    "But the number of them is no joke. We can¡¯t even count them, and there¡¯s even more still swarming behind."


    "Shut up and hold up your bow."


    Urich aimed his bow. The warriors unloaded their arrows at the approaching enemies.


    The ve soldiers and conscripts rushed in fear. If they retreated, they would be killed at the hands of the imperial army. The ves charged toward the sliver of light that they sawing from the camp.


    "Woooooooo!"


    The vesbined their strength to lift a log and struck the camp''s fence with it.


    "Damn bastards! This feels disgusting!"


    The warriors cursed as they killed the ves and conscripts, roughly getting the gist of what was happening.


    The ves roared and raised their makeshift spears. Some even charged forcibly with bare hands.


    "They keeping no matter how many we kill! They''re piling up the corpses to climb over the fence!"


    Vald thrust his spear at a conscript attempting to climb over the fence. A conscript holding farming tools screamed as he fell below the fence.


    "Do not look back! Riches and freedom await you!"


    An imperial army officer shouted.


    "These men are vagrants, they¡¯re as good as dead already! Kill them all! Today, the beasts of the mountains will feast!"


    Urich encouraged his warriors and swung his sword. The soldiers trying to climb the fence were swept away and killed. It had been a long time since human life felt so feeble.


    <i>''These men are not warriors.''</i>


    The imperial army was worthy to face Urich and his warriors in a life-or-death battle. But these conscripts and ves were not warriors. It was a massacre without any joy.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    While the tribal warriors faced the human wave tactics of the imperial force, the imperial army positioned snipers to take down the tribal warriors one by one.


    <i>''We can handle as many of these conscripts they throw at us, but the imperial army is right behind them.''</i>


    Urich roared as he swung his sword.


    <i>''Such a despicable strategy.''</i>


    Using ves and conscripts as a shield, the imperial army fought under safety. But in war, being despicable equated to being excellent. The imperial army was despicable because they were excellent.


    "Urich!" Vald called out to Urich.


    <i>Twitch.</i>


    Urich felt his hair stand on end. He rolled on the ground after leaping down from the fence. Several arrows passed where he had been half a second ago.


    <i>''Targeted fire aimed at me.''</i>


    They were arrows aimed specifically at Urich.


    "They''re targeting you. If you die here, it''s all over. Be careful."


    Vald jumped down beside Urich, advising him.


    "They¡¯reing around to the inside of the fence. We have to retreat deeper into the camp, form a line, then fight them."


    Urich gathered the remaining warriors. Fighting on top of the fence was only going to make them targets for the imperial snipers. It was better to fight the conscripts inside the fence.


    Duke Langster admired the tribal warriors gathering beyond the fence.


    "Oho, they all retreated to the inside to avoid our snipers. Excellent judgment. That barbarian is a formidablemander."


    "His decision-making makes it hard to believe that he¡¯s just a barbarian. He is acting with calmness rather than being swept by the heat of the battle."


    "Makes me want to see his face."


    "Since they''ve abandoned the fence defense, shall we send our soldiers inside?"


    A knight suggested, itching to move after being held back behind the ves and conscripts who were fighting most of the battle at the forefront.


    "No, we need to drain their strength a bit more. We''ve already used the ve soldiers as sacrifices. Might as well use the situation to our advantage."


    Duke Langster patiently waited for a shot at a certain victory. He didn''t give the barbarians a chance for a crucial retaliation.


    Pressed by the mass assault, the barbarians were cornered. Duke Langster pondered how to deliver the final blow.


    <i>¡®There are too many of them. The warriors are getting exhausted.''</i>


    Urich looked around at his warriors. There weren''t many casualties on their side, but the exhaustion was evident on the faces of his men. Yet, the wave of conscripts and ves didn''t seem like it was stopping.


    <i>¡®Do we have to abandon this ce?''</i>


    Urich frowned.


    <i>''I want to defend this ce at all costs. This is one of the few strategic points in the mountains.''</i>


    Retreating from this point was going to be tantamount to being pushed back to the base of the mountains. There would be no stopping the construction of Yailrud. Once the imperial army took the camp, they wouldn''t be careless again. Taking a fortress well-defended by the imperial army was a difficult task.


    <i>''I am a chief. I''m responsible for the lives of other warriors, not just my own.''</i>


    Urich had to make a decision. He was no longer just an individual warrior.


    The chief of the Stone Axe, the one blessed by the sky, and the Son of the Earth. As his fame and responsibilities grew, so did the load he had to bear. He was not a free man.


    "... fall back before we''repletely surrounded."


    Urich made a bitter decision. As soon as Urich¡¯smand dropped, the warriors secured an escape route. They pushed the invading soldiers away and gathered around Urich.


    <i>''We''ve lost. No, actually, I¡¯ve lost.''</i>


    Urich looked back at the camp getting more and more distant with empty eyes.


    "I''ve let down the warriors. I¡¯ve failed their expectations and the faith they¡¯ve put in me.¡±


    Urich''s face contorted. Even as they retreated, he looked back several times. All he saw were soldiers with crazed faces chasing after the tribal warriors.


    At some point, the pursuit ceased. The imperial army''s goal was to reim the strategic point and resume the construction of Yailrud. They didn''t bother chasing the tribal warriors too far.


    <i>¡®Son of the Earth? What a joke,¡¯ </i>Urich thought to himself.


    He had lost warriors as well as the strategic point. The three-hundred-strong force that was initially at the camp was now reduced to around two hundred. Urich couldn''t look at the faces of the warriors who had endured the cold to defend the camp.


    "Pick your head up, Urich," Vald whispered.


    "What right do I have to look at these men?"


    "The more shame you feel, the more you have to be shamelessly confident. That¡¯s what Gizzle did. Just be half as shameless as Gizzle, Urich."


    Vald even brought up the dead Gizzle. Urich curled his lips in a smile.


    "I misjudged. I assumed their reinforcements wouldn¡¯t have arrived yet."


    "Gizzle destroyed our tribe and still kept his chief position! We don''t me you. You are our hero. Carry yourself with confidence."


    As a warrior, Urich was a perfect being, the pure essence of a warrior.


    <i>''That''s the problem. Urich doesn''t have the dirty side like Gizzle and Samikan.''</i>


    Vald loved his innocent brother, but innocence alone couldn''t fulfill the role of a chief. A chief needed to do dirty and petty things for their position and power. Sometimes, even forsaking the pride of a warrior was necessary to fulfill a chief''s duties.


    Urich and the warriors descended the mountains. The injured warriors limped.


    "Pick a few that are quick with their feet to scout the movements of the imperial force. The rest of you can go back to your tribes."


    Urich said as they reached the base of the mountains. The weary warriors were pleased to hear they were returning to their tribes.


    Urich gave up the border of the mountains. From the start, it was an impossible task with just the Stone Axe Tribe''s strength alone. If Stone Axe alone was enough to hold off the empire, Urich wouldn''t have bothered to grow the alliance.


    <i>¡®Why do you think I created the alliance and helped you be the Great Chief...''</i>


    There was no word from Samikan. Urich had sent his men several times, and it was unlikely they all failed to meet Samikan.


    "Samikan, did you really not receive my message?"


    Urich ground his teeth. Samikan had not sent the demanded forces in time. The Blue Mist Tribe was a lot closer to the mountains than the Red Sand, and Samikan''s forces were more numerous and superior. The person Urich needed was Samikan, not Belrua.


    Urich and the warriors returned to the Stone Axe Tribe to look after their wounds and rest. The mood was heavy due to their defeated retreat.


    A week went by after Urich came down from the Sky Mountains. A group of warriors appeared on the vige horizon. It was Samikan and the Blue Mist warriors.


    "It seems like I waste, brother," Samikan said as he entered the vige.


    Urich cocked his head.


    "Yeah, you''rete."


    "I¡¯m here now. Everything¡¯s going to be okay. Samikan has arrived."


    Samikan spread his arms and embraced Urich.


    The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence. Shortly after Urich''s retreat, Samikan arrived with his forces at just the right time.


    To the other warriors, it looked like Samikan wasforting the defeated Urich. Samikan squinted and whispered in Urich''s ear.


    "I am the one who is going to be a legend, Urich."


    Urich suppressed the urge to snap Samikan''s neck and smiled.


    "You can take all the honor and glory for all I care, brother," Urich replied.


    "I was going to, anyway."


    Samikan smiled faintly.


    "But if you ever y your dirty tricks again, I swear on the name of Stone Axe... I''ll make you beg to be killed with that deceitful mouth of yours."


    Urich threatened. Samikan, meeting Urich''s yellow gaze, sweated coldly.


    <i>¡®A brother who is more like a beast.''</i>


    Samikan was also more than capable as a warrior. However, in front of Urich, he diminished as a warrior. In fact, all warriors were merely fireflies before Urich.


    "There seems to be some misunderstanding. I didn''t abandon Stone Axe. There were other matters that had to be attended to. I''ve been receiving oaths of loyalty from tribes in the north and south of the wastnd. Our alliance''s fame has spread so far that tribes came to us voluntarily. Belrua and I met with the tribes that newly joined the alliance. That''s why I arrived herete."


    "Where''s Belrua now?"


    "The Lady of the Alliance is going to be joining us after gathering warriors from the other tribes. The alliance''s army is gathering once again."


    "...the Lady of the Alliance?"


    "The Red Sand and Blue Mist have be tied by marriage. The child from Belrua and I will be the sessor of the alliance, supported by our two giant tribes."


    After hearing Samikan¡¯s words, Urichughed hollowly. He covered his forehead, chuckling.


    "Ha, hahaha."


    Urich''s body was covered in fresh wounds. Blood still seeped through the bandages on his thigh every time they were changed.


    <i>''While I was fighting and struggling, the two of you were busy messing around.''</i>


    Heughed out of disbelief. While he was fighting with the other warriors, the alliance''s power structure had shifted. The alliance, once led by Urich and Samikan, was now essentially led by Samikan and Belrua.


    <i>¡®You were the one who warned me not to betray and to be wary of Samikan...''</i>


    Belrua''s face haunted his mind. Urich hadn''t only been defeated in battle. He had also lost in the political game of the alliance. Urich felt yed by the two experienced chiefs.


    "Don''t worry, Urich. I will protect thisnd and our brothers."


    Samikan patted Urich''s shoulder as he walked away. Warriors swarmed around him and followed.


    Over a thousand warriors had followed Samikan, and that number was only going to grow. That was enough to retake the camp in the mountains.


    The battle of taking and being taken over was beginning all over again.

 Chapter 172: Conquest and Conquest

    <h4>Chapter 172: Conquest and Conquest</h4>


    The warriors of the tribe built a fortress below the mountains. It was iparably roughpared to the camps of the imperial army which had a very well-structured foundation, but it was still much better than having nothing.


    The tribal warriors gathered below the mountains, including many from tribes that were much further away. Since Urich had returned to the base of the mountains, the number of stationed warriors had reached three thousand.


    "Noah Arten."


    Urich went to find Noah. Noah was drawing a military map inside his tent.


    "You came just in time. I need you to take a look at the mountain terrain I mapped out. There''s no one who knows the geography of the mountains as urately as Urich of the Stone Axe!"


    Urich looked at the leather mapid out on the table. It was drawn based on the testimony of various warriors.


    A high mountain range stretched long and straight, and not far from the Stone Axe Tribe, there was a rugged gorge. The pioneering road Yailrud was about two-thirdsplete, and in the middle of the ridge that turns west from above the gorge was the coveted campsite everyone desired.


    <i>¡®The imperial army is almost done with their conquest of the mountains. All they have to do now ise down.¡¯</i>


    The imperial army coulde down the mountains with light soldiers if they wished. However, they were a group that aimed for aplete victory, not the glory of battle. They wouldn''t rashlye down the mountain without their heavy infantry and cavalry.


    <i>¡®They need toplete the Yailrud to bring the heavy infantry and cavalry over the mountains.¡¯</i>


    Once Yailrud was connected to the ins below the ridge as nned, the imperial army would swarm in like a tidal wave.


    <i>¡®But we¡¯re stationed here and holding it down.¡¯</i>


    The imperial army was certainly going to rush to seize the location forpleting Yailrud. It was a game of capturing territory being yed between those who wanted to extend Yailrud and those who wanted to stop it.


    <i>¡®Noah is trustworthy. Even though he''s a civilized person, he drew this map for us.¡¯</i>


    But the possibility that Noah Arten could betray the westerners always needed to be in the back of his mind. No one knew whaty in a person''s heart.


    <i>¡®Just like how Belrua stabbed me in the back. To think that Belrua, who was so against and disliked Samikan, would marry him to preserve her status in the alliance...¡¯</i>


    Even now, the thought brought a hollowugh. Urich had never imagined Belrua would do such a thing.


    <i>¡®Belrua made a decision as a pragmatic chief.¡¯</i>


    Marriage was a means to solidify the position of the Red Sand Tribe in the newly formed alliance. If Belrua was ousted from the chief''s position for being a woman, and a new Red Sand chief emerged, it would only worsen the tribe''s status within the alliance.


    Urich thoughtfully revisited Belrua''s decision. Sometimes, a chief had to make decisions that went against their beliefs and nature. That was the responsibility and role of a chief.


    <i>¡®Gizzle did the same. He hated me more than anyone, but he ultimately handed over the chiefship to mepletely.¡¯</i>


    Urich always thought of Gizzle, the previous chief of Stone Axe. Although they were never on good terms, Gizzle''s attitude and mindset as a chief was something to learn from.


    Urich reviewed and corrected a few parts of Noah''s leather map.


    "The imperial army is formidable, but fortunately for us, the direction of their approach is obvious. The mountains serve as a natural fortress for us. They significantly reduce the ces we need to monitor and defend."


    Noah pointed to the expected path of the imperial army.


    "You knew how strong the imperial army is, so why didn''t you warn Samikan?" Urich asked Noah.


    "It''s not that Samikan wanted to bete."


    Noah defended Samikan. Urich frowned.


    "Don¡¯t give me that bullshit. I clearly told him before we parted; that he should be ready to send warriors at any time. It was Samikan who ignored my words and did whatever the hell he wanted to do."


    At Urich''s admonition, Noah sighed and limped to fetch some alcohol.


    "Let me pour you a drink."


    Urich put his mouth to the liquor pouch instead and chugged half of it.


    "<i>Burp</i>, we struggle within the mountains, but so does the imperial army. The tter the terrain is, the more advantageous it bes for the imperial army with their skills in formation battles. You should know that better than anyone else here, do you not?"


    Urich had aplete understanding of the characteristics of the imperial army. Noah''s eyes widened as he nodded.


    "That''s true."


    "We shouldn''t be preparing to defend here. We have to lead the warriors up and attack. We have to prevent thepletion of Yailrud."


    "You and I, we both underestimated Samikan. We thought he''d be satisfied with just ruling over a bunch of tribes... Haha."


    Noahughed lightly. Urich''s expression darkened further.


    "What are you talking about... wait, you¡¯re not serious...?"


    Urich''s eyes widened.


    "Yes. Samikan is waiting for thepletion of Yailrud. I''ve told him countless times it''s madness. I told him not to underestimate the empire. Although Ie from civilization, I don''t wish for Samikan to meet a miserable end."


    "So Samikan isn¡¯t trying to defend, he¡¯s trying to cross the mountain using Yailrud. You were still helping him knowing all this? That¡¯s your homnd on the other side of those mountains, Noah Arten!"


    ¡°Samikan can¡¯t reach the Imperial Capital anyway. At most, he¡¯ll manage to get to some of its surrounding kingdoms, and those aren¡¯t my home.¡±


    Noah replied calmly, but Urich caught a discrepancy in his words.


    ¡°... you were against his n at first, but now you think it has a chance.¡±


    ¡°Only if he manages to defend sessfully against the first attack of the empire. Things are different than it was in the north. The west managed to unite before the empire¡¯s invasion. Even the north, who united way toote, was a huge threat to the empire. It¡¯s true that the imperial army is strong, but their forces are spread out among various lines. By the time the empire can send its forces out to its surrounding kingdoms, your alliance would have alreadypleted the plundering and be long gone. As you guys proved in yourst expedition, the warriors of the west, who have lived their entire lives walking and running, can march more than twice the distance that the imperial army is capable of. They¡¯ll never catch up to you.¡±


    Noah pointed at the east of the mountains which hadn¡¯t been drawn on the leather map yet.


    Urich stared at the map as he stroked his chin. Listening to Noah¡¯s expectations, Samikan¡¯s n didn¡¯t sound as absurd as it did initially. There was a chance.


    <i>¡®I have to admit, Samikan¡¯s ambition is bigger than anyone else, and so is his vision. To think that he was nning on crossing the mountains to attack their side...¡¯</i>


    Urich had beenpletely devoted to defending theirnd. That was all he had thought about.


    ¡°What if the empire destroys Yailrud?¡±


    "They¡¯ll barely manage to destroy the initial part, at most. The alliance army supply themselves through plundering and has no cavalry. Mountain goat warriors climb better than people in mountainous terrain. As long as Yailrud crosses the high altitude that many expeditions have failed, the rest is rtively smooth ridges that can be traveled by foot. All we need to secure is 70% of the road. Even if the empire destroys the first 30%, tribal warriors can still pass through."


    The n flowed out of Noah¡¯s mouth smoothly.


    <i>¡®He''s been preparing for a long time. Ever since we came back from the expedition, Samikan must have been thinking of not defending but crossing the mountains through Yailrud.¡¯</i>


    Urich acutely felt Samikan''s leadership qualities and vision. The perspective he held waspletely different from Urich''s.


    "If we lose to the imperial army after crossing the mountains... things will be just like it was in the north. Young men will either all die or be ves."


    "You can¡¯t gain anything without risk."


    "Is Samikan going to gamble the fate of the entire west for the sake of his own ambition?"


    "A man only lives once."


    Noah shrugged. Urich felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    <i>¡®Emperor Yanchinus.¡¯</i>


    An obsession with achievement and bold actions.


    <i>¡®Samikan is simr to Yanchinus.¡¯</i>


    The almost sticky obsession that Urich had felt from Yanchinus was also present in Samikan.


    <i>¡®Men who walk a tightrope between destruction and glory.¡¯</i>


    It wasn''t just their own downfall. Despite their actions and failures potentially leading to the suffering and death of countless men, they acted solely for their ambitions without any guilt.


    <i>¡®Is that the quality of a conqueror?¡¯</i>


    It was an aspect Urichcked. Urich was closer to an explorer than a conqueror.


    <i>Thump, thump.</i>


    His heart pounded. Had Urich been a warrior who was under Samikan, he might have been impressed by that ambition and sworn loyalty.


    <i>¡®Plundering the civilized world with our own hands.¡¯</i>


    It was a paradoxical pleasure.


    Urich admired and loved the civilized world. Yet, in a corner of his heart, he had the madness of barbarism. It was a barbarian''s nature to destroy and plunder everything.


    Urich always dreamed of burningnd. The burningnd must have not only symbolized the westernnds.


    "Thanks to Samikan, my life was saved. This must also be Lou''s will. And meeting the great explorer Urich as well."


    Noahughed.


    "...I''m not a great explorer."


    Sometimes, Urich felt a sense of guilt. The closer he got to Noah, the stronger that feeling became.


    Urich had practically destroyed the Arten family. The men of the Arten family who had sessfully crossed the mountains should have enjoyed glory and honor, but each met an unfortunate end at Urich''s hand.


    "As a sign of respect for a great explorer, let me give you a piece of advice. Don''t try to surpass Samikan''s authority. Samikan wants to be seen as an unrivaled being. Just be wary of that. Samikan regards you as an important person and likes you personally. Otherwise, you would have died long ago."


    Urich was the Son of the Earth and held a position in the allianceparable to Samikan''s. In battles, he even garnered more support than Samikan.


    <i>''Samikan was waiting for my failure in battle because that was the one ce where I had greater authority than him. Samikan was keeping me in check.''</i>


    Urich was not one tock political sense, but Samikan had an even greater political acumen.


    Surprisingly, his boiling emotions cooled. Acting on emotions alone wasn¡¯t going to achieve anything. Only those who endured that temptation could seize the opportunity.


    "Hmm, then there''s only one problem. How to stop the advancing imperial army. If Samikan stabbed me in the back and still can''t stop the imperial army, he''ll just be a tyrant who screwed over the whole west."


    Noahughed. Though he did not reply, he agreed.


    Urich tilted his head slightly and looked at the map.


    * * *


    In the empire''s camp, the smoke from burning bodies continued day and night for three days. The ve soldiers and conscripts, who contributed greatly to the victory, died inrge numbers.


    Neither ves nor conscripts received proper treatment for their injuries. Winter gear was scarce, barely reaching one in ten of them.


    "W-we''re the heroes of the v-victory."


    A ve soldier said as he chattered his teeth. Despite their sacrifices leading to victory, there was no reward for them. Only then did they realize their grim reality.


    "There is no freedom for us. We''re just tools to be used until we die. The freedom they promised us is death."


    Unlike the conscripts, the ves didn¡¯t even have a ce to return to.


    Already in poor nutritional condition, the ves quickly weakened and died even inside the camp. The empire''s supplies were distributed to the conscripts first and reached the vesst.


    "The ones who just twiddled their thumbs in the back get to pick the best for themselves first."


    The ves gazed at the pale gruel. Even that was greedily coveted as it was warm food.


    "What can we even do? If we fight back, they¡¯ll just kill us. Keke."


    To make things worse, the ves weren''t even from the empire but from its vassal kingdoms. ves from the vassal states, forcibly brought to the battlefield, became quickly exhausted. Their morale plummeted.


    "Shut your mouth. If you''re caught talking, you''ll be sent out to chop wood."


    The heroes of victory, the ves, were the first to be forced intobor. It was the already-emaciated ves who were burdened with the tough work of repairing the camp. The quicker-witted ves quietly hid to avoidbor.


    "It''s too obvious. Things might be different for the conscripts, but at this rate, not a single ve soldier will return alive."


    "Stop with the ominous talk."


    "It''s not ominous talk; we need to face reality to find a solution. Denial won''t do anything for us."


    "Hah, then howe your high-and-mighty-ass ended up bing a ve like the rest of us?"


    Arguments broke out among the ves. One of them was a young man with a dignified appearance, rather unfitting for a ve. He even carried a noble aura in his speech.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I am a ve now. That is an indisputable fact. But I have no intention of living as one until the day I die.¡±


    The young man dered. Despite his skinny body, his eyes had rity. His intent intimidated the ve who was snapping at him. His mannerism was quite elegant. Despite his dirty face, his features were distinct, suggesting he might belong to a noble family.


    asionally among the ves were descendants of fallen nobles or illegitimate children who were abandoned to hide family secrets.


    "W-what is this? W-who are y-you?"


    "Me? I¡¯m the ve of the scribe, Georg Artur."


    "Y-you have ast name? A-are you from a n-noble family?"


    The ves murmured. Even the mention of being a scribe''s ve made him seem like he was somebody. The mere fact of having noble origins naturally elicited respectful speech from them.


    "No, Artur is just a surname I gave myself. Cool, isn''t it?"


    Georgughed brightly. The ves then shook their heads in disbelief.


    "This guy¡¯s crazy... But you seem like you¡¯re literate, why are you on the battlefield?"


    "I slept with my master¡¯s wife. He sent me here to make sure I die a miserable death. That coward scribe didn¡¯t even have the courage to get blood on his own hands. But I guess that¡¯s why he didn''t notice his wife getting railed by a ve, right? I did that shit for three whole years."


    The vesughed at his story. Georg''s tale was thrilling.


    Gradually, the ves focused on Georg''s story. As a ve who worked under a scribe, Georg knew how to speak eloquently and had a lot of knowledge.

 Chapter 173

    <h4>Chapter 173</h4>


    Samikan left his tent and stood alone early in the morning, looking up at the mountains. His gaze followed the lofty peaks.


    <i>''They''reing to conquer ournd.''</i>


    He had heard the stories from Noah. Samikan knew the history of the empire. The achievements of three generations of emperors filled him with awe, and he could easily conjure up the image of conquerors.


    <i>''Those who conquered neighboring countries and nations, now aiming to grasp another world in their hands.''</i>


    The third emperor wasn''t satisfied with just his own world. Emperor Yanchinus coveted thends beyond the mountains.


    Samikan understood the emperor''s greed. The thirst for a bigger world wasn''t something that could be satisfied by merely conquering one''s own world.


    Samikan stretched his arms wide toward the mountains. Laughing, he looked through the gaps between his fingers at the mountains.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Footsteps sounded behind him.


    "Urich, I see that you don¡¯t sleep too well."


    Urich approached from behind Samikan, who instinctively almost grabbed his weapon but instead casually turned to Urich with a smile.


    "My back is still too sore to sleep properly from getting stabbed earlier.¡±


    Urich was more than capable of strangling Samikan to death if that was what he wanted.


    In the entire west, there was no warrior superior to Urich. Being called the ¡®Son of the Earth¡¯ wasn''t simply ttery. How else could such an extraordinary warrior exist without some supernatural blessing?


    <i>''Urich would never stoop to such cheap means to kill me.''</i>


    Samikan trusted Urich. Urich was a straightforward warrior, one who wouldn''t tarnish his honor with such deeds. It was precisely because of this that he earned the respect of other warriors.


    "Why don¡¯t youe with me for reconnaissance once the sunes up?"


    Samikan offered. They needed to observe the movements of the imperial army.


    "You want me toe with you? Seriously?" Urich scoffed.


    "Is it strange for two brothers to act together?"


    "Do you think I¡¯d keep my axe away from your neck when we leave the camp?"


    "I think you will unless you want to destroy the alliance we''ve worked so hard to build..."


    Samikan smirked slightly, and Urichughed hollowly with him.


    The focal point of the tribal alliance was Samikan. Through various political dealings and threats, Samikan wove together tribes with differing interests. He was undoubtedly a remarkable chief who had achieved rapid unification.


    <i>''I doubt I can do what Samikan is doing.''</i>


    Upon bing a chief, Urich felt his limitations.


    As a warrior, Urich was boundless. He could achieve anything he set his mind to. However, as a chief, Urich faced wall after wall and obstacle after obstacle, leading to frustration and a sense of helplessness.


    At best, Urich was capable of uniting the tribes that were under the Sky Mountains. He wasn¡¯t confident he could bring distant tribes under his sway as Samikan had done.


    <i>''Seeing how yed me, he must have done even worse things to the chiefs who wouldn''t follow him.''</i>


    Urich shivered from the sense of betrayal. The Samikan he had trusted had cunningly undermined Urich''s authority.


    "Did you think I would challenge your authority? Do you not trust me, Samikan?"


    Urich''s voice grew louder. He thought of the warriors who died in the mountains. They died purely to protect theirnd.


    "It''s not that I don¡¯t trust you. I''ve dealt with this beast called power for longer than you. Power is a living beast. Did you get the title ''Son of the Earth'' because you wanted it? Did you be the chief of your tribe out of ambition? Power is merely a flow of force, Urich. It¡¯s not something that can be controlled by faith or trust. As power grows, it inevitably devours smaller powers. There''s no such thing as equal power. If they''re truly equal, one of them will die. Have you ever seen a wolf pack with two alphas?"


    Samikan spoke calmly. His eyes were as clear as those of an old shaman.


    "Enough bullshit. Do you think the dead warriors would nod along to that?"


    Urich''s eyes burned fiercely. The screams of the warriors who fell on the mountain echoed in his ears like phantoms.


    "It¡¯s because of that attitude the warriors all love you. Urich, just be as you are now. I''ll take the responsibility of eating up everything¡ªeven all the nasty things¡ªas the Great Chief."


    Samikan looked directly at Urich, who trembled and then shook his head.


    "... How did you manage to talk Belrua into your scheme? She hated your guts."


    "A great chief knows how to bend themselves in order to protect their tribe. The position of a female chief in the alliance was precarious. Left as it was, even the status of the Red Sand Tribe would have fallen. So, Belrua chose the only way to preserve both her position and the tribe''s status. Because she knew the responsibilities and duties of a chief, she had no choice but to make that decision."


    Samikan had already tossed the unfeasible idea of marriage to Belrua early on, and soon the marriage was realized. Samikan''s eyes saw more than others. He possessed the insight that allowed him to read the flow.


    <i>''He is the Great Chief for a reason.''</i>


    Urich felt ashamed for admiring Samikan''s foresight and political acumen.


    <i>''But Samikan is underestimating the imperial army.''</i>


    Every decision Samikan had been making was only going to shine if the tribal alliance defeated the imperial army. But should he fail, Samikan would be seen as the worst leader in their history.


    "ording to Noah, based on their precedent, the ''imperial army'' is expected to deploy their forces in ¡®legions¡¯ during the wartime."


    Samikan mixed in a few Hamelian words as he spoke. He had been learning a bit of thenguage from Noah.


    The legions were a wartime organizational structure of the imperial army. The empire''s current standing legion was the Northern Legion, but even they were in the process of being disbanded after the Mulin campaign in order to re-establish security throughout the empire¡¯s territories.


    The cost of maintaining a legion was high enough to significantly impact the national treasury. Aside from the official formation, the empire''s standing army did not refer to itself as a legion. Even during the reign of the second emperor, when wars against barbarians and suppression of vassal states'' rebellions were frequent, there were only three legions.


    "Apparently, a single legion consists of about five thousand men. Two thousand experienced heavy infantry known as the imperial army, two thousand troops levied from the nobles, and..."


    Samikan was not ignorant about the imperial army. He had conquered the west by emting their tactics.


    Urich thought they should defend in the mountains. So, naturally, he was dissatisfied that the front line of defense had been pushed down to the bottom of the mountains.


    "Their five thousand is not the five thousand we imagine. If we fight them in a formation battle in the ins, we are definitely at a disadvantage. If we want to leverage our numerical superiority, we have to fight them in the mountains."


    "No, we¡¯re going to let their legion cross into ournds. We¡¯re going to allow all their forces toe over the mountains."


    Samikan drew a map on the ground. It outlined the mountains and its gorges, the ins at the bottom, which was connected to the end of Yailrud, and not far from there, the Stone Axe Tribe''s vige.


    Urich''s expression changed. He clenched his axe handle and issued a warning.


    "If they cross the mountains, Stone Axe is in the greatest danger! You said it yourself; a chief must do anything for his tribe!"


    "Calm down. That is why the Stone Axe Tribe will move. Strategically, the vige''s location is not advantageous. Settle somewhere in between the Blue Mist and Red Sand tribes. Though thend there is more barren than what you currently have, the alliance will support the Stone Axe Tribe, so they won''t starve. As brother tribes, we''ll eat together and starve together. I swear it by ourke!"


    Samikan pointed to the spot on the map where the Stone Axe Tribe would resettle.


    "You... dammit."


    Before Urich could argue further, Samikan drew a path going up the mountains and then back down to a midpoint in the gorge.


    "Once the empire¡¯s legion crosses the gorgepletely, you will lead the warriors, sneak over the mountains, and seize their outpost. They''ll think guarding just the entrance of the gorge is enough, so they probably won¡¯t leave any defensive troops at the outpost. Destroy Yailrud there and cut off their supply lines."


    "Even if we do take Yailrud instead of the rough paths, crossing the mountains through a route other than the gorge is going to result in heavy casualties. Are you trying to get the Stone Axe annihted?"


    Urich had no intention of leading the warriors of his own tribe on such a reckless climb.


    "The warriors crossing the mountains won''t be from Stone Axe, but from Blue Mist. I¡¯m entrusting you with half of my warriors. You can kill them or keep them alive; I¡¯ll leave that up to you."


    Urich''s eyes widened. The Blue Mist had over two thousand warriors. Half of that would be a thousand. Even if they descended into the gorge midway and took Yailrud instead of going over the mountain¡¯s peak, significant losses were going to be inevitable.


    Samikan himself was willing to risk danger and sacrifice for this operation. He wasn¡¯t just pulling himself out of the line of fire.


    He shared his n in detail with Urich. The sess or failure of the mission hinged on Urich''s decision, as he was the only one capable of leading the warriors over the mountains.


    "If the supply lines are cut, the imperial army will basically be sitting ducks at the bottom of the mountains. There isn¡¯t a single army in the world that can''t withstand hunger, no matter how strong they are. Even if they turn to plundering, the Stone Axe vige will have already migrated. They¡¯ll be left wandering the vast grasnds aimlessly. Oh, and also, it''s not just Stone Axe that''s moving; all tribes within a week''s distance of the gorge will retreat. The alliance will support anycking resources. This is why we formed the alliance, is it not? The entire west is going to fight as if we¡¯re a single tribe. Us fighting together as one¡ªthey''ll never see iting.


    Urich was seething. The words ¡®as one¡¯ came out of Samikan¡¯s mouth. Everything he was saying was right, but just the fact that those words came from his mouth irked Urich.


    "The problem is whether I can lead enough warriors to seize the outpost and reach the other side of the mountain."


    Urich put aside his emotions and considered Samikan''s strategy. Samikan nodded.


    "You¡¯d have to cross the mountains without the imperial army knowing, descend from the middle of the gorge, and cross over to the outpost through Yailrud. If the outpost''s forces are somehow more numerous than we expected or if we lose too many warriors and are short on power, we probably won''t be able to take over the outpost. If that happens, use whatever means necessary to destroy Yailrud to the point where it can''t be repaired. In that case, we might not be able to plunder beyond the mountains, but we¡¯ll at least be able to annihte the imperial army that¡¯s been cut off from their supply."


    "Whether I seed or fail, not even half of the Blue Mist warriors who go with me will return."


    Samikan did not respond but quietly nodded. He had already braced himself for such sacrifices.


    <i>''Oh heavens, grant me immortal glory.''</i>


    Samikan looked up. The blue sky was vast. If he sessfully led the alliance to victory in this war, the name Samikan would shine forever as an immortal symbol. It would be he who is remembered as the one who stopped the fierce invasion of the empire, not Urich.


    The sun was now fully up. Urich and Samikan led the warriors out for reconnaissance.


    Urich stared at Samikan''s back. To Urich, Samikan was a being that gave him mixed feelings. On one hand, he was someone he wanted to snap the neck of given the chance, but on the other, he was a brother he wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with.


    "It would be best to leave from here to avoid being detected by the imperial army after they¡¯vepleted Yailrud."


    Samikan and Urich surveyed the ridges far from the gorge. They memorized the rtively gentle slopes, assessing the terrain. Born hunters, the tribal warriors could easily remember andscape they had seen once, without any physical records.


    The barbarians had a higher learning ability and memory than the civilized people. Ironically, as civilization advanced, individual human capabilities declined. Even those who would not survive on their own if they were in the wild continued to live and reproduce in civilization. There was no such allowance in the world of barbarians. Falling below average either in learning ability or physical strength meant falling behind in survival.


    Urich was practically a superhuman who was capable of adapting and surviving in any environment or situation. Even among elite barbarians, he was a special being. If other barbarians had crossed into the civilized world as Urich did, they would have at best avoided a life of very, and even that would have been a struggle.


    Samikan looked back at Urich following him. Their eyes met, and both nodded slightly.


    <i>''I don''t want to kill you, Urich.''</i>


    Samikan didn''t want to give up his ambitions and power, but he also didn''t want to kill Urich. Not just because of their oath of brotherhood, but because he greatly valued Urich''s abilities. Yet, leaving Urich unchecked would soon see him be a legendary figure on his own. He was a man who was brilliant enough to overshadow Samikan in their era. Therefore, he kept Urich in check. The pleasure one gained from a life of brotherhood was short, but the glory after death was eternal.


    A month passed, and thepletion of the pioneering road Yailrud was imminent. The chaos created from the entanglement of the selfish desires of the two opposite sides and the belief that their n was just was revealing itself.


    The Sky Mountains continued to look down on the humans as they always had. And humans, also like always, continued to fight.

 Chapter 174

    <h4>Chapter 174</h4>


    "Thank you for all your hard work, Duke Langster."


    Duke Langster frowned and looked at the young legionmander.


    <i>''I¡¯ve beenpletely demoted.''</i>


    If things went ording to the initial n, Duke Langster should have risen to the position of viceroy after serving as a legionmander andpleting the conquest of the west. However, having suffered a defeat at the hands of barbarians once, it seemed the emperor had deemed Langster too old for the task.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t believe he directly appointed a legionmander and sent him out here.''</i>


    As always, the empire dispatched a legion before beginning the conquest.


    Two thousand imperial infantrymen, two thousand troops conscripted from the nobility, five hundred light-armed cavalry, and five hundred heavy-armed cavalry including knights. Officially, they had five thousand men, but includingborers, the legionprised over six thousand men.


    The emperor named this legion the ¡®Western Legion¡¯ and sent the force to the Arten outpost.


    Guided by Duke Langster, the Western Legion followed the pioneering road Yailrud. There wasn¡¯t a single man who wasn¡¯t amazed by the overwhelming mountain scenery andndscape.


    "Incredible. Was this bridge truly built by human hands?"


    The young legionmander Odinst rode around looking at the surroundings. The horses, initially hesitant, eventually crossed the bridge calmly once they sensed it was safe.


    Yailrud was a bridge wide enough for a carriage to pass with room to spare. Its sturdiness was such that even heavy supply wagons could cross without it shaking too much.


    "This is a monumental engineering project, Duke Langster."


    Legionmander Odinst praised Duke Langster.


    "Of course. After all, it¡¯s named Yailrud after His Majesty. With proper maintenance, it will easilyst a hundred years."


    Duke Langster responded coldly. His mood was sour. He was the one who had done all the hard work, yet this youngmander was probably going to reap all the glory.


    Odinst''s cloak fluttered in the cold wind. His eyes were fixed on the end of the gorge.


    <i>''My name will go hand-in-hand with this great achievement.''</i>


    His heart pounded. Jorich Odinst grew up listening to stories of brave knights and emperors who conquered the south and north. Now, he was the main character in a story that was just like them. His eyes shone brightly, and his voice boomed.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Yailrud was a bridge built in sections for effective weight distribution. It was built with loose boundaries so that even if the front part copsed, the part behind it would remain safe.


    "U-uhh! Ahhhh!"


    There were asional idents. Horses, being sensitive animals, sometimes panicked and couldn''t stand the anxiety. Because of that, some riders fell off the cliffs along with their horses. Some soldiers who were marching while half-asleep also fell.


    But any ident was a minor sacrificepared to crossing the mountains directly. Odinst proceeded to move his legion across the mountains without much care.


    Crossing the mountains through Yailrud took just over two days. The Western Legion steadily moved across the bridge, even powering through the night.


    "That over there is the outpost below the mountains."


    The western end of Yailrud was connected to a t terrain. Because it was connected without the need fordders, it allowed even carriages and horses to enter the westernnds.


    "The legion is here! The Western Legion is here!"


    Troops stationed at the entrance of Yailrud shouted. They had been anxiously standing guard while worrying about when barbarians mighte attacking. Now that the invincible legion had arrived, barbarians were no longer a fear.


    "I will also join my forces with the legion."


    Duke Langster spoke. Odinst was young enough to be his son, but he came from a noble family that was among the empire''s most prestigious. Moreover, the position of legionmander was the emperor''s military proxy. Langster had no choice but to request politely.


    "If the majority of the army joining us consists of conscripts and ves from vassal states, it will lower the quality and morale of the legion."


    Odinst immediately rejected the Langster¡¯s offer. Duke Langster''s expression soured.


    "The barbarians are not to be underestimated, Commander. We have no idea what the situation here in the west is like."


    "Barbarians are predictable. The empire has twice seeded in conquering them. Striking quickly before they can rally is the standard strategy."


    Odinst had read the Chronicles of the Northern and Southern Conquests left by the previous emperors multiple times. Upon being appointedmander of the Western Legion, he even revisited the strategies and tactics in those books several times. There was no one who could stop the youngmander full of confidence.


    "If that''s what the Commander thinks, then I shall withdraw my troops."


    "If you could return to the Arten outpost, Duke, and focus on securing the supply routes and maintaining Yailrud. I''ll speak well of you to His Majesty in the future."


    Odinst grinned.


    <i>''He¡¯s trying to take all the credit of the Western Conquest to himself.¡¯</i>


    Duke Langster saw right through Odinst''s head. He didn''t dislike the young man with a big ambition, but being directly affected by that ambition left a bitter taste.


    <i>''I didn¡¯t think I, this Langster, would end up getting treated like a retired old man.''</i>


    Times have changed. The emperor was young, and those who had been achieving feats left and right in the past gradually ascended to Lou¡¯s side. The emerging young talents could no longer be held back.


    The Western Legion crossed the mountains. Duke Langster¡¯s forces, which had been protecting Yailrud, retreated.


    Duke Langster shrugged with a bitter expression. He notified his men of the retreat.


    ¡°W-we¡¯re going back! We¡¯re finally going home, goddammit!¡±


    The ves and conscripts were filled with joy. Initially three thousand strong, the number of conscripts and ves had dropped to just over a thousand, and half of them were ves.


    The ves had been dragged to and suffered for a battle that had nothing to do with them in the first ce. There were just as many who died of hunger and cold as those who died in the battle.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be free men once we return!¡±


    The empire had promised freedom to the ves.


    "Freedom... Yes, we will be free."


    Georg Artur muttered with his gaunt face.


    <i>''Once I am free, I will surely...''</i>


    Georg looked toward his distant homnd. He was from the Langkegart Kingdom, not far from the mountains.


    The Western Legion Commander Odinst had refused to use the ve force, and that was a stroke of luck for the ves. It meant that they would no longer be entangled in war and could return to their homnds.


    After resting for a night, Duke Langster''s forces crossed the bridge.


    The exhausted ves trudged along for the promised freedom. They had only been fed the same nutrient-poor gruel for a long time but still mustered thest of their strength to return to the Arten outpost.


    "That damned Odinst."


    Duke Langster returned to the outpost''s quarters and spewed insults. Even a warm bath, an indulgence he hadn¡¯t had the luxury of for a while, brought him no pleasure. Although he was angry, he did not forget his duties. He checked the remaining supplies and fortified the outpost''s defenses.


    "Duke."


    An adjutant came looking for Duke Langster. Langster, who had been drafting a requisition for supplies from a nearby vassal nation, looked up.


    "What is it?"


    "The conscripts and ve soldiers are demanding that we fulfill the promise. They say their job was finished a long time ago."


    "We still need them to work. Someone has to carry the supplies."


    "The imperial force at the outpost barely exceeds two hundred. It''s hard to control over a thousand conscripts and ve soldiers. If we''re not careful, things might..."


    The adjutant expressed his concern. If the control wasn¡¯t so precarious, he wouldn''t have reported the issue to Duke Langster in the first ce. He would have taken care of it himself.


    "Send the conscripts back to their homes and keep only the ve soldiers here. That should make things easier to keep under control."


    Duke Langster spoke nonchntly. He was well-experienced in governance. He knew exactly how to suppress rebellion and dissatisfaction.


    He then continued,


    "...If only we had the resources, I would have released them right away. I''m not keen on overworking these ve soldiers like this, but we have no choice. We need to defend this ce, but we''re short on manpower."


    "Understood."


    The adjutant nodded vigorously. He disbanded the conscripts, leaving only the ve soldiers at the outpost.


    "This is bullshit! Why aren''t you keeping your promise to us?"


    The ves murmured. Only the conscripts, whom they had fought alongside against the barbarians, were leaving the outpost.


    "Shut it. You are still ves. When the timees, we will keep our promise. Until then, keep doing your job! "


    "When the timees? You mean after we''re all dead?"


    The ves numbering over five hundred grumbled and confronted the imperial authorities. Then, a rtively clean-looking young man stepped forward from among the ves.


    "Didn''t you promise by the name of His Majesty that you would grant us freedom if we crossed the mountains? The promise has long been overdue! It was made in the name of Emperor Yanchinus, so Lou must be watching all of this!"


    Georg stepped forward. The adjutant trying to control the ves frowned.


    <i>'' Georg, the ve of a scribe.''</i>


    Georg was a thorn in the adjutant¡¯s side. He had gained support among the ves to be their spokesperson.


    "Georg,e here."


    The adjutant called Georg aside. He was going to persuade the representative of the ves.


    Georg entered the adjutant¡¯s tent and ate roasted meat for the first time in a while. The savory juice made it feel like the meat was melting in his mouth.


    "Ugh, this is delicious. I haven¡¯t greased my stomach like this in a really long time. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll surely be squatting all day to relieve myself, haha."


    Georgughed, patting his stomach.


    "You''ll be eating like this often from now on. As the supply situation improves, other ves will also eat their fill. Currently, even the Arten outpost is stretched thin. The Duke intends to free the ves as soon as it bes possible. I''m counting on you in a lot of ways. You''re smarter than the others, aren''t you?"


    The adjutant smiled slyly, thinking the matter would easily resolve judging by the pleasant mood inside the tent.


    "I''m well aware of how you nobles treat us ves. I was even in a managerial position among the ves."


    "Exactly! I knew you¡¯d get it!"


    As the adjutant pped his hands, Georg shook his head.


    "That''s why I know exactly what¡¯s going to happen. The Duke will free the ves? Even though he still hasn¡¯t done it? Death is the only way we ves gain freedom. If you don''t free us now, we will..."


    Georg was speaking strongly. The adjutant sighed deeply before Georg could even finish.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The adjutant¡¯s fist struck Georg''s face.


    "Acting high and mighty just because I was a bit nice to you, typical of ve brats."


    Other imperial soldiers entered the tent and surrounded Georg.


    Georg, terrified, looked at the adjutant. The adjutant signaled the soldiers as he leisurely drank the wine that was turning into vinegar.


    "Ugh! Keugh!"


    The soldiers punted Georg. The beating was brutal enough to disrupt his breathing. The imperial soldiers beat Georg just enough to ensure he wouldn''t die but was still hurt enough. The food Georg had eaten was spilled back onto the floor.


    The adjutant pulled down his trousers and urinated over Georg''s head.


    "Next time, it won''t end with just a beating, Georg. Keep the ves in line. If something like this happens again, I don''t know about the others, but you will die for sure. Since you''re so smart, I¡¯ll assume that you know how we handle ves. Making an example by gruesomely killing one or two to discipline five hundred works out very nicely for us. Although the Duke doesn''t prefer this method... I don¡¯t mind it at all. In fact, I quite like it."


    Georg limped out of the tent. Other ves helped him.


    "I''ll kill them all, those sons of bitches..."


    Georg was carried to a tent crowded with ves. He cursed through his blood-dripping lips.


    But Georg had no choice but toply with the adjutant¡¯s threats. It was impossible for five hundred or so starved and exhausted ves to overpower over two hundred imperial soldiers.


    <i>¡®If I fail, I''ll definitely die.¡¯</i>


    Georg trembled while hey on a pile of hay. He thought he was going to die during the collective beating. Even the mere thought made his legs tingle.


    <i>''I have to survive and be a free man.''</i>


    Georg turned away, holding back the tears that trickled out.

 Chapter 175

    <h4>Chapter 175</h4>


    Six-Fingered was practically the priest of the alliance. Since Samikan was the Great Chief of the alliance, it was only natural for Six-Fingered to be the leader of the shamans.


    <i>''But just like everyone else, my life hangs on Samikan''s whim.''</i>


    Traditionally, priests were not people who could be trifled with, even by chiefs. However, Samikan did not tolerate any power of the priests over him. He stripped everyone other than himself of their power.


    <i>''Was even Urich not enough to rival Samikan?¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered pondered with his eyes closed. Samikan did not allow any power to escape from his grasp.


    <i>Squish.</i>


    Six-Fingered sliced open a goat''s belly and reached inside. He rifled through the goat''s entrails to cast the will of the heavens.


    "Oooh."


    Six-Fingered trembled as he extracted the goat''s innards. The exaggerated act caught the attention of the observing warriors.


    <i>''Meaningless.''</i>


    The words toe out of Six-Fingered¡¯s mouth were predictable: ¡®The great Samikan will lead the alliance to victory,¡¯ ¡®Follow Samikan to bask in the eternal glory under the heavens!¡¯ and such. Giving a dire prophecy against Samikan would cost him his life.


    Six-Fingered proimed the message of the divination with a booming voice. Waving his six fingers mystically, he promised victory to the warriors.


    "...to victory!"


    The warriors cheered. Over ten thousand warriors shouted until the ground seemed to shake. Many hade, even from far beyond the wastnds.


    "Samikaaaan!"


    "The one chosen by the heavens!"


    "Samikan will lead us to glory!"


    Even the ropers joined in on the loud acims. The warriors chanted Samikan''s name in a heartbeat, convinced of their victory. The morale soared and became hot enough to heat the air with its fervor.


    <i>''I deceive the heavens and live as Samikan''s ve.''</i>


    Six-Fingered mocked himself.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve had the fate of a shaman on my back ever since I was born, yet I am forever trapped in the shackles named Samikan...''</i>


    Six-Fingered had never known freedom.


    "Well done, Six-Fingered."


    Samikan approached the podium, patting Six-Fingered''s shoulder lightly. Samikan then stood before over ten thousand warriors andid out his grand speech. With the immortal glory within reach, Samikan''s voice burned with passion.


    "We are one! We were grown from the samend and we raced under the same sky..."


    A united tribe. Samikan emphasized unity. His voice reached the hearts of all warriors. Even those who spoke differentnguages understood the gist of his speech. Samikan raised his fingers high and pped, clearlymunicating his message through actions as well.


    Urich turned away from Samikan''s speech.


    "Belrua, you need something from me?"


    Urich looked up at Belrua.


    Belrua leaned against a wooden pir with her arms crossed. Her hands and arms were scarred from burns.


    "You don¡¯t have anything to say to me? Calling me a traitor, a bitch, or something along that line."


    Belrua tilted her head slightly,ughing softly. Herughter sounded grim.


    "Things were probably bad enough for you to join hands with Samikan. I have no intention to me you."


    "Hah, now you¡¯re pretending like you¡¯re the bigger person?"


    Urich''s attitude made Belrua sneer.


    "No, it''s not like that. Belrua, you turned your back on me and betrayed our faith. Regardless of the situation, that was the decision you made. If you and the Red Sand Tribe ever find yourselves in trouble, don''t expect any help from me. That''s all."


    Urich''s eyes were as cold as frozen gold as he pointed his finger at Belrua.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich brushed past Belrua''s shoulder as he walked by.


    Belrua watched Urich walking away and then ran her fingers through her hair.


    "Dammit."


    The curse came out naturally. Belrua didn''t want her friendly rtionship with Urich to crumble.


    <i>''But I had no choice.''</i>


    Unexpected and inevitable things like this always happen. As the chief of the Red Sand Tribe, Belrua was in a predicament, and the only way out was to marry Samikan. It was a political marriage, but its effect was profound.


    As two great tribes became bound by a powerful tie through marriage, it instantly elevated the status of the Red Sand Tribe. The child that woulde from Belrua could even potentially be the sessor to the alliance.


    Belrua stared at Samikan making his speech and then looked up at the sky.


    "Looks like it¡¯s going to rain."


    The sky was clear, but Belrua didn¡¯t miss the distant smell of rain in the wind.


    Rain was indeeding.


    * * *


    Samikan reorganized the alliance''s military. Before fighting the imperial army, it was necessary to form units and assign roles to the warriors. Fighting haphazardly as they had been so far was certainly not going to yield victory. Their opponent, the imperial army, was a formidable group optimized with a variety of troop types and formations.


    Samikan sought Noah for his advice on the reorganization n.


    "I¡¯m going to mix warriors from various tribes into units of ten and a hundred, and the thousand-man units will be led by chiefs of therger tribes."


    Samikan exined his n. The ten-, hundred-, and thousand-man units were universally effective and efficient organizational structures.


    "Is there a reason to mix warriors from different tribes? The chiefs might not wee this. They prefer tomand their own warriors."


    Noah questioned as he used chess pieces to represent the hundred- and thousand-man units. With the number of warriors in the alliance, it was possible to form ten thousand-man units.


    "As time goes on, the distinction between tribes will only be more meaningless. If we keep sticking to our own, we¡¯ll only have more conflicts between tribes and the existing tensions will escte. Mixing them up like this will be much better for maintaining discipline. Moreover, if chiefs do notmand their own warriors, their influence will diminish."


    "Yes, you''re right. This way the military will be more stable in the long run."


    Noah was internally in awe. Samikan not only borrowed the organizational structure of the imperial military but also adapted it to suit the tribes.


    <i>''This arrangement emphasizes the cohesion of the alliance as a whole over the cohesion within individual tribes. With Samikan''s power at its peak, other chiefs won''t be able to openly oppose him even if they haveints.''</i>


    Mixing warriors from different tribes diluted tribal selfishness. Even though they may be from different tribes, warriors came to regard each other as brothers when they fought side by side. If the war continues in the long term, tribalism is going to gradually fade.


    <i>¡®During the expedition, the Stone Axe and Blue Mist came to regard each other as brothers despite having been sworn enemies before. You must have learned from that experience, Samikan.''</i>


    Samikan appointed the chiefs who were loyal to him as his unitmanders. With his power consolidated, he could efficiently reorganize the military into the most effective form. If Samikan didn¡¯t have the dictatorship, it was a reformation that would have surely faced much opposition.


    <i>''Ten thousand-man units. That¡¯s roughly ten thousand. What an enormous number.''</i>


    The alliance had grown much greater than Noah had expected.


    If a tribe had a poption of ten thousand, it meant a thousand warriors were conscripted. Such a conscription rate was unthinkable in civilized societies.


    <i>¡®And on top of that, in the western tribal societies, all men are considered warriors whether they are a boy or an older man, and they¡¯re a force skilled inbat, not some low-quality conscripts. That conscription rate touches ten percent.''</i>


    In civilized societies, the standing army ratio hardly exceeded one percent. At best, one in a hundred people was a skilled warrior. To exceed a one percent ratio, and had to be extremely affluent. Even when mobilizing for war, civilized societies could not muster forces more than five percent of the poption without paralyzing the society''s foundations.


    The low number of forces avable for mobilization rtive to poption was a structural weakness of agrarian feudal societies. However, the explosive poption growth afforded by agriculture eventually increased the absolute number of troops.


    <i>''The fearsomeness of the northerners was also due to their unique custom and social structure, where nearly twenty percent of the poption could turn into warriors when needed. In the north, even sickly elders took up arms and charged at the imperial soldiers.''</i>


    While the westerners did not send elders to battle as the northerners did, they still maintained at least a ten percent warrior ratio of their poption.


    An army of ten thousand from the alliance wasn¡¯t even the final number. Noah estimated that including tribes that voluntarily joined after the expedition, nearly twenty thousand warriors could be under Samikan''smand. An army of such barbarian warriors would be enough to easily swallow one or two kingdoms of the civilized world.


    <i>''ording to the records, Mijorn of the north led ten thousand northerners southward, aiming for the heart of the empire. The empire hastily assembled two legions, issuing a mobilization order to amass a force of forty thousand to retaliate against Mijorn¡¯s advance.''</i>


    To Noah, the westerners had just as much potential as the northerners, if not more. Like the northerners, they had a strong warrior culture and possessed warriors skilled inbat who made up ten percent of their entire poption due to prolonged internal conflicts.


    "Thanks to Urich appearing at just the right time, we learned of the imperial invasion''s timing and united the west with ease."


    Noah mentioned Urich''s name. Samikan slowly nodded.


    "Yes, everything is going well. As nned, Urich will cut off the imperial army''s supply lines."


    ¡°What if Urich fails? The alliance''s forces stillck experience against the imperial army. Most importantly, they''re poorly armed. No matter how skilled the warriors are, they¡¯re bound to struggle against unfamiliar enemies. On the other hand, the imperial army is ustomed to fighting ''barbarians.''¡±


    ¡°Urich will seed, Noah. This morning, I asked for a divination from the female shaman who was in my bedst night. I asked her to cast a real divination, not a fake one,¡± Samikanughed, revealing his teeth.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°My brother Urich is indeed the Son of the Earth, blessed by the heavens. The female shaman said the protection of spirits and ancestors clings to Urich''s limbs. There''s no way he fails.¡±


    Samikan''s absolute trust in Urich was evident in his tone.


    Hearing this, Noahughed. It was funny to him that Samikan, who always used divination as a political tool, would say such things.


    ¡°Haha, you always create your own divinations to fit your needs but take others'' seriously, Great Chief Samikan.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t divine my own fate in advance. Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±


    ¡°Just because you choose not to see it doesn¡¯t mean you can avoid a predetermined fate. Sometimes, it¡¯s necessary to know your fate in advance and ept it calmly. That¡¯s what I did.¡±


    Noah muttered, ying with his sun pendant. Samikan remained silent without replying.


    * * *


    Urich had been leading a thousand Blue Mist warriors away from the main camp of the alliance for several days now. Their mission was to move as a separate unit to avoid the empire''s scouts. The further away from the main force, the less conspicuous they were.


    <i>''Urich the Chief of the Stone Axe Tribe andmander of a thousand warriors...''</i>


    Urich hadughed heartily when he saw the reorganization of the alliance forces. It was evident that some chiefs were opposed, but none dared to openly defy Samikan''s will. Only a few among over a hundred chiefs passively showed their discontent.


    Urich''s unit was operating independently as a special force. Unlike other units, itprised a thousand warriors solely from the Blue Mist Tribe.


    Urich looked back at the warriors following him, who were well-prepared against the cold.


    <i>¡®Their eyes are sharp. Samikan gave me his best warriors for this job.¡¯</i>


    This time, even Samikan did not wish for Urich''s failure.


    "It''s an honor to share this grave task with you, Son of the Earth Urich."


    A Blue Mist warrior said to Urich as he walked behind him. Urich nodded lightly in acknowledgment.


    Urich and the warriors moved toward the foothill of mountains that were a three-day distance from their main camp. They intentionally took the detour to a longer route to avoid any potential empire scouts.


    "I¡¯m saying this as a heads-up, but don''t ditch your fur coats just because you¡¯re feeling a little warm. You''ll freeze to deathter on."


    Urich cautioned the warriors before beginning the climb. The warriors chuckled and nodded in agreement.


    <i>''We''ll follow the low ridgeline and climb diagonally to reach the path I was on when I was taken by Fordgal Arten. Following Fordgal''s route up and then descending all the way to the gorge should work.''</i>


    Urich calmly nned their route as he stared into the mountains. Following the path established by Fordgal Arten would result in fewer casualties than pioneering a new one.


    "Speak up if you''re tired. Pushing through exhaustion until you''re spent will only get you killed. We''ll take breaks along the way."


    Urich set the expectations early.


    The westerners had great patience. They were a people who patiently endured the harsh dry seasons waiting for the rainy seasons. Familiar with the sweet rewards thate after perseverance, they even found joy in enduring the arid hardships. With no other means of transportation to rely on, their legs, which were hardened by a lifetime of walking and running, were more robust than those of any other people. That had also enabled them to undertake the earlier expedition during the dry season on foot alone.


    Urich knew all this very well. Despite his warning, the sharp-eyed warriors would silently bear any burden to the very end. They, like wolves, did not show weakness within their pack. They would keep enduring and enduring until...


    <i>''...they die without a word.''</i>

 Chapter 176

    <h4>Chapter 176</h4>


    Three days had passed. As they camped out, Urich dried his shoes and toes by the fire. If your feet weren¡¯t dried in time, frostbite awaited.


    With the onset of the proper rainy season, the perennial snow line on the mountains had descended significantly. Even in forests where snow usually wouldn''t have umted, the snow was thick underfoot.


    <i>Crackle, crackle.</i>


    The warriors huddled around the fire, making sure it wasn''t extinguished by the wind.


    "It''s cold."


    Their lips trembled and teeth cked together.


    "I wonder if they''re fighting down there by now?"


    "If things are going ording to the schedule, they should be shing by now."


    The warriors looked toward the western ins.


    The alliance army was supposed to engage in their first battle with the imperial army by name. It wasn''t a fight for victory. The purpose was to buy time for Urich and his warriors to reach the Arten outpost and to distract the imperial forces so they couldn''t focus on their rear.


    ¡°Cough.¡±


    Coughs echoed from the warriors. Many warriors couldn''t adapt to the cold. Barbarians from the west were weak to the cold.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    A warrior copsed to the ground after coughing for a while. Others shook their heads in resignation and buried their deadrade.


    "Keep yourselves warm."


    Urich said it like it was a reflex. Obviously, no warrior was deliberately trying to stay cold. Everyone did their best to keep what little warmth they had and took measures against the cold. Yet, day by day, warriors died away.


    "How high are we climbing, Urich?"


    The warriors desperately awaited the moment they would descend toward the gorge.


    "Not yet."


    "We''ve climbed high enough. Enough that those bastards from beyond the mountains wouldn¡¯t catch us!"


    One warrior argued back.


    "If you knew all that so well, you wouldn¡¯t have followed me. Am I wrong?"


    Urich grinned with his frozen lips. Theining warrior just grimaced and returned to his spot.


    Urich looked at the warriors. He couldn''t even keep track of how many had died. The dead warriors were buried, and the survivors simply marched on.


    "If we start climbing down now, we¡¯re only going to run into the rocky parts. But if we climb just a little bit higher, we can go down a gentler slope."


    Urich recalled an old memory. He was retracing his steps up the mountain, the same path he had taken down after killing Regal Arten.


    <i>¡®I''m taking us on a path I''m sure of.¡¯</i>


    The warriors nodded at Urich''s words.


    The next morning, many of the warriors who had nodded off could not wake up. The dead sat frozen in ce with their heads lowered. This time, there wasn''t even the luxury to bury them properly.


    Urich and the warriors moved out of the forest and reached the endless snowfields. The fallen were swallowed by the snowstorm, covered in white.


    "We¡¯re going down!"


    Urich shouted and gestured.


    The warriors'' eyes widened. Life returned to their weary legs.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The snow-covered terrain was also extremely dangerous. No one knew what was under their steps. One wrong step could get their legs stuck in between obstructions and snapped, or worse, they could fall into a crevice.


    "Dammit, don''t run!"


    Urich yelled, stopping the warriors. Those who recklessly descended the seemingly gentle slope fell and tumbled down toward a cliff.


    ¡°Aaaaaah!¡±


    Screams echoed below.


    Urich clicked his tongue and pulled out a stick.


    "I¡¯m going first. It might take some time but try to follow my footsteps."


    Urich led from the front and meticulously carved a path through the snowfield, taking on the danger. He focused all his senses at the tip of his toes as he inched down the slope. He used the stick to poke at the suspicious spots to ensure safety.


    <i>¡®He doesn¡¯t shy from taking on the most dangerous tasks. That¡¯s the Son of the Earth for you.¡¯</i>


    The Blue Mist warriors walked along the path cleared by Urich. They wanted to rush down to get away from the snowstorm that was still pestering them, but they patiently followed behind Urich.


    Urich refused to delegate dangerous tasks to his men. These most dangerous tasks were often also the most important. He always led his men by example. It was an exemry and heroic trait, but it was also deemed rather unfitting for a leader at times.


    <i>¡®He is someone who does not fear risk and always takes the lead, yet he always survives to tell the tale. That shows how greatly skilled he is, or he is blessed by the spirits of our ancestors...¡¯</i>


    Most of the shamans praised Urich. The title "Son of the Earth" denoted immense honor.


    In the civilized world, Urich was seen as a man blessed by the gods. The various dangers of the world couldn¡¯ty a finger on him. His survival wasn''t merely attributed to being exceptional; it was almost beyond exnation.


    "We will be the first in the alliance to step on thend beyond the mountains. This will be a great story to tell."


    Urich encouraged his warriors, catching his breath as white puffs of air escaped his lips.


    "Who would refuse the honor of apanying Urich, the man who crossed the mountains?"


    With theirst ounce of strength, the warriors pushed on.


    The towering peaks of the mountain watched over them. The image of the warriors descending without climbing over the peaks became smaller and smaller.


    * * *


    "Gruuugh."


    Georg dragged his wounded body along as hebored away. Georg, among other ves, was moving supplies into the outpost.


    "Hey, don''t ck off, Georg."


    A soldier kicked Georg''s leg as he spoke. Georg staggered and red.


    "...I get it."


    ring was all he could do. Georg lowered his head and moved toward the wagons entering the outpost.


    Georg unloaded cargo from the wagons and stacked them inside the warehouse. Despite being severely bruised all over his body, he worked without proper rest. Being a ve of a scribe, he was barely ustomed to physicalbor.


    <i>¡®I definitely got myself on their bad side.¡¯</i>


    While other ves asionally managed to sneak a break frombor, Georg seemed to be getting called upon endlessly.


    <i>¡®Dammit, I was crazy. I should have just eaten that meat and nodded quietly back then...¡¯</i>


    It was a regret that came toote. Being the representative of the ves, he thought he¡¯d be able to do something.


    <i>¡®At the end of the day, I''m just a ve.¡¯</i>


    Georg finally had a chance to straighten his back. He caught his breath.


    "Hey! Don''t just stand there; move!"


    A soldier shouted at Georg, who inwardly cursed and picked up another load.


    <i>¡®Sons of bitches.¡¯</i>


    Georg wasn''t the only one upset. The eyes of the ves were swirling with venom. The imperial army had broken their promise, and the ves were doing theborious work in their ce.


    "Why do we have to help with this war? We didn''t even get the freedom we were promised."


    "Shh, keep it down, or you''ll end up like Georg."


    "Mark my words. I bet even after the war ends, we''ll still be ves. You think these bastards would ever set us free?"


    The ves murmured among themselves. Sensing their discontent, an imperial soldier brandished his whip between them.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The whip struck the ground, and that was enough of a threat. The murmuring ves scattered.


    <i>¡®The ves are growing more and more upset. We can''t feed them properly because of theck of supplies. If we don''t control them properly, it''s going to be dangerous.¡¯</i>


    The imperial soldiers were just as anxious. Managing ves who might revolt at any moment had them on edge all day. This led to them often treating the ves harshly over trivial matters.


    The distance between the emperor¡¯s direct territory, where the imperial power was focused in, and the Arten outpost was vast. This meant that the supply line was just as long. Since it was not feasible to establish a supply line to the outpost directly from the emperor¡¯s direct territory, the emperor sent letters to neighboring kingdoms and lords to fulfill the supply demands.


    <i>¡®I can already see what the quality of supplies from vassal states is going to be like.¡¯</i>


    Soldiers frowned as they opened the supply boxes. The iron ingots, visibly of poor quality, were rusted, and when assessing the grain sacks, they found sand mixed in, which made every meal gritty.


    The difficulty in acquiring supplies meant the portion going to the ves did not increase.


    "Dammit, those Langkegart bastards!"


    Duke Langster, themander of the outpost, cursed as he threw the documents.


    "They didn''t even send half of what''s on the paper. Useless bastards!"


    Duke Langster took charge of the legion¡¯s logistics. Although a logistics officer''s role was crucial, it was quite far from mour or recognition. Bragging about the position in social circles hardly earned any respect.


    "Even if I address this with themter, they''ll just make excuses and say there was a loss during transport or an administrative error!"


    Duke Langster cursed the Langkegart Kingdom several times, then took a deep breath and drank some water.


    "... I guess the Langkegart Kingdom couldn''t possibly produce such arge volume of supplies overnight. It makes sense."


    Duke Langster breathed a deep sigh.


    ¡®This continual requisitioning from vassal states isn''t good. The demands being made are already excessive. Doesn''t His Majesty have anypetent advisors around him... If only the Sword Demon Ferzen were by His Majesty''s side..."


    Emperor Yanchinus was a man from the generation that came after the empire was stabilized. The young emperor was born in an era where it was natural for the empire to have seven vassal kingdoms, thinking it impossible for them to defy the empire.


    <i>¡®The kingdoms are like wolves waiting to take the leader''s ce the moment the empire shows weakness. They¡¯re not some obedient hunting dogs.¡¯</i>


    No ruler, no matter how excellent, was perfect in all aspects. Those who had lived their entire lives in the capital of the empire were ignorant of the conditions in the vassal states and regions. That was precisely why the role of advisors has always been crucial to a ruler, but few dared to offer frank advice to the emperor who had absolute power.


    <i>¡®Emperor Yanchinus is too obsessed with his achievements. General Ferzen was the only person who could bend his stubbornness.¡¯</i>


    Ferzen was a knight among knights who had participated in all the empire''s wars. Had Ferzen been by the emperor''s side, he would have efficiently managed the supply lines and negotiated with private merchants to secure supplies, rather than requisitioning.


    <i>¡®Negotiating with private merchants to secure supplies would have actually stimted the economy of the neighboring vassal states, and it would have received a positive response since it would have involved transactions with money, not requisitioning. The empire has enough resources for something like that.¡¯</i>


    The empire had enjoyed a long period of stable prosperity. Over time, the storerooms filled, and gold coins flowed like water in the treasury. With the south and north plundered, there was more than enough economic leeway; there was no need to save money.


    <i>¡®Probably those useless logistics staff in the capital argued that it''s possible to supply the Western Legion without spending any of the empire¡¯s money. His Majesty must have chosen to requisition since not spending appears more profitable on the surface. The dissatisfaction of vassal states and local lords won¡¯t really reach the central government until their rebellion breaks out, and even then, it won¡¯t even show up as direct numbers anyway. Dammit.¡¯</i>


    Duke Langster was a man of extensive experience. He had already served excellently as the viceroy of the north. Even though he saw numerous better methods to handle the current situation, he was tied to the Arten outpost for the time being.


    <i>Squeak, squeak.</i>


    Langster wrote a petition to the emperor. It covered the securing of a stable logistics route, management of vassal states in anticipation of a prolonged conquest war and also questioned whether the Western Conquest would actually bring benefit to the empire.


    "Phew."


    Langster rubbed his eyes under themp and kept writing without stopping.


    Night fell on the Arten outpost. The light in Duke Langster''s tent didn¡¯t seem like it was going to go out anytime soon.


    The shivering ves outside saw the lit tent and cursed, saying that the higher-ups had too much oil to burn.


    The ves huddled together in the small tent for warmth. If anyone wanted to get up to leave the tent, they had to step on many other ves'' feet.


    "Dammit! Where are you going, Georg?"


    Georg stepped on the ves as he headed outside the tent.


    "The cold is seeping into my bones so much I can''t sleep. I¡¯m just gonna go take a leak."


    As soon as Georg left, a soldier on guard frowned.


    "Where are you going in the middle of the night? Get your ass back inside."


    The soldier pushed Georg back with the butt of his spear. Georg grabbed the spear and snapped back.


    "Goddammit! I''m a person too! I can¡¯t even piss in peace?"


    "You have a piss pot inside your tent."


    "Piss pot? You mean the piss pot that¡¯s so full it''s overflowing? You know what, if you want to hit me, do it! I¡¯m gonna pee outside even if you beat me to death! I don¡¯t care if I wet myself right here getting beat up!"


    Georg yelled furiously. Intimidated by the unexpected retaliation, the soldier backed off.


    "Woah, rx! What are youing at me for? You think I won¡¯t even let you go to the bathroom? Go pee, jeez. "


    The soldier pointed to a corner of the outpost. Georg briskly made his way through the tents to find a discolored wooden fence. It was the spot where everyone had been relieving themselves as if they had agreed upon it.


    <i>Trickle, trickle.</i>


    Georg slightly lowered his pants and rxed with a content expression.


    "Hah, look at this thing. Pretty solid if I do say so myself. This thing is more than decent. I¡¯m set."


    It was the thing Georg had protected even while being beaten. It was his pride.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    As Georg was fixing his trousers, he noticed something floating over the fence. It was arge shadow.


    "Eep!"


    Before Georg could scream, the shadow pounced on him.


    <i>¡®Stench.¡¯</i>


    A putrid stench, not of civilization but of wilderness, filled the air. A burly man with yellow eyes overpowered and subdued Georg.


    <i>¡®It''s the barbarians. The western barbarians are attacking!¡¯</i>


    Terror filled Georg''s face as he trembled. Fortunately, having just peed, his groin remained dry.


    <i>¡®I''m going to die here.¡¯</i>


    What came after being captured by a barbarian was obvious. A dear face shed across Georg''s mind.


    <i>¡®May you at least...¡¯</i>


    Resigned to his fate, Georg closed his eyes.


    "Which way is the gate? If you try to scream, I''ll rip your throat out before you can make a sound. If you¡¯re feeling brave, give it a try. If you got it, nod."


    What came out of the barbarian¡¯s mouth was fluent Hamelian. Georg''s eyes widened in shock as he nodded gently.


    Urich the barbarian slowly removed his hand from Georg''s mouth.

 Chapter 177

    <h4>Chapter 177</h4>


    "B-barbarian."


    Georg whispered, not wanting to die. Urich nodded in satisfaction and ced the axe de on Georg''s shoulder.


    "Yes, the barbarian you¡¯ve all been waiting for is finally here."


    Urich joked, holding Georg''s nape loosely and baring his teeth.


    "I-I am a ve. I-I¡¯m not a soldier here."


    "I can tell from your clothes. That''s why I targeted you. You see, I see pretty well in the dark."


    Urich and the Blue Mist warriors had descended the mountains and passed through Yailrud. They had silently eliminated a patrol unit they encountered along the way.


    After crossing the mountains via Yailrud, the warriors were on standby in the distant forest, and Urich infiltrated the Arten outpost alone. He knew theyout of the outpost, but many parts had changed due to the expansion work that had been done. There was now even a moat under the wooden fence, making it difficult to enter without going through the fortress gate.


    "Are you finally invading?"


    "Why would I tell you that? Just lead me to the gate, and I''ll spare your life."


    Urich urged Georg. Strangely, Georg remained calm.


    "Over there, there should be soldiers on patrol right now. This side is where the ve tents are located, guarded by two soldiers at the entrance."


    Georgid out the soldiers'' locations in detail. Urich was the one surprised this time and stared at Georg.


    "You¡¯re helping me?"


    "Well, I have my reasons. Anyway, that¡¯s that, but you''re fluent in Hamelian."


    "I have my reasons too."


    Urich scanned Georg from head to toe.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s skin and bones from not eating properly. And has lots of bruises.¡¯</i>


    It was clear to Urich that Georg had been treated poorly.


    "There are two hundred soldiers and five hundred ves here," Georg said as he crouched behind a tent.


    "Are you talking about the ve soldiers?"


    "That¡¯s five hundred ves ready to revolt at any time given the signal. The imperial army did not keep their promise of freedom."


    Georg said as he gritted his teeth. He wasn''t interested in why or how Urich spoke thenguage of the empire.


    <i>¡®It''s important that a barbarian who we canmunicate with is here.¡¯</i>


    Even if the ves helped the imperial army against the barbarians, there was nothing for them to gain. They would either die from thebor or, if a battle broke out, be used as human shields by the imperial army.


    "If you''re going to attack this ce, I''ll help."


    "...Are you serious? You are aware that I¡¯m a barbarian, aren¡¯t you?"


    "If I persuade them, most of the ves will revolt. All I ask in return is that you promise us freedom. This war isn''t ours. We were forcibly brought here to fight against our wills."


    Urich believed Georg''s words. He knew how ves were treated in the civilized world. They were treated no better than livestock.


    "Lead the way."


    Urich followed Georg to the tents where the ves were sleeping.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Urich quickly snapped the necks of two soldiers guarding the entrance. Witnessing Urich''s lethal skills, Georg was terrified. Human life was extinguished with such ease.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s an incredible barbarian. There¡¯s a reason he infiltrated the outpost alone.¡¯</i>


    Georg knew that the moment he betrayed Urich, he would meet the same fate. It took Urich no longer than taking in a single breath to kill a person.


    "Get up but stay quiet."


    There were three ve tents, each housing over a hundred ves sleeping clumped together.


    <i>¡®What a pitiful state.¡¯</i>


    Urich also clicked his tongue as he looked at the lying ves. Their conditions were no better than living corpses.


    "W-what''s happening?"


    "Shh, be quiet."


    Georg quietly woke the ves, one by one, silencing them. They squirmed in the darkness, focusing on Georg''s words.


    "The barbarians are about to invade."


    "W-what did you say?"


    "Keep your voice down."


    "W-we''re all going to die, aren''t we? W-we have to run away."


    While the ves were chattering, Urich stood behind Georg. Urich''s shadow was significantlyrge. Just by his build alone, he didn''t look like a starved ve.


    "I''m Urich, the so-called barbarian you''ve been talking about."


    The ves'' eyes widened at Urich''s fluent Hamelian.


    "...To me, it doesn''t seem like you''re being treated too well. I do not lie; if you help us take over this ce, I will give you freedom. There are over five hundred warriors waiting outside. But if you decide to refuse my offer, you won''t be able to leave here in one piece."


    The ves looked at each other and nodded.


    "We''ll help."


    "There''s no reason not to. We have no other choice."


    The ves did not discriminate between their fellow civilized people and barbarians. What mattered to them was who promised them freedom. The imperial army had already broken that promise once, so they decided to trust the barbarian''s promise.


    "Good, where''s the armory?"


    Urich asked Georg. Georg didn''t know to that extent, but a ve who had been carrying supplies from the armory raised his hand.


    Urich also raided other tents with Georg and met the rest of the ves. Their resentment toward the imperial army was so high that they did not hesitate to cooperate with the barbarians. Many were ready to risk it all in a desperate move.


    <i>¡®Things are going smoother than expected. With the cooperation of the ves, taking over the outpost should be easy.¡¯</i>


    Urich had started with a thousand warriors, but half of them had died or were injured crossing the mountains, leaving only about five hundred. Some were sidelined due to frostbite and injuries. Excluding those not fit for battle for various reasons, there were five hundred warriors capable of fighting, but even they were severely exhausted, not able to bring out their fullbat power.


    <i>¡®They have two hundred imperial soldiers inside the fort. Colliding with them head-on would be a difficult battle to win.¡¯</i>


    Urich boldly infiltrated alone. Though his legs were trembling from exhaustion even when just standing, he was in better condition than the other warriors.


    Urich and Georg moved stealthily between tents to secure the armory.


    <i>¡®First, I¡¯ll release the ves and arm them from the armory. Then, I''ll open the gate and send the signal.¡¯</i>


    Urich''s mind buzzed with ns. Patrolling soldiers were asionally seen as it was nighttime, but thexity was evident in this rear area that hadn''t been invaded for a long time.


    "Hey, who''s there?"


    Urich twitched. Urich and Georg, who were hiding behind a tent, held their breath.


    <i>¡®Damn, even in theirxity, they''re still imperial soldiers. I shouldn''t have been distracted.¡¯</i>


    Urich gripped his axe tightly, ready to push through in closebat if necessary.


    <i>Gulp.</i>


    Swallowing hard, he listened to the footsteps of the imperial soldiers.


    <i>¡®There are four of them. I can''t take them all down at once. At least one is going to manage to scream.¡¯</i>


    Urich''s eyes red as he fondled the axe handle.


    <i>Tap.</i>


    Georg tapped Urich''s forearm.


    "Let me handle this."


    Georg stood up and ran forward, only to trip and fall.


    "What, Georg, it was you? What are you doing out here at this hour?"


    A soldier rxed his expression seeing Georg but didn''t let go of his spear.


    "I-I got lost."


    "What? Are you joking? You got lost? How long have you been working here?"


    Georg''s absurd excuse enraged the soldiers. They were convinced there was more to Georg''s story.


    <i>¡®Shit, I thought this guy was smart, but he¡¯s just an idiot!¡¯</i>


    Urich inwardly cursed. Even he found the excuse ridiculous. It was only natural for the soldiers to press Georg further.


    "This is the worst."


    Sweat beaded on Urich''s forehead. Killing the four soldiers wasn''t the issue. Urich had survived several situations where things were even worse.


    <i>¡®But if I fight them, other imperial soldiers wille swarming.¡¯</i>


    Urich pondered how to survive while thinking about various options.


    Meanwhile, Georg trembled and fell backward under the soldiers'' threat.


    "T-to tell you the truth, I was s-so hungry I was trying to steal something to eat. Dammit, I''ve only had watery, tasteless gruel for the past three days. I feel like I¡¯m going to die."


    Georg Artur pleaded, clutching his stomach desperately. The soldiers looked at him with disdain.


    "Do you not know you could get your head chopped off for that? ves aren''t allowed out at night. You''re an idiot."


    "But what am I supposed to do about being hungry?"


    "Food distribution will get better soon enough. Here, eat this for now. Don¡¯t tell the others about this."


    A soldier tossed a piece of hardtack that was about half the size of a fist, to Georg. His face lit up as if he had received gold, and he repeatedly bowed his head in thanks.


    "Thank you, sir. Truly, thank you! Lou will surely remember your kindness!"


    "Enough, eat that quick, and go back to the tent."


    "Yes, sir!"


    The soldiers passed by Georg, chattering among themselves.


    Georg wolfed down the hardtack, nearly choking on it. Once the soldiers had moved away, he returned to where Urich was.


    "That was impressive."


    Urich was genuinely admiring how Georg handled the situation by improvising.


    "The first lie might be doubted, but a second lie mixed with truth is not so easily questioned."


    "You''re a liar then. I shouldn¡¯t trust you."


    "I may be great at lying, but I¡¯m not a liar."


    Georg corrected Urich with a faint smile on his face. They approached the armory, evading the patrol.


    "I haven''t gotten your name yet."


    Urich grabbed a weapon and said to Georg.


    "It¡¯s Georg Artur."


    "Artur? Are you a noble?"


    "Nope, it''s a surname I made up."


    "Hmm, you¡¯re an entric. Well, who cares."


    Urich surveyed the surroundings. He took advantage of the moment when other patrols were not looking and swiftly slit the throats of two guards stationed in front of the armory. It was an assassination as silent as a cat and as ruthless as a storm.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    Covered in blood, Urich dragged the bodies to a shadowed area.


    <i>Creeeaaak.</i>


    Georg opened the armory and entered. Inside were not only the gleaming standard-issue weapons of the imperial army but also various crudely made arms piled up.


    "I''ll call the others to arm themselves from the armory. The main gate is straight ahead from here. Urich, when we start the uprising, the forces at the main gate will swiftly be drawn here as well."


    "... I¡¯ll see you again if we¡¯re both alive after the battle."


    Georg watched Urich disappear back into the shadows.


    <i>¡®What a remarkable barbarian,ing in here alone.¡¯</i>


    It was no ordinary courage. The imperial army would never see iting that there was a western barbarian so fluent in the imperialnguage.


    <i>¡®I am going to be a free man. And then...¡¯</i>


    Georg clenched his fist. There was something he needed to do.


    * * *


    The Blue Mist warriors were waiting in a forest away from the outpost. They desperately wanted to light a fire but resorted to sharing their body heat with each other instead to avoid being caught out by the enemies.


    "We shouldn¡¯t have sent Urich alone. This is too reckless, even for the Son of the Earth."


    The avable force of the Blue Mist warriors was around five hundred. Over a hundred had died, and most of the survivors were not in a condition to fight. Several needed amputations of legs and arms, and among them, there were many who were not going to survive much longer. Just as Urich predicted, not even half would return in one piece.


    <i>¡®We didn¡¯t even cross the mountain''s peaks and we¡¯re in this state. How in the world did Urich do it?¡¯</i>


    Had the warriors attempted to cross the peaks, they wouldn¡¯t have avoided annihtion. There was a reason the mountains had long been taboo.


    "Truly, without the heavens'' permission, one cannot directly cross the mountains."


    The warriors murmured. Their crossing of the mountains was solely thanks to Yailrud. The great bridge built by human hands defied the heavens'' will, allowing the passage of humans in and out of the mountains.


    "Urich is the Son of the Earth. We shouldn''t measure him with our standards. He¡¯s just like Samikan."


    The Blue Mist warriors spared no praise for Urich.


    "Even so, to go in there all alone..."


    "Urich told us he could do it. Trust him. Doubting Urich is the same as doubting our Great Chief Samikan."


    "But Urich already lost in battle once before, and that was also in the mountains. The Son of the Earth doesn''t always win."


    That single defeat in the mountains became a blot on Urich''s sacredness.


    The Blue Mist warriors waited anxiously in the forest for Urich''s signal.


    "If he manages to open the gates of that fortress by himself..."


    The warriors fell silent, gazing up at the dense stars.


    <i>Beeeeeeeeep!</i>


    Urich''s whistling arrow whistled long and loud. The warriors grabbed their weapons and stood up, having eagerly awaited just this signal.


    "...Let''s go, brothers. Urich is waiting for us."


    The warriors roared and cut through the forest.

 Chapter 178

    <h4>Chapter 178</h4>


    Georg blew a long whistle as the signal. The five hundred ves had been keeping themselves awake, eagerly waiting for that very signal.


    "Waaaaaah!"


    The ves burst out in an outcry. They pushed through the imperial soldiers with their bodies and rushed toward the armory.


    "You crazy bastards! Get back to your tents now!"


    The patrolling imperial soldiers gathered, attempting to restrain the ves.


    "Shut up, you sons of bitches!"


    The ves charged at the imperial soldiers with their bare hands.


    "Keughhhhh!"


    The soldiers drew their weapons and attacked the ves. Blood spilled onto the ground as the well-trained imperial soldiers shed at the ves indiscriminately.


    "We are not your ves anymoreeeee!"


    The ves fought back and pounced at the soldiers fiercely. They knew that death awaited them either way. If they were destined to die anyway, they chose to do so by resisting. It was as if they were trying to prove their humanity by attacking the imperial soldiers savagely.


    "Kughhh!"


    The ves bit off the soldiers'' ears and gouged out their eyes. They snatched the soldiers'' weapons and used them to decapitate the fallen without hesitation.


    Most of the imperial soldiers were still asleep. Before they could wake up ande out armed, the ves needed to reach the armory.


    "Georg!!"


    The ves called out to Georg, who was throwing weapons from inside the armory to them outside.


    "Grab whatever you can and fight! The barbarians will soon charge in!"


    Georg shouted toward the gate, his eyes narrowing.


    "Are the barbarians also enemies?"


    When a ve asked, Georg hesitated for a moment before answering.


    "They''re not supposed to be, but if they attack us, defend yourselves."


    No one knew how the battle was going to unfold. If the barbarians decided the ves were also their enemies, any deal that was made between Urich and Georg would be pointless.


    <i>¡®I doubt that the barbarian army is disciplined enough. Urich seemed reasonable, but other barbarians...''</i>


    Georg was unsure of the situation, but he decided to prepare to fight and picked up a spear.


    "Huff, huff."


    Georg gasped, watching the approaching imperial soldiers.


    The ves crowded around the armory. Since theycked a proper battlemander, their formation and defense were sloppy. A few dozen imperial soldiers could easily annihte them.


    <i>''Urich, please.''</i>


    Georg''s lips dried in anticipation.


    "Oh Lou, please do not take me to your side just yet. I still have things to do on thisnd."


    Georg prayed to the sun that hadn¡¯t even risen yet. He desperately hoped that he would live to see the dawn. The only way Georg and the ves could survive was if Urich followed through with his n to open the gates and let the barbarians in.


    "Georg! The soldiers areing! Ugh!"


    The enraged imperial soldiers trampled the ves ruthlessly.


    "You damn ves! How dare you even think of a rebellion?"


    "Georg is the one who started this whole thing! Catch that bastard!"


    "Geooooorg! You son of a bitch! I''ll slowly peel your skin off until you beg me to kill you!"


    Faced with the imperial soldiers'' brutal threats, Georg felt like he was moments away from wetting himself. He barely gathered his wits and raised his voice.


    "Hold your ground! Hold it no matter what!"


    "Shit! How are we supposed to do that?"


    It wasn¡¯t like the ves were trying to get outpowered by the imperial soldiers. They had suffered throughbor and starvation for a long time, and theirbat skills were meagerpared to the imperial soldiers. Facing the continent''s strongest legion, even a determination to risk death seemed meaningless.


    "Kagh!"


    More and more ves were pierced by spears and des. Bloodied imperial soldiers red as they stomped on the heads of fallen ves.


    "We are the sword of the empire. How dare you dirty peasants brandish a weapon before us? Long live the emperor!"


    "Long live Yanchinus!"


    As the ves were swept away, the boosted morale of the imperial soldiers resounded.


    <i>Beeeeeeeep!</i>


    Both the ves and the imperial soldiers nced back. From the direction of the gate, a whistling arrow soared high. The whistling arrow had an arrowhead resembling a whistle, and it was universally used to signal themencement of an attack.


    "T-the gate is under attack! It''s been opened!"


    "How many? How many attacked us?"


    "J-just one person!"


    The imperial soldiers plunged into chaos. The news of the gate being opened brought shock to them. They needed to deal with the ves in front of them, but securing the gate was also imperative.


    "W-we did it!"


    The ves cheered upon seeing the bewildered imperial soldiers.


    Immediately, the imperial soldiers left the ves behind and ran toward the gate. Securing it was the priority.


    "Isn''t failure to guard subject to execution under militaryw?"


    Urich chuckled, standing on top of the wall. Though it was made of wood, the fortress''s barrier was considerably more robust than any tribal fence. Urich had cut the drawbridge ropes, leaving the gate down.


    "When did that barbarian..."


    The imperial soldiers were shocked. Around the gate, on the stairs, and on top of the wall, the heads of imperial soldiers rolled. If he was truly by himself, it meant that he had killed over ten men single-handedly.


    "If you want to kill me, you bettere quick. My brothers will swarm this ce in a minute; you don¡¯t get more than one chance."


    Urich said as he waved the severed head of a dead soldier from side to side. His blood-stained face was showing a smirk.


    "I¡¯m going to rip you to shreds, you bastard!!!!!"


    The imperial soldiers had served together for as short as two to three years and others as long as ten. Naturally, they shared a strong bond of camaraderie, which was a staple in any army. Enraged by Urich, who killed and mocked theirrades, they charged.


    <i>Twung!</i>


    The fully armored imperial soldiers fired their crossbows. Urich used the body of a dead imperial soldier as a human shield. A well-armored imperial soldier made for a good shield.


    <i>Thuck! Thuck!</i>


    The heavy arrows stuck one after another into the body of the dead soldier.


    "B-bastard!"


    It didn''t matter how or why Urich could speak the Hameliannguage. They charged at Urich, determined to kill the barbarian who made a fool out of them. With the drawbridge winch broken, it was impossible to raise the gate again, anyway.


    "Idiots, you''ve already missed your chance to kill me."


    Urichughed, dragging his legs. He wasn''t in perfect condition either. Having breached the wall''s guard alone and cut the winch, he bore deep cuts on his limbs.


    ¡°Hoooooooh!¡±


    Loud noises came from outside the fort. It was the distinct battle cries of the barbarians.


    ¡°Yohooooooo!¡±


    The Blue Mist warriors who had rushed over after Urich¡¯s signal saw the open gate and shouted even louder.


    "Urich is there!!!!!"


    The warriors sent their arrows flying as they ran. Even while running, they managed to make their arrows graze the heads of soldiers who were trying to climb the walls.


    "The barbarians areing! Grab your shields and gather below the gate!"


    One of the adjutants ordered after regaining hisposure. Soldiers with shields gathered in front of the open gate.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    The imperial soldiers shouted their war cry as they closely ovepped their shields.


    <i>Thump, thump.</i>


    The hearts of warriors and soldiers thumped. The sh was imminent.


    <i>Crash</i>!


    The charging warriors collided with the shield-bearing soldiers. Warriors who couldn''t stop their momentum jumped over the shields, only to be stabbed to death by the soldiers who were waiting for that exact thing in the rear rows.


    "Kurgh!"


    Even as they were dying, the warriors swung their axes, threatening the soldiers.


    "You tough bastard! Die! Die!"


    A soldier repeatedly stabbed a warrior''s torso. It was a scene of carnage induced by intertwined fear and hatred.


    ¡°Ooooohhhhhh!¡±


    The warriors were just as furious.


    <i>¡®Do you even know what it cost us to cross the mountains!¡¯</i>


    They could only watch as their brothers froze to death beside them. They couldn''t even help their dying brothers. Because they knew that even more of their kin would die if they didn''t cross the mountains, they endured all of it patiently.


    "Shout with hatred, swing with rage!"


    The Blue Mist warriors'' vigor reverberated through the fort. They were among the most esteemed warriors, even in the alliance.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    The spears and axes of the warriors pierced the enemy''s bellies and shattered their skulls.


    ¡°Huff.¡±


    Urich caught his breath and joined the warriors. The gate''s defenses had already been prated by the warriors'' charge. Moreover, the imperial soldiers also had to be wary of the ve rebellion happening right behind them.


    "Do not attack the ones who are dressed poorly and standing against the imperial soldiers! They''re the ve soldiers helping us!"


    Urich shouted. Even amidst the chaos, his words clearly reached the warriors. They were not the simple, trivial barbarians the empire thought them to be. Before the empire''s invasion began, they had formed national-scale groups and had an army with systematic organization.


    "Don''t attack the ve soldiers! They''re on our side!"


    The warriors passed the message along. Even as they were shing through the imperial soldiers indiscriminately, they halted their des upon encountering a ve soldier.


    Georg looked at the approaching barbarian army with wide eyes.


    <i>¡®They''re really noticing us and not attacking. This means they''re not just barbarians but an army with discipline.¡¯</i>


    The ves cheered, weing the barbarians.


    "I''ve guaranteed them freedom in my name, do not treat them as ves but treat them with respect! Without their help, more of our brothers'' blood would have been shed!"


    Urich dered. As he passed, the warriors bowed their heads lightly in respect.


    The Arten outpost fell into the hands of the barbarians in just a single night. The remaining small groups of soldiers asionally burst out with weapons but were killed or captured by the barbarians. Urich ordered as many soldiers as possible to be captured alive. Imperial army prisoners were of great use.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich''s footsteps echoed in the barracks.


    The innermost barracks of the outpost were silent. Urich swept aside the tent p and entered.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich drew his sword in response to a surprise attack.


    "...Duke Langster."


    The man who attacked him was Duke Langster. He had been waiting inside the barracks for an enemy with his sword in his hands.


    Duke Langster already knew from the sounds outside that the tide of battle had turned. His chance tomand his men was already gone.


    "Y-you!"


    Duke Langster stuttered upon seeing Urich walk in. It was a face he never expected to see here.


    "Yeah, it''s me, Urich."


    Urich smirked with bloodied lips, pointing his sword''s edge at Duke Langster''s throat. Despite Duke Langster''s attempts to deflect the attacks, Urich''s skill overwhelmingly surpassed his.


    <i>aang! ng!</i>


    Urich pushed Duke Langster around like a child and cornered him to a chair.


    "Sit down."


    Urichmanded the Duke. When Duke Langster hesitated, Urich kicked his knees.


    ¡°Keugh.¡±


    Duke Langster copsed into the chair, looking up at Urich.


    "It¡¯s nothing personal. I¡¯m sorry things turned out this way."


    Urich casually drank the wine from Duke Langster''s table. His lips curled up as he got the taste of civilized wine after a long while.


    "So you weren¡¯t a northerner. That''s what it was..."


    Duke Langsterughed hollowly.


    "Since you¡¯re a high noble, keeping you as a prisoner will probablye in handy someday."


    Urich knew the ways of negotiation of civilization. A high noble like Duke Langster was a significant bargaining chip in itself.


    <i>¡®I have to get that letter to His Majesty, no matter what...¡¯</i>


    Duke Langster''s eyes shifted aside for a second. The letter he had carefully preparedy on the desk, filled with advice enriched by his experience and knowledge.


    "I saw your eyes dart over, Duke Langster."


    Urich didn''t miss Duke Langster''s nce. Duke Langster''s face turned pale.


    "You can¡¯t... kugh!¡±


    Duke Langster was kicked to a corner while trying to stop Urich.


    <i>¡®A western barbarian who won the jousting tournament... and has extensive knowledge about civilization.¡¯</i>


    He was dangerous. Urich was a being that had to be killed here; otherwise, he might be a demon to set the civilized world aze. Nobody in the civilized world knew that someone had traversed between the west and civilization. This was a significant variable.


    "Oho, I knew studying so hard woulde in handy. I¡¯m d I did. This is impressive content."


    Urich read through Duke Langster''s letter and marveled. The lengthy petition meticulously pointed out the emperor¡¯s mistakes and even outlined directions for improvement.


    "...Duke Langster, you''re a loyal subject. You would never betray the empire and the emperor."


    Urich smiled bitterly.

 Chapter 179

    <h4>Chapter 179</h4>


    Duke Langster was a high noble. Even as a prisoner, a hefty ransom could be received for him. However, to the barbarians, ransoms held no value. Because they were dealing with the emperor, he couldn¡¯t be used as a bargaining chip either.


    <i>¡®More than anything, he knows too much.¡¯</i>


    Urich thought about keeping Duke Langster alive as a prisoner, but he changed his mind. The letter he had written to the emperor contained the sincere heart of a capable and loyal man.


    <i>¡®If I keep him alive and he somehow returns to the empire... he will certainly be a disaster for me.¡¯</i>


    Urich did not yet want to reveal his whereabouts to the emperor. Duke Langster was the seed of a disaster.


    The atmosphere was chilling. Inside the barracks, the air was still.


    The cheers of the warriors and screams of the soldiers wereing from outside. The ves wereughing and jumping around. Thrown torches set the tents on fire. Despite Urich''s orders, some warriors who couldn¡¯t hold their barbaric urges back gouged out the eyes of captured soldiers and skinned them.


    Urich didn''t think he could stop all of the warriors'' violence in the first ce. He was content as long as the ves he had allied with were not harmed.


    ¡°Sigh.¡±


    Urich sighed, twirling his axe in his hand. He sat in front of Duke Langster, cing the letter in his inner pocket.


    "Were you trying to protect your homnd, Urich?"


    "Cutting off the supply lines would cripple even the great empire''s legion, wouldn''t it?"


    Urich''s yellow eyes shone.


    "That would be up to how we adapt to the situation."


    Duke Langster did not give a clear answer. Urich tilted his head to the left, staring directly into Duke Langster''s eyes.


    "You''re lying. I can feel you trembling."


    "That¡¯s because you''re holding an axe to my neck, obviously."


    "Nope, I know people like you. You''re not the type to tremble for your life out of fear. You''re a brave knight of civilization after all, aren¡¯t you? Haha."


    Urich''sughter spread dryly. As mes surged outside, Urich''s shadow flickered.


    "You¡¯ve protected your homnd this time, so continue to do so. Cutting off Yailrud and strengthening the mountain defenses will make the west untouchable even by the imperial army."


    "...Thanks for the advice."


    Urich muttered, then raised his voice.


    "But we are not going to cut off Yailrud. I n to mangle it just enough to stop your supply lines."


    "You can¡¯t do that, Urich! Go back to yournds!"


    Duke Langster pleaded desperately. Urich shook his head.


    "The ones who started the invasion were you, the civilization. We''re going to cross Yailrud and advance east."


    "You¡¯re a man with a good head on his shoulders. Do you really think you can face the empire with some barbarian tribes?"


    "We''re not a tribe. We¡¯re an alliance. Over ten thousand warriors are waiting eagerly and patiently for your blood."


    The number ten thousand made Duke Langster open his mouth wide in shock.


    "Ten thousand...?"


    It was crucial information that the empire and the legion were not aware of. The barbarians of the west had already formed a group asrge as an average kingdom. The legion, thinking at most of encountering a thousand warriors, were about to face an army of ten thousand.


    "I¡¯ve dragged our talk too long."


    Urich said as if everything was finished. He raised his axe high.


    Duke Langster bowed his head tremblingly. He wanted to live a little longer, just so he could warn someone, anyone, about Urich and the western barbarians.


    Duke Langster''s life shed before his eyes. Born as the eldest son of the prestigious Langster family, he received excellent education, achieved great feats on the battlefield in his youth, andpleted his tenure as the viceroy of the north excellently. Even as a man of civilization, he was never malicious against the barbarians. Although he was a conqueror and an invader, he was a rare good man from the position of the strong who always spared thought for the weak.


    Had the situation at the outpost been better, he would have freed the ves along with the conscripts. There was just no other choice. With an excuse called ¡®having no other choice,¡¯ peoplemitted numerous mistakes and wrongs. Even when they knew what the right choice was, they still chose the practical evil with their eyes tightly closed.


    "Please, have mercy," Duke Langster, sweating profusely, prayed with his head bowed and hands sped.


    "For whom?" Urich asked briefly.


    "For you, and everyone."


    "Hmm."


    Urich tilted his head, then swung his axe. Duke Langster''s head rolled on the ground.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Urich picked up Duke Langster''s severed head and went outside.


    "I have in the head of the enemy leader!"


    As Urich eximed, the warriors rampaging through the outpost raised their weapons and shouted along.


    "Wooooooaaaah!"


    "Uuuuuuurich!"


    The warriors, drunk on blood, forgot all about their fatigue and ran a rampage. The ve soldiers gathered in one ce, watching the frenzied massacre with terror-stricken faces.


    <i>¡®T-they truly are barbarians.¡¯</i>


    Georg gathered the surviving ves in one ce and waited for the barbarians to calm down. Approaching them rashly might direct their merciless des toward the ves.


    "A-aaah!"


    Even the imperial soldiers who had surrendered couldn''t escape the warriors'' des. As if they were trying topensate for the hardships they had to endure in the mountains, the warriors brutally killed the imperial soldiers.


    "Enough, spare some of them. We need these bastards to repair this ce for us."


    Urich moved among the warriors, stopping those who tried to kill any more soldiers.


    "Understood."


    The warriors heeded Urich''s words, gathering the remaining soldiers in one ce and binding them. Only about fifty imperial soldiers survived. They trembled and lowered their heads.


    "Georg?"


    Georg emerged from among the ves. Smirking, he looked at one of the imperial soldiers.


    "Hello, Sir Adjutant."


    <i>Trickle, trickle.</i>


    Georg unzipped his trousers and unleashed a shower of urine onto the bound lieutenant, returning the favor from earlier.


    "Pfft!"


    The adjutant shook his head in a feeble attempt to avoid the urine.


    Georg shook off his legs and pulled his trousers back up.


    "How could you ally with the barbarians, shame on you!"


    The adjutant screamed. How the ves had allied with the barbarians was beyond him.


    "At least that barbarian seemed likely to keep his promises."


    Georg pointed at Urich.


    "You damn bastards!"


    "Taste my piss too!"


    "Open your mouth like a whore!"


    After seeing what Georg did to the adjutant, the other ves surrounded the bound imperial soldiers and drenched them in urine. The imperial soldiers trembled as they were soaked in the ves'' urine.


    "Haha, what a sight!"


    The warriors, while gathering the bodies in one ce, looked at the urine-soaked imperial soldiers. Theughter of the warriors was low and thick.


    "What should we do with the bodies?" The warriors asked Urich.


    "Gather them and burn them. There should be oil somewhere."


    Urich looked at the umting bodies and walked toward the prisoners.


    <i>Twitch.</i>


    The imperial soldiers realized Urich was the leader of the barbarians. Everything had been revolving around Urich since earlier.


    "Is there any military cleric or someone who knows prayers among you?"


    Urich asked the soldiers as he looked at them. His fluent Hamelian caused a stir among them.


    The prisoners looked at each other, but no one stepped forward. Urich scratched his head, pointing at the pile of bodies.


    "We should at least do a makeshift funeral for yourrades. Do you think they would rest peacefully if we just burned them like this?"


    Urich respected even the souls of his enemies. He did not curse the dead.


    A soldier who grew up as an orphan in a monastery raised his hand. He cautiously approached amid the wary eyes of the barbarians.


    "What are you doing, Urich?"


    "Why did you bring that guy out?"


    The warriors jeered at the soldier, shouting and yelling. Even as he trembled, the soldier bravely walked up to the pile of hisrades'' bodies.


    <i>Ssh.</i>


    Urich poured oil and lit the pile of corpses on fire. Normally, each body should be cremated separately, but there was neither the reason nor the resources to afford such care.


    "This is how they do their funeral."


    As Urich spoke, the warriorsughed.


    "Burning the dead? What a foul custom."


    There wasn¡¯t a hint of respect or solemnity in the warriors'' attitude.


    Only Urich watched the burning mes, quietly wishing the souls would find their way.


    The soldier recited a funeral prayer, and a few soldiers followed suit. Even the ves, who had been mistreated by the soldiers, did not disturb the funeral and sometimes even observed a moment of silence as they watched the smoke.


    <i>¡®That man is different from the other barbarians.¡¯</i>


    Not just Georg, but even the prisoners thought as they watched Urich. Urich understood and respected the culture and mindset of the civilized people, which alone made him feel incredibly familiar.


    "Urich, you promised us freedom."


    Georg approached Urich.


    "No one will hold you here. You''ve earned your freedom with your blood."


    Having received Urich''s affirmation, Georg returned to the ves and said something. The ves who were promised freedom erupted in cheers.


    "But what do we do now?"


    Now that freedom was actually granted, the ves didn''t know where to go. At best, they were going to resort to being a bunch of bandits or thieves.


    "Let''s join hands with the barbarians. There''s plenty of food here. Staying here for a while might be a decent option..."


    As Georg suggested, the ves shook their heads.


    "The imperial army wille to exterminate them. We have to get away from them before that. And also, who knows when the barbarians might turn against us?"


    "Those who want to leave, leave. I¡¯m going to stay here."


    Georg dered. Other ves couldn''t understand his decision.


    "You¡¯re going to stay with a bunch of barbarians? Are you out of your mind?"


    "What else are we supposed to do if we go out on our own? Be a bunch of bandits? Do we even have a way to survive in this group that has more than several hundred of us? We found our freedom by turning against the imperial army. We might very well find ourselves beheaded."


    "That''s true. Shit. Even with freedom, things are just as shitty for us."


    Georg''s words stirred the ves. Leaving the outpost right now didn''t present any clear solution.


    "Let me talk to that barbarian leader."


    The newly freed ves nodded, entrusting Georg with the negotiation. Georg was, after all, the representative of the ves and the smartest among them.


    "Why are you still here? You got your freedom."


    Urich, seeing Georg approaching again, smiled.


    "We have nowhere to go. Most of us have no ties anywhere."


    "So what?"


    "Where will this army go next?"


    "Hmm."


    Urich smiled, trailing off. He looked in the direction of Yailrud.


    "If you are going to continue to attack the civilized world, I will help. As long as you promise a fair share of the spoils, of course."


    Without responding, Urich walked toward Yailrud with a few warriors. Georg also followed Urich to the entrance of Yailrud.


    <i>¡®This is a magnificent structure. We wouldn¡¯t even be able to think of a bridge like this in the tribal world.¡¯</i>


    Urich stood before Yailrud. The lengthy Yailrud stretched out with its end invisible. It was the only passage connecting the civilized world to the west. As Urich and his warriors had done, there were detours that could be taken, but at the end of the day, anyone wanting to cross the mountains had to go through Yailrud.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Urich walked on Yailrud. Completely destroying it would sever the pathway between the west and civilization. It would be extremely challenging even for the empire to undertake another grand project like Yailrud. Even now, the empire was overextending its investments for its western expansion.


    <i>¡®Samikan said to only destroy it enough to make resupplying impossible.¡¯</i>


    Destroying the supply route wasn''t difficult. Just hammering the path enough and severing sections of the bridge was going to do the job. That alone would make it impossible for the imperial legion to repair Yailrud in time.


    "Urich?"


    The other warriors waited for Urich''smand.


    Urich closed his eyes, pondering. He envisioned Samikan and his ten thousand warriors crossing Yailrud. They would ravage the civilized world. Plundering, destroying...


    <i>¡®My beloved civilized world.¡¯</i>


    Urich''s eyes gazed down the gorge. The waterfall and rapids churned as if they were trying to pull people in.


    Urich always held admiration for the civilized world. He was moved countless times by civilization. Even Yailrud, which was built to invade his world, stirred his heart. The grand civilization built by human hands always pounded at Urich''s heart.


    <i>Wooosh.</i>


    The wind blew. Urich''s blood-streaked hair fluttered.


    Urich bent forward and looked back and forth between west and east. Samikan wished to conquer the west and then reach out to the civilized world. That was Samikan''s will.


    <i>¡®Is my will the same as Samikan''s?¡¯</i>


    Urich thought. Like his ambivalence toward Samikan, his feelings toward the civilized world were contradictory. He loved the civilized world, yet always felt the impulse to grasp it in his hands. The burning earth that always appeared in his dreams might have been pointing not to the west but to civilization.


    The impulse he had tried so hard to keep hidden until now¡ªthe nature to ughter and destroy.


    <i>¡®I, too, wish to lead my brothers and warriors to that world, no matter whatever awaits us at the end...¡¯</i>


    Even if what awaited him was relentless ughter and endless days, Urich longed for it. Desires were sometimes brutally selfish, just as Samikan and Yanchinus trampled on numerous lives for their ambitions... No one had the right to trample on others to pursue their desires, but humans have lived that way for as long as they have been around. The only difference was the scale of their actions.


    "You said your name was Georg, right?" Urich looked back and asked.


    "It''s Georg Artur."


    "If we were to attack the civilized world, where would be a good start?"


    After a moment of thought, Georg said,


    "... The Langkegart Kingdom. It''s also my mothend."


    "Why Langkegart?"


    "Not only is it the closest, but it has been heavily levied by the empire for resources and manpower recently. If such a country were to be piged without the empire''s protection, other vassal states would lose their faith in the empire. The more ruthless the plundering, the better the effect will be."


    Urich smiled lightly.


    "You pass. You''re wee to join us. We''ll treat you as free mercenaries. The spoils will be shared equally ording to your contributions."


    Urich had the warriors dismantle most of thedders leading up from Yailrud across the gorge and cut off sections of the bridge.


    Yailrud was damaged enough in the middle to make crossing difficult. Urich sent the warriors up the gorge through the intact early sections of Yailrud to keep watch.


    "I¡¯ve done my part, Samikan."


    Urich quietly sat in the chair where Duke Langster had sat. He rested his elbows on the armrest and propped his chin.


    The force Urich had under hismand nearly reached a thousand,bining the four hundred ve soldiers who became free mercenaries and his remaining five hundred warriors. This was enough to control the outpost and cut off the Western Legion¡¯s scouts.


    The warriors shouted Urich''s name in praise. Urich''s heroic act of opening the gates of the outpost and signaling the attack made them forget his previous defeat. Once again, Urich''s fame shone.


    The warriors remaining in the outpost imed that Urich, the Son of the Earth, must have received the blessing of all spirits.

 Chapter 180: The Drought is Coming

    <h4>Chapter 180: The Drought is Coming</h4>


    Commander Odinst rode his horse along the front lines, scanning each soldier. The aura of battle swept through the barren ins and throughout the legion.


    "Our battle is a battle that will go down in history. Alongside the emperor, you men too shall be victors in this grand historical saga!"


    Odinst proimed from his heart with his eyes gleaming with rity and intelligence. Like the heroes of his childhood, he was going to emerge as a historical victor through today''s battle.


    "Long live His Majesty the Emperor!" the soldiers shouted as Odinst walked by them.


    The legionmander was the military proxy of the emperor. Hemanded two thousand imperial infantrymen, two thousand conscripts supplied by the noble families, and five hundred each of light and heavily armed cavalry.


    "To glory, under Commander Odinst!"


    The soldiers of the legion cried, rising and drawing their swords every time Odinst walked by.


    ¡°Oooooooh!¡±


    The number of soldiers conscripted for this legion from the nobles exceeded two thousand. There were also those among the light and heavy cavalry who were drafted from noble ranks. These nobles fulfilled their feudal obligations by supplying a predetermined number of troops.


    The morale among the nobles who had brought their forces was high. Conquering the west was a feat every noble would have dreamt of.


    "Commander Odinst, we ce our trust in you."


    Odinst and the nobles exchanged nces of respect with each other. Though Odinst was technically their superior in themand hierarchy, he could not afford to treat the nobles lightly. After all, they were there to merely fulfill their feudal duties and had the right tomand their own forces. They had voluntarily transferredmand to Odinst and the emperor for the sake of the efficiency of the legion.


    <i>¡®The imperial army and the legion structure are the legacy of the magnificent empire that the emperors¡¯ have built.¡¯</i>


    Odinst thought proudly of his role asmander.


    The feudal system, based on agriculture, made it difficult to unite military forces under a single banner. The vassals were strongly independent, and the armed forces owed their allegiance not to the king but to individual lords of their territory. The empire, with its strong central authority suppressing and exploiting vassals to maintain arge standing army called the imperial army, was actually a notable exception.


    To ovee the limitations of feudalism, the empire expanded the territory that fell under the emperor¡¯s direct control and imposed heavy taxes and duties on the vassals. This was only made possible because of their military force known as the imperial army, which was more than capable of suppressing any dissatisfaction among the vassals.


    By contrast, kingdoms that fully embraced feudalism often had kings who were merely their titles, with powerful vassals and families being the ones actually pulling the strings and pushing them around. In these kingdoms where the status of a king was feeble, any noble with sufficientnd and a legitimate enough im could be king at any time.


    During the times when there were wars between the empire and the kingdoms, it wasmon for pro-imperial faction nobles within the kingdoms to refuse the king''s mobilization orders, unwilling to waste their military forces and money on a losing battle.


    "At the end of the day, they¡¯re merely barbarians."


    "The imperial army has never lost to barbarians in the starting battle."


    "Not just the first battle, but we have rarely lost, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    The nobles chatted among themselves. The history of the imperial army¡¯s superiority backed up their confidence.


    "Even the barbarians of the north couldn''t do anything against the imperial army until Mijorn the Brave united the north."


    The nobles didn''t simply dismiss Mijorn as a mere barbarian. Mijorn had defeated the imperial army several times, and mocking that very barbarian would have been the same as mocking the imperial armies that fell before him. Even the great Mijorn, however, ultimately fell to the imperial army, making thetter the greater and ultimate victor.


    "They are barbarians with tribal forces, at best. Probably simr to those from the south."


    "Once we start conquering the scattered tribes one by one, soon they''ll alle to us to surrender. Perhaps they¡¯ll even worship us as gods. Barbarians are ignorant, after all, haha."


    The nobles were already basking in their anticipated victory, excited to celebrate their triumph with the fine wine and salted meats they had brought as supplies.


    "The enemy numbers around three thousand, all lightly armed barbarians!"


    The scouts returning from reconnaissance reported. Odinst nodded and disseminated the information. Three thousand suggested the surrounding barbarian tribes had united. It wasn¡¯t an insignificant force.


    "The enemy is merely three thousand, but do not becent! Being pierced leads to death, no matter which side you fight for! May Lou''s favor be with our soldiers!"


    "Glory to the Sun!"


    "Lou watches over us!"


    Odinst signaled to the standard-bearer. The g of the Violet Eagles of the empire soared high, followed by the nobles hoisting their own gs. Over twenty gs fluttered in the wind.


    "Legion, march forward!"


    Odinst shouted, his voice tearing through the air, and the military band matched the rhythm with their drums.


    Infantry and cavalry moved forward to the drumbeat. They remained fearless as they ventured into the unfamiliar ins. They were backed by the Sun and the emperor.


    It was noon: the time that was under the protection of the Sun God. The high sun was hot, and scavengers circled in the sky, sensing the scent of death.


    On the horizon of the ins, the alliance forces had set up their camp, waiting for the imperial army with rather tacky fortifications. The garrisoned force at the fort was three thousand strong.


    "The ''cavalrymen'' approached as far as the hill and then retreated.¡±


    A warrior descending from the watchtower reported to Samikan and the tribal chiefs.


    "Hah, they actually ride horses. Such strange people."


    Samikan chuckled, though he had heard from Noah about the power of cavalry.


    <i>¡®I can gauge the power of horse-mounted soldiers even without hearing about them from Noah. They must be incredibly formidable,¡¯</i>


    The report that the enemy was approaching stirred unease among the chiefs.


    "They do not know that we have formed a massive alliance. We must exploit this advantage to the fullest in our first engagement," Samikan dered to the chiefs.


    "If the aim is to starve them by cutting off their supply route, do we even have to fight them, Great Chief?"


    One of the chiefs expressed his doubts.


    "Seems like you slept through thest tribal council."


    Samikan chided him, and other chiefsughed.


    "E-ehem. I must have had other duties at that time and couldn''t attend the meeting."


    "From now on, those who are absent during the tribal council will be severely punished. Our reason for engaging in battle is firstly, to prevent them from focusing on Urich and his unit, and secondly, because this situation is the most advantageous for us. The enemy''s forces are formidable, and they are an army that has fought countless times against ones like us. We must strike when their guard is down."


    It was a strategy that Noah agreed with as well. The imperial army had never faced a unified tribal army in the very first encounter. Even their formidable enemy from the north had only unified after suffering greatly at the hands of the imperial army.


    "The enemy will underestimate us and attempt a frontal breakthrough. Considering the imperial army''s armament and charge strength, our fortifications are practically as good as non-existent. Our central force of three thousand will do its best to withstand the enemy''s charge. Under mymand, Samikan, the one bearing the will of the heavens!"


    Samikan pointed to the leather map andid out the movement paths of the troops. He positioned the remaining seven thousand troops far to the left and right of the fort. The ambushed troops were to strike the imperial army''s nks simultaneously at Samikan''s signal.


    "The ambushed troops are positioned quite far away to avoid getting detected by the enemy''s scouts. The challenge is whether our central force can hold them off until then."


    The chiefs nodded. Samikan had voluntarily taken on the risky role ofmanding the central force.


    <i>¡®Immortal glory.¡¯</i>


    This was the day that Samikan had been dreaming of. To be the Great Chief who defeated an army from a strange world, and not by just standing in the back watching but actively taking on a dangerous role.


    <i>¡®It''s a day worth taking risks for.¡¯</i>


    Samikan gripped his spear firmly.


    Before the battle, the shamans lit arge incense burner. They waved palm branches with smoldering embers over the warriors, coating them in smoke.


    "Ummmmm, ommmmm..."


    The shamans made sounds with their mouths closed and only throats reverberating, invoking the protection of spirits the warriors desired. Some warriors wanted the cold ferocity of a wolf, others the resilience of a bear, and some sought the blessing of ancestral spirits and their fathers.


    "Hooooo."


    The smoke swirled. To the warriors, the shifting smoke seemed to take the form of the spirits they wished for. Though the smoke all looked the same, each warrior saw it differently: as wolves, bears, or ancestors wielding weapons.


    "The heavens that teach us, and the earth that bore us..."


    Regardless of the tribe, the sky and the earth were objects of worship. As the fate of the tribe swung with the dry and rainy seasons, the sky was seen as a capricious but great being.


    <i>Boom, boom, boom.</i>


    The sound of the invaders'' drums was heard from afar. Warriors clutched their hearts, which were trembling with excitement and fear. The warriors who were blessed by the shamans painted various battle markings on their faces.


    "I hear whispers. The wolf is howling in my ear."


    A warrior, deeply intoxicated by the hallucinations, spoke. The warriors believed that something supernatural was protecting them, much like how the soldiers and knights of the civilized world fervently sought the Sun God Lou.


    "Maybe my ancestors are calling me."


    Warriors took deep breaths and looked toward the horizon. The army that was gleaming silver slowly grew bigger as they approached.


    The sound of their drums also grew louder.


    <i>Buuuuuuuu!</i>


    Warriors and soldiers blew their horns, their cheeks and bellies swelling with the effort. The horn''s sound split the sky like the roar of a hawk.


    "W-woooahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"


    The warriors roared at the sight of their enemies. It was a bestial roar, threatening the enemies they were about to face.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    The warriors of the empire also performed their ritual of intimidation. They banged their shields and weapons at intervals to produce a metallic sound.


    "First to the fifth infantry units, advance!"


    The officers of the imperial army moved their forces ording to the predetermined strategies.


    In battles involving thousands, it was nearly impossible to control and modify strategies in real-time andmand units fluidly. Instead, when unexpected situations emerged, they responded with quick decisions from field officers and predetermined guidelines and tactics. Hence, the more capable themander, the closer their tactics resembled foresight, making reconnaissance and preliminary information crucial.


    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>


    Over five hundred heavily armed infantry stepped forward, raising their shields. These were among the continent''s finest infantry units. The expression ¡°unparalleled¡± was no overstatement in both their armament and training.


    "Bring the heavy crossbows to the front!" an officer shouted.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    Behind the heavy infantry, arge mechanical device appeared. It was one of the empire''s siege weapons, the heavy crossbow. It was capable of shooting arrows the size of a human. Though it was less destructive than a catapult, its lighter disassembly made it a suitable weapon for this expedition.


    "Load!"


    Two imperial soldiers turned the winch, pulling back the heavy crossbow''s string. A rope-tied arrow was ced on the string.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    The arrow from the heavy crossbow flew astonishingly fast. It pierced through a wooden fence, instantly killing a tribal warrior behind it. The state of the corpse was gruesomely akin to being skewered.


    "W-what, what the hell is this!"


    The tribal warriors widened their eyes as arge arrow flew from a far distance, piercing their fence and killing a warrior.


    "Cut the rope tied to the arrow! Cut it!"


    Noah Arten shouted from inside the fortress. He hurried over, limping on his prosthetic leg. In tribal societies, the disabled did not participate inbat, but Noah was an exception. He participated in the battle as a military advisor as his counsel was crucially needed by the tribe.


    "Shit! It won''t cut! Bring a better sword!"


    The arrow''s tip had prated and firmly anchored the fence like a hook. Ropes were attached to the arrow, obviously intended to tear down the fence.


    "This is a steel sword! Try with this!"


    Noah threw an imperial steel sword. A warrior caught it and used all his strength to sh at the rope, finally cutting it.


    "Not bad, you barbarians!"


    An imperial officer eximed after seeing the rope cut. He nned to connect the rope to horses to pull down the fence. Most tribal fortifications would copse under such tactics, but the barbarians'' response was swift this time.


    "Crouch and endure. Endure like you do during a drought."


    Samikan encouraged his warriors, watching the imperial camp. He bit his lips, waiting for their charge.


    <i>Crack! Crack!</i>


    The empire''s siege devices shredded the makeshift wooden fence. Warriors who were on top of the fence fell as they were hit by arrows. The alliance forces were holding their ground inside the fortress, but they gained no advantage against the empire''s siege tactics.


    "How long must we wait, Samikan! Open the gates and let us charge! Call in the troops in ambush! Are there no other chiefs willing to follow me, instead of this cowardly Samikan..."


    A belligerent chief shouted.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Samikan''s hand moved swiftly. His dagger tore through the throat of the excited chief. The sight caused unrest among the other chiefs.


    "Is there anyone else who cannot wait?"


    Samikan shrugged coldly, scanning the chiefs. Unlike a typical tribal warrior, Samikan waited. He never rushed and he endured until the end, suppressing all emotions for victory even as he was looking into the eyes of his dying warriors.


    <i>Buuuuuup!</i>


    The long horn sounded from the imperial army. It was their signal for assault.


    <i>Peeeeeee!</i>


    Confirming the empire''s advance, Samikan also raised his bow, shooting consecutive whistling arrows into the air.

 Chapter 181

    <h4>Chapter 181</h4>


    Both armies moved ording to the nned tactics upon hearing the signal. The imperial army and the alliance army were both like arrows already released from their bows. Commanders could only pray that their predictions were correct and that their forces were sufficiently capable.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Warriors gripped their weapons behind the barricades with their shoulders heaving like beasts baring their teeth, trying to shake off fear with their cries.


    "Those bastards areing."


    "The demons from beyond the mountains havee to devour us."


    "They''re not demons. They¡¯re just humans. Kill them all."


    "...I am a bear. A bear. I¡¯m bing a bear."


    The warriors prepared for battle in their own ways. Some were even hypnotizing themselves by wearing animal skins.


    "Hmmmmmmmm."


    The tribal shamans cast spells of courage on the warriors from behind, sshing them with goat''s blood violently.


    "Death is not the end, warrior."


    "What lies beyond?"


    "...The immortality of the soul. Your brothers and ancestors who went before you await."


    "Hah, if I could meet my father, I''d take his head off him myself. He wasn''t really a good father."


    A warriorughed loudly, readying himself to fight bravely with his weapon in his hand.


    <i>Thwuck!</i>


    Theughing warrior was struck down by a stray arrow that hit him directly in the head. The warrior, full of fervor just moments ago, met a futile death.


    "Oh my."


    A shaman closed the eyelids of the fallen warrior amidst the arrow-stormed battlefield, murmuring a spell.


    "Do not be afraid. I am watching over your soul."


    The shaman, as if he was unafraid of death, spread his arms and looked up to the sky.


    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>


    The wooden fence shook. Even the logs deeply embedded in the ground were of little use.


    <i>Craaaaack!</i>


    The wood split and the fence copsed one log after another.


    Warriors and soldiers faced each other and confirmed the faces of their enemies for the first time. They were close enough to see the wrinkles on their faces filled with a mix of fear and triumph.


    "Kill them!"


    The soldiers and warriors charging at each other needed no further order. Metal shed, and blood sprayed everywhere.


    "Reinforce the broken parts of the fence first! Don''t rush out! Stand shoulder-to-shoulder and raise your shields!"


    Samikan emerged among the warriors, pushing them out of his way, wielding a shield and spear.


    "Samikan is here!"


    "The Great Chief stands with us!"


    The morale of the warriors soared sky-high. Samikan, the leader of the alliance, was standing with them at the very front of the battlefield.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Samikan thrust his spear forward along with other warriors, piercing the head of an imperial soldier with its tip.


    "Oooooh!"


    Warriors roared as they thrust their spears. The tribal warriors, who often used spears and axes, favored spears among their weapons.


    "We are one! If we stand back-to-back, shoulder to shoulder, we will live. But if we rush out by ourselves intoxicated by blood, we will fall!"


    Samikan shouted. However, some warriors, already drunk in frenzy, charged forward, roaring.


    "Kaaaaah!"


    Warriors wearing animal skins howled and rampaged like beasts, fighting as if they were invincible even after straying their formation.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    But there wasn¡¯t a single warrior in the world who was immune to death. Everyone died when their heart was pierced.


    The sensation of being invincibleing from wearing bear or wolf skins was merely an illusion. The warriors who thrived on this feeling fell to the ground dead without even getting to close their eyes.


    While warriors and soldiers fought a life-and-death battle at the fortress''s boundaries, the empire''s nobles merely observed the battle from a hill above.


    "These barbarians are actually holding up quite well."


    "Still, it''s only a matter of time."


    The nobles spoke loosely, mounted on their horses, awaiting victory as if it were a given.


    "Send in the sixth to the tenth infantry units."


    Legion Commander Odinstmanded more troops to be added to the face of the fortress.


    <i>¡®The barbarians are holding out longer than expected. Their morale is quite high.¡¯</i>


    Odinst briefly tilted his head, but the overwhelming advantage was with the empire''s forces in both number and quality.


    He arranged for the legion''s forces to advance in order to end the battle quickly. Their nks and rear were left empty by his strategy.


    Odinst was a legionmander who was also a military schr. He would not have left the nks and rear unprotected if he was facing a civilized military force. Usually, some forces were kept on both wings until the end of the battle.


    However, Odinst was certain of victory in this battle. He even ced the forces from the wings in the front line to end the battle with minimal casualties.


    ¡°Hoooo.¡±


    Samikan felt the density of the empire''s forces increasing. To assess the situation, he climbed a watchtower that hadn¡¯t fallen yet.


    <i>¡®They¡¯ve moved their forces on the wings to the front! If we hold the center, we have a chance!¡¯</i>


    Samikan narrowed his eyes to observe the flow of the battle. His shoulders and chest heaved with each breath. Though his body was tired and his mouth drying up, Samikan''s eyes glinted as he gazed into the distant glory.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow struck Samikan''s chest. His body wobbled dramatically and fell from the watchtower.


    "Great Chief!"


    "Protect Samikan!"


    Warriors rushed to Samikan who fell to the ground and covered him with their shields.


    <i>Beeeeep.</i>


    Samikan blinked. His ears rang, and the back of his neck felt numb. Even though he was lying still, the sky seemed to spin around.


    <i>¡®The battle isn''t over yet.¡¯</i>


    Samikan clenched his teeth. A faint chance of victory was finally starting to show. If Samikan fell here, the alliance would lose even a battle that was almost won.


    <i>¡®The arrow didn''t dig in too deep thanks to the fur coat. Breathing doesn''t fill my lungs with blood.¡¯</i>


    Samikan checked his condition by touching his chest. The arrow wound wasn¡¯t going to kill him immediately. He checked for any broken bones and got himself back up on his feet. Though his bones weren''t broken, his body was far from being in good shape.


    "Stand back, Great Chief."


    Warriors supported Samikan, but he pushed their hands away and stood on his own two legs.


    <i>¡®My body is aching all over.¡¯</i>


    Samikan shook his head. His obsession with glory erased the pain. His mind was clear as if waves of golden light were flowing through.


    "As long as the will of the heavens is with me, I will not fall. Bring me my spear and shield!"


    Samikan shouted loudly, snapping off the arrow lodged in his chest. Seeing Samikan stand despite being shot, the warriors roared. It was a hoarse roar, loud enough to make their throats bleed.


    "Samiiii-kan!"


    Samikan moved forward, wielding his spear despite his severe injury.


    "Our brothers areing! Let us go!"


    Samikan stepped over the broken fence and blew the horn. Blood seeped from his chest, but he still inted his chest as much as he could.


    <i>Buuuuuuup!</i>


    Hearing the sound of Samikan''s horn, the alliance warriors stood up as they bled profusely. Even those who were practically already dead with their throats and stomachs torn up fought until the very end.


    "Woaaaaaah!"


    Shouts echoed from afar. The imperial army who was fighting near the tribal fortress was flustered.


    "Barbarians have appeared on the enemy''s left and right nks!"


    The nobles were in disarray. The legion''smand was thrown into chaos by the unexpected reinforcements.


    "There are at least thousands of them!"


    "I can see that! Now quiet down and focus on keeping that dignified expression of yours on your face!"


    Odinst frowned. These inexperienced noble fools were scared before the fight even started, mudding up the military discipline.


    <i>''Were they hiding their forces? Barbarians, of all people? How dare they! They were conserving their strength against the imperial army?''</i>


    Odinst felt like he had been smacked up the back of his head. If therge forces appearing from the left and right were pre-deployed troops, then the western barbarians were not to be underestimated.


    <i>¡®More importantly, where did they gather such arge army? Did they have their forces already united?¡¯</i>


    All sorts of thoughts crossed his mind. The barbarian army was apletely different entity than what Odinst had imagined.


    An enemypletely different from his expectations.


    It was a fatal mistake in judgment during war.


    <i>''Can I pull back the forces that are stretched forward in time?''</i>


    If the infantry captains werepetent and quick-witted, they would pull their troops back on their own at their own discretion. However, Legion Commander Odinst and the field officers had not built enough rapport and experience with each other to move seamlessly together.


    Instead, the field officers hesitated to make independent decisions out of fear of being reprimanded. Having be a legionmander at a young age, Odinst had managed the legion oppressively in order to maintain discipline.


    Theck ofmunication between field officers and the legionmander made the legion''s movements rigid. As the pre-nned strategy fell apart, the massive beast called the imperial army was losing its direction.


    "Raise the gs!"


    Odinst sent messengers in a hurry and raised the banners corresponding to each infantry unit. The imperial army wasn''t just a name; even amidst chaos, the forward units that spotted themands from the main force moved to protect the nks of their core force.


    <i>''Dammit, as I expected, our movements are all over the ce. Some units caught on quickly and moved, but others haven¡¯t grasped the situation yet.''</i>


    The imperial infantry unit''s formation consisted of a hundred men. Although it was rare to fill exactly a hundred, they generally managed to gather about eighty men.


    The small infantry units moved separately, breaking away.


    "Woooooo!"


    The charge speed of the barbarians attacking from both nks was fast beyond imagination. It was by no means the usual pace of the average infantry. As light infantry and given the westerners'' barefoot mobility, the barbarians were exceptionally fast even among other barbarians.


    <i>''So fast! Infantry shouldn''t be this quick!''</i>


    The barbarian army charged in much faster than the infantry officers expected. About three thousand barbarians from each nk charged simultaneously. The small, scattered infantry units were surrounded by approximately three thousand barbarians and were quickly annihted.


    <i>''This was a mistake. The barbarians are faster than I expected. Instead of retreating, we should have moved the main force further forward to join the forward units, even at the cost of sacrifice.''</i>


    Odinst acutely felt his own mistake. His error in judgment led to the rapid destruction of four of their hundred-man imperial infantry units.


    "Legionmander!"


    The nobles urged Odinst, rushing his decision. The swarming barbarians targeted the sides of the main force and the rear of the forward units.


    The imperial camp was virtually split in two at its waist. The alliance''s strategy was sessful.


    "Sir Doleman!"


    Odinst called out to a knight. Doleman was themander of one of the heavy cavalry units.


    "Leave it to me. We''ll open the way."


    Doleman joined with his cavalry unit. Although the intention was to conserve the heavy cavalry as much as possible, they no longer had the luxury to hold back.


    "Set, spears!"


    Among the five hundred heavy cavalry, about a hundred knights wore full te armor and took the lead. The knights, holding theirnces, advanced slowly but gradually. Rushing from the start would only exhaust the horses, depriving them of the necessary thrust when it mattered most.


    Several of thences had mboyant banners attached. Other heavy cavalry followed the movement of the standard-bearer''snce.


    The alliance''s strategy was undoubtedly sessful. The morale of the faltering warriors also soared. However, the imperial army had a military branch capable of demolishing even the strategic and tactical superiority of their enemies.


    "Lower the spears!"


    Doleman shouted.


    Thencers lowered theirnces first, and the heavy cavalry followed in unison at their signal.


    The heavy cavalry hooked theirnces in thence rests under their arms and fixed their posture in ce.


    <i>Click, click.</i>


    The sound of visors being lowered resonated from all directions. They had put blinders on the less trained warhorses. The heavy cavalry, now ready, looked only at the standard-bearer and Captain Doleman through their narrowed field of vision.


    "Do not be afraid."


    "The Sun is with us."


    "Long live the Empire!"


    Doleman lightly kicked his horse''s side and pulled on the reins. With him at the charge, the heavy cavalry surged forward, trampling the grasnd under a cloud of dust.


    For the first time, the western warriors experienced the might of the heavy cavalry. As the iron-d riders charged, no martial skill possessed by the warriors proved effective.


    <i>Crrrrruuunch!</i>


    A collision ensued. In the midst of the thousands of warriors, five hundred heavy cavalrymen charged. Somences impaled up to three warriors at a time. Warriors trampled under hooves vomited their innards as they died out. Merely being brushed aside fractured and shattered the bones of the warriors.


    "Chaaaarge!"


    Seeing the blood of the barbarians, Doleman lifted his visor and shouted. Even after the charge, they did not regather theirnces. After discarding theirnces, they drew their secondary weapons and pressed on. Their role was to reconnect the severed ranks at the core of the empire''s forces.


    As soon as the collision ended, the light cavalry followed up, supporting the heavy cavalry. No one could stop the charge of the heavy cavalry. A road paved with the corpses of barbarians was formed. The empire''s forces, previously severed, were now reconnected.


    "Huff, huff.¡±


    Samikan climbed the watchtower again. As he gasped for breath and bent over, he watched the heavy cavalry. The warriors who stood against them were shredded away powerlessly. It was less a battle and more a ughter.


    "Blow the retreat horn before it''s toote. This is enough."


    Samikan squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them to speak.


    But the alliance was not the only one to suffer heavy losses. The Western Legion also suffered far more damage than they had anticipated.


    The barbarians of the west are not to be underestimated. One of the objectives of this first battle was to imprint that lesson.


    <i>¡®It was a sacrifice we had anticipated, but... it still leaves a bitter taste.¡¯</i>


    The sound of the horn sted three times in long bursts. The tribe''s warriors, setting their makeshift fortress aze, fled backward.


    Amidst mes and smoke, the imperial army hurled insults and curses at the fleeing barbarians.


    "Legionmander! Continue the pursuit!"


    The nobles who were outraged by the unexpected casualties demanded. They too had lost many of their own private soldiers. The private forces of nobles who were positioned on the outskirts of the forces suffered losses that were close to annihtion.


    "Do not rush me, I was going to do it anyway!¡±


    Although victorious in battle, Odinst felt just as bitter. He rallied the light cavalry, chasing after the alliance''s tail.

 Chapter 182

    <h4>Chapter 182</h4>


    The alliance army fled at the sound of the horn. Waves of retreating barbarian warriors covered the grasnds.


    The imperial army eagerly pursued the alliance, but aside from their light cavalry, they couldn''t catch up with the marching speed of the barbarians.


    "So that¡¯s what heavy cavalry is like...?"


    Samikan clutched his wounded chest as he ran. He had witnessed the power of the heavy cavalry and trembled with awe. The sight of steel masses, towering over fully grown men, rushing toward them wasn¡¯t something that any amount of bravery or superiorbat skills could stop.


    The barbarians were tragically trampled under the might of the so-called strongest arms, leaving nothing but mangled corpses in their wake. Even forces with numbers of multiples of their number were meaningless before the heavy cavalry.


    <i>¡®That is truly terrifying, even worse than Noah''s warning.¡¯</i>


    He had heard about them many times. But seeing with his own eyes, the power of the heavy cavalry far exceeded Samikan''s expectations.


    The alliance army trembled at the power of the heavy cavalry. All of the alliance''s strategies were sound. Strategically, the alliance was the winner of the battle, but the sheer force of the heavy cavalry destroyed even those strategies.


    But the alliance army wasn¡¯t the only one that was shocked by the flow of this battle. The imperial army was also greatly rattled by the unexpected losses.


    "What the hell happened, Commander Odinst!"


    Nobles, having lost their private soldiers, furiously demanded answers. Odinst looked toward the horizon.


    "We¡¯ve still got a pursuit to do, so save your questions forter!"


    Odinst shouted, breaking away from the nobles.


    <i>¡®The heavy cavalry also suffered great losses. We lost many knights fighting against some mere barbarians.¡¯</i>


    Odinst rode across the battlefield, gathering damage reports from the officers.


    The heavy cavalry had charged recklessly to turn the strategic disadvantage of the imperial army around. Their usual role was to destroy the enemy¡¯s formation by prating enemy lines withnce charges and replenishing after. The shock charge deep into the enemy¡¯s ranks was meant to be saved until the enemy had been sufficiently disrupted.


    However, in this battle, the heavy cavalry fought surrounded by unbroken barbarians. Dozens of warhorses were lost, and they also suffered over fifty heavy cavalrymen casualties. Considering most heavy cavalrymen were nobility''s offspring and official knights, it was a devastating loss.


    By exchange rates, the victory seemed like it was taken by the imperial army, but the imperial army was also the one on an expedition. Continuing to battle this way on barbariannd might lead to the legion''s defeat.


    <i>¡®We have to chase them down and inflict more damage while we can.¡¯</i>


    Odinst watched the advancing light cavalry.


    The light cavalry, excited, pursued the barbarians'' rear. They decapitated the slower barbarians, shouting.


    "You disgusting barbarians!"


    "We areing!"


    "Stick out your stinky asses!"


    The light cavalry leaned low, spurring their horses on. Being mostlymoners with horses or from a mercenary background, the light cavalry had harsh tongues and loose discipline.


    "Great Chief! The ones on horses are chasing us!"


    The alliance''s rear was being cut down. The light cavalry, with their superior mobility, picked off the retreating alliance forces. The alliance couldn¡¯t engage with the light cavalry either, as it would only lead to being caught by the imperial army and suffering even greater losses.


    "Call the Phergamon warriors!"


    Samikan had anticipated a retreat from the beginning. It was remarkable for barbarian warriors to have fought this way in their first engagement with the imperial army. Even though the alliance was the one retreating as if they had lost, all of their strategies had worked out as nned.


    <i>Buuuuuuup!</i>


    A warrior blew the horn. As if they had been waiting, three hundred Phergamon mountain goat warriors appeared on the hilltop.


    Samikan had positioned the mountain goat warriors as a blocking force in anticipation of a pursuit.


    "Esteemed brothers, today is not for hunting humans but for hunting demons that came from beyond the mountains."


    Chikaka, standing at the forefront, spoke. He led the mountain goat warriors as the representative of the Phergamo Tribe. Phergamo, being arge tribe that was of kingdom scale, was more of an ally than a member of the alliance. In terms of the location of the tribe and the difference in the people, Phergamo was by far the most distinct tribe in the alliance.


    "Let''s protect these weak long-legs from the hands of these demons!"


    "Hoooooouuuu!"


    Chikaka and the mountain goat warriors donned their unique wooden masks. Their eyes gleamed from behind the masks.


    The warriors spread out, making way for the mountain goat warriors.


    Battle goats were treasured assets that were carefully raised. The Phergamo Tribe selected the biggest young goats, starved them for a long time, and then fed them meat-mixed fodder. Those that epted the carnivorous diet then became battle goats.


    "W-what is that!"


    The light cavalry screamed upon seeing the mountain goats charging at them with small-statured warriors on top of them.


    Fed on nutrient-rich meat fodder, the goats grewrger and more muscr. Their temperament became more ferocious, and the eyes of the battle goats were as wild as those of predators.


    "An army of demons!"


    The light cavalry eximed upon seeing the mountain goat warriors.


    The Phergamon warriors were from a tribe so unique even in the eyes of the westerners that they were given the notorious title of human hunters. Naturally, they looked like legendary monsters in the eyes of civilization.


    <i>Creaaaak!</i>


    The mountain goat warriors pulled their bows. They carried two types of bows, one being a wooden bow and the other a horn bow made from cow horns. To achieve strong tension with their small stature, they needed to use horn bows, but in the distinct dry and wet seasons of the west, operating horn bows in the wet season was challenging. The glue they used as adhesive tended to dissolve in humidity, easily damaging the bow.


    But the weather today was clear and dry. The mountain goat warriors picked up their horn bows, which were much more powerful than wooden bows of the same size.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    The mountain goat warriors fired their arrows. Being small in stature, they preferred archery over meleebat. Mountain goat warriors spent their lives mastering their goat-mounted archery skills.


    "Kaaagh!"


    The mountain goat warriors circled the pursuing light cavalry, unleashing their arrows. The light cavalry was utterly helpless against them.


    The concept of mounted archers was nonexistent in the empire. Riding while shooting arrows required tremendous skill and was difficult to cultivate. Moreover, the light cavalries carrying crossbows somewhat fulfilled the role of mounted archers.


    "Draw your crossbows!"


    However, reloading crossbows was slow, and it was especially more challenging while riding on the back of a horse. After managing to fire a single shot, the light cavalry fell one by one to the mountain goat warriors'' arrows.


    "Remember my name. I am Chikaka of Phergamo."


    Chikaka nocked two arrows on the bowstring and fired. The split arrows struck two charging light cavalrymen. The mountain goat warriors, being rather weak in meleebat, learned to simultaneously shoot arrows at approaching enemies.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow whizzed past Chikaka''s mask.


    As the mountain goat warriors engaged with the light cavalry, the imperial army''s light infantry joined in. They too fired their long-range weapons at the mountain goat warriors.


    "Retreat!"


    Chikaka shouted.


    The mountain goat warriors swiftly regrouped and followed the alliance''s rear. The battle goats, not having participated in the earlier battle, still had plenty of strength left in their legs.


    In contrast, the light cavalry''s horses, which had been engaged in the battle from the start and now were conducting a pursuit, were exhausted. They couldn''t keep up with the mountain goats whose legs were shorter than theirs.


    "Demons. An army of demons. Oh, Lou..."


    A fallen light cavalryman coughed up blood and muttered. The mountain goat warriors, wearing colorful wooden masks, instilled terror in the civilized people.


    Chikaka and the mountain goat warriors had achieved a tremendous feat. They did not just dy the light cavalry but overwhelmed them inbat. The mountain goat warriorspletely cut off the pursuit force.


    <i>¡®The mountain goat warriors are excellent. There was a reason why Urich wanted to bring them in no matter what.¡¯</i>


    Samikan also admired the aplishments of the mountain goat warriors.


    Other alliance chiefs and warriors nodded and greeted the joining mountain goat warriors. There wasn¡¯t a single soul that treated them lightly because of their smaller stature. The mountain goat warriors were among the most formidable warriors even in the alliance army.


    The alliance army kept marching even after the imperial army was no longer in sight. They had to get themselves as far away as possible from the imperial army.


    "Did everything go ording to the n, Samikan?"


    The chiefs asked with anxious eyes. Although the aim of the first battle wasn¡¯t to im victory in the first ce, the defeated retreat made them uneasy.


    "Keep walking. Persistence and patience will bring us victory."


    Samikan clutched his chest. He had pulled out the arrow and cauterized the wound on his chest. Because they had to continue marching despite him needing to rest for his injury, the wound did not heal quickly.


    <i>¡®If I show any weakness now, it will be the end. Not just the warriors but the chiefs are anxious too.¡¯</i>


    Samikan walked with deliberate confidence. He swallowed the blood and showed no sign of pain.


    After a fortnight of marching, the alliance army finally tallied their losses upon reaching the Blue Mist Tribe''s vige. Only then could the warriors rx and restfortably. The Blue Mist Tribe had enough food stored by the alliance army.


    "We''ve lost forces equivalent to three thousand-man units."


    Noah surveyed the alliance army and reported to Samikan.


    "Once Belrua returns from crossing the wastnd, we should be able to replenish that number of troops."


    Samikan clutched his chest, gasping for breath. His wound was clearly aggravated.


    The alliance¡¯s forces were still notpletely assembled. The tribes far to the west were still out of Samikan''s reach, so Belrua of the Red Sand had gone west to personally recruit more warriors.


    "You better get some proper treatment first. You don¡¯t look too well. Should I call Six-Fingered?"


    Noah looked at Samikan''s face and suggested.


    "Keke, I can''t entrust my treatment to that sly dog. Better to entrust it to a shaman from the Stone Axe."


    Samikan chuckled lowly and called a trustworthy shaman. He meticulously asked about every step of the treatment process. He always took care of his personal safety.


    The alliance always had its share ofrge and small disputes. Naturally, there were forces hostile to Samikan.


    <i>¡®If something happens to me now, the alliance falls apart. I am the alliance.¡¯</i>


    Samikan''s arrogance was also the truth. He was the focal point of the alliance, and he was undoubtedly irreceable by anyone.


    "It¡¯s going to rain soon. It will erase our tracks and slow down the imperial army."


    Samikan sniffed the humid air and smiled wearily. During the rainy season, once the rain started to pour, it could continue for days. The imperial army'' advance would certainly be hindered.


    "If Urich managed to cut off the supply route, we might stand a chance," Noah sat in front of Samikan and spoke.


    "Thank you, Noah, for saying ''we''. I know that you are facing the army of your homnd. I can''t imagine how much pain that brings you."


    Samikan trusted Noah. Noah and Urich were Samikan''s left and right arms. Without them, Samikan couldn''t have built the alliance.


    Noah too had gone through much deliberation before standing against the imperial army. It just wasn''t shown outwardly. But he regarded Samikan as a brother and couldn''t just stand by and watch as his brother was in need of his help.


    <i>¡®Samikan can''t show weakness to anyone else. Not even to Urich, his equal brother, since he''s apetitor.¡¯</i>


    Noah was a civilized man who wasn''t apetitor for power, nor did he vie for it. He saw much more of Samikan''s personal side than anyone else.


    "Rest well, Samikan. Until your wound heals, try not to worry too much."


    "How nice would it be if I could do that?" Samikany down in the tent and spoke.


    Noah headed outside but then walked back toward Samikan.


    "This is a talisman of the god I believe in."


    Noah took off his sun pendant and held it out.


    "This is the Sun God Lou, the one you always talked about."


    Samikany and lifted the sun pendant to look at it. In the west, there were hardly any tribes that worshiped the sun. Westerners revered the sky itself more than the sun.


    "If fighting alongside you is my fate arranged by Lou... then it will also help you."


    "I''m not interested in a god of your world, but I''ll ept it as a sign of our friendship."


    Samikan put on the pendant and fiddled with the sun.


    "That''s good enough for me."


    Noah nodded and left Samikan''s tent.

 Chapter 183

    <h4>Chapter 183</h4>


    On top of the gorge, Urich exhaled his steamy breath, covered in wolf fur. The biting wind that was cold enough to crack up the thick flesh of the warrior smacked Urich''s face.


    "Hmm."


    Urich, clutching his sword hilt, looked down. The destroyed section of Yailrud was visible.


    <i>¡®If they want to pass here, they would have toe up to the gorge. But we¡¯ve shattered all thedders from here to the west.''</i>


    Ladders existed only at the entrance near the Arten outpost. Without crossing the mountain''s midpoint like Urich and his warriors, there was no way to cross from the west to the Arten outpost.


    <i>''If they want toe to us, they¡¯ll have to make newdders or do the repair work to connect the bridge again.''</i>


    Urich, including himself, sent warriors periodically to scout above the gorge. It was an extremely hard task but necessary to prepare for any unforeseen situations.


    <i>''Now, the empire must not notice the situation at the Arten outpost. That''s hardly a concern, though.''</i>


    Even if the empire finds out about the situation at the outpost right now, sending forces would take a long time. It would take them a month or two, at least.


    <i>¡®We also have enough supplies here at the outpost.''</i>


    Supplies intended for the legion, which should have been delivered, were piled up at the outpost. That was enough for the tribal warriors and the formally ves, now free mercenaries.


    "Urich, I hear hoofbeats."


    One warrior spoke. Urich and five warriors drew their bows.


    "Three mounted cavalry."


    The warriors'' eyes narrowed. They pulled their bowstrings.


    Envoys from the Western Legion rushed on horses from the opposite side of the bridge. They cursed upon seeing the destroyed bridge.


    "What the hell happened here... kugh!"


    The warriors'' arrows poured down mercilessly. The horses panicked, and the envoys on the ground crawled as they bled profusely.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich lowered a rope. Instead ofdders, he used ropes to traverse between the gorge and Yailrud. It required tremendous strength to travel between the gorge and Yailrud with just a rope.


    "Who won the battle?"


    After getting down to Yailrud, Urich pushed back his fur hood and asked. A soldier who was rtively less injured spat at Urich.


    "W-who the hell are you!"


    The soldier couldn''t imagine Urich, who was fluent in Hamelian, was a barbarian from the west.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich drove an arrow deeper into the soldier''s body.


    "Kyaaagh!"


    The soldier screamed and thrashed.


    "Let me ask again, who won?"


    Urich''s gaze was murderous. He drew his axe and chopped off the soldier''s ankle.


    "Ah, ahhh!"


    The soldier with an arrow in his back clutched his severed ankle, screaming. His foot was chopped off like butcher''s meat.


    "Who?"


    Urich''s question shortened once more. The terrified soldier blurted out everything.


    "T-the legion won, of course! The barbarians were busy running for their lives!"


    "I see. As expected, then."


    Urich murmured. If they could have won a head-on fight, they wouldn''t even have considered cutting off the supply route in the first ce.


    "P-please."


    The soldier, clueless about what was happening, begged for his life.


    Urich shook his head, swinging his bloodied axe.


    "Sorry, just say your prayers. I can give you that much time."


    "Please, please, spare me."


    Urich squatted, tapping the ground with his axe, waiting for the soldier to prepare himself.


    "Oh Lou, our father, please... have mercy on my s-soul..."


    The soldier prayed, sobbing. Urich stealthily lifted his axe while the soldier focused on his prayer.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich swiftly beheaded the soldier. He also decapitated the heads of other soldiers who came as messengers and hung them on his belt around his waist.


    Urich threw the bodies and horses off Yailrud.


    "Hup!"


    After finishing with the cleanup, Urich climbed back up to the gorge using the rope, where other warriors pulled him up over the edge.


    "Why do you always bring their heads?"


    A warrior asked. Urich just smiled and cremated the heads of the soldiers, not forgetting to give them a semnce of a funeral.


    Urich and his warriors repeatedly cut off the legion''s messengers.


    "They must be anxious with themunication cut off, especially without supplies."


    Urich smirked, descending near the gorge where the section of Yailrud was still intact. He and his warriors then used the connecteddder tofortably return to the outpost via Yailrud.


    Yailrud, the magnificent achievement of the empire and a pioneering road named after the emperor was under the control of the warriors.


    "Georg, are you finished with the letter?"


    Urich asked as he stepped into his tent. He bathed in a warm tub, washing off the blood. Blood floated on the surface of the water in the tub.


    Georg was sitting at the writing desk in the corner of the tent. As one would expect from a ve of a scribe, he had excellent handwriting and writing skills. The letters he wrote looked like official documents to anyone.


    <i>''The smell of blood.''</i>


    Georg twitched his nose as soon as Urich entered the tent.


    <i>''Urich the barbarian.''</i>


    Despite being a barbarian, Urich had a remarkably moderate and civilized way of thinking. At the very least, Georg judged him not to be one who would kill indiscriminately.


    "It¡¯s ready. This should be enough to fool them."


    The people of the outpost were wearing the armament of imperial soldiers. When imperial messengers came to the outpost, they exchanged letters at the gate and sent them off. It might seem odd, but no one would suspect anything immediately.


    "Hmm, good."


    After bathing, Urich approached naked to check Georg''s letter with steam rising from his body.


    <i>''Such a formidable body.''</i>


    Instead of feeling embarrassed, Georg was overwhelmed by Urich''s nakedness. Scars and muscles were so intertwined on his battered body that it was hard to distinguish between them. It was clear that Urich had survived wounds that would have killed an ordinary person several times over.


    "You¡¯ve got some serious scars."


    Georg muttered. Urich scratched at his indented scars.


    "Scars are my good luck charms. It shows that I didn''t die even though I got injured like this."


    "Surely you must have had some divine blessing."


    "I hear that pretty often. About protection and blessings and whatnot."


    Urich chuckled lowly as he dressed himself.


    Georg spected about Urich''s background. Considering his extensive knowledge and understanding of the civilized world, he must have been a man who had crossed the mountains and traversed both worlds early on.


    "That¡¯s that, but why are you still here? It makes sense for the rest of the ves, but you can read and write. With your skills, you could make a living anywhere."


    "Everyone has their circumstances."


    Urich didn''t pry further.


    Georg had be an important figure in the Arten outpost. As long as someone contributed in some way, they deserved a fitting respect.


    * * *


    The Western Legion''s food situation had reached rock bottom. Despite the damage they suffered, they had won the battle against the barbarians. The nobles were intoxicated with victory, and even Commander Odinstvishly distributed alcohol and meat to boost the soldiers'' morale.


    Three days after engaging with the confederation forces, Odinst and his officers started to sense something was off.


    "The messenger sent to the Arten outpost hasn''t returned."


    "Nor have the supply wagons."


    Receiving the reports from his subordinates, Odinst clenched his teeth.


    <i>''Could it be that Duke Langster is harboring a grudge against me?''</i>


    That was his first thought. Odinst had been cold toward Duke Langster. He considered the possibility that Duke Langster, having been treated like an old retiree, might have plotted something behind his back.


    <i>''No, Duke Langster isn''t so petty. Moreover, sabotaging this expedition would mean death for both of us by the emperor¡¯s hand...''</i>


    Odinst pondered before shaking his head again.


    <i>''Blinded by malice to the point of cutting off our supply line without thinking of the consequences? Is he nning to kill even all the nobles here?''</i>


    Odinst called for a reliable subordinate and sent him as a messenger. His men who had crossed the Yailrud on their horses hadn¡¯t returned.


    Ten days passed like that.


    There was zeromunication between the Western Legion and the Arten outpost. The nobles were the first to grow anxious.


    "Commander! Let¡¯s just retreat immediately! At this rate, we''ll all starve to death."


    "There seems to be some hups in themunication. Let''s just wait a bit longer."


    But Odinst was also anxious. Despite winning the battle, they couldn''t advance and were just circling the mountain''s base because of the dyed supply situation.


    Odinst decided to send an infantry unit toward Yailrud. He ordered them to conserve their supplies as much as possible, and the light cavalry was split into groups of ten and sent westward for scouting. He had done everything that amander could in this situation.


    The infantry unit returned sooner than everyone expected.


    "Yailrud has been cut off! Thedders leading up the gorge are all destroyed..."


    Hearing this report, the legion was engulfed in shock.


    "Yailrud has been what?"


    "How are we supposed to go back without a bridge?"


    "Quiet down. The bridge can be repaired. What''s more important is how it was cut off.¡±


    The nobles, isted in the west without a proper understanding of the situation, were agitated.


    <i>¡®Goddamned nobles.''</i>


    The undisciplined nobles did not adhere to the military hierarchy and control. However, they were still powerful, and Odinst had to appease them appropriately.


    "Let''s just conduct the repair work. Send the soldiers, Commander. We can''t fight without supplies."


    Odinst organized an engineering unit and sent them to the severed Yailrud.


    <i>''Duke Langster! If you really were the one who cut off the supply route, you will pay a fitting price.''</i>


    Odinst ground his teeth. Whoever it was that cut off the supply route, he nned to make them suffer all the pains of the world.


    With the supply route cut off, the Western Legion''s movement was severely dyed. Even half a month after the battle, they couldn''t advance properly. The phrase "Western Conquest" seemed like a joke.


    "The barbarians have upied Yailrud!"


    The engineering unit, which was sent out to repair the bridge, returned to the legion in a disastrous state. Only half of the hundred engineers came back alive. They also lost all the materials they had taken, which were going to be used for siege weapons if the situation called.


    "D-dozens of barbarians shot arrows at us from above the gorge. It was impossible to carry out the work."


    "Are you saying the barbarians have taken over Yailrud and the Arten outpost?"


    Odinst pped his knee. It all made sense now. But one question remained.


    <i>''How did they cross the mountains to attack Yailrud and the outpost?''</i>


    The entrance to Yailrud was guarded day and night by the legion. There was no gap for the barbarians to sneak in.


    "It seemed like they climbed and then descended from the mid-section of the mountains."


    That was the only possible route that the barbarians could have taken.


    "They went across the mountains? If that was an option, why did we even build Yailrud in the first ce?"


    Nobles questioned, unable to understand what was happening.


    An officer who brought up the subject pointed at the map, estimating the barbarians'' route.


    "Yailrud is a bridge that crosses the mountains, hanging off the cliffs of the gorge. What we cannot cross are the high peaks, which, in terms of Yailrud, correspond to the middle part. The barbarians cleverly cut off just that section. They likely climbed the rtively lower ridges and descended from the middle of Yailrud to head toward the Arten outpost. Even then, they must have suffered considerable sacrifices."


    The officer¡¯s exnation had the nobles copsing in their seats.


    "D-does this mean we can''t go back home?"


    "If the Arten outpost haspletely fallen, then yes. We cannot return."


    "What if we rebuilt thedders at the sections of Yailrud that are still somewhat intact and climb the gorge?"


    "If we could simply go through the gorge, we wouldn''t have built Yailrud in the first ce. The terrain is rugged, and the altitude varies greatly. We won¡¯t make it."


    "Are you suggesting we give up without even trying? And you call yourselves the imperial army?"


    The nobles pressed themander and officers.


    "...I will lead the troops and attempt the climb. I will upy the top of the gorge and prevent the barbarians from getting to Yailrud during the reconstruction."


    One infantry officer stepped forward. His words had the nobles shouting as if they had found a hero.


    "This man right here is themander we need!"


    Odinst was reluctant to approve the idea. This infantry officer was suggesting to lead five infantry units¡ªfive hundred men¡ªacross the mountains. If they fail to reconstruct Yailrud, it would be a fatal loss of forces.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re all expecting me to give the permission.¡¯</i>


    He felt like the viin obstructing his capable subordinates'' ns. The res from the nobles were almost stinging.


    Odinst tried to suppress his boiling anger and persuade the nobles. But due to the anxiety caused by Yailrud''s damage, they were beyond reason.


    The infantry officer who had bravely stepped up led five hundred men up the mountains. Their n was to climb down the mid-section of the mountains and take control of the gorge above Yailrud, just as the barbarians did. If they could somehow secure the top of the gorge, they believed they could proceed with Yailrud''s reconstruction work.


    ... And there was no word from that five hundred. Their bravery was buried in the mountains.


    The Western Legion finally came to the realization.


    There were no supplies, and they were isted. The only thing they could do was to advance. Plundering for local supplies was the only way they could survive.


    <i>''We were toote with our judgment. Way toote.''</i>


    Odinst tore at his hair. Despite his young age, his hair came out effortlessly.


    The legion''s supplies had already run out. A decision had to be made before it was toote.


    The Western Legion gave up on rebuilding Yailrud and advanced westward.

 Chapter 184

    <h4>Chapter 184</h4>


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Legion Commander Odinst entered the vige site. He surveyed the deste vige as his red cloak fluttered in the wind.


    The scouts who hade to check the vige earlier rushed to Odinst upon spotting him.


    "There''s nothing left,mander."


    Hearing the report, Odinst clenched his fist tightly, holding back curses to maintain dignity in front of his subordinates.


    "Is there truly nothing left?"


    "There are clear signs that they deliberately emptied the vige and left. It seems like they took everything with them."


    The site where the Western Legion arrived was the vige of the Stone Axe Tribe. Once home to thousands, it nowy empty, with only abandoned pottery and well-trodden foundations for homes remaining.


    Traditionally, westerners often relocated their viges when thend''s resources were depleted, as they had no other choice but to wait for hunting grounds and pastures for their main livestock, goats, to regenerate the resources they needed. Moving an entire tribe wasmon, happening as often as every few years, or at most every few decades.


    Migration of arge tribe the size of the Stone Axe was rare but notpletely unheard of.


    <i>¡®Scorched earth tactics...¡¯</i>


    Odinst bit his lower lip.


    A defensive tactic where the defenders empty out resources to starve the invading enemy to death.


    <i>¡®How long have they been preparing for us? Since when did they know we were crossing the mountains to attack?¡¯</i>


    Odinst wanted to scream.


    The barbarians'' preparations were thorough. The scorched earth tactic wasn¡¯t something that could be pulled off overnight. It meant the barbarians weren''t just moving as separate tribes but were operating systematically as a massive alliance.


    <i>¡®This is not just the united forces. There''s amand structure beyond tribal levels.¡¯</i>


    The barbarians were employing a high-level strategy and tactics. They were intentionally cutting off supply lines, engaging inbat to buy time, and emptying settlements to prevent the legion from supplying themselves through plundering.


    <i>¡®This can¡¯t bemon barbarian strategy and tactics.¡¯</i>


    Indeed, Odinst''s guess was correct. Without Noah Arten, no matter how brilliant Samikan and Urich were, such strategies would have been beyond their thinking. A strategist from the civilized world advanced the tribal world''s strategic and tactical level by centuries in such a short period of time.


    "Nothing left, you say..."


    Odinst was now dreading to face the nobles and officers. Their sharp reproaches already seemed to stab at his spine.


    <i>¡®You¡¯re telling me this is all my fault?¡¯</i>


    Odinst had made decisions that anyone would find reasonable. He never yed the worst hand. Following precedents from the south and north, he made standard, logical decisions and acted ordingly.


    It was just that the barbarians'' moves were beyond Odinst''s grasp. Amander fit for average purposes used average strategies at a time when an extraordinarymander was needed. And the nobles decided to me Odinst for that.


    Odinst decided to station the legion at the Stone Axe Tribe''s site for the time being. They couldn''t move rashly. They needed to attack a ce where resources to plunder were guaranteed.


    When mealtime came, the legion''s soldiers nibbled on twice-baked hardtack as if they were dissolving it little by little. Theck of supplies began to affect the legion.


    "The barbarians here must have been self-sufficient. Gather the men with hunting backgrounds."


    As ast resort, the legion resorted to hunting and gathering. However, soldiers who went hunting sometimes returned injured by beasts or never returned at all, having lost their way. The meat gained from such sacrifices was minimal, and what little there was, was seized by the nobles, only further demoralizing the soldiers.


    The light cavalry that was sent out as scouts showed no sign of returning. The ins, which they didn¡¯t have a map for, were harsh toward the imperial army.


    "Commander!"


    Doleman woke Odinst.


    Odinst opened his eyes from a light sleep. The area underneath his eyes was dark. He wasn¡¯t sleeping properly due to the extreme pressure he was under.


    "What is it, Sir Doleman?"


    "The horses have copsed."


    Odinst jumped up and followed Doleman outside the camp.


    "Ehem."


    Odinst covered his nose. The smell of horse dung was atrocious.


    Over a hundred horsesy copsed, their tails covered in bluish-green dung.


    The legion had about nine hundred horses, and their feed ran out in the blink of an eye. Horses fed on the ins'' grass collectively suffered from diarrhea. The western grass must have been unfamiliar to them and their system. It would have been fortunate if only diarrhea had struck, but horses that ingested unfamiliar poisonous nts simply died.


    It was an unforeseen situation. Odinst, with a sour stomach, looked over the fallen horses.


    "At this rate, we won¡¯t have many horses left."


    Odinst looked at his cavalrymen.


    "ughter any horse that''s even slightly weakened. We''ll use them for food."


    "... Understood."


    Doleman nodded.


    However, this wasn¡¯t enough to make the mighty Western Legion copse. They conserved what little supplies they had and resorted to eating their warhorses which they put so much sweat into raising.


    Odinst chewed on the tough horse meat as they marched westward. The nobles, too, dozed off on their horses from exhaustion.


    <i>¡®We have to move more than the barbarians expect. We need to sneak up on their viges.¡¯</i>


    Odinst and his soldiers were frustrated. They were confident they could win any fight against the barbarians, especially since the barbarian forces were already assessed once.


    However, the oue of wars wasn''t determined by battles alone. At that moment, the Western Legion was wandering the ins without a map. With each passing day, the legion''s strength significantly waned.


    Three more days passed. Frequent rains made the imperial march even more challenging. Even the grand imperial army couldn''t endure when both stamina was drained and rain was pouring.


    "Youuuuu gooooddaaaaamn barbariaaaaans!!¡±


    Odinst screamed upon encountering yet another empty settlement. It was a shout of rage, throwing away all dignity and prestige. He truly felt cornered.


    "The soldiers are watching,mander."


    An adjutant cautioned Odinst. He swallowed the rage that was moments away from exploding.


    <i>¡®If I fail here, it¡¯s not just my life that¡¯s at stake.¡¯</i>


    In history, Odinst would be remembered as an eternal loser. Amander who failed in pioneering even with an overwhelmingly superior force. The man who crossed Yailrud full of ambition was no more.


    "A-any word from the scouts yet?"


    "Most cannot return... And those who have reported they found nothing."


    Finding westerners who were intentionally hiding away was difficult. During the rainy season, even their traces disappeared quickly.


    In the ins where even their scouts were losing their way and failing to return, the legion was caught in a vicious cycle akin to a mire.


    * * *


    <i>Twang!</i>


    Chikaka released the bowstring of his wooden bow.


    Rain had poured until morning. Today, the air was so humid that horn bows couldn''t be used, but the same limitation also applied to the crossbows of the empire''s light cavalry. Their light crossbows also used glue that was weak against moisture.


    "Kaagh!"


    Chikaka''s arrow hit a horse of a wandering imperial light cavalry. The light cavalryman fell and rolled on the ground while clutching his broken ankle.


    "Pant, pant."


    The light cavalryman drew his sword, facing the approaching mountain goat warriors.


    "P-piss off! Get lost, you bastards!"


    He screamed and struggled on the ground.


    "What''s he saying?"


    "Sounds like birds squawking, doesn''t it?"


    The mountain goat warriors chuckled, shooting arrows into the limbs of the cavalryman.


    "You damned dwarves. Demon offspring!"


    The light cavalryman gasped out curses as he breathed heavily.


    Chikaka cut the tendons of the cavalryman''s limbs with a dagger. A yellow smile appeared beneath his slightly lifted wooden mask.


    "Kuk, kuk, Kaagh."


    The masked mountain goat warriors brutally and ruthlessly toyed with the light cavalryman before killing him. The cavalryman was left alone in the middle of the ins with his abdomen cut wide open.


    <i>Crunch, crunch.</i>


    Wild animals flocked to the spot where the mountain goat warriors had left, devouring the corpse of the light cavalryman.


    "Whew, let''s head back."


    Chikaka whistled andughed.


    Chikaka and the mountain goat warriors scouted the ins in groups of ten and picked off the asional imperial scouts they came across. As strong warriors and hunters, they were self-sufficient enough to roam the ins without needing supplies. The mountain goat warriors yed the role of scouts of the alliance, observing the legion''s movements and contributing significantly to the alliance.


    The mountain goat warriors'' achievements greatly elevated the status of the Phergamo Tribe. Although not officially part of the alliance, Chikaka, who led the mountain goat warriors, held a higher status than many tribal chiefs.


    "The mountain goat warriors areing back!"


    Chikaka returned to the Blue Mist Tribe afterpleting the reconnaissance.


    The alliance forces, with Belrua''s joining, again secured over ten thousand warriors. However, feeding ten thousand warriors was an arduous task.


    It wasn¡¯t just the Western Legion hanging on by a thread. The alliance forces also stretched their food supply thin. The wildlife around the Blue Mist Tribe was nearly wiped out. Additionally, the alliance forces had the duty to support tribes that had migrated for their scorched earth tactic.


    The alliance had to dig to the bottom of their reserved resources. Resources were requisitioned¡ªpractically plundered¡ªfrom distant western tribes, as the fear of Samikan was profound shortly after the expedition, leading everyone toply without protest.


    "The sooner we have a decisive battle, the less cumtive damage we''ll incur."


    Samikan, propping himself up on his bedding, listened to the reports while touching his festering chest wound.


    "Hah, you sure you¡¯re not going to just die before that happens?"


    Belruaughed, looking at Samikan''s condition. The wounded Samikan didn¡¯t stop and relied on the shamans'' medicine and refused to rest, even though it was obvious that was what he needed.


    "I get that it was a nominal marriage, but it would be nice if you at least pretended to care."


    "Oh, is that so?"


    Belrua pulled out a dagger to slice some smoked meat and ate.


    <i>¡®Samikan''s power is still formidable.¡¯</i>


    Belrua mused while chewing on the meat, observing Samikan''s tent. The chiefs visiting to greet him were busy ttering Samikan.


    <i>¡®Samikan''s name is a symbol of power.¡¯</i>


    Belrua had also invoked Samikan''s name to requisition warriors and resources from the western tribes. She had threatened that Samikan''s forces would sweep through them if they did notply, and given past precedents, this was sufficiently persuasive.


    <i>¡®The justification of defending against external invaders is also working in our favor.¡¯</i>


    The reason for doing so was also clear. Samikan''s existence transcended fear and became an object of awe.


    Samikan convened another tribal council. As if they had been waiting, chiefs dressed in their finery gathered.


    "ording to the mountain goat warriors, the imperial army is very exhausted. They even found dead horses in droves."


    Aggressive chiefs urged for an attack.


    "Wouldn''t it be better to wait until they be weaker? We¡¯ve experienced it once already. They are strong."


    There were also chiefs who objected. Conversations close to arguments made way, and trantors were busy gesturing and tranting.


    After hearing all the chiefs'' opinions, Samikan finally spoke.


    "Noah, what do you think?"


    "It depends on the situation at the Arten outpost. We don''t know how long Urich can keep the supply lines cut. It''s not a situation where we can make contact with him, either. If Urich loses the outpost and the supply lines reconnect, the imperial forces will regain strength. On the other hand, if Urich can hold out longer, it''s better for us to wait for the imperial forces to weaken further."


    Noah''s words were sensible. Nods of agreement could be heard from various ces.


    Six-Fingered, wearing a deep hood, chimed in, waving his fingers.


    "The dry season wille soon, Great Chief."


    "Already?"


    Samikan frowned.


    Six-Fingered shivered for a moment, then looked at the ceiling before continuing.


    "...The earth does not like invaders trampling it. Thend will dry up, and the sky will turn a blind eye."


    "What do you suggest we do?"


    "cate the earth with the blood of the invaders."


    Six-Fingered advocated for an attack. Reading the weather was the realm of the shamans. If Six-Fingered''s words were true and the dry season was indeed approaching, it could not be ignored. In the west, strategies for the dry and rainy seasons were entirely different.


    The word that the imperial army was cornered boosted the chiefs'' morale. Furthermore, Six-Fingered, the highest priest of the alliance, also suggested an attack.


    "I will give you three days to prepare for the deployment. Get your warriors ready."


    As Samikan dered, the chiefs rose and shouted.


    The warriors waiting outside for the oue of the council also heard their reaction and roared.


    "We attack!"


    "We''re going to attack!"


    The warriors frolicked, spreading the news in all directions. The warriors, brooding over their defeat, gleamed at the chance for revenge.


    After the council, Samikan told Six-Fingered to stay behind in the tent.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Samikan, enraged, extended his hand to Six-Fingered.


    "Kugh, ugh."


    Samikan grabbed Six-Fingered by the throat and hoisted him up against the tent pole. Six-Fingered iled with a pale face.


    "Do not make statements that could influence the alliance without my permission, Six-Fingered."


    Samikan was extremely angered by Six-Fingered''s statement. Although he showed no such sign during the meeting, Six-Fingered knew this would happen.


    "I-I''m sorry. I just w-wanted to say that the d-dry season ising..."


    Six-Fingered struggled to speak. Samikan slightly loosened his grip.


    "Don''t get cocky just because you''ve got a few subordinates now. I can rece a priest anytime. You are nothing. This is myst warning, Six-Fingered. Next time, I''ll show you through action."


    Samikan threw Six-Fingered down.


    "I-I''ll excuse myself now."


    Six-Fingered staggered to his feet. Covering his bruised neck, he returned to his own tent.


    <i>¡®He talks big, but he won''t easily rece me.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered shrugged and chuckled lowly.


    Six-Fingered had been gradually building up his influence behind the scenes. While the alliance''s warriors were fighting, he had gained the support of the other shamans and priests. Samikan knew this, which was precisely why he did not kill Six-Fingered for speaking out of turn.

 Chapter 185

    <h4>Chapter 185</h4>


    Horse-less knights, nobles on their feet. That was the situation of the legion.


    The warhorses of the Western Legion fell one by one, rendering the formation of cavalry impossible. Most of the scouts couldn''t even ride out on horses.


    <i>''To think that we can¡¯t use horses in the ins, where our cavalry can shine the most.¡¯</i>


    Odinistughed hollowly. Despite having more to eat than the other soldiers, his cheeks were still sunken in.


    ¡°Hah, the first battle sure was nice. The sight of the empire''s heavy cavalry piercing through the barbarians!¡±


    Odinist muttered to himself and then snickered. The officers and nobles around him murmured after witnessing that moment.


    ¡°The legionmander doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s in too good of a shape.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps someone else should take charge...¡±


    ¡°Who do you have in mind?¡±


    Everyone stayed silent. No one wanted to take on such a huge responsibility in such a dire situation.


    The Western Legion was just wandering aimlessly on the ins. They were simply walking westward without any n.


    ¡°Dammit! How much longer do we have to walk?¡±


    ¡°Goddammit, all this marching while only getting one meal a day? How does that even make sense?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t!¡±


    Discontent grew among the lower-ranking soldiers. Their eyes were filled with bloodshot veins. Extreme fatigue and hunger had swallowed even their pride and loyalty.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we have anywhere else to run to. Thisnd is a hellish ce with nothing in it. There''s no value in conquering it!¡±


    The morale that began to fall was plummeting without end.


    ¡°Yes, there''s nowhere to return. Even Yailrud has been blocked.¡±


    The imperial army hadn''t managed to resupply locally even once. Everywhere they went, they only found deserted viges and the game was too scarcepared to the number of troops. Moreover, they were men from the civilized world who didn''t know how to survive in the west in the first ce.


    ¡°Oh, Lou.¡±


    Even calling the name of their god didn''t make food fall from the sky.


    ¡°E-eeek!¡±


    The soldiers at the front screamed.


    ¡°The dwarf demons are here!¡±


    There were those in the legion who hadn''t seen the mountain goat warriors themselves, but there was no one who didn''t know of them. The small barbarians riding on the back of mountain goats.


    <i>Ti-ing!</i>


    The mountain goat warriors shot arrows from a distance and then ran away. The soldiers quickly raised their shields in response, and there was almost no damage, but the legion had no cavalry to chase after the mountain goat warriors.


    <i>''Even the remaining horses are exhausted.''</i>


    Even the soldiers considered the precious warhorses as emergency rations. The legion was struggling with surviving to the point of not being able to focus on preserving itsbat power.


    ¡°Commander Odinist! We need your orders!¡±


    A noble shoutedmandingly at Odinist, who almost seemed like he was daydreaming.


    ¡°A-ah, into your battle positions!¡±


    Odinist shouted reflexively.


    <i>''The enemy didn''t juste for a stroll. They must have sent them as scouts to assess our situation and decide whether to attack or not.''</i>


    Odinist forced himself to think.


    The empire''s heavy infantry, despite being tired, prepared for battle by donning their armor. They were indeed professional soldiers who took the war as their jobs.


    The soldiers under the nobles, except for a few private soldiers, were conscripts and thus of poor quality. Their movements were sluggish due to their low morale, and theirck of vigor was evident to themanders.


    <i>Buuuuuuuuup!</i>


    A horn sounded from afar.


    At this moment, the Western Legion didn¡¯t even have the confidence that they would beat the barbarians. They were just struggling to survive, like the weak hoping for nothing but to live.


    In contrast to the Western Legion, whose morale was at rock bottom, the alliance''s spirits were higher than during the first engagement.


    ¡°Samikan! Samikan!¡±


    Samikan emerged from among the chiefs. He was clutching the wound on his chest. Every breath felt like someone was stabbing his lungs. It didn''t seem like a fatal wound, but it wasn''t one that was going to heal easily either.


    <i>''This will be a burden I¡¯ll have to carry for the rest of my life.''</i>


    Samikan raised his head. He climbed onto the tform and looked at the over ten thousand warriors.


    ¡°The Great Chief of the heavens!¡±


    ¡°Samikan is with us!¡±


    The warriors looked up to Samikan and praised him.


    Samikan closed his eyes and spread his arms. The stabbing pain in his chest disappeared as if something had washed it away. Ecstasy and ambition took over his body.


    <i>¡®I will attain immortal glory and be a legend.¡¯</i>


    Even with his eyes closed, he saw a bright light. It felt like the voices praising him ovepped on top of one another and were pointing toward a distant future.


    The excruciating pain that entangled his body disappeared as if washed away. He felt light as if he was running with the wind of the ins at his back.


    ¡°Thisnd is ours.¡±


    Samikan shouted out loud, forgetting the pain in his chest.


    ¡°Brothers, join me.¡±


    Samikan always led the charge in every major battle. In the tribal alliance that was fundamentally a warrior society, those who did not lead in battle did not receive respect.


    ¡°Samikan, with a body not yet healed from injury...¡± Noah Arten whispered beside Samikan.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a wound that would heal with time, anyway. I cannot miss this opportunity. Today, I will obtain immortality.¡±


    Samikan¡¯s decision was firm.


    Samikan moved through the warriors and stood at the forefront.


    ¡°Oh, ohhhhhhh!¡±


    As Samikan passed, the warriors nked their weapons and shouted. Their heightened emotions heated the air. The pungent smell of men tangled together, numbing the remaining ounce of fear.


    ¡°The barbarians areing!¡±


    ¡°Maintain our formation. No matter how many they are, they are just barbarians at the end of the day. Are we not the invincible legion?¡±


    Odinst, although struggling, shouted. Despite his words, he was alsocking confidence himself.


    The fervor felt from the barbarian army and the Western Legion was different. Even Odinst could feel it. The difference between an army confident in victory and one with plummeting morale was stark.


    The alliance forces outnumbered the Western Legion by about two to one. While numerically superior, if the Western Legion had been in normal condition, the alliance would have stood no chance in a frontal engagement.


    ¡°U-ughhhh.¡±


    The imperial soldiers formed a shield wall, standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Through the gaps in their shields, they saw the barbarians, filling thend and charging at them. They wanted to throw away their weapons and flee right then.


    ¡°Hold your ground! They areing!¡±


    Officers among the soldiers screamed, squeezing out their voices.


    Two armies faced off across the wide ins and shed head-on. It was a battle of strength with no tactics.


    <i>Booooom!</i>


    The legion and the barbarian warriors collided. Screams and roars intertwined as if they were one.


    ¡°Woaaaah!¡±


    The barbarian warriors thrust their spears between the soldiers'' shields.


    ¡°Do not let go of your shields! Do not let go!¡±


    Imperial soldiers yelled desperately. If a shield was prated, the soldiers next to it would die too.


    Not all barbarians charged mindlessly. A group of unified steps thudded across the ins.


    <i>Step, step, step.</i>


    Among the barbarians, there were units with uniform training. These barbarian warriors, who had even undergone formation training, moved to the nks in lines. They pounded the Western Legion''s nks like heavy hammers.


    <i>¡®These barbarians aren¡¯t all the same! Their training status and armaments vary.''</i>


    Odinst''s eyes widened. A barbarian unit was using a formation, jabbing at the legion''s left nk as if they were the imperial army.


    The imperial heavy infantry that was densely packed in the center couldn¡¯t easily move to the sides. Just handling the frontal assault of the barbarians took all their strength.


    "We need support! Legionmander!"


    The nobles shouted. The nk was guarded by light infantry, who were good in mobility but weak in armament, and mostly consisted of conscripts from the nobility.


    "It seems like the barbariansing to our left nk are their elite forces. If we can break their momentum, we might have a chance."


    Doleman advised Odinst. Odinst raised his hand to give permission.


    "Let''s show these ignorant barbarians the power of the empire!"


    As Doleman shouted, the knights raised their weapons in response.


    Though the strength of the knights without their warhorses was greatly diminished, they were still much stronger than ordinary heavy infantry as they had trained in martial arts their whole lives. Among them, the steel knights d in full te armor were a formidable force even as foot knights.


    <i>nk, nk.</i>


    About four hundred foot knights, who were once heavy cavalrymen, advanced to the battlefield. Among them, a hundred were d in full te armor.


    "The metal armors..."


    Samikan squinted as hemanded the formation unit. They might not be on horses like before, but the intimidation of the full te armor was still immense.


    Even the bravest warriors flinched at the sight of the approaching knights. The exchange rate was too poor against the knights. Their modest weapons were hardly effective against them.


    <i>''Urich, what would you do in this situation?''</i>


    Samikan twisted his lips. Urich was an excellent warrior. His mere presence was capable of boosting the morale of the fellow warriors.


    "Huff, huff."


    Samikan breathed heavily. Against the ruthless steel armor, all strategy and tactics were rendered useless. They had no choice but to confront them with strength.


    "Great Chief! It''s dangerous!"


    A warrior stepped forward to warn Samikan who was advancing to the front of the formation.


    Samikan stood in front of the formation andughed, forgetting the pain in his chest.


    <i>Wooosh.</i>


    Suddenly, his head spun. His ears were stuffed. Samikan looked up at the sky, then turned his eyes to the ground.


    Samikan''s eyes were vacant. The fear of death disappeared. His mind was at peace. It felt like he wouldn''t die even if he threw himself among those knights.


    "Oh heavens, oh, our mountains. If you have chosen me, Samikan, as a great one, then show me your proof today."


    Samikan had lived his life mocking the heaven''s omens. He even coerced the shamans to manipte the omens for his advantage. In a tribal society, it was a deed worthy of the most severe punishment.


    Yet, Samikan still ascended to the position of the head of the alliance even as he proimed heaven''s will falsely. Ironically, it could be interpreted as having heaven''s permission.


    Today, Samikan directly sought heaven''s permission. He rushed directly toward the knights as if he were possessed by something.


    "Follow the Great Chief Samikan!"


    As Samikan charged ahead, the warriors followed without hesitation. Samikan''s forces collided with the monster-like steel knights.


    "Kaaghhh!"


    Samikan let out a scream-like roar as he thrust his spear deeply. It was a reckless charge by Samikan, but a knight wearing chainmail fell to Samikan''s spear.


    "Protect the Great Chief!"


    To protect Samikan, who had prated deep into the knights'' ranks, warriors threw themselves forward, blocking knights attempting to attack Samikan and dying in his ce.


    "Oooooh!"


    Samikan fought as if he were possessed. He seized a mace from a dead knight and swung it. The heavy mace struck the helmet of a knight.


    Samikan was undoubtedly an excellent warrior. Without being one, one could not rise to the position of a chief. But today, he disyed something beyond his usual capabilities.


    <i>Whoosh.</i>


    His senses were sharp. Samikan even dodged stabsing in from his blind spots. He struck the side of a knight fiercely with the mace.


    "Aaaah!"


    Blood sttered on Samikan''s face from the knight''s helmet. The blue battle paint mixed with blood looked grotesque. He looked like a ghost of a paleke.


    <i>''If I am truly the one chosen by the heavens, I will not die today.''</i>


    Even the cynical Samikan wished for heaven''s favor in the end. A great one was not made by human strength alone.


    "Ohh, our Great Chief."


    The warriors too saw the blessings that had descended upon Samikan.


    Samikan was standing at the forefront as he fought the monstrous knights, yet he remained unscathed.


    There were no calm observers on the battlefield. Their rationality was blurred by blood, and their heightened emotions clouded their vision.


    They were not seeing how many warriors threw themselves to death to protect Samikan. Those who died in ce of Samikan did not speak. The only thing that mattered was the fact that Samikan was standing unharmed at the very forefront of the battle.


    The warriors attributed numerous meanings to Samikan. That was what sanctity was. Interpretations were infinite, and anything and everything seemed positive.

 Chapter 186

    <h4>Chapter 186</h4>


    Samikan loosely held his club and looked around himself. The warriors who followed his frenzied charge were busy repelling the knights with their lives.


    <i>''A charge that disregards one¡¯s own life.''</i>


    To face a knight as a barbarian warrior, one had to be fully prepared to sacrifice themselves. Fearing sacrifice was only going to lead to more harm. Like a cornered rat biting a cat, only the madness of the weak could overturn the disadvantage of power.


    The smell of blood wafted from the corpses of warriors that far exceeded the number of the dead knights. Samikan narrowed his eyes as he smelled the blood. He stepped on the corpses of his brothers. The blood-stained arrow marked the path Samikan was destined to take.


    "Look! Our Great Chief Samikan doesn¡¯t have a single scratch on his body!"


    Samikan''s loyal man beside him shouted. Samikan, leading at the forefront, was covered only in the enemy''s blood.


    "Oh heavens!"


    The warriors roared. They flipped the helmets of the fallen knights and thrust their daggers into them.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Now, the warriors soaked in blood were pushing the knights back.


    "Y-you goddamned barbarians!!"


    Doleman screamed and swung his sword. No matter how many he cut down, the waves of barbarians seemed endless. So many had been cut that human fat clogged the de, making it feel sticky.


    "Sir Doleman! We must retreat!"


    "And where do you think we can retreat to!"


    Doleman''s eyes zed as he stared at the iing barbarians.


    "Barbarians..."


    The knights remembered. The barbarians of the north who once threatened the empire. Men who had no fear of death and used their own lives as a tool to pave the way for the des of their brothers.


    The warriors of the alliance did not try to preserve their lives. Their leader, Samikan, was throwing his life on the line at the forefront. Who would dare to hesitate to sacrifice theirs? To cherish one''s life now was a shameful act.


    "Ah, it begins again. War! Oh, Lou! Glory to the empire! Show these barbarians the power of Lou!"


    Doleman shouted as he saw the approaching barbarians. He realized that the empire, even with all its might, would not be able to conquer thesends easily.


    "Try to strike me down if you can, you filthy animals! I dare you toe and even scratch my steel armor!"


    Doleman wielded his sword as if he was squeezing out every bit of his life. His sword cleaved through muscle and bone in a single strike. His valor inspired the surrounding knights.


    "We are fighting alongside Sir Doleman! Long live the Sun! Long live the emperor!"


    "Aaaaaah!"


    However, the knightly loyalty dissipated in the ins. Their mindset alone was not enough to change the oue of the battle.


    The Western Legion was already shattered. Soldiers who had lost their will to fight voluntarily dropped their weapons and knelt.


    "Commander Odinst!" The nobles called out desperately for Odinst.


    "Ha, haha."


    Odinst drew his sword and let out a hollowugh. He grabbed the reins of one of the few remaining horses.


    <i>''This isn''t what I wanted.''</i>


    Odinst grew up listening to the many stories of great knights. The knights who subjugated the barbarians were his heroes.


    <i>''I wanted to be a knight just like them¡ªa knight to be revered by future generations...''</i>


    Odinst charged into the heart of the barbarians on his horse, swinging his sword wide and cutting them down.


    "Woooooo!"


    The barbarians swarmed in and toppled Odinst''s horse. The dizzying impact shook Odinst''s head.


    "Aaaaaaah!"


    Odinst screamed, clutching his sword.


    The barbarians rushed at Odinst like a swarm of ants.


    "Keugh!"


    A barbarian removed Odinst''s helmet. Thest thing Odinst saw was the axe of the barbarian.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Odinst, who had charged in almost suicidally, was dead. The nobles who saw this gave up their resistance and surrendered one by one.


    "Kaaaah!"


    Just because they surrendered didn¡¯t mean they were going to live. The blood-intoxicated barbarians mercilessly tore apart even the soldiers who had surrendered. Soldiers who had their limbs severed and bellies ripped open right then and there were scattered all over the battlefield.


    No one could stop the warriors'' frenzy. No matter how disciplined they tried to be, they were still barbarian warriors at heart.


    Samikan quietly stood on the battlefield, waiting for the madness to subside. The excitement that had buoyed Samikan''s shoulders quietly settled. As the excitement and intoxication faded, his entire body began to ache.


    "Cough."


    Samikan covered his mouth as he coughed. He felt blood rising in his throat.


    <i>''Blood is regurgitating from my throat even though I wasn''t injured in today''s battle.''</i>


    Samikan assessed his body. Only then did his chest begin to throb painfully. He had fought too hard with his already-battered body.


    "Kek, keke."


    Samikan coughed up blood andughed. He threw the mace he was holding onto the ground and took out a bow from his back to shoot a whistling arrow.


    Hearing the signal, warriors looked toward Samikan.


    "Samikaaaaaan!"


    From all around, Samikan''s name was echoed.


    "Warrior of the heavens!"


    "The Great Samikan has brought us victory!"


    The blood-soaked warriors cheered. Samikan looked at the prisoners.


    "Today, we have shed much blood."


    Samikan walked among the corpses with his arms rxed. The warriors who had settled down also observed a moment of silence for their fallen brothers.


    "...But they will shed even more blood. They will pay for invading ournds with burning earth and the screams of their families and children. It is now our turn to show them who we are, and to make sure they never dare cross the mountains ever again."


    Samikan pointed east with his spear, taking a deep breath before continuing.


    "Brothers, you have seen it with your own eyes. I jumped into the midst of the enemies, yet I stand here unharmed. Today, I have risked my life and received a decree from the heavens... Yes, the heavens have given me their permission! I, Samikan, swear! We will cross the mountains! And we will make them pay for their invasion!"


    The men from civilization didn''t understand Samikan''s words, but they grasped the meaning through his intense tone and gestures.


    <i>''Are these crazy bastards trying to invade the civilized world?!''</i>


    Regardless of what the civilized thought, the warriors were uplifted by Samikan''s speech. They grabbed the nearest imperial soldiers and shed their throats.


    "May the blood of the invaders that we put up as sacrifice please the heavens and the earth!"


    The warriors shouted, holding the heads of their enemies high.


    They had captured many prisoners. Nearly two thousand prisoners watched the barbarian warriors silently, barely catching their breath in relief of keeping their lives for the time being.


    The alliance army dragged the prisoners to a nearby tribal vige. Since the alliance itself was alreadycking sufficient food, many prisoners died of hunger, and those injured sumbed to their wounds.


    By the time they reached the alliance camp, half of the original prisoners had died, leaving only about a thousand prisoners.


    After reviving their spirits, the alliance warriors celebrated with festivities every night, boasting of their heroic deeds. They fully enjoyed their victory.


    * * *


    Noah Arten prayed alone in his tent. He wept under the guilt weighing on his heart.


    "Sun God Lou, I am your servant. If my actions are wrong, please do take my life at any time."


    Noah pledged to maintain his rtionship and duty with Samikan. However, after actually seeing the captured civilized people with his own eyes, he couldn''t sleep at night.


    After praying, Noah was summoned by Samikan to a tent filled with prisoners. The famished and exhausted prisoners red at him upon his arrival.


    "Despicable traitor!"


    "You filthy scum! You won''t find peace even in death!"


    Noah was assigned as the interpreter for the civilized. The prisoners spewed all sorts of curses at Noah upon seeing him walk in.


    <i>''It would probably be best not to reveal my identity as a member of the Arten family.''</i>


    He didn''t want to bring shame to his family. Noah slowly surveyed the prisoners, selecting those who appeared to be nobles and officers.


    Managing over a thousand prisoners individually was impossible. They needed prisoners who could serve as intermediaries.


    "Those who have stood up, follow me."


    Noah selected about twenty nobles and officers and took them to Samikan.


    Samikan was sitting in a chair in an open space, drinking. Other tribal leaders who were drinking with him nced at Noah and the prisoners.


    "Noah, are these the chiefs of the civilized world?"


    "Yeah, something like that."


    "I see, so these are the ''nobles,'' then."


    Samikan jogged his memories. He tried to stand up but clutched his chest from the pain.


    <i>''That¡¯s a proper life-long injury.''</i>


    Samikan grimaced with pain and chuckled bitterly.


    After the battle against the Western Legion, one of Samikan''s lungs was damaged. He couldn''t run as much as before. Even little movements made him run out of breath quickly. When he forced himself to move through the pain, he just ended up vomiting a pool of blood.


    "Noah, trante for us."


    Samikan sat down and rested his chin on his hand.


    The prisoners kneeled, waiting for Samikan''s words.


    "You are a dirty traitor. What, did you get hooked on some barbarian women or something?"


    One of the prisoners muttered toward Noah. Noah acted as if he couldn¡¯t hear him.


    But Samikan drew his steel sword. Chiefs from the west and notable warriors now typically had at least one imperial steel sword as a trophy.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    With no warning, Samikan shed the neck of the prisoner who had insulted Noah. The body of the prisoner thudded to the ground.


    "E-eeeek!"


    The surrounding prisoners looked at Samikan with fear.


    "I don''t know exactly what was said, but I can tell it was an insult toward Noah."


    Samikanughed, shaking the blood off his de. He had been learning Hamelian from Noah. Although he hadn''t reached speaking level yet, his ears were trained enough to be able to somewhat distinguish insults from praises.


    The prisoners no longer dared to insult Noah. They silently listened to Samikan''s words through Noah''s trantion.


    "We are going to repair Yailrud."


    The prisoners'' eyes widened at Samikan''s words.


    Most of the Imperial soldiers were both excellent fighters and skilled civil engineers. Wherever they went, they built supply routes and fortresses as needed. The remaining prisoners also had the capability to repair Yailrud.


    "My goodness. Oh, Lou."


    "What are you nning to do by repairing Yailrud?"


    The prisoners murmured. Samikan didn''t answer their question.


    "If you cooperate, you will receive food and women. If you refuse, you will be food for wild animals. My offer is valid at this moment only."


    Samikan tapped the armrest of his chair. At that sound, the prisoners nced at each other and one by one began to lower their heads in eptance.


    Samikan smiled with satisfaction. His power that was solidified by the recent victory seemed to pierce the heavens. Everything he wanted became reality with only his words.


    Based on his dictatorial power, Samikan suppressed all opposition and pushed through reforms. The tribal society of the west was bound to undergo rapid changes in faith, system, technology, and all other aspects.


    Tribes that were scattered by the scorched earth tactics were also able to reim their territories. This included the Stone Axe Tribe, which was the closest to Yailrud.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    The prisoners perilously crossed over Yailrud, carrying out the repairs.


    Tribe warriors supervised the working prisoners from a distance. The civilization prisoners rebuilt the brokendders to the top of the gorge and reconnected severed portions of the bridge.


    News of the alliance victory reached the Arten outpost.


    "So we really stopped the imperial army... hah, haha."


    Urichughed. He was the one who had cut off their supply route, but Samikan''s contribution was worthy of acknowledgment. Leading the massive, yet often resistant, alliance as a single entity was all to Samikan''s credit.


    Urich wanted to cross Yailrud and return to the west immediately but couldn''t leave the outpost. He was the link between the civilized and the tribal warriors. Without Urich, the outpost would be paralyzed. Although the smarter warriors were learning the imperialnguage, they were still at a beginner level and couldn''t rece Urich.


    Urich didn''t cross Yailrud, but instead, Samikan brought the chiefs to the Arten outpost. Samikan dered he would hold a tribal council at the outpost.


    "It makes no sense to have a tribal council without my brother who has made such a significant contribution! Is this not where Urich is? The Son of the Earth and the chief of the Stone Axe Tribe?"


    At Samikan''s words, the chiefs nodded. In their heads, they understood Urich''s role was as significant as Samikan''s. it was just that they hadn''t seen it with their own eyes... What they had witnessed was only the magnificence of Samikan on the battlefield.


    Urich and Samikan met at the entrance to the outpost. The two embraced each other and sped each other''s forearms like brothers who had spent their entire lives alongside each other.


    "My great brother, Samikan!"


    "How great can I really bepared to the very warrior blessed by all spirits and the heavens, Urich!"


    tteries were exchanged.


    Samikan patted Urich''s shoulder and whispered in his ear.


    "Urich, I truly have received the heavens'' permission this time. This is not a lie. I have grasped the fate of a conqueror. I hold no fear anymore. Not even toward you... I now truly want to be brothers."


    Samikan''s words reached Urich''s heart. The scale of love and hatred seemed to teeter.


    Urich twisted his lips and grabbed Samikan''s head with both hands. To others watching from a distance, it just looked like the two warriors were expressing their fierce camaraderie.


    "If you truly think that way, prove it with your actions, Samikan."


    Urich loosely let go of his hands.


    <i>''Just as I am... Samikan must also be confused. Whether we should trust each other or not.''</i>


    Samikan could have held the tribal council without Urich. But he specifically led the chiefs of the major tribes of the alliance to the Arten outpost to hold the meeting. This time, it was Samikan who extended his hand to Urich first.

 Chapter 187: Plunderers

    <h4>Chapter 187: Plunderers</h4>


    Men who heavily exuded the smell of earth were gathered in a tavern, chattering away. They were residents of a vige not far from the Arten outpost.


    "Seems like the empire''s troops aren''ting these days."


    "Isn''t it better if they don''te?"


    "Hmm, I guess so. I heard that people have been dying building that strange bridge of theirs, huh?"


    "Yeah, even the butcher''s eldest son went to earn some money and died."


    asionally, imperial soldiers woulde down to the vige to recruit workers, but thest time that happened was three months ago.


    "Burp, that was a good meal. I got the bill today," a portly man said as he stood up and.


    "Again? Did you find a treasure chest or something while you were plowing the field?"


    "Haha, how nice would that be? Well, I¡¯m happy as long as we all enjoyed a good meal."


    The portly man justughed off thements and left the tavern to stagger back to his home.


    "My goodness! Did you drown yourself in booze again?"


    The man''s wife who had been waiting at home frowned as he walked in.


    "Did you feed our precious little pot of gold?"


    The man chuckled as he sat in a chair, throwing his coat carelessly on the floor.


    The wife sighed, picking up the coat from the floor and hanging it on the wall.


    "Honey, it still feels like a dream. Never in my life did I think I''d hold so many gold coins in my hands," the man said coarsely.


    "We should have never taken that money. How did this man be sozy..."


    ¡°Ehem, don''t say that. Anyway, did you feed it nicely?"


    The wife only nodded at the man¡¯s question. The man smiled contentedly, took another drink, and headed to the stable.


    "Our little gold pot¡ªoops, that¡¯s not right, is it! Our precious Kylios."


    The man said, looking at the horse in his stable.


    <i>Prrr.</i>


    Kylios red fiercely. The attitude of this horse was so nasty that it took the man a whole month to get it to ept his hand.


    "Man, if it weren''t for the money, I would''ve already..."


    Regardless, the man took good care of Kylios.


    About two years ago, a wealthy warrior visited the man. Introducing himself as Urich, the warrior gave him a pouch full of gold coins and left this horse in his care.


    <i>¡®He said that he¡¯d pay me again just as much when hees back to get the horse, hehe.¡¯</i>


    The man became rich overnight but didn''t spend the money willy-nilly. Bragging about money would have definitely attracted robbers. If the lord of the area heard of it, he could have very well found any excuse to confiscate the wealth.


    <i>¡®Worst case, I could even sell the horse.¡¯</i>


    The man sat on a stump in the yard, gazing at the stars. The pouch of gold that Urich had given him had given him massive financial relief.


    The cool night air swept away the drunkenness.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Footsteps sounded in the darkness. The man flinched and grabbed a pitchfork thaty next to the stable.


    It was always better to be safe than sorry. Life outside the city walls is fraught with danger. Even though there were guards who patrolled the area, it wasn¡¯t like they could stop every single thief or bandit anyway.


    Arge shadow moved in the darkness.


    "Remember my face?"


    Urich the barbarian emerged from the shadows.


    "Ah, good sir!"


    The man dropped the pitchfork and weed Urich warmly. Urich was the very man who had brought him all this luck.


    "Seems like you¡¯ve taken good care of Kylios like you promised. It even looks like you¡¯ve fed him well enough for him to gain some extra weight."


    Urich slowly looked in the stable. Kylios neighed softly, greeting Urich.


    "Of course, sir. I''ve fed him only the best. Even if I went hungry, I made sure this one didn¡¯t..."


    The man clung to Urich, ttering him.


    "As you should! If you had mistreated Kylios, your head would be rolling on the ground by now."


    "Ha, haha."


    The manughed awkwardly and looked at Urich. Since he was wearing a rather roomy cloak around him, it wasn''t clear if he had the money pouch on him.


    <i>''D-does he have the money?''</i>


    When he actually thought about it, the man he was dealing with was a warrior of unknown origin. Who would catch him if he decided to kill a farmer on a random night and run away? The guards dozing off inside the city walls wouldn''t know a murder had urred until the next day.


    "Seeing you makes me nostalgic."


    Urich murmured as he stroked Kylios'' muzzle.


    <i>''Mercenary Urich.''</i>


    There was such a time. Urich once mingled with the civilized people, feeling joys and sorrows. He shared friendships through his exchanges with them.


    "Life is so unpredictable. We don¡¯t even know what¡¯s gonna happen tomorrow, isn¡¯t that right?"


    Urich said to the man standing beside him.


    "Of course, sir. But, about that thing you promised..."


    "Ah, I know. Yes, that''s the most important thing."


    Urich reached into his cloak.


    The man tensely focused on Urich''s hand with all of his senses alert. He was ready to run away at the sight of any weapon.


    <i>Ssssh</i>.


    Urich pulled out a pouch of gold coins and tossed it to the man.


    "T-thank you, sir! May Lou¡¯s blessings be with you! If there''s anything like this next time, j-just leave it to me again!"


    The man checked inside the pouch.


    <i>''So many hundred-thousand-gild gold coins!''</i>


    It was much more money than he had expected. The man dropped all of his suspicions and bowed repeatedly to Urich.


    "Ah, and since you took such good care of Kylios, I¡¯ll let you in on one thing."


    Urich said as he saddled up. The man, who was busy counting the gold, looked up.


    "Yes?"


    "Pack your stuff and leave this vige tonight."


    "What do you mean...?"


    Urich mounted Kylios without answering the man. He rode off into the darkness.


    <i>Jingle.</i>


    The man stood dazed, watching the direction Urich had disappeared to.


    <i>''It doesn''t sound like empty words.''</i>


    He went inside to wake up his wife, who had just fallen asleep.


    "Honey."


    "We''re too old to be getting up in the middle of the night to do that stuff."


    "No, that¡¯s not... We need to leave here before dawn. Let''s spend the night at the hunting cabin."


    "What are you talking about all of a sudden?"


    "The man who left the horse here came back to give us the rest of the money and warned us that we¡¯d better leave the vige. It¡¯s the warning of a man who casually throws around hundred-thousand-gild gold coins like it¡¯s nothing. We can¡¯t just ignore it."


    The man opened the pouch of gold and showed it to his wife. After seeing the money, his wife quickly got up.


    "I knew it wasn''t right to receive that kind of money. Who gives away such a fortune for just looking after a horse?"


    Although she was mutteringints, the wife quickly dressed up.


    The farmer couple, with their ten-year-old son on their back, fled into the night. They spent the night in a cabin deep in the woods far away from the vige.


    "A-ah."


    The man was dozing off, then gasped upon opening his eyes. He saw a bright light spreading from his vige.


    The vige was burning.


    * * *


    Perhaps, the eastern advance of the alliance army was inevitable all along. The west, not yet settled into agriculture, always suffered from a shortage of resources. If the military force that was united under the name of the alliance did not eventually venture out, they would have had to resort to turning against their own kind again.


    The viges on the outskirts that didn¡¯t belong to a kingdom barely had a thousand residents. The onlyw enforcement they had was the patrol sent asionally by the lord, and the order within the vige was maintained by local militias simr to a youth league.


    The tribal warriors knew that the darkest time of the day was just before dawn.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    Warriors gazing into the vige from a distance armed themselves. The metallic sound was clear and resonant.


    The armament of the warriors was significantly better than in the past. Instead of crude tribal armor made of wrought iron, they used high-quality armor that was made in the empire. Some of the higher-ranking warriors even wore steel armor.


    <i>''I am stepping foot onto thisnd once again, but this time, I¡¯m doing so with my brothers.''</i>


    Urich had entrusted Kylios to the civilization mercenaries. He stood side by side with the other warriors.


    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t think this would be how I made my return.¡¯</i>


    Urich smiled faintly. The warriors came here for plundering and destruction.


    "Let''s let them know that we have arrived!"


    The warriors stood up and roared.


    "Oh, ooooooh!"


    "Woahh!"


    The warriors were ruthless. They had been invaded by civilized people. A blood reprisal was only natural.


    "Urich, there is no need for you to step in. It''s a trifling battle."


    Samikan stopped Urich, who was about to join the fight. Urich was born a warrior, and he was fully intending to fight alongside his brothers.


    "Even a trifling battle is still a battle."


    "Now, you and I are no longer merely the chiefs of our tribes. I am the Great Chief and you are my brother and the Son of the Earth. We are symbols to these warriors. Participating in every small battle won''t help us draw the warriors'' morale for the big battles. We need to refrain from these small battles and preserve ourselves for the significant ones. That way, we can give the impression that if Urich and Samikan are fighting, then it must be a significant battle of great importance."


    Samikan spoke calmly. Urich loosely dropped his tone and sheathed his sword.


    "That makes sense."


    Urich nodded in agreement without a fuss.


    <i>''Indeed, there''s much to learn from Samikan.''</i>


    Samikan had more experience than Urich. Unlike a typical tribesman, his perspective was especially broad, making him adept at political scheming. He would manage to survive even if he was thrown into the society of nobility.


    "Woooaaaaaah!"


    "We are here!"


    "No mercy! No mercy!"


    The warriors raided the vige as they roared. Soon, the vige was aze and screams spread far and wide.


    "Kill the men and take the women!"


    The vige waspletely taken over by the warriors before the dawn broke.


    "How pitiful. Do they not have a single warrior among so many people?"


    Urich, Samikan, and the other tribal chiefs entered the captured vige.


    The warriors had already gathered loot and dragged the fleeing women by their hair into the houses.


    "Most of these people are farmers. Except for professional soldiers, civilized people rarely get a chance to handle weapons in their lifetimes. At most, they are conscripted and sent to the battlefield to serve as mere arrow fodder. Even that has be rare with the long peaceful times."


    Urich exined calmly. Initially, he had the same thoughts as the other tribesmen.


    <i>''They¡¯re probably thinking that civilized people are weak and fragile. In terms of being a warrior, they¡¯re not wrong. Even if a hundred able-bodied men gather, it would be hard to find one who knows how to fight properly.''</i>


    Having grown up in a society where being a man equated to being a warrior, Urich too viewed non-warrior civilized people with disdain. However, being strong in civilized worlds didn''t just mean muscle and metal.


    <i>''Every farmer who is dying right now sustains countless lives. Unlike warriors, who at most support their own family, one farmer feeds other civilized people who then contribute to society in other areas. This is what leads to the advancement of civilization.''</i>


    Urich was obsessed with agriculture for this very reason. A civilization settled in agriculture was always Urich''s object of envy. The golden wheat fields produced by the farmers were more beautiful than any jewel that he had ever seen.


    Even the mercenaries from civilization participated in the looting like the barbarians. Although they were civilized people, they were ves with little to no education. If they hadn''t joined the alliance army, they would have ended up as bandits, anyway.


    Urich walked through the vige filled with madness and chaos. He checked if the farmhouse where he had left Kylios earlier had safely evacuated.


    <i>''There are signs they packed up. They took my warning.''</i>


    Urich felt no moral qualms about looting. Looting was simply one of the many ways of making a living by shedding blood.


    "Ughh."


    There was a sound outside the farmhouse. Urich, holding his axe, walked toward the source of the sound.


    "Please, please, please.¡±


    A murmuring voice came from a wooden barrel that was sitting in the corner.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Urich opened the lid of the barrel to check inside. Inside the barrel, a girl was huddled up, shivering.


    Urich and the girl''s eyes met. The girl looked at Urich as if she was about to faint, soaked in urine.


    "...If you can''t keep your voice down, bite your hand to stifle it."


    Urich advised, then closed the lid of the barrel again. However, the sobbing sound didn''t go away. If the warriors came here, there was no chance this girl was going to make it through the night in one piece.


    Urich looked at the warriors running in from the opposite side.


    "I saw some of them carrying stuff and running that way. Go after them, there might be something."


    Urich said to the warriors. He then started smashing the nearby walls and throwing furniture around to make it look as though the area had already been plundered.


    <i>¡®I must be going insane. What a meaningless thing I just did.¡¯</i>


    The vige was being plundered anyway. People were dying in droves, and such events were only going to repeat countless times in theing future.


    ¡®<i>...But maybe, to this girl, it¡¯s probably not meaningless.¡¯</i>


    Urich closed his eyes. A piece of mercy that he had learned from the civilized world was added to Urich''s scale.

 Chapter 188

    <h4>Chapter 188</h4>


    "B-barbarians! Barbarians have attacked and set the vige on fire. They are looting everything!"


    A shabby man prostrated before the lord, reporting urgently.


    "Where did these barbarianse from?"


    The seated lord frowned, still groggy from having woken up at noon. He was sensitive to even minor disturbances.


    At the lord¡¯s reaction, his butler came up beside him and whispered,


    "My lord, do you remember when the imperial army requested supplies, not too long ago? That was for a bridge going westward..."


    "Barbarians from the west? What nonsense!"


    The man who hade with the report listened to the lord and his butler¡¯s exchange and came further forward on his knees as if he had been done wrong.


    "They are ferociously brutal, my lord! They are k-killing everything in sight, those d-dreadful beings!"


    The man wept. He had narrowly escaped the ravaged vige and barely made it to the lord for the report.


    "How many were there?" The lord asked the man.


    "Thousands, at least..."


    The man''s answer startled the lord into standing up. His domain was a small city. Even if he tried to muster all the conscripts he could, the number would hardly reach five hundred. The permanent guard barely numbered a hundred.


    "T-thousands, you say?"


    "The entire vige was s-swamped with barbarians. It was truly h-horrific, my lord."


    The lord and his lieges murmured among themselves.


    "If what he says is true, we must draft a plea for reinforcements immediately. There''s still time to alert the surrounding lords..."


    "Do you really think they''d jump up from their seats to help us? They''re all but waiting for my downfall."


    Lords in the feudal society werepetitors. It was highly unlikely that they would help each other unless they were ordered to do so by the central government.


    As the lord and his lieges deliberated, a guard burst in through the door and announced, "An unidentified army has been spotted beyond the horizon!"


    The man from the vige screamed in panic upon hearing the guard.


    "They''re here! The barbarians have followed us here!"


    As he became frantic, the soldiers in the room restrained him.


    ¡°They reached here that quickly...?¡±


    The lord jumped to his feet and went up the city walls with his lieges. Only half a day had passed since the vige was attacked. The barbarians'' advance was unexpectedly swift.


    "My goodness! Gather the men and open the armory!"


    The lordmanded upon sighting the barbarian army. He could easily estimate over two thousand troops on the horizon.


    "Perhaps sending an envoy to discern their demands would be wise..."


    A liege hesitantly suggested then trailed off. The barbarians were right in front of their noses.


    "Oooohhh!"


    The alliance army employed the tactic of swift and efficient attacks. They had selected two thousand elite warriors for a rapid march. This allowed them to attack the lord immediately upon the news reaching him. The mobility of the western barbarians surpassed that of any infantry in the empire.


    The lord was faced with the task of defending against the attack of two thousand warriors without a chance to prepare. But it was impossible to stop a force of two thousand men with just dozens of city guards.


    "As expected."


    Urich scratched his chin as he watched the charge of the alliance army. Deploying two thousand quick elites was his idea.


    <i>¡®No matter how great our mobility is, a full march of ten thousand can¡¯tpare to this speed.''</i>


    If they had opted to move their entire army of ten thousand warriors, the same advance would have taken them two, or even three times longer. Urich and the two thousand elite warriors delegated the loot and supplies to the following troops. They carried only their armor and the minimal siege instrument. Since the warriors were quick on their feet, this tactic allowed them to reach the city walls by the time the man who escaped from the vige delivered the news of their invasion to the city.


    Urich''s force initiated the siege before the lord could mount a defense.


    ¡°Put up thedders!¡±


    The warriors threw updders all over the city wall. The small number of soldiers on top of the walls was nowhere near enough to stop the warriors who were climbing up.


    "Now, it''s my turn to climb."


    Urich also ascended thedder. His barbarians were already tearing the soldiers apart and tossing them off the walls.


    "Who dares to stop the Son of the Earth!!"


    The warriors shouted upon seeing Urich joining them in the fray, proud to be at the vanguard alongside him.


    Urich jumped down the wall. The people of the city were already busy running for their lives.


    ¡°Hup!¡±


    Urichunched his axe. He hit a fleeing soldier in the back, shattering the cheap chainmail and embedding the chain shards into the victim''s back.


    "Ah, ahhhhhh!"


    A soldier tried to crawl to his escape, but Urich was already standing over him. He retrieved his axe and stomped on the soldier''s head.


    Urich had no mercy for those who were carrying a weapon. Soldiers and warriors were men who risked their lives to seize something.


    <i>¡®If you''ve picked up a weapon without the resolve to risk your life, then it''s only right that you die.¡¯</i>


    Urich shook the blood off his axe and scanned for his next prey. The castle was already plunged into chaos. People were busy packing up and fleeing.


    <i>¡®We advance faster than words.¡¯</i>


    To fend off an invasion of thousands of barbarians, a new legion would need to be formed. But even with the emperor''s absolute power, forming a legion out of nothing overnight was impossible. It was going to take the empire at least three to four months before they could summon the army and dispatch it after hearing the news.


    Until the legion arrived, the local lords had no choice but to fend off the barbarian invasion themselves, which was practically impossible.


    <i>¡®And by the time the legion can get here, we''ll already be in the Langkegart Kingdom.¡¯</i>


    The alliance army had enough time to devastate the Langkegart Kingdom. By the time news of the barbarian invasion on the civilized world spread, the alliance army would have already crossed into Langkegart territory.


    On average, a small city of civilization was located at a two to three-day walking distance, and a moderately sized city was found about a week apart. With the mobility of the alliance army, they could march at the speed of average travelers. This meant that they could destroy a city with a poption of ten thousand every week.


    <i>¡®There are many ways to win a war. Winning physical battles is merely one of them.¡¯</i>


    Urich was deeply impressed by the scorched earth tactic. War was not just an extension of battles. Even if you lost a battle, there were still other ways to win the war. Avoiding fights was also a method of warfare.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich entered the lord''s mansion. He found the lord trying to pack his treasures.


    "S-stop that man!"


    The lord intended to flee with his treasures. He ordered his servants and soldiers to attack Urich.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich''s sword and axe danced as they shook the marble decoration. The limbs of the soldiers who charged at him were flung up to the ceiling.


    <i>Criiiing.</i>


    Dragging his sword across the marble floor, Urich followed the lord. The lord was disgracefully running away, even dropping his treasures like a trail.


    "If you¡¯re a lord, you should really try to act like one."


    Urich kicked a silver teapot that had fallen to the ground.


    "Gaah!"


    The teapot struck the lord''s head. The lord fell and rolled on the floor.


    <i>''My treasure? Or do I run?''</i>


    It was a brief moment, but the lord internally debated. Leaving behind all of the spilled treasures to flee pained him. But he scrambled to his feet and ran again to survive.


    "A lord is the ruler of thisnd and its people. Isn''t it irresponsible to show such cowardice?"


    Urich cackled as he walked after the lord down the corridor. He was disgusted by the sight of the lord. This man was a feeble-minded man who was not worthy of the position of lord which was equivalent to a tribal chief. Yet even such a coward had ascended to the lord''s position.


    "Since you¡¯ve got a position that you are unworthy of, you deserve death. That is my verdict.¡±


    Urich murmured to himself as he lightly threw his axe.


    "A-aaaaah!"


    The lord screamed upon seeing the axe lodged in his thigh. He tried to stop the bleeding, but instead, the blood made his palm warm in no time.


    "Now, pray to your god."


    Urich stomped on the lord''s belly and pulled out the axe. The smell of urine mixed with blood rose from the floor.


    "I-if you spare me, you can receive a huge ransom! I''ll pay you myself, w-whatever it takes! Please, have mercy!"


    The first thing this lord did, without even knowing who these barbarians were, was beg them for his life.


    "Don¡¯t ask me for mercy. Go ask Lou for it."


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Urich swung his axe, splitting the lord''s head in half. Blood and brain matter sttered on Urich''s face.


    Urich wiped his face with the back of his hand and walked to the window. The city was on fire.


    <i>''I am...''</i>


    Urich felt both regret and pleasure simultaneously. He was destroying the civilization he admired. His heart pounded. Civilization was never meant to be his. Even if he longed for it his entire life, he could never possess it. The tribes reaching the level of civilization in his lifetime was impossible.


    <i>''...Jealous.''</i>


    It was the emotion he had suppressed and denied for a long time. Once he truly realized he couldn''t reach that level, admiration turned into jealousy.


    "Dammit."


    Urich kicked the dead lord''s head and cursed.


    * * *


    The alliance army maximized their march speed with a crossing advance. The speed of their conquest was a level that was unheard of in the civilized world.


    The alliance army sent two to three thousand warriors ahead in rotations, with the follow-up forces dragging all the loot and supplies. They did not linger in conquered territories but kept moving forward relentlessly.


    The speed of their march essentially equated to the speed of their conquest. The lords of the civilized world often encountered the barbarian army even before hearing anything about them.


    These were warriors who lived a nomadic life without any other means of transportation to rely on. The foot mobility of warriors who had spent their lives running and walking in the west surpassed themon sense of civilized people.


    "This is absolutely insane."


    Georg marveled at the march path they had taken so far. Even seeing it with his own eyes, it was hard to believe they were the same infantry.


    Georg and the civilized mercenaries couldn¡¯t even participate in the battles. They were tasked with managing the aftermath in conquered territories and operating supply wagons.


    "Georg, look at this! Hehe, we''re going to be rich in no time. It seems like those barbarians don''t even care about treasures."


    The westerners didn''t overly covet treasures. The only thing they intensely desired was better armor and weapons. As nomads, they had little desire for personal property and also didn''t fully understand the value of treasures of the civilized world.


    The civilized mercenaries grinned at the treasures just falling into their hands. Since the barbarians were taking care of all the plundering and fighting, they didn¡¯t even have to put themselves in danger.


    "Those guys really are something. They''ve taken down several cities in just a month since departing. The Langkegart Kingdom is right around the corner now."


    The alliance army selected their routes to go through small cities and viges that could be quickly conquered. Large cities, with their high walls and solid defenses, posed difficulties for rapid advancement.


    Georg traced the path of the alliance army''s movement. The vanguard that cross-marched was already crossing the borders of Langkegart.


    The civilized world only began to respond by the time the alliance army was already crossing the border of Langkegart.


    News of the raiders from the other side of the mountains spread, and the lords began preparing for the barbarians one by one.


    Even in the capital of the empire, news of the western raiders had already spread. People of the civilized world trembled at the emergence of new barbarians, demanding protection and action from the emperor, the ruler of the civilized world.

 Chapter 189: Langkegart

    <h4>Chapter 189: Langkegart</h4>


    The news of the raiders from the west reached the imperial pce.


    "Any contact from Sir Odinst?"


    "None, Your Majesty."


    "And no one knows where Duke Langster is?"


    The knight reporting to Emperor Yanchinus lowered his head. Around them, numerous nobles were split into two sides.


    "The barbarians from the west are crossing the mountains and raiding left and right. It''s obvious. Form a new legion."


    Yanchinus managed to suppress his anger.


    <i>''This is truly unexpected. I know Odinst was a young one, but...''</i>


    Odinst was a young and promising knight. He came from a good family and had decent skills. Yanchinus had entrusted him with a legion to help him build his experience.


    <i>''Barbarians are supposed to fight on par with our imperial army only after they''ve looted enough equipment from us and adapted to our tactics. That too, is under the assumption that they have united. It makes no sense for a legion to lose in the initial battles.''</i>


    Yanchinus wasn''t the only one who thought so. Judging by the circumstances, it was clear the western legion had been defeated by the barbarians. The knights and nobles were unsettled by this unprecedented situation.


    <i>¡®This is getting tricky. I don¡¯t feelfortable sending out the veterans, either...''</i>


    Capable generals raced through Yanchinus'' mind. They were the old guards who had long contended with barbarians.


    <i>¡®Ever since Ferzen noya died, those old fools have been trying to break free from my control.''</i>


    There were those even Yanchinus couldn¡¯t treat harshly. They were the military nobles with influence within the imperial army.


    Yanchinus'' absolute power depended on the imperial army''s absolute military force. While the soldiers of the imperial army were loyal to the emperor, some of theirmanders had tendencies to be rather independent. The venerable veterans, who had earned the respect and trust of the soldiers, could not be purged recklessly by the emperor, either.


    <i>¡®They didn¡¯t show such signs when noya was still alive, keke.''</i>


    Yanchinusughed inwardly.


    The Sword Demon Ferzen was a legend with more influence than all the veteransbined. Because he was the emperor''s guardian, no matter how hard the veterans tried, they could not surpass the young emperor''s power.


    <i>''I tried to develop Odinst to break the spirit of the veterans, but life doesn''t always go as nned. That''s life, I suppose.''</i>


    Yanchinus closed his eyes, deep in thought. His anger had already subsided. Anger only narrowed one''s perspective.


    <i>''But we can''t just let the barbarians run rampant.''</i>


    It was a matter that impacted the prestige of the emperor and the empire.


    The emperor was the ruler of the civilized world, the protector of all lords and kingdoms, and the guardian of Srism. Yanchinus had a duty to stop the barbarians.


    "The scale of the barbarian army varies in the reports. Some say they have as many as a hundred thousand troops."


    The scribe read from reports flown in from various ces. Information about the western barbarians was mostly a mystery. No one knew the poption or culture of the western barbarians'' homnd. Those who might have known were either missing or dead.


    "A hundred thousand troops? That is certainly an exaggeration born of fear. Recent reports estimate no more than twenty thousand at most."


    Yanchinus sat on the throne, looking down at his subjects. His gaze was cold. The blood of conquest still ran hot.


    Yanchinus organized his thoughts and spoke.


    "Summon Sir Maluan. Assign him to oversee Yailrud and the western reconnaissance. We need to know their base. Being attacked one-sided like this is not to my taste."


    The scribe recorded Yanchinus'' order.


    No matter the number of barbarians, they were the ones attacking unterally because there wasn¡¯t a need for them to defend their homnd. Being able to go on a unteral offensive was a significant advantage in war.


    <i>''The western barbarian army doesn''t need to worry about upying territories or managing supply lines; they just need to keep plundering and advancing. Their goal isn''t conquest but rather revenge and a disy of power.''</i>


    That was also precisely what made them troublesome. The barbarian army was essentially a massive raiding party unleashed upon the civilized world to mock them. Without knowing their base, it was difficult to eradicate them.


    <i>''The western legion was defeated after crossing the mountains. The barbarians must have had something that gave them an edge. It¡¯s tough to send another legion across the mountains hastily without any new solid information. First, we need to drive out the barbarians that have crossed over to this side.''</i>


    Yanchinus'' mind raced with various thoughts. Amidst the flow of numerous pieces of information, he had to make the most urate judgment. The most crucial trait for a monarch was judgment. The execution was done by his subjects.


    <i>''A monarch doesn''t need to be the greatest general in the world. Just having the judgment to ce generals in the appropriate positions is enough.''</i>


    Yanchinus remembered the teachings of the former emperor. As a boy, Yanchinus loved to relieve his boiling blood by hunting, riding his horse through the forests. It was the former emperor who had taught that boy how to sit on the throne and govern his subjects.


    "The barbarian march is headed toward the Langkegart Kingdom. It would be wise to take action before it bespletely devastated."


    A steel knight of the pce suggested.


    "I¡¯m sure Langkegart is already responding appropriately."


    "At the very least, these barbarians number anywhere from a few thousand to ten thousand. Judging by how we lost contact with the western legion, they are not something a kingdom can handle on its own."


    Langkegart''s maximum mobilizable force was at most about ten thousand, simr to other small kingdoms. That number included all sorts of hastily conscripted soldiers.


    "If the western barbarians are a tribe that produces warriors like the northern barbarians... then that ten thousand probably represents a considerablebat capability. Hah, it seems like those barbarians are going to shred and devour at least one or two kingdoms of our proud civilized world, doesn¡¯t it?"


    A few of Yanchinus¡¯ subjectsughed at his jest. Yanchinus remembered the faces and names of those subjects. Those whoughed at such jokes were bound to be treacherous.


    "...If we just watch Langkegart get devastated, the other vassal states will be discontent."


    "Ah, Sir Carnius."


    Yanchinus looked at the knight with greying hair and beard. He was the head of the Carnius family and a knight who had remained in the shadow of Ferzen''s fame.


    The Carnius was an elite family that had been with the empire since its inception. They were nobles with enough influence to cast a dissenting vote against the emperor''s decisions.


    "Please entrust me with themand of the new legion, Your Majesty."


    As Carnius stepped forward, the surrounding nobles pped and responded enthusiastically. The experienced general seemed like a hero appearing at just the right moment.


    <i>¡®This is exactly why I sent a young sapling like Odinst to be the legionmander.''</i>


    Yanchinus was displeased with the current reaction. He did not want to give generals who already had sufficient power an opportunity to gain even more glory.


    "The situation is not good. It seems like the western barbarians have already formed a unified system. This is different from the time when the northern barbarians were forced to unify after continuously being pushed back by the imperial army. We are at a point where divide and conquer is impossible. We have no choice but to crush their main force with our strength."


    Carnius had the experience that the young knights did not. Based on experience and precedent, he had a clear view of what needed to be done.


    "Continue, Sir Carnius."


    Yanchinus encouraged him, putting on the mask of a generous monarch.


    "We need to organize two more legions, Your Majesty."


    An entire legion had already vanished. This alone was a critical blow to the empire. It passed without much fuss only because the empire was in its golden age with its power at its peak.


    The virtual annihtion of the Western Legion resulted in over a hundred dead nobles. Because this included manynd-owning lords and knights, several territorial disputes broke out. Even as they were speaking, local lords and sons of the deceased were fighting over thends that were left vacant by the dead.


    "Two legions, you say..."


    Yanchinus stroked his chin.


    The imperial bureaucrats estimated the empire''s total mobilizable force to be around forty to fifty thousand. The imperial army had already lost about five thousand soldiers, which made up roughly one-tenth of that number. This even included two thousand five hundred from the imperial standing army. The remaining standing army was about eight thousand, enough to organize three more legions.


    "ording to the messenger''s report, the barbarians'' advance speed is twice that of the imperial army. If we assume the barbarians'' main force has a simr strength to one imperial legion, one legion alone will not be able to block their advance."


    "Are you saying that you can stop them with two legions?"


    Yanchinus asked, and Carnius hesitated before answering.


    "It is possible if you organize each legion with ten thousand instead of five thousand. Please issue a levy to the mercenaries and nobles to add another five thousand soldiers to each legion, Your Majesty."


    Carnius¡¯ words caused a stir among the subjects. He was asking the emperor to mobilize twenty thousand men.


    "It sounds like you¡¯re asking to use a butcher''s knife to kill a mouse."


    "There''s a saying that a lion gives its all even when hunting a single rabbit," Carnius retorted to the emperor''s words.


    "I¡¯m sure you know what it means to mobilize an army of twenty thousand."


    "The barbarians have already defeated the Western Legion and made it to this point. It would be fortunate for us if they engaged us in a direct confrontation, but... if they choose to evade us like slippery eels knowing their advantage in mobility, we would have to disperse a significant force to encircle and immobilize them."


    Carnius'' words were strategically sound. Having arger force enabled the application of more strategies and tactics. The basic principle of warfare was to overwhelm by numbers. The more troops avable, the better.


    However, from the perspective of politicians and bureaucrats, fewer conscripted forces were preferred. Conscripts weremoners with various professions such as farmers and merchants who drove society during peacetime.


    A higher ratio of conscription to poption, even in the sturdiest of nations, led to the copse of society and the economy. To prevent social chaos, states with surplus capital and stability, like the empire, operated with arge number of professional soldiers, while kingdoms with unstable ie relied on mercenaries for warfare.


    "Sir Carnius, do you think you can end the war before autumn?"


    Another noble interjected. Nobles were reluctant to draft men from their own domains. A shortage ofborers during autumn could be fatal for managing their estates. There was even an unspoken rule among civilized people not to wage war during the farming season.


    But barbarians didn¡¯t follow such unspoken rules of civilization. Especially the westerners, who never relied on agriculture in the first ce,cked even the concept of it.


    The most precious resource in state management was the poption. War and domestic affairspeted for this limited resource. Once the poption significantly decreased, it took a state at least a generation, or thirty years, to rebuild.


    "Did you ask if we can end the war before autumn? I cannot give you a definite answer to that question."


    Carnius said as he looked around at the nobles, who murmured among themselves.


    "And you''re saying we should draw troops from our own domains for this? That is utterly preposterous."


    The pro-imperial nobles criticized Carnius.


    "Though I didn''t want to say this... perhaps it''s time to reflect on who was the one to waste national strength on a rather unnecessary western expansion?"


    Carnius narrowed his eyes as he spoke. Yanchinus watched quietly, but the pro-imperial nobles frowned and red at Carnius.


    "How audacious! The expansion is not for immediate gain but for future endeavors!"


    "Haha, I¡¯m sure it is. I did hear that money flowing from the imperial treasury is making its way to the Porcana Kingdom. Your Imperial Majesty, this must surely also be an investment for the future, isn''t it?"


    Yanchinusughed coldly at Carnius¡¯ sarcasm.


    "Of course, it is. Though you old men are probably thinking I¡¯m wasting money on projects that will only shine after they''re dead."


    The pro-imperial noblesughed. They were mostly younger nobles at the core.


    "Looking at the current situation, it was not wasted money but rather money spent to invite enemies."


    Carnius spokepletely outright. If the Western Legion had not been lost and the expansion had been sessful, there would have been no ground to contradict the emperor. However, the emperor''s actions had put the empire at risk. He had basically connected a world that should not have been connected in the first ce and ended up bringing forth new enemies.


    "...I will grant your request, Sir Carnius. Mobilize twenty thousand troops and subjugate the barbarians."


    Emperor Yanchinus spoke after a pause. Carnius knelt and bowed his head.


    <i>''Truly a scion of a great lineage... As obsessed with achievements as he is, he''s not a man to shirk necessary tasks due to personal feelings.''</i>


    Carnius knew that despite his sarcasm, the emperor would eventually grant his request.


    <i>''Even if Langkegart bes deste, as long as the barbarians are thoroughly subjugated, the empire will stabilize again.''</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus and Carnius shared the same thought. Despite some losses, it was necessary to firmly put an end to the barbarians right now.

 Chapter 190

    <h4>Chapter 190</h4>


    Before starting their invasion of the Langkegart Kingdom, a tribal council was held. One by one, the chiefs entered the tent.


    "Why is that man here at the tribal council?" One of the chiefs spoke upon seeing Georg.


    Urich ryed the question to Georg with a grin, "They''re asking why someone like you is here."


    Although Urich spoke yfully, Georg''s legs were slightly trembling.


    "Weren¡¯t you the one who told me toe? Urich."


    Georg nced at the fierce faces of the chiefs. Every single one of them looked like they were ready to draw their swords and tear Georg apart at any moment.


    Georg resented Urich for making hime to the council. The tent was crowded with men who seemed like they could kill a person with only a nce.


    "Georg Arthur represents the civilized mercenaries. He has every right to be here."


    Samikan, sitting at the head of the table, correctly pronounced Georg''s name.


    "He is not our kind, though, is he?"


    "My brother, Noah Arten, is not of our kind either."


    "That''s a different matter, Great Chief Samikan."


    "There is no difference. Did we originally consider ourselves the same people? We were different tribes, but now we are united. If we can fight together, we will wee anyone who wishes to join us and treat them fairly."


    Samikan recognized Georg''s position. It shut up the questioning chief.


    Samikan had actively utilized civilized people where their abilities were needed. Those who were initially prisoners now worked within the alliance army. Moreover, Samikanpensated them fairly without discriminating against them for their civilization origin. There were those who had the chance to leave but chose to stay voluntarily with the alliance army.


    Samikan was flexible in expanding his forces. He had united tribes that once considered each other strangers and made a civilized person like Noah Arten one of his closest allies. He provided positions and treatment to any individuals who possessed talents needed within the tribal army.


    "How are things on your end, Belrua?"


    Samikan asked while splitting an apple with a knife.


    Belrua was Samikan''s wife and a chief. Nobody disregarded her anymore.


    "We''re learning how to make better quality iron. We¡¯re not at the ''steel'' level yet... but we can now make weapons from iron that are much better quality than before."


    Belrua had interacted with cksmiths of civilization, and the cksmiths of the Red Sand adapted and modified civilized weapons to suit the tribal warriors of the alliance.


    The alliance army''s armament quality was no longerparable to what they had when they first crossed Yailrud. The de of their axes was no longer jagged, and the armor for the upper body consisted of iron ted over leather. Many warriors were equipped with gear not inferior to the empire''s heavy infantry.


    <i>''But how exactly do we make steel?''</i>


    Belrua only became more and more fascinated with steel. Despite having the end product right in front of her, she did not know how it was smelted. Her greatest interest was in the method of smelting steel.


    Steel was a top secret of the imperial smithy. Nobody knew the secret behind how steel was smelted, whether they were the imperial army or civilian cksmiths.


    The tribal council discussed various issues. Samikan''s primary concern was the education of the tribal warriors. They had many new things to learn, including riding horses and different siege tactics.


    "We will proceed with our cross-marching strategy all the way to the capital city of Langkegart. The defense there will be stronger, but since we''ve also be quite adept, there should be no difficulty in capturing it."


    Samikan pointed to the map and pointed out the direction of their march.


    The chiefs nodded and their eyes shone. Their spirits were high from sessive victories and plundering.


    "Marching directly to the capital is good, but we must not overlook this ce."


    Georg stepped forward with courage. Samikan looked up and signaled Noah for trantion.


    "That ce is not on the way. Is there a reason we should go out of our way to attack it?"


    The ce Georg pointed to was a border city. As a city on the border, it had a point of contact with the empire as well as the neighboring kingdom.


    "This border city, Vernikal, is amercial city engaged in triangr trade. If we attack it, we¡¯ll be able to quickly spread the fear of the alliance. And most ves traveling up to the empire from the south pass through Vernikal. The ve market there is sorge that there are always plenty of ves to be bought at any time. I will persuade those ves to join the alliance army. I was in the same situation as them, after all."


    Georg''s words were conveyed to Samikan and the chiefs. Samikan stroked his chin and nodded.


    "How many men will be needed?"


    "It is amercial city with strong defenses, but about five thousand should be sufficient."


    Samikan discussed the distribution of forces with the other chiefs. The entire tribal army moving to attack Vernikal would be a considerable detour that would give the defenses of Langkegart¡¯s capital enough time to prepare themselves. Capturing it before the enemy issued a conscription order and gathered forces was the tribal army''s grand strategy.


    "Urich, the number I can give you is three thousand. Do you think it¡¯s possible?"


    Samikan always relied on Urich for important matters, especially more so since arriving in the civilized world. Urich had a deep understanding of the civilized world.


    Urich nodded to Samikan''s words.


    "Whether it''s possible or not isn''t something I can decide and tell you right now. The real question is whether I have the will to do it."


    Samikan smiled wryly at Urich''s wordy.


    "Right. So, are you going to do it? Urich."


    "Of course, brother."


    Urich stood up, looking at Samikan and the chiefs. He then left the tent with Georg.


    * * *


    Urich led three thousand men and the civilized mercenary squad toward themercial city of Vernikal.


    <i>nk.</i>


    Urich adorned his wrists and forearms with golden ornaments. He lifted his arm and stared nkly at the gold.


    "Georg, these ornaments hold tremendous value in the civilized world."


    "They''re incredible treasures. You could probably even buy someone''s life with them."


    "But in our world, they¡¯ll be enough to buy a few goats, at best. In a drought, where food is scarce, shining gold is no different from the regr pebbles on the ground."


    Urich felt the meaning of rtive value.


    Many tribal warriors had little to no interest in the treasures of the civilized world. Although some instinctively coveted jewels or gold, their greed for wealth was still far less than that of civilized people.


    "During a drought, even if you shoved millions of gold coins in someone¡¯s face, you won''t be able to buy food. You have to pull out a metal sword to steal their food."


    "I can¡¯t imagine a climate with distinct dry and rainy seasons like yours."


    "Do you know why we crossed Yailrud toe here?"


    Georg paused for a moment to think, then hesitantly moved his lips.


    "...Revenge, isn''t it?"


    "If it were for revenge, we''ve already done enough. We''ve ughtered many people of the civilization. And we''ve already repelled the invaders a long time ago."


    "To show off your power?"


    "That''s also right to an extent. It''s about showing our strength clearly, so they never dare to drool all over ournd again. But that''s just a pretext. Pretexts alone gain us nothing. There must always be a tangible benefit."


    Urich tossed the ornaments onto the carriage.


    "What benefit are you talking about, Urich?"


    This time, Georg asked proactively. He was curious about Urich as a person.


    <i>''The first to cross the Sky Mountains, so said the barbarians. A man who experienced the civilized world all by himself and returned home. The Son of the Earth who earned the respect of all warriors.''</i>


    In the alliance, neither lineage nor origin mattered much. What mattered was whether one had the ability to satisfy that position. Even if one was born a chief''s son, without the necessary skills, one would be nothing more than a mere warrior.


    <i>''In the alliance, having a position means that that person has the skills to match it. It¡¯s different from nobility where bloodline alone is enough for someone to inherit everything.''</i>


    Quite a few civilized people who had the chance to regain freedom chose to stay in the alliance. Whether one was a farmer or a cksmith, if they contributed to the alliance, they received a fair share. Everyone got a reward matching the amount of their contribution. This was possible because the western barbarians possessed little greed.


    The western barbarians had a minimal desire for personal property. Behind the violence of barbarism was a simple character, content with just enough food to eat.


    "When we go back to the west, we''ll just end up endlessly warring against each other again. The alliance is just a nice shell. Not just me and Samikan, but the other chiefs are aware of it too. When the dry seasones, we''ll have no choice but to fight over the limited resources again."


    They were able to get through thest dry season by going on a western expedition to maintain the alliance''s unity.


    "So, you elected to divert your strengths outward instead of fighting among yourselves."


    "If we had gone into another tribal war, it would have been more tragic than before. Since we already have a sense of being the same kind, it would have meant that we were killing our own. Some tribes would ally to attack weaker ones. Like this, the poption and tribes would decrease until the remaining people could survivefortably."


    Urich pinned a thread of hope on agriculture. However, whether farming would seed was uncertain, and even if sessful, a full-fledged agricultural society was still a long way away. Until then, it would be a continuous struggle of taking from each other as before.


    "I see..."


    Georg learned things about westerners that the rest of civilization was not aware of. They were not merely cruel barbarians.


    <i>''After all, it was the empire that started the invasion in the first ce.''</i>


    Georg and Urich rode side by side at the front of the three thousand. A few tribal warriors who had learned how to ride a horse also clumsily rode along.


    "Now, tell me your story too. You can ride a horse, read and write. You would be treated decently wherever you go, so why are you still here? Is it still a secret?"


    "I won¡¯t get anything better than the treatment I get here wherever I go. Here, I get gold and jewels as a reward, and not to mention the women..."


    "As far as I know, you haven''t touched a woman once. You''ve refused all the girls we gave you as a reward," Urich questioned Georg rather sharply.


    At that moment, Georg''s expression hardened.


    <i>''Damn, has he been watching me this whole time?''</i>


    Suddenly, Urich''s friendly face seemed terrifying.


    "Is it a crime not to touch women?"


    The answer that came from Urich was firm and decisive.


    ¡°Being a man and not embracing a woman is wrong.¡±


    ¡°ording to Lou¡¯s teachings, sexual desire should be restrained...¡±


    ¡°Hah, that¡¯s bullshit. Even your great emperor and the guardian of your faith is a lustful maniac who can''t live a day without women. Out of all the Lou-lovers I¡¯ve met, I¡¯ve rarely seen one who managed to keep it in his pants.¡±


    Urich chuckled. Georg blushed and squirmed.


    ¡°I will notment any further. Everyone has their circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Georg Artur, you were sent to cross the mountains as a ve soldier for coveting your master¡¯s wife. That was practically a death sentence. Not only that, but you also bravely offered advice during a tribal council. I didn¡¯t know you cared so much for the alliance.¡±


    Urich kept digging into Georg. Sweat trickled down Georg¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°So I thought real hard about it¡ªabout your situation. Vernikal is your hometown, isn¡¯t it? The ce where you lived, where your master who sent you to the battlefield lives.¡±


    ¡°...That''s correct. Do you want a prize or something?¡± Georg said with a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to demoralize you. But I need to know at least a bit about my subordinate''s background.¡±


    ¡°Subordinate...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who took you in back at the Arten outpost. So, that makes you my subordinate. Anyone who disrespects you disrespects me. So, if anyone tries anything funny, feel free to talk to me anytime.¡±


    ¡°I-I am a man from thisnd.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my first time having a civilized subordinate. Hell, I even have a civilized friend too.¡±


    Georg¡¯s eyes widened.


    The day was fading. The tribal warriors returned in groups after plundering nearby farms.


    ¡°The civilized world is great. There¡¯s food all over the ce.¡±


    Warriors who were carrying kidnapped women on their shoulders and sacks of grain in one hand returned to the camp.


    ¡°Right? I could live here for the rest of my life. There¡¯s women and food everywhere.¡±


    The warriors set up camp,ughing. They were men who couldugh lightly even after ughtering an ordinary family who were simply living their ordinary lives. That was their way of life. Living by taking from others was natural.


    ¡°Oh, Lou! I¡¯ve turned a blind eye to women being raped and have been feeding on stolen food. And... I will probably spend tomorrow just like today as well. I will donate to the temple when I return, so... please forgive me for overlooking all this injustice.¡±


    Georg prayed in his own way. He sat at the same fire as Urich and shared a meal with the warriors.


    As they traveled to Vernikal, Urich asionally told Georg about his adventures in the civilized world.


    ¡°Enough with the lies. If you''re friends with royalty, then I¡¯m the long-lost half-brother of the emperor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say it myself... but I¡¯m kinda famous.¡±


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, saying so yourself is pretty corny, Urich. Such brags might work on others, but I¡¯m quite educated, you see, ehem.¡±


    For a second, Urich contemted whether to split Georg''s head open right there and then.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191


    Georg Arthur reminisced about his past. From the very beginning of his memory, he was a ve. A young child shivering in a cage, likely a mixed breed of a southerner and a civilized person. His mother must have been a southern ve.


    The process of selecting a ve for a scribe was quite cumbersome. They selected young ves who were good at counting and quick to understand words, and the senior ves trained them. Only a few who excelled the most in their performance after a month of training became scribe ves.


    <em>''I clung on for dear life during that month.''</em>


    One needed both luck and talent to be a scribe ve. Even the children instinctively knew that bing a ve of a scribe meant having a better life.


    After his training was finished, Georg became a ve of a family that had been scribes for generations. Georg helped his master with various tasks.


    <em>''He was a fine master.''</em>


    Scribe ves generally lived a decent life. Scribes were usually gentle-hearted and treated their ves well. Moreover, even other servants did not dare to mistreat scribe ves as they were considered high-grade ves. Older ves were also quite valuable as they even handled most of the master''s work.


    Georg was particrly talented and eloquent even among the scribe ves, earning great trust. Even if he retired due to age, it was obvious he could livefortably as a head ve.


    <em>''A perfect life for a ve. A rise to the top with nothing more to ask for.''</em>Georg had reached the highest point within his given fate. He had climbed to the limit that one could reach through effort.


    But fate always twisted and turned in unexpected points.


    <em>''Asilmate.''</em>


    His master had gotten remarried to a young wife. She was too good for the scribe, whose hands had already begun to wrinkle.


    <em>''Coveting the master''s woman is a taboo among taboos.''</em>


    It was a taboo that even Georg, who was forgiven for almost any wrongdoing and greed, should not touch.


    <em>''But humans are drawn to taboos.''</em>


    Just as Urich broke the taboo and climbed the Sky Mountains, Georg broke the taboo and climbed into Asilmate''s bed.


    Asilmate had long been attracted to Georg. A thrilling madness enveloped the young pair.


    He could feel Asilmate''s sweet and hot breath and the sweat droplets flowing over her soft skin.


    <em>''Asilmate.''</em>


    Georg stared at Asilmate''s face.


    "Georg."


    Asilmate whispered Georg''s name. Georg looked down at Asilmate with affection.


    "Georg!"


    Suddenly, Asilmate was yelling.


    "Wake up! Georg!"


    Gradually, Asilmate''s face grotesquely distorted. As the distorted face smoothed out again, it transformed into Urich''s face.


    "Kuhhh! Keugh!"


    Georg exhaled roughly and sat up abruptly. He looked at Urich, who had woken him up.


    "U-Urich?"


    "Get a grip, buddy. Do you even know where we are?"


    "Huh? Sorry?"


    Georg looked around.


    <em>Bang!</em>


    Arge boulder fell beside them. Tribal warriors who were crushed under the rock screamed in pain.


    "Battlefield......"


    Georg looked at his own body. He was holding a sword and shield. Around him, civilized mercenaries were running forward, shouting.


    "If you¡¯re awake, then get up! Who the hell faints just because some rock fell next to him? Imagine how you¡¯re making the guys who got their heads crushed feel right now."


    Urich lightly tapped Georg''s cheek and ran forward.


    Georg fully grasped the situation. Urich and the warriors were attacking the city of Vernikal. Being amercial city of some size, its defenses were sturdier than those of smaller cities or viges. Boulders continuously poured from the catapults on the towers.


    <em>''I¡¯ll die if I¡¯m not careful.''</em>


    This was the middle of the battlefield. There was no time to hesitate.


    Georg got up and also ran mixed in with the warriors and mercenaries.


    "Oooooooh!"


    The tribal warriors'' siege tactics were simple.


    Hookdders onto the walls. Climb. Kill.


    It was simple but effective. Themercial city of Vernikal did not have high walls. After bing a vassal of the empire, Vernikal flourished through triangr trade, enjoying peace for a long time. There had been no external threats, so there was no need to build high walls.


    <em>ng!</em>


    "T-the barbarians areing up!"


    The soldiers on the walls shouted in terror.


    The westerners were above average in armament even by civilization standards. Many were armed with imperial weapons. The warriors were practically walking war machines even though they were only armed with steel chest tes and helmets.


    The barbarian warriors, with their hearts and heads protected by their new armor, could not be killed with just a single blow. Even injuries to limbs didn''t stop them, making them a dreadful fear to the soldiers. Even if a barbarian warrior was fatally wounded, he would kill the soldier who inflicted that wound on him before dying himself.


    The soldiers who had only been responsible for patrol andw enforcement ind for a long time could not stop the battle-hardened barbarian army. The difference in armament was minor, but the gap inbat experience was as vast as the sky and the earth.


    "Offer their blood to the sky and the earth! Hahahaha!"


    The warriors grabbed the soldiers¡¯ hair and sliced their throats open. Spilling blood on the ground, they raised their chests and roared.


    The walls were already taken over by the warriors. Once the walls were breached, the city was essentially captured.


    "W-what the hell is that!"


    The captain of the guard, gathering the remaining soldiers to reorganize the ranks, screamed.


    Arge barbarian warrior, Urich, jumped off the walls, ughtering soldiers and taking the lead. His presence alone caused the soldiers to flee.


    Urich''s axe and de sent heads of civilized people flying.


    "Uuuuuurich!"


    "Follow the Son of the Eaaaaaarth!"


    "Kyaaaaak!"


    The warriors followed Urich off the walls. Some warriors sprained their ankles or broke their legs jumping off to be like Urich, but their morale still pierced the sky.


    The barbarians'' method ofbat was to be swift and decisive. The relentless assault left the soldiers unable to form ranks and dying in droves.


    "Haaaaaaa!"


    Urich swung his sword vigorously. He didn''t even bother to wipe the blood on his face, busy with ying the enemies.


    "Eeeeek!"


    Among the encroaching barbarian warriors, the soldiers feared Urich the most. To their eyes, Urich was no different from an actual giant. Although it was just an illusion born of fear, he seemed at least three timesrger than an ordinary person.


    <em>''Fear.''</em>


    The western barbarians utilized fear to their advantage. The people of civilization, who had enjoyed peace under the empire for a long time, were feeble. They could not resist the fear instilled by the barbarians and sumbed.


    "Ooh! Ooh!"


    The warriors skewered the heads of the soldiers on their spears and raised them high. The people of the city hurried to lock their doors and hide.


    "Oh, Lou, please protect us."


    The people prayed. They murmured the name of the Sun God in hopes of escaping from the invasion and their fear of the barbarians. The shadow of the candlelight flickered on the small altars ced in every house.


    <em>''The difference in morale was immense.''</em>


    Standing on top of the city gate, Georg gasped for breath as he looked down at the city.


    Had the soldiers of Vernikal resisted until the very end with high morale, the city would have been difficult to conquer with just three thousand barbarians. However, as soon as the barbarians climbed the walls, the soldiers lost their spirits and were busy running for their lives.


    <em>¡®Heck, I¡¯m on their side and they are still terrifying to me. It¡¯s only natural.¡¯</em>


    The city''s soldiers were only experienced in dealing with bandits and bands of robbers at best. They were no match for warriors steeped in ughter.


    "Control the city gates. Don¡¯t let anybody leave.¡±


    Georg shut the city gates and controlled the flow of people. The city was dead silent. People hid in their homes and did note out.


    The only disturbances were the sounds of the warriors asionally breaking into homes and viting the women of the city.


    "Urich, could you lend me a few warriors? I have a ce I need to visit," Georg asked Urich after somewhat settling the battlefield.


    "Vald! Takemand in my ce!"


    Upon Georg¡¯s request, Urich entrusted Vald with themand.


    Vald nodded and issued orders to the warriors in Urich''s stead.


    "Set fire from the west of the city once the plundering is over. Make sure they can¡¯t ever rebuild this city again," Vald eximed with shining eyes as his lips twitched with pleasure.


    <em>¡®Oh, the glory of the vast heavens.¡¯</em>


    The warriors were making history alongside heroes like Samikan and Urich. Their hearts swelled with pride in being part of a great expedition that would go down in history.


    Urich tapped Georg''s shoulder, urging him to go. Georg flinched.


    "T-there''s no need for you toe yourself, Urich. If you just give me a few men..."


    "No, let''s go. I should be enough."


    Urich and Georg rode through the city. Fearful voices leaked from the windows of the houses they passed.


    "Are you going to kill all of these people?"


    Georgughed bitterly. Vernikal was basically his hometown. He had lived here as a scribe ve all his life.


    "Not all of them will die. We do need to leave some of them to spread the word about how terrifying we are."


    "The northerners alsomitted almost excessively cruel acts and branded themselves as beings of terror. It was quite effective, of course. Except for the disciplined imperial army, kingdom forces were busy running upon encountering the barbarian army."


    "You must have read the Chronicles of the Northern and Southern Conquest."


    The Chronicles of the Northern and Southern Conquests were biographies written by thete emperor. It was his legacy of conquering the north and the south. They were considered essential reading among the literate of the civilized world.


    "Have you read them too, Urich?"


    "No, but a friend of mine told me about the content."


    "Ah, that imaginary royalty friend of yours?"


    Urich extended his foot and knocked Georg off the horse.


    "Ugh!"


    Georg yelped as he fell,nding t on his back.


    "I already told you that the king of Porcana is my friend."


    Urich emphasized again as he spoke. Georg got back on the horse, tapping his back.


    "Ah, goddammit. I''ve heard the story, too. In Porcana, a boy dramatically defeated his uncle who was trying to steal the throne and became king. It''s quite a splendid tale, so the bards have turned it into a song and have been singing it everywhere."


    Urich was intrigued and looked at Georg.


    "Is my name not in that song?" He asked.


    "Come on, why would your name be in there? And if you really are close friends with the king of Porcana, maybe you could even form an alliance with them."


    "That would be a nuisance. He has an agreement with the emperor of the empire. Even if we did form an alliance, if we lost, Porcana would be ruined too. Friends don''t ask for such things from each other."


    "If you are really friends with him, that is. A barbarian and royalty being friends, now that''s something. Talk about pulling something out of one¡¯s butt..."


    Georg''s grumbling faded as he spoke. The fact that Georg could grumble like this at all was because he had somewhat figured out Urich''s temperament over time.


    <em>''Urich cares for those around him. He''s not the kind of man to kill apanion or subordinate in a fit of rage.''</em>


    Despite his high status, Urich often took the lead on the battlefield. He was quite in contrast to Samikan, who did not take the forefront unless it was an important battle.


    Urich knew that by taking the lead, he could reduce the sacrifice of other warriors. Considering the boost in morale that he brought with him as well, Urich''s value on the battlefield was equivalent to that of a thousand-man unit.


    "This is where my former master resides. Though I¡¯m sure he''s fled for refuge by now."


    Georg stopped in front of a mansion, holding the horse''s reins.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192


    Urich and Georg entered the mansion''s garden. It seemed that the garden had not been touched by the plundering, as there were no signs of destruction.


    Georg looked at the garden with a distant gaze while Urich looked at it with a frown.


    "This garden is a mess. Did your old master always keep it like this?"


    The grass and trees in the garden were growing rather freely. They had grown without proper care and looked unpleasant. Even to Urich, it just looked like the garden of a mansion that only had ghosts living in it.


    "No, he was usually quite meticulous," Georg answered as he broke off a branch.


    "Then he must have left the mansion long ago, no?"


    There was no sign of anyone in the mansion. It appeared to have more than ten rooms, but no one was seen moving behind the windows. Some windows were even left open, clicking as they moved in the wind.


    <em>Swoosh.</em>


    Urich drew his axe and entered through the mansion doors first."Hey, anyone home?"


    Urich called out as he tapped the walls with his axe. The inside of the mansion was silent. Ayer of dusty grime covered the furniture. Despite the sun going down, there wasn¡¯t a single servant around to light themps.


    <em>Thump, thump.</em>


    Georg walked ahead in a direction, opening every door he came across. He was searching for someone.


    "Asilmate..."


    The air felt thick and suffocating. Even though he had arrived at the mansion, he couldn''t sense her scent.


    <em>¡®Why do you think I held on in that hellish ce?''</em>


    He had struggled desperately just toe back here. He had even participated in battles, which was very unfamiliar to him, and went to the brink of death and survived several times.


    "Where are you, Asilmate?"


    Finally, Georg opened the door to a bedroom.


    <em>Creeeak.</em>


    The sound of the door opening was eerie.


    In the bedroom, which he thought would be empty, sat an old man. His beard was unkempt, but he was dressed in luxurious clothes.


    "Ah..."


    Georg and the old man''s eyes met. The old man''s eyes were half dead. He weakly pointed at Georg with his thin arm.


    "Georg, you''re toote. Asilmate is already dead," the old man said with a faint smile as he looked at Georg.


    Georg''s face twisted in agony. He rushed at the old man.


    "You son of a biiiiitch!"


    <em>Crash!</em>


    Georg knocked the old man down and started punching him. The frail old man couldn''t even resist properly and was beaten helplessly.


    "You should have protected Asilmate! You bastard! Despite what happened, she was still your wife! You should have protected her to the end!"


    Georg raged as he vented his frustration.


    Urich, who followedte, just watched the scene. He did not intervene. Instead, he watched Georg''s actions with sparkling eyes.


    "Kek, kekekek. Keugh."


    The old man spat blood on the floor andughed. He weakly raised his hand to hold Georg''s face.


    "Georg, you ungrateful ve dog. You''re the one who killed Asilmate. Shortly after you left as a ve soldier, Asilmate hanged herself in despair! Didn''t you know your vile affair would only lead to disaster? Rumors spread of her disgraceful entanglement with a low, lowly ve, and unable to bear the shame, Asilmate took her own life! All because of you, because you had to tempt an innocent noble girl!"


    "No! Asilmate loved me! She was proud of me!"


    "What can¡¯t one say when they¡¯re intoxicated in love¡­? Spewing this and that, intoxicated by an illusion and pleasure called love is the privilege of the youth. Asilmate was left alone in reality after you left, and she despaired."


    The old man sneered at Georg as he bled.


    "N-no, there''s no way Asilmate is dead. W-where are you keeping her h-hidden!"


    Georg''s voice trembled violently.


    The old man clumsily grabbed the windowsill and stood up.


    "Just as you loved Asilmate, I too loved that girl. I was willing to endure the frown of taking a young girl as my wife at this age. And Georg, I considered you like a son and trusted you. Both of you betrayed me, and only to be met with absurd results."


    "Y-you are a coward. You were too scared to kill me with your own hands, so you sold me off as a ve soldier!"


    "I thought of you as my son. I couldn''t bring myself to kill you with my own hands, Georg. I hated you enough to kill you, yet I cherished you just as much. Don''t you still understand why you, a mere scribe ve, were able to receive higher education beyond what was normally given to ves like you? You should be smart enough to know. There is no way you don''t know how much I''ve done for you, you ungrateful trash."


    Georg was exceptional even among other scribe ves. He received an education under his master that was no less than that of noble children. He was free to roam the library, reading any book he wished.


    "Shut up, you old geezer! T-this disaster was brought on by your own excessive greed, disgustingly coveting Asilmate with those wrinkled hands of yours!"


    The old man coughed up blood andughed. His coarseughter echoed through the empty mansion.


    "Yes, you¡¯re right. It was my fault. I treated a dog like a human just because it was cute and clever, and then it mistook itself for one and dared to rival its master. Farewell, Georg. I''m off to meet Asilmate. If you have the courage to meet her too, then follow me."


    The old man stretched his foot over the windowsill with a carefreeugh.


    "N-no! Stop it! S-stop..."


    Georg reached out to stop the old man, but the old man plunged headfirst to the ground.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    "Fuuuuuuck!"


    Georg cursed as he hurriedly ran down from the mansion.


    The old many on the ground with his head cracked open. His limbs were still twitching intermittently, but even that came to a halt.


    "Ugh, heugh..."


    Georg looked at the old man''s body, suppressing the sobs that seeped out.


    The old man died leaving only hatred for Georg. Georg would have to live the rest of his life carrying the burden of the old man''s sticky emotions.


    "Get up, Georg. You have a job to do. I came all the way here even though I saw right through your intentions. Now do what you have to do."


    Urich emerged from the deste mansion. Even though he had figured out Georg''s personal agenda, he didn¡¯t oppose bringing the army here.


    <em>¡®If I can earn the trust of a capable person by moving an army once, it''s not a bad deal.¡¯</em>


    Urich knew that Georg was a person he needed. Georg, a ve yet part of the literati and skilled in paperwork, was an irreceable talent.


    <em>¡®Other chiefs may not recognize Georg''s value, but I do. I know he is an outstanding talent.¡¯</em>


    Urich waited for Georg to stand up.


    "I don''t regret it. I was the one who was right for Asilmate! It was always me! Dammit!"


    Georg kicked the old man''s body. He raged, spewing furious curses.


    "You think I''m ungrateful? Huh? Don''t make meugh! I''m better than you! I am Georg Artur! I''m not someone who will die as some ve!"


    As Georg stomped repeatedly, the corpse¡¯s bones broke. Even after dying, the old man was turned into a mess, sprawled on the garden floor.


    "Huff, huff."


    Georg gasped for air, wiping his sweat. He stared nkly at the old man''s blood-soaked body before vomiting.


    The sun set. Georg, afterposing himself, picked out a decent coat from inside the mansion and came out.


    "...Urich, let''s go," Georg said as he adjusted his attire.


    Now that he was dressed in a gold-embroidered coat, he looked like a distinguished child of a noble.


    Urich, who was sitting in the garden and yawning, stood up and followed Georg.


    Urich couldn''t empathize with Georg''s anguish and sorrow. The two weren''t close enough to deeply share each other''s pain yet.


    However, Urich didn''t belittle Georg''s sorrow and instead waited for him. That was the courtesy and benevolence he possessed. He might not empathize with Georg¡¯s emotions, but he was able to respect them.


    * * *


    Themercial city of Vernikal, which led the southern ve trade and triangr trade, had fallen into the hands of the westerners. The westerners did not choose a gentle upation policy. They were nomadic people, and they only returned to the ces they had already plundered once when their granaries had been refilled.


    "Ah, ahhhhhh!"


    "Heuuuugh!"


    In the city square, civilized people were dying in droves. Even the male children were killed as soon as they were spotted, ording to the customs of the westerners. If the male children who could eventually be warriors were taken as ves or killed, it was going to take at least decades for the city to regain its military strength.


    <em>¡®The Stone Axe Tribe almost ended up just like this once. We almost lost our future by getting our boys and women taken hostage by the Blue Mist Tribe.¡¯</em>


    Urich passed by the za where the massacre was happening. A part of his heart felt heavy.


    <em>¡®It needs to be done.''</em>


    Although the alliance¡¯s momentum was in full swing now, a frontal battle was still going to be difficult once the main force of the imperial army appeared. The alliance had to nt the fear of westerners deeply in the minds of the civilized. Just as wild beasts puffed up their bodies to appearrger when facing an equal or stronger opponent, the westerners inted the size of their forces with fear, well beyond their actualbat power.


    <em>Murmur, murmur.</em>


    The ve market of Vernikal was also in the hands of the westerners. The former masters, who once whipped the ves, were now kneeling and waiting for their fate.


    "...My name is Georg Artur. Just a few months ago, I, too, was a ve like you!"


    Georg entered the ve market with the other civilized mercenaries. He kicked the ve traders and stood on the stage.


    ves with chains around their ankles looked up at Georg with wide eyes.


    "There was a time when I, too, lived in humiliating servility as if I was grateful for the mercy of my master. But all I got for serving my master all my life in Vernikal was his order to go die as a ve soldier! The men standing behind me right now were also thrown out as fodder for arrows!"


    "Hoh! Hoh!"


    The ex-ve mercenaries, who were now looking much more like soldiers than before, roared. The ves murmured as they saw their gleaming armor.


    "The ones we¡¯ve joined hands with are barbarians, but these barbarians are fair! They do not care if you are a ve or a noble, if you fight alongside them, they will pay you your due! Look! All this is ours!"


    <em>Chinkle!</em>


    A few civilized mercenaries dumped boxes full of gold and silver on the floor. This was their share from the earlier battle.


    "Will you live as ves under the old regime, groveling? Or will you be masters of a new world with us? We are not ves! The only master of ourselves is us!"


    Georg''s speech, despite being asionally interspersed withplex terms like a noble, resonated with the ves. The message was to break away from very by joining hands with the barbarians and uprising.


    Most of the ves here were from the south or mixed race, to begin with. Even those born in the civilized world had only known humiliation as ves. They had no pride or loyalty to the civilized world.


    "Those who will join us, take up your weapons! Cut off the heads of your masters and reim your freedom with their blood! Freedom and gold await those who take up the sword, and only chains await those who bow their heads!"


    The mercenaries eagerly distributed weapons to the ves. The ves rushed forward to grab the weapons.


    "For freedom!"


    The ves began to stab and kill the ve traders. The ve traders begged and trembled, but the ves, who had been whipped and lived in humiliation their entire lives, mercilessly stabbed their former masters to death.


    A massive ughter, cloaked in the guise of freedom, swept through the city.


    Rumors that the barbarian army was epting civilized people spread throughout the city. Those withnd and property in the civilized world hid in their homes, waiting for the storm to pass, but the situation for the poor and ves was different. The serfs took up farming tools, stormed into thendlords'' homes, cut their throats, and joined the barbarian army.


    "We want to join too!"


    "Is it true that you give gold and silver just for fighting?"


    These were men who were going to be conscripted to be dragged away without being given a penny when the war eventually broke out, anyway. The rootless ones, one by one, shed their fears and joined the barbarian army.


    There were many civilized people who had already joined the barbarian army, making the idea much more eptable.


    The ves and lower sses of themercial city of Vernikal flocked to the barbarian army. Their numbers exceeded a thousand.


    <em>¡®They have no discipline, and theirbat skills are ridiculouslycking, but right now, it''s important to fill the numbers.''</em>


    Urich did not reject the iing people and epted them as mercenaries. After plundering the city of Vernikal, Urich''s army not only avoided decreasing in number but actually grewrger.


    The city of Vernikal burned for days. For some, it was a scene of madness and ughter. But for others, it was a spark of revolution for freedom.

 Chapter 193

    <h4>Chapter 193</h4>


    The Langkegart Kingdom, located in the southwest, was a nation positioned between the empire and the south.


    Because the desertification intensified and greenery became scarce as one traveled further south, the capital of Langkegart, Novgark, was located rtively more northern to avoid the limitations.


    "It''s burning."


    A soldier standing on the watchtower trembled as he spoke. The viges on the outskirts of Novgark had fallen into the hands of the barbarians. Thick smoke rose from areas where farms were located.


    "Ah..."


    Trapped within the castle, the King of Langkegart sighed. He had hurriedly issued a conscription order to the city and its lords, but the soldiers they managed to gather were less than five thousand. Even among those, the majority were a ragtag bunch. The city had conscripted anyone with intact limbs, including ten-year-old boys and seventy-year-old elders.


    <i>''Barbarians that came out of nowhere.''</i>


    Barbarians who were from the Sky Mountains and neither from the south nor the north, were stirring the center of the world of civilization.


    The military strength of the civilized world was concentrated on the borders of the south and the north, and most of the renowned fortresses were also located in the south and the north. The ind regions had not experienced foreign invasions for the past fifty years. The disputes between lords were the only type of conflict they had to manage.


    The barbarians of the west ravaged these vulnerable ind areas. They hopped over the low city walls with ease and plundered the civilized world.


    "What on earth is the empire doing? It''s been over a month since the barbarians invaded ournd!"


    The king burst out in frustration.


    The emperor was the ruler of the world and had the duty to protect the vassal states from foreign invaders, especially when the invaders were barbarians.


    <i>''What are we supposed to do now!''</i>


    The king of Langkegart clutched his head in agony. The barbarians were trampling over Langkegart, turning it into scorched earth. All the fields were burnt to the ground.


    <i>''Even if we manage to fend off the barbarians... only a nightmarish famine awaits us.''</i>


    The nation was ravaged. Major strongholds and cities fell, significantly weakening Langkegart''s national power.


    The Langkegart Kingdom was overtaken by the barbarians before it could even try to formte a response strategy. Their strategy of being quick and decisive worked perfectly.


    The lords who managed to evade the barbarians'' plundering route made all kinds of excuses to not send their troops and barricaded themselves in their own territories. They knew there was no chance of victory until the imperial army arrived.


    "Lock the gate and hold your ground! We must endure their attack until the imperial army arrives!"


    The king managed to muster up his voice and shouted.


    Meanwhile, a bigmotion urred at the city gate.


    "Please! Let us in! My lord! A-at least my son!"


    Residents of viges and farms belonging to the city of Novgark flocked to the gate. Their numbers reached hundreds. They screamed for the drawbridge to be lowered at the gate.


    "We''re in the middle of battle now! Back off!"


    The captain of the guards shouted fiercely. It was uncertain when the barbarians would charge. The drawbridge couldn''t be lowered so easily.


    "We are also subjects of His Royal Highness and the people of Novgark! Did you not eat the grains we harvested?"


    The farmers cried out. They were people who worked in the outer agriculturalnds of the city.


    "Are you going to leave us to die like this?"


    If the barbarians attacked, the farmers outside the walls were as good as dead.


    "Ugh..."


    The captain of the guards clenched his teeth and groaned.


    <i>''I''ve heard the circting rumors about the barbarians. They leave nothing but ashes in their wake. Whether children or adults, all men are killed, and women are vited...''</i>


    The barbarians were a horrifying army. Although the civilized world also had many cruel knights, the entire army condoning such acts of brutality never urred.


    "Oh, Lou... What did these people ever do wrong!"


    The captain of the guards sighed.


    <i>''If I ignore their screams, I cannot call myself a knight anymore.''</i>


    The captain made up his mind.


    What distinguished a knight from a warrior was not just a difference in arms. Knights performed their chivalry in ordance with Lou''s will, faithfully. They protected the weak and did not turn a blind eye to injustice. Without chivalry, a knight was just a well-trained murderer.


    "Lower the bridge!" The defense captain shouted.


    "A-are we really going to lower it?" A soldier next to the winch questioned.


    "Have you gone deaf, soldier?"


    The defense captain came down to the ground, expressing his frustration. His heart was pounding just as hard as the others.


    "U-understood!"


    The soldiers vigorously turned the winch. The coiled chains unwound, lowering the drawbridge of the gate.


    "These are the people we must protect! How can we, who feed on the nation''s grain, turn a blind eye on our people! Protect our citizens! We are the defenders of Langkegart!"


    The defense captain raised his sword, encouraging the surrounding soldiers.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The bridge settled over the moat.


    "Thank you, my lord! We won''t forget this kindness!"


    The farmers rushed onto the bridge.


    <i>''This is the right thing to do.''</i>


    The guard captain smiled faintly as he watched the farmers rushing in. Dirt-smeared children were being carried across the bridge by their parents.


    "Huh?"


    It was when he looked at the back row that the captain felt a sense of unease.


    <i>''Where are the women and children?''</i>


    There was a group wearing hoods. At first nce, they looked like the other farmers, but they didn''t have any women and children with them. They were a group consisting of only arge number of men.


    "Keugh!"


    Before the defense captain could get a word out, a situation erupted. Some of the farmers who hade through the gate drew swords and attacked the surrounding soldiers.


    "E-enemy, it''s the enemy! Close the gate...agh!"


    The invaders attacked the soldiers around the winch and then broke it.


    "Sir, p-please spare me! I''m not one of them!¡±


    The gate quickly became a cauldron of chaos. At a nce, it was difficult to distinguish between the farmers and the invaders.


    "Kill them! Kill them all!"


    Confused soldiers even stabbed fleeing farmers to death. Some of them hesitated and were pierced through the throat by a dagger from an invader disguised as a farmer. It was impossible to tell the actual farmers from the invaders.


    "Ahhhhh! My love!"


    It was utter chaos. The enemy and allies were unclear, and the gate was wide open.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    Not far from the gate, the bushes moved. It was the alliance warriors disguised as bushes. They had smeared their bodies with mud and used strings to hang branches and leaves on themselves.


    "The bushes are the enemy! The camouged barbarians are right in front of us!"


    A soldier on the wall shouted. They had been staring at the bushes all day but never thought they could be people.


    The night before, the camouged warriors had taken their position not far from the gate, under the cover of darkness. They waited all day for the gate to open, even relieving themselves on the spot.


    ¡°Kaaagh!¡±


    The difference between invaders and farmers gradually became clear at the entrance of the gate. The lightly armed invaders were civilized mercenaries who had joined the barbarian army.


    "Gold coins await us!"


    "And women too!"


    The mercenaries crudely shouted as they wiped the blood from their faces. They were tasked with infiltrating the gate disguised as farmers.


    <i>¡®I can''t believe it actually worked.¡¯</i>


    It was a strategy that would be fine if it worked, but no big deal if it didn''t. It was only able to be devised because there were those among the alliance who knew a lot about the knights of civilization.


    <i>¡®The oath to protect the weak can sometimes be a hindrance in battle. I guess thecency about what could happen while the city gate was briefly open yed a part too.¡¯</i>


    Noah Arten watched the opened city gate from afar and smiled bitterly.


    The alliance had opened the city gate with ease. About a hundred warriors camouged in the bushes supported the civilized mercenaries and seized the gate.


    <i>Buuuuup!</i>


    The warrior with the horn confirmed the capture of the city gate with a loud signal. Warriors hiding behind the hills revealed themselves and rushed toward the opened gate.


    ¡°Wooooahhhhhhhh!¡±


    Thousands of warriors entered the city through the opened gate.


    The city of Novgark was breached in mere minutes. The remaining soldiers were busy running away. Without the protection of the city gate, they couldn''t stop the barbarian warriors. Sons of farmers who had never even held a weapon before today died at the hands of the barbarians.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    The captain of the guard who had lowered the city gate swung his sword in despair. He cut down the charging barbarian warriors.


    <i>¡®I did the right thing. So, why...?¡¯</i>


    The righteous action of the caption had resulted in the worst possible oue.


    He was devastated by his mistake. Even if he survived today¡¯s battle, he couldn''t face lifting his chin again. He rushed into the barbarians as if he was actively trying tomit suicide.


    The captain fought valiantly, killing several warriors. However, he couldn''t avoid the spears and axes attacking him from all directions soon after.


    The captain spewed blood and fell to the ground.


    ¡°What''s with this guy?¡±


    ¡°This is a nice sword, though, huh?¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s mine.¡±


    The warriors looted the captain¡¯s sword and shield. After doing so, the warriors looked up at the city again. The dazzling city of civilization was in front of their eyes.


    <i>¡®These cunning and wicked things...¡¯</i>


    The captain looked at the barbarians¡¯ feet with fading eyes.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou, please protect us from these nightmarish barbarians and help us to dispel the darkness with light.¡¯</i>


    The captain prayed hisst prayer and closed his eyes.


    * * *


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Samikan entered the pce. The marble floor emitted a cold sound.


    As soon as the city was upied, the pce also fell into the hands of the warriors.


    Warriors wielding axes stood next to the pirs, bowing their heads toward Samikan.


    "Are you the king of this country?"


    Slurred Hamelian came out of Samikan¡¯s mouth. However, no oneughed at his clumsy speech.


    Below the throne, the king and his family were bound and on their knees. The young prince and princesses trembled, hugging their mother.


    "Y-yes, I am."


    Samikan nodded and passed by the king.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Samikan sat on the throne and leaned back.


    "It''s not asfortable as I thought. It''s quite hard."


    "That''s what thrones are like."


    "I see. Is it supposed to be a lesson to not becent even when you¡¯re sitting on a throne?"


    The king of Langkegart wanted to spew all sorts of insults right then and there. However, he did not show any hostility toward the enemy before him.


    Langkegart had already lost. The only thing the loser could do was to wait for the victor''s disposition.


    <i>''It''s not just my life that''s at stake. The fate of our family lies in the hands of that man.''</i>


    People of civilization couldn¡¯t arbitrarily execute the royal family. Even after winning a war, one had to win the hearts of the people in order to govern the upied territories. Moreover, killing the royal family would incur criticism from neighboring nations.


    <i>''But these are barbarians. They probably don''t even think about ruling over our kingdom. All they do is destroy and plunder.''</i>


    It wouldn''t be strange if the bloodline of the Langkegart royal family ended in this spot.


    "My brothers and I are not merely cruel invaders. We simply attack in order to defend."


    Samikan stared at the king of Langkegart as he spoke.


    "Langkegart did not attack you first. You are the invaders who attacked without a deration of war!"


    The king involuntarily raised his voice. Langkegart had suffered irreversible damage from the sudden invasion of the barbarians.


    "Really? You never attacked us? Are you sure about that?"


    Samikan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. He stepped down from the throne and stood in front of the royal family.


    The queen closed her eyes tightly as she saw Samikan extending his hand toward her.


    "U-ugh."


    Samikan''s hand touched the queen. Despite approaching middle age, her effort in maintenance allowed her to keep an elegant beauty that was rare in the tribal world.


    "S-stop that!"


    The king tried to stand but sat back down after feeling the de on his neck. Samikan had already drawn a dagger and was pointing it at the king''s throat.


    "You, the Langkegart Kingdom, are aplices. When the imperial army requested supplies and troops to cross the mountains, you did not refuse. So, let me ask you one more time, do you still think our invasion is unjust?"


    Samikan''s logical words spread among the warriors through an interpreter.


    "Ohhhhh! Samikan!"


    The warriors shouted in agreement with Samikan''s words. The chiefs also supported Samikan''s words, shouting threateningly in theirnguages.


    The royal pce heated up. It seemed like the tribal warriors might draw their swords at any moment to question the guilt of the kingdom. Feeling threatened, the king moved his lips.


    "We had no choice. As a vassal state, we simply cannot refuse the empire''s request."


    "So did that empire protect you? Where exactly is that great imperial army now?"


    The king could not answer Samikan¡¯s rhetorical question.


    "As much as I would love to tear you apart and hang your head on a pole... " Samikan muttered.


    The king''s heart sank. He opened his eyes wide.


    After hesitating, Samikan slowly continued his words.


    "However, I will spare that life of yours. From now on, you and your family will move with us as hostages."


    "I-I need to clean up the aftermath! I cannot go with you people!"


    The king trembled and shouted. As the king, he could not leave Langkegart in its current state. The power vacuum and state of chaos would plunge Langkegart into a terrible civil war.


    Samikan nced at his strategist and friend, Noah Arten. Noah nodded.


    Samikan didn''t know much about the civilized world. He did not understand theplex rtionships between royal power and feudalism. But his strategist, Noah, knew quite well what they had to do to fully plunge Langkegart into chaos.


    <i>¡®There will be coteral lines emerging left and right to try to take advantage of the king''s absence and argue for the throne under the pretext of stabilizing the country. It''s obvious what those power-hungry nobles are thinking. They¡¯ll probably expect the empire to somehow solve the issue with the barbarian like they have been so far.''</i>


    Noah had already looked through the royal family tree and checked the session order. Excluding the Langkegart royal family who were taken as hostages, the session line was quite equal. With the king taken hostage, not just the throne, but powerful nobles would also emerge under the pretext of regency.


    Even after upying the capital of Langkegart, the alliance army did not stay long. They needed to keep moving. The alliance army continued to move after taking the royal family and nobles as hostages.


    The alliance army led by Samikan reached the eastern border of Langkegart and joined forces with Urich''s army. They camped at the border for a bit, nning their next move.


    Chikaka of Phergamo strode into themand tent. Although very short, he was one of the most cruel and tough warriors of the alliance.


    Chikaka was holding a human head in each of his hands.


    "These were imperial scouts."


    Chikaka, who had gone on patrol with a few mountain goat warriors, threw the heads of the imperial scouts into themand tent.


    Urich and Samikan realized that the imperial army had already gotten quite close.


    The empire¡¯s two ten-thousand-man legions were breathing down the neck of the alliance army. Theirmander was Carnius, the veteran general.

 Chapter 194: Carnius’ Pursuit

    Chapter 194: Carnius¡¯ Pursuit


    Carnius, having been grantedmand of two legions, gathered his adjutants and knights. The knights were not merely his subordinates butrades who had been with him for a long time.


    "It''s an honor to fight alongside you again, General Carnius."


    "I''m the one who should be thankful that you''ve willingly joined me despite my abrupt request."


    Carnius nodded toward his adjutants. They were all knights of respectable age. Among them were also a few men who yed the role of the head of their families.


    <em>''In order to move arge army, I need people who think like me.''</em>


    It was an army of twenty thousand. No matter how brilliant its general was, it was impossible to control it all by himself. No matter how great the strategy was, if the hands and feet of the army did not cooperate, it was all rendered meaningless.


    To move arge army, one needed adjutants and fieldmanders who could read each other''s minds.


    "To think we''d stand on the battlefield one more time. I''m d I didn''t die in bed."


    The knightsughed. They had fought together through numerous battles,rge and small. They knew each other quite well."Who would have thought that young Emperor Yanchinus would entrust the army to you, Sir Carnius?"


    The older military nobles were not fond of the young emperor. They disliked watching a green emperor, who had never earned his stripes on the battlefield, usurping the nobles'' power to strengthen the imperial authority. This especially caused the power of the military nobles to significantly wane.


    <em>¡®He even confiscates ournds whenever finds the tiniest excuse...''</em>


    Even though Carnius wasn''t a pro-imperial faction, he was entrusted with themand of the legions. From the perspective of the anti-imperial nobles, this was a good opportunity.


    "Be careful with your words. The emperor has made a precise decision after correctly seeing the reality beyond political factional fights. After all, he is the one who carries the great lineage of the empire."


    Carnius preemptively stopped the other nobles from making any reckless remarks.


    The knights understood Carnius'' intention and nodded. It wasn¡¯t like those who called themselves the anti-imperial faction had any grand objectives. No one but those of the great lineage could sit on the throne of the emperor. Changing the dynasty was an impossible story.


    <em>¡®At the end of the day, those who call themselves the anti-imperial faction are just afraid of losingnd and power to the emperor.''</em>


    Carnius was their spokesperson. Nobles who had fought for the empire all their lives had gotten theirnds and powers taken away from them by the young emperor.


    Because the imperial authority was so strong, one could easily lose their title over any minor fault. As the imperial authority grew stronger, it only became easier to usurp power from the subjects. From the nobles'' point of view, it was a vicious cycle, but from the emperor''s point of view, it was a great one.


    <em>''Centralized absolute power. Yes, that''s the basis of the empire''s dominance over other kingdoms. Ensuring strong governance by concentrating power and military might in the emperor.''</em>


    Carnius smirked bitterly. He looked at the nobles.


    The empire maintained its efficiency despite itsrger sizepared to other kingdoms. Normally, as a country grew, its efficiency dropped. However, thanks to its highly developed administrative system and the centralized system with the emperor at the center, the empire maintained its efficiency despite its size.


    <em>''The military might and power that should be distributed among the great nobles became concentrated in one person. It''s easy to exercise power when one has all of the power like that.''</em>


    Under such a system, the emperor''s will became the will of the empire, allowing all national power to be concentrated in one ce. If the emperor decided to destroy a kingdom, he could push through any opposition if he was determined to do so.


    <em>''Funny enough, if the emperor''s power were dispersed and weakened as the anti-imperial faction wishes, the empire would lose the power to control its vassal states.''</em>


    Too many cooks spoil the broth. When multiple people have equal power, power rtions be much moreplex, and the drive to move forward is lost more often than not.


    The empire was strong because the emperor held all the power.


    <em>''It''s a headache. The fact that the emperor taking ournds and power actually makes the empire stronger...''</em>


    In everything, bnce was always important.


    Although Carnius was part of the anti-imperial faction, he didn''t want to see the empire he had devoted his life to decline. He wanted to maintain bnce.


    <em>¡®Oh, Sir Ferzen, how much I miss your presence now.''</em>


    The Sword Demon Ferzen was the one and only guardian of the emperor. Even the arrogant Emperor Yanchinus listened to Ferzen¡¯s words. Although he was a pro-imperial faction, he served as a bncing figure in national affairs.


    "We set out in three days."


    Carnius informed the knights.


    "Let''s show the barbarians what we''re made of!"


    "Hah, we¡¯ve ended up having to wipe that young emperor¡¯s ass for him!"


    "Hey, watch what you say."


    The knights gathered in groups and left for a drink.


    Carnius had a modest meal with his family before the march and prayed at the temple in the morning.


    "May Lou''s blessings be upon us,¡± the priest blessed them as part of the ritual.


    ¡°We will defeat the barbarians with my father and save the sons and daughters of Lou,¡± Carnius'' son said to the priest. The young man''s eyes sparkled clearly.


    ¡°Leo, confidence is good, but do not look down on the enemy with arrogance.¡±


    Carnius stood up from the marble floor of the temple.


    ¡°But we have always defeated the barbarians. It will be no different this time.¡±


    ¡°That''s the mindset I''m telling you to be wary of.¡±


    Carnius sighed. His eldest son Leo was a vigorous twenty-four-year-old.


    ¡°Father, you will finally be known as a knight greater than the Sword Demon Ferzen. The entire world will know.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Ferzen was a magnificent knight. I am proud to have lived in the same era as Sir Ferzen, even though we had our differences in many ways.¡±


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s why you''ve lived in the shadow of the Sword Demon all your life.¡±


    Leo curled his lips.


    <em>¡®Young ones these days.¡¯</em>


    Carnius shook his head and left the temple.


    ¡°Don''t entrust your arms to a servant, maintain them yourself. Remember every scratch as if it were on your own body,¡± Carnius said to his son as he entered his house.


    Despite the impending expedition, Carnius went on with his day as usual. He had a simple breakfast, engaged in strength training, had strategic meetings with his adjutants in the afternoon, prayed in the temple in the evening, and had dinner with his family aftering home. He spent three frugal days like that before leading an army of twenty thousand toward Langkegart.


    ¡°Don''t we have to protect Novgark, the capital of Langkegart?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°This is why I told you to attend every meeting. With our marching speed, it would be difficult to defend Novgark.¡±


    ¡°Are we just abandoning Langkegart? It''s a vassal state that we must protect! How will other vassals see the empire if even the capital of Langkegart is upied? They¡¯ll think of it as an empire that can''t even protect its vassals¡­¡±


    ¡°So, are you suggesting that we go deep into Langkegart just to chase after the barbarians'' tails? Leo, shut up and watch and learn from your father,¡± Carnius said annoyingly and rode forward.


    ¡°Leo! Your father is an outstanding general and knight. You are going to learn much from him,¡± another old knight said as he stood beside Leo.


    ¡°Was he so great that he lived under the fame of Ferzen while he was alive?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what your father''s title was during his prime? The Iron Blood Carnius was not at all inferior to the Sword Demon Ferzen.¡±


    ¡°That is a nickname known only to those who know. But everyone knows the Sword Demon. People will remember the Sword Demon but not Iron Blood. I won''t live with a nickname that nobody remembers.¡±


    ¡°¡­War is not some game for you to build fame, Leo.¡±


    The old knight smirked rather sadly and passed by Leo. After all, the words of an old man never entered the ears of the young.


    <em>¡®Poor thing... It''s only natural for a young man of that age to admire and long for the Sword Demon Ferzen, but because his father was a second fiddle who lived under that fame... While he admires Ferzen, he also hates him, and while he respects his father, he also despises him.¡¯</em>


    Carnius'' army gave up on supporting Novgark. They did not enter deep into the Langkegart Kingdom but moved along the outskirts of the cities.


    Carnius used the light cavalry scouts to track the traces of the barbarian army.


    ¡°Was this truly a renowned city?¡±


    The knights who arrived at themercial city Vernikal, close to the empire,mented. Half of the city was burned down, and the stench of decaying bodies still wafted through the city as the cleanup of corpses had not yet beenpleted.


    "This is utterly terrible."


    "The bastards who did this won''t escape Lou''s judgment."


    "There is no way we can receive supplies here."


    Carnius toured the city with the old knights.


    "If every ce the barbarians swept through is like this, the Langkegart Kingdom is surely finished."


    Other knights nodded in agreement to his words. Langkegart might very well lose its status as a kingdom.


    "There''s one peculiar thing. The barbarians... they have taken the ves and the lower ss into their army."


    An adjutant reported after gathering information while touring the city.


    "They¡¯re increasing their army with civilized people?"


    "ording to witnesses, there is apparently a unit within the barbarian army made up of civilized people. And it wasn¡¯t just one or two witnesses who said that."


    The knights murmured among themselves.


    "What kind of madmen would join hands with barbarians?"


    "It''s nonsense!"


    Civilized people joining a barbarian army had never happened before.


    "They seem to be a very adaptable group..." Carnius muttered without panicking.


    <em>''Adaptable enough to include civilized people? But even if they are, it''s way too quick. These barbarians didn¡¯t have contact with our world until now. How in the world have they adapted so quickly to civilization?''</em>


    The civilized didn¡¯t know a thing about the westerners. The only thing they knew about them was the fact that they were barbarians living beyond the mountains.


    <em>''It hasn''t even been a year since the Western Legion crossed Yailrud, and a massive barbarian army has already crossed into the civilized world. It''s likely that they were unified even before shing with the Western Legion. But if they really were unified, how could they so easily ept their sworn enemies, the civilized people, into their army?''</em>


    The northern barbarians, formidable foes of the civilized, were extremely exclusive. The northerners also had their own cultural religion. They were not able to mix with the civilized for a long time.


    The integration of the north and civilization wasn''t done by force. One could dominatend with power all they wanted, but not the essence and spirit of a people. Only after the non-violent Srism quietly infiltrated the north and exerted its influence did the north get absorbed into the civilized world.


    <em>''They''re not as exclusive as the northerners. These barbarians from the west are different. Everything about them is new to us. We have to learn everything from scratch.''</em>


    Carnius looked at the city. Dust flew as the wind blew.


    "At least we know one thing for sure. They are just as cruel as the northerners."


    Carnius led his army out of the city of Vernikal. The western barbarian army was an unpredictable group.


    <em>''Their army supplies everything locally, so they don''t have supply lines. Freer than us, who can''t stray far from our supply lines. And on top of that, we don''t even know their purpose. If anyone could predict the movements of such an army, they must have received a revtion from Lou.''</em>


    Carnius didn''t count on luck. He persistently sent scouts to keep reporting on the barbarians'' movements.


    "If they want to scorch Langkegart, let them. We''ll follow them gradually."


    The imperial army abandoned the viges and cities of Langkegart, whether they were going to be destroyed or not. They didn''t waste their routes unnecessarily.


    Carnius was amander who knew how to sacrifice the small for the big. That was why he was nicknamed ''Iron Blood''... and also why he never gained as much fame as the Sword Demon Ferzen.


    <em>''Of course, Icked thebat skills too. Sword Demon Ferzen in his prime was almost superhuman...''</em>


    The Sword Demon was undoubtedly a great general, but sometimes he entrusted his body and fate to passionate emotions and divine intuition. People preferred heroes blessed by Lou over calcting strategists.


    Carnius didn''t try to imitate Ferzen. He chose a steady approach, not relying on intuition.


    The imperial army marched forcefully, cutting back on the time that they would have spent on sleeping and eating. Every time the barbarians halted to plunder for local supplies, Carnius'' army got that much closer to them.


    By saving unnecessary detours, Carnius gradually narrowed the distance and finally caught up to the tail of the barbarian army.

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195


    "Is it true that the imperial army is close?"


    Georg hurriedly ran into Urich''s tent.


    Urich nodded as he fastened his belt equipped with a sheath for his sword.


    "That was fast. They caught up to us much sooner than I expected," he said to Georg.


    "Good heavens, the imperial army is right behind us. We''re finished!"


    "Why are you being so negative? It¡¯s not like the sky is falling."


    Urich chuckled and patted Georg on the shoulder.


    "We''re talking about the imperial army here!"


    "If you cower before you even fight, you''ve already lost.""You speak too lightly."


    "You go and calm the mercenaries down. I can already see them scared out of their minds and trying to desert."


    "Of course, they¡¯re going to desert. We''re up against the imperial army! Now''s not the time to be so rxed and casual."


    Georg was anxious. Things were different this time.


    <em>¡®We¡¯re not in the west this time. The imperial army would havee fully prepared.''</em>


    The alliance would have slim chances of victory if they were to face the imperial army head-on. That was a fact everyone knew, not just Georg. The tribal warriors already had firsthand experience of the imperial army¡®sbat strength.


    "Me being nervous and anxious isn¡¯t going to get us anywhere. Besides, at the end of the day, what¡¯s the worst that could happen? Worst case scenario, we¡¯ll just die. Nothing more than that."


    Urich shrugged as he donned his leather cloak. He tucked his axe by his side and walked out of the tent.


    Outside, Vald and several other warriors from the Stone Axe Tribe were waiting for Urich. They followed him as if they were escorting him.


    After meeting eyes with Urich, Vald nodded with a stern look and said, "Urich, even if this is the end for us, no one will me you. We''ll follow you to death."


    "Has everyone just decided to lie down and die? We haven''t lost yet. Let''s go take a piss or something before the meeting starts."


    Urich awkwardly loosened his trousers under a tree. A thick stream of urine poured out with a whooshing sound.


    "Ah, that''s refreshing. Belch."


    Urich burped and looked up at the sky. Anxiety was palpable in every corner of the camp. No one was unaware of the news that the imperial army was right on their heels.


    Urich''s expression hardened as he gazed at the sky. Though he pretended to be rxed in front of others, he was more aware of the gravity of the situation than anyone else.


    <em>''This is bad.''</em>


    Urich''s calctions were off. He had thought they wouldn''t run into the imperial army at least until after the alliance had escaped Langkegart.


    <em>''I don''t know how many men the imperial army has, but even assuming we''re evenly matched, the odds are against us. We¡¯re going to need huge luck if we¡¯re going to even stand a chance,'' </em>Urich thought as he shook his groin.


    By the time Urich attended the tribal meeting, a bunch of the chiefs were raising their voices in argument.


    "Let''s fight! What''s there to back down from!"


    "We''ve be stronger! No matter how manye at us, we can fight and beat them!"


    The belligerent chiefs urged for battle. Their words were met with cheers from the warriors who had the same mindset.


    <em>¡®These foolish warmongers.''</em>


    Samikan frowned and looked around. Spotting Urich entering, Samikan''s lips twitched.


    "Oh, Urich! You''ve arrived!"


    "What does the Son of the Earth think? We must fight, mustn''t we?"


    The other chiefs crowded around Urich, pressing him for an answer.


    ¡°Well, yeah. If we have to fight, then we should.¡±


    Urich sat down and picked up his horn cup. A serving woman approached and filled his cup with alcohol.


    ¡°This is Urich the Son of the Earth, indeed! You never shy away from a fight!¡±


    The chiefs who craved battle raised their voices.


    After wetting his lips with the alcohol, Urich slowly opened his mouth after further listening in on the conversation.


    ¡°But we''ll probably lose. Most of the men gathered here will end up going to see our ancestors.¡±


    Urich murmured as he stared into his empty cup. It sounded like he was simply muttering to himself, but there was no one in the tent who did not hear those words.


    ¡°What do you mean we¡¯ll lose! What sphemy is this!¡±


    ¡°We are stronger than them, Urich!¡±


    The chiefs, drunk on all the plundering and victory, were underestimating the empire.


    ¡°What a joke. The win we had in the west was half due to luck. They had their guards down, and all our ns just happened to work.¡±


    Urich drew his axe to trim his nails and beard. Several chiefs were angered by his attitude.


    ¡°The earth and the heavens will be on our side, just like they have been until now!¡±


    ¡°Relying on the sky won¡¯t win us a war. Sure, we''re all excellent warriors. None of usck battle skills. But the enemy are soldiers who¡¯ve made war their profession, not just battles. They are people who¡¯ve been fighting in units of ten thousand for decades. Even while we were squabbling in units of hundreds.¡±


    ¡°Are you scared? Is the Son of the Earth afraid?¡±


    A chief who had been constantly arguing with Urich tantly criticized him.


    ¡°If you know nothing, you fear nothing. Must be nice to be fearless, huh?¡±


    Urich¡¯s tone was just as aggressive. Despite the opponent in the argument being the Son of the Earth, the chief had his pride too.


    ¡°Watch your mouth,¡± the chief said threateningly.


    ¡°Seeing you strut around because you''ve torn down a few cities and plundered them, it makes it really difficult for me to watch my mouth. What you¡¯re doing is basically like being happy about trampling a tiny tribe.¡±


    ¡°Urich!¡±


    The opposing chief shouted. He reached for the sword at his waist.


    Unable to stand it any longer, Samikan shouted before someone got killed.


    ¡°Stop! Is this the time for us to be doing this? Urich,e with me.¡±


    Samikan gestured with his head and walked outside to behind the tent. Urich, after ring at the chief he was arguing with, stood up to follow.


    Samikan and Urich spoke in a ce where the other chiefs couldn''t hear them.


    ¡°Urich, is something bothering you? It seems like you¡¯re unnecessarily picking a fight to split up the chiefs.¡±


    ¡°That bastard is the one acting stupid. The ones who talk about fighting straight away are crazy. If they want to die, they can go die by themselves. What¡¯s going to happen to the rest of the tribespeople if we all die here?¡±


    ¡°Why are you acting like this is the first time they¡¯ve shown their stupidity? Even so, they are all brave chiefs of our alliance.¡±


    Urich scratched his head instead of responding. Samikan looked over the bustling camp and continued.


    ¡°I also know the empire''s army is strong. But we cannot run without even trying to fight.¡±


    ¡°Samikan, there¡¯s nothing to think about here. Retreating is the only option. Even if we have to swallow some sacrifices, running away is the right thing to do.¡±


    ¡°I am the one who has embraced the will of the heavens, and you are the Son of the Earth. We are examples to the other warriors. Brother, we must act like warriors. Before we run, we have to at least sh our swords with theirs.¡±


    Samikan grabbed Urich¡¯s shoulders. Urich snorted and brushed his hands away.


    ¡°So, what I¡¯m hearing is that running away like this wouldn¡¯t save the face of the Great Chief, huh? How many need to die before that pride of yours is satisfied?¡±


    ¡°The Urich I knew was a warrior who would never avoid a fight, even if it was reckless to do so.¡±


    ¡°I could say the same. You used to be so good at discerning situations¡­ but all of a sudden, you¡¯ve be this overly enthusiastic warrior.¡±


    Urich said and then looked into Samikan¡¯s face.


    <em>''Samikan looks haggard.''</em>


    Urich sniffed the air. He snatched the leather pouch tied to Samikan''s waist. His hands were so quick that Samikan couldn''t even grab his arm to stop him.


    "Are you putting your hands on the Great Chief¡¯s property now?"


    Samikan frowned.


    Urich pulled something out from Samikan''s leather pouch. It was a pill made of herbs, emitting a foul odor once it was taken out of the pouch.


    <em>''The shaman''s pill. It eases pain but clouds judgment, and sometimes causes hallucinations.''</em>


    This pill was among the most potent and longsting medicines made by shamans. That meant it was also just as toxic.


    "Samikan, this is what dying old men take. Are you that unwell?"


    Samikan snatched back his leather pouch, ring at Urich.


    "Mind your own business."


    "A warrior must always be clear-headed. If you''re going to use drugs, step down from your position."


    Urich was wary of the shaman''s medicine and hallucinogens. Drugs rust both the body and the mind.


    "Nonsense. This alliance was my work. Who else but me to lead it? Surely you don''t think you can? You think you can rece me?"


    "I¡¯d probably do it better than someone who¡¯s high on drugs."


    "I thought I warned you not to challenge my authority."


    "I wouldn¡¯t take that authority even if you handed it to me yourself."


    "Then start thinking about how we are going to fight. Have you be a coward like those in the civilized world from living there too long?"


    Urich briefly clutched his chest. His heart throbbed with pain.


    He recalled the massacres and plunderingmitted by himself and the alliance. The strong devouring the weak was only natural.


    <em>''Am I regretting this...?''</em>


    Eternal pleasure was not a thing. The ecstasy felt from destroying civilizations also gradually faded. What remained after the me of desire went out was nothing but unpleasant, damp emotional residue.


    "Maybe. Perhaps I have be a coward, just like the civilized people."


    Urich muttered to himself without even realizing it. Samikan''s eyes widened.


    "¡­Then you are the one who is not fit to lead the warriors, Urich."


    Samikan walked past Urich to rejoin the meeting.


    Urich cooled his head and looked at his hands. The non-existing blood was on his hands. It was the blood of the people Urich had killed.


    <em>''Who are you, Urich?''</em>


    In tribal society, being weak was a sin. Strong warriors possessed more. Plundering was a warrior''s natural right.


    <em>Woosh.</em>


    Emotions darkly welled up. A corner of Urich¡¯s heart was making a judgment.


    <em>¡®Plundering is not a natural right in the civilized world.''</em>


    Waves of denial against the life of a tribal warrior emerged in Urich¡¯s heart. What Urich had felt from the warriors'' acts of plundering was not pleasure. He could no longer smile looking at the powerless people dying.


    The ashes left after the me of desire burned out filled Urich¡¯s chest with heaviness.


    * * *


    <em>Patter, patter.</em>


    The rain was pouring down. The ground was muddy. And it was red. Pools of mud mixed with blood and rain.


    The grand strategy of the alliance army was to draw their enemies in. They engaged the imperial army in minor skirmishes, gradually pulling them inward. The eastern border of Langkegart was mountainous, which was advantageous for the infantry-heavy alliance army.


    <em>¡®...What happened?¡¯</em>


    Urich clutched his spinning head as he rose. His memories, which had been fragmented, weren¡¯t being regathered so quickly.


    "Aaaaaah!"


    An imperial infantryman charged at Urich, thrusting his spear deeply.


    <em>ng!</em>


    Even in his disorientation, Urich parried the spear with his sword and spun around, swinging his axe.


    <em>St!</em>


    Urich''s axe cleaved into the enemy''s neck. Blood touched his cheek.


    "What happened?" Urich asked himself again.


    <em>¡®Our n was to lure the imperial army into the mountainous terrain, engage in skirmishes, and then withdraw using our superior mobility.¡¯</em>


    Samikan, too, had wanted a fight only as a means to retreat, knowing there was no chance of winning against the well-prepared imperial army.


    To even stand a chance against the imperial army, the alliance needed well-prepared terrain and strategy. The enemy was too experienced to be taken down by mere bravery and valor of the barbarians.


    <em>¡®We did lure the imperial army as nned. The number chasing us was just over ten thousand.¡¯</em>


    Urich fought bravely. Participating in small skirmishes, he drew the enemies deeper into the mountainous terrain.


    <em>¡®I even thought that maybe we could win. The oues of our exchanges weren¡¯t bad for us as we pulled back.¡¯</em>


    Urich rolled his eyes and looked around at his warriors. Warriors with an arm or a leg broken were rising unsteadily. Several were so severely injured, that their lives were hanging by a thread.


    "Urich!"


    Someone called Urich''s name. The voice deeply prated Urich''s ears.


    <em>¡®My head is ringing. The back of my head hurts.¡¯</em>


    Urich reached for the back of his head. Sticky blood met his hand.


    <em>¡®Ah, I cked out and my memories were blurry because I was hit in the head.¡¯</em>


    Urich''s sense of reality had not yet returned. He was dazed as if he was wandering through a dream. Urich swayed as he shook his head.


    "We need to retreat! Snap out of it!"


    Vald supported Urich, gathering the other warriors.


    "What happened, Vald?" Urich asked, almost muttering.


    Vald responded after confirming Urich''s serious condition, "We were surrounded, Urich. Knights were waiting for us as we retreated. The enemy''s numbers were much greater than we expected. They had enough men to surround us with a thickyer."


    The alliance army had failed in their reconnaissance. The imperial army had not revealed their full numbers and had split into two.


    "But we were in the mountains. How could they have gotten ahead of us and surrounded us from behind?"


    Urich managed to piece together his memories.


    "That, I don¡¯t know, either. A force thatrge took our rear and was climbing up the mountains without us noticing. How was it possible for them to not be seen by us? What trickery did they use?"


    The alliance army, which prided itself on its mobility, got caught by their enemy in the mountainous terrain. Surrounded from both fronts, the alliance army was crushed as if it was being smashed by a hammer.


    <em>¡®Why did we get caught so easily? Where was our mistake?¡¯</em>


    Vald, who was practically Urich''s adjutant, had also attended the strategy meetings. There was some unease even before the engagements, but this was a variable that waspletely unexpected. If it had been one of the anticipated variables, they might have had a contingency n.


    <em>Buuuuup!</em>


    The horn of the alliance army sounded long and repeatedly. It was a signal to retreat.


    Even before the signal was given, the majority of the units had already started retreating. The warriors tumbled down the terrain that was as steep as cliffs in their effort to escape the pursuit of the imperial army.


    "Come on, Urich. You''re not going to die just because you got hit in the back of the head like that, right?"


    Vald waited for Urich''s usual rough reply. All that returned was Urich''s heavy breathing.

 Chapter 196

    <h4>Chapter 196</h4>


    The imperial army inflicted heavy damage on the barbarian army. Only jubnt voices wereing from the imperial camp.


    "We havepletely demolished them! They are too busy running away, General! I will immediately organize a pursuit team."


    Carnius squinted his eyes.


    <i>¡®Was this really the group that drove Langkegart to ruin?¡¯</i>


    Carnius'' gaze was on the entire battlefield. He envisioned even the unseen parts in his mind, reading the flow of the whole battle.


    <i>''It was a good move engaging in mountain maneuvers since you were confident in your infantrybat, barbarians.''</i>


    In mountainous terrain, it was difficult to utilize the heavy cavalry, which was the imperial army''s greatest weapon. The barbarians also feared the heavy cavalry, which drew them toward the mountainous terrain all the more.


    <i>''They kept drawing us in deeper by repeating small skirmishes and retreats.''</i>


    Carniusughed the moment he saw through the barbarians'' shallow tricks.


    <i>''So, I let them win. I was nting hope in their minds.''</i>


    He ced conscripts of lesser quality from the imperial army at the front. As a result, the barbarians achieved good oues in several minor engagements.


    Because of their sess in the small skirmishes, the barbarians engaged more actively. But this also led them to fail to notice the units approaching their rear.


    <i>''This is not yournd. It belongs to us, the civilized.''</i>


    The imperial army had tactical maps with the kingdom and empire''s territories intricately drawn.


    <i>''We put a knight and a soldier on each warhorse and sent them on a detour.''</i>


    Carnius had sent close to six thousand knights and soldiers toward the expected retreat path of the barbarian army. Although horses could not climb the mountain, they raced through the gorges that cut across the mountainous region. Upon arriving at the rear on warhorses, the knights and soldiers dismounted and climbed the mountain on foot to surround the barbarians.


    <i>''The knights and soldiers who moved through the gorge''s shortcuts on horseback managed to capture the barbarians'' rear and surrounded them sessfully.''</i>


    Caught off guard by the imperial army'' unexpected rear attack, the alliance crumbledpletely. On top of that, the total force of the imperial army was muchrger.


    <i>''We deployed most of our elite forces not to the front but to encircle the barbarians from the rear. Only well-trained soldiers could climb the mountainous area in a short time to surround them.''</i>


    Had the alliance army insisted on a frontal assault instead of a retreat, the imperial army could have actually been the ones at risk. Had the alliance charged forward while the elite troops of the imperial army were maneuvering for a rear encirclement, the lower-quality troops would have had to face the daunting task of stopping the fearsome barbarian warriors.


    <i>¡®They were a half-clever army. The barbarians couldn¡¯t make the bold decision and lured us in by retreating step by step, like a textbook.''</i>


    The surrounded alliance army instinctively tried to break through to the rear. It was the usual assumption that the enemy''s rear lines were going to be thinner.


    But the imperial army unit encircling the alliance''s rear was in fact the cream of the crop. The knights and heavy infantry, whom the tribal warriors loathed to face, attacked the barbarian warriors.


    "This is your father, Leo. The Iron Blood Carnius. He read the barbarians'' strategic thoughts and struck at their weakness," an old knight said to Carnius'' son, Leo.


    "The only losses we''ve had were the conscripts we threw as bait in the smaller skirmishes... the ones we practically sent to die against the barbarians."


    "Your father has often used the tactic of exposing his side to get the opportunity to strike at the enemy''s throat. In war, casualties are inevitable. Amander should not fear expending his troops. Lives are merely numbers, a resource that can be exchanged."


    "Lives are merely numbers... huh."


    Leo mulled over those words. It was a hard pill to swallow for a passionate young knight.


    Thanks to Carnius'' strategy, the imperial army drove the alliance into a defensive position without suffering significant losses themselves. Losing its strategic direction, the alliance army began to scatter and retreat in smaller units.


    Urich was also among the retreating alliance army. In his dazed state, Urich looked at Vald supporting him.


    <i>''Vald, my loyal brother. Even if it meant death, he wouldn''t leave me behind. He''s been regretting leaving me in the Sky Mountains ever since that day.''</i>


    Vald''s mouth was firmly set. Despite therge frame of Urich, Vald kept walking, supporting him.


    "Vald, check my pocket," Urich said, rolling his eyes.


    "What?"


    "There should be a cigarette rolled up with powder inside."


    "Are you out of your mind? You think this is the time for that stuff? We don''t even have time to light a fire."


    "I''m not going to smoke it. Pour the stuff that¡¯s inside into my mouth."


    Urich had received smoking medicine from the old shaman a while ago. He had carried it with him ever since to smoke it just in case he got injured.


    <i>''I didn''t think I¡¯d use it like this...''</i>


    Urich dissolved the gritty powder with his saliva and then swallowed it. A bitter taste spread across his tongue and down his throat.


    <i>Eeeeee.</i>


    A ringing noise sounded in Urich''s ears. The drug took effect immediately. It was not intended for ingestion. The powder Urich had swallowed was close to a lethal dose.


    <i>Thump, thump.</i>


    His heart pounded, and his brain felt like it was melting. Vald''s face looked distorted.


    "Kaaak!"


    Urich screamed, bending over forward. His yellow pupils dted to an abnormal size.


    "Urich?"


    "That damned old hag. This shit is way too strong."


    Urich gasped for air. He grabbed a handful of mud and sloppily smeared it on the back of his head. The pain almost felt like a bitter pleasure.


    "Gather the warriors around us. We''re getting out of here."


    Revitalized by the drug, Urich stood up on his own andmanded.


    <i>Eeeeee.</i>


    Voices of several warriors ovepped in Urich''s ears. His vision wavered as if everything was bending. Every time the raindrops hit the ground, their sound splintered into multiple colors.


    <i>''Pull yourself together, Urich.''</i>


    Urich steadied himself.


    <i>¡®Which way should we run?''</i>


    The hornblower had only sent a signal to retreat. No one was given a clear escape route.


    "Urich! The warriors are gathered! Let''s fall back."


    Vald spoke from beside him. Urich looked to the rear.


    <i>''Vald is right. We''re surrounded. We need to break through to the rear. But...''</i>


    Urich''s eyes flickered restlessly. He felt a warmth rising from behind him.


    <i>''It¡¯s red.''</i>


    Something red seemed to emanate from the bushes behind. An aura full of murderous intent undted.


    <i>''The rear looks ominous.''</i>


    Instead of the back, Urich looked forward. The main force of the imperial army was tightening the encirclement as they advanced.


    <i>''The red aura in the front actually seems lighter.''</i>


    Urich thought to himself but then shook his head.


    <i>''I must be insane. I can¡¯t be influenced by the hallucinations from the drug...''</i>


    The red aura was a baseless hallucination. The red auraing from the rear was strong, and what he had thought was the main force of the imperial army in the front seemed like it was actually emanating a weaker, fainter red aura.


    "Urich?"


    Vald urged Urich into action.


    <i>''Is Urich still out of it? If he is, then I have to...''</i>


    Vald was about to issue orders in Urich''s stead.


    "Hold it."


    Urich raised his hand to stop Vald. He nkly stared at the shade of the trees.


    <i>''You¡¯ve shown yourself again, Ulgaro.''</i>


    Urich was looking at Ulgaro. In the battlefield with pouring rain, Ulgaro stood beneath a tree, wearing a winged helmet. Standing in the shadows under the tree, Ulgaro silently drew his sword and pointed forward.


    Urich hadn¡¯t seen a vision this clear in a long time. He rubbed his eyes and looked again at Ulgaro.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Ulgaro was nowhere to be seen, and in his ce stood a tribal warrior. The warrior who was struggling just to remain standing fell to an arrow from the imperial army.


    <i>¡®Have I really gone mad?¡¯</i>


    He had faced an illusion in a state where both his mind and body were weakened.


    ¡®<i>But I felt something ominous about our rear even before this. Think, Urich. Try to remember.¡¯</i>


    Perhaps the illusion was just a manifestation of his anxiety and intuition.


    Urich had pulled through near-death experiences countless times. A warrior sometimes had to just trust their intuition.


    What Urich and the warriors faced from the rear were armored knights. The alliance units that collided with the rear suffered tremendous damage.


    <i>¡®There is no certainty.¡¯</i>


    Rather, the alliance army had gained a significant advantage by deploying a feint, and engaging in minor skirmishes with the imperial army at the front.


    <i>¡®It was wrong to gain an advantage from skirmishes we were prepared to lose to begin with. The side deploying the feint constantly gaining the upper hand in the battles? That¡¯s absurd. The situation was suspiciously favorable for us.¡¯</i>


    Uncertain convictions ovepped.


    <i>¡®What I¡¯m about to do could very well be something insane that I¡¯m only doing because I¡¯m all high on drugs.¡¯</i>


    Urich supported himself by using his sword as a staff. He stood up straight, opening his eyes wide.


    "Vald, tell the warriors. I, Urich, will break through to the front."


    "What kind of bullshit is that..."


    "Tell the warriors around us."


    Urich repeated firmly.


    "Shit! I know I said I''d die for you but... Whatever. I don¡¯t even know anymore. Damn it all."


    Vald ryed Urich¡¯s orders to the other unitmanders as instructed. About fifteen hundred warriors were within reach of Urich¡¯smand at the current situation.


    Not far from Urich¡¯s unit, Georg¡¯s mercenary squad was preparing to break through to the rear, like the other barbarians. They had the lowest morale among the alliance army.


    "L-let''s just surrender. Georg! We''re all going to die with them at this rate."


    Hearing this, Georgughed as he sweat profusely.


    "Haha, you think they¡¯ll spare us if we surrender? We¡¯re ves, and on top of that, full of barbarians."


    Although they were civilized mercenaries, because they consisted of ves and lower-ss individuals, there were southern barbarians and mixed blood among them. This meant that the imperial army would never spare them. They were bound to be beheaded as an example, and at best, they would be shackled again.


    The imperial army did not attack the barbarian army hastily. Having almost secured the victory, they maintained their encirclement neatly, focusing on perfection and caution.


    Georg nced toward Urich¡¯s unit while organizing the remaining mercenaries.


    <i>¡®Urich?¡¯</i>


    It seemed like Urich was also organizing his forces and preparing for a breakthrough. However, there was something odd about the direction he was aiming at.


    <i>¡®Is he trying to break through to the front?¡¯</i>


    Urich''s unit formed a wedge formation and aimed their advance toward the front.


    Georg was conflicted. The other barbarian units were scattering in different directions without a head, and there was no chance for a unifiedmand to go through the entire army. It was all up to the fieldmanders'' judgment at the moment.


    <i>¡®I¡¯d much rather trust Urich than these other foolish barbarians!¡¯</i>


    Georg knew Urich. He was one of the cleverest people Georg had ever met.


    <i>¡®Urich wouldn¡¯t do something meaningless in this situation. Has he judged that breaking through the front is easier? Maybe...¡¯</i>


    Georg turned the mercenary unit¡¯s direction to follow Urich¡¯s unit. About seven hundred remaining mercenaries tailed behind Urich¡¯s army under Georg¡¯s lead.


    "Georg¡¯s unit is following us," Vald shouted to Urich after ncing behind.


    Even though no words were exchanged, Georg reinforced Urich''s decision. Their thoughts and hearts had aligned.


    "Huff, huff."


    Urich breathed in deeply. His vision flickered. Each drop of falling rain felt like it froze his skin. His eyes, which were looking at the boundary between reality and illusion, ached as if they were about to fall out.


    Urich firmly assembled his unit into formation, even sacrificing the time they could have used to retreat.


    <i>¡®If my judgment is wrong, we¡¯re all going to be annihted here.¡¯</i>


    The encirclement had tightened so much that there was no time to retreat in any other direction. A few alliance units managed to escape the encirclement at great sacrifice. Samikan¡¯s unit was among them.


    "Vald, blow the charge horn," Urich muttered, holding his axe and sword.


    <i>Buuuuuuup!</i>


    Vald blew the signal. Warriors who believed in Urich¡¯s sanctity advanced forward.

 Chapter 197

    <h4>Chapter 197</h4>


    Carnius felt the winds of victory. The flow of the battlefield was stretching out straight. A positive energy pushed the imperial army forward.


    The general, tasting the victory, breathed shallowly as he issued his nextmand.


    "Sir Dillen, take your men, retrieve our battle horses, and organize a pursuit squad."


    Carnius moved the left wing of the main force. They were going to break off the encirclement and retrieve the horses.


    <i>¡®This will give me a good ground to stand on when I oppose His Imperial Majesty''s overambitious colonial ventures for a while.¡¯</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus was undertaking two colonial exploration projects at the same time. Even for an empire in its golden age, the expenditures were almost too significant.


    <i>¡®We¡¯re spending a vast amount of money every year to support the over-the-sea expedition of Porcana. This recent venture into the west with Yailrud was just as rash.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus squeezed the pockets of the nobility to invest in these colonial ventures. And the nobility, in turn, squeezed even more out of their people.


    "Investment for the future... Maybe I''m just an old relic getting in the way of a new era."


    Carniusughed quietly. If things went well, Emperor Yanchinus'' colonial ventures could very well bring great wealth to the empire. If that happens, Carnius, who opposed the projects, would be remembered as an old man who could not see the tide of the times.


    "Father, I too will lead from the forefront."


    Leo couldn¡¯t sit still, itching to move. He wanted to lead the soldiers and go after the barbarians right away.


    "It¡¯s not a bad idea to gain some experience."


    Carnius permitted Leo¡¯s deployment. Such real-world experience opportunities were rare. Carnius had brought Leo out to show him a war of such arge scale.


    Leo advanced, leading the troops. He stood in front of the imperial infantry on his horse.


    "Haha, look at them, all busy scurrying for their lives."


    Leo confidently deployed the troops forward.


    <i>¡®You vile creatures. I won¡¯t take any of you alive.''</i>


    Leo had witnessed the atrocities in Langkegart. The ughter and plundering done by the barbarians were hard to believe as the work of humans.


    The barbarians didn¡¯t feel like fellow humans to Leo. To him, they were no different from wild animals.


    "We will cut down the barbarians to protect the sons and daughters of Lou! May the blessing of the Sun be with our soldiers!"


    "For the Sun!"


    Leo chased the fleeing barbarians, shing at their necks.


    <i>Schring!</i>


    It had been a while since he had killed. An unpleasant sensation lingered at Leo¡¯s fingertips.


    <i>''These bastards are not humans.''</i>


    Leo tried hard to rationalize the killing. Generations born after the stabilization of the empire were not ustomed to war and killing. Even Leo, who was trained as a knight, was not much different. He wasn''t like his father''s generation, who were pushed to the battlefields as soon as they opened their eyes every morning.


    "Huup."


    Leo stabbed a fleeing barbarian in the back with his spear on his horse. The barbarian threw his axe even as he was falling.


    "No chance!"


    The barbarian''s axe bounced off Leo¡¯s shoulder te. Soldiers around Leo helped him by stabbing the barbarian in the chest.


    "Grrrgh."


    The barbarian died, foaming blood.


    <i>''Truly barbarians. They''re fiercer than anything I¡¯ve ever faced.''</i>


    Leo raised his head to look for the next group of barbarians.


    "Hah, there are more running away over there..."


    But Leo stopped mid-sentence. He saw a group of barbarians through the pouring rain. But they were not running away.


    <i>''Are they charging this way?''</i>


    It was an unexpected situation. Some of the barbarians had formed a wedge formation and were charging toward the imperial army''s main force in the front.


    Leo¡¯s unit was also in the path of the barbarian charge. Leo immediately called his soldiers to form a defensive line.


    <i>¡®Why are theying this way?¡¯</i>


    The strategy of his father, Carnius, was perfect.


    <i>¡®Did they decide that our main force in the front was weaker than the encircling forces in the rear? How did they make such a judgment?¡¯</i>


    Leo gulped. It was an absurd decision that made no logical sense. It wasmon sense in warfare that the central main force was the strongest.


    <i>¡®My fatherid thatmon sense as a trap and sent the elite troops to the barbarians'' rear.¡¯</i>


    The imperial army¡¯s main force obviously had its strong main troops. Because thismon sense was nted, Carnius¡¯ strategy worked.


    However, sometimes on the battlefield, there were those who acted and decided as if they were possessed by something, or to put it nicely, as if they had divine inspiration. At the edge of life and death, they did not leave their fate to logical judgment but to intuition and instinct. There were those who risked their lives in ces that seemed less logical rather than the more probable ones.


    A warrior sometimes had to run toward death to find the door to life.


    ¡°Ooooooooooh!¡±


    There was vigor in the barbarians'' roars. Even in overwhelmingly unfavorable circumstances, they did not lose their morale.


    <i>¡®This makes no sense.¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t just the imperial army that thought this.


    The warriors following Urich were also doubtful. They were charging toward the enemy¡¯s main force in an encircled situation. It was a charge that was practically suicide.


    ¡°Urich is the man leading us from the front!¡± Vald shouted.


    Urich was the reason the warriors could move forward. Urich was leading at the very front of the wedge formation.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve already drawn my sword. The time to doubt and hesitate has passed. The only thing left for me to do is fight.¡¯</i>


    A red madness filled Urich¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Hooooooh!¡±


    Urich, at the forefront, collided with Leo¡¯s defensive formation.


    Blood, flesh, and steel intertwined. Terrified screams and bloodthirsty shouts crossed over and piled on top of each other.


    Leo¡¯s guards were his family''s private elite soldiers of significantly superior quality. However, the soldiers supporting them were conscripts with lesser equipment and skills.


    ¡°Kaaaagh!¡±


    Urich¡¯s wedge formation shattered Leo¡¯s defense. They were quickly surrounded and devoured.


    ¡°Protect the young master!¡±


    The remaining of Leo¡¯s guards formed a circle, confronting the barbarians, but they fell one by one.


    <i>¡®Am I dying here? Me?¡¯</i>


    Leo couldn¡¯t believe the situation. Barbarians were all around him. More than half of his guards had already fallen.


    The only practical experience Leo had was chasing down a bunch of bandits. He had always fought in superior situations and never felt his life being threatened.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Leo raised his sword, fending off a barbarian''s attack.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to die at this rate.¡¯</i>


    Pride and honorpletely vanished. Leo had a humiliating thought. He was going to propose his own ransom.


    ¡°I-I am a noble! The eldest son of the Carnius family! Spare... me...¡±


    The de of a barbarian shed.


    Leo clutched his throat. He couldn¡¯t finish his words. Blood poured from the slit windpipe, and only the sound of bubbling blood was heard.


    Soon, the warriors trampled over Leo¡¯s lifeless body as they passed. They had no time to waste.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Urich extended his arm and swung his axe, decapitating a soldier. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Roar, my brothers! Make the enemies fear! We are still alive!¡±


    Urich¡¯s shout was also a reminder to himself. His body and mind were oddly misaligned.


    <i>¡®I feel sluggish. My body and mind are not moving together. None of this feels real, and I don¡¯t even feel the threat of death.¡¯</i>


    It was not a good situation at all. The sensation of death breathing down his neck was important for a warrior. The crisis and tension that one might die tightened all senses. When his senses were at their peak, Urich could even dodge arrowsing from his blind spots.


    <i>¡®Right now, even looking at iron lumps in front of me makes me dizzy, never mind arrows.¡¯</i>


    Urich straightened his waist and squared his shoulders. He could see the main force of the imperial army in front of him.


    Urich¡¯s unit maintained their wedge formation and charged toward the imperial army''s main force. The imperial main force also spotted Urich''s unit and prepared their archers.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    A volley of arrows erupted from the main force.


    Urich rolled on the ground, picking up and lifting a dead imperial soldier¡¯s shield.


    <i>Tatatatat!</i>


    The barrage of arrows swept over Urich¡¯s unit. The warriors without shields simply entrusted their lives to luck and continued their run forward.


    ¡°Come on, take up your weapons and charge! They are afraid of us!¡±


    Vald, throwing away the arrow-stuck shield, shouted until his throat seemed to tear.


    ¡°Woaaaaaaah!¡±


    The wedge formation struck one side of the imperial encirclement hard.


    <i>¡®We can do this!¡¯</i>


    Urich pushed away an imperial soldier''s shield with a body m. Several imperial soldiers stumbled and fell due to Urich''s force.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich relentlessly trampled an imperial soldier¡¯s head with his foot and split another approaching soldier¡¯s arm with his axe like chopping wood.


    <i>¡®This force¡¯s equipment andbat skills are inferior.¡¯</i>


    Urich twisted the corner of his mouth as he wiped the blood sticking to his face. It wasn¡¯t just him feeling that way. The other warriors also easily knocked down the soldiers. As they felt the enemy was weak, the warriors¡¯ des gleamed even more fiercely.


    ¡°E-eeek!¡±


    Terrified soldiers hesitated and shoved each other in the way, breaking their own formation. Even with the officers'' encouragement, the soldiers only hesitated.


    <i>¡®Why did the barbarianse this way?¡¯</i>


    Most of the imperial army¡¯s heavy infantry and knights, which were their biggest strength, were missing from the main force.


    <i>¡®There is no way these barbarians saw through General Carnius¡¯ strategy.¡¯</i>


    Even themanding officer looked grim upon seeing the barbarians surge forward.


    Urich¡¯s unit''s sudden behavior also came as a shock to Carnius.


    <i>¡®Did the barbarians read my strategy?¡¯</i>


    Carnius shook his head.


    <i>¡®If they did, then they would have rallied all of the barbarians and attacked us head-on from the beginning. It must have been a spontaneous decision.¡¯</i>


    The barbarians'' breakthrough force was terrifying. They instantly cut a path through the imperial camp. The defense lines, mostly made up of conscripts, couldn¡¯t stop the barbarians.


    ¡°Oooooooooh!¡±


    The warriors who opened the gap shouted as they swung their weapons left and right.


    ¡°Uuuuuuurich!¡±


    The warriors called out Urich''s name. Urich had led them to life. The air of life breathed after sinking to the brink of death was sweeter than anything they had ever tasted.


    Urich¡¯s unit suffered far fewer casualties and sessfully breached the encirclement than other alliance army units. Moreover, they were far away from the imperial army¡¯s main forces in terms of distance. The method that seemed most dangerous turned out to be the right answer.


    <i>¡®Urich, how did you figure this out? How did you know going that way would be easier?¡¯</i>


    Even Vald, who had been stuck right next to Urich, found it hard to believe. The decision to charge straight into the front of the imperial army in a situation like that was astonishing. If any other chief had suggested it, no one would have followed.


    The imperial army filled the gap Urich¡¯s unit had broken through. Rather than pursuing the barbarians who had already managed to break free, they focused on annihting those who had not yet escaped the encirclement.


    Carnius turned around to look at the group of barbarians who made the bold decision.


    ¡°Should we go after them?¡±


    ¡°No, let them go for now. Pursuing them now will only increase our losses. We might even risk breaking the encirclement.¡±


    Carnius gave the order calmly. Regardless of how far the barbarians fled, the imperial army had won the battle. There was no need to be anxious to increase the tally of their victory.


    <i>¡®Which of the barbarians made the decision to break through head-on?¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t a level of judgment that was expected from the strategic thinking of barbarians. Carnius¡¯ trap was something only a veteran who had rolled through several battlefields of civilization could have sniffed out.


    Carnius watched the fleeing barbarians. He nned to reorganize his forces immediately after annihting the remaining barbarians and then pursue them. Various strategies crossed his mind.


    Someone interrupted Carnius¡¯ thoughts.


    ¡°General Carnius.¡±


    An adjutant spoke to Carnius. He took off his helmet and bowed his head.


    <i>Click, ck.</i>


    A cart stopped in front of Carnius. On ity a body, hands neatly folded.


    Carnius¡¯ gaze lingered on the cart. All the knights and adjutants around fell silent.


    ¡°Leo...¡±


    Carnius faced his son''s corpse. Words failed toe out anymore. His thoughts halted.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198


    Samikan tasted humiliation for the first time since crossing into the civilized world. The alliance army had experienced nothing but swift victories until now, but today was different.


    <em>¡®I lost.¡¯</em>


    There was no excuse. It was aplete and utter defeat.


    ¡°Great Chief! We have to get out of this area!¡±


    The army was out of control. The alliance units moved independently under their ownmanders, struggling to fend off the enemies closing in from all directions.


    Samikan sent a retreat signal, as there wasn¡¯t much else that he could do. He had to try something to regroup the remaining forces.


    <em>¡®How did they appear behind us?¡¯</em>


    No one in the alliance army had anticipated the imperial army¡¯s movements.


    <em>¡®We are paying dearly for this failure.¡¯</em>Samikan narrowed his eyes. He looked around.


    <em>¡®Has someone betrayed us?¡¯</em>


    The alliance army was practically yed by the imperial army¡¯s hands.


    <em>¡®I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was the mercenaries we took in from the civilized world. Those filthy, no-integrity, creatures.¡¯</em>


    Samikan sneered bitterly. He suspected there were spies among them.


    ¡°This direction is alsopletely blocked off! There are lots of soldiers in armor.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste. The situation will only get worse from here. Break through now.¡±


    The unit centered around Samikan attempted to break through to the rear.


    <em>¡®Belrua?¡¯</em>


    Samikan spotted an isted unit. It was Belrua¡¯s unit that was on his right nk.


    Belrua¡¯s unit faced the oing imperial soldiers as they were cut off from the rest of the alliance army. She swung a sword that was more like a club, striking down an attacking knight.


    ¡°Goddammit, what the hell happened? Why did theye up from behind¡­¡±


    Belrua¡¯s eyes shed as she surveyed the state of the battle. The alliance''s formation had already crumbled.


    <em>¡®The imperial army that came from behind has shattered our forces.¡¯</em>


    The alliance forces were being dominated in every way. Belrua¡¯s unit was also isted.


    ¡°I can¡¯t die here. Not yet.¡±


    Belrua breathed heavily with her shoulders heaving.


    <em>¡®The revival of our tribe is in my hands.¡¯</em>


    In the civilized world, she had gained much inspiration about iron. If she safely returned to the west, the Red Sand Tribe would make tremendous progress.


    <em>¡®And I still haven¡¯t seen the secrets of steel.¡¯</em>


    It was the only wish Belrua had for the rest of her life. While she was a chief, she was also a cksmith who was enchanted by iron.


    <em>ng!</em>


    Belrua parried a sword and then swung hers horizontally. Her de slickly sliced into the enemy¡¯s neck.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    When the neck was struck by herrge two-handed sword, it simply bent as if its bones were snapped.


    ¡°Life seems out of sight, haha.¡±


    Belrua looked up at the sky and gave a hollowugh.


    <em>¡®Is it my turn today?¡¯</em>


    She had sent many warriors ahead of her up to this moment. Death was always by the warriors¡¯ sides.


    Shamans said that the souls of warriors ascended to the sky through the mountains. It was just aforting lie to fill the void left by the copsed concept of the afterlife, but the warriors believed it. Warriors, never knowing when they might die, needed an afterlife, even if it was a lie. What was always important was not the truth but the belief.


    <em>Riiip!</em>


    The spear de of an imperial soldier grazed past Belrua''s thigh, tearing the skin open to reveal the crimson flesh beneath.


    "Ah! That hurts, you piece of shit!"


    Belrua screamed as she swung her sword mightily. Her de crushed the imperial soldier''s helmet. Eyeballs popped out from the sudden increase in pressure and dangled precariously.


    <em>Crunch.</em>


    After swinging her sword, Belrua clutched at her lower back. The muscles in her back screamed in agony.


    "Dammit, of all times..."


    Belrua nted her sword in the ground to support herself. But there was no time to rest. Screams were heard nearby.


    "Belrua!"


    One nk of the imperial army that was surrounding Belrua¡¯s unit copsed. The most powerful unit of the alliance, led by Samikan, emerged through the falling imperial soldiers.


    "Samikan?"


    Belrua widened her eyes and looked up at Samikan. Samikan reached out his hand from the top of his horse.


    "Get on. We''re getting out of here."


    Without questioning or replying, Belrua acted immediately.


    Samikan couldn¡¯t save all of Belrua''s unit. He took only the warriors who could follow and immediately left the battlefield.


    "Maybe try learning how to ride a horse," Samikan said to Belrua after securing enough distance from the imperial army.


    "You came to save me, Samikan. I didn¡¯t see thating."


    "Have you forgotten already? We are married. You are supposed to bear my child."


    Hearing this, Belruaughed with a blood-stained face.


    "You got some big dreams! Haha."


    The imperial army did not bother chasing Samikan''s unit. They focused on securely encircling and annihting the barbarian units they could keep surrounded.


    Samikan looked back at the receding battlefield.


    <em>''Urich?''</em>


    Urich¡¯s unit was far from Samikan. The alliance couldn¡¯t afford to position two capablemanders so close when there was a shortage ofpetent leadership.


    <em>''Where are they going? Going that way is only going to iste them.''</em>


    Samikan squinted his eyes. His pupils trembled slightly.


    The tribal warriors around Urich charged straight into the head of the imperial army.


    <em>''That¡¯s suicide, Urich.''</em>


    Samikan frowned. He contemted for a brief moment.


    <em>''Should I turn my unit around to save Urich?''</em>


    The situation was not favorable. Going to save Urich was likely going to lead to Samikan¡¯s own istion. Moreover, Urich was moving in the opposite direction as him.


    Samikan forcefully ignored Urich and led his army forward.


    "A-aaah."


    Someone eximed in awe, somewhat mixed with terror.


    Urich¡¯s unit broke through the imperial army''s main camp as if they were piercing right through it. Urich and his warriors escaping the encirclement were visible even from a distance.


    <em>''How?''</em>


    Samikan¡¯s eyes also widened. However, there was no time to make contact with Urich¡¯s unit. The imperial army, having annihted the encircled barbarians, was assembling a pursuit team.


    * * *


    <em>Patter, patter!</em>


    The rain was still pouring down. It was actually a good thing for the alliance army, as the rain slowed the pursuit andplicated the use of cavalry.


    ¡°Urich,e on, stay with me. You can''t fall like this.¡±


    Vald supported the staggering Urich.


    Urich''s unit continued to advance even after breaking out of the encirclement. They needed to gain as much distance as possible while they still had the strength to move.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Urich''s pupils shrank and dted repeatedly. His heart thumped irregrly.


    <em>¡®He¡¯s in a terrible condition.¡¯</em>


    Vald assessed Urich''s condition. It was a symptom of overdosing on the shaman¡¯s medicine without a proper prescription.


    ¡°Vald, keep moving.¡±


    Urich struggled, but he managed to get a hold of himself.


    ¡°Urich, are you hurt?¡±


    Georg approached on horseback from the rear.


    Though Vald and Georg didn''t speak the samenguage, they managed tomunicate roughly through gestures.


    ¡°Dammit, Urich needs to rest. We can¡¯t make him keep going like this.¡±


    Georg called a few mercenaries over. They used their shields and cloaks to create a stretcher and attached it to a horse.


    ¡°Give me some water.¡±


    Urich muttered as hey on the stretcher. Vald handed him a water skin. Urich poured the water over his head.


    <em>¡®The fever on his body isn¡¯t going down. This is serious.¡¯</em>


    Urich was not just any warrior or chief. He was one of the symbols of the entire alliance. Urich had to live, no matter what.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go, Urich. We¡¯ll meet a shaman soon. Shit! Do we not have a single shaman with us? Not one?¡± Vald shouted to the warriors, but no answer came back.


    Urich stared nkly at the sky from the stretcher connected to the horse. The falling rain seemed red.


    <em>¡®Have I run out of luck? I guess, when I think about it, I should be grateful just for still being alive.¡¯</em>


    Urich had received countless mortal wounds that should have killed him. He had seen his own intestines and still survived. It was not without reason that those around Urich spoke of divine protection and blessings.


    <em>¡®I don¡¯t know who or what has been protecting me up to now, whether it''s my ancestors, Ulgaro, or even the sun god Lou, they might be getting tired of me.¡¯</em>


    Urich looked up at the dark sky.


    <em>¡®The soul of a warrior will be reunited with his ancestors in the blue sky!¡¯</em>


    That was what Six-Fingered used to say.


    But Urich didn''t believe in the shamans'' hastily concocted lies. He had seen way too many things with his own eyes.


    <em>¡®The sky is just an afterlife made up by Six-Fingered and Samikan to solidify their support. Though, they did a pretty good job with it.¡¯</em>


    To find a resting ce for wandering warriors, the shamans of the alliance put their heads together and pondered. Urich had watched this process from the front row.


    A primal, fundamental curiosity. Perhaps a question that humans have been asking and answering themselves ever since they became aware of their own consciousness.


    <em>¡®Where do wee from, and where are we going¡­¡¯</em>


    Urich had been tempted many times. Lou and Ulgaro both have made sweet gestures to Urich.


    Lou and Ulgaro came as close as humans hoped and wished. The reason why Urich was able to feel and see them was because he too had such desperate desires.


    <em>¡®You can only know what lies beyond death by dying.¡¯</em>


    Thinking this eased his mind. The focus of his pupils blurred.


    <em>Clunk.</em>


    The path Urich¡¯s unit was taking was rough, causing the stretcher Urich was lying on to shake violently.


    Something glittered as Urich¡¯s bag shook open. Urich squinted his eyes open.


    <em>¡®The eastern artifact.¡¯</em>


    Urich fumbled inside his bag and pulled out the jade figurine. It was an item he had obtained from the western edge of his homnd.


    <em>Thump, thump.</em>


    His heart, which had been beating irregrly, slowly regained its usual rhythm. Urich¡¯s fingers caressed the smooth jade figurine.


    <em>¡®...How does the same treasure appear in two separate worlds that are cut off from each other?¡¯</em>


    The jade figurine was proof of the legends told by the northerners who had traveled to and from the eastern continent.


    However, Urich had found the jade figurine in a tribal vige on the western seashore. It was also an eastern artifact.


    The inside of his dying pupils shone. Urich¡¯s desire sparked a me of life.


    <em>¡®I¡¯m curious.¡¯</em>


    A desire called curiosity.


    Long ago, Urich had to make a decision at a peak in the Sky Mountains. Was he going to explore the world beyond the mountains? Or return home?


    Even the extreme, bitterly cold environment that could freeze even one¡¯s eyebrows did not stop Urich. Back then, his weary and wounded body surprisingly retained a vigor.


    The unknown was a fear of humans.


    And it was human desire to illuminate the darkness.


    Explorers dispelled the unknown and overcame fear.


    Peopleughed at those who stepped out of their cozy homes to walk in the dark. Exploration was such a thing. An explorer¡¯s life was something that was not understood by anyone. Sometimes, it involved walking cautiously, step by step, under the faint moonlight amidst ridicule and disdain.


    <em>¡®I want to understand the things I do not know.¡¯</em>


    Not knowing something was the worst. It was an incredibly frustrating feeling. He wanted to know the world that surrounded him.


    A warrior should also be able to calmly ept death. That¡¯s what Urich was taught, and he had grown up emting such warriors.


    <em>¡®But¡­¡¯</em>


    Urich brought his fingers together and shoved them in his mouth. He gagged himself with his fingers, using thest of his strength.


    ¡°Guuuuuurk! Uwaaaaack!¡±


    Urich turned his head and vomited violently. He threw up everything in his stomach, even the things that had settled deep. Gastric juice mixed with the shaman¡¯s powder dripped down from Urich¡¯s mouth.


    Urich wiped his messy mouth and stared into the darkness where not even moonlight reached.


    <em>¡®...Someday, I¡¯ll go to your side. But not yet.¡¯</em>


    Urich watched the evil spirits gesturing in the rain and smiled peacefully.

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199


    Carnius sat alone inside a makeshift tent. He stared at a hanging sun pendant with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°...Just why did you take my son first?¡±


    While the battlefield was being cleared, Carnius didn¡¯t take a single step out of his tent. His adjutants and fellow knightsmanded in his ce.


    <em>¡®It was my misjudgment.¡¯</em>


    Carnius did not anticipate that the barbarians would charge at them in reverse.


    ording to the soldiers'' reports, it was during that barbarian charge that Leo was killed.


    ¡°Ah, ahhh.¡±


    There was no one to me. Carnius tucked the sun pendant away into his chest.


    <em>¡®I will avenge your spirit no matter what.¡¯</em>The barbarian army had been split into several units. The divided barbarians were clearly nning to regroup as they fled west.


    <em>¡®It would be best to pick them off one by one before they can rejoin their forces.¡¯</em>


    Carnius wrapped his cloak around himself and stepped out of the tent. The adjutants who were waiting remained silent, waiting for him to speak first.


    ¡°We go after them.¡±


    Carnius mounted his horse and divided his army into three units. Then, he pursued the barbarian unit that killed his son.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t have gone far,¡± an adjutant spoke.


    ¡°Probably not. Many of them must be wounded.¡±


    The imperial army¡¯s target was not a small number of men. A force numbering in the thousands was toorge to hide its tracks. Speed was the deciding factor.


    ¡°Should we send the cavalry ahead?¡±


    ¡°No, we can catch up ourselves. It should only take a day for us to catch up.¡±


    Carnius did not rush. The ground was soggy from the rain. It wasn¡¯t the time to send cavalry.


    <em>¡®This indeed is General Carnius. He is remaining calm even after losing his own blood.¡¯</em>


    Carnius was leading seven thousand troops. Since the barbarians had fled in three major directions, the pursuing forces were simrly divided.


    ¡°The sun is shining now.¡±


    ¡°Lou is also helping us.¡±


    The soldiers murmured among themselves. The rain had stopped, and the sun hade out. The wet ground was drying quickly, making the pursuit much easier.


    ¡°Send the scouts.¡±


    Carnius waited until the ground had firmed up before sending the cavalry ahead. No matter how fast the barbarians were, they could notpare to horses.


    Half a dayter, the scout cavalry returned and reported.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found them, Sir.¡±


    Carnius nodded. The grip in the hands holding the reins tightened involuntarily.


    * * *


    Urich''s unit was being pursued, so they moved continuously while catching only brief naps.


    "Vald, they''ve spotted us."


    A warrior reported as he rode up from the rear to the front where Vald was.


    Vald had takenmand of the unit since Urich''s consciousness was still blurry and he hadn¡¯t regained normal mobility yet.


    "Have they already caught up to us... Persistent bastards."


    He had hoped, inwardly, that there would even be no pursuit from the imperial army.


    "How is Urich doing?"


    "Better than yesterday. He''ll recover. He is the Son of the Earth, after all."


    Vald looked at Urich. He was sleeping on the stretcher made of shields and cloaks.


    <em>''His fever¡¯s gone down a lot and his breathing has stabilized. Maybe we''ve gotten through the rough part...''</em>


    Vald urged the warriors on.


    <em>''What now?''</em>


    Rendezvous with the other scattered alliance units was their priority. However, the other alliance units were likely being pursued as well. They had to shake off their pursuit somehow.


    It was only going to take a day at most until they inevitably shed with the imperial army.


    "Ah, man."


    Vald shook his head in dismay.


    <em>''This reminds me of the time you left us, Urich.''</em>


    Long ago, Urich and Vald had encountered an imperial expedition party. The boys who had just grown into their adult bodies were thrown into confusion at the sight of an unknown enemy.


    But Urich did not hesitate. He took on all the responsibility and threw himself into the fray to save his brothers.


    Vald still vividly remembered the scene from that day.


    <em>Wooosh.</em>


    The wind was cold. The autumn of the civilized world wasing. The summer of plundering and looting had passed.


    "Well, I guess that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to go this time."


    Vald picked up his axe and spear. He surveyed the column and gauged the mood of the unit.


    "This is Vald. I¡¯m assuming all of you know me, right? Yup, I¡¯m Urich¡¯sckey."


    The warriorsughed at Vald¡¯s words. Vald tapped his shoulder with the shaft of his spear and climbed up a nearby hill.


    "We are being followed by the imperial army. We''ll probably run into them pretty soon. It''s going to be hard to get away from them this time."


    The warriors one by one raised their heads. Vald took a long breath and scanned the warriors.


    "I¡¯ll keep this nice and short. Those who already have sons to carry on their line, those severely injured who find it hard to move, the elderly, and those who think they won''t make it through this year for some other reasons... step forward."


    There wasn¡¯t even a moment of stirring. The warriors nodded solemnly.


    "Haha, it''s been fun."


    "I''ve seen enough blood for a lifetime, so I¡¯ve got nothing left to regret."


    The warriors began to step forward one by one.


    Georg, who wasmanding the mercenary unit, widened his eyes.


    <em>''These men... they are stepping up to their own deaths.''</em>


    On the battlefield, a person''s life was calcted by numbers and weight.


    The injured who would hinder the march of the unit came forward first. There were many whose limbs were deeply cut and festering. Then came the older warriors, then those with sons... In warrior society, trying to spare one¡¯s own life was scorned. Furthermore, it was seen as disgracing their tribe and family.


    "Thank you all."


    Vald nodded as he watched the volunteers.


    "I''m not a strategist, nor am I extraordinarily valiant. All I can ask is that you fight hard and die well."


    The warriors gathered under Vald''smand numbered just over seven hundred. It was not a small number.


    "That''s all we need, Vald."


    The warriors armed themselves.


    Vald didn¡¯t have any injuries, and he was young. On top of that, he didn¡¯t have a son. Perhaps one of the women he made his way through might have borne his child, but no one knew for sure.


    <em>''But I brought this up, so I have to take responsibility. I can¡¯t ask them to die and then duck out myself.''</em>


    Vald was not a significant figure in the alliance. He had risen in rank simply because he was close to Urich.


    ¡°I tried to get somewhere by sticking with the right people, but life is not that easy, is it?¡±


    Vald swallowed hard andughed, his fingers trembling slightly.


    <em>¡®I guess it¡¯s my turn today.¡¯</em>


    Vald separated his detachment from Urich¡¯s main force.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Urich hasn¡¯te to yet. He would definitely be furious and oppose this.¡±


    Vald looked at Urich, who was still not fully conscious, then turned his back.


    <em>Step, step.</em>


    The warriors who were leaving did not look back.


    <em>Nod.</em>


    Georg, mounted on a horse, bowed to Vald. Vald and Georg¡¯s eyes met.


    Vald did not tell the mercenaries to stay with the unit. He knew all too well that they would run away anyway.


    Vald and the warriors scattered into the bushes on both sides and hid. Vald waited for the enemies toe while engaging in trivial conversation with the other warriors.


    ¡°N-no, I can¡¯t do this. I-I need to l-l-live.¡±


    A scared warrior suddenly stood up. His steps were slow because he was injured in the leg.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    Vald swiftly stood up and chopped the fleeing warrior¡¯s head with his axe.


    ¡°¡­Sorry buddy, we¡¯re all going to die here.¡±


    Vald threw the body of the warrior with the shattered head into the forest.


    ¡°Hah, that coward.¡±


    ¡°How do you die so shamefully? Like, how is he going to face his father and ancestors after dying like that?¡±


    The warriors mocked the cowardly deserter.


    Warriors were as cruel as they were brave. And as harsh as they were on others, the ethics of a warrior were stringent. If you feared fighting and cherished your life, you either died at the hands of your brothers or, even if not killed, were treated as if you didn¡¯t exist for the rest of your life.


    A warrior society where warriors survived by taking from each other in a harsh environment. That was what the north and west had inmon.


    Warriors were not born brave. They simply lived in a system where you could not survive if you weren¡¯t.


    <em>Rustle.</em>


    Vald picked at the dirt. The sun had set, but the soil still held moisture. It was good soil.


    <em>¡®Urich, it would have been nice if I could¡¯ve followed your journey¡­¡¯</em>


    Vald was a faithful and exemry tribal warrior. He cherished his brothers and tribe like his own life and knew how to dedicate his life to battle. That was his whole life.


    <em>¡®You were different, Urich. You always saw something different from us. You ran forward, pursuing something that was beyond the life of a tribal warrior.¡¯</em>


    Urich was a man who stood out among such ordinary tribal warriors. He seemed to shine by himself, and Urich had the strength and strategy to navigate an extraordinary destiny.


    <em>¡®You could have lived so freely, yet you came back to us. You donned the yoke of the tribe again.¡¯</em>


    Urich was ultimately a tribal warrior as well. He returned, not abandoning his roots.


    ¡°Shush.¡±


    At that soft sound, the warriors fellpletely silent. They held their breaths and watched the imperial army getting closer.


    The air was humid and heavy. The smell stayed close to the ground, not rising easily.


    Vald and the warriorsy t, well hidden in ambush.


    <em>¡®Here theye.¡¯</em>


    The warriors only had one shot. They had to strike a fatal blow to the imperial army by sacrificing their lives.


    <em>Schluck!</em>


    A quiet first strike buried itself in the neck of an imperial soldier. Warriors ambushed from the left thrust their spears as they burst out of the bushes.


    ¡°An ambush from the left!¡±


    The response of the imperial soldiers was swift. They quickly raised their shields toward the left, forming a formation. The shields of the soldiers intertwined to create a solid wall.


    ¡°There¡¯s about a hundred of them. Is it just a small ambush?¡±


    The barbarians who appeared from the left numbered only about a hundred. While the imperial army¡¯s attention was drawn to the left, the remaining tribal warriors sprang from the bushes on the right.


    ¡°Argh! Kugh!¡±


    ¡°Ooooooooh!¡±


    The initial surprise attack from the left, and while the enemy¡¯s attention was drawn there, attack from the right. It was a simple tactic, but it was effective enough. Screams erupted among the imperial soldiers.


    <em>¡®Not a small number anymore.¡¯</em>


    The imperialmanders rallied their units to counterattack.


    ¡°Hedgehog!¡±


    The imperial soldiers facing the barbarians on the outskirts fell into the Hedgehog Formation. They grouped tightly, surrounding themselves with shields with only their spears sticking out.


    ¡°Come if you dare, you vile barbarians!¡±


    The imperial soldiers roared loudly. However, the barbarians did not approach further. They quietly hid their bodies among the bushes.


    The tribal warriors already had experience fighting the imperial army. They knew there was no chance of winning a direct confrontation against a solid battle formation of the imperial army.


    ¡°Dammit! Chase them!¡±


    The imperial army dissolved their formation and entered the forest.


    The goal of the tribal warriors was to buy time. They didn¡¯t need to win; they just needed to keep as many imperial soldiers on them as possible and kill them.


    ¡°Kek, keke.¡±


    Warriors who failed to escape into the forest bled out and died. As long as they could still move their limbs, they swung their weapons until the end. Many soldiers died from their unexpected strikes.


    The terrifying frenzy of the barbarian warriors made the imperial soldiers shake their heads in disbelief.


    <em>¡®Haven¡¯t seen barbarian warriors like these in a long while.¡¯</em>


    Experienced knights felt a familiar shiver. The chills they had experienced in the north swept down their spines once again.


    These were barbarian warriors who seemed to have no purpose in life other than fighting. They had nothing to lose in battle, only gains.


    Carnius looked at the dead barbarians. He frowned.


    ¡°Most of these barbarians are either old or injured.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Look at the corpses of the barbarians. Many of them already had serious wounds beforeing into this battle. These were probably their expendable troops, just fodder to buy time.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting this hard even though they were sent to die?¡±


    A young adjutant, who had never fought against barbarians, could not understand.


    ¡°That¡¯s why they are barbarians.¡±


    Carnius twisted his lips. Despite the ambush being a small force, he couldn''t continue the pursuit with any enemy standing behind them. The barbarians were going to seed in buying time as per their n.


    <em>¡®Fine, keep running. I¡¯ll chase you to the edge of the westernnd if I have to.¡¯</em>


    From the moment Leo died, this war became personal for Carnius. It was a war he had to see through to the end, even if it meant his death.

 Chapter 200

    <h4>Chapter 200</h4>


    The imperial army formed their ranks and pursued the barbarians. Carnius methodically exterminated the remaining barbarians.


    <i>''I will not rush it.''</i>


    Carnius bit down on his lower lip. He was eager to lead his army and seek revenge right away, but he restrained himself. Steadfast patience was Carnius'' strongest weapon.


    However, in honor of Leo''s spirit, he intended to take no prisoners.


    "Waaaaaaah!"


    There was anotherbat erupting again. The barbarians'' resistance was fierce.


    The barbarians, having epted death, were even more fearsome than before. They fought with the intention of taking their enemy¡¯s life even if it meant their own deaths.


    No matter how well-trained the imperial army was, their essence was that of professional soldiers. They had all be soldiers so they could support their families and earn money. Most of them did not want to go the distance of fighting with their lives on the line.


    "Kaaagh!"


    The eyes of the barbarians shed among the imperial soldiers. Axes and spears made their way. Every time a barbarian died, a soldier died as well.


    The number of barbarians had decreased significantlypared to the start. They were no match from the beginning. In fact, even if they had simr numbers as the imperial army, they would have barely stood a chance. A small ambush like this was never going to win.


    "Hey, you think it¡¯s toote to run now? Should we?"


    "How are you gonna face our brothers who died before us?"


    "They¡¯ll understand."


    "Would you understand if it were you?"


    "Hmm. Actually, probably not."


    The remaining barbarians chuckled as they faced the imperial army.


    "Aaaaaah!"


    A warrior wearing only a helmet charged through the imperial ranks as he screamed. He rampaged, taking the lives of two imperial soldiers before dying himself.


    Fewer than a hundred warriors remained. Vald let his arm hang limply and closed his eyes.


    <i>''... I don''t want to die.''</i>


    That was his true and honest feeling. However, he concealed that emotion. He had to don the mask of valor and sacrifice his life. That was the way of a warrior.


    The life of a warrior was pretentious. It went against the instinctive will of all living beings¡ªto survive.


    Even if it was pretense, if one took responsibility and saw it through to the end, it became the truth.


    The courage to calmly face the ending called death was the most important virtue for a warrior.


    A warrior died to prove they were a warrior.


    Vald took a deep breath. His heart pounded fiercely.


    "I, Vald of the Stone Axe, will die here today."


    There was no point in running away anymore. Vald charged forward.


    "Oh, ooooooh!"


    The warriors shouted their names and their tribe''s name as they charged. There were less than a hundred of them, but their momentum was as if they were a grand army.


    But no war could be won on momentum alone.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    The basic principle of war was the number of troops.


    "Kaaaaargh!"


    Strategy and tactics were humanity''s craftiness to ovee the difference in troop numbers.


    The barbarians screamed. Their valiant charge was no different from running to their deaths.


    "Woooaaaaah!"


    Vald released a roar akin to a scream as if he was trying to encourage himself.


    <i>''Give me the courage to ovee fear and face death!''</i>


    Vald swung his sword vigorously. It was blocked by the sword of an imperial soldier. Vald did not back down; he surged forward, kicking. The imperial soldier was pushed back, stumbling into the person behind him.


    "Hmph!"


    Vald twisted his body to dodge an iing spear. He grabbed the spear shaft and pulled it toward himself. The soldier holding the spear was dragged forward, meeting Vald''s de.


    <i>Thwuck!</i>


    The enemy''s blood sttered on Vald''s face. Valdughed like a demon thirsting for blood.


    <i>''Iy my burden of fear that is on my shoulders onto my enemy.''</i>


    Warriors around him fell one by one. Soon, only about thirty warriors remained.


    "Gugh, spit."


    The warriors huddled together, shoulder-to-shoulder, back-to-back.


    The imperial soldiers surrounded them, pushing forward with their shields.


    "Come at us! You scared bitches!"


    The warriors shouted. The imperial soldiers looked at them with cold eyes.


    "Archers!"


    Archers emerged from the imperial army. They drew their bowstrings from behind the wall of shields.


    "Hah, hahaha, fucking sons of bitches."


    The warriorsughed upon seeing the archers.


    Arrows poured down. A few warriors tried raising their shields, but it was futile. Arrows continued to rain relentlessly. Warriors struck by arrows in their limbs twitched and ran out reflexively.


    <i>Thwiwiwip!</i>


    An arrow pierced a warrior''s face. The remaining warriors fell to their knees and lowered their heads.


    "Finish them off."


    The soldiers advanced, stabbing the fallen barbarians with their spears.


    Valdy there, breathing shallowly. Arrows were stuck in his limbs. There was pain. He watched the soldiers approaching and held his breath, waiting.


    "Aaaaaah!"


    Vald threw a warrior¡¯s corpse and charged. A spear pierced the body of the dead warrior. Vald took another step forward and swung his axe widely.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Vald¡¯s axe buried into a soldier¡¯s neck.


    The archers behind aimed their arrows. Releasing the bowstring only took a second. Arrows flew toward Vald.


    "Uuuuuuurich!"


    That was thest roar that Vald let out while still standing on his legs. His voice was drowned out by the shower of arrows.


    The imperial soldiers paid no heed to Vald¡¯s cry. To them, it was just an iprehensible ranting of a barbarian.


    "Tough bastards. Just die already."


    The soldiers stabbed the necks of the fallen warriors repeatedly.


    <i>Twitch.</i>


    The fallen Vald¡¯s fingers twitched. His body, riddled with arrows, did not move anymore.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    A soldier¡¯s spear pierced Vald¡¯s throat. The blood that started flowing filled his throat and lungs.


    Vald looked with empty eyes at the corpses of warriors fallen beside him. Soon, he too became one of them.


    * * *


    Urich opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the moon.


    <i>''...Is it night?''</i>


    Despite it being night, the warriors were still on the move.


    <i>''My back hurts.''</i>


    The stretcher Urich was lying on was poorly made and hard. Every time it snagged on a pebble, his back ached.


    "This is gonna kill me. Dammit."


    Urich sat himself up. The back of his head was still numb. He brushed off the critters and ants clinging to his body.


    "What''s the situation now?"


    Urich looked for his close ones. Vald was nowhere to be seen.


    Georg, who had been dozing off on his horse, woke up. Seeing Urich get up, he jumped down from his horse.


    "Urich, you''re awake. I was worried."


    "How long was I out? How many days since the battle ended?"


    "Three days."


    "Really? And there was no pursuit from the imperial army, huh?"


    Urich touched the back of his head. His hair and blood were matted together in a mess. He crudely cut off his tangled hair with a dagger.


    <i>''My head is still ringing. I feel like throwing up.''</i>


    Urich breathed in a lot of fresh air.


    He suffered from a severe head injury and was also afflicted by the aftereffects of the drug. In a state where resting would have been the least he could have done, he had spent days on a bumpy stretcher.


    "There actually was a pursuit from the imperial army, but..." Georg trailed off.


    "Be a man and finish what you were saying. I won''t bite."


    "Vald led some of the warriors and stayed behind."


    "...I see."


    Urich nodded. His eyes trembled faintly.


    <i>¡®You saved me this time, Vald.''</i>


    Urich was given special treatment. Most of the wounded were left behind. The escape route was not easy enough for the alliance warriors to take care of every wounded man.


    "Urich, we¡¯ve been waiting for you to wake up."


    "Urich."


    "Let''s fight together again."


    Warriors of decent status passed by Urich.


    Urich lifted his eyes to look at the warriors. His eyes were briefly blurred.


    <i>''They believe in me. They treat me as something special... as if they worship me.¡¯</i>


    This wasn¡¯t why he had returned to his homnd.


    <i>''I just didn''t want my brothers from my home to be ves.''</i>


    Long ago, when a man from apletely different tribe was dragged to the royal pce, Urich''s heart pounded heavily. Urich then acted ording to his heart which was thumping with anger and anxiety.


    Urich returned to his homnd, took care of his tribe, formed an alliance, and fought the invaders.


    <i>''Vald...''</i>


    He wanted to scream. He did not harbor any sentimental hope that Vald was alive. The reality was harsh and severe. The worst was what happened the most often, and good fortune was rare.


    <i>''Vald died for me.''</i>


    Vald''s choice felt vivid to him.


    Urich''s body felt hot. It felt as if his veins were on fire from the extremities.


    <i>''Maybe deep down, I was thinking that this wasn''t my war.''</i>


    Urich had another path he could take. In the civilized world, he had a friend who would wee him, and with his capabilities, he could have seeded anywhere. Urich had built such skills and a reputation.


    <i>''But for Vald and the warriors, there are no other paths. The only way to survive is to fight and defeat the enemy. That''s what being a warrior means...''</i>


    Urich covered his face and stood up. He swept back his hair and assessed his condition.


    <i>''My limbs move fine. Other than a bit of haziness in my head, I''m okay.''</i>


    Urich stood on his two legs. Just him standing up again was a great hope for the warriors.


    <i>''Urich will somehow get us out of this predicament.''</i>


    That was the belief that everyone held.


    Urich felt the gaze of the warriors. His shoulders and back felt heavy. The warriors were hoping for a miracle from a man who had just gotten up from his injury.


    <i>''It''s heavy. I want to run away.''</i>


    Urich thought of Gizzle.


    Gizzle, the former chief of the Stone Axe Tribe.


    <i>¡®Gizzle, you never ran away from your duties, not even in the face of death...''</i>


    Gizzle was a stubborn warrior. He believed he could fulfill the role of a chief. However, the changes that were hitting the west were too much for him to handle. Gizzle was frustrated by his ownck of ability and copsed, but he fulfilled his duty as chief until the end.


    <i>''I can''t run away saying I can''t do it. Gizzle trusted me with everything and died.''</i>


    Urich snatched the insects scurrying between the des of grass. He crushed the insects and threw them into his mouth.


    <i>Crunch, crunch.</i>


    The innards and legs of the insects were crushed between his teeth.


    <i>''I am not a spectator. This is my war.''</i>


    Urich closed his eyes. He thought of Vald. Vald was like a brother to him; they had hunted and run together even before they had grown hair in their groins.


    <i>''So this was the feeling of loss you felt, Vald.''</i>


    Urich opened his eyes wide and tilted his head.


    <i>¡®Gizzle, Vald... My great brothers never ran away from death.''</i>


    Death was probably not the fate they desired.


    Urich truly did not want this war. The pleasure of destruction was brief, and Urich was disillusioned watching the civilized world crumble.


    It was a war Urich did not want, but he had no intention of running away just because it wasn''t what he wanted.


    <i>''I won''t run away from my war either. I''ll face it to the end.''</i>


    Urich caught his breath and called for Georg.


    "Georg, where is the nearest vige? It would be good if it''s a vige big enough to have some defensive facilities."


    At Urich''s words, Georg examined the map.


    "If we stop by the vige to resupply, they¡¯ll definitely catch up to us."


    "No, we¡¯re going to take the vige first and then hold out."


    "Are you serious? The enemy are experts in siege warfare."


    "I know that better than you. I''ve seen it with my own eyes a bunch of times."


    Georg looked at Urich with anxious eyes.


    <i>Wobble.</i>


    Urich''s body swayed. Since his injury was to his head, there was still a wave of dizziness.


    <i>''Is Urich really in a state to make sound decisions?''</i>


    Georg''s anxiety only grew.


    It was all thanks to Urich¡¯s judgment that they had safely escaped the encirclement. But even to Georg, who had followed him spontaneously, it seemed like a stroke of luck, a miracle.


    <i>''But if such a miracle repeats itself twice... then it must be skill.''</i>


    Georg looked at the other warriors. No one questioned Urich''s judgment. Rather, there was an oddly excited atmosphere as they felt another battle approaching.


    <i>''Blind, almost maniacal faith in Urich.''</i>


    Georg felt a chill down his spine. He was unaware of the reputation Urich had built up from the west. To the warriors, figures like Urich and Samikan were practically objects of worship.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201


    "The barbarians have erased their tracks like rats. It seems like they moved along the rivers and streams," an imperial scout reported.


    Carnius nodded upon receiving the report. The earlier detachment of barbarians had imposed a significant dy on them.


    It wasn''t difficult to pick up the trail of the vanished barbarian army again. The imperial army had many experienced pursuers. It was difficult for the barbarians, who were practically just an all-infantry force, to escape the range of the cavalry scouts.


    "We''ve found them. They moved west from here."


    Another scout cavalryman returned after having found the barbarians'' tracks.


    "They couldn¡¯t have gotten too far. Their supplies must be running low as well."


    The barbarians, while quite mobile, carried limited supplies. Especially those who had just fled the battlefield likely had only about three days'' worth of food and drinks.


    <em>¡®They''ve been surviving on their local lootings all along. They won''tst long without going through a vige.¡¯</em>


    Carnius fed his soldiers well with meat.Carnius'' forces had started their pursuit immediately after arge battle and had also faced an ambush from the barbarians. Even the well-trained imperial troops couldn¡¯t avoid the severebat fatigue.


    "The barbarians must be just as tired. In fact, their situation is probably worse than ours."


    As long as they could catch up to them, Carnius¡¯ victory was all but certain. That was the consensus of Carnius and hismand staff.


    "General, there are civilians approaching."


    "Civilians?"


    Carnius spurred his horse forward. A group of civilians hade up to the troops.


    "They say they are refugees from Valdima."


    A knight who had already interrogated the civilians reported.


    Carnius called one of his adjutants and opened a map. Valdima was a vige under a count''s domain that had a poption of about two thousand people.


    "This means the barbarians are in Valdima."


    "The civilians said that it all happened two days ago. If they hit Valdima to loot for supplies, they wouldn''t have been able to leave immediately."


    "Using the time theirrades bought them to gather supplies... That is not a wise decision. They should have moved further even at the risk of starvation. If luck was on their side, we might have even missed their trail and they could have escaped."


    "Perhaps they were that desperate for supplies."


    Carnius summoned the escaped residents of Valdima to hear about the barbarian attack.


    "T-they showed up in the middle of the night. They climbed over our walls like it was nothing, and w-we couldn¡¯t do a-anything about it.¡±


    It was a plight simr to that of Langkegart.


    The barbarians had killed left and right as they took over the vige. By now, they would be busy plundering the people.


    <em>¡®It would be best to block the barbarians¡¯ escape route before they try to run.¡¯</em>


    Carnius called his cavalrymanders and pointed at a spot on the map.


    "Keep an eye on them and make sure they can''t escape from Valdima."


    It was a half-day ride for the cavalry.


    Carnius decided to send the cavalry first to pin down the barbarians and give the infantry a chance to rest before going into another battle.


    <em>¡®I will not rush it.¡¯</em>


    Carnius repeated these words to himself several times. Each time, he suppressed the emotions boiling inside him.


    "Understood, General."


    Themanders nodded and withdrew. They called their cavalry units and ryed the orders. Soon after, a mixed force of heavy and light cavalry advanced first.


    "Set up camp. We spend the night here."


    Carnius'' order was met with cheers from the troops.


    "Hooray General Carnius!"


    The construction of the campsite proceeded faster than usual. The soldierspleted setting up the camp even before the sun waspletely down. Carnius specially gave out alcohol to the soldiers before the day of battle.


    They ensured enough rest and opened their alcohol supply. The soldiers relieved their fatigue and enjoyed a modest feast.


    "Now, tell me about my son one more time."


    Carnius called aside a soldier from Leo¡¯s unit who had survived.


    <em>¡®Dammit, I get that he misses his son, but calling me every day like this is driving me mad.¡¯</em>


    The soldier smiled, although his true emotion was quite the opposite. The man who was requesting his presence was none other than the renowned General Carnius. He could not afford to be rude.


    "...I still remember vividly. Your son was an excellent knight," the soldier began his ount.


    "Right, I trained him quite rigorously ever since he was a young boy. I was even harsher because hecked practical experience."


    Carnius drifted into old memories. He personally took charge of Leo''s swordsmanship training, intending to raise him as a general who would one day hold a pir of the empire.


    "Even under the sudden assault of the barbarians, he remained unyielded and calmly issued hismands. It was as if he was proving that he truly carried your blood, General."


    The soldier exined thebat situation, emphasizing Leo''s bravery.


    "However, even before reinforcements could arrive, the barbarians had us surrounded. Naturally, those whomand bravely tend to stand out. Yet, he fought on, even as the barbarians'' des grazed his neck. It was indeed a knightly end."


    The soldier finished speaking and took a sip of water.


    Carnius closed his eyes, picturing Leo''s final moments.


    "Thank you. This is a small token of appreciation."


    A few gold coins dropped into the soldier''s hand.


    "Of course, General. It¡¯s the least I could do."


    The soldier received the gold, bowed his head, and left the tent.


    "Hah, what the hell am I doing?"


    The soldier counted the gold coins and sighed.


    <em>''Valiant death, my ass. In the end, he died while trying to beg for his life saying he was a noble. The pathetic sight of him begging for his life to some barbarians who wouldn''t even understand hisnguage...''</em>


    The soldier had yed dead among the bodies of hisrades. Yet, he felt no shame in his survival.


    <em>''...I am no noble. Dying honorably is the role of them and the knights.''</em>


    The soldier had embellished Leo''sst moments when reporting to Carnius.


    Leo died a death that was unfitting of a knight, and revealing such a truth could have led to the soldier¡¯s execution for lying. It must never be known that Carnius¡¯ son died such a shameful death.


    After getting plenty of rest, the rest of the army followed the cavalry that had moved ahead. The soldiers, having slept well for the first time in a while, walked with light steps.


    Once this battle was over, they would return home. This boosted their morale so much that even the conscripts were filled with fighting spirit.


    After reaching the outskirts of Valdima, the imperial army set up their camp again.


    "The barbarians are holding out in Valdima."


    The cavalrymander who arrived first informed Carnius. Carnius surveyed Valdima from afar on his horse.


    "What about the lord?"


    "The inner fort has been taken, and Count Valdima is currently being held hostage by the barbarians."


    "Hah, is that what they were aiming for?"


    "Yes, they seem to be going for a negotiation. They have sent their message through a local resident that if we attack, they will kill the count."


    "How funny is it that they think holding some small-time noble is going to work?"


    Carnius scoffed. After circling the territory of Valdima once, he convened a meeting.


    "The outer walls are just a wooden fence. They''re not very sturdy. The defenses around the gate are clumsy, and there isn¡¯t a moat either, so it shouldn''t be too difficult to breach."


    "It¡¯s a ce that even the barbarians took over in a single day."


    "Moreover, even the existing defense facilities seem to be in poor condition. It might be best tounch our attack right away tomorrow."


    The adjutants and knights were sure of their victory. It was clearly an easily conquerable vige. Its defenses were the bare minimum.


    "The only concern is that its lord and the citizens who couldn''t escape are being held hostage. If we fullyunch our attack, the barbarians will kill them all."


    A brief silence fell. These men were followers of the sun god Lou. They had a duty to protect the innocent.


    Carnius spoke up.


    "What is more important to us is not saving the lives in front of us but eradicating the barbarians as soon as possible to prevent even greater damage. Even if we hesitate and dy our attack, it won''t magically stir mercy in the barbarians'' hearts, nor will it free the residents of the vige. It will only prolong their suffering."


    There was a scale in Carnius¡¯ heart. Whenever he faced a dilemma, he would weigh it on the scale of his heart. People called him ¡®Iron Blood,¡¯ but the truth was that he always acted for the greater justice.


    "We will prepare for the attack, then."


    No one else objected to Carnius'' decision. All they needed was someone to bear the moral burden, and that was always the role of themander.


    "Thisnd belongs to the sons and daughters of the Sun God. Let us show the barbaric pagans the power of the Sun!"


    A devout knight eximed. The other knights responded, praising the name of Lou.


    * * *


    Over six thousand imperial soldiers prepared for the siege.


    "They won¡¯t get away this time. We even have our cavalry with us."


    The knightsughed heartily as they donned their helmets. Unlike the previous battle, they had over a thousand cavalry to send on the pursuit. Having already dispatched horsemen to the rear gate of the fortress, there was no chance of the barbarians escaping.


    "They''ve dug their own graves. They¡¯ve practically trapped themselves in a ce with no escape."


    The knights scoffed at the barbarians'' decision.


    However, Carnius watched Valdima from a distance, deep in thought.


    <em>¡®They must have some kind of strategy. Especially if theirmander is the one who broke through our encirclementst time.¡¯</em>


    Even Carnius had to acknowledge the decision-making of the barbarians who had killed his son. A frontal breakthrough in that situation was an astonishing decision.


    <em>¡®Was it just a charge reliant on the frenzy, or was it the decision of an exceptionalmander... I guess we¡¯ll find out soon.¡¯</em>


    Carnius proceeded with caution. He nned to send the heavy infantry and knights first to breach the gates. With Valdima''s level of defenses, there was no way to stop the heavy infantry and knights.


    <em>¡®Once we break through the walls, This battle is as good as over. No matter how brave the barbarians are, they can''t defeat the knights.¡¯</em>


    The superiority of the knights had been proven time and time again. The knights in steel armor were practically the natural predators of the barbarians.


    <em>¡®The barbarian infantry is strong in melee and chaotic battles. But in the face of our knights, those advantages are virtually non-existent.¡¯</em>


    Knights d in steel armor had almost no weaknesses. How many warriors could exploit the few weaknesses of knights in the chaos of battle? Even if they borrowed the courage of wolves and bears, a de made of crude metal couldn''t prate a te armor.


    "Advance."


    Carnius gave themand. Themanders moved ording to the nned strategy. The knights and heavy infantry slowly approached the gates.


    <em>Thwip!</em>


    The barbarians fired their crossbows and arrows. In a town with poor defenses, arrows were almost the only means of defense.


    <em>ng!</em>


    The arrows did nothing against the imperial army. The knights'' armor deflected the arrows, and the heavy infantry raised theirrge shields over their heads, maintaining the Turtle Formation.


    <em>¡®This is theirst desperate struggle.¡¯</em>


    The imperial advance was heavy and firm.


    <em>Doong, doong, doong.</em>


    Only the sound of the drum setting the marching speed spread across the battlefield.


    The barbarians shooting arrows from the fences almost looked pitiful. The imperial army wasn¡¯t going to lose the siege even if they tried to. It was clear that the barbarians were headed for defeat.


    "Kaagh!"


    The barbarians who were shooting arrows suddenly screamed. Those on the fences rushed down to the ground.


    "What''s happening?"


    The advancing imperial soldiers slowed down. Themanders narrowed their eyes, observing what was happening.


    The imperial army reached the gates. There was no resistance or defense from the barbarians.


    Instead, sounds of fighting came from inside the vige.


    <em>''Internal conflict?''</em>


    There was a group of mercenaries from the civilized world among the barbarian army. That was a fact well known to even the imperial army.


    <em>Creeeak.</em>


    The gate opened. A group of blood-soaked soldiers came out, gasping for air. They hurriedly sought help from the imperial army.


    "We are mercenaries who have been with the barbarians! The barbarians areing for us!"


    The one who came out of the gate leading the mercenaries was Georg. He had opened the gate to escape with dozens of his men.


    "Hah, idiots."


    The knights at the gate looked over the mercenaries andughed. The situation was obvious.


    <em>''They are trying to save their lives by betraying the barbarians and opening the gate, but they''re as good as dead anyway.''</em>


    General Carnius'' son was dead. Even if they surrendered, those who had joined the barbarian army had no chance of surviving.


    Nheless, the barbarians were at an overwhelming disadvantage. It wasn''t surprising that the mercenaries betrayed them in such a situation.


    The momentum was strong. Carnius looked at the gate that had opened on its own. The smell of iron was almost sweet with the proximity of victory.


    "The barbarian bastards must be confused by the betrayal. We must enter now, General!"


    Victory had rolled in too easily.


    <em>''If the situation flows too favorably, you have to be skeptical.''</em>


    Carnius stroked his chin, looking over the battlefield.

 Chapter 202

    <h4>Chapter 202</h4>


    War was an upromising game of chess. Rushing to move pieces just because of an immediate benefit right in front of one¡¯s eyes could bring dire consequences. In war, it was real humans that died, not game pieces.


    Carnius focused on the immediate benefits. He didn''t have time to ponder. His soldiers awaited hismand.


    <i>''Internal traitors among the barbarians, a gate that opened by itself, and an overwhelming advantage.''</i>


    All circumstances pointed to the victory of the imperial army.


    <i>''Honestly, even if it''s a trap, I can''t see us losing.''</i>


    What surged in Carnius¡¯ heart was a confidence bordering on arrogance. Yet, he remained wary of that arrogance.


    "General! The barbarians are going to close the gate again!"


    An adjutant urgently shouted. If the gate closed, they would miss a perfect opportunity. Reopening it would result in dozens of casualties.


    <i>''Is it just my unnecessary apprehension...?''</i>


    Carnius extended his hand forward. Even if it were a trap, it was too good an opportunity to miss. He sent the heavy infantry and knights into the gate.


    "Ooooooh!"


    The imperial army stormed inside the gate.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The warriors trying to close the gate shed with the soldiers trying to break in. The resistance was fierce.


    <i>''Would they defend the gate so desperately if it were actually a trap?''</i>


    Carnius¡¯ lips quivered. He slowly became more and more certain.


    <i>''Leo, forgive this pitiful father.''</i>


    Carnius was filled with endless regret. Leo''s final moments haunted him constantly.


    <i>''If I had stopped you then... or at least had I sent more soldiers with you...''</i>


    Regret was always toote, no matter how quick one was to regret. Carnius had lost his precious son.


    "Leo..."


    His voice was mncholic.


    The day Leo was born, Carnius felt he owned the world, and when Leo died, he lost it all.


    <i>''It was my greed. If only I hadn¡¯t tried to raise him as a knight to seed me...''</i>


    Carnius furrowed his brow.


    The old knight who had lost his son desired the blood of the barbarians. No amount of blood spilled at his son¡¯s memorial was ever going to be enough.


    <i>''Lou, I crave vengeance. If you deem a father''s yearning to avenge his son a sin against your will, then take this old body.''</i>


    Carnius kissed the sun emblem on the hilt of his sword. He opened his eyes and tightened his throat.


    "Chaaaaarge!"


    Carnius thrust his sword forward as he shouted. The heavy cavalry beside him charged into the vige.


    The heavy cavalry trampled the barbarians, securing the gate entrance. Once the entrance was secured, the imperial soldiers flooded in.


    Arge part of the imperial main forces had entered the vige. The barbarians resisted in the narrow passages, but the number of the barbarians dying off far exceeded that of the imperial soldiers.


    <i>''Is this irresponsible strategy truly all they have?''</i>


    Carniusughed hollowly. He was feeling rather foolish for having been so tense for no apparent reason.


    "General! The gate entrance is closing!"


    The imperial soldiers guarding the gate were falling.


    "Hah! Cunning bastards! I knew it!"


    Carniusughed. He was expecting a trap or two.


    Near the gate, barbarians who seemed dead began to rise one by one. They were not betrayed; they had merely pretended to have been, smearing themselves with blood and lying down. Georg and the mercenaries also joined the barbarians and closed the gate.


    <i>Buuuuuup!</i>


    The barbarians sent their signal.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    mes spread from the outskirts of the vige. The wooden houses, liberally doused with oil beforehand, caught fire quickly. The mes rapidly spread throughout the vige.


    <i>''They trapped us inside the vige and are attacking with fire... that¡¯s somewhat clever for some barbarians.''</i>


    Carnius was not perturbed. The vige walls were just a wooden fence. The imperial army could break out in mere moments if they chose to. There was no chance the imperial troops would die engulfed in mes.


    "Is this all you¡¯ve prepared, you pagan barbarians! Is this the best the ones who killed my son are capable of!" Carnius shouted loudly.


    Amotion arose among the soldiers ahead.


    "Neighhhh!"


    Cows and horses raced down along the main road of the vige. They had barrels of oil tied to them, and their tails were on fire.


    The barbarians used the vige''s assets ruthlessly, setting fire to valuable cows and horses and using them as weapons.


    "Aaargh!"


    "Stab them with your spears to keep them away!"


    The imperial soldiers were trampled by the rampaging horses and cows. The oil barrels on the animals'' backs spilled over, drenching the soldiers in oil. A soldier engulfed in mes screamed as he rolled on the ground.


    Carnius narrowed his eyes. At a nce, it seemed like chaos, but the damage to the overall imperial army was actually minimal.


    <i>¡®Such a trickerycks effectiveness. This won''t win them the battle. What are the barbarian bastards thinking?¡¯</i>


    Carnius nned to break through the wooden fence and move outside. He had no intention of falling victim to such a clumsy fire attack. They could easily kill the barbarians slowly after the vige hadpletely burned down.


    "Please save us, my lords!"


    "T-the barbarians are... Eeeek!"


    But this time, even Carnius was quite taken aback. It wasn''t barbarians but the residents of Valdima who were bursting out from all directions.


    Residents on fire clung to the imperial soldiers everywhere in the vige.


    "Shit! What is this all of a sudden?"


    The soldiers pushed the residents away. The residents seemed like they werepletely out of their senses as if they had been put through unspeakable things.


    "T-they skinned my son alive r-right in front of me. Uggh."


    In a state of panic, the residents desperately sought help from the imperial soldiers. It was impossible to control them.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    While the imperial soldiers were distracted, the barbarian attack resumed. Barbarians hidden here and there shot their arrows and then disappeared.


    The ovepping situations disrupted the discipline of the imperial army. The heat surrounding the vige intensified even more to the point of the heat being unbearable for the soldiers in iron armor.


    In such conditions, the clinging residents were a burden to the imperial army. Unable to control them, the imperial army had to resort to using force.


    "Did I not tell you to back off!"


    "Eeeek! Why! A-aren¡¯t you here to s-save us? The b-barbarians, they''reing!"


    "This is madness! These people havepletely lost it!"


    The residents had witnessed their families and neighbors being skinned and dismembered right before their eyes. The past few days werepletely intolerable, with days feeling like months.


    <i>¡®Are the barbarian main forces holding out in the stone fortress? It seems like they''re waiting for us to burn off. Foolish idiots.¡¯</i>


    Carnius scoffed at the barbarians. Thinking rationally, each of their tricks was just trivial deception. The solution was clear.


    "Subdue the people causing chaos by force! If necessary, I''ll allow lethal force! Sir Gorn! Break the fence and clear a path out!"


    Carnius issued a sternmand. He was not fooled by the barbarian''s deception.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Sir Gorn, who had led his soldiers to break the fence, had not been heard from for a while.


    The mes grewrger, and the soldiers looked on with serious looks. The space for them to maneuver narrowed. The horses, startled by the approaching mes, caused chaos and threw off their riders.


    <i>Whoooosh!</i>


    A murmuring noise came from the mes. The mes suddenly intensified and grew evenrger. Someone seemed to be deliberately pouring more oil.


    "It''s the barbarians!"


    Urich''s main force was in fact not hiding in the fortress. They had entered the burning vige covered in wet leather cloaks and garments.


    <i>Tsssss!</i>


    As the water evaporated, steam rose in a white mist.


    "Huff, huff."


    The warriors emerged in front of the soldiers, passing through the mes.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The warriors who had emerged from the mes attacked the soldiers. The wet leather on the warriors was already nearly dried out.


    "Ah, hot, hot!"


    The soldiers holding shields yelped. The shields were hot enough to cook meat on, and the inside of their armor was practically a steamer.


    <i>¡®Are they really trying to fight in all this fire?¡¯</i>


    Carnius'' eyes widened. The entire vige would soon be engulfed in mes, yet the barbarians had gathered to confront them head-on.


    "Kaaaaagh!"


    The sh had already begun up front.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The barbarians kicked oil drums down, rolling them out and spreading the fire everywhere. The mes blocked the soldiers'' path and destroyed their formation.


    "Crazy bastards!"


    The soldiers screamed.


    The warriors donned heavy wet leather. They were in a much better position than those in metal armor.


    The situation was critical for the knights in full te armor. The trapped heat was making it nearly impossible for them to breathe, as the quilted or leather garments underneath the steel did not allow any of the heat to escape. Several knights had already thrown off their helmets.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    And the warriors did not miss this opportunity. Their arrows pierced the heads of the helmetless knights.


    "Are they trying to get all of us burnt to a crisp?"


    The knights grimaced and swung their swords. The barbarians darted in and out of the burning houses and snuck up on the imperial soldiers.


    "Do not follow them inside the houses!"


    Many soldiers who chased the barbarians into the burning buildings were crushed to death.


    "Huff, huff."


    The soldiers poured water over their heads. The water in their skins was woefully insufficient.


    The barbarians did not engage in directbat. They only engaged in brief exchanges to ensure that the imperial army couldn¡¯t leave the vige and backed off. The mes and heat prevented the imperial soldiers from pursuing them. And it wasn¡¯t like they could afford to turn their backs to the barbarians, either.


    "Aaaaah! F-fire, fire! There¡¯s fire everywhere!"


    To make matters worse, the residents of Valdima continued to cause amotion. Some that were running toward the fence were engulfed by mes and jumped into the imperial ranks.


    <i>''Where is Sir Gorn, and why haven¡¯t I heard from him yet? Did I not send him to tear down the fence?''</i>


    The gate was locked tight, and the winch was broken. The troops waiting outside seemed to be engaged inbat themselves as well.


    Carnius'' face had lost allposure. It seemed like they were going to burn together with the barbarians at this rate.


    The barbarians who had wet leather on them were not much better off themselves. Several had their skin seared red, and many who tried to lure the soldiers died crushed under copsing buildings themselves.


    <i>Ssssss.</i>


    Shadows flickered in the direction Golen''s unit had gone.


    "Uuuuuurich is heeeere!!¡±


    The warriors suddenly erupted. Even a dying warrior sprang up and shouted Urich''s name.


    <i>Buuuuuuuup!</i>


    A horn blower blew a signal from within the fireball.


    "Huff, huff."


    Urich appeared, breathing out the smoky air. He was also wearing wet leather like the other warriors. As he crossed through the mes, steam billowed from the leather.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Urich threw a severed head in front of the imperial army. It was the head of Sir Gorn, who had broken off earlier to tear down the fence.


    One by one, warriors appeared behind Urich. Their clothes and leather were bone-dry, sending off sparks. Their hands and feet were scorched ck.


    In the suffocating heat and throat-ckening smoke, the tribal warriors endured as they always had. They endured the hardship as if they were enduring the dry season while waiting for the rain.


    The moment Carnius faced Urich, he knew this man was the head of the barbarian horde.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Silently, Urich raised his axe.


    The warriors no longer backed off after initiating their attacks. They emerged amidst mes and smoke, boldly confronting the imperial army. The dried-up leathers no longer protected them from the heat. The warriors'' bodies, marred by burns, were rather hideous.


    The barbarians had turned Valdima into the most terrible battlefield. Now, the side to turn their backs to run away from Valdima were going to be the ones to suffer. To survive, they had to defeat the enemy in front of them.


    <i>''...or burn altogether.''</i>


    Carnius'' lips twitched. mes flickered in his eyes.


    "Urich...?"


    A few knights who were facing the barbarians muttered that name.

 Chapter 203

    <h4>Chapter 203</h4>


    The name Urich was not unfamiliar to them. However, before the knights could think hard to remember the name, they faced the looming threat.


    mes flickered wildly from all around. The heat was enough to suffocate even those who weren¡¯t wearing anything. Continuing to breathe in the acrid smoke inevitably caused dizziness.


    <i>''I''m dizzy.''</i>


    Carnius tried to keep his eyes open. He wanted to take off his armor but there was no time.


    The more heavily armored a soldier was, the clumsier their movements became. Knights in full steel te armor copsed one by one, overwhelmed by the heat.


    <i>''Even the northerners have never used such tactics. I have never heard or seen this type of fighting.''</i>


    Carnius was a veteran who was well-versed in the empire''s military history and had fought wars against the northerners for many years. He had never fought in a battle amidst a sea of fire before.


    <i>''The steel armor meant to protect us is actually killing us.''</i>


    Armor could withstand cold but not heat. In fact, knights in the south preferred lighter armor during summer.


    <i>''It seems they have forces outside as well.''</i>


    Even in a situation like this, Carnius'' forces that were ced on the other side of the walls were not able to break through the gate.


    <i>¡®I can hardly think.''</i>


    Carnius was a knight past his sixties. Even a man diligent in self-care could not hide his age. Environmental changes were particrly harsh on an old warrior. It was difficult to breathe, causing his shoulders to heave dramatically.


    But taking deep breaths only allowed more of the toxic smoke to permeate his body.


    "Cough, cough."


    Many of Carnius'' keymanders were old knights. They were all past their physical prime. Although they were exceptionally skilled inmand, they fell behind in terms of stamina. Maintaining discipline in the army became challenging as each person in the imperial army struggled with their own physical condition.


    About five thousand imperial soldiers had entered the vige. Yet, they were surrounded by a smaller number of barbarians.


    <i>''mes.''</i>


    Urich looked at the world that was flickering red. As he thrust his sword forward, the warriors charged.


    "Wooaaaaah!"


    Warriors d only in leather cloaks rampaged. They were men who were used to fighting with barely any clothes to begin with.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    A warrior''s axe split open a soldier''s head.


    The soldiers, having inhaled a lot of smoke and overwhelmed by the heat, were flushed and sluggish.


    "Hup."


    The warriors wrapped wet cloths around their noses and mouths to prevent themselves from inhaling too much smoke. Even amidst the inferno, their heads were clear, and their eyes hunted the enemy.


    <i>Tssssss!</i>


    Urich thrust his red-hot sword into a soldier''s neck. The smell of burning flesh arose. The fear of the enemies was palpable.


    "Aaaaaaaargh!"


    Screams of civilized people burst from all directions. Even the proud formations of the civilized people were useless in the chaos of mes.


    "Aaaaah! Lou!"


    There was no escape from the mes. The terrified residents of Valdima scrambled around, hindering the imperial army.


    <i>''We are being pushed back.''</i>


    Carnius barely managed to survey the situation. His five thousand imperial soldiers were being pushed back by merely two thousand barbarians. The empire''s proud knights were helpless against the barbarians. Some were literally cooked in their armor in the mes.


    "Cough, Sir Jordain, attack that barbarian. He is their leader," Carnius said to a knight as he pointed out Urich.


    <i>''This barbarian tribe has exceptional capabilities. The one leading bravely at the front must be their head. And when he appeared, the surrounding barbarians shouted ¡®Urich¡¯.''</i>


    Carnius'' insight was spot on. Killing Urich was certainly going to break the barbarians'' morale.


    Upon receiving Carnius'' orders, Jordain led the other surrounding knights and soldiers forward. The knights staggered as they followed Jordain.


    "Protect Urich!"


    The warriors shouted upon noticing the soldiers closing in on Urich. They charged through the mes as if burns were nothing to them. Unlike the imperial soldiers, they ran forward without any fear of the mes.


    The knights also let out roars akin to screams as they charged.


    Knights and warriors collided. Metal intertwined with flesh, sttering blood.


    The knights, who should have been the natural predators of the barbarians, bled without being able to put up much of a fight. The fact that they were even able to move this much in armor in such heat was nearly superhuman. As soon as the fighting started, the heat surged up to their heads.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    The warriors overpowered the knights, thrusting their des between the tes of their armor.


    "Cough, keeeuuugh!"


    A knight felt every bit of the sensation of the barbarian de tearing his flesh as he copsed. He coughed up blood and died.


    "Ooooooh!"


    A warrior lifted the severed head of a knight, boasting of his feat.


    <i>''They fightpletely undeterred heat.''</i>


    The tribal warriors were ustomed to severe heat. They walked, ran, and fought even in the stifling dry seasons. For the warriors of the west, endurance was a virtue. Even at the risk of death, they did not utter any weak words.


    <i>Tsssss.</i>


    More and more burns spread across the bodies of the warriors. Some were scorched red from head to toe. Their limbs were in horrific states after being destroyed by the fire.


    "Ooooooh! You filthy barbarians!"


    Jordain threw his helmet aside as he bellowed.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Jordain and Urich''s swords shed. Urich forcefully pushed Jordain away.


    <i>''Such incredible strength.''</i>


    Jordain couldn''t withstand Urich''s monstrous strength and fell heavily. He hurriedly tried to thrust his sword forward, but Urich''s hand was quicker.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Urich''s sword sliced through Jordain''s neck halfway. Jordain clutched his neck as he fell backward.


    "How does it feel to die by the sword of a filthy barbarian?"


    Urich grinned, baring his teeth.


    <i>¡®Hamelian?''</i>


    As hey dying, Jordain''s eyes widened. Fluent Hamelian hade from Urich''s mouth. It was astonishing that the leader of the barbarians spoke thenguage of the empire.


    <i>''Urich? Urich!''</i>


    Jordain felt as if he had been struck by lightning. The name Urich was not unfamiliar to him.


    <i>''I must inform General Carnius. This man is Urich...''</i>


    He was once the most famous barbarian in the imperial capital of Hamel.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Urich stomped on Jordain''s stomach and swung his sword again to finish the job. Urich kicked Jordain''s head into the mes.


    The front lines of the imperial army were pushed back. The barbarians advanced as if they were being guarded by the mes.


    <i>''Is this how we are defeated here?''</i>


    Carnius chuckled helplessly. It was an absurd defeat.


    <i>''If only I had thought about our options one more time...''</i>


    If he had thought things through just once more, perhaps this situation would not have happened. But Carnius had been hasty, dismissing his slight unease in his quest for vengeance for his son.


    Half of the imperial troops that had entered the vigey dead and scattered.


    "Protect the general!"


    The knights called outboriously. They fought with Carnius at their center. They were surrounded by mes, which made it difficult for them to escape.


    "Cough, cough."


    Carnius was also at his limit. He had inhaled too much smoke, and his eyes kept closing. He was even beginning to see things.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Barbarians burst out from between the houses wrapped in mes. They targeted the weakly defended areas.


    "General!"


    The knights quickly shielded Carnius with their bodies. They fell in heaps to the warriors'' weapons.


    <i>''Oh, Lou, are you punishing me for surrendering myself to the sinful emotion of revenge?''</i>


    Carnius looked at his sword''s hilt.


    <i>Craaaash!</i>


    A loud crashing noise came from behind.


    The gate was finally destroyed, and the remaining imperial troops appeared. They had used a battering ram to break through the firmly closed gate.


    "Rescue General Carnius!"


    The reserve troops that were stationed outside and the supply troops burst in. They too had suffered significant losses fighting Georg¡¯s mercenary and mixed barbarian forces.


    The imperial soldiers from outside were also shocked by the severity of the fire engulfing the vige. The fire was more serious than expected. The entire vige was aze.


    <i>''The name Valdima will disappear.''</i>


    The heat that was hot enough to burn flesh made it difficult for the external forces to enter with ease. They suffered burns as they cleared debris to create a path.


    "Get the general out first! Shield him with your bodies!"


    The knights shouted, but because of the mes, the soldiers couldn''t form a defensive line and were too busy trying to escape backward. The imperial troops pushed and shoved each other, falling over in disarray.


    "Oooooooh!"


    The warriors screamed as they pursued the imperial troops to the very end. They stormed all the way up to the gate, determined to cut off everyst breath.


    "General!"


    Carnius, havinge outside the gate, was assisted as he mounted his horse.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    The barbarians who had caught up fired an arrow. An arrow grazed Carnius'' nape.


    "Kugh!"


    Carnius groaned, bending forward. He almost fell off his horse, but the veteran''s hands did not let go of the reins.


    "Hyah!"


    A knight beside him took control of Carnius¡¯ horse along with his own.


    They only had a few horses left. Those too were mostly ridden by knights and nobles who had fled first. The soldiers retreated on foot, but the barbarians'' fierce pursuit was shattering the soldiers'' ranks from the rear.


    "General, pull yourself together."


    The knights called out to Carnius. He gripped his bleeding nape, gasping for air.


    <i>¡®Leo.¡¯</i>


    Carnius thought of his son.


    <i>¡®I miss you. I shouldn¡¯t have sent you out like that.¡¯</i>


    He wanted to give up on life and copse right there and then. He felt he had no regrets left, even if he were to die now.


    "We need to treat him immediately. He''s bleeding severely!"


    A cleric who had followed shouted after seeing Carnius'' wound. The knights looked at each other and nodded.


    "Treat the general here! We''ll buy some time!"


    The knights turned their horses around. They receivednces from the squires.


    "Ooooooh!"


    Carnius¡¯ knights, numbering no more than twenty-four, charged toward the barbarian group. Though few, their momentum was able to temporarily halt the barbarians'' pursuit.


    Meanwhile, the cleric pulled out herbs and bandages to treat Carnius.


    "Survive, general. Your life isn''t just your own."


    Carnius'' eyelids trembled. He etched the image of hisrades charging to their deaths into his retinas.


    "You won''t even let me die in peace. Keke."


    Carnius remounted his horse with his hands trembling. He led the remaining forces in retreat. Initially, there were seven thousand, but now less than a thousand remained. Even that thousand was merely the dregs of his forces with all the elite having been lost. It was undoubtedly aplete defeat.


    <i>Thud-thud-thud-thud!</i>


    Urich watched knights charging on their horses. The intensity of the knights sacrificing their lives in the charge was impressive.


    The tail of ance nearly reached Urich.


    "Huuuuup!"


    Urich took a deep breath in. He stared down the horse''s eyes and roared with all his might.


    "Woooooaaaaaaaaaaah!"


    The resonant roar startled the sensitive horses. Although the warhorses were trained enough to not throw their riders off, they still slowed down, and the knights¡¯ formation became disordered.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich swiped ance aside with his sword. He leaped up and mmed a knight¡¯s head to the ground.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The sound of his neck snapping was clear.


    Having killed one knight, Urich red as other knights passed by him.


    ¡°Kaaagh!"


    The warriors impaled bynces screamed. The few knights had plunged into the warriors'' ranks, buying some time.


    <i>¡®I guess that''s it for now.¡¯</i>


    Urich watched the retreating imperial troops. Soon, screams diminished behind him, and knights dropped like flies.


    "Praise the Son of the Earth, Urich!"


    "Uuuuuurich!"


    "The great warrior is with us!"


    The warriors shouted Urich''s name from the top of the pile of bodies. They had won a battle they thought they couldn¡¯t. What would be a life-long ghastly burn mark was a symbol of glory.


    Carnius'' pursuit was over. They returned to the capital of Hamel with scorched bodies. Two other detachments that had been chasing the other barbarian units joined them on the way, but only one of the imperial pursuit units had made any progress.


    The empire could not exterminate the barbarians. The roots of the barbarians were still very much alive.

 Chapter 204: Mandate of Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 204: Mandate of Heaven</h4>


    Georg, the ve of the scribe.


    He betrayed his master andmitted adultery with his wife.


    <i>¡®I love you, Georg.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®You ungrateful trash!¡¯</i>


    The voices of the two people haunted his mind. Georg slowly opened his eyes. It would be a lie to say he felt no guilt. Perhaps he wanted to go to their side. Maybe that was why Georg willingly took on a perilously risky mission he would normally avoid.


    A dim light knocked on Georg''s eyes.


    He was engulfed in the stench of thick blood. He was not a man known for his prowess in battle¡ªnot at all. His main role was to motivate the soldiers with his tongue.


    <i>¡®Am I still alive?¡¯</i>


    Georg blinked. Memories flooded back.


    <i>¡®Right, we fought them. Did we win?¡¯</i>


    The mercenary group that Georg was a part of, along with a few barbarians, had fought against the imperial soldiers who were ced outside the vige. The battle was as fierce outside the vige as it was within.


    <i>¡®All we could do was buy time.¡¯</i>


    Georg pushed away the bodies surrounding him and got up.


    "Huhhhh!"


    He exhaled deeply and looked around. Warriors and mercenaries with big and small wounds all over their bodies were raising their heads.


    "Here, Georg, grab my hand."


    Urich called out to Georg as he reached his hand out.


    "We won, huh."


    Georg took Urich''s hand and stood up, limping heavily due to a deep gash in his leg. Georg, too, was injured and in poor condition.


    Crows circled in the sky, waiting only for the bodies to decay.


    "Hah, can¡¯t believe I survived that."


    Georg sat down to drink water and catch his breath.


    <i>¡®This is a great victory. We turned a massively overwhelming odds with nothing but valor and strategy.¡¯</i>


    He had never seen or heard of a battle like this. Less than three thousand barbarian warriors had defeated the imperial army that numbered over double themselves.


    <i>¡®And it wasn''t just any imperial force; it was a legion-level force with every kind of soldier mixed in.¡¯</i>


    Georgughed hollowly. Even the joy of surviving felt unreal.


    "Ooooooh!"


    The barbarians roared repeatedly, celebrating their victory. The deep burns on their bodies were horrific to even look at.


    <i>¡®We used every means possible.¡¯</i>


    The methods they employed were those that civilized people would never use. From people to livestock, even the long-cultivated vige and territory were burned down.


    <i>¡®That''s how we won.¡¯</i>


    The warriors were ecstatic. They chanted Urich''s name over and over.


    "Did we capture the enemymander? Given the size of the army we fought, it must have been one of the main pursuit forces. The empire probably sent someone very high-ranking tomand it..."


    "No, I lost him."


    Urich sat on a partially burned log. ck smoke came out every time he breathed out.


    "Ah, it stings."


    Urich doused his burned skin with water. Even his tough muscles couldn''t withstand the mes.


    The warriors, who had fought covered in wet leather, were in this state. The imperial soldiers in iron armor must have suffered terribly.


    <i>¡®No one could have imagined we''d attack by setting the vige on fire. It was as if we were trying to kill ourselves as well.¡¯</i>


    The strategy was Urich''s idea. Georg called it madness as soon as he heard it, but the warriors silently nodded and followed Urich''s orders. They set up pyres throughout the vige and ced oil drums strategically.


    Urich had ordered his warriors to murder and torture beyond necessity. Then, he released the terrified residents onto the imperial army to create obstacles to confuse them.


    In a corner of the vige, there were residents who were still shivering with fear. Among them was also the lord of Valdima. Even the imperial army that he had been counting on had been utterly defeated by the barbarians.


    "Urich, what should we do with them? Should we kill them?"


    A warrior approached Urich, waiting for orders.


    "These people have suffered enough. Do not touch the women or children."


    Urich said coldly, forbidding the usual vition. Normally, such amand would not be heeded, but right now, Urich was like a god of war to the warriors who survived this battle.


    "Understood. I''ll pass your order along."


    Urich''smand spread among the other warriors. The barbarian warriorspletely ignored the vige residents. Not even a single incident of rape urred. They left the vige of Valdima not long after the conclusion of the battle.


    After entering the forest, Urich¡¯s unit cleaned their wounds with fresh water and took several days of rest. This break was much needed for the weary and injured warriors.


    Urich nned the next moves while surviving on the food looted from the vige of Valdima.


    "Regrouping with the other scattered units should be our priority. They should all be moving west."


    "If we head to the Arten outpost, we¡¯ll run into them somewhere along the way."


    "If everyone¡¯s thinking the same thing, they''ll travel the Langkegart route. It¡¯s already been scorched by us, so there won¡¯t be any defensive forces left."


    There was nothing grand about the n. They needed to regroup and then plot their next move.


    <i>¡®After we do that, we¡¯ll have to put an end to this.¡¯</i>


    Urich stared nkly at the map. The rtionship between the empire and the west was now irreversibly hostile. The war would not stop until one side submitted.


    <i>¡®Or we could cut off Yailrud... No, even if we cut off Yailrud, the empire will surely find a way to cross the Sky Mountains again. They will certainly create something simr to Yailrud.¡¯</i>


    The westerners had significantly shaken the empire already. One of its vassal states, Langkegart, was practically a finished state. Despite deploying twenty-thousand troops, the empire had failed to root out the barbarians. The empire''s prestige would have surely fallen.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich leaned back in his chair. The burns wrapping his neck and shoulders stung. He mulled over each of the events that had urred in the civilized world.


    "I''m not going to the Arten outpost," Urich dered.


    * * *


    The imperial army had neither won nor lost. They were victorious in the bigger battle itself but had suffered tremendous losses in the ensuing pursuit, essentially making it a great defeat.


    "General, we will arrive in Hamel soon."


    The procession of the imperial army returning to Hamel was somber.


    <i>''To think that only one of the three pursuit units achieved any sess...''</i>


    The losses suffered by the unit led by Carnius were especially horrendous. Of the seven thousand he led into battle, less than a thousand survived. On top of that, the primary losses were among the empire''s heavy infantry and knights.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s practically a defeat.''</i>


    The empire''s losses were immense. Following the annihtion of the Western Legion, about half of the imperial standing army was lost.


    The imperial standing army consisted of professional soldiers. Their quality was arge step above mere conscripts. Although it was not difficult to replenish the lost numbers with mercenaries or civilian fighters, these were nothing like the properly trained imperial soldiers.


    The heavy infantry, which formed the backbone of the imperial standing army, could exert twice thebat power of a simrly sized kingdom army. They represented an elite force that had an immense amount of investment in their cultivation.


    "I''m exhausted."


    Carnius looked at Hamel with a vacant expression.


    Carnius was summoned to an imperial hearing before he even had a moment to rest. Bureaucrats and pro-imperial nobles pressed him for responsibility.


    "Why did you divide the forces into three units right after the battle ended?"


    "It was because the enemies also fled in three directions. I wanted to ensure theirplete annihtion."


    "Are you sure it wasn¡¯t a rash decision you made because you were swept up by the death of your son on the battlefield? If not, how could the pursuit have ended this disastrously!"


    "Those are harsh words! General Carnius came here immediately upon his arrival without even getting a moment of rest to recover from the battle!!"


    Carnius'' adjutants, who were also his closerades, shouted in his defense.


    <i>''Did I survive only to receive all this reprimanding?''</i>


    In the midst of the chaos, Carnius smiled bitterly. He had lost too much. He had parted with his son as well as his friends of many decades.


    "General Carnius! You led seven thousand troops, three thousand of which were heavy infantry and knights, and you were defeated by a barbarian force less than half that size! How does that make any sense?"


    The adjutants defended Carnius in his ce.


    "They were almost like demons. They burned the vige and fought us as if they were fully prepared to die with us."


    The portly noblesughed at that defense.


    "Then you all should have fought, prepared to die as well! Did you not swear to give your lives for the empire and His Imperial Majesty when you were living your luxurious lives on the generosity of the empire?"


    The questioning was relentless.


    Blood seeped through the bandage wrapped around Carnius'' neck. His face reddened, and his wounds burst open.


    "The barbarians will retreat for now. They have suffered just as much as we have,¡± Carnius managed to speak, although with difficulty.


    "Hah, that''s the problem! You led an army of twenty thousand and only managed to push them back!"


    The empire wanted aplete victory. They wanted the oue where the imperial army annihted the barbarian forces, captured the survivors, and even conquered the west.


    <i>''The west is and of mystery.''</i>


    The nobles hade to fear the west. It was thend that had swallowed an entire legion.


    People of civilization did not know whaty in the west. If an evenrger army were to emerge from there, it could bring a great cmity to the civilized world. It was difficult tomit more troops to the western conquest casually. The failure of reconnaissance andck of information were painful.


    <i>''These people fear the barbarians of the west.''</i>


    The nobles'' fear seeped into Carnius. He touched the outer surface of his bleeding bandage in self-mockery.


    Carnius closed his eyes. The battle of Valdima was still vivid. A gigantic barbarian chief leaping out of a fiery pit.


    <i>''Is this a seconding of Mijorn the Brave of the north?''</i>


    Mijorn the Brave, who suddenly appeared thirty years ago and united the north.


    During the fifty years since its founding, Mijorn was the only existence that had instilled fear into the empire. People feared the united north and fled from the barbarians moving south. Even the nobles trembled at the barbarians'' momentum.


    <i>''The Sword Demon Ferzen led an army and decapitated that Mijorn.''</i>


    Carnius felt pitiful about his situation.


    <i>''It seems I will never surpass you, Ferzen.''</i>


    Strictly speaking, Carnius had achieved half his objective. However, the pro-imperial faction and the bureaucrats did not recognize such a half-victory. They only insulted Carnius for not securing a perfect one.


    "His Imperial Majesty will summon youter. You may leave for the day, General."


    Carnius wrapped his neck wound and shuffled out of the hall.


    Outside, Carnius¡¯ lieges greeted him. The face of his finely wrinkled wife appeared behind them.


    "Mydy..."


    Carnius began to speak, but thedy, wiping away tears, turned away as if she had nothing to say to a husband who had lost their son.


    Carnius watched his wife turn away and dropped his head. She had always opposed raising Leo as a fighter. Among the men close to women and books, there was talk that the era of using swords had passed. Carnius did not like that flow.


    Like many old nobles and knights, Carnius ignored the currents of time and taught his son swordsmanship and military academics.


    <i>''And this is all that hase of it. I have nothing to say.''</i>


    Carnius, supported by his lieges, climbed into the carriage.


    "General!"


    A knight who had yet to have a chance to remove his armor hurriedly approached, stopping the carriage. He was one of the knights who had fought alongside Carnius in this battle.


    "What is it?"


    "I looked into something because the name Urich sounded so familiar. It seems that it is indeed that Urich."


    "What do you mean ¡®that Urich¡¯?"


    "The first barbarian to ever win the Hamel Jousting Tournament."


    Carnius quietly recalled. His eyes widened.


    "Could it just be someone with the same name?"


    "From the descriptions of soldiers who saw him up close, it''s almost certain."


    "Collect all rumors and information about that man."


    Carnius took out a pouch of gold coins and handed it to the knight. The knight nodded and pulled on the reins again.

 Chapter 205

    <h4>Chapter 205</h4>


    The warriors who were with Urich were moving west to join Samikan at the Arten outpost.


    The alliance had achieved an unexpected sess in the imperial pursuit, which gave them time to regroup at the Arten outpost. The imperial army, who had suffered near-defeat losses, also needed to regroup and reorganize.


    The people of the civilization were trembling. Barbarians who had survived the fight with the imperial army were roaming the civilized world. They plundered everywhere they went and killed anyone they could see, adults and children alike.


    The horror of the western barbarians spread like a gue through the words of the survivors and soldiers who had faced the barbarians and lived.


    "Not even the imperial army could handle them."


    "I heard General Carnius lost."


    "Who¡¯s Carnius?"


    "That high-ranking general. Even a great general couldn¡¯t stop them."


    The reputation of the imperial army had hit rock bottom. The scattered barbarians raided farms and viges as they gathered at the Arten outpost.


    Urich led only a few other warriors and headed north. The only ones with him were Georg and about a dozen warriors.


    "Are you really not going to go to the Arten outpost?"


    Georg asked with a fully dissatisfied expression.


    "I already said no, how many times are you going to ask me the same question?"


    Urich drank water from his water skin on his horse.


    "Well, I think it would be better to join up with Samikan as soon as possible..."


    Georg couldn¡¯t understand why Urich was heading north so abruptly. While the warriors blindly trusted Urich, Georg needed a rational exnation.


    "There¡¯s a limit to the forces we can muster from the west. Even if we call them up again, we¡¯ll barely scrape together just over ten thousand. We need external forces, whether that¡¯s mercenaries, or something else."


    "So, you think there¡¯s a solution in the north?"


    "Well, there are the northerners who hate the empire in the north. We might be able to use some of them."


    "You¡¯re going to the north with such a casual n? My goodness, you might as well ask that imaginary royal friend of yours for some troops."


    Georg was appalled.


    <i>¡®Damn, maybe I should have just left. What riches and glory am I trying to get by sticking with this barbarian...¡¯</i>


    Many mercenaries had already left with the loot they had plundered. The imperial army had suffered greatly, but in the long run, the alliance was still at a disadvantage. Urich did not try to stop the departing mercenaries.


    "Just think of it as traveling. You¡¯re a former ve, so you wouldn¡¯t have had this freedom before, am I wrong?"


    Urich patted Georg¡¯s shoulder. Then he joked andughed with the other warriors.


    <i>¡®The warriors of Valdima...¡¯</i>


    The warriors who had fought alongside Urich in Valdima bore scars of burns,rge and small. They took pride in having won a disadvantageous battle with Urich. They took their burn marks as a badge of honor and shared a sense of belonging.


    Urich and the warriors looked like mere wandering mercenaries. They wore the clothes of the people of civilization, but since they couldn¡¯t hide theirnguage, they avoided viges.


    "Urich, our food supplies are running low. How about them?"


    A warrior looked at a group of merchants approaching on the horizon. The merchants, traveling with three wagons, also had several livestock.


    "They would be a piece of cake for us."


    "Looks like we¡¯re going to have a feast tonight."


    The warriors licked their lips and reached for their weapons. Urich narrowed his eyes as he watched the merchants.


    "There¡¯s no need to fight them for it. We have enough money."


    Urich raised his arm to stop the warriors. He and Georg approached the merchants.


    The merchants were initially wary of the sudden appearance of Urich and his warriors but soonughed and talked with him.


    "For this much, you can take two sheep!"


    A merchant dangled a glittering ornament between his fingers, reflecting it in the sun. After checking the craftsmanship and quality of the gem, the merchant chuckled broadly. It was quite a profitable deal.


    "Oh yeah, give us some of your dried food as well, if you can."


    "Haha, I''ll give that to you for free! Never thought I¡¯d make such a hearty deal on the road like this."


    The deal between Urich and the merchant ended well. The merchant also pulled out three bottles of honey liquor as a gift.


    "They¡¯ll probably never know how close they came to death just now."


    Georg stroked his chest. If the warriors had had their way, a bloodbath would have ensued for sure.


    "Why not just kill them and take what they have? Why even bother trading?" A warrior who had suggested the attack asked.


    Even if they had raided the traders, there would have been no losses for the warriors. Urich obtained through trade what could have been taken for free.


    "There''s no need to kill when you can easily obtain through trading. We wouldn''t have been able to take everything those guys had anyway. The leftover goods would just be wasted."


    The warriors tilted their heads in confusion.


    "They''re not our brothers. We don''t need to care about all that."


    "They may not be our people, but they are humans like us. This world isplicated. Strength isn''t everything. If you just kill whenever you feel like it, you''ll end up with only enemies around you. Maintaining good rtionships with a lot of people can unexpectedly bring you good."


    "... Well, it must be true if you say so."


    The warriors were not fully convinced by Urich''s words, but they did not object. Urich was a superior warrior and had extensive experience with the civilized world.


    Urich had already earned the respect of the warriors in the past, but now his influence had grown to the point where it could override even the customs of warriors.


    "Let''s rest here for today."


    Urich found a clearing as he was walking through the forest.


    A campfire was lit, and a warm glow spread around. The warriors each prepared their food and cleared rocks and branches to make sleeping spots.


    "Hah, this is nice."


    Georg sipped a cup of honey liquor and exhaled a sweet breath.


    <i>''How did I end up traveling with these barbarian warriors...''</i>


    Georg couldn''t quite understand his own decisions either.


    <i>''All this is extremely dangerous. The imperial army is going to gather its forces again to strike the alliance one more time. Although we¡¯ve managed to survive until now... the strength of the imperial army is formidable. We won''t be able to handle them next time.''</i>


    What was visible to them wasn¡¯t all of the imperial army¡¯s power. The empire was still subjugating the south and the north and had poured many troops into maintaining order in those ces. Moreover, they always had border guards moving along the extensive border to prevent any uprising from their seven vassal kingdoms.


    <i>''If they were to really try, the empire''s total mobilization force would be about a hundred thousand.''</i>


    Georg reminisced, slightly intoxicated. A grand army of a hundred thousand meant just thebat troops of the empire, and the actual mobilized personnel could rise to between a hundred fifty and two hundred thousand, as nonbat personnel would also increase with arger force.


    <i>''But the empire can''t issue such a mobilization order easily. Mobilizing such a massive force risks destabilizing the nation with the aftermath.''</i>


    Above all, the stability of the civilized world depended on the empire. The moment the empire weakened, elements of instability would overflow. Hardline independent nobles were always waiting for their opportunity in the seven vassal kingdoms which were only annexed fifty years ago, and barbarians who hadn¡¯t given up their sovereignty were hidden away in the deep south and north.


    As he was lost in thought, Georg raised his head at a noise nearby.


    "Georg, do these guys ever pick on you?"


    A tipsy Urich approached Georg.


    "No, they actually treat me quite well."


    Georg wasn¡¯t just being polite. Georg had been with the warriors for quite some time now. They had fought together in more than just a few battles. The warriors respected those who fought alongside them.


    <i>''In their society, fulfilling one''s role as a warrior is important. If you do your part as one, you can earn their respect.''</i>


    Georg had never used a weapon before he was conscripted as a ve soldier. Even after many battles, he still wasn''t particrly great at it objectively speaking. But somehow, he was still alive.


    The warriors who had finished their honey liquory down. Georg wrapped himself in his cloak and closed his eyes. Only the sound of the fire crackling was heard.


    Everyone''s consciousness quietly subsided.


    <i>''Georg, you ungrateful filthy ve. You were the one who killed Asilmate.''</i>


    Georg often had nightmares. His former master despised him and pointed his cane at him.


    <i>''No, I loved Asilmate, and Asilmate loved me.''</i>


    But no matter what he told himself, the truth was that he had betrayed the master who raised him, and he had lost the woman he loved.


    "Uuuuugh."


    Georg groaned. He woke up from the nightmare and faced the morning.


    <i>''How long do I have to start my mornings like this?''</i>


    Georg blinked as he felt the morning dew. His eyes were moist.


    * * *


    Samikan swallowed his words.


    <i>''Luck was not on our side.''</i>


    But such words were never going to convince the warriors.


    The protection and blessings of a transcendent being were privileges bestowed upon the Great Chief. To utter that luck was not on their side would mean he had lost his right to lead as one.


    The alliance army, defeated by the imperial army, split into three groups to retreat. Fortunately for Samikan, the main imperial pursuit force had followed Urich.


    Samikan headed south, nning to cross the river at the Langkegart border and destroy the bridge to ditch the imperial pursuit.


    <i>Kwaaaaah!</i>


    The river was overflowing. It was Samikan''s miscalction.


    <i>''The river has flooded.''</i>


    The rain had not stopped, and by the time Samikan arrived, the river had overflowed. Being a stranger in thend of civilization, Samikan did not know that the river often flooded during this season.


    Samikan looked up at the sky, which continued to pour rain.


    <i>''Is the sky no longer watching over me?''</i>


    Ever since forming the alliance, Samikan had been on an unbroken winning streak. Every single thing he set out to do went smoothly as if his dreams and reality were intertwining. Everyone and everything seemed to be under his control.


    <i>''Something went wrong, and things are getting out of my hands.''</i>


    In this battle, Samikan felt like he was standing in front of a wall. It was unclear how to ovee it. The imperial army was strong, and the alliance forces were weak. Their enemy wasn¡¯t just a band of half-farmers; a true civilization''s army had presented itself.


    <i>''Not everyone here is a warrior like us. But those who are warriors have certainly been well-trained.''</i>


    Division ofbor and specialization. These were the characteristics of the civilized world.


    In the civilized world, a farmer could live their entire lifetime without ever wielding a weapon. This was thanks to the existence of soldiers who offered protection in exchange for a part of their harvest.


    The time for plundering had ended. The guardians of civilization had drawn their weapons against the plunderers.


    "We can still find a way to cross it. It will just take a bit longer."


    Samikan managed to cross the river with great sacrifice. The imperial soldiers mocked the fleeing warriors by shooting arrows from across the river.


    The defeated Samikan retraced his steps along the path he had previously plundered and returned to the Arten outpost.


    The imperial army did not attack the Arten outpost easily because they did not know the full extent of the western forces. The returning allied forces at the Arten outpost could buy some time for the time being.


    The fervor of war and plundering subsided, and a brief peace arrived.


    "Samikan, when Urich returns, let''s destroy Yailrud and head back to the west."


    Belrua spoke, having woken up quite early in the morning. She sat naked in front of the firece. The warmth and light from the firece bathed her body.


    Samikan, covered in fur, blinked as he woke up. He and Belrua were married, so it was natural for them to sleep together, though it took months after the marriage for that to start. Although it began with difficulty, the two had frequently mingled since under the guise of strategic marriage.


    <i>''Is it because we''ve been together physically a few times, or is it because we''ve gone through a lot of things together... I''ve grown fond of him.''</i>


    Belrua smirked at Samikan. She used to want to kill him herself, but now he seemed like just another man to her.


    <i>''I thought he was a merciless man, but he has his weak sides too.''</i>


    Even arranged marriages often grew closer over time. Affection can cling more frighteningly than love.


    Samikan squinted at Belrua. No matter how hard he tried, or how nice he wanted to be, her body was not conventionally attractive as a female. Belrua was healthy but had a muscr, scarred body, not unlike a man''s.


    <i>''Well, at least a healthy body should bear children well.''</i>


    If a male child was born between the two chiefs, he could be a candidate to lead the alliance in the future. Belrua was still young and was going to have plenty of chances to bear a son.


    The fur nket next to the lying Samikan stirred. The room wasn''t just upied by the two of them.


    "Hmmm, you two are already up? Then I''ll be on my way."


    A woman rose naked and sauntered out of the room, swaying her butt. She had shared the bed with Samikan and Belrua the previous night to make theirs more entertaining.


    Samikan and Belrua paid no attention to the departing woman and continued their conversation. Before they were a married couple, they were politically entangled chiefs. The lives of many warriors depended on their decisions.


    "Belrua, were you not also quite intrigued by the civilized world? It¡¯s not like you to suggest destroying Yailrud now."


    Samikan clutched his chest in pain and sat up. He smoked a concoction of herbs prepared by a shaman. The smoke filled the room.


    "That¡¯s true, but... I think I might be pregnant. My belly¡¯s only going to get bigger from here, and it¡¯s going to be hard to fight with a growing belly, won''t it?"


    Belrua spoke as she stroked her belly. Although her monthly cycle had ceased a while ago, her belly barely protruded because of her muscr body.


    Samikan''s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. He even forgot his pain.


    "Are you really pregnant?"


    "I hope it''s a boy. If it¡¯s a girl and she takes after me, her life will be hard."


    Belrua chuckled bitterly. She felt a life stirring within her.


    As time passed, scattered allied warriors also returned to the Arten outpost. Therge and small fragmented units, consisting of anywhere from hundreds to dozens of warriors, returned and gathered.


    ...And the warriors from Valdima who were led by Urich returned. Though they were all marred by burn scars, they did not return like defeated soldiers. Instead, they boasted of their exploits, having repelled the empire¡¯s pursuit force.


    Indomitable warriors who ovee adversity were always admired, regardless of the era. The men praised the great warrior Urich.


    "But where is Urich?"


    At that question, the warriors from Valdima pointed north.

 Chapter 206

    <h4>Chapter 206</h4>


    Urich and his party arrived at a border that could be considered the north. The density of the crop fields noticeably decreased, and coniferous trees were densely packed. asionally, northerners with fierce eyes red at Urich''s group as they passed by.


    "It''s so cold. Goddammit.¡±


    The warriors grumbled as they tightened their fur cloaks. The damp and chilly climate of the north was unfamiliar to the warriors from the west. Even though it wasn''t and with high elevation, the cold seeped all the way into their lungs.


    "It''s only going to get colder."


    Urich looked at the cloud-covered mountains of the north.


    "Hoo."


    The sound of breathing grew heavier. The cold north had a strange charm. Around the graves adorned with rusty weapons, there seemed to linger the loneliness of thete warriors.


    "There are tons of graves."


    "It''s a custom here to bury the dead warriors with their weapons."


    Urich passed by the vige cemetery. The rust on the weapons roughly indicated the time of the grave owners'' deaths.


    <i>''A lot of these warriors died recently.''</i>


    Urich surveyed the small vige. It was a typical vige on the northern border, where Srism and northern beliefs were intertwined. Some prayed at the Sun Temple, while others sharpened and polished their des for Ulgaro.


    "We''d better leave soon. They are wary of outsiders."


    Georg felt the stares of the vigers.


    "It would be stranger if they weren''t wary of a group of armed men loitering around their vige," Urich spoke as he chewed on the dried fruit he had just bought.


    Although they were a group of only seventeen warriors, including Urich himself, well-trained warriors of this number could easily plunder a small vige.


    <i>¡®There aren¡¯t too many young people around. I¡¯m only seeing kids and seniors.''</i>


    Urich had been to the north a few years ago as well. The northern viges he visited then were lively. There was a vitalitying from the people living there.


    <i>''Now, it''s as if the whole vige is gradually dying, so quiet.''</i>


    Urich moved to a city with more foot traffic. Armed northerners were frequently seening and going.


    The other warriors set up camp outside of the city while Urich and Georg moved in and out of the city. The two entered a tavern and bought two beers with a single gold coin.


    After seeing the gold coin from the empire, the tavern owner smiled satisfactorily and nodded.


    "Did youe here to try something with your swords?" The tavern owner asked while cleaning the beer sses with a rag.


    "Huh? Try what with swords?" Urich responded as he brought the beer to his lips.


    "Are you acting oblivious on purpose? Then let me ask you again. Are you on the side of the north? Or the side of the empire? Not that it matters to me."


    "If I have to pick a side, then I''m on my own side. And so is mynky friend here."


    Urich patted Georg on the back.


    The tavern owner stared at Urich for a minute before shrugging.


    "Even if you¡¯ve been living under a rock, you must have heard about the plunderers that appeared from the west."


    The tavern owner started the conversation, and Georg felt a chill down his spine. He quickly nced at Urich.


    "Ah, yeah, I¡¯ve heard about that. The plunderers from the west," Urich replied without changing his expression.


    <i>¡®What a bold man. As if he¡¯s not the second-inmand of those plunderers.''</i>


    The ¡®plunderers from the west¡¯. That''s what the alliance army was called. They had left a deeper impression as plunderers than as barbarians to the civilized people.


    The tavern owner looked around and then moved closer to Urich and Georg.


    "The plunderers fought equally against the imperial army and turned the world upside down. The Langkegart Kingdom is in such disarray that even the king and his family are missing. Rumors like that spread incredibly fast even if no one tries, you know."


    "So?"


    Urich smiled slyly, waiting for the tavern owner to continue.


    "The plunderers¡¯ deeds have ignited a fire in the hearts of the northerners. Even those who had put down their weapons are now strapping on swords and shields and gathering. It just so happens that this unfortunately urred right after Viceroy Langster, who had been governing the north well, retired. Viceroy Langster was quite adept at maintaining bnce in the north."


    "What about the current viceroy?"


    "How much would a fresh viceroy know, right? Controlling the north in times like this isn''t something that can be managed with just ordinary skill. Even Viceroy Langster, with all his experience, would find it difficult. I bet you that newly appointed viceroy probably hasn''t even memorized the names of all the cities in the north yet."


    Urich finished his beer and then bought a jar of honey liquor from the cupboard at triple the usual price. The tavern owner''s smile grew even wider.


    The tavern owner dusted off the honey liquor and continued speaking.


    "Some cities are already openly demanding autonomy and independence for the northerners. They''ve practically driven out the imperial troops that were stationed there. No one would be surprised if arge-scale bloodbath broke out any day now."


    Urich nodded and left the tavern. It was dark outside. Georg exhaled his breath heavily as he followed Urich.


    "Things are looking good. If the northerners start a rebellion, it will split the empire''s front lines into two."


    "It won''t be that easy for the northerners. Knowing the emperor, he will try to suppress the north by any means. He¡¯s not someone to just let those who oppose him be. He''ll crush them thoroughly."


    Urich spoke coldly. He looked up at the night sky.


    "You speak as if you know the emperor well."


    Urich did not respond, and Georg did not press further.


    Urich and his warriors moved toward a major city that the imperial army was using as a base. Despite the risks, it was crucial to find out more about the situation in the north. If the imperial army was taking any sort of measures, there would definitely be some changes in personnel or supplies.


    "Just as I expected. Military supplies."


    Urich tilted his head as he watched the wagons entering the city. They were cargos marked with the eagle of the imperial army.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s going to be a war.¡¯</i>


    The imperial army was putting aside the conflict with the alliance force and was preparing to pacify the north.


    <i>¡®The imperial army will want to suppress the northerners before they rise up in full force.¡¯</i>


    Urich put up his hood and observed the movements of the imperial army. There was a tense atmosphere in the air inside the city.


    "It looks like another war is about to start because of those plunderers, or something."


    "Just when things were settling down. Dammit."


    The northerners who had adapted to life under imperial rule disliked the constant warfare. They had been peacefully umting wealth through trade with the empire.


    "Hey, you there."


    A robust voice knocked on the back of Urich''s head. Urich did not flinch and continued walking silently through the crowd.


    "Stop right there. The big man in the hood!"


    The voice clearly pointed out Urich. As people dispersed, Urich stood alone in the center.


    <i>¡®This is getting annoying.¡¯</i>


    Urich checked that his sword was well fastened at his waist. He slowly turned around, removing his hood.


    "It really is you! Long time no see, Urich."


    A man dressed in the attire of the Sun Warriors greeted him. The front of his cloak shimmered with a golden sun embroidery.


    "...Harvald."


    Urich muttered the name as he remembered. He had encountered this Sun Warrior when he was escorting Pahell.


    "I never thought I¡¯d see you again in a ce like this. I thought you''d be doing well in the Porcana Kingdom. Isn''t that prince a king now?"


    "I''m surprised too. The Sun Warriors are supposed to be with the emperor, so what brings you here?"


    "Are you asking because you really don''t know, or are you just testing me?"


    Harvald''s gaze was sharp. He held a significant rank within the Sun Warriors.


    "The emperor is taking this really seriously, huh? Sending the Sun Warriors to the north..."


    The members of the Sun Warriors were either converted barbarian warriors or people of civilization of heavy barbarian descent. They were transitional warriors who had adapted to civilization while retaining the fierceness andbat skills typical of barbarian warriors. Theirbat prowess was among the top of the imperial army.


    Harvald didn''t let Urich go without extending an invitation for dinner.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s inviting me because he¡¯s just d to see me, or if there is an ulterior motive...¡¯</i>


    Urich shrugged and epted Harvald''s invitation.


    Georg, who joined Urich after stopping by a general store, was confused by thepletely changed situation. He was thenpletely bewildered upon seeing Harvald''s cloak.


    "Urich, that man is a Sun Warrior..."


    Georg, who had joined Urich, freaked out. He dropped the bag that contained the necessities he had just purchased.


    Harvald looked back and forth between Urich and Georg. It wasn¡¯t the most fitting pairing.


    "Have you quit being a mercenary? Yourpanion doesn''t really look like a warrior."


    "This is Georg. As you can see, he''s more of a schr than a fighter. I quit being a mercenary a long time ago."


    "Ah, that¡¯s a shame. A warrior like you wandering without affiliation..."


    Harvald guided Urich to the imperial army barracks. Soldiers adjusting their armor nced at Urich and Georg. Among them were imperial knights and severalrge Sun Warriors.


    "Who¡¯s the man that Sir Harvald brought?"


    "That¡¯s Urich."


    "Urich?"


    "You don¡¯t know him? He was a pretty famous barbarian warrior a while ago."


    The murmurs inside the barracks reached Georg''s ears. His pupils gradually widened.


    <i>''Was Urich really famous in the empire?''</i>


    Georg still looked around bewilderedly as a few people recognized Urich and passed by.


    "The prince you escorted before became a king. You could have received a domain of your own."


    "Hah, and what am I supposed to do with that? Be a noble? I turned it down and came here."


    Urich chuckled. Harvald sat down at the table with an impressed look on his face.


    Harvald pped his hands, and servants brought out the food. Georg half-heartedly ate while listening to the conversation between Urich and Harvald.


    ¡°Casting aside the riches and glory that many knights aspire to gain throughout their lives and choosing your own path instead... that is an act that deserves to be an inspiration to many knights."


    Harvald poured wine while praising Urich.


    "An inspiration? I don¡¯t know about that..."


    "By the way, what brings you to the north at a time like this? A heavily armed warrior roaming around might not be received too well right now. You could be suspected of being a spy."


    Harvald''s face was flush from the wine, but his eyes were as sharp as ever.


    <i>''A warrior like Urich joining the northern rebellion would be problematic.''</i>


    In a warrior society where the social order was loosely defined, an outstanding warrior had more value than simple military strength. Warriors acknowledged only those stronger than themselves. A universally recognized outstanding warrior served as a link that united all.


    <i>''If he''s on his way to join the north, we''ll have to eliminate him here, even though it would be so regrettable.''</i>


    To answer Harvald''s questioning, Urich dug into his bag and pulled out a figurine. It was a jade figurine known as the eastern artifact.


    "It''s because of this. It¡¯s the eastern artifact that¡¯s also been discovered in the north before. I found this one recently."


    "Ah, the legendary eastern continent? His Imperial Majesty also believes in its existence. I''ve heard it''s a quite rare and valuable treasure."


    "I¡¯m sure you know this story, but there are legends in the north about people sailing to the eastern continent. I¡¯m nning to investigate along the northeastern coast. If there really is an eastern continent, I''d like to see it. It means that there¡¯s a whole other world on the other side of the sea. It''s an idea cool enough to make my heart race."


    Truth within a lie.


    Urich''s answer was a mix of truth and deceit. Harvald stared intently at Urich''s eyes and then nodded.


    "To be honest, I don''t believe in the existence of the eastern continent. The only proof of it are the old artifacts and legends. But I respect that spirit of exploration."


    Georg, who was watching, felt like his heart was going to stop.


    <i>¡®One wrong answer could have his head cut off, and he¡¯s still eating so casually, that Urich.''</i>


    Georg tried to appear calm as well, but the food he swallowed seemed to get stuck in his throat. Even the warm feast, which was something he hadn¡¯t had in forever, felt like it was just sitting in his stomach.


    Harvald''s suspicion was lifted for now. Harvald and Urich talked about their shared memories and stories as they ate.


    "That boy, no, His Majesty Varca of Porcana, has be quite a thorn in the side of the imperial nobles."


    "A thorn?"


    "Porcana is enjoying a unteral trade surplus with the empire. They receive tax exemptions on items rted to shipbuilding and other construction materials. The imperial nobles can''t tax these exempted items even though they pass right through theirnds. The imperial family¡¯s tant support for Porcana''s ventures must be irritating for those nobles."


    Emperor Yanchinus mercilessly oppressed his own nobles while sparing no support for Porcana. That was how profound his obsession with exploring the eastern continent was.


    <i>''Your greed is immense, Yanchinus. Are you not satisfied with crossing the Sky Mountains alone?''</i>


    The discovery of the eastern continent and the western conquest.


    If Yanchinus were to achieve both during his reign, he would surely surpass the fame of the previous emperors.

 Chapter 207

    <h4>Chapter 207</h4>


    The Sun Warriors had a tradition of taking a bath on thest evening of each week. Since the background of most of them was of a pagan religion, it was a practice deeply meaningful as a cleansing of the soul.


    After dining with Urich, Harvald took a bath. The warm water of the tub melted his muscles. His strong northern physique, inherited from his northern mother, was evident.


    <i>''It was a long peace. Schrs said the era where swords won¡¯t be needed wille soon, but we still need swords in this era.''</i>


    Harvald swept back his wet hair.


    <i>¡®The plunderers from the west, and the ominous movements from the northerners.''</i>


    The empire had taken up arms once again. The Sun Warriors, the warrior group directly under the emperor, had made its way to the north. The warriors were going to kill their kin for the sake of the Sun God Lou and His Imperial Majesty.


    <i>''Kin.''</i>


    Although only half, Harvald still had the northern blood and sometimes felt intense emotions toward his fellow northerners.


    "Devote yourself to Srism."


    Harvald muttered as he looked at a ne with a sun emblemid on his clothes.


    The peaceful era, during which culture flourished, had ended, and the madness of war was taking hold of the civilized world.


    Men who had fought in the past reenlisted or grouped together to be mercenaries. For some, war was an opportunity.


    <i>''His Imperial Majesty wants the north stabilized as quickly as possible.''</i>


    The empire had many pressing issues. Unruly groups were embedded all over the civilized world. They were opportunists who would stab the empire in the back at any chance if they were to show any sort of weakness.


    <i>Ssh.</i>


    Harvald lightly pped the surface of the bathwater with his hand, creating ripples in the tub.


    Harvald touched his face. It was warm from bathing right after a drink.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    A single sound cut through the night air. It was a slight noise that could have easily been overlooked.


    <i>Gurgle.</i>


    Harvald dipped his mouth into the water, exhaling. His eyes narrowed.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Harvald, unfazed, watched the calm ripples in the bath. The waves were disturbed at regr intervals.


    <i>''Someone is muffling their steps and approaching my tub.''</i>


    Harvald submerged himself deeper into the tub and pretended not to notice the enemy''s approach until they were closer.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    Sensing the presence of the enemy, Harvald surged from the bath like a lion leaping out of the bushes. He lunged at the approaching enemy.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    After confirming that it was indeed an enemy, Harvald grabbed his throat.


    <i>''A man with a dagger.''</i>


    The intruder had no significant weapon, just a handy dagger with which he had attacked Harvald.


    "Oooooooh!"


    Harvald and the intruder shouted at each other. Their cries resonated powerfully.


    <i>''He¡¯s not the only intruder. I can hear shouts from other ces too.''</i>


    Harvald had his hand around the intruder''s throat but had to withdraw his arm because of the dagger. The intruder¡¯s thick neck prevented Harvald from taking him down in a single blow.


    <i>''This intruder is a typical northern warrior.''</i>


    Harvald thought of thebat skills he had learned and stepped back.


    <i>''A bunch of other guys must have been taking a bath like I was.''</i>


    The intruder knew of the Sun Warriors¡¯ bathing customs and had approached knowing this. Harvald didn¡¯t even keep any weapons near the tub, either.


    "Do you still believe in Ulgaro? That god of war who led you to defeat?"


    Harvald twisted his lips in mockery. Despite being fresh out of his bath and naked, his spirit was unbroken.


    The intruder, undeterred by Harvald''s taunts, gripped the dagger upside down and charged.


    <i>''The people of my mother, how foolish.''</i>


    Harvald dodged the dagger and tripped the intruder. He then grabbed the falling intruder''s arm and twisted it behind him.


    "Kagh!"


    The intruder screamed as his arm bent and dropped the dagger. However, his fighting spirit remained, and he grabbed the dagger with his remaining hand to continue the attack.


    <i>''A shallow strike with the weaker hand.''</i>


    Harvald''s eyes followed the dagger. He leaned back to dodge the de.


    "Surrender. You can still save your life."


    Harvald''s warning was futile. If the intruder had valued his life, he wouldn¡¯t have invaded the imperial barracks in the first ce.


    <i>''I guess I have no choice.''</i>


    Harvald swiftly moved his hand and snatched the dagger from the intruder¡¯s.


    <i>Thwuk!</i>


    Harvald thrust his arm forward, stabbing the intruder in the sr plexus.


    "Gurk."


    The intruder''s blood sttered onto Harvald.


    "Anyst words?"


    Harvald held the copsing intruder, waiting for hisst words.


    Northerners typically loathed the Sun Warriors with great intensity. In their eyes, the Sun Warriors were those who betrayed their own people as well as Ulgaro.


    <i>''He¡¯ll probably use hisst breath to curse me, or something along that line.''</i>


    Harvald remainedposed, but the words that came from the intruder''s mouth shook his calm.


    "Oh, Lou, have mercy on these forsaken people."


    "What?"


    Harvald stumbled back as he looked at the bleeding intruder.


    <i>ng.</i>


    A sun ne glittered on the intruder''s chest. He clutched the sun emblem as he copsed to the ground.


    <i>''Why would a believer of Lou attack me?''</i>


    Harvald shook his head. He donned his coat and stepped outside. More than just a few Sun Warriors were attacked that night.


    Four Sun Warriors died that night. The losses were minimal, but the fact that the attacks urred right in the middle of the imperial barracks made the situation quite serious.


    Themanders of the Sun Warriors convened ate-night meeting.


    "How could they infiltrate so deeply into the barracks!"


    "There must be an informant inside."


    "You mean among us? That''s impossible!"


    ¡°It would be more impossible to pull off an attack like this without one."


    The arguments went back and forth.


    "That man Urich is also suspicious! The attack happened on the day he came in here!"


    "A man of his skills wouldn''t just show up in the north without reason."


    The Sun Warriors, who hated to use theirrades, turned their attention to Urich.


    Harvald stood up angrily.


    "Urich is my guest. He has a valid reason foring to the north."


    "Our suspicions are also valid."


    Harvald and the other Sun Warriors were standing against each other. Harvald scowled and threw the bloodied sun ne onto the table.


    "This sun ne was found on the intruder. He even muttered Lou''s name as he was dying."


    "Damn, so I wasn''t mistaken. The one who attacked me also recited a Srism prayer at the end."


    "The converted northerners attacked us?"


    The Sun Warriors were thrown into confusion. As their name suggested, they were a warrior group deeply imbued with religious hues.


    <i>''If they are northerners who believe in Lou, then they are no different from us.''</i>


    The Sun Warriors were able to ovee their feelings of guilt about betraying their kin thanks to their religious fervor. They had fought their own people under the guise of conversion.


    It wasmon for civilized people who had the same faith to fight each other. But for the Sun Warriors, religious differences were the only reason for standing against their kin.


    * * *


    "This is some hospitality you¡¯re showing me, huh?"


    Urich muttered as he wiped the blood off his axe. Beneath his feety the body of an intruder with a split head.


    The intruder had mistaken Urich for a Sun Warrior and attacked him. Urich, even while half-asleep, had detected the intruder and responded.


    <i>¡®The northerners are actually going to challenge the empire.¡¯</i>


    Urich sheathed his axe and waited for Harvald to arrive.


    "I apologize for all this. It was my oversight not to have guards at your chamber,"


    Harvald apologized as soon as he arrived at Urich''s quarters. He was the one who had epted Urich as a guest, thus he bore the responsibility to protect him.


    "A warrior should be able to defend himself. What need is there for protection? Keke."


    Urichughed, interlocking his fingers.


    "Also, though I hate to tell you this, it looks like you must stay here for a while. It seems we may have an informant within the barracks. Some of the warriors are suspicious of you."


    "Huh? Do I look like I have any time to waste to you? You were the one who brought me here, Harvald."


    As Urich retorted, Harvald bowed his head in shame.


    "Once this is all over, I will provide you with a travel pass with the guarantee of the Sun Warriors. So, please."


    The Sun Warriors vetted everyone who had recently entered the barracks. Given the high likelihood of an informant, no one was allowed to leave. They were also keeping an eye on each other.


    <i>''I can¡¯t believe we have to suspect each other...''</i>


    Harvald gritted his teeth.


    The funeral for the deceased Sun Warriors had ended. Simply waiting around wasn¡¯t going to make the informante forward.


    The Sun Warriors set out with the imperial soldiers to reim the northern viges that had dered autonomy. Urich was among their ranks as a guest.


    After several days, it was almost confirmed internally within the Sun Warrior Division that Urich was unlikely to be the informant. With the expedition underway, there was hardly anyone keeping an eye on Urich.


    The Sun Warriors continued to pour their effort into identifying the enemy within.


    "Urich, the surveince on you isx. We can get away from the Sun Warriors at any time. I was able to make contact with the other warriors as well," Georg said after returning from his rendezvous with the other warriors from the west.


    The warriors were following Urich from a distance.


    "There''s no need to leave them just yet. If we¡¯re going to meet the northern warriors, it might be better to stay with the Sun Warriors for now."


    "If there really is an informant within the Sun Warriors like they¡¯re saying... we might find them first."


    "Exactly."


    Urich calmly looked out over the campsite. It was still hard to tell who the informant might be.


    "That¡¯s that, but... Urich, you really were famous in the society here."


    "I told you. See? I don¡¯t lie."


    Urich grinned and looked at Georg''s face. Georg seemed somewhat dismayed.


    <i>¡®Man, I shouldn¡¯t have taken Urich''s words so lightly. Dammit! He really was friends with a king!''</i>


    It was frustrating. Urich''s connections were impressive even by civilized world standards. He was acquainted with high nobilities, a king, and even the emperor, who considered himself the ruler of the world.


    <i>''With such connections, one would have no problem whatsoever livingfortably for the rest of his life...''</i>


    The more time Georg spent with Urich, the less he understood him. Urich had forsaken guaranteed riches and glory to roll in the mud and bleed in the mes.


    <i>''Is he doing all this just to protect his people?''</i>


    Suddenly, Georg was seeing Urich in a different light. Georg already knew he was a great warrior, but learning about his background made him seem even greater.


    <i>''How many would throw away such wealth and glory to fight alongside their people?''</i>


    Georg watched Urich''s silhouette flicker by the campfire. As the fire shifted, so did the shadows across Urich¡¯s face, making it seem slightly different each second.


    <i>''Urich has motivations that are deeper than honor or his love for his people. What he truly desires isn''t social sess or immortal fame.''</i>


    Georg and Urich spent time by the fire. Before they went to sleep, a man approached them.


    Urich and Georg looked up at the man.


    "Harvald told me about you. Urich the Armor Breaker. My warriors spoke of you every now and then. I was hoping I¡¯d see you someday."


    The man wore armor that had steel tes added on top of a full bear hide. His face, appropriately wrinkled, radiated the aura of a seasoned warrior.


    "If you''re Harvald''s superior, you must be the leader of the Sun Warriors."


    Urich tilted his head and studied the man''s face.


    "I am Commander Alfnan. My friends call me Alf."


    Alfnan sat down in front of Urich.

 Chapter 208

    <h4>Chapter 208</h4>


    The head of the Sun Warriors held a remarkable position in society as well. They received treatment no less than that of a general or legionmander, and even the great nobles of the empire had to yield to them.


    <i>''Alfnan, themander of the Sun Warriors.''</i>


    Urich mulled over that name. He shook a hand that was thick andrge.


    <i>nk.</i>


    Alfnan''s breastte was adorned with a bronze sun decoration. As the head of the Sun Warriors, he was undoubtedly a devout believer in Srism.


    "Are you also using me?" Urich asked as he chewed on themb grilled over the campfire.


    <i>''The man he¡¯s talking to is themander of the Sun Warriors... Is it okay for him to be this insolent?''</i>


    Georg''s mouth was drying up by the second. Being next to Urich made it feel like years were being shaved off his lifespan. Urich acted as if he had ten lives. He seldom changed his demeanor in front of anyone, whether they were powerful or held his life in their hands.


    "Haha, I have no intention of seeking the truth through a duel trial with you, or anything along that line. In fact, no one who heard your name would challenge you to a duel! Are you not the Urich who smashed an opponent''s armor with his bare hands in a duel?"


    "I can¡¯t trust people who are too good at ttery."


    Urich and Alfnanughed as they looked at each other.


    "Did you really smash the armor with your bare hands?" Georg blurted out without realizing it.


    Alfnan replied instead of Urich, "It seems you don¡¯t know much about Urich, even though you''re traveling with him. The man you are traveling with is a great warrior. It would have been nice if he had been my own subordinate."


    Alfnan licked his lips. The Sun Warriors had tried several times to recruit Urich.


    "I don¡¯t even believe in Srism anymore. I''ve given it up."


    Urich touched around his neck as he spoke. He had given up believing in Lou.


    <i>''Lou was not the god for me.''</i>


    Benevolence and love. These were words far too distant for Urich. Lou would only be disappointed by a warrior who spread blood wherever he went.


    "Well, whether you are a Srist or not, I don¡¯t think you are a spy. I just wanted to meet the famous warrior myself, so I took the liberty to detain you."


    The Sun Warriors were a group that retained the spirit of barbarian warriors while adhering to Srism. They respected and sought to meet renowned warriors, whether they were allies or foes.


    Urich and Alfnan talked about various things. At one point, they even drew their swords to discuss martial techniques.


    "The imperial knightly swordsmanship includes the Upper Owl, Middle Wolf, and Lower Snake. It¡¯s quite a useful technique since the knightly ss shared and refined it over a long time. We Sun Warriors also train in the basic knightly swordsmanship."


    Alfnan stood up with a sword in his hand and demonstrated the three fundamental stances.


    "Ah, I learned that too, but I still prefer using two weapons."


    Urich spun the pair of axes in his hands.


    "Wielding dual weapons and not using a shield is a symbol of bravery among barbarian warriors! However, wielding two weapons doesn''t make you twice as strong. In fact, the weapon in the less-used hand often just bes decoration."


    Alfnan evaluated the efficiency of dual-wielding poorly. Weapons required finer movements and reactions than a shield. Handling a weapon with a less-used hand often resulted in lower efficiency.


    <i>Whoosh.</i>


    Urich twirled the axes in both his left and right hands and tossed them in the air.


    "That''s something you say to half-wits who can''t use both hands freely. A real warrior knows how to use weapons well with both his left and right hands."


    Alfnan frowned.


    "So you''re saying you can use both hands equally well?"


    "At least they aren''t just for show."


    "Oho, really?"


    "I can prove it right now if you want."


    Alfnanughed at Urich''s challenge, and Urich shrugged as if he saw his responseing.


    "No need to waste any energy now when there''s a battle tomorrow."


    "A battle?"


    "It¡¯s a vige that refused the empire¡¯s protection. There is a need for us to reupy it. If you help us in the battle, you will bepensated. The more capable warriors we have with us, the better."


    "I''ll think about it."


    Alfnan nodded at Urich''s half-hearted answer and stood up. After Alfnan left, a few other Sun Warriors came looking for Urich. They all wanted to talk to Urich after hearing his name.


    * * *


    In the north, more and more viges were beginning to reject the protection of the imperial army. The men of the north who were living as farmers and carpenters took up their weapons again. There was a fact that they had long forgotten.


    <i>''My family and vige are mine to protect.''</i>


    That was the way of the men of the north. Though their faith had changed, customs did not shift as easily. Once their desire for autonomy and independence was ignited, it was hard to extinguish.


    "It looks like they have about a hundred."


    A scout from the Sun Warriors surveyed the vige before returning to their base.


    "The fence is thin and low. We don¡¯t even need to bother doing a night attack¡ªa direct assault will suffice."


    "Why don¡¯t we send an envoy to suggest a surrender? After all, it''s just a temporary excitement stirred by rumors of the western plunderers. They''ll change their minds right away once they see our forces."


    The officers discussed among themselves. Listening to them, Commander Alfnan shook his head.


    "We won''t send an envoy. It''s better to push hard from the start. If we don''t set an example by force, they''ll just rise up againter.¡±


    Once the attack was decided, the officers argued over who would lead the charge.


    The Sun Warriors and the imperial army surrounded the vige. Their numbers exceeded a thousand.


    On the other hand, the northern warriors defending the vige numbered about a hundred. It was all the men who could bear arms that they could desperately gather.


    The Sun Warriorsmenced their attack without offering the vige a chance to surrender.


    "Wooooaaaah!"


    Taking down a small vige was not difficult. The fence fell quickly, and the imperial soldiers and Sun Warriors burst into the vige.


    "Ah, aaaaah!"


    The men of the north screamed. They hadn¡¯t held their weapons in quite some time.


    "You sought independence with this? That¡¯s it? How pathetic."


    Alfnan wiped the blood off his sword as he walked around the square.


    <i>''Do they not realize that there is no future without being under the empire? Are these fools really my kin?''</i>


    Alfnan scoffed bitterly. It was inevitable and destiny for the north to be subjugated by the empire. The north was weak, and the empire was strong.


    <i>''There was never any real faith for me. I just recited and pretended to believe out of necessity. There was no other way for a barbarian like me to gain recognition and seed in the empire.''</i>


    That was how Alfnan had risen to the rank ofmander. He was a barbarian who had seeded in the civilized world.


    "Harvald! Attack the temple!"


    Alfnan ordered Harvald. Harvald led his warriors into the Sun Temple.


    The cornered vigers and northern warriors were making theirst stand inside the temple.


    "Oh, Lou, please protect us."


    "Please save our forsaken people..."


    "Shut up! How can you have the audacity to call upon Lou¡¯s name with a weapon in your hands? We are still descendants of Ulgaro, you fools!"


    "The god of war fled before Lou. We need a stronger god than Ulgaro."


    The bloodied men argued among themselves. Soon, they stopped bickering with each other and watched as their enemies entered the temple.


    "Hah! The Sun Warriors! Betraying your kin wasn¡¯t enough, so now you¡¯re even killing the fellow followers of Lou!"


    The northern warriors jeered at the Sun Warriors.


    Hearing the jeers, Harvald frowned.


    <i>''Why are these men our enemies?''</i>


    Harvald''s de trembled. The ones standing before him were his kin, who also believed in Lou.


    <i>''Things have changed a lot from the past. Many of our kin now believe in Lou. They just don¡¯t want to be subjugated by the empire.''</i>


    Harvald had a conviction. It was to spread the teachings of Lou to his ignorant kin. He was ready to shed as much blood as necessary to propagate the faith of Srism. That was his belief and mission.


    <i>''My kin are no longer ignorant. They are living ording to Lou''s teachings.''</i>


    However, Commander Alfnan wanted their blood. He ordered a gruesome execution to set an example.


    The slogan "Long live the Sun" did not escape his lips. Protecting the weak was also a duty of those who followed Lou. He felt miserable about himself in this situation, having to kill his powerless kin.


    <i>''My people, fellow followers of Lou...''</i>


    Harvald grimaced and reached out his hand.


    "... Long live the emperor! Execute justice in the name of Yanchinus!"


    At Harvald''smand, the warriors and soldiers rushed out. Blood was about to be spilled in the temple of the Sun God Lou.


    "Kaaaagh!"


    Something unexpected happened. Some of the Sun Warriors who followed Harvald turned their weapons against the imperial soldiers.


    "... We did not be Sun Warriors to cut down our own kin who believe in the same god."


    "In the name of Lou, we shall protect those who cannot wield swords."


    Warriors fluttering their sun cloaks stepped forward in front of the vige people, raising their swords. There were about ten of them.


    "So, it was more than just a few informants," Harvald muttered as he looked at the traitorous warriors. They were the warriors who were known for their strong faith even among the whole Sun Warriors.


    On the other hand, the Sun Warriors with more worldly desires did not betray. Their master was the emperor who paid them.


    <i>''Loyalty to the emperor and faith in the sun god Lou.''</i>


    The side that the scale tipped to determine the actions of the Sun Warriors. However, only a few had betrayed so far.


    "Harvald! Protect our people who believe in Lou with us!"


    The Sun Warriors who had betrayed shouted. They were nning to eventually sway Harvald as well. As they expected, Harvald was wavering.


    "... We are warriors paid by the empire, and these people are enemies of the empire. Stop this nonsense ande back here. I will plead for mercy with Commander Alfnan on your behalf."


    "Are you really going to mercilessly kill our poor kin who just want to escape the shackles of the empire? Hah, I guess you don¡¯t even consider them your own, you half-blood!"


    Harvald''s expression severely crumpled.


    "Do not act so disgracefully!"


    "We are not dogs of the empire. We are merely warriors who believe in Lou and were hired by the emperor. It''s purely a business rtionship! Commander Alfnan is mistaken! Open a way for these people to escape, Harvald! What wrong have these people gathered in the temple done to deserve to die like this?"


    It was just the cry of the Sun Warriors who wanted to save their kin.


    Harvald was struggling. He wanted to give the order to attack, but his mouth would not move.


    "Enough! Is that why you tried to assassinate the other Sun Warriors who were practically like your brothers? I also nearly got killed because of you bastards!"


    "That wasn¡¯t our n. It was the extremists who acted recklessly with the information we gave them. Some of us were also attacked. Right now, the northern warriors who have risen for independence are running amok. We, as professionally trained soldiers of the empire, must go and control these warriors."


    The meaningless arguments continued. Harvald sighed.


    <i>''They were nning to leave with as many Sun Warriors as they could gather.</i>


    The Sun Warriors, who were practically imperial knights, were a formidable force. Each one was equivalent to an officer.


    <i>¡®They couldn¡¯t remain patient and had to act because they couldn¡¯t handle watching the kin in front of them die. How foolish.''</i>


    Harvald sneered bitterly. He was the highestmanding officer in the room. Until themander himself arrived, whether soldiers or warriors, they would follow his orders.


    The traitorous Sun Warriors acted ording to their conscience. They could not stand by and watch their people who also believed in Lou die.


    Harvald looked bitterly at the trembling Srists and his traitorous brothers.


    "Go, my brothers. I will do nothing," Harvald said.


    "Harvald,e with us."


    "I must uphold my loyalty and honor to the empire that took me in. I am different from you, who have shamelessly betrayed your duty."


    Harvald''s scale maintained bnce. He could neither betray his conscience nor the empire. Thus, he did nothing.


    Soon, Commander Alfnan arrived. Seeing the empty temple, he demanded a report from Harvald. Harvald reported everything truthfully.


    Alfnan looked at Harvald with contempt.


    "I¡¯m sure you know the price of keeping your conscience, faithful Harvald."


    Harvald nodded. He took off his armor and put on the shackles.

 Chapter 209

    <h4>Chapter 209</h4>


    The Sun Warriors were thrown into disarray. Traitors continued to emerge from within. The number of Sun Warriors who deserted during the battle surpassed twenty. They rescued their kin and believers of Lou and fled the scene.


    "If His Imperial Majesty finds out about this, the Sun Warriors could be disbanded."


    Commander Alfnan clutched his throbbing head and sat down in a chair inside the makeshift tent where the officers had gathered.


    <i>''Are these damned fools really going to ruin the career that I¡¯ve built?''</i>


    Alfnan had climbed to his position asmander with great difficulty. He had done all sorts of dirty work to seed as a barbarian in the civilized world.


    <i>¡®That faith in Lou is bing a problem now?¡¯</i>


    The devout Sun Warriors could not abandon their own people who believed in Lou. They betrayed their own Sun Warrior brothers to save the converts and ran off to hide in the frozennds.


    "There might still be more traitors among us."


    "I can¡¯t believe no one knew what was going on until the Sun Warriors ended up like this. It¡¯s almost astonishing."


    The Sun Warriors were known for their discretion and strong faith. The warriors, selected through strict procedures, were highly capable individuals. The informants gradually recruited more Sun Warriors and increased their influence.


    "What are we going to do with Harvald? If we execute him, there will be warriors who protest. Although he let the traitors go, it was a moral choice."


    "Starve him, and don¡¯t give him water, either. If there are still traitors among us, they will eventually show up to help Harvald."


    The officers nodded at Alfnan''s words.


    A warrior who received Alfnan¡¯smand dragged Harvald to a post and tied him there.


    "This is what themander ordered, Harvald. It''s nothing personal."


    "I know. I was prepared for this."


    Harvald epted his punishment quietly. His room to maneuver in was about five steps from the post.


    The Sun Warriors and the imperial army stationed in the vige they had just upied and awaited supplies and support. Since winter was approaching, they needed even more gear for the cold weather.


    Urich, who was staying as a guest at the barracks, approached the post where Harvald was tied.


    "Urich, don¡¯t go near Harvald. He is carrying out his punishment."


    One of the warriors who was standing guard frowned.


    "Who I talk to is none of your business."


    "Then, you¡¯ll be responsible for any misunderstanding or suspicion thates out of this."


    The Sun Warrior did not try to stop Urich anymore.


    Urich looked at the shackled Harvald. He was wearing only worn-out clothes despite the cold weather.


    "Talking to me might make them suspect you as one of the informants," Harvald spoke as he looked up at Urich while sitting on the ground.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter what they say about me. I want to talk to you."


    "Keke, you were always a unique person, now as before."


    Harvald coughed dryly andughed.


    "Why did you let the other traitors go even though you weren¡¯t one of them? Look at you now."


    Urich had heard about what got Harvald into this mess. As soon as he heard what had happened, he was curious about Harvald¡¯s intentions.


    "I became a Sun Warrior to guide my mother¡¯s people onto the right path. The only path that I follow is the teachings of Lou. Loyalty to the emperor is nothing but a means to follow Lou¡¯s teachings. If it''s just about being loyal to the emperor, we don¡¯t need to be Sun Warriors; that would just make us mercenaries who chase money."


    "You''re pretty stubborn. I guess you¡¯ve always been like that. Even when we first met, you picked a fight with Sven and insisted we rescue a farm vige being attacked by bandits out of nowhere."


    Urich recalled the past.


    <i>''I didn¡¯t ept Harvald¡¯s request back then. My mercenaries and I ended up helping Harvald only because Pahell offered us extra payment.''</i>


    Harvald''s eyes gleamed with religious zeal. He was a man willing to sacrifice his life for his beliefs.


    <i>''And I don¡¯t dislike people like him.''</i>


    Urich twitched his lips.


    "Harvald, if you need my help, just say the word. I¡¯ll get you out of that thing."


    "You? Haha, how could you help me?"


    "That¡¯s for me to figure out."


    "If I wanted to escape, I would have done so a long time ago. I''m going to face the consequences of my actions."


    "Even if it means death?"


    "I¡¯m certain that my soul will go to Lou¡¯s embrace. So, I''m not afraid of death."


    Urich looked at Harvald.


    <i>''Having a ce to go... that, I¡¯m kind of jealous of. I''m still wandering.''</i>


    Urich left Harvald as he wished. Without food or water, Harvald withered away. Exposed to the cold, he visibly weakened day by day.


    <i>Woooosh.</i>


    The wind from the north was like a sword de. The harsh natural environment weeded out the weak and only left the strong.


    <i>''The defeated god of war.''</i>


    There were almost no traces of Ulgaro in the upied vige.


    Ulgaro was the god of war. The northerners revered strength. However, the victors were the civilized people who worshiped the sun god. People gradually turned away from Ulgaro and prayed for peace to the sun god.


    <i>''Stupid god of war... Can you not even protect your own descendants?''</i>


    Urich chuckled as he looked at the vige shrouded in night.


    "Smash the head of Ulgaro!"


    The Sun Warriors brought up Ulgaro''s statue from the basement. It was a statue that used to be in the vige square, but ever since Srism became the dominant religion, it had been stored in the vige''s underground storage.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    A Sun Warrior lifted a mace and smashed the head of Ulgaro.


    "Long live the Sun!"


    "In the name of Lou!"


    The Sun Warriors shouted.


    <i>''To be humiliated by your own descendants, how pathetic.''</i>


    Urich grinned bitterly. The decline of a defeated god was pitiful. As time passed, no one would believe in Ulgaro anymore.


    "It''s useless to cling to me. I have no business with a weak god either. Get lost," Urich spoke into the dim darkness.


    "Urich, what are you muttering about alone?"


    Georg approached him unexpectedly. Urich flinched.


    "Just talking nonsense because of the booze. Don''t mind it. Have you passed the message to the other warriors?"


    "Yes, they are ready to move at any moment with a signal. But do you really think the informants will move to save Harvald?"


    Georg had just gotten back from meeting up with the warriors from the west. They had been steadily following Urich. They were so devoted to Urich that they would not hesitate to give their lives for him.


    "If the insiders are truly devout Sun Warriors, they won''t just stand by and watch Harvald die."


    "You seem sure."


    "That¡¯s what these religious people are like. It''s hard for people with little faith like us to understand."


    Urich waited for the right time. He was used to being patient.


    Soon, winter supplies and correspondence arrived from the empire. The soldiers were excited to receive new supplies and letters from their family and friends.


    <i>''And Harvald is at his limit.''</i>


    Ten days had passed. Even a warrior with superhuman mental strength would struggle to hold on any longer. Harvald was dying from hunger and thirst.


    <i>''If there''s a time to act, it''s now.''</i>


    Urich wasn''t the only one thinking this. The Sun Warriors were also on guard for any remaining informants.


    "Urich, Commander Alfnan calls for you."


    "Me?"


    "He invites you to dinner. Along with yourpanion, as well."


    Urich gestured to Georg. They entered the house where Alfnan was staying. It was originally the vige chief¡¯s house, so it was quite spacious inside, and the walls were covered with whole animal hides.


    "Ah,e in, Urich."


    Alfnan was reviewing the documents and correspondence that came from the empire. It seemed like he had been quite busy since the supplies arrived yesterday.


    "Did you invite me here because you thought I might try to help Harvald? Alfnan."


    Urich bluntly started the conversation.


    "Well, I did get the reports that you''ve been in contact with Harvald without permission, it wouldn¡¯t be entirely unfounded if that was indeed my intention. By the way, no need to call me Alfnan so formally, just call me Alf."


    "Haha, we''re not friends yet, are we? It feels too early for such friendly nicknames."


    Urichughed and sat at the table.


    "We havemb and pork. Which do you prefer?"


    "Both, of course!"


    "You''re quite greedy."


    Roastedmb and pork were served. Urich tore into the meat while looking at Alfnan.


    "Are you just going to let Harvald die like this? Isn¡¯t he a pretty capable subordinate?"


    "Harvald knew what he was getting himself into. It''s the path a grown man has chosen for himself."


    Alfnan brought out some wine. Urich and Alfnan toasted and drank. Even Urich could tell it was quite a fine wine.


    "Good wine. It really sticks to the pte, doesn¡¯t it? I could drink this all night."


    "This is my favorite wine. I¡¯ve been saving it for a special asion."


    "Is taking a small vige and leaving a subordinate to die considered a special asion?"


    "No, that''s not it. ...Thank you, Urich."


    Urich suddenly felt a chill. He gripped the handle of his axe.


    "Georg, you¡¯re on your own this time," Urich muttered.


    Alfnan stepped back, dropping the wine bottle to the ground.


    "A letter came. There''s a bounty on Urich, the leader of the plunderers from the west. If I capture you alive, the emperor will reward me greatly."


    <i>Thud, thud.</i>


    Doors opened from all around. Armed Sun Warriors appeared as if they had been waiting. There were five of them.


    "Hah, I really did not see thising.¡±


    Urich sweated as he picked up his axe and sword.


    <i>''I didn¡¯t think my identity would get exposed on the battlefield. I should have thought of that. How stupid.''</i>


    He thought he had been meticulous, but there was a w. But that was why he was still an imperfect human.


    <i>Zap, zap.</i>


    It was the feeling of his hair standing on end. His senses heightened, and he could hear the warriors'' breathing. He could even hear Georg¡¯s heart pounding with fear.


    "Hooo."


    Urich exhaled. The Sun Warriors hesitated to charge.


    <i>¡®We outnumber him, but I don¡¯t feel confident in winning.''</i>


    Five Sun Warriors, six including their leader Alfnan. Yet, they hesitated to attack Urich even after encircling him.


    <i>''How many battlefields has this man survived at such a young age?''</i>


    Alfnan, too, was taken aback as he saw Urich prepare for battle. Urich had an intimidating presence, something typically felt only from legendary warriors seasoned through countless battles.


    <i>''Just like the Sword Demon Ferzen.''</i>


    No one felt confident they could beat the old Sword Master. Ferzen knew how to defeat an enemy before the fight even started. Alfnan sensed an essence of that Ferzen in Urich.


    <i>''I need to give the order.''</i>


    Alfnan took a deep breath. Life and death were going to be decided in a single moment.


    "Capture him!"


    Alfnan shouted. Five warriors simultaneously charged at Urich. Georg was hardly a concern because they were intimidated by Urich¡¯s formidable presence. Their focus was solely on Urich.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urich horizontally swung his axe, which even its hilt was made of steel. The axe that flew like a boomerang broke a warrior¡¯s neck.


    "Kaagh!"


    One was dead in the blink of an eye, but no warrior hesitated at theirrade''s death.


    <i>''These are excellent warriors. Even if it means dying, they follow their superior¡¯smands.''</i>


    Urich staked his life on that trait of the warriors.


    <i>''Alfnan is trying to capture me alive. He needs to keep me alive until we reach the imperial capital.''</i>


    Urich chuckled. His eyes moved eerily, tracking the sharp des.


    <i>''You dare to fight me with capture in your minds? You think you can beat me with suchcency?''</i>


    Urich thrust his neck into the center of the frenzy of des like a man gone mad.


    <i><u>Fwish!</u></i>


    The Sun Warriors quickly adjusted their des. The des only scraped Urich¡¯s neck as they passed.


    Being excellent warriors, they did not forget their objective to capture Urich alive. Ordinary soldiers would have killed him outright.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Urich had no need to spare the warriors. His de pierced through a warrior¡¯s chainmail and stirred the insides.


    <i>Squeeeelch!</i>


    Urich kicked the warrior¡¯s body away as he pulled out his de. Flesh and entrails clung to the de as it was withdrawn.


    "If you fight me while trying to capture me alive, you won¡¯t beat me. I am Urich. My brothers call me the great warrior."

 Chapter 210

    <h4>Chapter 210</h4>


    Harvald, still shackled, blinked. Secr sensations like hunger and starvation grew dull.


    <i>''Oh, Lou.''</i>


    His lips moved, but no sound came out.


    <i>''I tried to spread your teachings to my mother''s people.''</i>


    Harvald stared into the darkness with his eyes half-closed. The darkness swayed deeply.


    <i>''Mother.''</i>


    He thought of his mother. She had been of fairly high status and was an early northern convert to Srism. Despite being despised and criticized by her people, she did not give up on her faith and came to the civilized world after getting tired of the self-destructive customs of the north.


    <i>''Mother always said we must spread the teachings of Lou in the north.''</i>


    The teachings of Lou had spread widely in the north but converted northerners longed for freedom. They demanded their legitimate rights as believers of Srism, not as barbarians. They were not going to stop until they established their own kingdom.


    <i>''The demand for autonomy is justified.''</i>


    The nominal reason for the conquest of the north and south was to convert pagans. In fact, many priests had ventured into the barbards for cultural rule, and many had been martyred.


    Even the vassal states of the empire paid tribute, but they were governed by the royals and nobles born there. Only the north and south were entirely subject to the empire with no autonomy.


    <i>''Did I do the right thing?''</i>


    Harvald had let his betraying brothers escape.


    <i>''If they had tried to recruit me, I might have gone with them too.''</i>


    It was toote now.


    "Huff."


    Harvald exhaled weakly. It was a night without the sun.


    <i>''it¡¯s going to be a lonely death.''</i>


    Harvald knew he wouldn''t survive the night. If he closed his eyes and fell asleep, he wasn¡¯t going to wake up again.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Harvald dropped his head and then opened his eyesboriously amid themotion.


    <i>¡®Is something happening?''</i>


    His five senses were dulled, so it was difficult to grasp the situation.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The sound of shing weapons echoed.


    "Harvald!"


    Three or four armed Sun Warriors came running to rescue Harvald. They were the informants who were still hiding among the Sun Warriors.


    "... leave me here."


    "We can''t do that, Harvald. You acted ording to Lou''s teachings. If we abandon you, we would lose our right as Sun Warriors. We are not doing this for you. We''re doing it for us."


    The Sun Warriors brought hammers and chisels to break Harvald''s shackles.


    "Can you stand? Actually, never mind. Pick him up!"


    Harvald, limp, was carried on the back of a Sun Warrior. He rolled his eyes to check his surroundings, noting that security wasx.


    "What''s going on?"


    "A fight broke out."


    "An attack?"


    "No, Urich."


    "Urich?"


    Harvald raised his head. The Sun Warrior continued.


    "Urich is that plunderer from the west. The empire issued a warrant."


    Harvald''s pupils trembled wildly.


    "The plunderer from the west is Urich?"


    "They say he''s one of the leaders."


    "Are we leaving him behind?"


    "We''ve made arrangements. If he¡¯s lucky enough, he''ll live."


    The plunderers from the west were the group that ignited the spark for northern autonomy and independence. They had fought the imperial army on equal terms and even brought the Langkegart Kingdom to its ruins.


    Harvald, still on the back of the Sun Warrior, looked back. The camp grew distant.


    * * *


    Urich took a deep breath and exhaled. The metallic smell of blood pierced deep into his nostrils and seeped into his brain.


    <i>¡®These Sun Warriors. They don''t go down easily. I¡¯ve only managed to kill two.''</i>


    Urich had taken down two Sun Warriors. Only Commander Alfnan and three other Sun Warriors remained.


    Alfnan and the Sun Warriors were thoroughly shaken.


    <i>''It''s hard to believe, even seeing it with my own eyes. He is fighting so well against several Sun Warriors...''</i>


    Inside the cramped house, Urich fought against the Sun Warriors as he dodged their attacks. Though there was a restriction of capturing him alive for the Sun Warriors, holding out against several Sun Warriors indicated an immense skill.


    <i>''We might actually lose.''</i>


    Alfnan grimaced.


    <i>''I have to admit that he is quite a warrior.''</i>


    Urich and the Sun Warriors shed again. Blood sttered everywhere. The head of a Sun Warrior shot up to the ceiling and then rolled across the floor.


    "Three," Urich spoke briefly. The ones left were Alfnan and two Sun Warriors.


    <i>''If I want to get out of here, do I have to capture Alfnan and use him as a hostage? Are there other warriors waiting outside? They might have thought five was enough and not made any other arrangements.''</i>


    Thoughts restlessly raced through Urich''s mind. But even then, his eyes never lost track of the enemies'' hands.


    <i>''I''ve had plenty of rest, so my body feels like it could fly. I don''t think I can lose to anyone even if I tried.''</i>


    Urich showed a faint smile.


    He hadn''t fought since the battle in Valdima. After getting ample rest, Urich felt an unending surge of energy in his body.


    Having entered his twenties, Urich''s body was in its prime as a warrior. He even had an abundance of experience, which most warriors his agecked.


    "Heeeek!"


    One of the Sun Warriors grabbed Georg as hostage and pressed a de against his neck.


    "What a sight to see the honorable Sun Warrior fighting by holding a hostage," Urich mocked them.


    "U-Urich! P-please, save me!" Georg shrieked in terror.


    "I told you that you were on your own. This is a tough situation for me, too, Georg."


    Urich shrugged and smiled. He did not drop his weapon.


    "Well, I guess a hostage was never going to work. Just kill him."


    Alfnan signaled with his chin, giving the order.


    "A-aaaaaaah!" Georg screamed as the de began to cut into his neck.


    Urich also winced. If he tried to rush to save Georg, he would bepletely exposed to the rest of his enemy¡¯s attacks.


    "I-I really don''t want to die!"


    Georg had suffered from guilt over betraying his master and causing his lover''s death. Because of that, he thought he wanted to die. But now that he was actually faced with death, his thoughts changed.


    <i>''I want to live! I want to live and meet prettier women! I want to seed in life!''</i>


    Worldly desires boiled up in an instant. Georg''s pupils dted, and his heart raced.


    "Help me! Urich! You damn bastaaaaard! Stop acting so high and mighty!" Georg screamed.


    <i>Squeeeelch!</i>


    The Sun Warrior slowly pushed the de into Georg''s neck to provoke Urich. Blood dripped down the de.


    "Sigh," Urich sighed.


    <i>''Georg is also one of my men.''</i>


    He couldn''t just stand by and watch his subordinate die. Urich took the risk and charged forward.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Before Urich could even swing his weapon, the sound of flesh being pierced rang out.


    "Huh?"


    Everyone was stunned.


    The Sun Warrior holding Georg hostage copsed and let go of Georg. Behind him stood another Sun Warrior with a sword.


    "Traitor..."


    "I didn''t pierce your organs. If you get treatment in time, you will live, brother."


    One of the remaining Sun Warriors was an informant. He protected Georg and stood with Urich.


    The situation turned around in an instant. Alfnan, who was now alone, bit his lower lip hard.


    "Lagerik, you were a traitor, too? How could you? How could you, out of all people, betray me?"


    Alfnan was agitated. Sun Warrior Lagerik, the betrayer, had been Alfnan''s close confidant for a long time.


    "Commander Alfnan, I became a Sun Warrior to create a world where my people who have converted wouldn''t be discriminated against. A world where northerners wouldn¡¯t be overlooked and treated as inferior!" Sun Warrior Lagerik answered calmly.


    "If many northerners like us seed in the empire, that world wille naturally!"


    "I used to think the same. But creating a kingdom of northerners who believe in Lou would be faster. Now is the time to act on that."


    "Lageeeeriiiik!"


    Alfnan shouted in rage as he charged forward. Urich didn''t miss the opportunity and jumped in.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich''s dual weapons shed. He deflected Alfnan''s attack with the sword in his left hand, then struck Alfnan''s head with the axe in his right.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The reckless axe, made entirely of steel, was almost like a blunt weapon. Even with his helmet, Alfnan fell to the ground after the impact.


    "See, double weapons are better for me."


    Urich mocked as he looked at the fallen Alfnan. He raised his sword high.


    "Urich, spare Alfnan. Though we differ in our beliefs, he is still my brother. We''ve fought together for a long time, so he really is like a real brother to me," Lagerik intervened, stopping Urich from finishing Alfnan off.


    Urich said as he tilted his head, "But he''s not my brother, is he?"


    "If you want my cooperation, you¡¯d better not kill him. This is not a suggestion, it''s a warning."


    Lagerik''s eyes were cold. Urich sheathed his sword.


    "Is there a way to get out of here? Won¡¯t soldiers swarm us the moment we step out of this ce?"


    "Follow me."


    Lagerik broke a window and guided Urich.


    "U-Urich. Y-you''re not going to leave me behind, right? I-I know you wouldn¡¯t do that."


    Georg, who had screamed at Urich just a minute ago in the spur of the moment, clutched his injured neck as he spoke.


    "Do I act all ¡®high and mighty¡¯ often?"


    Urich grinned as he followed Lagerik out the window. Georg, pale as a ghost, rushed to follow them.


    * * *


    The origin of the Sun Warriors dated back over thirty years. The previous emperor had waged continuous wars to conquer the south and the north. The prolonged wars led to a substantial depletion of the imperial army, and the number of skilled warriors wascking. The emperor, as a desperate measure, hired converted barbarians, promising them honorable status.


    The Sun Warriors had only two conditions: sincere faith and exceptionalbat skills.


    Even if someone had deep faith inside, there was no way to confirm it. The measure of sincere faith was how much one knew and understood the Sr Doctrine. If they weren''t as knowledgeable about the doctrine as a priest, they couldn''t join.


    Because of this requirement for knowledge of the Sr Doctrine, the members of the Sun Warriors were primarily those who were already considered something akin to schrs in the north. They were those who were considered high-ranking within northern society, either tribe leaders or their sons who had early exposure to civilization. By civilized standards, they wereparable to nobles.


    "We''ve had extensive discussions regarding the topic amongst ourselves for a long time. Although we were a group employed by the emperor, we never forgot that our roots were in the north. Well, there are a few southerners, but most of us are northern," Lagerik said as he cut through the darkness.


    Thanks to coborators within the Sun Warriors, Urich and Georg managed to leave the camp.


    "Expanding the influence of the northerners in the empire and gaining autonomy within by doing so was one strategy, but we always knew this day woulde. The day when we would have to choose between the north and the empire."


    "So the northerners shame you for abandoning your kin, and the Sun Warriors shame you for betraying your brothers," Urich remarked, somewhat sarcastically.


    "Well, neither of them is wrong. There are people like Alfnan who fought against their kin on the empire¡¯s side to chase their own sess. There are also several who fight for their own personal riches and glory under the disguise of faith or Lou¡¯s teachings. And regardless of whether we¡¯ve been corrupted by the secr world, it''s true we''ve betrayed our kin," Lagerik calmly acknowledged. He still wore his Sun cloak. Even though he had rebelled against the empire, he remained a warrior devoted to Lou.


    "Urich, you tell me something now," Lagerik said.


    "Tell you what?" Urich replied.


    "Why has a warrior leading the plunderers from the weste all the way to the north?" Lagerik asked.


    Urich quietly stared at Lagerik. After a moment of thought, Urich was about to speak but then closed his mouth. He looked up at the sky.


    "Urich?" Lagerik asked, waiting for Urich''s response.


    "Shh."


    Urich put his index finger to his lips. He pricked up his ears and sniffed the air.


    <i>''I smell burning resin and hear metallic sounds.''</i>


    Lagerik and Georg couldn¡¯t understand why Urich was acting this way. Urich''s senses were much sharper than others.


    Urich quietly looked back and muttered, "Pursuit. They¡¯reing."


    "How do you know that?"


    Lagerik''s eyes widened. But Urich was right. Soon, torches flickered in the distance. They were moving in their direction.

 Chapter 211

    <h4>Chapter 211</h4>


    Sun Warrior Adka gathered his soldiers and formed his own pursuit unit.


    <i>''Dammit, themander is knocked out and he can¡¯t even snap out of it.''</i>


    Commander Alfnan was unconscious and could note to. To make things worse, the traitors had also abducted Harvald, creating chaos within the Sun Warriors¡¯ camp.


    <i>¡®Chasing down Urich is more important than retrieving Harvald.''</i>


    Adka set his priorities.


    <i>''Urich, the plunderer from the west.''</i>


    He was the infamous plunderer from the west, and he wasn¡¯t just a member¡ªhe was amander-level target. Capturing him would certainly bring tremendous rewards.


    Adka acted on his own without orders, motivated by the reward. He led his soldiers in pursuit.


    <i>''My foolish brothers, do you really think you can fight against the empire and win? Really?''</i>


    Adka smirked bitterly. Several dozen Sun Warriors had deserted. They intended to establish a kingdom for the northerners who believed in Lou, in defiance of the empire.


    <i>''Their intentions are noble, but can we really survive after rejecting the empire''s protection?''</i>


    This rebellion could possibly worsen the discrimination against the northern people. Even the position of the Sun Warriors, which had barely managed to gain recognition from the empire, could be in jeopardy.


    <i>''If I capture Urich, I could turn this misfortune into a great opportunity.''</i>


    Adka urged his soldiers forward.


    "The first to arrive will get ten gold coins!"


    "Ooooooh!"


    The soldiers¡¯ steps quickened. They too were chasing after the promise of a reward.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow flew from the darkness and pierced a soldier''s head.


    "Shields!"


    "Get down!"


    The soldiers shouted. They tried looking into the darkness, but whoever shot the arrow was nowhere to be seen.


    Arrows kept flying, hitting soldiers one by one. The amount of time in between each shot suggested it was a single shooter.


    "Put out the torch lights! That¡¯s what¡¯s exposing us to the attack!"


    The soldiers extinguished the torches and waited for their eyes to adjust to the darkness.


    The extinguished torches still emitted faint wisps of smoke. Urich red his nostrils, catching the scent. He drew his bowstring and scanned the darkness. As the soldiers moved, he could spot them by the slight shift in the shadows.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Another arrow from Urich pierced a soldier.


    <i>''How can he see in a condition like this?''</i>


    Lagerik watched Urich with his jaw dropped in astonishment. Urich calmly took aim and hit his targets with arrows one by one. Each arrow strike was lethal as the hastily gathered soldiers were only lightly armored.


    "They''re getting closer, Urich. Let''s pull back."


    Despite the arrow barrage, the soldiers still drew nearer. Lagerik urged retreat, but Urich didn''t move.


    "Georg! Send the signal." Urich shouted. Georg grabbed the horn hanging at his waist and blew.


    <i>Buuuuuuuup!</i>


    Georg blew the horn repeatedly until his face turned red.


    "We got you now, you bastards!"


    The first soldier to arrive jumped into Urich. The soldier, grinning at the thought of collecting the gold coin reward, lowered his shield and lunged in with his spear.


    "You got us? Are you sure about that?"


    Urich caught the iing spear under his armpit and yanked the soldier toward him. With a quick crossing of his hands, the soldier''s head twisted backward.


    "Surround them! Do not rush in!"


    Sun Warrior Adka shouted as he arrivedter. The number of soldiers under hismand started with about forty, but they had already lost ten to Urich during their pursuit.


    <i>''There are only three of them. Just three!''</i>


    The soldiers maintained their distance, surrounding Urich''s party.


    Urich spun the spear he''d just taken and eyed the soldiers circling them.


    "That must be their leader."


    Urich spotted Sun Warrior Adka standing behind the soldiers and lightly swung his arm.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    The spear Urich was holding flew toward Adka. Despite not being a throwing spear, it was flying directly toward his head.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Adka narrowly raised his shield to block Urich''s spear. He winced and rubbed his wrist.


    <i>''My arm is tingling. That wasn¡¯t even a throwing spear, and he threw it that lightly from such a distance...''</i>


    Urich clicked his tongue after seeing Adka block the spear.


    "As expected from a Sun Warrior. You won¡¯t go down that easily, huh?"


    Urich muttered as he gripped an axe and a sword in each hand. As the encirclement was formed, the soldiers slowly closed down on Urich¡¯s party.


    "Georg, are you sure you did your job properly? If you didn¡¯t, we''re all dead," Urich grumbled as Georg turned pale, looking at the circle closing in.


    Lagerik frowned as he held his sword and shield. He prayed as he watched the approaching soldiers.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Suddenly, arrows flew through the air. Soldiers forming the encirclement began to fall one by one.


    "From behind! Behind!"


    The soldiers turned their shields backward.


    "Hiiioooooooh!"


    A strange scream emerged from the darkness. Western warriors wrapped in furs emerged with bows and axes.


    The western warriors shot arrows as they ran. As they got closer to the soldiers, they drew their axes and engaged in closebat. The surprise attack in the darkness caused the soldiers to panic and huddle together.


    Well-trained soldiers instinctively formed a defensive formation when they were put in disadvantageous situations. The encirclement around Urich naturally began to unravel.


    "They''re here! They''re here!" Georg shouted, almost in tears.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Sun Warrior Adka, frowned as he saw the western tribal warriors appear beside him.


    <i>''Are these the infamous plunderers?''</i>


    Neither Adka nor the soldiers here had encountered anyone from the west before. They felt an unfamiliar fear seeing these barbarians for the first time in their lives.


    "Do not retreat! We have the advantage in numb¡ª<i>Kugh</i>!"


    Adka, who wasmanding frantically, groaned as he looked at his chest. An axe was embedded in it.


    <i>''When...''</i>


    It was a hand axe that Urich had thrown from a distance. Urich lightly shook his hands and looked at Adka as he slid his thumb across his throat.


    The pursuit unit that lost its leader was busy scattering in retreat. The warriors relentlessly pursued them and ruthlessly decapitated them. Only about a dozen soldiers escaped alive.


    Lagerik put away his weapon and approached the fallen Adka.


    "Adka..."


    Lagerik looked at Adka, who was coughing up blood. He was going to die from blood loss the moment the axe was removed from his chest.


    "Traitor Lagerik, are you happy now...? Did you have to go as far as shedding a brother''s blood?"


    Adka panted.


    "If we don''t rise now, there will never be a kingdom for the people of the north."


    "A kingdom for the northerners? It sounds like that thing means a hell of a lot to you, Lagerik."


    Adka grimaced.


    "If Lou loves both northerners and civilized people without discrimination just as the sunlight shines on the entire world... then he will grant us a kingdom. It is only fair that way."


    Lagerik''s eyes were calm. Adkaughed at his foolish brother.


    "Kek, kek. May Lou¡¯s blessings be with you, my foolish brother!"


    Adka pulled out the axe from his chest on his own. As the restrained blood gushed out, his pupils dted. Adka''s struggle and panting for air grew fainter.


    "Your son returns to you, Lou. Please oversee the world with fairness," Lagerik prayed softly as he stood up.


    <i>''Lagerik thinks Lou will grant the northerners a kingdom. Since Ulgaro failed to do it for them...''</i>


    Urich looked at Lagerik, then turned his head toward the warriors. The warriors, who had tasted blood, awaited Urich''s orders.


    * * *


    "Ha, hahaha!"


    Upon hearing Carnius'' report, Emperor Yanchinusughed like a madman, secluded in the Pce of White Night. The women serving him stayed silent and kept their distance from Yanchinus.


    "He really yed me like that? A barbarian like him? yed me?"


    He understood the reason why the western expansion had faltered.


    "You¡¯ve humiliated me, Urich."


    Yanchinus violently chucked a ss against the wall. As the ss shattered, naked women hurried to collect the fragments.


    "Very interesting. Very."


    Urich had not acted ording to Yanchinus'' ns. Instead, he had used Yanchinus to save his own homnd.


    <i>''The loss of the Western Legion all makes sense now. Urich must have crossed over faster to prepare for the invasion. Since he¡¯s a clever one, he would have assembled an army to counter the imperial army in a short period of time.''</i>


    Yanchinus gestured toward a notable woman as he watched. The woman leaned against the wall, exposing her back.


    Yanchinus unbuckled his belt and whipped it like ash.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    A red mark swelled on the woman''s back. Yanchinus whipped his belt mercilessly as if he were taking his anger out. Theshing only stopped when the woman''s back split open and revealed raw flesh.


    The women of the Pce of White Night helped the injured woman away as if they were ustomed to such scenes.


    Sweating, Yanchinus threw his belt down and copsed backward. The women approached to deliver water to his mouth.


    <i>''How much did heugh at me in his head while I went on and on about my desire for an achievement?''</i>


    Yanchinus had proudly spoken of the Sky Mountains in front of Urich. He had said all that to a man who had already crossed them. The embarrassment he was feeling was so immense that he wanted to rip the skin off his own face.


    "A barbarian! A barbarianughed at me, the ruler of the world! How absurd is this!"


    Never before had his pride been so crushed. Yanchinus was always the one to manipte others and reign from above them. He was a man who was promised the throne from birth. Though Lou might be the ruler of the skies, the emperor ruled the earth.


    The women of the Pce of White Night trembled. They were well aware of Yanchinus'' vtile temper, but even they had never seen the young emperor so enraged. He was known to have a cruel nature, but he was always calm and collected and was rarely aggravated.


    "Noya, you left me alone too soon," Yanchinus murmured, leaning his head back. The Sword Demon Ferzen was the only person he could truly confide in.


    "Everyone around me is just waiting for a chance to lead their armies here and swallow me up."


    He had no one reliable tomand his armies either. Experienced generals had strong opposing feelings toward the emperor, and young knightsckedmand experience.


    <i>''I botched it from the start. Urichpletely ruined my ns.''</i>


    Yanchinus'' scheme had gone terribly awry¡ªalmost too much. He had intended to conquer the west by using just the Western Legion and start a new very business there, as the number of ves the empire could extract from the north and south had reached its limits after the conquests.


    But instead of being able to start a profitable ve business, an entire legion had evaporated, and even Carnius'' forces had failed to exterminate the barbarians. To make matters even worse, a vassal state was ravaged, spreading unease throughout the entire civilized world.


    <i>''I must quickly subdue the north. Alfnan will deal with it just fine. He''s eager to please me. Sometimes a barbarian with no ties to the civilized world can be more trustworthy than a cunning noble.''</i>


    As soon as the empire showed a sliver of weakness, the northerners rose up. With no time or leisure to reorganize his legions, Yanchinus nned to crush the northern rebellion at its roots by sending the Sun Warriors.


    Yanchinus spent the night in the Pce of White Night, taking out his umted anger on the women. Throughout the night, the pce officials and the royal doctors moved in and out of the pce.


    "...I am the ruler of the world. It would be hard for me to im to be an emperor if I''m flustered by mere barbarians, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    "Indeed, Your Majesty,"


    A bruised woman replied as she poured wine for the emperor. Her finger was dangling from being broken, yet she showed no sign of pain as she served the drink.


    Yanchinus'' gaze was chillingly cold and calm. The negative emotions that were clouding his judgment had drained away with the violent outbursts.

 Chapter 212

    <h4>Chapter 212</h4>


    The Arten outpost felt deste. The word that it had be a barbarian stronghold had spread widely. Yet no one thought of sending a subjugation army.


    Who would willingly confront the barbarians who fought and survived against the imperial army? ording to the circting rumors, even the imperial army had sustained significant losses and was in a lull.


    "It must be true, then. The imperial army hasn''t made a move yet. They''re not even thinking about sending a force to root out the barbarians over there."


    People chatted about the rumor, and their spections were all true.


    The imperial army had suffered considerable losses fighting the alliance army of the west. Carnius'' main force had been defeated by Urich in Valdima, leading to substantial casualties among the imperial soldiers and knights. Because of this, Carnius faced severe reprimands and lost the trust of the troops.


    "Apparently General Carnius made reckless decisions after losing his son. He wasted a bunch of the soldiers¡¯ and knights¡¯ lives."


    Carnius'' authority plummeted after losing the trust of the army. The pro-imperial faction mocked the defeated veteran, and even the anti-imperial faction whispered that Carnius was old and out of touch.


    <i>''These people have no idea that these weren''t just ordinary barbarians.''</i>


    Carnius'' words held no sway. The western alliance had an army rivaling the strength of the north in its prime. They could potentially reach the heart of the empire. Yet no one took such warnings seriously.


    Carnius holed up in his mansion as if he were in penance and decided to remain silent. He did not show himself at the imperial pce for a while.


    "Urich," Carnius uttered Urich''s name. He had sent a report regarding Urich to the emperor.


    <i>''The winner of the Hamel Jousting Tournament, the one who crushed an armor with his bare hands in a duel, and... the one who yed a significant role in cing the current King of Porcana on the throne.''</i>


    Urich and the King of Porcana were close.


    <i>''There must be surveince and restrictions ced on Porcana.''</i>


    Carnius wasn''t the only one who thought so. Urich''s rtionship with Porcana was known to anyone with decent status. There were even talks of attacking Porcana being brought up in councils.


    Varca Baneu Porcana, a young king who beheaded his uncle to seize the throne. There were few who did not know the story. The story of Varca traveled throughout the civilized world through the songs of the bards.


    The story of a prince who defeated an evil uncle and became king. It was a favorable narrative for the other kings. They intentionally promoted Varca''s story to assert the legitimacy of primogeniture and suppress would-be imants to the throne.


    <i>¡®Pahell.''</i>


    No one used that name anymore.


    <i>''There was a time when that alias felt more familiar.''</i>


    Varca quietly opened his eyes. The imperial capital of Hamel was finally in sight. It was once a ce he admired.


    <i>''Now, it just looks like a lion¡¯s den. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s waiting for the chance to devour me.¡¯</i>


    Varca chuckled. The youthful lines on his face had thickened, revealing a mature young man.


    The reign of the young king had not been a smooth sail. The nobles who had umted their power during the civil war challenged his authority, forcing Varca to sometimes amodate their demands to maintain political bnce.


    <i>''Despite everything that¡¯s happened, it was all thanks to Emperor Yanchinus'' favor that I could solidify my position.''</i>


    Varca was greatly indebted to Yanchinus. Even now, Porcana enjoyed considerable privileges thanks to the emperor''s goodwill.


    Varca''s arrival at the imperial pce drew attention, and whispers filled the air.


    "King Varca came here himself."


    "So the rumors were true..."


    "He''s associated with the western plunderers, isn''t he?"


    Even for a vassal state, it was unusual for a king to move personally. It signified the importance of the matter and that it required a direct meeting between those directly involved in the matter.


    "Please wait a moment, King Varca," an attendant said with respect.


    His status was not the same as it was thest time he was here. Back then, Varca had to make a show to meet the emperor as an exiled prince. But now, he was an important figure to Yanchinus.


    News of Varca''s arrival had reached the imperial pce two days in advance through a messenger. By the time Varca arrived, everything was prepared for his audience with the emperor.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Varca opened the pce doors. He saw Yanchinus seated on the throne.


    "Varca Baneu Porcana humblyes before the Ruler of the World..."


    His cloak, embroidered with herrings and fishing boats, fluttered. Varca knelt and paid his respects.


    "What is that! There''s no need for formalities between us. Stand up, King Varca!" Yanchinus eximed jovially, rising from the throne to help Varca up.


    "Long time no see, Your Majesty," Varca said, somewhat reluctantly.


    Varca¡¯s blue eyes nced at Yanchinus before surveying the imperial nobles around him.


    <i>''This is all just for show.''</i>


    Demonstrating that the rtionship between Porcana and the empire remained strong. That was Yanchinus'' intention.


    <i>''If one vassal state breaks away from the empire, others will follow. Especially since the failure to protect the Langkegart Kingdom is already causing friction.''</i>


    Varca sat beside Yanchinus and epted a drink.


    ¡°You¡¯re all grown up now. I almost didn''t recognize you.¡±


    ¡°Quite a bit of time has passed.¡±


    ¡°Three years?¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right.¡±


    Varca smiled. Thanks to his striking features befitting the royal family of Porcana, his smile was incredibly gentle and soft. Those who didn¡¯t know him could fully mistake him for a messenger of Lou who had descended from the heavens.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve been smiling so much that my cheeks are strained.¡¯</i>


    Varca was ustomed to forcing his smiles. Smiling was a useful weapon.


    ¡°We''re building the ships for the ocean expedition. We built two, but they couldn''t withstand the storms and quickly sank.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Until recently, civilization had only ever built ships for coastal voyages. At most, they would travel along the shoreline for a few days, and the inds were close enough to each other that there was no need for long-distance vessels.


    For a long time, shipbuilding technology had stagnated, but Porcana and the empire selected shipbuilding as a state project, leading to significant advancements in just three years.


    ¡°This time, we''ve brought in shipbuilders from the north. ording to the legend, the northerners must have found the Eastern Continent by sailing across the ocean. Even if the technology is no longer in practice, there should still be traces of it.¡±


    Varca emphasized that Porcana was putting in the effort for the exploration of the Eastern Continent.


    ¡°It would be best for you toe up with some progress soon.¡±


    Yanchinus took a sip from his cup. A band was ying music, but neither of them paid attention to it.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re having trouble with the plunderers from the west.¡±


    ¡°It is something that doesn¡¯t concern Porcana since it¡¯s a kingdom on the eastern coast. However, it does concern you, King Varca.¡±


    ¡°...Urich,¡± Varca muttered. Yanchinus quietly smiled.


    ¡°Yes, Urich.¡±


    ¡°The rumors were true, then.¡±


    All sorts of thoughts crossed Varca''s mind.


    <i>¡®Urich, you¡¯ve really done it this time.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus observed Varca''s expression. Varca still smiled.


    <i>¡®He''s be a true politician, this Prince Varca.¡¯</i>


    Varca''s face showed no signs of confusion or bewilderment at all.


    ¡°Did you know Urich was from beyond the mountains?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Majesty. I just assumed he was an ordinary barbarian mercenary and didn''t care much about his origins.¡±


    ¡°Swear to Lou?¡±


    ¡°Swear to Lou,¡± Varca replied, thinking to himself that he needed to purchase a pardon once this was over.


    Yanchinus paused briefly before asking again.


    ¡°If your close friend Urich asks for your help, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°You already know my answer, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Just asking.¡±


    Varca and Yanchinus exchanged nces. They spoke cautiously to gauge each other''s intentions, but neither were seeing much sess.


    <i>''I raised a wolf without even realizing it. I thought it was a puppy, but it was actually a wolf cub.''</i>


    The emperor twisted his lips. Varca, who was now a king, was not quick to reveal his thoughts.


    Varca felt equally frustrated. He had no way of knowing what was going on inside the emperor¡¯s head.


    <i>''Will the emperor continue to trust me and maintain our alliance? Or will he strengthen control over the other vassal states... by taking other measures?''</i>


    Before the western plunderers made their appearance, the empire and Porcana had kept a close rtionship. There was no need to worry about one betraying the other.


    But now, things were different. It was hard for the two to trust each other like before.


    <i>''Urich, you gave me the throne, but you''ve also brought me more problems.''</i>


    But Varca did not me Urich.


    <i>''Urich only acted to protect his people.''</i>


    Urich was no longer an outsider from another world. As he met many people in the civilized world, he became entangled in thisplex world. He held a status relevant enough that his actions hadplicated the rtionship between the empire and the Porcana Kingdom.


    "The expedition of the Eastern Continent is not being done just for you, Your Majesty. It is also my mission that I received from Lou," Varca said. It was uncertain how much this would resonate with the emperor.


    "By the way, why don¡¯t you meet your sister before you return to your kingdom?" the emperor asked.


    Varca''s smile froze for the first time.


    <i>''Damia, my sister.''</i>


    It was always on his mind. This was the one thing that made him hesitate to visit the imperial pce.


    Damia had be Yanchinus'' concubine. It was a miserable fate for a princess of a kingdom, and as a concubine, any child she bore would not be eligible to inherit the empire''s throne. People whispered that the beautiful Damia was married¡ªpractically sold¡ªfor strategic reasons.


    Moreover, the emperor''s entric habits were well-known among the nobility. Rumors suggested that some women had even died because of him.


    "No, I don''t think my sister would want to see me."


    "Your sister is a remarkable woman. It wasn¡¯t easy breaking her down," the emperor remarked.


    Varca suddenly felt a surge of emotion. His fists clenched tightly.


    <i>''I handed her over with my own hands. She had to pay the price for what she did.''</i>


    Varca bowed his head to hide his expression.


    "My sister is a dangerous woman, but I''m sure you already know that."


    "If she had been a man, she might have made a better king than you."


    It was an incredibly rudement, but Varca wasn''t angered by it. It was something he had heard his whole life. The twin siblings whose gender and roles were reversed, the intelligent sister and the dull brother.


    "Perhaps," Varca calmly reflected on the past.


    Yanchinus patted Varca''s shoulder and whispered in his ear, "By the way, your sister no longer resides in the Pce of White Night."


    "Isn¡¯t a concubine supposed to live in the Pce of White Night?" Varca asked.


    "Not all of them.¡±


    Varca flinched. Anxiety began to rise.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "She had a child. You didn''t hear? You really don¡¯t exchange any letters with your sister, do you?"


    "...This is my first time hearing about it.¡±


    The imperial family did not celebrate the birth of illegitimate children. They lived as if they never existed. If an illegitimate child stood out too much, perhaps more than a legitimate one, their life would be at risk. It was not umon for a legitimate child to order the execution of known illegitimate children once they became king.


    In the countryside, illegitimate and legitimate children could live as siblings, but in the royal family and high-ranking noble families, the distinction was strict. This meant that there were countless illegitimate children in the civilized world without official records of themselves.


    "Where is my sister staying now? Now that you mention it, I think it is only right for me to visit her.¡±


    Varca struggled to muster up the words.

 Chapter 213

    <h4>Chapter 213</h4>


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Varca opened a door to a separate room. The scent of flowers wafted in as soon as the door opened. Vases were ced on both sides of the entrance.


    Inside the room was a beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes. With the distinct characteristics, she was the true heir of the Porcana royal lineage. It was Porcana''s daughter, Damia.


    Damia sat in a rocking chair, watching a young boy ying with a wooden toy. The toddler, having learned to walk, looked back when he heard the door open.


    "It''s been a while, sister," Varca said as he entered. Behind him stood two Porcana knights acting as guards.


    "... I did hear the word that you were in Hamel, Your Highness," Damia said, holding both ends of her skirt as she rose from her chair. She gave a slight bow with her upper body only.


    "Please, speakfortably as you did before, sister."


    "How could I dare to do that with a king?"


    "Your king is His Imperial Majesty Yanchinus. I am a king of another nation," Varca said, drawing a clear line.


    Damia frowned. She did not even offer him a seat.


    "Do you still sleep well at night after selling me over to the empire?"


    "I was so tired every day that I slept just fine. Actually, my problem was not having enough time to sleep," Varca replied, faintly smiling as he sat down without permission.


    "You''ve all grown up. You are a man now, Varca."


    "I''ve always been a man. It¡¯s a bit overdue, but congrattions on the smooth birth of your son. I see that it¡¯s a boy."


    "It wasn''t a smooth delivery. The boy was so big that they... almost had to cut my belly open," Damia said.


    Varca looked at the boy. As Damia said, the child seemed to be born with a robust build. He was going to grow into a well-built man with his good bone structure.


    "So he is my nephew."


    "That boy will grow up and take your head one day."


    "Your jokes are quite grim, sister. Do you intend to make me spill my own nephew''s blood? An uncle and sister are already enough."


    "You''ll regret sparing my life out of pity, Varca."


    Every word from Damia had thorns. Despite the rude remarks, Varca didn''t even flinch. He just answered all herments with a smile on his face.


    "I did not spare your life out of pity. I thought this would be more painful for you than death. Was I wrong? Were you actually happy? Living as a ything for the emperor..."


    <i>p!</i>


    Damia stood up abruptly and pped Varca across the face.


    Varca, rubbing his red cheek, raised his hand to stop the guards from taking action.


    "Well, I didn''te here to mend our rtionship. I just thought I¡¯d swing by to see my nephew''s face.¡±


    Varca stood up and picked up the young boy. The boy was quite heavy.


    <i>''His Porcana lineage isn¡¯t very prominent. His eyes are turquoise... his hair has a yellowish-brown shade.''</i>


    As Varca stared closely at the face of the boy, his expression suddenly hardened.


    "What is this child''s name?"


    "...His birth name is Salone. He doesn''t have an official name yet."


    Varca hesitantly put the boy down. The child, without a single care in the world, smiled brightly and tugged at Varca''s cheek.


    <i>''There is no way that Yanchinus does not know.''</i>


    Varca''s heart raced.


    "Who is the father of this child?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? It''s His Imperial Majesty, of course."


    Damia replied indifferently. Varca frowned.


    "What a tant lie..."


    "...It''s Urich."


    Varca staggered upon hearing that. No wonder the child¡¯s face looked familiar. That name tickled at his throat the whole time he was staring at the child.


    "Why would you... Why would you have Urich''s child?"


    "It was the emperor''s whim. As you said, I was nothing but a ything. Did you think the emperor would care for me with love and devotion? You were the one who wanted me to suffer, Varca."


    "Considering what you did, even this was letting you off easy!" Varca shouted as if he was having a fit. He looked at the boy again. His features were so familiar.


    <i>''Urich.''</i>


    The child resembled Urich. Not only did he share simr facial features, but he was alsorge for his age. With Urich''s blood, it wasn''t surprising.


    <i>''When was Urich back in Hamel? What in the world has he been up to?''</i>


    Varca didn''t know much about Urich''s whereabouts. He no longer feltfortable staying in this room. He needed some time alone to think.


    "Salone, your uncle is leaving now. Say bye-bye," Damia said, holding the child. Her eyes were filled with gentle affection as if she had a face made for it.


    "Have you heard that Urich has shown up with his army?" Varca said, standing at the door.


    "Unless someone¡¯s living under a rock, how could anyone not know?"


    Varca and Damia looked into each other''s eyes. Varca bowed slightly and was about to close the door.


    Damia, who had been watching him leave, spoke just before the door closedpletely.


    "Varca."


    Varca looked back at Damia through the gap in the closing door.


    "...Be careful with the emperor," she said with a somber expression.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    The door closed.


    * * *


    Urich and his party traveled north with the Sun Warriors who had betrayed the empire. Although it was stillte autumn, the ground was already covered in snow, and it was a harsh, frigidnd where even farming was difficult. That was where a northerners¡¯ encampment was located.


    The encampment was filled with hides stretched over wooden nks undergoing tanning. Men carrying bows moved busily, and skillful hands were busy disassembling the prey they had hunted. It looked more like a hunter''s camp than a military base.


    "Why did you do an ambush? Do you not trust us?"


    Arguments erupted as soon as the Sun Warriors arrived at the northerners¡¯ encampment. Lagerik shouted at the messy-bearded northerners. The northern men, d in whole-leather armor, scowled.


    "So were we just supposed to watch while the imperial army trampled ournds and viges? What did you, the great Sun Warriors, even do?"


    "You should''ve left it to us! Your ambush only got innocent Sun Warriors killed! And on top of that, your blunder only worsened the anti-northern sentiment! What did you even get out of your ambush? Did it achieve anything?"


    "You''re talking a lot for the emperor''spdog!"


    "Lapdog? Watch your mouth! We abandoned all wealth and honor toe here, for the kingdom of the north!"


    "Who asked you to give anything up?"


    Lagerik''s face turned red. He wanted to draw his sword and cut down all the northerners who disregarded the sacrifices of the Sun Warriors.


    Sun Warriors like Lagerik came here with the idea of a northern kingdom, having thrown everything away.


    <i>''No, I must not draw my sword here.''</i>


    Lagerik knew deep down that the reason the northerners had been ignored by the empire for such a long time was due to theck of a leader since Mijorn. The northerners couldn''t unite like before. Even when they seemed like they had managed to do so, it was always quickly dispelled by minor disputes like this.


    "Shut up, you little shit. I nearly died because of you, too."


    Urich suddenly stepped forward, grabbed the northern man who had been speaking, and tossed him aside.


    "And who the hell are you?"


    The fallen northern man called his subordinates, pointing at Urich.


    "Hey, mister, I don¡¯t know who you are, but you can''t just jump into a conversation like that."


    The hulking men lunged at Urich.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    A broken tooth hit the snowy ground.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    There was a sound of an arm breaking.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    And the sound of a finger bending backward.


    The three hulking men who charged were lying on the ground, groaning. Urich spat on the ground and kicked the fallen men.


    "Ughhh."


    One of the fallen men reached behind his back to draw an axe. Urich frowned and warned him, "If you pull a de, one of us will die. I won¡¯t just let it go."


    Urich''s voice pierced the man''s ears, not just as a threat, but as a statement of fact.


    "Who... who are you?"


    Lagerik answered that question for Urich.


    "This is Urich, the plunderer from the west."


    Lagerik¡¯s answer caused a stir among the northerners. Everyone knew about the plunderers from the west. The uprising in the north was driven by rumors that the western plunderers could fight the imperial army to a standstill.


    "Are you serious? <i>That</i> western plunderer?"


    "My god, I didn''t expect to meet him so soon."


    The bearded northerners approached. They were leaders of influential tribes in the north. Here and there, they wore Sun nes and trinkets, indicating they had indeed converted to Srism. In the center of the encampment also stood a wooden pole with a carved Sun symbol.


    <i>¡®In the civilized world, the Sun relic is made from various metals, but in the north, it''s made from wood.¡¯</i>


    Urich stared at the Sun relic at the center of the encampment.


    In the north, woodworking for making furniture and ships was advanced. The Sun relic was crafted from carved wood ordingly.


    Lagerik vouched for Urich''s identity. The northerners who were quite hostile just moments ago now viewed Urich with considerable goodwill. After all, it was thanks to the plunderers from the west that they even had a chance to establish the northern kingdom. To them, they were practically allies already.


    "I-I know that man!"


    A northern warrior who had been carefully inspecting Urich shouted in shock.


    "I saw him in Mulin! I really did!"


    "What? How could you have seen someone from the west in Mulin?"


    "He¡¯s the one who killed Yorcan the Giant! He¡¯s that Urich!"


    The northerners who had been in Mulin gathered at that statement.


    "Oh wow, yeah, it is really him."


    "Urich, son of Sven?"


    "Why are they saying that Sven¡¯s son is from the west?"


    The northerners were confused. The Urich they knew was a northern man who grew up in the civilized world. They called him the son of Sven.


    "Well, I¡¯m not actually Sven''s son; it was more like he was my godfather. But if you were in Mulin, you must be a devout follower of Ulgaro. So why are you here?" Urich chuckled awkwardly and asked.


    "We decided to believe in a stronger god than Ulgaro. I''m sure Ulgaro would understand."


    The warriors, with their simple faith logic,ughed heartily at that. There was no ce for Ulgaro in the north.


    "If we all believe in the same god, there¡¯s no way we¡¯d lose to the empire. And if we have some doubts, we can always convert back to Ulgaro after we win."


    "Keke, if you say that in front of the Sun warriors, you might lose your head. Be careful."


    Those who knew of Urich weed him with enthusiasm. Urich was a warrior who had proven himself before Ulgaro.


    Though they had converted to Lou, the warrior culture of the north had not changed. No northerner disliked a warrior blessed by the gods.


    "I heard the western plunderers fought against the imperial army. It''s an honor to meet such a formidable warrior!"


    A feast was prepared in no time. Urich met the various chiefs who were leading the northern army. The Sun Warriors also participated in the feast. Also among them was Harvald, who had not fully recovered his strength yet.


    "If the west and the north join hands, there''s nothing to fear¡ªnot even the empire!"


    "That''s exactly right!"


    "Kahahaha!"


    Some northerners were excited as if they had already won.


    "That would be nice, but the next time we sh, we¡¯ll lose. The empire will send the next army with caution. No matter how we try to look at it, we''re the ones who are at a disadvantage."


    Urich presented a reality check. The northern chiefs shot daggers at him for his weak attitude, but the Sun Warriors, who knew the skill of the imperial army better than anyone else present, nodded in agreement.


    The men discussed the uing battle. The Sun Warriors shared internal information about the imperial army, and the chiefs talked about how many warriors they could gather.


    "You said the end goal is to establish a kingdom of the north. So who will be the king?" Urich spoke up after calmly assessing the dynamics between the northern chiefs.


    <i>''They''re all equal. There''s no clear leader like me and Samikan.''</i>


    It was a problem he saw with the northern army. There was no superior figure to serve as a focal point. Just as the alliance of the west wouldn''t exist without Samikan and Urich, the north needed someone to serve as that focal point.


    After hesitating, the chiefs opened up reluctantly.


    "Actually, we recently found out that the bloodline of Mijorn has not ended."


    "Mijorn the Brave of the North? I¡¯ve heard of him too. That¡¯s quite a meaningful bloodline."


    Mijorn was a hero of the north. If his lineage remained, it was significant enough to im the throne.


    However, both the chiefs and the Sun Warriors looked reluctant.


    "The grandson of Mijorn is currently being protected by warriors who follow Ulgaro. They''re devout warriors who haven''t allied with us because of their faith. Whenever we meet, they draw their swords, calling us apostates."

 Chapter 214

    <h4>Chapter 214</h4>


    The north was a blend of two religions.


    The faith in Ulgaro, which had supported the north for ages, and Srism that had crossed over from the empire. Warriors and knights, believers in different religions, had drawn their swords against each other, but it was the knights of the Sun who emerged victorious.


    <i>''The god who watches over the warriors lost the war.''</i>


    Even thest bastion, the sacrednd of Mulin, fell into the hands of the empire. Ulgaro could not stop the Sun that crashed in like a tidal wave, and the people of the north dered their conversion one after another. They sought a stronger god and needed to believe in Lou in order to survive.


    The empire''s upation wasn''t entirely unfavorable for the north. Under the protection of the imperial army, traders moved freely. The northerners traded fur and wood for the food and supplies they needed. They were no longer barbarians and began to see themselves as part of the civilized world.


    "We can''t let the imperial army exploit us anymore. We''re selling fur and wood at ridiculously low prices!" someone said.


    And many northerners nodded in agreement, sharing the frustration over the unfair treatment. The conditions for rebellion were already there; it was just a matter of lighting the spark.


    The northerners had never met the plunderers from the west, but they felt a deep sense of kinship with them. They were each other¡¯s one and onlyrade in their opposition against the empire.


    In this turbulent time, a single rumor spread among the northerners.


    Mijorn, the most revered of all northern warriors. His bloodline was still alive. If that was true, it would be a rallying point for the northerners. Many flocked to meet the descendant of Mijorn.


    The ones who spread that rumor were the Ulgaro fundamentalists. They imed they were the true northerners, untainted by civilization.


    "Do they think they''ll get away with it after turning their backs on Ulgaro? Idiots."


    "They''re saying ''Lou will grant a kingdom to the northerners!'' Hah, a kingdom? Says who?"


    The fundamentalists despised the northerners who converted. They were those who did not ept Srism in any way.


    The fundamentalists were the minority among northerners, but the problem was that they were exceptionally skilled warriors. Most of them were veterans who had been hardened through countless battles, and they had even fought and survived the attack on Mulin.


    "Our ancestors in the Field of Swords wouldugh at us."


    "Just where is the glory of warriors in the reincarnation of the Sun?"


    The fundamentalists called themselves the true warriors of Ulgaro. They were searching for the descendant of Mijorn to gain the support of the other northerners.


    <i>¡®Bilker, the grandson of Mijorn!''</i>


    The warriors finally found their hero''s descendant. They tracked down Mijorn''s tribe and sessfully found his grandson, Bilker. Upon finding him, the warriors sent out their messengers all over the north to spread the news.


    <i>Crunch, crunch.</i>


    The descendant of the hero was munching on pork under the protection of the warriors.


    "Take good care of Bilker, Krika," an old warrior said as he peeked inside the house.


    There were two northern boys inside the house. One was Mijorn''s grandson, Bilker, and the other was his guard, Krika.


    Krika was tasked with guarding Mijorn because of their simrity in age.


    <i>''I can¡¯t believe that pig is the descendant of Mijorn. I wonder how shocked the rest of the world will be,'' </i>Krika thought to himself.


    "Hehe, Krika, do you want some?" Bilker asked, holding up a roasted hind leg of a pig.


    "No, I''m good. If I get too full, I get sluggish.¡±


    "Still, I like being full."


    Bilker chugged water to clean his mouth before diving into more meat. His body, even generously described, was plump. He was actually quite obese.


    <i>''He was just skin and bones just half a year ago, but he ate so much... He''s practically an actual pig, at this point.''</i>


    No matter how much he ate, Bilker was never satisfied. Perhaps it was because he had wandered for so long, unable to eat properly, that he was so gluttonous.


    <i>''He doesn¡¯t even know how to wield a sword properly. I guess that¡¯s not his fault since he grew up under his mother''s care after his father died early.''</i>


    Krika shook his head.


    But what Bilker was like was not a concern to the northern warriors at all. The fact that he was Mijorn''s descendant was enough to garner the support of many.


    "Oh, I''m full," Bilker said, lying back on the fur bed.


    <i>''Of course, you''re full. You just ate an entire roasted hind leg by yourself.''</i>


    Krika stared at the dining table and then called a servant for the cleanup.


    "Krika!"


    An older warrior called out from outside. Warriors were gathered in groups, murmuring among themselves.


    "What is it?"


    "Bring Bilker. We have a visitor."


    "A visitor?"


    "Yes, do you know Yorcan the Giant, from Mulin?"


    "Ah, yes. I''ve heard of him. But isn''t he dead? Did he climb out of his grave, or something?"


    "No, the man who killed that giant is here. He says he wants to see Bilker."


    Krika nodded and went back inside. He shook Bilker to wake him.


    "Wake up. We have a visitor."


    "H-huh? Oh, okay."


    Bilker woke up, wiping drool from his mouth. Krika pulled out armor and practically stuffed Bilker into it. He dressed him in chain mail and fit him with a helmet to make him look somewhat decent.


    "Who did you say was here?"


    "I don¡¯t know his name, but they say he¡¯s the man who killed Yorcan the Giant."


    "D-doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s scary?"


    "Probably. Apparently, he killed Yorcan in a duel over Ulgaro¡¯s favor. He must be a warrior looked after by Ulgaro."


    Krika murmured calmly. Unlike most northern boys, he followed the traditional path of a northern warrior.


    <i>Clink, clink.</i>


    Bilker, in his unfamiliar armor, made his way to the reception room. Urich and his entourage sat in the room.


    "Hey, K-Krika, look at his face and arms. All those scars and burns..." Bilker whispered to Krika upon seeing Urich.


    "Man, just act cool."


    Krika, irritated, lightly pushed Bilker''s back. Bilker tried to act casual as he sat in the reception room.


    "I''m Urich," Urich said, standing up.


    Krika responded in Bilker¡¯s ce, "This is Bilker, thest remaining Mijorn. If you are a northern warrior, please show some respect."


    Urich scratched his head.


    "I¡¯m here as an equal, not as a subject."


    Urich''s words agitated the surrounding northern warriors.


    "Watch your attitude, Urich. If you want to keep your head on your shoulders, that is!"


    Urich snapped his fingers. The western warriors who apanied him removed their hoods, revealing their faces.


    "I am Urich of the West, chief of the Stone Axe Tribe, and leader of the army you call plunderers."


    Urich disclosed his identity without hesitation. The murmuring grew louder.


    "How can you prove it?"


    "If you¡¯re that desperate for proof, go to any city that¡¯s upied by the empire. You''ll see my name on the wanted posters."


    The northern warriors were surprised by the unexpected development.


    <i>''If what he says is true, he''s a bigger deal than we thought.''</i>


    They were eventually going to ally with the western plunderers. It was great news that they hade to them first during a time like this.


    "Please wait here, Urich."


    The northern warriors left the room with Bilker.


    Urich yawned after being left behind in the room. He spoke to Georg, who sat behind him.


    "Georg, what do you think about this Bilker guy?"


    "He seems too ordinary for a descendant of a legendary hero, does he not?"


    "Haha, I think so too."


    Even Georg could tell Bilker wasn''t a warrior. In fact, he seemed rather weak, let alone warrior-like.


    "So ¡®Urich the son of Sven¡¯ was a lie! You dared to lie before Ulgaro!"


    Suddenly, a northern priest with a tattoo-covered face burst in, shouting. The warriors restrained the priest and escorted him out.


    "He was never a northerner to begin with. Not that it matters at this point."


    "An outsider proved himself as a warrior before Ulgaro. If anything, that gives him even more legitimacy."


    The northern warriors debated how they should treat Urich. Bilker, caught in the middle, had absolutely no say.


    "It seems that him being the plunderer from the west is true. Warriors who visited the city said they heard the imperial army asking around for someone named Urich. The checkpoints have be stricter, and they suspect it¡¯s because of him. The warriors apanying Urich have a strange vibe as well. They speak in anguage we¡¯ve never heard before."


    "If they really are the western plunderers, have theye to form an alliance with us?"


    ¡°Judging by how they came to us instead of those heretics, the reputation of Mijorn must have done the job. This is all thanks to Bilker."


    The warriors paid obligatory homage to Bilker. Bilker nodded with an unsettled look, feeling the mocking nces in the eyes of the warriors.


    There was no mention in Ulgaro''s teachings about protecting the weak. Bilker, unable to fulfill his role as a warrior, was considered a half-human. Bing a warrior and protecting his family were the duties of men who lived in the north.


    Krika nced at Bilker.


    <i>"Bilker is being tantly humiliated; it''s his own fault. He doesn¡¯t even train, ever."</i>


    Krika felt no pity for Bilker. He was also someone who took pride in being a man himself. Bilker, failing to meet his duty as a warrior, seemed contemptible.


    <i>¡®So you¡¯re going to take all this mockery just because you¡¯re being fed well? You really are no different than a pig, Bilker.¡¯</i>


    If a man is insulted, he should draw his weapon for a duel. That was the way of men. If society let every insult go, it would only be filled with people insulting one another. The only way people showed respect toward others was by knowing that doing otherwise would only lead to death. That was the society andw of northern warriors.


    "Let''s hold a feast to wee them."


    The warriors agreed. They decided to treat Urich as an honored guest.


    Urich sensed the change in treatment and nced sideways.


    The warriors at Bilker''s encampment numbered about a thousand. If a full-scale war broke out, several thousand more would likely gather.


    <i>"The northern poption isrger than the westerners since it¡¯s a semi-agricultural society. Cooperation with the north is an absolute necessity if we want to fight the empire."</i>


    The southern regions of the north hadnd suitable for agriculture during its short summer. Since it was a semi-agricultural society, residents along the northern border quickly embraced Srism.


    Urich opened his eyes slightly. He had no intention of ending this war half-heartedly. Emperor Yanchinus was also a man who saw things through to the end once he started.


    "I''ve heard many stories about Mijorn. It''s an honor to meet his descendant."


    Urich sat across from Bilker at the feast. Krika, who was guarding Bilker, stood beside him, holding a spear.


    "T-the honor is mine. I h-heard you fought and defeated Yorcan the Giant," Bilker stammered. Just being near Urich made him feel overwhelmed.


    <i>''This must be what they call a true hero.''</i>


    Bilker felt intimidated.


    Urich''s excellence was evident in his words and actions. His tone was rough but magnanimous, and his body was filled with scars proving his manliness. He was a warrior who would be respected no matter where he went.


    <i>''This man is no ordinary person.''</i>


    Krika, who was tasked with guarding Bilker, was extremely wary of Urich. He never let his guard down.


    "Actually, I wanted to see the remains of the dragon in Mulin, so I posed as Sven''s son to get inside."


    Urich shared stories about himself. Some priests were angry at Urich for sneaking into Mulin by lying about his identity, but it was merely a minor issue to the warriors.


    "Ulgaro acknowledged Urich. If Ulgaro had been angered by his actions, he would have died at the hands of Yorcan the Giant. Ulgaro favors skilled warriors!"


    The older warriors raised their sses high.


    "We will take back Mulin someday! For our sacrednd, here here!"


    "Here here!"


    "Blood and glory to Ulgaro!"


    Urich also shouted and drank. The northern warriors didn''t care about Urich''s religion.


    <i>¡®Ulgaro is an ethnic religion. Sven was like this, too. They hate northerners who betray Ulgaro. As long as you¡¯re not their own people, they don''t care whether you believe in Ulgaro or not.¡¯</i>


    Urich, slightly tipsy, looked at Bilker. Bilker was stuffing himself with food and paid no attention to the alcohol.


    "Have a drink, Bilker. I''m gonna pour it for you myself."


    Urich poured a drink into Bilker''s ss, and Bilker couldn¡¯t refuse. Bilker¡¯s face turned bright red since he seldom drank.


    "Come on, let''s enjoy ourselves. You are the man who will be the king of the north!"


    When Urich said that, the northern warriors grew even more excited.


    "The king of the north!"


    "Mijorn¡¯s bloodline!"


    The northern warriors urged Bilker to ept Urich''s ss. Bilker, again, could not refuse.


    Bilker staggered from the alcohol as he tried to get up to go to the bathroom.


    "Whoops, it seems like you¡¯ve had one too many drinks, brother Bilker! Where''s Bilker''s quarters? I¡¯ll carry him there on my back myself!"


    Urich asked Krika with the hefty Bilker on his back. Krika, who hadn¡¯t even touched a drop of the alcohol, quietly nodded.


    "Let me guide you."

 Chapter 215

    <h4>Chapter 215</h4>


    The northern warriors felt relieved after seeing Urich and Bilker getting along nicely. Using Bilker to form an alliance with the plunderers could be a great asset for them moving forward.


    The feast ended soon after Urich and Bilker left. Georg and the western warriors set up camp outside the vige.


    ¡°rgh!¡±


    Bilker fell to his knees and vomited even before reaching his home. Urich patted Bilker''s back, chuckling.


    Krika frowned at the sight of Bilker throwing up.


    <i>¡®He drank so much knowing he couldn¡¯t handle it... he ate a shit ton, too.¡¯</i>


    Rats gathered around the spot where Bilker vomited. Krika shooed them away with his spear.


    ¡°Ohh, the night sky in the north is spectacr indeed. It feels like my heart is opening up,¡± Urich said, stretching his arms.


    Krika didn¡¯t respond to Urich. He just waited for Bilker to pull himself together.


    ¡°Ughhh.¡±


    Bilker couldn¡¯t move due to his pounding head.


    Urich gestured at Krika.


    ¡°You said it was Krika, right? Why don¡¯t you go get him a cup of water?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a guard, not a servant.¡±


    ¡°Same thing, no? Come on, do it for this guy.¡±


    Urich shrugged. Krika sighed and entered a nearby house to fetch some water.


    "Here¡¯s the water...?"


    Krika, emerging from the house, widened his eyes in shock. Urich and Bilker were nowhere to be seen. It had only been a moment.


    ¡°Shit! They¡¯ve already gone that far!¡±


    Krika¡¯s eyes widened. Urich was carrying Bilker over his shoulder and leaping over the wooden wall.


    <i>¡®How can he move so quickly while carrying that pig?¡¯</i>


    Urich was leaping around with Bilker over one shoulder. Krika grabbed his spear and sprinted as fast as he could to catch up to him.


    <i>¡®Why is he kidnapping Bilker?¡¯</i>


    Krika didn''t understand the situation, but he chased after Urich anyway.


    ¡°Hup.¡±


    Urich took a deep breath before jumping down from the wooden wall. Arge cloud of dust rose as hended with a big thump. Bilker, hanging from his shoulder, choked as he vomited.


    ¡°rgh, kugh. Kaagh.¡±


    Bilker was all over the ce. His body kept jolting and the scenery was different every time he opened his eyes.


    <i>¡®I feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡¯</i>


    Each movement Urich made jabbed his shoulder into Bilker''s stomach and chest. It was enough to make anyone sick, not to mention someone who was under the influence of alcohol.


    ¡°Huh, he¡¯s caught up already. That¡¯s pretty quick.¡±


    Urich nced at Krika, who was right on his tail.


    ¡°Release Bilker right now and I¡¯ll let you leave in one piece!¡± Krika shouted. He hade alone without even getting a chance to call reinforcements.


    <i>¡®That man killed Yorcan the Giant, so he''s certainly not someone to take lightly. But today, I¡¯m going to risk my life.¡¯</i>


    Krika gripped his spear firmly.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯d be better to teach you a lesson here before I go any further,¡± Urich said, tossing Bilker aside and opening his arms.


    <i>¡®No weapons?¡¯</i>


    Krika was taken aback upon seeing Urich''s bare hands. His anger boiled. He was ready to put his life on the line, but Urich stood there bare-handed without a weapon.


    ¡°Draw your weapon, Urich,¡± Krika said as he lowered his spear as if he were warning him.


    ¡°If I draw mine, you''ll die.¡±


    ¡°I am a warrior.¡±


    Krika didn¡¯t attack first. He waited for Urich to draw his weapon.


    Urich tilted his head, eyeing Krika.


    ¡°Right, my bad. If you want a life-and-death battle, it¡¯s only right that I oblige.¡±


    <i>Schriiiing!</i>


    Urich drew his steel sword. The metallic sound resonated as the sword traveled along the scabbard. The cold sound of steel was enough to send a chill down anyone''s spine.


    The bright yellow eyes locked in on Krika. Krika suddenly felt like he was facing a predator. His body tensed, and his fingers grew sluggish.


    <i>¡®Shoot!¡¯</i>


    By the time he came to his senses, Urich''s sword was alreadying down on him, about to split open Krika''s head. Krika instinctively stepped back and thrust his spear forward. It was a well-trained movement.


    <i>Whoosh.</i>


    The de of Krika''s spear grazed Urich''s hair. Urich grinned broadly, taking another step forward. He decided to move in boldly.


    <i>''Not bad, he hasbat techniques ingrained in him. Not only did he avoid my attack, but he even managed to counter it!''</i>


    Urich smiled contentedly.


    Krika was a well-trained young warrior. Fifteen or sixteen years old at most, he was a warrior teetering between boyhood and manhood. His potential, especially at this age, was boundless.


    <i>''But he''s got a long way to go.''</i>


    Urich threw his sword forward. Krika never expected him to throw a sword like an axe.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Krika swung his spear wide, deflecting the sword. His posture was awkward.


    "Hup!"


    Urich didn¡¯t miss the moment when Krika''s posture faltered. He grabbed Krika''s spear shaft and yanked it toward him.


    Krika, still holding the spear, was pulled forward. Urich lightly kicked him in the stomach.


    "Kyugh!"


    Krika''s body flew into the air. It felt as if his insides were being twisted. If he hadn''t been wearing multipleyers of leather, he would have died after his organs burst.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m cking out.''</i>


    Krika couldn''t stand up right away. His whole body ached as if it was on the brink of shattering.


    <i>''As expected of a warrior who killed a giant. It all happened in a blink of an eye.''</i>


    All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind. The darkness in his vision eventually faded, and he saw Urich turning away.


    Krika confirmed that he could move his limbs again.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh!"


    Krika roared as he forced his body to stand, which felt like it was moments away from crumbling to the ground. He held his spear and aimed it at the back of Urich''s head.


    <i>''Don''t me me! It''s your fault for letting your guard down before finishing me off!''</i>


    Krika was sure. His spear was aimed precisely and urately at Urich¡¯s head.


    Urich twisted his head without even turning around. The spear''s de skimmed his cheek. Urich opened his eyes wide and red at Krika and clenched his fist.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich''s fist was aimed at Krika''s side. Krika barely managed to lower his left arm to block it in time. The heavy blow fractured his left arm and still struck his side.


    Krika rolled on the ground three or four times.


    "You managed to block that with your left arm. That punch was meant to kill you." Urich said.


    He strode over and stood beside Krika, who was on the ground.


    Krika curled up like a fetus. His whole body was aching to the point of going numb, and he felt like he couldn''t breathe.


    Urich looked down at Krika.


    "Live and be a great warrior, kiddo."


    Urich turned his back and walked toward Bilker, whom he had tossed aside.


    "W-where am I...? Urich?"


    Bilker finally came to his senses after vomiting and looked around. He was shocked when he saw Urich and the state that Krika was in.


    "You just got kidnapped by me. I¡¯ll escort you nicely like a little princess," Urich said with a grin, patting Bilker''s cheek.


    "D-did you kill Krika?!" Bilker shouted in anger for the first time.


    Urich was taken aback by the unexpected reaction and shrugged.


    "I didn''t kill him¡ªthough this would be more humiliating for someone who came at me fully prepared to die. But hey, you can even make a manly face, not bad!"


    Bilker breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Krika was not dead. He staggered over to check on Krika''s condition.


    "Run, Bilker," Krika said, panting from the ground.


    "How would I run away by myself..."


    As Bilker muttered awkwardly, and Krika grimaced.


    "You call yourself a descendant of the great warrior Mijorn, you pathetic bastard!" Krika spat blood on Bilker''s face.


    Bilker wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve and stood up. Urich grabbed Bilker by the nape and pulled him along.


    "Come on, let''s go. Tubby princess."


    "Wait, hold on a second!" Bilker struggled and tapped Urich''s arm.


    "Why? You want to get beaten up too?"


    "N-no, I mean, we have to take Krika along."


    "Huh?"


    "If you''re taking me, you have to take Krika too!"


    Bilker pleaded desperately. Urich made an annoyed face.


    "Are you two, you know, in that kind of rtionship? I''ve seen some folks who prefer the rear end, but..."


    "Huh? What the hell? No, Krika failed to protect me. Even if he makes it back to our encampment, they''ll hold him ountable, and he''ll be executed. If you''re taking me, you have to take him too! I''ll follow you without making any fuss, so please..."


    Urich scratched his head.


    <i>''Is this fat guy actually Mijorn¡¯s descendent?''</i>


    Even Urich was beginning to question it. By any northern standard, let alone the bloodline of Mijorn, Bilker was woefully inadequate as a man.


    "Fine, stop whining."


    Urich raised his fist and knocked Krika on the head. Krika¡¯s eyes rolled back as he fainted.


    "I-I didn''t ask you to kill him!"


    "I didn''t kill him! Guys like him would rip my throat out with their teeth if they¡¯re not knocked out. Unlike you, Krika is a real warrior."


    Urich said as he slung Krika over his shoulder. Bilker shut his mouth and followed Urich.


    "Huff, huff."


    Bilker was almost out of breath just trying to keep pace with Urich. Urich slowed his steps slightly as they headed to the agreed-upon location.


    <i>''We need to get as far as possible before they realize Bilker is missing.''</i>


    The reason Urich had gone to the northern encampment was to kidnap Bilker. Capturing the bloodline of Mijorn would encourage the northern people to unite.


    As the leader of the western plunderers and the one who killed Yorcan the Giant, Urich was able to easily gain the trust of the northern people.


    "Kylios!"


    Urich smiled as he saw a horse galloping from the horizon. Behind it were Georg and the warriors who hade out ahead of them.


    "Goddamn, this kid was so slow. Put this fat kid on a horse."


    Urich grumbled. Bilker flinched, feeling like he was at fault. This behavior made Urich even angrier, provoking him to kick Bilker in the butt.


    Georg looked at Urich''s back.


    "Isn''t the one slung over your shoulder a guard warrior?"


    "That fat guy kept whining, so I just brought him along. He''s a dangerous one, so tie his wrists tight and don¡¯t leave anything sharp around him. He might be young, but he¡¯s a proper warrior, this kid."


    Urich warned. The western warriors tied up Krika and secured him to a horse.


    Urich continued to walk without sleep.


    Meanwhile, Bilker, riding a horse, nodded off and nearly fell off several times. Without Urich nearby, his head would have been cracked open long ago.


    "Well, you''ve managed to capture the descendant of Mijorn. It¡¯ll make a good symbol. After all, Mijorn''s reputation and fear even managed to reach all the way to Langkegart, where I lived," Georg remarked, ncing at Bilker.


    It didn''t matter what kind of boy Bilker was or what his disposition was. His value was solely in being a descendant of Mijorn.


    "Do you think someone like him can function as a man? I¡¯m not going to raise my son like that," Urichmented.


    "Do you even have a son, Urich?"


    "I''ve scattered my seed all over, so there''s got to be some somewhere, right? Keke."


    Urich chuckled. His bloodline was likely out there. Among the lives carried by the women of the west, his descendants were undoubtedly present.


    "You probably won''t make a good father," Georg remarked.


    "Huh? Why is that?"


    "It''s just obvious. You''re not the type to be devoted to a family."


    Urich couldn''t argue with Georg''sment. Georg, sensing he had the upper hand, continued with excitement.


    "Not a lot of people who make history turn out to be good fathers. It''s hard to be both a hero and a good father. Even if you were just trying to be one of them, mastering it takes a lifetime of effort. And there is a plethora of people who can''t manage even that."


    Georg grinned.

 Chapter 216

    <h4>Chapter 216</h4>


    Krika opened his eyes. The back of his neck throbbed, and his stomach felt hot as if it was churning.


    "Dammit," Krika cursed after surveying the situation.


    <i>''They came to kidnap Bilker from the start. Crafty bastards.''</i>


    Krika was carried while lying on his stomach behind a horse. His arms were tightly bound behind his back, leaving him helpless.


    Bilker, riding the horse, saw that Krika had woken up and spoke to him.


    "Are you awake?"


    "You shut up, you are a dumbass."


    Krika cursed. It was already over. He had failed in his mission, and even if he made it back to the northern encampment by himself, he wouldn''t be able to avoid reprimand.


    The northern warriors had gone to great lengths to find Mijorn''s descendant. They wouldn''t let Krika off easily for failing to protect Bilker.


    "A real man should take up arms and fight the enemy. What even are you? If your wife gets taken or something in the future, are you just going to hide and watch? Huh?"


    Krika said to Bilker without a hint of respect. Bilker averted his gaze, looking fearful.


    "You shut your mouth, you brat. This esteemed gentleman is scared because of you," Urich said, pping Krika''s back.


    "You son of a bitch!"


    Krika red at Urich and struggled until he fell off the horse.


    "Not a dog, a human. You and I both," Urich chuckled as he kicked Krika. Krika trembled with humiliation.


    "Kill me if you want. I''m not afraid of anything!"


    "Of course, you''re not afraid. Because Ulgaro is waiting for you, right? On the famous Field of Swords."


    Urich dragged Krika by the rope tied to his wrists.


    <i>¡®What the hell is this strength...?''</i>


    Krika, who was resisting, decided to let himself be pulled after realizing that Urich¡¯s force could dislocate his wrist if he resisted further. Even with one hand, Urich pulled with immense strength. It felt like being dragged by a horse.


    "I''m not going to kill you. Killing a crybaby who is asking for death would only give me nightmares.¡±


    Urich¡¯s wordspletely destroyed Krika¡¯s pride.


    <i>''And if I did kill him, Bilker would throw a fit, and that would be an annoying problem in its own way.''</i>


    In any case, Urich needed to get on Bilker¡¯s good side. Even though they started off with kidnapping, if their talks went well, it would benefit both sides.


    <i>''Considering he was being used because of his lineage as Mijorn''s descendant, anyway, being used by our side wouldn''t change things all that much.''</i>


    Just as Urich thought, Bilker obediently followed him, only sighing while pondering his predicament.


    <i>''I only recently learned that I was Mijorn''s descendant...''</i>


    Bilker gazed wistfully at the snowy horizon. His mother was the daughter of Mijorn.


    Bilker''s mother had disliked being swept into the world''s turmoil, so she kept her bloodline hidden. However, she ended up falling ill before Bilker had grown into a man, forcing her to reveal the lineage to the northern warriors in order to send Bilker away with them.


    <i>''At least you won''t go hungry. Go with them and eat all you want, Bilker.</i>''


    Bilker recalled his mother''s parting words. After confirming Bilker¡¯s lineage with Mijorn''s daughter, the warriors treated him with respect. The north needed a strong symbol. The descendent of Ulgaro had the authority to rece the dying Ulgaro.


    <i>''That tubby boy is supposed to be the symbol that shakes the north...? The world really is a strange ce.''</i>


    Urich chuckled by himself. This was a boy who had gained power he never wanted.


    "I think it''s best to take a break here, Urich. We¡¯re on top of a hill, so it should be easier to respond if anyone attacks.¡±


    One of the warriors leading the group suggested. Urich nodded, and the warriors built a campfire and brought out food.


    <i>''Usually, we''d just fill ourselves with jerky, but the cold weather is making everyone want warm food.''</i>


    The warriors didn¡¯t care what the food was¡ªthey just wanted it to be warm. To the western warriors, the northern climate was brutally harsh. It felt like they were staying in the hignds of the Sky Mountains for an entire year.


    <i>nk.</i>


    The warriors pulled out a pot and ced it over the campfire. When the pot became hot enough, Georg filled it with snow to melt, then shredded some jerky into it.


    Bilker, who had been observing, approached.


    "U-uhmm, sorry, but i-if you add this, it should help with the taste."


    Bilker collected some wild herbs from the area, cleaned them, and brought them over.


    "You''re not trying to kill us with some poisonous herbs, are you?"


    Urich chuckled and tapped his tongue with the herbs Bilker brought. They had a sharp, pungent aroma.


    "I don''t mess with food.¡±


    Bilker spoke firmly. Urich shrugged and ced the wild herbs into the pot. The herbs mixed with the jerky emitted a pleasant aroma.


    "This is actually pretty decent. Don¡¯t just sit there,e over here and have some, Brother Bilker.¡±


    Urich poured the finished stew into a bowl and slurped it up. As the warm soup entered the bellies of the warriors, their faces smoothened out with a sense of calm.


    "The jerky''s salty and smoky, so it turned out nicely as I expected. If you let it simmer longer, the vors would deepen and the meat would get tender, but we probably don''t have that much time, do we?" Bilker said after tasting it.


    "What is happening right now? Are you a chef?" Urich''s question startled Bilker.


    "N-no, I just happen to like eating. Oh, shoot, Krika!"


    Bilker hurriedly scooped some stew into a bowl and brought it to Krika. Since Krika''s hands were tied behind his back, it was hard for him to eat by himself.


    <i>''I''d rather starve to death than eat like a dog on my belly.''</i>


    Krika held his head high.


    "If you don''t eat, your recovery will be slower."


    Bilker brought the bowl to Krika''s mouth. As he tilted the bowl, Krika reluctantly opened his mouth and took in the food.


    "Dammit, go get a knife or something and cut this rope around my hands, Bilker," Krika said, chewing on the meat in his mouth.


    Bilker''s expression turned gloomy.


    "That¡¯s easier said than done... I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to escape even if I cut your rope for you."


    "So you¡¯re just going to be dragged along like this? Do you even have a dick between those legs?"


    Krika was annoyed by Bilker''s feeble attitude. Bilker, seemingly also getting fed up with Krika''s attitude, snapped back.


    "Calm down a little, would you? I could''ve left you behind, but I brought you along."


    "Hah? Are you saying I should be thanking you? You think you¡¯re so nice, huh? That¡¯s not it. You''re just a coward. You can''t say no to anyone because you hate being disliked, so you just let everyone push you around. You are a pathetic, spineless fool!"


    Krika''s verbal abuse made Bilker frown. He went back to the campfire with the bowl.


    "I just wanted to bring him some food..."


    Bilker grumbled, sighing as Krika''s attitude grated on him.


    "Don''t let something like that affect you. You''re going to be a king, Bilker. King of the north. I¡¯ll have you know that I''m good at making people kings," Urich said, patting his belly after finishing his meal.


    "A king..."


    Bilker muttered with uncertainty. People have been telling him that he would be king, but it never really felt real to him.


    "You''re seeding because you had a fantastic grandfather. You should be happy about it. This Urich will make you a king," Urichughed. If a northern kingdom was really established, Bilker would be its king.


    <i>''Of course, he wouldn''t be a great king. He''ll be a weak one, easily pushed around by others.''</i>


    But Urich didn''t care about that. The future of the north was never any of his concerns.


    Krika, who was in the back watching Urich and the warriors who had finished their meal, curled his lips in disdain.


    "Now''s not the time to be so rxed, is it? The pursuers wille and tear you to pieces."


    Urich ignored Krika''s threats and packed up the stuff. After finishing their meal, the group resumed trekking through the snowynd. With winter just setting in, the weather grew even harsher.


    "The harsh weather might be a blessing in disguise. The snowstorm will cover our tracks quickly," Georg said as he looked behind. Their footprints were fading away in the snowstorm.


    Urich didn¡¯t have the same optimism as Georg.


    "These guys are warriors and hunters who have spent their entire lives in the north. They''ve probably tracked prey through snowstorms like this countless times. They''ll chase us down no matter what. We''ll probably have to fight them at least once."


    Urich was anticipating the battle. His heart raced.


    <i>''The strong warriors of the north.''</i>


    Urich would feel the fine line between life and death when he eventually shes with the northern warriors. The thought of crossing swords with warriors who wouldn''t back down in the face of death made him smile. His heart was already pounding with excitement.


    "If it¡¯s a fight we can¡¯t avoid, we might as well enjoy it."


    Urich said in the westernnguage, making the warriors chuckle.


    <i>''This group doesn''t seem to respond to threats, as expected.''</i>


    Krika''s provoking meant nothing to them.


    After walking for another half a day, Urich''s group set up camp.


    Bilker was busy helping with the cooking this time as well, adding different herbs and winter berries to the pot.


    "This will make it tastier."


    "Doesn''t look very appetizing."


    "I¡¯m telling you it will be."


    Bilker was resolute. He added the prepared wild herbs and berries to the pot even before Urich gave him his approval. The juices quickly spread, changing the color of the broth. The dark hue wasn''t exactly appetizing.


    Urich crossed his arms and gestured with his chin, signaling Georg to take a sip of the broth.


    "Eh? It''s not bad at all. The sourness brings a unique bnce," Georg remarked.


    "Are you sure?" Urich asked.


    "Of course. I¡¯ll have you know that as a scribe ve, I grew up eating some good food. Consider me sort of a critique.¡±


    The warriors also tasted the broth, and their eyes widened with surprise. It had an unfamiliar yet distinct vor.


    "I used to forage for wild herbs with my mom. I know my way around them. Back then, we didn''t have meat, though."


    Bilker had lost his father early, so he couldn''t learn fighting and hunting skills. Instead, he lived by foraging various wild herbs with his mother to make ends meet.


    "Oho, well, it seems like we can entrust you with the cooking."


    Urich acknowledged Bilker''s culinary skills. It wasn''tmon for someone to create such a taste with hastily gathered ingredients.


    The night deepened. The warriors took turns standing guard while keeping an eye on Bilker and Krika.


    Bilker nced at the warriors with wary eyes. At night, the warriors'' eyes were menacing.


    <i>''They''re probably taking me to the northerners who follow Lou.¡¯</i>


    Bilker had an idea of what was happening. The western plunderers had already made contact with the northern Srists. To secure Bilker, who was the key to the northern expansion, Urich had risked approaching the warriors of Ulgaro.


    "Sigh."


    The air was cold, and his breath clouded in the chilly air with wavering steam.


    Before sleeping, Bilker sped his hands in prayer. The western warriors paid little attention to Bilker''s actions.


    "Oh, Lou, the almighty Sun, thank you for not letting me go hungry today. Please provide us with food and drink tomorrow as well..."


    Bilker''s prayer was directed to the Sun God Lou. The western warriors on guard didn¡¯t seem interested in the prayer. Urich and Georg had already fallen asleep.


    The descendant of Mijorn believed in the Sun god Lou. This was Bilker''s secret, one that the northern warriors must never discover.


    <i>''Bilker, we must keep our faith in Srism a secret.''</i>


    His mother''s warning echoed in his mind. But this situation was hard to endure without praying. The anxiety was overwhelming, and it felt like it was choking him.


    "Please, protect me.¡±


    After finishing his prayer, Bilker looked around nervously. Then, he forced an awkward smile with a pale face.


    "Oh, Krika..."


    One person with ring eyes was watching the spectacle of Bilker''s prayer. Krika, with bound hands, jumped up and shouted.


    "You son of a biiiiiitch!"


    Krika threw himself and headbutted Bilker. They tumbled to the ground in a chaotic scuffle.


    Even though Krika was the one who had his hands bound, it looked like Bilker was the one on the losing side.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Krika stomped on Bilker''s stomach with both legs.


    "And you call yourself Mijorn¡¯s descendent? You crazy son of a bitch! You couldn¡¯t find any other god to believe in, so you chose the enemy¡¯s? The very religion of those who killed your grandfather!"


    Krika yelled enraged as if he was trying to showcase the spirit of the north. The warriors who were on guard ran in and separated the two northern boys.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Krika''s head was smashed into the ground, but he still red at Bilker with his eyes wide open.


    Bilker clutched his bruised stomach and mumbled weakly, "Why are you doing this to me...? I didn''t do anything wrong to you."


    "Your very existence is wrong! You damned little shit!"


    Krika screamed with a reddened face, struggling even as his broken left arm was being twisted.

 Chapter 217

    <h4>Chapter 217</h4>


    Urich woke up early from themotion. He yawned leisurely as he looked at Krika, who was being restrained.


    "What''s with all this noise? You''re going to have a messed-up arm for the rest of your life at this rate, you know that?" Urich said, looking at Krika''s left arm.


    It was the arm that broke during his fight with Urich. The broken arm was dislocated from its socket and dangled loosely.


    Urich sat next to Krika. He adjusted Krika''s misaligned left arm.


    "G-guuugh!"


    Krika screamed from the pain, but Urich showed no concern and kept his face straight.


    "Why are you screaming like a little girl? I''ll splint it for you, so stop thrashing around. This time, I''ll tie your legs too."


    Krika, with all his limbs bound, red at Bilker.


    "You better be ashamed, Bilker."


    Krika bared his teeth and growled, but Urich smacked him on the back of his head and walked over to Bilker.


    "Don''t mind that hot-blooded guy. Who believes in Ulgaro these days, anyway? Am I right?" Urich said to Bilker. Bilker''s eyes widened at Urich''sment.


    "I-it seems like you don''t find it strange that I say I believe in Lou.¡±


    "I''ve seen stranger things. I''ve even seen an old man who spent his whole life splitting the skulls of northerners ditch Lou to worship Ulgaro. Actually, it would be funnier if someone like you, who can''t even fight, said he''s a devout follower of Ulgaro," Urich said, shrugging and patting Bilker on the shoulder.


    Bilker, raised by a single mother, naturally came to believe in Lou. Ulgaro was not a very appealing god to women and children. However, Bilker couldn''t openly say he believed in Lou in front of the devoted warriors who venerated the lineage of Mijorn.


    "But I am a descendant of Mijorn... if I believe in Lou, will I be punished? Would Ulgaro be mad? Of course, he would be, right?" Bilker mumbled.


    Urich chuckled and shook his head.


    "I may not be a priest, but... Lou is going to take your soul. Ulgaro wouldn¡¯t even have the slightest interest in a coward like you. Now, get some sleep. You''ll need to walk all day tomorrow, too."


    Urich walked away and sat against a tree.


    <i>''Perhaps it''s better this way. If Bilker were a devout follower of Ulgaro, it would''ve been troublesome.''</i>


    Many northerners believed in Srism. Even if they didn''t have genuine faith, many had formally converted to it.


    Ulgaro was transitioning from a divine status to a legendary one. While Ulgaro was acknowledged as an ancestor, the god the people of the north believed in was the Sun.


    <i>''Sorry to say, but you are not the god this era wants.''</i>


    Urich stared into the empty darkness.


    * * *


    Two more days had passed. As Urich expected, a battle ensued. About ten northern warriors ambushed Urich and his group.


    "Ulgarooo!!"


    The roar of the northern warriors echoed through the snowyndscape. They charged with their arms spread wide. The characteristic double-handed battle axe of the north could even split shields.


    "This reminds me of Sven."


    Urich swung his single-handed axe, partially severing the neck of an attacking northern warrior. He snatched the double-handed battle axe from the warrior and fought with it.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Urich swung the battle axe with ease, even with just one hand. He gripped the bottom of the axe handle to use the centrifugal force for long sweeps.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    The battle axe split the shield of one of the northern warriors and sliced through his abdomen, causing a sea of red flowers to bloom on the snow.


    Urich and his tribal warriors had been waiting for the battle. They didn¡¯t flee but stood their ground. The battle of life and death continued.


    "Urgh."


    Bilker doubled over, vomiting. It was his first time seeing someone die from a de. It was a gruesome sight.


    <i>''What''s worse is that they¡¯re enjoying fighting like this.''</i>


    To a warrior, battle was glory and pleasure. They fought, risking their own lives to take the lives of others.


    <i>''l could never be like them.''</i>


    Bilker muttered Lou''s name.


    Evil spirits were not something that was far away. To Bilker, those whoughed while killing others looked like them. Those who held up severed heads and roared seemed like evil spirits descended to earth.


    <i>¡®Just what is so glorious about murdering and fighting?''</i>


    It was simply disgusting. Bilker took deep breaths. The scent of blood prated his nose, stabbing at his brain.


    Bilker trembled as he waited for the battle to end. Krika, beside him, frowned as he looked at Bilker.


    "Coward."


    Krika''s insult didn''t bother him. Words couldn''t kill a person. It was the de that did.


    The screams ceased. The sound of metal shing died down.


    "Haven''t moved like this in a while; that was nice. Is everyone still alive?" Urich, drenched in blood, shouted. He rubbed his face with snow to wipe off the blood.


    "Saveku and Yergar are dead."


    Another warrior nced around and reported.


    "Tsk, I see. What about the others?"


    "Marlin''s stomach is ripped open; he''s going to die. Too much of his guts are out."


    "Well, try shoving them back in. Maybe he''ll live if he''s lucky."


    "He says it''s too painful. He¡¯s asking us to finish him off, and he wants the Son of the Earth to do it himself."


    "Got it. I¡¯ll be right there."


    Urich''s group had also suffered considerable damage. There were five casualties. Three were dead, and two were wounded but with a chance to survive if the wounds didn¡¯t worsen.


    Urich stood with his axe before the warrior with the torn stomach.


    <i>''Yeah, he¡¯s not going to make it.''</i>


    Feces were leaking out from the spilled intestines. The warrior was barely managing to gasp for air. It was almost amazing he hadn''t died immediately.


    "Lower your head."


    "Huff, huff. At least offer some words offort, like the shamans do."


    "Hah, but I¡¯m not a shaman."


    "Anything will do. Just say something."


    Urich looked up briefly to think of something to say.


    "Our ancestors and brothers await you in the blue sky. Probably hunting or something."


    "That sucks. That was not cool at all."


    "Sorry, buddy."


    Urich swung the axe, beheading the warrior. The light of life that was already dim flickered out. Other warriors gathered the bodies andid them neatly.


    The battlefield was cleared. Urich and his warriors collected useful items from the enemy corpses.


    "We''ll keep moving. Let¡¯s go. Hey, what''s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you getting up, Bilker? You wet yourself or something?"


    Urich grabbed Bilker''s arm and pulled him up. Bilker''s lips quivered.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s scared out of his mind like a rabbit¡ªno, more like a piglet, I guess. Was this the first time he saw someone die?''</i>


    Urich stared into Bilker''s eyes. Bilker averted his gaze from Urich''s eyes.


    <i>''Urich smells of blood.''</i>


    Urich, who Bilker was starting to warm up to, now seemed like an entirely different person. No matter how jovially he spoke to him, the reality was that Urich was a merciless warrior. He was a brutal demon who didn''t hesitate to cut people down.


    <i>''I might end up dead, too.''</i>


    Bilker was terrified. He barely managed to mount his horse.


    "You''re safe, Bilker," Urich said.


    But Urich''s guarantee meant nothing to Bilker.


    Bilker had trouble sleeping that night. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking someone might cut his throat.


    <i>''I''m not safe.''</i>


    The darkness became terrifying as he nced around.


    Krika, whose limbs were bound, spat at Bilker when he saw him.


    "Still shaking, huh? You dumbass."


    "A-are you not scared?"


    "I''m a warrior. I''ve already killed people before."


    Among the northern warriors, there was a long-standing tradition. Fathers took their sons hunting, and when the sons grew older, they helped them gain experience by killing. Whether it was through raiding, ambushes, or robbery.


    <i>''If you¡¯ve never experienced killing, you end up hesitating in crucial moments during battle.''</i>


    Krika too had followed his father long ago and killed a passing traveler. He felt no guilt. That was just their way of life.


    With the proliferation of Srism, that unique northern warrior tradition also gradually vanished. To followers of Lou, life was precious, and they valued solidarity and harmony. The warriors of Ulgaro were those who rejected such changes.


    "I''ve never seen a person kill another person before..."


    Bilker crouched down. It was better to have someone to talk to, even if it was Krika.


    Krika clicked his tongue and sat quietly for a while. After a long silence, he spoke softly.


    "You should just quit all of this. If you get the chance, run. You belong in the mountains, gathering herbs. Be a king? You? Someone who¡¯s trembling just because a few people died in front of him?"


    "I know. I know that I don¡¯t fit the part," Bilker replied.


    "It''s not just about being a good fit. If you be king, you won¡¯t live out your natural lifespan. If you''re a coward, just act like one and run away. Don''t ever look back. Those guys don''t see you as a threat. They think you''re just aplete idiot. If you say you''re going to the bathroom, they''ll let you go without suspicion."


    Krika''s eyes were clear.


    "If I leave, you''ll die. You have no value without me,¡± Bilker replied.


    "That''s none of your business. I am Krika. Unlike you, I''m a real warrior. I don''t care about death. Seeing your pathetic face is almost more painful than dying."


    Bilker''s eyes trembled. Krika''s words were harsh, but he was undoubtedly giving him advice.


    "You¡¯re right, I''m not a warrior," Bilker mumbled, nodding. Krika smirked faintly for the first time.


    "Run until you can¡¯t anymore. Don''t get caught. By anyone," Krika said.


    But Bilker shook his head slightly.


    "I''m not a warrior, but I won''t stand by and watch others die because of me. That''s what I know from Lou''s teachings, so that is my duty."


    Bilker pulled out a pocket knife he had been using for cooking. He slowly reached over and began to cut the ropes binding Krika''s limbs.


    "What do you think you¡¯re doing?"


    "Helping you. You are the one who should run. Don''t return to the warriors; go far away. You have skills, so you''ll do fine just about anywhere.¡±


    "I won¡¯t ept your help. Stop it."


    "I''ve already cut the ropes."


    Krika felt his freed fingers. He silently cursed and nced at the guard warrior. The warrior was facing outward, looking out for possible attacks.


    <i>¡®Shit, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting help from this pig bastard, shit, goddammit!¡¯</i>


    Insults were on the tip of his tongue. Krika red at Bilker.


    "You manage to annoy me until the very end."


    Krika untied the ropes binding his legs. He quietly shuffled backward.


    Bilker and Krika met eyes for thest time. Bilker nodded to Krika, who silently walked before starting to run.


    Eventually, the guard warrior noticed Krika had escaped and woke Urich. Woken from sleep, Urich was irritated, as he hadn''t had a good night''s rest recently.


    "Leave it. Trying to chase him down would just waste more of our time. We should start moving now. It''d be troublesome if he brought back a pursuit squad," Urich said, yawning as he packed his belongings.


    Urich nced at Bilker, who avoided his gaze as if he had done something wrong.


    "Brother Bilker."


    Urich slung his arm over Bilker''s shoulder. Bilker jumped up and opened his eyes wide. Urich spoke slowly.


    "Doing what you think is right doesn''t always lead to good oues. More people might die because of you."


    Bilker felt his heart skip a beat at Urich¡¯s words. He could hear his own heart beating loudly.


    Urich smiled as if he had expected it.


    <i>''So, Bilker let him go.''</i>


    Urich looked in the direction Krika had fled. The night was still quite dark.

 Chapter 218

    <h4>Chapter 218</h4>


    "That damned fat-ass."


    Krika ran into the pitch-ck darkness. Despite his tired and injured body, he kept running.


    <i>''I can¡¯t believe I got help from Bilker.¡¯</i>


    It was a strange feeling to be helped by someone he had looked down on. It was like a wolf being saved by a rabbit.


    <i>¡®Telling me to run?¡¯</i>


    Krika stared out at the snowyndscape. He used the stars to find his direction. He hesitated as he looked eastward, the way back to the encampment.


    "It''s not because I''m afraid of death. It''s because you saved me, so I''ll follow your advice."


    Krika did not head toward the encampment. He slowly lifted his head and began walking southward.


    "...I too am going to the empire."


    Krika was born and raised in the north. He had never thought about a life different than in the north. He lived and would die as a warrior ording to Ulgaro''s will.


    The path of warriors was a shackle for the men of the north. For the first time, Krika felt that he was released from it. Northern warriors kept their eyes on each other and scorned those who weren''t brave. But now, Krika was alone, with no one to scorn him for not living the warrior''s life.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll go see my enemies with my own eyes.¡¯</i>


    He hated the empire and Srism, but it was a hatred that had been handed down to him. During his upbringing, the north prospered under the empire''s rule. Scarce resources were obtained through trade with civilized people, and the absence of tribal wars led to a poption boom.


    Many northerners were enchanted by Srism, adopting their culture and technology. There must have been a valid reason for this.


    "Huff," Krika exhaled, watching the darkness fade. The sun was rising in the east.


    <i>¡®The sun.¡¯</i>


    The Sun God Lou was not a personified god. As a natural entity, he transcended nations and peoples and thrived in all worlds. The sun was a symbol that was revered anywhere in the world.


    "Ulgaro?"


    Krika looked at the edge of the snowyndscape. Something moved. In the light of the rising sun, a shadow seemed to sway, making it look as if a warrior with a winged helmet was approaching.


    <i>Throb.</i>


    Krika clutched his chest and blinked. Upon closer inspection, they were northern warriors wearing helmets. They spotted Krika and approached him.


    "Krika, you only managed to escape alone?"


    A warrior with a long beard and hair asked. His eyes under his helmet were as cold as a frozenke.


    <i>''Red Beard Inga,'' </i>Krika thought as cold sweat broke out.


    Red Beard Inga was a well-known warrior among the northern warriors gathered at the encampment. He was called Red Beard because his beard would stain red with the blood of his enemies during battle.


    Behind Inga were twenty warriors. It was the Inga¡¯s Brotherhood, a notorious gang of robbers and warriors from the north.


    "That¡¯s right," Krika nodded, thinking he might be killed.


    "Well, I¡¯m sure you did your best. I can tell by the state that you¡¯re in. If you help me, I''ll persuade the others to spare you from punishment for letting Bilker get away. Prove yourself, Krika," Inga said, patting Krika on the shoulder.


    <i>''Ulgaro isn¡¯t letting me go, huh.''</i>


    Krika thought and smirked as he looked at the south. Fate had crushed his will and resolve. Ulgaro did not let go of him.


    "Bilker is traveling with the enemies. If they moved right after I escaped, they should be about a day''s distance by now." Krika said, providing the information he had.


    Inga nodded after being informed about Urich''s party and theirbat strength.


    "It¡¯s unfortunate that they came into contact with the Lou-believing apostates first. Even if we can''t form an alliance, we have no other choice. Our priority is rescuing Bilker."


    Inga urged the other warriors. They went after Urich¡¯s party by looking for broken twigs and signs of campsites.


    "Rescuing Bilker..." Krika murmured.


    Upon hearing Krika''s words, Inga turned and stroked his beard.


    "Is there a problem, Krika? You''re not going to pull out of fighting just because of some broken arm, are you?"


    "Ah, it¡¯s nothing."


    "Bilker is a descendant of Mijorn. The great bloodline awakens at some point. Bilker will have his moment as well."


    Krika didn''t mention that Bilker believed in the Sun God.


    <i>''This is the least I can do,'' </i>Krika thought,forting himself.


    The Inga¡¯s Brotherhood marched swiftly to rescue Bilker. The trail left behind after camping was clear, indicating they were getting closer.


    <i>''Is this really rescuing Bilker?''</i>


    Krika knew that neither side was the kind of salvation Bilker wanted.


    "Watch out for the big guy, Urich. If he killed Yorcan the Giant, then he must be no ordinary warrior," Inga said to the other warriors. Inga had seen Yorcan the Giant himself.


    <i>''Yorcan was a warrior with formidable strength.''</i>


    Even the best warriors were crushed under Yorcan¡¯s blows.


    <i>¡®I''ll im that fame for myself.¡¯</i>


    Fame was the reason why Inga grew his beard and hair long. Having a distinctive nickname made a significant difference. No matter how strong a warrior was, if they didn''t have a notable nickname or reputation, they were just another unnamed warrior.


    Northern warriors followed renowned warriors. If Inga killed Urich, his fame would rise, and more warriors would respond to his calls.


    * * *


    It was rare for western warriors to be caught by anyone. They all had tremendous speed with the ability to run twice as far as the civilized people. Evenpared to the broad-framed northern warriors, they were leaner and could cover much greater distances.


    <i>''But this is the north.''</i>


    Urich tapped his heavy legs.


    It was winter, and the sun set early. Marching through the snowynds at this time would exhaust them before they even fought.


    <i>''This is a weather that would drain your energy just by standing in it.''</i>


    Urich looked back along the path they had taken. He saw nothing, but a sense of unease grew. His intuition, honed by years of experience, was almost prescient.


    <i>''Something¡¯sing.''</i>


    Urich sensed malice in the scent of the wind sweeping across the snowynds. He trusted his strange instincts.


    "Georg!" Urich called for Georg.


    Georg raised his tired head and replied, "What, are you going to give me more tasks? I''m exhausted to death as well."


    "No, you ride ahead with Bilker. I have a feeling we¡¯re going to have to fight someone tonight. The back of my head¡¯s been itching."


    "Just me and Bilker?"


    "Bilker won''t run away. Don''t worry. He probably knows best that there''s no future for a follower of Lou among the warriors of Ulgaro."


    "If anything happens, I''ll leave Bilker behind and escape. My own life is more important to me."


    "If you take the horse, you''ll reach the meeting point by tomorrow. If anything happens on the way, well, then there''s nothing we can do about it."


    Urich made his decision.


    <i>''I¡¯ve already lost enough brothers.''</i>


    He didn''t know how many were in the pursuit force, but it was likely going to be more thanst time. Even if it was the same number, he couldn''t guarantee a victory this time.


    Urich sent Bilker and Georg ahead and then started a campfire. He and the warriors ate heartily and warmed themselves by the fire.


    "Urich, you could be a shaman. How did you know they wereing?"


    In the distance, northern warriors became visible. Just as Urich had anticipated, Krika was leading them.


    "You always prepare for the worst. That''s how you survive."


    Urich said, warming his hands by the fire. He made sure that his hands were warm enough for the battle, as the movements of fingers were crucial for a warrior. With frozen hands, even the best warrior couldn''t perform at his best.


    "Impressive! They anticipated us and waited for the fight.¡±


    Red Beard Inga saw Urich and his warriors resting by the fire.


    <i>''This is bad. I was hoping to see them exhausted, but they were resting and waiting for us.''</i>


    After sending Bilker and Georg ahead, Urich and his warriors rested immediately. They ate well and rested fully, while Inga¡¯s Brotherhood was quite exhausted from walking all night.


    <i>''We have the numbers, but it is still hard to guarantee a win.''</i>


    Inga drew his weapon and slowly approached. Urich and his warriors also began drawing their weapons, standing around the fire.


    "Inga, they seem rested and warmed up. If we fight now, it won''t be in our favor," a veteran warrior advised.


    "We have the numbers, so it''s fifty-fifty," Inga encouraged the warriors.


    Krika, standing next to Inga, frowned and eyed Urich''s party.


    "I don¡¯t see Bilker with them. The horses are gone as well."


    Inga''s eyes darted around at Krika¡¯s words.


    "Those cunning bastards... did they send Bilker ahead?"


    Krika felt a surge of relief.


    <i>''Wait, I¡¯m relieved? Because Bilker isn¡¯t there?'' </i>Krika thought to himself.


    When Inga and his warriors learned that Bilker was missing, they were confused.


    "If Bilker isn''t with them, there¡¯s no reason for us to fight them," some warriors expressed doubt.


    "That man over there is Urich, the one who killed Yorcan the Giant. If we beat him, his fame will be ours!" Inga shouted as he drew his sword.


    "But you¡¯re going to be the one taking the fame, Inga. There is no glory in this for the rest of us."


    ¡°If you still want to fight, count me out. I responded to your call for the sake of Mijorn¡¯s descendent in the first ce.¡±


    The warriors who had been with Inga for a long time would fight with him out ofradery, but those who had joined recently expressed their intention to sit out of the fight.


    "If fame is what you want, then have a duel, Red Beard Inga! We''ll be the witnesses to your battle!"


    Someone mentioned a duel.


    <i>¡®These damned bastards.¡¯</i>


    If Inga backed down now, the reputation of Red Beard would be in shambles. Northern warriors didn¡¯t avoid fights without a good reason. Avoiding a fight instantly branded one as a coward.


    "Inga! Inga!"


    The warriors chanted Inga''s name.


    Krika watched Inga''s back as he reluctantly stepped forward with his hand in the air.


    <i>¡®He dug his own grave with this one, bringing up fame and whatnot.¡¯</i>


    Inga coveted Urich¡¯s fame, and he got a duel for it.


    "I am Red Beard Inga! I stand here on behalf of my brothers!" Inga shouted, raising his sword high to encourage his warriors to shout.


    "What is this? Are they asking for a duel?"


    Urich tilted his head puzzled as he saw Inga stepping forward alone. He also walked up until he could clearly see Inga¡¯s features.


    "I''m Urich of the Stone Axe. I''ve already sent Bilker ahead. You won¡¯t get anything out of this. Do you really want a meaningless fight?" Urich said, drawing his axe and sword.


    <i>''He''s strong. Just by his movement when he drew his sword, I can tell he''s a skilled warrior,¡¯ </i>Inga thought as he watched Urich.


    Inga found himself feeling nervous around Urich who was younger than him. Urich exuded a quiet, yet heavy confidence that only a seasoned warrior could have.


    "I might have missed Bilker, but your fame is still here. Surrender your head, Urich."


    "How pointless."


    Urich muttered, slowly flexing his warmed fingers. His thick fingers moved flexibly like spider legs.


    "...But that''s precisely what defines us, right? Moths to the me, giving up our lives in this world for the fame and glory to bring with us after we die."


    Urich smiled. The voices of men chanting Urich and Inga''s names spread across the snowyndscape.


    Forgetting their original purpose, two men fighting a stupid and foolish battle red at each other with their weapons in hand.

 Chapter 219

    <h4>Chapter 219</h4>


    Plundering and battling were the life of a warrior. Then, they die by someone else''s hand. That was their fate.


    "Ulgaro, watch over me," Inga muttered, gripping his sword tightly. A light glimmered in the depths of his pupils.


    <i>''For glory.''</i>


    Inga craved fame. Fame great enough to be known across the entire north.


    A warrior grew as much as they killed. It was an undeniable fact. No matter how noble one''s intentions were, the profession of a warrior was ultimately a profession of killing. They gained just as much strength and power as the amount of blood they drank.


    Beneath every famous warriory countless fallen warriors. There was no fame without bloodshed.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Inga shed his sword with his shield, making a noise. Urich also crossed his axe and sword and spun them around.


    <i>''If I beat him, I take the fame he got from killing Yorcan the Giant.''</i>


    Inga''s eyes burned with fervor. He grinned, baring his teeth.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich swung his axe, and Inga raised his shield to block the first strike.


    <i>¡®That is hefty. He split the grain of my shield.''</i>


    Urich was holding an axe, but it felt more like a hammer to Inga. Inga lowered his tingling arm and swung his sword.


    The swords shed with a metallic sound. The two swords stuck together and entered a battle of strength.


    <i>''...I¡¯m not going to beat him with strength.''</i>


    Inga quickly realized. He felt the gap in their strengths the very moment the swords pressed against each other. His opponent was a warrior with formidable power that matched his massive build. There was a reason he was able to defeat Yorcan.


    The nickname "Red Beard" wasn''t just an exaggeration either. Inga endured and defended against Urich''s attacks several times.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Urich took a step back and threw his axe. It was an obvious route of attack, so Inga leaned to the side to dodge.


    <i>''I knew another attack would follow right away. Once I dodge this, it''s my turn to counter.''</i>


    Having dodged the axe, Inga crossed his sword and shield into a defensive stance.


    Urich gripped his sword with both hands and raised it high. It was the most primitive form of attack¡ªan overhead diagonal sh. It was a move that allowed the maximum use of the muscr strength of a human. In swordsmanship, it was known as the "Owl''s Fury," a finishing move.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    Urich struck down with all his might. The de made of steel was able to withstand his strength.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    Inga crossed his sword and shield to defend. The moment they collided, he thought he had sessfully defended against Urich¡¯s attack.


    But the force overpowered him, causing his arms to drop.


    "Ah?"


    Inga felt warm blood trickle down from his crown. His head felt hot.


    Urich''s blow broke through Inga''s defense and split his head open. Blood trickled down the de that was embedded all the way down to his forehead.


    <i>Thwaaaaack!</i>


    Urich kicked Inga''s body away from him. As the de was pulled out, the wound opened up even wider and spilled a torrent of red brain matter.


    "Woooaaaah!"


    Warriors behind Urich shouted. It was a roar that challenged the northern warriors, daring them to attack.


    After their leader was defeated, the northern warriors shrugged and murmured among themselves.


    "Inga''s down. Well, there¡¯s no point in chasing after Bilker now. Is there anyone who wants to avenge Inga? His brothers or anyone from his hometown?"


    The warriors all shook their heads. They witnessed Urich''s power and skill up close.


    <i>''It wasn''t a close fight at all. Even if Inga came back to life several times and fought again, he would still have lost.''</i>


    No matter what anyone said, Inga was the leader among the gathered northern warriors. There was no warrior stronger than him.


    The warriors nced around and slowly stepped back. Urich''s warriors from behind threw out words of ridicule.


    Urich crouched and looked at the dead Inga. He wiped the de of his sword on the snow to clean off the blood.


    "What meaning does your death even have?"


    * * *


    Bilker and Georg rode through the snowy ins. Kylios panted heavily but didn''t stop running. Carrying two people was taxing even for a horse, especially given Bilker''s considerable weight.


    "Hang in there, Kylios. We''re almost there," Georg said, patting Kylios'' mane.


    Kylios was Urich¡¯s treasured horse, and if something happened to it, such as copsing from exhaustion, Urich would be furious.


    Kylios struggled through distances that would have caused an ordinary horse to fall. He was giving his all.


    "My butt hurts," Bilkerined, flinching with each of Kylios'' jolts.


    "Shut up," Georg snapped. Even he, a schr, got angry at Bilker''s whining.


    <i>''Lagerik will be waiting for us. We just need to reach the meeting point</i>.¡¯


    Georg kept ncing behind them. There seemed to be no sign of pursuit.


    <i>''Urich will manage.¡¯</i>


    He didn¡¯t think Urich was going to die. Urich was someone who would survive no matter what situation he was put in.


    "There it is!" Georg shouted.


    Smoke rose in the distance. It was the meeting point.


    At the meeting point, over a hundred warriors had set up camp. They gripped their weapons and got up from their seats as they saw Georg approaching on horseback.


    Sun Warrior Lagerik stepped forward to wee Georg.


    "Where is Urich? And the other warriors?" Lagerik asked.


    "A pursuit party caught up to us, so we came ahead first.¡±


    Lagerik called on other Sun Warriors to lead the warriors to support Urich. The warriors formed a search formation and moved out.


    Most of the warriors joined the search party, leaving only about twenty warriors at the camp.


    "Are you Bilker, the descendant of Mijorn?" Lagerik asked, handing Bilker a cup of warm honey water.


    "Yes, I am Bilker. Mijorn was my grandfather.¡±


    Bilker nodded as he sat by the campfire.


    He lowered his head and sipped the honey water.


    Lagerik left Bilker for a moment to talk with other Sun Warriors.


    "He seems more timid than I expected. He does not look like a warrior.¡±


    "Is that boy really the descendant of Mijorn?"


    "Unless Urich made a mistake, it must be true. Judging by how there was a pursuit, that boy probably is the real deal.¡±


    The Sun Warriors whispered among themselves. Other northerners circled around Bilker, asking various questions.


    Mijorn was a warrior respected by all northerners. He was a great warrior who had opposed the empire for the freedom of the north, a figure revered beyond religious boundaries.


    "He just doesn''t look like Mijorn''s descendant. He seems like he''s never fought in his life."


    "That fat boy is going to be our king? Man, that¡¯s ridiculous."


    The northerners whispered among themselves. The muscr northern warriors nced between Bilker and the Sun Warriors.


    Georg warmed his exhausted body, but he was feeling uneasy for some reason. The murmurs around him seemed ominous.


    <i>''Something feels off. I wish Urich would get here soon.''</i>


    The Mijorn''s descendant that the Sun Warriors envisioned, not to mention the northerners, was not this boy.


    <i>¡®It would have been a headache if he were a fanatical warrior who believed in Ulgaro, but I didn''t expect this muchck of spirit...''</i>


    Lagerik cast a wary nce at Bilker. Bilker was just as uneasy. He hadn¡¯t picked his eyes off the ground once out of anxiety ever since arriving at the camp.


    "I am Sun Warrior Lagerik, Bilker," Lagerik said, sitting in front of Bilker.


    Bilker''s eyes widened upon hearing ¡®Sun Warrior.¡¯ He had only heard of their name but had never seen one in person. Only then did he notice the sun patterns on Lagerik''s cloak and armor.


    "I heard that Sun Warriors know just as much about the doctrine of the Sun as priests do."


    As if the words ¡®Sun Warrior¡¯ brought relief to Bilker, his tone was stabilized. Lagerik felt a sense of incongruity and nced at Georg.


    Georg hesitantly answered, "Bilker is a Srist."


    Upon hearing this, prayer and praise immediately came out of Lagerik¡¯s mouth.


    "Oh, Lou, this must be your will!"


    The descendant of Mijorn was a follower of Lou. How could such a coincidence ur unless the northern kingdom was part of Lou¡¯s will? The Sun Warriors in the spot were struck with awe and expressed their devotion to Lou.


    "Lou has prepared a kingdom for us!"


    "Bilker, you will be our king."


    The Sun Warriors dered their loyalty to Bilker, though their loyalty was actually directed toward Lou.


    The northerners also whispered among themselves. There were only about twenty warriors left at the camp, and only four of them were Sun Warriors.


    Lagerik spoke softly to make Bilker feel more at ease. When he spoke about the teachings of Lou, Bilker seemed morefortable, nodding as he listened. His expression brightened.


    <i>''Bilker is a devout believer. He''s young enough that, with guidance, he could be a wise king.¡¯</i>


    Lagerik decided to be Bilker''s patron and mentor, leading him as a king who followed Lou''s teachings and made them a reality on thisnd.


    Lagerik saw the future of the kingdom of northerners in Bilker''s eyes.


    "Bilker, there''s no need to be nervous. Everyone here is a follower of Lou who is here to protect you," Lagerik said warmly.


    Bilker raised his head to look around. The Sun Warriors gazed at him with friendly eyes.


    "Finally, I get to stretch my legs, goddammit," Georg said, devouring warm food and patting his belly. He snapped a twig and used it as a toothpick.


    <i>¡®Now, all we need is for Urich to return. I¡¯m sure everything¡¯s okay... right?''</i>


    Georg suppressed his worries. If Urich died, Georg would be left with no one to rely on.


    <i>''My sess and fortune depend on Urich.''</i>


    Unlike the other civilized mercenaries, Georg had stayed by Urich''s side. But it was not because of personal loyalty. He simply figured he could gain more by staying with him.


    <i>''Urich is destined to be something significant.''</i>


    Georg looked around. Having spent his entire life as a ve, he was good at reading people''s moods.


    <i>''Something feels off. I just can¡¯t getfortable, for some reason.''</i>


    Georg nced at the northern warriors gathered at the edge of the camp. They were talking while looking at Bilker. He assumed they were just gossiping about him, but he couldn''t be sure without listening in.


    Georg discreetly walked past the northern warriors. As he did, their conversation stopped. He felt a chill in his chest. The way the northern warriors were staring at him was unusual.


    Meanwhile, Lagerik and Bilker were having a meal and talking by the campfire.


    "Here, I¡¯ll give this to you. It''s something every follower of Lou should have," Lagerik said, handing over his silver Sun pendant to Bilker. The pendant made of silver was quite intricate.


    "Thank you, Sir Lagerik," Bilker said, putting the Sun pendant around his neck.


    <i>''This is where I belong,''</i> Bilker thought.


    Living among the northern warriors, who valued blood and swords, each day was a constant repetition of anxiety for him. They demanded he act like a fierce warrior, which made him findfort in food to ease his fears.


    "Your very existence is Lou''s will and a miracle. If there is anything that you need, I will help in any way I can.¡±


    Bilker nodded and smiled brightly at Lagerik¡¯s assuring words.


    "I think I''ve finally found where I belong."


    Bilker was finally at ease. He ran his fingers over the silver Sun pendant, finding some peace.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    It was an unrealistic scene. Bilker blinked. Each blink made his pupils widen.


    "Ku...kuugh."


    A de emerged from Lagerik''s neck right in front of Bilker¡¯s eyes. Bilker couldn''t even scream.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Lagerik''s body tilted forward. The de that was sticking out his neck was pulled back. The one holding the de was a northern warrior who had been with them all along.


    "Just know this. This is Ulgaro''s judgment," the northern warrior said, kicking Lagerik''s body.


    Lagerik, with his neck pierced, grabbed onto the northern warrior''s leg. He opened his mouth wide as if he was trying to tell Bilker to run.


    "Secure the descendant of Mijorn!"


    The men who attacked Lagerik and the Sun Warriors were the northern warriors who had been working with them until now. They ambushed and killed the Sun Warriors and other northern warriors who opposed them.


    Ten warriors of Ulgaro moved in unison, painting the surroundings with blood. The sudden betrayal left even the Sun Warriors powerless.


    "A-ahh..."


    Bilker wet himself as he looked at the dead Lagerik. He thought he had finally managed to find some peace, but Lagerik, who was the very source of that peace, was now dead.


    "Come with us, Bilker," the warriors of Ulgaro said coldly, grabbing him by the scruff.


    "Where''s Georg?"


    "He caught on early and escaped with a horse, that sneaky bastard."


    They didn''t bother chasing Georg. To them, he was just an insignificant subordinate.


    "They¡¯ll ept us back if we bring them Bilker.¡±


    "Believing in Lou is definitely not for us, that''s for sure."


    It wasn¡¯t like they were nning to betray the Sun Warriors from the beginning. But seeing Mijorn''s descendant turning weak because of his belief in Lou was unbearable for them. Though they wanted to believe in Lou, the god in their hearts was still Ulgaro. They made their decision and returned to him.

 Chapter 220

    <h4>Chapter 220</h4>


    Krika made a pit stop for a break with the northern warriors in a small vige with a poption of about three hundred people. There were no inns, so they spent the night in a tavern. The corners of the tavern were upied by men who had passed out from drinking.


    "We¡¯ve let them get away with Bilker. We¡¯re gonna get in trouble."


    "Why do you think the plunderers from the west would take Bilker?"


    "They probably joined hands with the bastards who follow Lou. I''ve heard the Sun Warriors are stationed in the west."


    "What? Are they coborating with traitors who betrayed their own people? Damn them!"


    The warriors talked loudly. The vigers, realizing that they were warriors of Ulgaro, avoided discussing anything rted to Lou.


    It wasn''t unusual for warriors to gather in groups during times like this. Warriors who roamed from one battlefield to another were unsure which side to join. Some even sided with the empire for money.


    <i>¡®What a mess,¡¯</i> Krika thought.


    Krika had grown up among the warriors of Ulgaro. His father was a fanatical northern warrior.


    <i>¡®Everything is in shambles. There are some warriors who sided with the empire despite their faith in Ulgaro, and some who believe in Lou are fighting against them for the independence of the north.¡¯</i>


    Religious ideology and practicality were intertwined, causing northern people to make various choices and judgments. It was because there was no unifying force to bind them together.


    <i>¡®That''s why they so desperately wanted someone like Bilker.¡¯</i>


    The north needed a hero like Mijorn.


    "Krika, have a drink. You need to drink when you have a broken arm. It helps you sleep," the warriors said, offering the youngest Krika some alcohol.


    The advice wasing from their own experience. The pain from an injury was the worst when one was trying to sleep. Even a decade-old injury could ache at night after feeling fine during the day.


    <i>Gulp.</i>


    Krika drank and wiped his mouth.


    "You''ll have to prepare yourself to face the consequences of losing Bilker, Krika. The warrior council will decide your fate."


    "At worst, I die. What else?" Krika replied, making the warriorsugh.


    "It would''ve been nice if you were the descendant of Mijorn. You''re about the same age, too.¡±


    Krika was a brave warrior. He had already shown promising skills, which was why he was chosen to guard Bilker despite his young age.


    "Being a descendant of Mijorn doesn''t seem all that great. You just end up getting kidnapped by everyone," Krika replied.


    "That''s true. But, just in case... No, I shouldn''t say something like that too hastily.¡±


    The warriors, who seemed like they were about to bring something up, stopped after ncing at each other.


    Krika looked at them curiously.


    "Whatever happens, I don''t care. As long as there''s another war. I''ll cut down every single imperial soldier," a warrior changed the subject.


    "My ass, you¡¯d be lucky if you¡¯re not the first one to get cut down."


    "Do you want to go see Ulgaro today?"


    "If you don¡¯t like what I said, grab your weapons and shield and meet me in the back."


    The warriors bickered, eventually throwing punches at each other. The brawl only stopped when one was beaten bloody. If they had used weapons, someone would have died, so it usually ended like this.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    The tavern door opened, letting in a cold draft. It was rare to have customers thiste.


    All eyes turned to the entrance. About ten men entered, almost stuffing the small tavern that was already quite packed. The tavern owner looked troubled.


    "There are no seats at the moment."


    "Just let us sit anywhere we can avoid the cold. And bring us some drinks and meat," one of the men said, pulling out some gold coins.


    The tavern owner took their coins and said no more.


    The men cautiously looked around the tavern and then brought someone in. When Krika saw who it was, his eyes widened.


    <i>¡®Bilker? Why is he here?¡¯</i>


    Not just Krika, but the other northern warriors were also shocked as they recognized Bilker. He was with the men who had just walked into the tavern.


    This was a golden opportunity for Krika and the northern warriors. They had no idea what was going on, but the Bilker they thought was lost was only a few steps away from them.


    <i>''Are they warriors who follow Lou? Why did they bring Bilker here?''</i>


    Krika and the northern warriors exchanged nces. They had to decide quickly. If the men who brought Bilker were enemies, it was best to attack now.


    <i>''These guys just came in from the cold. Their guards are down.''</i>


    If they attacked now, they were definitely going to win.


    "Even if they''re northern warriors who also follow Ulgaro, if we kill them here, we can im the credit for taking back Bilker. Right? If they''re followers of Lou, we need to kill them anyway. Either way, we have to attack."


    One of the northern warriors bared his teeth as he spoke. The other warriors nodded in agreement.


    "Krika, you better not be thinking we¡¯re going to let you sit this one out just because your arm''s injured. If we get Bilker back, it''ll be good for you too."


    The warrior next to Krika slipped him a hand axe. Krika gripped it, waiting for the action to start.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The fight began when someone kicked over a table. Krika and the northern warriors jumped the men who had brought Bilker.


    "Kaaagh! You sons of bitcheeeees!"


    The ambushed men shouted as they fought back. Blood sttered, staining the tavern walls red.


    It was easier to swing weapons than to talk and try to understand each other. The northern warriors didn¡¯t hesitate to draw weapons if they felt even the slightest suspicion.


    "Kill them all!"


    The reason for the attack didn''t matter. The men who brought Bilker attacked anyone and everyone that was not them. Even an innocent viger was caught in the fight and was stabbed.


    The small vige had no security to defend against such a group of warriors. The tavern quickly turned into a battlefield.


    "Krika! Secure Bilker!"


    Krika, with a broken arm, couldn''t engage in directbat. He jumped onto the second-floor railing of the tavern and gazed at Bilker.


    "I knew it, they¡¯re going for Bilker! You bastards! We''re also warriors of Ulgaro!"


    "It¡¯s toote for friendly introductions! Bilker ising with us!"


    Swords shed. Screams echoed.


    Krika looked at Bilker, who was being protected at the center.


    "Bilker! Be a man! Come over here!" he shouted.


    But there was no response from Bilker. Krika clicked his tongue and jumped down next to Bilker.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    As Krikanded, he struck an enemy''s head with his axe. He fought bravely with just one arm, not hesitating while risking his life. The courage of the boy was clearly disyed to the surrounding warriors.


    "Bilker!"


    Krika nced at Bilker after clearing out the enemies.


    <i>''What the hell happened to him?''</i>


    Bilker''s eyes were unfocused. He was mumbling something and chattering his teeth. It seemed he had experienced a significant mental shock.


    "T-they¡¯re dying again, more people," Bilker said.


    <i>''People keep dying because of me. They keep dying.''</i>


    Looking around, he saw only death and more death. Everything surrounding Bilker seemed to lead to death.


    "Y-you were right, Krika. My very existence is a sin."


    Bilker crouched down, covering his head and screaming. Krika grabbed him by the nape of his neck and dragged him to safety.


    The ones who emerged victorious and survived were Krika and the warriors. They managed to take Bilker from the hands of the men.


    "That''s one less worry. We rescued Bilker," the warriors said, smiling with bloodied faces. They celebrated their victory and left the blood-smeared tavern.


    "Ugh, ughhh."


    Bilker despaired as he looked at the dead bodies. The warriorsughed in front of him as if it were nothing.


    "You''ll get used to it, Bilker. In fact, why not make your first kill here? We could drag one of the vigers over..."


    The warriors, excited by the sight of blood, were talking as if they were about to plunder the whole vige.


    Krika noticed that Bilker was in a bad state. After all, he was Bilker''s guard who had spent more time with him than anyone else.


    "I think we should get Bilker back to the encampment first before we do anything else," Krika said, supporting Bilker.


    The warriors calmed themselves down and left the vige.


    "Bilker, stay focused," Krika said, gripping Bilker''s shoulder firmly.


    Bilker lifted his head from the pain.


    "K-Krika, I... I..." He stammered.


    "Tell me what happened first.¡±


    Krika handed him a water pouch. Bilker drank and began to speak hesitantly.


    "Everyone died because of me. Lagerik also died."


    "Lagerik?"


    "He was a Sun Warrior. He was good to me, but..."


    Bilker recounted the things that happened to him one by one. Krika nodded in understanding.


    <i>¡®A bunch of people found out that Bilker is a Srist. Now, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the word spreads.¡¯</i>


    The descendant of Mijorn was a believer of Lou. If the warriors of Ulgaro found out, it wasn¡¯t going to be pretty.


    "Bilker, I''ll help you escape. I swear by Ulgaro," Krika whispered.


    Swearing by Ulgaro to save someone who was a follower of Lou was ironic, but Krika was sincere. Bilker had saved him once.


    <i>''If you owe a debt, you must repay it,¡¯</i> Krika thought to himself.


    Krika was an honest warrior. He didn''t make excuses or take shortcuts.


    The warriors felt relieved. Now that they had Bilker, they would receive a great reward once he was returned to the encampment safely. They walked through the snow, setting up camp at appropriate spots.


    "Krika, it''s your turn to stand watch.¡±


    Krika opened his eyes. The watch was done in pairs. Even if injured, they had to take turns standing guard unless their lives were in danger from the injury.


    "Yawn, I''m sleepy. Krika, things could be good for you now. You''re Bilker''s personal guard. If you get close to him and he bes king, you could end up at the center of his power."


    "He¡¯s only going to be a puppet king, at best. Everyone knows that. What glory or riches would there be for a guard of that sort of king?"


    Krika replied cynically. The warrior who had spoken to him chuckled.


    "You have some insight, kiddo. Don''t die, Krika. You''re going ces."


    Krika didn''t answer and looked back. The campsite was quiet. The warriors had fallen into a deep sleep after a tiring day.


    "Did you see that over there?" Krika asked, pointing into the darkness.


    The other warrior tilted his head and replied, "See what?"


    "I¡¯m injured. You go check it out."


    "Now you¡¯re bragging about being injured, huh? Fine."


    The warrior grumbled as he walked forward.


    <i>''I need to stab him right through the throat.''</i>


    Krika drew his dagger. He stealthily approached the warrior from behind and swiftly moved the de.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    The warrior fell with his throat pierced. Krika stomped on his mouth to ensure a silent finish.


    "Sorry it came to this. It''s nothing personal," Krika muttered. He then shook Bilker awake.


    Bilker opened his sticky eyes. He had been crying all throughout the night, so his eyes were swollen.


    "Shh," Krika said, covering Bilker''s mouth and waiting for him toe to his senses.


    "If you''re fully awake, nod."


    Bilker''s eyes opened wide. He frowned upon seeing the dead warrior.


    <i>¡®Another died. This one is also my fault.''</i>


    Krika hadmitted murder in order to help Bilker escape. Bilker felt guilty as if it were his own sin.


    Krika and Bilker quietly moved away from the campsite, retracing their steps.


    <i>''Bilker would be better off being with the northerners who believe in Lou. He wouldn''t survive among the warriors of Ulgaro.''</i>


    Krika was nning to bring Bilker to the followers of Lou.


    Bilker''s legs hurt, but he didn''tin. Even Krika was walking without a word with his broken arm.


    "People keep dying because of me," Bilker said.


    "Obviously, it¡¯s because of you. I¡¯m d you¡¯re at least aware of that."


    Krika didn¡¯t deny it. If Bilker had been a bit more decisive and had warrior-like qualities, things wouldn''t have escted to this point.


    Bilker looked gaunt. Not only was he under severe mental stress, but he also hadn¡¯t been eating properly, so he was losing weight.


    "Whether it''s Lou or Ulgaro, I don''t care anymore... All this is meaningless death. There was no need for Lagerik to die, either," Bilker said, sobbing.


    Krika was silent for a while. Just a few days ago, he would have scolded Bilker for his words. But things were different now. Even Krika was fed up with the self-destructive behavior of the northern warriors.


    "Yeah, fighting among ourselves has no point. You''re right about that one thing.¡±


    It was like wolves fighting among themselves over prey while a bear was waiting just beyond the bushes.

 Chapter 221

    <h4>Chapter 221</h4>


    Bilker and his mother used to live off wild herbs, just the two of them. Ulgaro, who was a god who blessed war and hunting, did them no good. Naturally, the mother and son turned to the newly emerging god, Lou. The Sun God Lou, who promised a peaceful afterlife without one having to fight to earn it, was salvation for the northerners who were not warriors.


    <i>''My mother never told me I was Mijorn''s grandson.''</i>


    It was an obvious precaution to take. Mijorn''s bloodline was a thorn to the empire. There were actually several cases of Mijorn''s children and grandchildren being captured and executed by the imperial army.


    <i>''She didn¡¯t raise me as a warrior either.''</i>


    His mother never entrusted him to other warriors, either. She knew early on that Bilker''s personality didn''t suit that of a warrior.


    Bilker shared his story with Krika as they walked.


    "If you miss your mother so much, why don¡¯t you just go see her?"


    Krika sighed, puffing white breath into the air.


    "She probably passed away already. By the time I left, her illness was already showing up on her face," Bilker said, rubbing his eyes.


    Krika pulled out some cake made of potato.


    "Here, have some of this. It''ll give you strength."


    Bilker¡¯s appetite came back upon seeing the food. The faint sweetness of the potato tasted incredibly sweet to him.


    Krika leaned against a tree for a break while Bilker ate the cake. He felt his body grow hotter.


    <i>''This is bad. I''ve been pushing myself too hard, and now I have a fever.''</i>


    Krika grabbed a handful of snow to cool his forehead. He hadn''t had proper rest since the time he was beaten so badly that his arm broke.


    <i>''Maybe this is it for me.''</i>


    Krika watched Bilker eat the cake.


    <i>''Is it my fate to die saving this pig?''</i>


    His head spun. Krika stared at the dawn breaking.


    "Ulgaro."


    Krika blinked. The sunlight reflecting off the coniferous trees momentarily made them look like a person. A winged helmet flickered before his eyes.


    <i>''Is this my fate?''</i>


    Krika lowered his head and chuckled quietly.


    "If you¡¯re done eating, let¡¯s get going, Bilker."


    Krika urged Bilker. The northern warriors were most likely after them. They were not supposed to take a break like this.


    <i>Wobble.</i>


    Krika grasped the tree to pull himself up.


    "Are you okay?" Bilker asked.


    "Mind your own business," Krika replied, refusing Bilker''s help. He stared ahead with determination.


    <i>''Was I born just to die here like this?''</i>


    Krika looked at his calloused palms.


    He''d lived his life to be a great northern warrior. There was never a day when he didn¡¯t have his weapons in his hands. Even when his flesh tore and his bones showed, he gritted his teeth and endured.


    <i>''Was I born to die in a snowynd like this, without making a name for myself?''</i>


    Fueled by frustration, Krika stood upright.


    "I won''t die here. You can''t have my soul yet. It''s too soon, way too soon," Krika muttered as he stared ahead.


    Bilker sensed a strange madness and didn''t dare speak to him.


    After walking for a while, Bilker finally spoke up.


    "Krika."


    "What?"


    "They came after us."


    "Shit.¡±


    Krika turned around. White specks appeared in the snow. It seemed like about a dozen northern warriors had followed Krika. Upon closer inspection, it was fifteen.


    "Krikaaa! You betraying scum!"


    "Even you¡¯re siding with Lou!!¡±


    "Come over to our side, Bilker!"


    The warriors'' shouts echoed through the snowy ins.


    "We¡¯re still far enough from them. Let''s go, Bilker," Krika urged.


    Bilker''s heart pounded with anxiety. He couldn¡¯t stand this situation.


    <i>''Krika is the one who¡¯s in more danger. I shouldn''t be the one trembling.''</i>


    Being an important figure, Bilker was probably going to survive. But Krika could lose his life the moment he was captured.


    "Huff, huff."


    Krika and Bilker were gasping for breath. They trudged through the snow that was deep enough to catch their feet every step. Their pursuers were also growing increasingly frustrated at the distance that didn¡¯t seem to be closing.


    "If you hand over Bilker now, we''ll spare your life, Krika!"


    The voice from behind reached Bilker''s ears.


    "T-they¡¯re saying they¡¯ll l-let you live," Bilker stammered.


    "Shut up, you idiot. Do you really believe that?"


    Bilker fell silent at Krika¡¯s retort.


    "Huff, kek, kek."


    Bilker felt like he was about to copse. He was never trained in physical exertion like Krika or the northern warriors.


    <i>''I feel like I''m going to die.''</i>


    The taste of bile filled Bilker''s mouth, and his heart pounded so hard it felt like it was hitting his stomach. The potato cake he had eaten earlier seemed toe back up to his throat.


    "Suck it up and run, Bilker!" Krika yelled nervously. They were still far enough ahead of the warriors, but Krika''s expression was grim.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Krika ducked as an arrow flew over his head.


    "Dammit, they''ve started shooting.¡±


    Thankfully, the wind made the arrows inurate. It actually caused the one who shot the arrow to be scolded by the others.


    "You dumbass! What are you going to do if you hit Bilker?"


    "But it doesn''t look like Krika¡¯s forcing him to run away with him. Do you think Bilker is also..."


    "That''s not for us to judge, so shut your mouth. We''ll shoot arrows when we get closer to them."


    Fortunately, the arrows stopped. Krika''s eyes lit up as they crossed a hill.


    <i>''Ake.''</i>


    Ake that had not frozen overy before their eyes. Going around it would take too long due to its immense size.


    "Bilker, just run as hard as you can to that fishing boat. Get there no matter what.¡±


    A small boat used by fishermen sat by theke''s edge. If they could cross theke and reach the forest on the other side, they might seed in escaping.


    Bilker swallowed his nausea and ran.


    They reached theke''s edge and picked up fist-sized stones to break the thin ice near the boat.


    "Get on!"


    Krika pushed the boat out with his foot after confirming that Bilker was on the boat, then jumped on himself.


    "Row!"


    Bilker paddled with all his strength, not paying attention to the splinters digging into his palms. The boat quickly gained momentum across theke.


    "W-we¡¯re safe, we¡¯re alive, Krika!"


    Bilker shouted as he saw the distance grow. He gave another strong push with the oar.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Before they could even reach the middle of theke, one of the oars snapped. The wood had rotted and couldn''t withstand the force.


    "Shit!"


    Bilker and Krika cursed as they looked at each other. They tried rowing with just the remaining oar, but the boat moved slowly. They couldn''t row with full force, fearing thest oar might break too.


    "Krika! This one¡¯s going to break, too."


    They were almost at the other side of theke, but Bilker heard the splintering sound of thest oar. Krika looked into the boat with a gloomy expression, then spotted a rope.


    "Huff, huff."


    Krika suddenly took off his clothes and started squatting up and down, repeatedly. Bilker''s eyes widened.


    "What the hell are you trying to do? Sit down! You might get hit by an arrow!"


    Bilker¡¯s lips quivered as he watched the warriors yelling on the shore. Some of them were following them along the edge of theke.


    "I''m going to swim to the other side with this rope. I''ll pull you in from there.¡±


    Krika tied one end of the rope to the boat''s bow. He slung the other end over his shoulder and took a deep breath.


    "Krika!"


    Bilker shouted as Krika jumped into the icyke naked. With a loud ssh, Krika sank toward the bottom of theke.


    Krika almost lost consciousness for a moment. It felt like the darkness at the bottom of theke was pulling him in.


    <i>''I am not dying here!''</i>


    The desire for life awakened his body.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s so damn cold.''</i>


    Krika surfaced, his head breaking the surface of the water. He felt dizzy. His heart raced to keep his body warm. Krika swam across theke with one hand.


    "T-that kid is insane!"


    The warriors were shocked as they watched Krika''s reckless action. A boy with a broken arm was swimming across a winterke.


    "Kaaaaagh!" Krika screamed as he climbed onto the thin ice. He crawled and reached the other shore. He tied a rope around a nearby tree.


    "Pull!" Krika shouted.


    Bilker grabbed the rope and pulled the boat across. It didn''t matter if his hands were shredded in the process.


    "Kagh, kugh, kugh," Krika gasped, clutching his heart.


    His body was already feverish from before. His head throbbed, and with each breath, he felt like his heart might burst.


    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>


    Krika pounded his chest and groaned in pain as he copsed to the ground.


    "Put these on first!"


    The fishing boat had finally reached Krika. Bilker brought him his clothes.


    "Huff, huff, get my weapon too."


    Krika¡¯s lips had turned blue and were trembling. Even though he put on his clothes, the warmth that had already escaped his body did not return.


    They were slowed down quite significantly by the broken oar. Three quick warriors were already caught up to them.


    <i>''In the end, there was no point in using the boat.''</i>


    Krika felt his vision blur.


    <i>''Damn, my vision is going dark.''</i>


    Theck of blood cirction made his sight dim.


    "I swore to Ulgaro that I''d help you escape. Go, Bilker," Krika said, looking in the wrong direction. There was no focus in his eyes.


    "I''m not leaving you behind. If I have to, I''ll fight with you."


    Bilker slowly drew a knife he couldn''t even wield properly.


    "Stop talking nonsense. You''d be no help."


    "I could at least be a shield. We¡¯re going together. I''m not going alone."


    Krika twitched his lips.


    "Crazy. Why didn''t you fight like this earlier?"


    Bilker trembled as he faced the approaching warriors. But he didn''t copse or run away.


    "I don''t care which god I believe in anymore. I don''t want anyone else to die because of me. Let alone a friend."


    Bilker forced augh through his fear. Krika burst into a derisiveugh.


    "I''m not your friend."


    "Then let''s be friends from today."


    For the first time, Bilker didn''t yield to fear. During this short journey, he had found a small piece of courage. He still could not be as brave as the northern warriors or other men, but he didn''t want to be a coward who abandoned even his friends.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The warriors who had chased them drew their bows. They saw that Krika was in bad shape and aimed to finish him with arrows. An arrow was enough to finish off a warrior who couldn¡¯t even see what was in front of him.


    <i>Thwip.</i>


    The sound of a bowstring being released.


    Bilker knew the arrow was heading toward Krika. He wasn''t skilled enough to deflect it.


    <i>Thuck.</i>


    Something that nobody expected happened. Even the warrior who shot the arrow was taken aback.


    "Eh?"


    Krika felt a blob of flesh covering him. Warm blood warmed his body. His vision hadn''t fully returned, so everything was still blurry.


    "Bilker?"


    Krika poked at the blob. Sticky fluid rubbed off on his hands. When he touched the source, he found an arrow embedded there.


    "Uuuuugh," Bilker groaned.


    An arrow was lodged in his back. The excruciating pain that he had never felt in his life was making him lose his mind.


    "Shit! You hit Bilker!" the warrior who didn¡¯t shoot the bow shouted.


    "H-hey, he just jumped in front of Krika out of nowhere! Who could¡¯ve seen thating?" The warrior who shot the arrow tried to exin himself. He had shot from a safe distance, aiming at Krika.


    "Shut up and kill Krika first! We need to treat Bilker!"


    "Krika! I''ll skin you alive and pour hot water over you!"


    The warriors drew their weapons, making amotion.


    Krika pushed Bilker away and stood up. With one hand, he raised his axe and red at the warriors with his blurry vision.


    "If you want to capture me alive, you''ll have to give up your heads, you idiots," Krika said, baring his teeth. However, the warriors didn''t rush him easily.


    "What are you doing? Are the so-called warriors scared of some kid with a broken arm? Huh?"


    Krika taunted, then sensed someone approaching from behind. He turned to see a towering man standing with the sun behind him. His face was shadowed, except for the twin glints of golden light.


    "Brother Bilker, are you dead?"


    Urich, emerging from behind Krika, lightly tapped the fallen Bilker with his foot.


    "Uuugh," Bilker groaned, unable to muster the strength to respond.


    "If Bilker dies, you''ll all die. Actually, no, even if nothing happens to him, you''ll all die here," Urich said, slurring his words. He had spent the past two days without sleep, tracking down Bilker''s trail.

 Chapter 222

    <h4>Chapter 222</h4>


    The situation was not favorable for Urich. Three northern warriors stood before him, and about ten more ran along the edge of theke toward him. Even for Urich, the chances of winning when surrounded by more than ten northern warriors were grim.


    Urich knew he didn¡¯t have a single second to waste. This wasn¡¯t the time for idle banter, and he had to act swiftly. He grabbed his weapon and leaped between the three northern warriors.


    "Hup."


    Urich took a deep breath as he swung his arms. The de swirled, and the axe cut through the air.


    Krika, watching the fight, opened his eyes wide. The arms and legs of the northern warriors dropped to the ground like flies.


    Urich tore through his enemies without hesitation, splitting heads and severing limbs. It was by no means an easy task. A warrior always fought with his life on the line. No matter how great a warrior was, all it took was one mistake for them to die.


    "Phew."


    Urich, covered in blood, looked at the warriors running along the edge of theke. Fortunately, they wereing in a single line with some space in between each of them.


    "Hmph."


    Urich gathered several throwing axes from the fallen warriors. Northern warriors favored axes, so they usually carried one or two made for throwing.


    <i>Whirl.</i>


    Urich spun the axe in his hand. He tested the weight distribution of the axe as he nced at the northern warriors running toward him.


    "I''m a little tired... but if I don''t do this right, I guess I¡¯ll just die, keke."


    Urich grumbled with a chuckle as he moved his hands with lightning speed.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich threw the axe with one hand while swinging his sword with the other. It was as if he alone was moving at a different speed.


    The northern warriors twitched as the axe struck them. Urich took the opportunity to behead and stab them in the heart.


    The northern warriors charging in a single line fell one by one. Their heads rolled on the ground like toys. It was a sight so surreal that it even stunned the other northern warriors.


    "Hup."


    Urich threw another axe. It luckily hit the northern warrior right on the crown, sparing Urich further trouble of finishing him off.


    "Attack him! Surround and kill him!"


    The northern warriors pulled out their shields from their backs, though seemingly a little toote. They advanced cautiously, trying not to be taken down individually.


    <i>''There are seven left. If I let them surround me, it''s over,''</i> Urich thought as he stepped back, being careful not to get surrounded.


    The northern warriors no longer rushed at him carelessly. The heavy pressure pressed on Urich, but the situation was no different for the northern warriors surrounding him.


    <i>''The rumor that Urich, the warrior who killed the giant, is blessed by Ulgaro might not be a lie.''</i>


    More than five warriors had already fallen to just one man, and it all happened in a sh. To the northern warriors, what had just unfolded seemed like something one could never do without the protection of a divine being.


    <i>Whirl.</i>


    Urich tilted his head, dodging an axe flying toward him. The enemy''s attacks were fierce.


    <i>''Into the forest.''</i>


    Urich dashed into the dense trees, almost fleeing. The northern warriors quickly pursued him to not let him get away.


    "If Urich came here alone, he''s as good as dead. He might be a good fighter, but..." Krika muttered as he looked toward the forest.


    Screams echoed in session in the forest. Only those involved would know what was happening.


    Krika checked Bilker''s wound. The arrow had dug in deeper than he first thought, perhaps reaching all the way into his internal organs.


    "Bilker,e on, stay with me. If you fall asleep right now, you''ll really die, you idiot," Krika said, pping Bilker''s cheek.


    Bilker, in a daze, only managed to mumble incoherently.


    Taking an injured Bilker and escaping was not going to get them very far. Krika¡¯s only hope of survival depended on Uriching out of the forest alive.


    Krika prayed desperately. He didn¡¯t care which god was listening to him. He was more than willing to risk his own life¡ªhe just didn¡¯t want Bilker to die.


    <i>''Bilker isn''t a warrior. He doesn''t have the resolve to die. Whether it¡¯s Lou or Ulgaro, are you really going to take him?''</i>


    No one knew who would im Bilker''s soul. The only thing that was certain was that it would leave his body and venture into the unknown.


    "A-am I going to die?"


    "You don''t die from just one arrow, you dumbass!"


    There were plenty of warriors who survived three or four arrows, while some died from mere scratches that got infected. The oue of a battle could be influenced by human skill, but life and death were matters of the gods that surpassed the realm of humans.


    Krika wanted to at least do some first aid, but he had not learned how to remove an arrow safely. Even if he did, it would be difficult to do in these conditions.


    "Pray, Bilker. Pray that they don''t take you away."


    Krika looked toward the forest. The sound of weapons shing echoed again.


    Urich was fighting while using arge tree as cover. There was no one who had his back. Even the warriors who were initially with him couldn¡¯t keep up with his pace. Urich had marched through the nights, without sleep. No one was keeping up with that.


    <i>''It''s been a while since I''ve fought against a bunch of them by myself,''</i> Urich thought.


    But it wasn¡¯t the time for reminiscing. A single mistake led to death. No matter how strong he was, fighting against many by himself was not a battle that could be easily won. Even a superhuman died when their head was cut off and their heart was stabbed.


    "Hup!"


    Urich grabbed an approaching northern warrior by the arm and threw him toward the tree. The warrior groaned as his arm was dislocated and he was mmed against the tree. Urich pounced on him like a praying mantis looking for its prey and finished him off.


    "Huuaaaaa!"


    Urich roared as he shed with his sword. The head of the warrior was severed, and the blood from the cross-section of the neck sttered on the tree bark.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    Someone stabbed Urich''s arm. Urich swung his axe like a reflex, crushing the enemy''s skull as the axede was embedded deep into the head.


    <i>''It didn¡¯t hit the bone.''</i>


    Urich checked the wound and then re-assessed the location of his enemies.


    <i>Thwip.</i>


    An arrow was aimed at Urich''s head. Urich''s eyes widened as he focused on the arrowhead that looked like a single dot.


    The northern warrior who shot the arrow was sure it would hit Urich''s head. No human could dodge that.


    <i>Thuck.</i>


    Blood sprayed from Urich''s head. The northern warriors roared as they charged toward him.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    But Urich didn''t fall. He swung his sword while blood dripped from under his chin. He stabbed the approaching warrior in the abdomen and used him as a shield.


    "Kuuugh."


    The stabbed warrior was dragged around like a human shield. A trail of blood followed Urich as he walked.


    "Huff, huff. Cough, spit."


    Urich spat out the blood that was pooled in his mouth. His cheek was pierced by an arrow, and blood poured out from the puncture. He had twisted his head just at the moment of impact, narrowly avoiding death.


    <i>Snap.</i>


    Urich broke the arrow that had pierced his cheek. Two red spots appeared on his cheek. With each of his breaths, a gurgling sound came from the holes in his cheek.


    "That was close, you bastard," Urich shouted at the warrior who shot the arrow. The warrior, still holding the bow, flinched as he reloaded his bow.


    <i>''He dodged that? That bastard is a monster.''</i>


    Urich hid behind a tree and then slit the throat of the warrior he had used as a shield. Warm blood sshed onto his body.


    "Phew."


    The more he fought, the clearer his mind became. The fatigue from marching through the nights for two days had vanished long ago.


    "What the..."


    The northern warriors were stunned by Urich''sbat skills. After entering the forest, only five of them remained.


    It didn¡¯t seem like an overstatement to say that he was the reincarnation of Ulgaro or Mijorn. The northern warriors facing Urich had no doubt he was a legendary warrior.


    "Ulgaro..."


    The northern warriors murmured. Urich smirked. Civilized people would have had their spirits broken by Urich¡¯s ferocity already.


    <i>''But these guys are northerners. The stronger the warrior they¡¯re facing, the more these insane bastards stick their necks out.''</i>


    The stronger the opponent, the more fiercely the northern warriors fought. They were a group that knew no retreat once the battle began.


    To cut down three or five warriors at once was something that was supposed to be possible only in the lyrics sung by the bards. Urich was rolling on the ground, picking up various wounds. He used people as shields and threw dirt into the eyes of the charging warriors. He fought persistently with everything he had at his disposal.


    Urich held on stubbornly, taking thest breaths of the warriors one by one. His body was just as battered as the number of corpses.


    "You are a magnificent warrior, Urich."


    Thest standing warrior said to him. Urich threw the head he had just cut off onto the ground.


    "I hear that often, cough."


    Urich''s arms and shoulders drooped low. Through the torn fur coat, his steel breastte was revealed. It was dented and scratched all over. Without it, he would have died from fatal injuries a while ago.


    "Today is a day I can go to the Field without an ounce of shame."


    The warrior charged with a roar. Even though he was an enemy, Urich''s perseverance had moved him. He fought against Urich, forgetting even the fear of death.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The two des shed, and Urich staggered. The northern warrior extended his leg to kick Urich''s shin, causing him to lose his bnce and grab onto the ground.


    The northern warrior swung hisrge sword, aiming for Urich''s throat. Urich, even with his massive frame, swiftly rolled across the ground. Amidst the chaos, he found a stone and threw it without a second thought.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    The stone struck the warrior''s eye. It wasn''t intentional; it was pure luck.


    Urich didn''t miss the opportunity. He jumped to his feet and lunged, mming his body weight into the warrior. The warrior fell backward, dropping his sword.


    "Wooooaaaah!"


    Urich viciously roared as he sped his hands together and struck the warrior''s face.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The warrior''s face shattered. His broken teeth spouted all the way up to Urich¡¯s face.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich, like an enraged bear, brutally smashed the enemy''s head.


    The warrior''s limbs twitched. A cloudy steam rose from his pants due to the urine and feces released.


    "Huff, huff."


    Urichy down beside the corpse, panting. He stared up at the cold sky.


    "Just like that, I once again live to see another day."


    He couldn''t remember all the details of the battle. Everything was left to madness and his warrior instincts. His body, which he had trained forbat, had not betrayed him.


    <i>''Bilker.''</i>


    Urich thought of Bilker, who''d been hit by an arrow, and stood up. Stumbling, he walked back along the path toward thekeside.


    "Urich?"


    Krika was startled upon seeing Urich emerging from the forest, covered in blood. He looked like an evil spirit with all the human blood he had soaked up.


    <i>''Did he kill all of them? All by himself? The warriors of the north?''</i>


    Krika was at a loss for words. Of course, since Urich survived alone, the rest must have died.


    "How¡¯s Bilker?"


    Urich pulled a needle and thread from his bag. He began to roughly stitch up his torn cheek and other wounds.


    "He''s still alive."


    "Anyway, whose side are you on? I didn''t have time to ask earlier, but I just decided to help because it seemed like you were being chased."


    "I''m on no one''s side," Krika replied. Urich squinted at him.


    "... Start a fire first. We need hot water, so go pick up that helmet, fill it with water, and heat it up. Ah, clean it first, of course."


    Urich said in amanding tone, but Krikaplied without question. Experienced warriors knew how to administer first aid. There was no doubt that Urich had more experience than Krika.


    <i>''It would be best to go to a vige to get him some proper treatment, but Bilker wouldn¡¯tst through the trip, and we don¡¯t even have horses.''</i>


    Urich looked at the arrow lodged in Bilker''s back. It was quite deeply embedded.


    Urich himself was also severely wounded, but he knew from experience that his body wouldn¡¯t die from them. If he was going to die from injuries like these, he would''ve turned into a skeleton long ago.


    "The arrowhead is embedded in flesh and muscle. Pulling it out is going to hurt a lot, Brother Bilker. Can you even hear me?"


    ¡°Ughhhhh.¡±


    Bilker could only groan in response to Urich.

 Chapter 223

    <h4>Chapter 223</h4>


    Bilker felt a hand tearing into his back. The heat from it seemed to shoot all the way up to his head. He couldn''t tell if he was alive or dead, and as dreams and reality blurred together, his sense of self became obscured.


    <i>¡®Mom.¡¯</i>


    The one face he yearned for came to mind. His mother had always been kind but also strong in the way of northern women as a widow who raised her son alone.


    <i>¡®Bilker, Lou promises reincarnation in the afterlife. Being a man doesn''t mean you have to fight on the battlefield.¡¯</i>


    Bilker¡¯s mother was happy about Lou¡¯s spreading across the north. The northern custom that men must go to battle was slowly fading.


    Bilker had also thought he would die in bed, not in battle.


    <i>¡®But here I am, dying from an arrow.¡¯</i>


    He was hit by an arrow. Regardless of what anyone said, a battlefield was still a battlefield.


    <i>¡®Ulgaro wille for me, Ulgaro will...¡¯</i>


    He was afraid that Ulgaro would be the one toe and take his soul.


    Two scenes flickered in Bilker''s mind. One was a sky bathed in warm sunlight, and the other was a night tormented by a raging storm.


    The roar of the downpour rang in his ears. In the darkness, a warrior in a winged helmet stood waiting for Bilker, pointing a sword at him.


    <i>¡®No, I won''t go there. I won''t!¡¯</i>


    But he couldn''t make a sound. The words only circled in his head.


    <i>Hum, hum.</i>


    Ulgaro in a winged helmet. Standing behind him were warriors dripping flesh. The dead warriors were waiting for Bilker.


    ¡ªCome, child of Mijorn.


    ¡ªCome join your grandfather.


    The warriors beckoned. The stench of decay seemed to reach Bilker''s nose.


    Bilker reached for the sun, but his body was endlessly heavy, too heavy for him to leave the Field.


    <i>¡®Lou, please...¡¯</i>


    Was it because of the curse of being Mijorn¡¯s bloodline? Or was it because he couldn''t escape his northern identity? Bilker''s prayers did not reach Lou.


    "Snap out of it, Bilker."


    Urich''s words brought Bilker back to reality.


    "Ah, aah."


    Bilker tried to scream but only managed to groan due to the pain. The spot where the arrow had hit throbbed.


    "I had to widen the wound to get the tip of the arrow out."


    Urich washed his hands in hot water. The stench of blood was everywhere.


    <i>Crackle, crackle.</i>


    The campfire zed fiercely.


    After their battle, Urich, Krika, and Bilker had camped by thekeside. They were not able to get too far away.


    No one was in good shape. Bilker was nearly dead from the arrow wound, Krika suffered from a high fever, and even Urich also had deep cuts.


    "Huff, huff."


    Bilker¡¯s condition was the worst of the three. He had lost his psychological stability, and was never strong against physical injuries, either.


    "Getting hit by arrows isn¡¯t for everyone," Urich muttered.


    Urich was finally tending to his own wounds. He applied a paste made of herbs to his injuries.


    "He still seems pretty out of it," he said as he waved his hand in front of Bilker''s eyes. Bilker''s pupils did not follow his motions.


    The three battered men took a short rest and wandered looking for a farm vige nearby. They didn''t find one but stumbled upon a hunter''s cabin in the woods.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    "At least we can get out of the wind here."


    Urichid Bilker on a bed.


    Krika, even while staggering, stoked the firece. He silently did his job despite being on the brink of copsing from fever.


    <i>''I''ve thought of this before, but Krika has potential.''</i>


    He was a boy who would be something significant if he grew up. His actions were the epitome of a warrior society.


    "Let''s stay here today and find a vige tomorrow."


    Urich pulled his cloak tighter and sat in front of the firece. He reached into his mouth and pulled out a tooth that came loose after being cracked.


    <i>''The arrow that went through my cheek damaged my tooth too.''</i>


    Urich showed a bitter grin. Another wound was added to the collection.


    <i>¡®Even the finest sword rusts and loses its edge over time... My body will also break down eventually.¡¯</i>


    Not even the strongest warrior was immune to the flow of time.


    <i>¡®What can I do before my body gets shattered?¡¯</i>


    Urich quietly watched the campfire.


    Krika hesitated to speak easily to Urich. A feeling of reverence welled up inside him.


    <i>¡®He is the warrior of warriors.¡¯</i>


    The ideal warrior Krika always imagined was right here. Urich possessed a body like steel and a spirit as steadfast as the mountains. No warrior who had seen Urich in battle could withhold respect.


    "Krika, try to sleep soon," Urich spoke after feeling Krika¡¯s gaze.


    Krika hesitated for a second, then finally spoke, "Urich, what god do you believe in?"


    "Not sure."


    Urich paused. He felt an emptiness.


    "You wield your sword without even knowing where you''ll end up when you die?"


    Krika let out a hollowugh, then rubbed his throbbing head.


    "Eh, I¡¯m sure someone will take my soul if they want it," Urich said with a chuckle. He felt the gods frequently eyeing his soul with greed.


    <i>¡®Am I really loved by the gods?¡¯</i>


    It was an arrogant thought. However, Urich often felt transcendent gazes.


    <i>¡®Even right now, if I turn my head and look into the darkness...¡¯</i>


    Urich blinked. He looked out the window, then turned his gaze back to the firece.


    Krika and Urich exchanged a few trivial words before shutting their eyes. Both were so tired that they fell asleep quickly.


    Urich fell into a deep sleep for once. He was hardly able to wake up, even as groans sounded near him.


    "Urich."


    Krika woke Urich. His fever had significantly dropped overnight, so he was feeling much better.


    "Ughhh."


    Urich raised his creaking head. His whole body ached after a night''s sleep.


    "Bilker''s condition is strange."


    "Of course, it''s strange. He was hit by an arrow yesterday."


    Urich grumbled as he approached Bilker''s bed. He checked Bilker''s condition and grimaced.


    "The wound has festered. His blood¡¯s been contaminated," Urich said after examining Bilker''s wound.


    "Does that mean he¡¯s going to die?"


    "That''s up to the gods."


    "Bilker betrayed Ulgaro. A wound taken in battle won''t heal easily. Now is the time he needs Ulgaro''s protection, not Lou''s," Krika said, trying to take Bilker''s sun ne.


    Bilker, who had been groaning the whole time, opened his eyes and grabbed Krika''s hand to stop him.


    "Don''t... Not that... Don''t take Lou away from me."


    "Bilker, Lou hasn''t protected you."


    "Ulgaro will take me. That cannot happen. I am not a warrior. I would only suffer on the Field of Swords."


    Bilker trembled. His shivering was from fear and anxiety, not physical pain.


    Urich quietly ced the sun ne back around Bilker''s neck.


    "Going to the Field of Swords is an honor, Bilker," Krika said, but Bilker didn''t respond.


    Urich replied in Bilker¡¯s ce, "That would be true if he were a warrior."


    Krika closed his mouth. There was nothing to say when a warrior superior to him spoke like that.


    Bilker continued to shiver. He clutched the sun ne he had received from Lagerik and didn''t let go. Finally, he spoke to Urich.


    "P-please, take me to a Sun Temple. I would like to see a priest."


    Krika grimaced, and Urich just nodded.


    Urich hefted Bilker onto a stretcher in the hunter''s cabin. Urich''s own wounds reopened, and blood seeped out.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich and Krika walked out of the forest. They expected a vige or a farm nearby, given the dense forest and the hunter''s cabin.


    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>


    From afar, the sound of chopping echoed. As Urich headed in the direction of the noise, they spotted some people.


    Lumberjacks were cutting down trees along the edge of the forest. They gathered around and murmured upon noticing Urich and Krika.


    "We''re looking for a priest of Lou. We will pay any appropriate fee. Is there a temple nearby?"


    The lumberjacks looked anxiously at Urich and Krika, worried about any trouble that might happen after letting some injured warriors into their vige.


    "Just keep moving, away from us. We don''t want to get involved in anything messy."


    "You see this kid behind me? He''s been shot with an arrow and might die, so we¡¯re looking for a priest before he dies. Don''t northern men have even that much generosity and magnanimity? Did chopping wood instead of people turn all of you into cowards, or something? If enemiese, I''ll fight them off for you! I am Urich, and I swear to you on my name."


    Urich pointed to Bilker on the stretcher. His condition was visibly poor.


    "There is a priest visiting the vige for a mission. I heard he''s just an apprentice, but a priest is a priest."


    One of the lumberjacks led Urich''s group to the vige, which was modest andcked even the mostmon proper facilities.


    "Priest man! You have visitors!"


    As soon as the lumberjack arrived at the vige, he called out loudly.


    The door of a shabby wooden house opened, and a priest dressed in a loose robe under a leather coat came out.


    After hearing the whole story, the priest led Urich''s group inside. It was a house with plenty of heat, so it quickly made them drowsy.


    "Are you followers of Lou?"


    "Just this one."


    Urich set down Bilker.


    The young priest, who hade to the north for missionary work, had a youthful face. Despite his young age, he had been traveling alone in the harsh north for his mission.


    <i>¡®Surely he is a priest with deep faith.''</i>


    Urich liked priests. Being with them wasforting. Especially the priests of Srism, who always responded gently and affirmatively to everything. Such was the teaching of Lou.


    "I-I am afraid," Bilker said to the priest, like a confession.


    "What frightens you, brother?"


    ¡°I am afraid that Lou may not take my soul.¡±


    "And why do you think that?"


    The priest asked back, and Bilker hesitated. Revealing that he was a descendant of Mijorn could put Urich and Krika in danger.


    Bilker remained silent, but Krika, frustrated, spoke from behind.


    "This one is a descendant of that famous Mijorn the Brave of the North. He believes in Lou despite his bloodline."


    The priest was startled and nced back and forth between Urich and Krika, worried about keeping his head after hearing such crucial information.


    "I will not speak of this to anyone else. I swear to Lou."


    "Of course, you won¡¯t. Don''t forget that oath. Remember it like it''s Lou''s teaching."


    Urich chimed in with a grin. The priest broke out in cold sweat, realizing that Urich was not joking.


    "Ulgaro covets my soul. I am not a warrior. Ulgaro''s side is not my ce," Bilker opened up.


    Krika was ufortable but did not interfere. Perhaps Bilker really was close to death. One shouldn''t disturb another¡¯s rest of the afterlife.


    As Bilker and the priest talked, Krika and Urich waited in the next room.


    "Urich, what will you do if Bilker dies?"


    "That¡¯s what I want to ask you. What are you going to do?¡±


    Krika fell silent. The silence lingered.


    After a while, Bilker and the priest''s conversation ended. The priest approached Krika.


    "What do you want, priest? I''m not a follower of Lou. I have no business with you."


    "Bilker is asking for you."


    "Me? Not Urich?"


    The priest nodded.


    Krika got up and sat next to the bed where Bilker was lying.

 Chapter 224

    <h4>Chapter 224</h4>


    Bilker''s blood was rotting. When blood rots, it doesn''t just affect one area. The entire body begins to decay, not leaving a single healthy spot on the body. It was the condition that was most feared by wounded warriors. Knowing this, it wasmon for weapons to be smeared with filth to contaminate the enemy''s blood.


    "Feeling better now, huh?"


    "Much better."


    Bilker''s expression was serene. Only he and the priest knew what they had discussed.


    "You''re probably going to die," Krika spoke the truth. Bilker''s condition was only worsening and was not showing any signs of improvement.


    "I¡¯m sure you know this, Krika, but I''ve always been a pathetic man."


    "Pathetic, indeed. Can¡¯t fight, don¡¯t have a strong will, all of it. You had a bunch of chances to change your fate, but you missed them every time."


    "If you were me, things would have been different. Definitely different..."


    Bilker spoke but suddenly choked. Veins popped on his face. Shadowy figures seemed to move across the dark ceiling.


    "Ah, aaaah!"


    Bilker had a seizure. Krika waited until it subsided.


    "What did you see, Bilker?"


    Warriors on the brink of death often became spiritually sensitive. They saw things that were normally unseen. These warriors were no different from shamans.


    <i>''Bilker isn''t a warrior, but...''</i>


    With bloodshot eyes, Bilker raised a finger.


    "Ulgaro is still after my soul. He¡¯s waiting outside to take me away. Oh, Lou, please take my soul," Bilker prayed.


    Krika looked annoyed. He was still angry with Bilker for denying Ulgaro.


    "Just tell me what you called me in for already."


    "I need you to do me a favor, Krika."


    "A favor?"


    "I need you to take my name."


    Krika''s eyebrows twitched. Bilker reached out and grabbed Krika''s arm.


    "Piss off with that bullshit," Krika snapped.


    "You will be Bilker from now on. Not many people know my face, anyway. You are the one who can truly be the descendant of Mijorn. The descendant of Mijorn that everybody wanted. A brave and strong boy warrior."


    "I''m not of Mijorn''s bloodline. I would be deceiving everyone."


    "It''s not deception. It''s literally taking over my existence. I''ll be nothing, returning to Lou. All the glory of Ulgaro and the halo of Mijorn will be yours. Krika, I know that this is what you''ve always wanted."


    Krika''s heart pounded, and it wasn¡¯t because of his fever this time. His future shed before his excited eyes.


    <i>''The king of the north.''</i>


    The king of warriors, racing across thend.


    Krika had always been jealous of Bilker. He despised the person who had all the conditions to be a great warrior but instead groveled and believed in Lou like an idiot.


    "Take my fate, Krika!" Bilker shouted as he coughed up blood. His words pounded Krika''s heart.


    "M-me, the descendant of Mijorn...?"


    "Today, here, it is not Bilker who dies but a nameless coward! The brave Bilker will fulfill Mijorn''s will and be the king of the north!"


    For the first time, Bilker''s fervor overwhelmed Krika. Bilker''s desperate desire warmed the room.


    Passing on the fate of being Mijorn''s descendant. If Bilker gives up being Bilker, even if he doesn''t be a warrior and believes in Lou, Ulgaro will not care.


    "Please. Do it for me, Krika."


    "If I be Bilker, I will not believe in Lou. My soul will always belong to Ulgaro."


    "You just have to pretend to believe."


    Krika''s pupils were starting into a distant future. A shiver ran down his spine.


    <i>''I will be the one to carry out Mijorn¡¯s dream. I will erect a kingdom of Ulgaro in the north, not a kingdom of Lou.''</i>


    <i>Rattle!</i>


    Suddenly, a fierce wind battered the window. The old blinds shattered, letting in a cold gust that swept over Krika and Bilker.


    The wind sounded almost like a roar from Ulgaro. Bilker and Krika stared wide-eyed at each other.


    <i>''A revtion.''</i>


    Krika walked over to close the window. He looked in the direction from which the wind blew. Ulgaro was the god of the north. All things northern were as good as his limbs.


    <i>Whoooosh.</i>


    The wind brushed through Krika''s hair. He stared into the darkness for a long time before closing the window and sitting back down.


    "Tell me everything I need to know in order to be Bilker. We don''t have too much time."


    Krika warmed some honey water and held it to Bilker''s lips.


    After wetting his lips, Bilker began to speak of his tribe and his mother. Krika listened intently, determined not to forget a single word of Bilker''s story.


    The night waned.


    * * *


    Bilker didn¡¯tst much longer. He suffered excruciating pain, yet he stillcked the resolve to ask someone to end his life. Eventually, he died in agony.


    "Lou, your son returns to you."


    The priest recited a prayer. Bilker''s body was consumed by mes along with the firewood. The funeral was attended only by Urich and Krika.


    "May this fragile soul not wander but be guided by your hand."


    The priest finished speaking and closed his eyes as the smoke soared into the clear sky.


    "To the very end, he was not manly at all."


    Krika looked up. Bilker had fled from his duties and responsibilities.


    "That¡¯s probably true, by the standards of the north."


    Urich walked into the swirling smoke. Though only three days had passed, Urich''s wounds had significantly healed. The speed of his body¡¯s regeneration was extraordinary.


    "You said you¡¯re the plunderer from the west, right? What''s your n now?"


    "Fight the empire. I''m not naive enough to be okay with watching my people be enved. The emperor won''t give up, even if it means the downfall of the empire."


    "You talk as if you know the emperor well."


    "At least better than you, Krika," Urich spoke nonchntly.


    Krika shook his head and replied, "From now on, call me Bilker, Urich the western plunderer."


    Urichughed heartily. He patted Krika on the shoulder and watched until the nameless corpse waspletely consumed by fire.


    "I''ll help you be the king of the north. But in return, you will also help me, Bilker."


    Krika abandoned his name. He swore to live as Bilker from then on.


    After the funeral, Urich and Bilker returned to the northerners who believed in Lou. The encampment still had many Sun Warriors and devout followers of Lou.


    "That guy doesn¡¯t look like the Bilker we sawst t¡ª"


    "Shush. That''s not what¡¯s important. What is really important is the fact that the descendant of Mijorn hase to us."


    The northerners who had seen Bilker''s face kept quiet. Only a few knew the real Bilker.


    "I, Bilker, will be baptized."


    Bilker was baptized in front of many northerners. With many witnesses to the baptism, the news of Bilker''s conversion spread throughout the north.


    "Even the descendant of Mijorn has converted to Lou!"


    The baptism became a deciding point for the warriors who were hesitant between Lou and Ulgaro.


    The Sun Warriors who had joined the north and priests in support of northern independence created a new Northern Srism, adapting the existing doctrines to fit the north''s reality and, most importantly, proiming that the freedom of the north was Lou''s will.


    The northern independence army quickly expanded its forces. Before engaging with the empire, they attacked the warriors of Ulgaro first.


    The attack on the warriors of Ulgaro was Bilker''s idea.


    "They are the hostile ones, and they also know that I am a fake."


    Bilker''s eyes glinted coldly. He was a warrior, and he knew how to fight.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll send you all to Ulgaro.¡¯</i>


    Though his faith was officially with Lou, his spirit remained with Ulgaro. Ulgaro was his god, and the conversion was merely superficial. Some Sun Warriors and priests understood Bilker''s intentions but still went along with it. Establishing a kingdom for the northerners was the immediate priority.


    "Wooooaaah!"


    The independence army attacked an encampment of the warriors of Ulgaro. Over five thousand northern warriors charged across the snowy ins. The fewer than a thousand warriors of Ulgaro resisted fiercely but were quickly overwhelmed.


    "The descendant of Mijorn! Bilker is with us!"


    The warriors shouted as Bilker fought at the forefront to earn their trust. Urich protected him by his side.


    "Woah, watch out, Kri... ah, oops, Bilker."


    Urich snatched Bilker and tossed him behind himself just as an arrow lodged in the spot where Bilker had been standing.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve lost count of how many times Urich saved my life...¡¯</i>


    Bilker, having fallen on his backside, looked up at Urich''s back.


    Bilker quickly gained the support of the northern warriors. Despite always leading their charge, he always returned from the battlefield unscathed. The warriors imed that Bilker had the protection of a god.


    <i>¡®The one who actually has the divine protection is Urich.¡¯</i>


    Several battles for the unification of the north took ce. Throughout these, Bilker returned without a scratch, thanks entirely to Urich''s protection.


    "Wooooaaah! Come at us!"


    Urich bellowed loudly. The warriors who were targeting Bilker hesitated. Urich leaped among them and swung his sword and axe. Blood sprayed in all directions with each turn Urich made.


    Urich''s bravery was renowned among the northern warriors as well. Seeing Urich, they felt an affinity for the westerners whom they had never even met. If westerners were also great warriors, there was no reason to refuse an alliance. They even had amon enemy.


    Bilker also took up a spear and ran to Urich''s side. He advanced, killing the warriors of Ulgaro.


    "Y-you! You are K-Krika!"


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s actually Bilker.¡±


    Bilker mercilessly killed an enemy who recognized him. The northerners were a people who tore into each other if they didn¡¯t have amon enemy. There was no mercy, even among their own people and religion. Of course, they were fiercer toward their enemies.


    The north that was scattered became unified in just two months. The imperial army stationed in the north couldn''t hastily attack the independence army that had grown significantly, as the independence army grew faster than the empire could reinforce.


    As soon as the northern independence army was stabilized, Urich formalized the alliance between the north and the west with official documents. He had brought Georg all the way to the far north for this reason.


    "With this, we are officially allies."


    Georg rolled up the parchment marked with a palm print. It was drafted in the style of an alliance between kingdoms.


    "I don¡¯t know how much this thing actually means, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be better than nothing."


    Urich took the parchment and stored it.


    "Many of the key figures in the northern independence army are Sun Warriors. They are men who value honor and promises. Plus, the boy to be the king of the north likes you. He probably admires you. You can tell just by looking into his eyes. It¡¯ll be an alliance that won¡¯t be broken too easily."


    Georg smirked. He was pleased to be doing something that was quite scribe-like. Drafting the document and reciting it in front of many felt like he had be a high-ranking official of a kingdom.


    "What''s the news from the Arten outpost?"


    "This is month-old information, but they''re still holding out there. I did hear rumors that the imperial army was nning to attack the outpost. They think it would be easier to start by clearing out the west before challenging the swollen north. If they take the Arten outpost, at least they can block off the west."


    From the empire''s perspective, they had to eliminate one of the two fronts, north or west. The distance between the north and the west was too vast, making it difficult for even the empire to manage both simultaneously.


    "We¡¯re going back to the Arten outpost," Urich said as he leaned back in his chair.


    The northern independence army sent a hundred northern warriors under Urich as a token of the alliance and friendship. The northerners had volunteered themselves for the journey out of admiration for Urich¡¯s valor.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The wooden grains of the chair that Urich was sitting on split. Urich rested his chin in his hand and closed his eyes.


    <i>¡®Samikan, now it''s time for me to see what you are made of.¡¯</i>


    Urich hadpleted a big job. When he returned to the Arten outpost, many brothers would chant his name. Samikan¡¯s jealousy was all but confirmed.


    <i>"If you try to undermine me again, I will not let it slide this time."</i>


    Urich left the north a weekter. Behind him followed around a hundred warriors.

 Chapter 225: Mandate of Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 225: Mandate of Heaven</h4>


    Wars happened in winter. In agrarian cultures, winter was when the most people could be called to assemble an army.


    Despite the season being immediately after the end of the bountiful autumn, farmers were never wealthy. Whether freemen or serfs, after paying heavy taxes to the nobles, they barely had anything left for themselves. Poor farmers even joined wars for money to get through the harsh winter.


    In a forest not far from the Arten outpost was an imperial camp. Though this army was not formed with elite men, they still had over eight thousand imperial troops who were preparing for a siege.


    "They have trampled and destroyed ournds! How long will we tolerate the barbarian''s tyranny? Who are we? We are the guardians of civilization and His Imperial Majesty¡¯s sword and shield!"


    "Ooh! Ooh!"


    Commander Vagna gave a speech. He belonged to the pro-imperial faction and was assigned to blockade the Arten outpost.


    <i>¡®The barbarians are not familiar with sieges.¡¯</i>


    The attack that was about to be carried out was solely Vagna¡¯s decision. The emperor¡¯s orders were to simply form a blockade, but Vagna pressed for an assault.


    <i>¡®Blockading the outpost is pointless since the barbarians keep receiving their supplies from the west. If we don''t attack, this is all meaningless. His Majesty would have ordered an attack if he were on the field. He just doesn''t see the situation from the pce.¡¯</i>


    Vagna had conscripted siege materials and troops from the nearby vassal states. No vassal state could refuse an imperial general''s request, but that did not mean that they submitted easily.


    "Hmph, look at these outdated siege weapons, how pathetic!"


    Vagna grimaced at the assembled catapult. It was practically a relic that had been used decades ago. The forces provided by the vassals were also either sick ves or criminals.


    <i>¡®Once we take care of the northern and western barbarians, you''re next, you damn kingdom scums!¡¯</i>


    The long peaceful times and recent conduct of the empire had weakened its control over the vassals.


    "General, are we really going to attack?" A concerned adjutant asked.


    "Are you questioning my decision?" Vagna retorted.


    "It won¡¯t be toote if we wait for His Majesty¡¯s permission. If, by any chance, things go wrong..."


    "Are you worrying about losing before we''ve even started? Do you still call yourself an imperial knight? I have His Majesty¡¯s favor. Dismiss your unreasonable concern!" Vagna shouted, and the adjutant fell silent.


    <i>¡®If I seed in wiping out the barbarians, which even Carnius failed to do, I''ll be the next face of our military! I, this Vagna, will be the knight of knights.¡¯</i>


    Vagna''s eyes were already looking at a shiny future.


    <i>¡®They might have bested us in battles, but we are much superior to the barbarians when ites to sieges.¡¯</i>


    Strong walls were a privilege of civilization and a product of a concentratedbor force in agrarian societies. Civilized armies were specialists at both holding and taking ground.


    <i>¡®You might have broken through a few walls, but you have no experience defending against a siege.¡¯</i>


    Vagna gazed at the Arten outpost. It was a fortposed of a mix of wood and stone. Though the barbarians had worked on fortifying it, it was feeblepared to the walls of civilization.


    Vagna''s assessment was also somewhat urate. With an imperial siege attack imminent, many opinions were shing within the alliance.


    The tribal council of the alliance often had at least ten and up to over thirty participants. Chiefs from various tribes, big and small, voiced their opinions.


    "Let''s open the gates and charge at them! Are we just going to sit here and get attacked?"


    "Abandon a favorable defense to attack? Opening our gates is exactly what they want us to do!"


    "That''s only if we''re used to defending. What about when their boulders start raining down on us? Are we just going to sit behind our gates and take it?"


    The Arten outpost had no defensive weaponry. And its walls were too crude to withstand a proper siege.


    Samikan, who was watching the chiefs argue, rubbed his chest and shouted, "Noah! How many warriors do we have?"


    "About five thousand. If we order a conscription, we should be able to muster about ten thousand in total in a fortnight."


    The alliance had been traveling back and forth through Yailrud to the west. The warriors rested in shifts while stationed at the Arten outpost. The various tribes around the Sky Mountains were urbanizing, with people from different tribes mixing with others.


    "Dear brothers, there is no need for us to be rmed. This is actually a great opportunity for us," Samikan spoke. Some chiefs nodded, understanding his meaning.


    "The Great Chief is right. We are hungry. At some point, we were going to have to break through the imperial blockade to go plunder."


    The west¡¯s ability to produce couldn''t sustain the alliance''s supply demand. The westerners had to fight among themselves in the past because they didn''t have enough food and resources. What theirnd gave them wasn¡¯t enough to sustain their growing poption.


    Contrary to the empire''s belief, the west was fully going to self-destruct if it had just maintained their blockade. The empire was unaware of the west''s barrenness. Had they known, they would have focused on building forts near the alliance to iste them.


    Theck of scouting for information about the west was the empire''s fatal weakness.


    They feared the west because they didn''t know what was there. Fear of the unknown elevated the plunderers from the west to a terrifying being.


    <i>¡®We would have had to attack them eventually anyway. We should be thanking them for attacking us first.¡¯</i>


    Samikan smirked until he grimaced from chest pain. He took out and swallowed a pill.


    <i>¡®The Great Chief¡¯s illness is bad.¡¯</i>


    The chiefs nced at Samikan.


    No one was unaware of Samikan''s illness. The lung disease he had contracted from the injury in the other battle was not going away easily.


    "Issue a call-up to all tribes and tell the warriors to prepare for battle. When the siege starts, that¡¯s when we will strike them."


    Samikan dered his decision, and the chiefs cheered.


    "War!"


    "Prepare to fight!"


    As soon as the meeting was adjourned, the chiefs came out shouting. The eyes of the hungry and weary warriors gleamed.


    "Fiiiiiight!"


    They roared, sharpening their weapons. These warriors were men who had already tasted the sweetness of plundering civilization. They learned that they could get anything they wanted by plundering the civilized cities and that doing the same to each other in the west was fruitless.


    <i>¡®We can''t go back to the west without gaining anything.¡¯</i>


    The warriors of the alliance realized how futile it was to fight among themselves.


    "We will be taking this fertilend."


    Even if they returned to the west, they would just end up shedding blood in tribal conflicts. If blood had to be shed, it was better shed in the civilized world than back home.


    "Great Chief Samikan will lead us."


    The Great Chief Samikan was the one who led the warriors. The great warrior who ended the civil wars in the west and extended their power outward.


    "No, Urich is still the greatest warrior."


    "That Urich abandoned us and ran away."


    "Bullshit! The Son of the Earth does not run! He will return with a new ally."


    There was an argument among the warriors. It had been half a year since Urich had left the alliance. Many warriors were disappointed in him. There were rumors that he had abandoned his brothers and fled.


    However, the warriors of Valdima who had fought alongside Urich in the mes still waited for him.


    "Urich will not abandon us. He is not the kind of man who would ignore his brothers."


    It was easy to recognize the warriors of Valdima. The warriors with the burn scars from Valdima were obvious with a single nce. They took pride in their terrible burns. There were more than a thousand Valdima warriors, so they were not a minority within the alliance. And there were plenty of other warriors who followed Urich besides them.


    However, even that influence of Urich gradually declined during his absence. There were many who resented Urich for not returning even as a battle approached.


    Ahead of the battle, Samikan called for Six-Fingered. It was a long tradition to conduct rituals and divinations before a major event.


    "Cast for our victory, Six-Fingered."


    Samikan gestured with his chin while sitting in his chair. Six-Fingered, wearing a hat made from bird feathers, stretched his six-fingered hands forward and chuckled. His staff, made of palm tree wood, was adorned with a bear''s paw.


    "The will of the heavens is known only on the day, Great Chief," Six-Fingered said, grinning with his buck teeth.


    "You are not a seer of the heavens. You are simply a spokesperson for my will."


    Until now, Six-Fingered had manipted divinations ording to Samikan''s will. Those who did notply with Samikan''s will were beheaded.


    "I can no longer falsify divinations. Many other shamans are watching us."


    "Do you think your head will stay on your shoulders if you give wrong predictions?"


    "Do you think you can still have the heavens on your back after you cut off my head? Oh, almighty Great Chief."


    Six-Fingered''s sarcasm made Samikan stand up abruptly. He drew his sword and pointed it at Six-Fingered''s neck.


    "Is a mere shaman like you challenging my authority?"


    "Me? How could I ever? I am just trying my best to convince you."


    Six-Fingered subtly pushed the de away.


    <i>''This sly shaman...''</i>


    Samikan''s eyes glittered with murderous intent. Six-Fingered felt a chill down his spine.


    <i>''But Samikan cannot kill me.''</i>


    Six-Fingered was the shaman who had been coborating with Samikan for a long time. Just as Samikan was the chief of chiefs, Six-Fingered ruled over other shamans.


    <i>''Without me, he can''t control the shamans of the alliance. It would also be difficult to raise a shaman who could be his hands and feet during such times.''</i>


    Samikan relied heavily on divine promations for his authority and legitimacy. Gaining the support of the shamans was crucial.


    "However, to convince other priests, we need good bait. Only with good bait can you catch a big fish," Six-Fingered spoke cautiously.


    Samikan scoffed at Six-Fingered¡¯s implication.


    ¡°Are you proposing that you and I make a deal? Hah!"


    "Please make a seat for the priests in the tribal council."


    Samikan''sughter stopped and turned into a frown.


    "Shamans have no business in external matters! That is not your job! Are you shamans nning to meddle in the affairs of us warriors?"


    "We became involved in those ¡®external matters¡¯ and not the work of the heavens the moment we forged the first divination at your request."


    Six-Fingered was reaching his hand into politics. The alliance was currently governed by its warriors and chiefs with Samikan at their epicenter. Shamans were merely supporters.


    "Those who do not even shed blood in battle are craving power..."


    Samikan sat back down,ughing helplessly.


    "I believe this is a fair request. It is not just my will but that of all the priests."


    Six-Fingered closed his eyes and bowed his head, waiting for Samikan''s permission.


    "You six-fingered fool. Power is a double-edged sword. If you wield power, you must ept the corresponding risks and dangers. I have been your shield thus far, protecting you from all sorts of storms. This deal... am I safe to assume that this is your way of telling me you no longer require my protection?"


    Samikan spoke drily. Six-Fingered could not dare to meet Samikan''s gaze directly.


    "I have enough strength to protect myself."


    "Well, see if you can protect this power that you¡¯ve gained with your petty tricks."


    "I will take that as your permission."


    Six-Fingered left Samikan, stepping backward.


    There was a change in the tribal council from the next day. Six-Fingered and four other priests attended the meeting and intervened in the politics of the alliance. They represented not just their tribes but all shamans.

 Chapter 226

    <h4>Chapter 226</h4>


    Noah Arten limped on his prosthetic as he surveyed the outpost.


    <i>''The Arten outpost.''</i>


    The fortress was named after Noah¡¯s house. Every time he heard that name, his heart fluttered but also ached at the same time.


    <i>''Am I a traitor to my family...''</i>


    Noah was fighting on the side of the western barbarians. Sometimes, an irredeemable sense of guilt overwhelmed him.


    "Sigh."


    Whenever he felt tormented by guilt, he muttered the name of Lou.


    <i>''If what I am doing is wrongful in your eyes, please punish me.''</i>


    Noah was always torn. He needed to uphold his loyalty to Samikan, who was like a brother to him, yet he was a person of civilized dignity and ethics. As the conflict deepened, his eyes aged as well.


    "Oh, Lou..."


    Noah murmured as he limped up to the walls. The walls that have been reinforced were sturdier than in their early days. The moat had also been dug deep, so the sound of rippling water filled the air when the wind blew.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Noah leaned on the railing and looked down at the moat. He was filled with the urge to jump off.


    <i>''The imperial camp is shining over there.''</i>


    Noah shook his head as if he was trying to shake off the grim thoughts. He inhaled the cold night air and then blinked at a noise.


    "Chief Belrua."


    Belrua emerged from the darkness. Her eyes were gleaming as she observed Noah''s movements.


    "What are you doing there?"


    "Just getting some fresh air."


    "What if you catch an arrow in your head because you¡¯re poking it out the wall? Are you not our precious strategist?" Belrua half-joked.


    "You do not need to worry about me. How are you feeling? How is your body holding up?"


    "Fit as ever. I could even go into battle."


    Despite her advancing pregnancy, her body was still as agile as ever. Her body, reinforced by her strong muscles, did not rust one bit. Of course, entering the battlefield would likely lead to miscarriage.


    "Samikan must be quite worried. If it''s a boy, it''ll be the heir to the alliance."


    "Of course! He knows he doesn¡¯t have much time left, either."


    "People with chronic diseases can still live long lives. Well then, I''ll be going."


    Noah tried to pass by Belrua.


    <i>Tap.</i>


    Belrua grasped Noah''s shoulder with her strong hand. She growled with her low voice.


    "Don''t do anything stupid, or even think of something along that line. You''re one of us now. If you go back, you''ll be nothing."


    Belrua was the one reigning over the Red Sand warriors. Her eyes were broad and sharp.


    "That will not happen."


    "People lie. Everyone does."


    "I do not do anything that would dishonor my god."


    "That great Sun God? Samikan wears that ne too. He says your god might ward off his lung disease."


    The westerners worshipped several nature gods, and the Sun God was simply one of them. No one criticized Samikan for wearing the sun ne.


    "It''s not wise to spheme the gods. You should be more careful with your words. There is no such thing as a secret before Lou."


    Noah was a devout knight. He expressed displeasure at Belrua''s impudence.


    "I''m going to leave the Arten outpost. I can¡¯t fight while I¡¯m carrying a potential heir to the alliance."


    "I wish you a safe delivery. That child is also the child of my dear friend, Samikan."


    "Yes, that''s right. It''s Samikan''s and my child."


    Belrua caressed her belly. Her abs were so firm that her belly didn''t protrude much.


    "...When this child is born, I don¡¯t want his father to be dead. I don''t want it to be a child born with misfortune and curses."


    When a child was born without a father, it symbolized misfortune. It was like the child consumed the father''s life to be born.


    "It seems you doubt my friendship and loyalty... Listen well, Belrua. I have served Samikan longer than you and fought alongside him. Our bond is deeper than what you know. If you are truly a chief and not just another woman, I¡¯m sure you would understand."


    Belrua looked into Noah''s eyes. She released her grip on his shoulder.


    "Maybe I was too sensitive. Yes, I¡¯m sure Samikan knows you better than I do."


    "Very well, then."


    Belrua watched as Noah walked away. She soon called one of her confidants and whispered in their ear.


    "Keep an eye on Noah Arten. His heart definitely wavered just now. Samikan is not in his right mind right now. He trusts Noah blindly."


    A Red Sand warrior nodded. The warriors continued to monitor Noah''s movements in shifts.


    <i>¡®The alliance is a mess.''</i>


    Belrua then turned her gaze to the imperial camp. The campfires burning at the imperial camp flickered in the distance.


    <i>''The times of conquering the wastnds were better. Things were straightforward and simple.''</i>


    The situation was no longer simple. As big the alliance has grown, so have the conflicts over various interests.


    "Six-Fingered has garnered the shamans'' support and meddled in politics. I should have dealt with him before he got that much power..."


    Six-Fingered couldn¡¯t be killed anymore. The ambitions of the shamans had already been ignited. Killing Six-Fingered might only bring a more radical shaman to take his ce.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s still better to have Six-Fingered, who¡¯s been working with Samikan for a long time, than letting some other shaman take his ce.''</i>


    Belrua scratched her head.


    "The night air is chilly, chief."


    A serving woman ced a coat over Belrua''s shoulders. Belrua caressed the woman¡¯s chin, then lifted it.


    "Then I should get you to keep me warm."


    The woman blushed and bowed her head.


    After spending the night at the Arten outpost, Belrua returned to the west the next day. She encountered warriors rejoining the outpost.


    "Chief Belrua."


    "May you have a safe delivery."


    "May the sessor of the alliance be blessed and protected!"


    Belrua responded in kind as she crossed the lengthy Yailrud. At the edge of Yailrud, she looked back.


    "Urich."


    She might never see him again.


    <i>''Neither of us managed to keep our promises.''</i>


    The secrets of steel remained unearthed. The imperial army managed and guarded the cksmiths who could handle steel as if they were their most precious treasure. The cksmiths apanying them in battle were merely apprentices at best.


    Belrua took out her meteorite dagger. It was a dagger that was made from a rock that fell from the sky. A mysterious de that didn¡¯t rust even when it wasn¡¯t greased.


    <i>''I wanted to give you this as a gift if we met again.''</i>


    Belrua had a guilt for Urich. She had just watched as Samikan kept Urich in check. She could have helped but chose to just watch for her own and her tribe''s safety.


    "There is no doubt that..."


    Belrua smiled bitterly with a scarred face. She, too, had seen and understood the civilized world with her own eyes.


    <i>''Urich, you are a hero. You chose the path of struggle for the sake of your people and brothers. If it were me, I would have lived integrated into the civilized world for my own desires.''</i>


    Belrua twirled the meteorite dagger in her hand and then sheathed it. She did not look back again. She prepared for the birth of her child in the west. Even healthy tribeswomen often died in childbirth.


    For women, giving birth to a child was as dangerous as going into battle. Belrua steeled herself and quietly waited for the time.


    * * *


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    The imperial soldiers tilted back the catapultuncher to load it. Grunting, the soldiers hoisted a boulder as big as a person onto it.


    <i>Peeeeep!</i>


    The officers whistled to signal thepletion of loading.


    "Fiiiiiire!"


    General Vagna shouted loudly. The standard-bearer waved a red g.


    <i>Thuuush!</i>


    The catapultunchers rose one by one. There were three catapults, and that was plenty to attack a crude fortress.


    <i>Thuuush!</i>


    The boulders fell inside the Arten Outpost.


    "Duck!"


    "The rocks areing!"


    "Oooooooh!"


    Warriors crushed by the rocks were smashed beyond recognition.


    Inside the Arten outpost, warriors stood by, frowning as they watched their brothers die right beside them.


    <i>Clink, clink.</i>


    Shamans walked among the warriors, shaking bones of animals. They poured blessings and protection over their heads.


    "My brothers, today is a good day to shed some blood."


    Samikan walked out to where the warriors were gathered. His presence made the warriors part to the sides.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    The boulders from the catapults were still falling. Screams were heard from various ces.


    Samikan acted as if he were immune to the stones,ughing loudly as he surveyed the warriors.


    "I will keep this nice and short. The will of the heavens is with me, and I, Samikan, am with you. What more do you need? We are the army of the heavens! Under the open sky, we cannot be defeated! The heavens have spoken of our victory! Mother Earth desires the blood of our enemies! My brothers, who is the man standing before you!"


    Six-Fingered''s divination had long confirmed this. The heavens had dered Samikan''s victory.


    Samikan shouted as if hecked any signs of illness. His presence greatly boosted the warriors'' morale. Despite the falling boulders, Samikan proimed victory right in the midst of his warriors.


    "Open the gate!¡±


    The fort''s gates creaked open.


    Sitting and taking hits was not in their nature. The fierce warriors shrugged their shoulders and roared savagely.


    "Hooooo."


    Samikan was the first to step out of the fort. He sniffed the battlefield, and the air seemed already thick with the scent of blood.


    <i>''The Sun God Lou, was it? There¡¯s no harm in receiving plenty of divine blessings.''</i>


    Samikan lightly kissed the sun ne he had gotten from Noah. He already felt his breath quickening in his chest.


    "Signal the charge!"


    The warrior with the horn blew a long st.


    "Oooooooh!"


    The two thousand-man units who had snuck out from the rear gates of the outpost appeared on the left and right. They were nning to attack the imperial camp from all sides.


    "W-what is this? Why are theying out from there? Did they not juste out of the gates?"


    General Vagna was greatly rmed. He hurriedly called his troops into formation. But with most of the soldiers poorly trained, the army failed to move as one and moved significantly slower than ideal.


    "Form a battle line!"


    The officers shouted among the soldiers. However, the conscripts, who had only about three to four days of training, were woefully unskilled. They were originally deployed for a blockade, so the army was just a ragtag group inted in number.


    "General! A thousand barbarians are surging from both the left and right nks!"


    "I have eyes, too, you fool! Just go andmand your men!"


    General Vagna threw a tantrum. He was part of the pro-imperial faction but was never regarded aspetent inbat. Emperor Yanchinus was aware of this, which was why he had only given Vagna orders to maintain a blockade.


    His loyalty to the emperor had brought about an excessive sense of honor. Vagna had initiatedbat in a situation where he should not have.


    "Archers! Aim ahead! That is where their leader is!"


    Vagna managed toe up with a strategy. In a barbarian society, the one who leads in battle is the leader of the group.


    <i>''Killing the leader of the barbarians will break their spirits.''</i>


    The arrows that were flying in all directions gradually converged into a specific area.


    "Ooooh!"


    Amidst the thunderous voices, Samikan ran. He was getting more and more breathless, but he never gave up the lead. Falling behind in such a battle was going to harm the prestige of the Great Chief.


    <i>''I fled after losing thest battle. I can''t show such a sight again.''</i>


    Samikan suppressed the urge to vomit rising in his throat and shouted.


    "Advaaaaance! They fear us! We are the lightning of the sky! We are terror!"


    His blood-curdling scream rallied the warriors. They advanced regardless of the arrows embedding into their flesh. The frenzy typical of tribal warriors enveloped the army. The relentless barbarian infantry, who would never stop until their heads fell off, were like a nightmare to the imperial soldiers.


    "Give me your blood!"


    Samikan grabbed a soldier by the hair and slit his throat. He did not shun the blood sttering on his face but opened his mouth. As if he was consuming the life of his enemy to make it his own, he swallowed the hot, metallic liquid.


    <i>''Give me time. Whoever it is, grant this Samikan a power that will not crumble...''</i>


    Samikan briefly closed his eyes. As if time had resumed after stopping for a bit, the screams of the battlefield echoed in his ears.


    "Great Chief!"


    The warriors behind him shouted. Suddenly, arrows concentrated and fell among the alliance''s vanguard. The imperial formation was already in disarray, so the imperial troops were also hit by arrows.


    "Protect the Great Chief!"


    The Blue Mist warriors rushed forward. They were warriors determined to protect Samikan, even if it meant their own death.


    Samikan''s view was obscured by the bodies of his warriors. The sticky smell of sweat mixed with the stench of blood filled the air.


    "Kaagh!"


    Most of the arrows hit the warriors in front of Samikan. Even as they died, they did not kneel but protected Samikan. However, an arrow squeezed through the warriors'' armpit gaps.


    "Oho."


    Samikan nced at the arrowhead that had turned into a single point and licked his lips.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    The arrow struck Samikan''s chest. His body staggered and fell backward.

 Chapter 227

    <h4>Chapter 227</h4>


    Samikan thought he was dying. He felt an impact thumping on his chest. Heughed, thinking he should really wear armor next time.


    "Great Chief!"


    The warriors rushed in. They grabbed Samikan and dragged him to the rear of the lines. As Samikan fell, he looked up at the sky and closed his eyes.


    <i>''I wanted to be a great person.''</i>


    A person whose name does not fade over time. Someone who reigns over others and aplishes deeds that everyone looks up to.


    Samikan opened his eyes. It didn¡¯t hurt as much as he thought it would. He looked at his chest.


    <i>Buzz.</i>


    The ce that the arrow was stuck in was the decorative part of his sun ne. The arrow, entangled in the silver sun decoration, had only slightly prated his flesh. In fact, it was barely a graze.


    "It''s a miracle," a warrior who checked Samikan''s wound said.


    "The protection of the heavens has protected the Great Chief!"


    The thunderous voices of the warriors were almost deafening. Samikan looked at the sun ne where the arrow was stuck.


    <i>¡®This thing really saved me...''</i>


    It was a stroke of heavenly luck. There was no other way to describe it. The sun decoration was bent and dented from the impact of the arrow.


    <i>''Sun God Lou.''</i>


    Samikan twisted his lips. He felt like there was a god protecting him. It seemed like an invisible presence was pushing him forward from behind.


    "I guess this means there''s still some time left for me," Samikan muttered as he stood up.


    He picked up the sword he had dropped. The warriors were shocked to see Samikan rise even after being hit by an arrow.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Samikan broke the arrow stuck in the sun decoration and threw it aside.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Samikan raised his sword high. The warriors, who were already fearless to begin with, charged recklessly through iron and arrows as if they were rushing toward their own deaths. No warrior was going to shy away from the attack when even their Great Chief had been hit by an arrow while taking the front.


    The imperial army''s formation crumbled in front of the overwhelming morale. The warriors trampled on the shields of the imperial soldiers and threw themselves between des and spears. Warriors stepping on their brothers'' corpses cut down their enemies as they roared like beasts.


    General Vagna''s strategy had backfired. Not only did he fail to kill the leader of the barbarians, but he ended up boosting their morale. Vagna screamed, watching the copsing formation without even knowing why.


    "P-prepare the horses!"


    General Vagna grabbed the reins and mounted his saddle. He issued a retreat order to his adjutants and knights. The conscripted soldiers on the front lines just died off without even realizing that their leaders were running away and leaving them behind.


    "Shit! Dammit! Sons of bitches!" Vagna spat out curses that were not pointed at anyone specific.


    <i>''I''m finished.''</i>


    He hadpletely wasted troops without yielding significant gain. The western front, which had been barely managing a standoff, was going to be a chaotic battlefield dominated by the barbarians once again.


    The empire was currently focused on the northern front. The organized northerners posed a great threat. If the western front copsed amidst this, it would certainly be a headache, to say the least.


    A knight who sought glory only to face ruin. Vagna had never imagined he would be in such a situation.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow flew from the front. A horseman riding beside Vagna was hit by the arrow and fell off his horse.


    "W-what was that?"


    Vagna turned the horse''s head and ordered his adjutants to advance. The adjutants, with anxious faces, drew their swords and moved forward.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Warriors burst out from both sides of the narrow path.


    Vagna initially thought the western plunderers had also positioned forces in the rear as well, but on closer inspection, their attire was different.


    "Northerners?"


    The way their beards were braided, their long hair tied around their neck to protect it, and the double-handed axes that were characteristic of the northerners. This was unmistakably the northern attire.


    Before Vagna could even speak, the northerners attacked him and his adjutants. Their axes cleanly sliced through the necks of the horses. The knights who fell screeched as the iing des pierced their faces through the visors of their helmets.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich emerged among the northerners. He hurled his axe powerfully and knocked Vagna off his horse.


    "Kagh!"


    Vagna screamed as he fell. He sprained his ankle, but he still tried to get up and flee.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Urich stepped on Vagna''s back and pressed his sword against his neck.


    "Are you themander?"


    "T-That¡¯s right! I am Vagna Borden!"


    Urich kicked Vagna''s head. Vagna promptly passed out as he showed the whites of his eyes.


    "Urich?"


    The alliance warriors who had chased after Vagna widened their eyes as they recognized Urich leading the unfamiliar northerners.


    "Urich is back!"


    The news made its way around the battlefield. Urich''s return was announced.


    Samikan also stood in the middle of the battlefield, covered in blood. Samikan squinted from afar as he watched Urich return.


    * * *


    The spirit of the alliance army was high. They had broken through the empire''s blockade, and Urich, one of the pirs of the alliance, had returned. They collected the imperial soldiers'' weapons and gathered and burned all the bodies at once.


    The warriors held a feast celebrating their victory in the middle of the battlefield where the smell of burning corpses filled the air.


    "Great Chief Samikan wouldn''t die even if arrows hit him."


    "Even death avoids the Great Chief!"


    Tales from the battlefield were exchanged among the warriors, bing their drinking snacks for the feast.


    Meanwhile, the wounded warriors were dying. Shamans prescribed medicine to alleviate the pain of those close to death and prayed for a peaceful afterlife for them.


    "So those people are the people of the north?"


    "They look fierce."


    The northern warriors brought by Urich dined among themselves, asionally ncing at the plunderers from the west andmenting.


    "These plunderers are smaller than I expected. I thought they would all be as big as Urich."


    "Can they even fight properly?"


    "They may not understand ournguage, but I think it would be wise not to underestimate them. They''re an army equipped with experience from fighting the empire numerous times," Sun Warrior Harvald said.


    Harvald had moved with Urich to be in charge of overseeing the northern warriors.


    Urich reunited with the chiefs of the alliance. Many had been waiting for him.


    "Those men are our allies. Currently, the empire is deploying arge part of their troops in the north. The north and the west may not fight together, but we¡¯re both practically benefiting each other."


    "I see, so that''s why there were no reinforcements from the empire."


    "Having two fronts must make things difficult for them."


    Urich had left the alliance by his own ords to form an alliance with the north. Even for the most influential figure after the Great Chief, it was technically an overreach of his authority. But not a single person med Urich.


    Samikan knew that pointing out Urich''s overreach would only diminish his own prestige. Instead, he filled Urich''s cup and smiled.


    "Let¡¯s raise our sses for Urich, my brother and the Son of the Earth!"


    Samikan raised his ss high. Other chiefs shouted and clinked sses.


    "Are these northerners trustworthy?" Samikan asked.


    "Their resentment against the empire is rooted very deep within their people. In the north, there are countless people who would jump up from sleep at the chance to slit an imperial''s throat."


    Urich proudly recounted the events that had urred in the north. Sitting by the campfire with alcohol, stories flowed easily.


    "Samikan, I heard you were hit by an arrow in the battle today?"


    Urich suddenly stopped his storytelling and changed the subject.


    "Right. I survived thanks to this thing."


    Samikan pulled out his sun ne. The decoration, dented by the arrow, had its own unique charm. Now, it almost looked like an important relic with its deep meaning.


    "That¡¯s the symbol of the Sun God. Did the god of civilization protect you?"


    Urich''s eyes widened. It was too strange for it to be brushed off as a mere coincidence.


    <i>''Why would Lou protect Samikan?''</i>


    Urich and Samikan were invaders who were destroying the civilized world. It was puzzling that Samikan would be protected by the Sun God.


    "Perhaps their god is angry and helping us instead."


    As Samikan said this, the warriors opened their mouths inughter, exposing the food they had been chewing.


    "Then we are those bastards¡¯ divine punishment!"


    Meanwhile, captured imperial soldiers were tied up. Georg and the civilized mercenaries were trying to persuade the defeated soldiers to join the alliance. The alliance had a significant number of mercenaries from defeated troops who stayed because of the fair distribution of spoils by the alliance.


    Georg, known for his eloquence, urged them to join. His face was sttered with blood-mixed saliva.


    "Spit! Just kill me instead! You filthy barbarians and traitors!"


    A captured imperial soldier shouted. Despite his courageous exmation, his head was swiftly chopped off and rolled to the ground.


    Georg wiped the spit from his face and continued nonchntly.


    "These plunderers share the spoils equally. Fight with us three times, and you can go back to your homes with your loot. In fact, ves and mercenaries who have fought with us have umted wealth and returned home! You there! What is your actual job?"


    Georg pointed at a disheveled man. The man replied hesitantly.


    "I am a carpenter."


    "If you go back now, you''ll only end up being drafted into your lord¡¯s war, since this war is going to go on for a while. You''ll have to fight with getting almost nothing in return. But if you stand with the plunderers, you can have gold and jewels."


    Georg pulled out his gold ne and shook it. Greed shed in the eyes of the defeated soldiers.


    "If you''re going to end up fighting anyway, isn''t it better to side with those whom you can earn gold and treasure from? I was a ve myself! Just like you, I was dragged into meaningless battles and had to shed blood! But now, I fight for myself, not for anyone else. I am a free man who can take what he fights for!"


    Georg''s speech made the soldiers who were ves and ex-convicts nod in agreement. They seemed ready to join the alliance on the spot.


    War had always belonged to the nobility. All of the honor and wealth were taken by the nobles whilemoners gained nothing. At best, they received food and silver that was just barely enough to avoid starving in the winter.


    "If you want to take as much as you bleed, stand up! That is true justice! Pick up your weapons and seize what is yours! Be the robber, not the one being robbed!"


    Georg raised his voice until his throat stung. His public speaking skills had improved dramatically. He was already a good speaker, but on top of that, he had learned to modte the strength and tone of his voice while taking on roles of persuasion and inducement. Being a former scribe ve himself, authenticity and sincerity were also there.


    Georg''s words dug into the hearts of those who had nothing.


    "Can we really share the spoils equally? Can we really take the loot ourselves?"


    "No one will take what is yours."


    "Then I will join."


    Getting things started was always the hardest part. Defeated soldiers gradually stood up, ready to join. Among them were also some current mercenaries that Georg had nted in advance among the captured soldiers.


    "What a way with words! They turned into y in your hands."


    Harvald praised Georg as he watched. Such eloquent speech would be enough to get many nobles in the imperial capital to hire him.


    "Ahem, ahem. I''ve been talking quite a lot recently, so I¡¯ve be ustomed to it."


    Georg drank some water and cleared his throat. Most of the defeated soldiers joined the alliance. Their number exceeded a thousand. Though they were low-quality soldiers with barely any discipline, they were a precious force for the frequently skirmishing alliance.


    "His Imperial Majesty is watching all of you bastards!"


    "Traitors!"


    "Do you think the empire won¡¯t find out about your betrayal!"


    The professional soldiers with strong loyalty to the empire cursed as they watched the other soldiers join the alliance.


    Georg looked at the soldiers who had not been persuaded. He signaled to the warriors with swords. Screams followed in sequence. Well-trained imperial soldiers posed a significant threat and could not be left alive.


    With a grim expression, Harvald watched the soldiers dying for their honor and loyalty. It was an ufortable situation from the perspective of a Sun Warrior.


    <i>¡®Traitors... is that so...¡¯</i>


    He could not immediately see what was truly right or wrong. Harvald had also been swept up in the grand currents of the era, ending up here by chance.


    Harvald quietly recited a funeral prayer in front of the dead soldiers. The other northern warriors and western plunderers enjoyed the banquet, but Harvald was not in the mood.


    <i>Murmur, murmur.</i>


    The atmosphere suddenly died down. Harvald looked up at the tribal chiefs of the alliance who were enjoying the feast just a second ago.


    "...Is that true?"


    Samikan broke the heavy silence. News hade from the Arten outpost when the heat of battle had not even cooled yet.


    "Noah Arten has been found dead, Great Chief."


    Samikan dropped his cup and bowed his head. He swept his hands over his face and opened his eyes that had been closed. A silent rage shook his heart, and the sun ne jingled.

 Chapter 228

    <h4>Chapter 228</h4>


    Noah Arten''s body was found in the moat beneath the fortress. The warrior who pulled up the wet body grimaced at the stench.


    "He was murdered," Urichmented upon examining Noah''s body. It seemed a de had pierced his chest.


    "He was stabbed from behind, Samikan."


    Urich checked the body and then turned to Samikan. He flinched upon seeing Samikan¡¯s face.


    <i>¡®This is going to be a problem. He''s really angry.¡¯</i>


    Samikan, usuallyposed, was seething with hatred. However, he did not show his emotions to other warriors. It was because it was Urich that he showed his feelings fully.


    "So, someone killed him... Someone who stayed behind in the fort while we were fighting..."


    Urich quietly stepped back as Samikan sat beside Noah''s body for a long time. No more blood was flowing out of the wound in Noah¡¯s chest.


    <i>nk.</i>


    A clear sound came from Samikan''s chest. It was the sun ne he had received from Noah. The dented sun decoration glimmered faintly.


    <i>¡®I was supposed to be the one dying.¡¯</i>


    Death had gotten right in front of his eyes. Without the sun ne he got from Noah, he would have died.


    "The death that avoided me has struck you. You passed on the divine protection you received to me. Foolish one."


    Samikan twisted his lips and lightly tapped Noah''s cheek.


    "Give him a funeral in the way of his people," Samikan ordered, and the warriors began to pile up wood for the deceased Noah.


    <i>¡®It wasn''t Urich. Urich didn''t have the time to kill Noah, nor is he the type to do such a thing.¡¯</i>


    While wary, Samikan trusted Urich. Urich was the greatest warrior Samikan knew. A true warrior doesn''t engage in deceitful acts.


    <i>¡®There are too many suspects.¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t just one or two people who had stayed behind at the Arten outpost. Samikan had stationed a significant defense force at the outpost in case of an unexpected counterattack.


    Samikan had many enemies. Most of the chiefs and warriors in the alliance had been enemies in the past. It wouldn''t be strange if they harbored ill will toward Samikan.


    Samikan and Urich talked alone. Urich crossed his arms and nodded as Samikan spoke.


    "... If there are so many suspects, I guess finding the culprit from suspicion alone is not an option. You should¡¯ve done better to not make so many enemies, huh?"


    "When you¡¯re holding a position like mine, just behaving yourself isn¡¯t going to prevent enemies from arising."


    "Whatever. The truth is that it''s impractical to try to find the murderer."


    "If I start interrogating the chiefs one by one now to try to find who killed Noah, the alliance will crumble. Noah wouldn''t have wanted that."


    Samikan clenched his fist, swallowed his anger, and continued speaking.


    "Find the murderer, Urich. There are those within the alliance who want to undermine my authority."


    Urich grinned, showing his teeth.


    "Am I not included in that group?"


    "You are my brother. I can trust you."


    Samikan grabbed Urich''s forearm and looked him in the eye.


    "Shouldn''t you have thought that earlier? Isn''t it toote?" Urich said as he scoffed sarcastically.


    "We''ve had a lot of things happen between us, as well as lots of misunderstandings. But now I know you, Urich."


    "But I still don''t think I know you well enough."


    "You''re not the kind to betray others for personal gain. I know that if I keep my trust, you''ll keep yours," Samikan said as he walked past Urich.


    Urich stood hesitantly, watching Samikan''s back.


    "Well, I guess he''s not wrong."


    It was aplicated feeling. Although chosen by himself, Samikan bore a heavy responsibility. Because he was in that position, he couldn''t openly grieve the death of a friend who was like a brother to him. Although it was for his own ambitions, he had to prioritize the stability of the alliance over his personal vengeance.


    "Poor you, you don¡¯t have things too easy, either."


    Urich turned his stiff neck left and right, cracking the bones with a pop.


    * * *


    Urich returned to the Arten outpost and met with many people. He was a figure of status within the alliance, and people came to see him daily, like an audience.


    "You really were leading the alliance."


    Sun Warrior Harvald observed the western plunderers as he stood beside Urich. They were a foreign yet asionally familiar group. One thing that was clear was that they too maintained a warrior society.


    "You thought I was lying? I may not be the Great Chief, but they won¡¯t break an alliance I''ve made. I have my own status here, and we as an army also need alliances."


    Harvald was reassured by Urich''s status. There was only one person in the alliance who was strong enough to break an agreement made by Urich.


    "Did you say the Great Chief¡¯s name is Samikan?"


    "Yeah, he¡¯s the one I swore an oath of brotherhood with.¡±


    Urich and Harvald chatted before the next visitor arrived. Harvald continued to wear his Sun Warrior attire.


    "It looked like you two were not on very good terms for brothers."


    "You¡¯ve also fought and killed men you called brothers. Rtionships can be sour sometimes."


    Harvald flinched. Even if he was angered by thement, there was no grounds for rebuttal. It was true that the Sun Warriors had split and fought amongst themselves because their beliefs differed too greatly.


    "Urich, Six-Fingered is here," Georg announced as he creaked the door open.


    Urich gestured, and Six-Fingered sneakily entered Urich¡¯s dwelling. Urich greeted him while sitting in his chair.


    "It¡¯s been a while, Urich the Son of the Earth," Six-Fingered said, waving a palm tree staff adorned with a wolf''s skull and bear paws. He wiggled his six fingers like spider legs.


    Harvald standing behind Urich openly expressed his disgust at Six-Fingered''s attire and eeriness.


    "How freaky. If you walked around like that in the empire, you wouldn¡¯t have kept your head," the Sun Warrior said to the shaman.


    Six-Fingered didn¡¯t understand Harvald''snguage but figured that it wasn¡¯t apliment.


    "It seems like this man doesn¡¯t like me too much, Urich."


    "He had aplicated upbringing. Let him be."


    "I would like to talk alone," Six-Fingered said.


    Urich dismissed everyone around. With a single gesture from Urich, the room became quiet enough to hear a pin drop.


    "Let¡¯s speak openly, Six-Fingered. We¡¯re not the type to hide cunning intentions from each other, are we?" Urich said as he grinned broadly.


    Six-Fingered responded with a simr grin, revealing his rotten teeth with an awful stench. The herbs he had smoked had stained his teeth ck and yellow.


    "...I heard you are looking for the person who killed Noah Arten."


    Six-Fingered brought up the topic. Their eyes met in a tense exchange.


    "Did you kill Noah?"


    "I did not kill him."


    "I didn¡¯t think so. I was just wondering. You''re afraid of Samikan. You wouldn¡¯t have crossed that line of killing Noah. Because if Samikan found out, he would surely kill you."


    Urich''s golden eyes red at Six-Fingered. Six-Fingered felt like he was standing before a predator.


    "It¡¯s good that you know that. I just wanted toe here and tell you that I didn¡¯t kill him, and..."


    "And?"


    "You might have heard that Samikan and Belrua are expecting a child together."


    "That''s good news. If it''s a boy and he grows up to be manly enough, he¡¯ll be the next Great Chief," Urich replied nonchntly.


    Six-Fingered frowned at the corners of his wrinkled eyes.


    "Do you not have any ambitions?"


    "Ambitions? Of what? Being a Great Chief?"


    "Are you telling me that you, a warrior with the status of ¡®The Son of the Earth,¡¯ don¡¯t even aspire to lead the men of the alliance as their head?" Six-Fingered said as if he was criticizing Urich.


    "Being a Great Chief doesn¡¯t mean much to me."


    Urich narrowed his eyes. His pupils emitted a hollow light. He slowly reached out and grabbed Six-Fingered by the cor.


    "Toppling Samikan is your ambition, not mine. Don¡¯t babble to me about it. If you want to do it, don¡¯t ask for my help; do it yourself."


    Six-Fingered averted his gaze. Urich let him go.


    "One day, you¡¯ll be stabbed in the back by Samikan again. Is it not one of the basics in fighting to strike before being struck?"


    "Get out of my face before I tell Samikan about what you just babbled on about."


    Six-Fingered left Urich¡¯s dwelling without hiding his difort.


    Left alone, Urich picked up a leather pouch filled with liquor.


    "This guy, that guy... all the same headache..."


    Urich emptied the liquor pouch in one go and wiped his mouth.


    * * *


    The alliance held a tribal council to decide how they were going to move forward. This time, most of the tribal leaders within the alliance participated, easily exceeding thirty in number. Besides the chiefs, shamans and other influential warriors were also mixed in.


    "Let''s cut off the bridge and return to the west. This ce is too far from our tribes. If we advance further east, we will only get further. Our warriors are dying without being able to go home or see their families."


    Many men agreed with this. Most of those who were agreeing were from tribes that were far away. Interpreters ryed the message.


    Urich waited for the speaker to finish before responding.


    "I get where you¡¯reing from, but that would be a foolish move. Even if we cut off the bridge and return, the imperial army will eventually cross the mountains again. And when they do, they will be even better prepared, no matter how long it takes."


    "Then what do you suggest we do, Urich?"


    "The empire is fighting against the north right now. We need to crush it while we have an ally against themon enemy. We have to destroy it to the point where it doesn''t have the capacity to cross the mountains to pose a threat to us again. Ah, it would be enough to go to the extent that the vassal states under the empire gain their freedom."


    "If the vassal states are freed, will the empire copse?"


    "At least they won''t be able to think about crossing to the west then because of a closer enemy in sight. Even now, with the north as an enemy, they can''tmit too much of their forces to us. If we cut off the bridge and go back to our homes for some immediate relief, it will be our sons who have to face an even bigger and stronger enemy. We¡¯re going to end this bloodshed in our generation."


    After Urich spoke, those who were advocating for retreat quieted down.


    Samikan looked around. He interlocked his fingers while looking at the chiefs.


    "Any other opinions? I won''t hold anyone back if they insist on leaving the alliance and retreating. But after everything is over and we return to the west, expect to meet as enemies."


    It was a clear and obvious threat. Samikan had bound the west into an alliance by force. The other chiefs knew what end those not part of the alliance met.


    "Samikan, free the royal family of Langkegart."


    Urich spoke while tearing into boiledmb ribs. The meat had been stewed so long that it just fell off the bone as if it were melting.


    "And the reason?"


    Samikan propped his chin with his interlocked hands.


    "We''ve shown them enough of our cruelty. Langkegart no longer has the strength to fight us. We need to show them that we are willing to negotiate as long as they don¡¯t resist. It will make it easier for us to negotiate with other kingdoms as well."


    "Release the royalty we worked so hard to capture just for that? Are you serious, Urich?"


    Samikan frowned. There was a possibility that Langkegart could still muster the little strength they had left to oppose the alliance.


    "If they try toe at us again, then we''ll show them what true annihtion looks like. I''ll personally strip their scalps."


    The chiefs murmured. Many opposed Urich''s suggestion to simply release the hostages.


    "...Alright, Urich. We''ll release the royal family of Langkegart."


    Other chiefs expected Samikan to oppose, but he epted Urich''s advice.


    <i>''Noah would have said the same thing as Urich.''</i>


    Samikan touched his sun ne bitterly. It was the first time he had felt such a void after losing someone.

 Chapter 229

    <h4>Chapter 229</h4>


    The alliance army started the plundering. They raided nearby cities and estates, plundering the food reserves the people had umted over the autumn. People who relied solely on the empire''s protection could not stand against the merciless plunderers.


    "Why do they stay even though they know we''re close to them?" the chief of the ck Spear Tribe muttered.


    "It''s because they can''t abandon theirnds. They''re settlers. Even if they were to abandon theirnd and leave, they wouldn¡¯t have any other way to survive."


    Urich answered while watching the vige burn. The alliance was split into several groups to plunder the surroundings. The looted goods were gathered at the Arten outpost and then sent out to the west.


    <i>tter, tter.</i>


    A wagon full of looted goods emerged behind the plunderers. The wagon was filled with stolen food and treasures.


    "So, do you have any idea who killed Noah Arten?" The ck Spear chief asked.


    "Well, I don''t know who killed him yet, but it has to be someone who dislikes Samikan, right?" Urich answered.


    "Then you¡¯ve got a long line of people to go through, haha."


    The ck Spear chiefughed, and Urichughed along.


    The small security organization of the vige was subdued, and the warriors went from house to house,mitting massacres and vitions. Urich frowned but could not stop them. It was the rightful privilege of those who had shed blood. Even if he were to order them to stop, only the warriors from the Battle of Valdima or the Stone Axe Tribe would heed such an order.


    <i>¡®If we keep scorching every ce we go like this, all of civilization is going to hate us. We need to show mercy for the sake of our future.¡¯</i>


    The alliance units who had finished their plundering gradually returned to the Arten outpost. The faces of the warriors were filled with smiles.


    "Are we really allowed to keep all this?"


    "Hey, I, Georg Artur, promised you, didn¡¯t I? I told you that you were going to get your fair share for the fight."


    Loot was distributed even to the civilized units that had joined the alliance from thest battle. Their eyes gleamed with greed as theyid them on the precious metals they had never touched in their lives. Having tasted the sweetness of wealth, they weren¡¯t going to leave the alliance anytime soon.


    The historical sess of the plundering boosted the morale of the alliance.


    The door opened with a creak and Samikan came out of his quarters. He had overexerted himself in the previous battle and therefore had not participated in this plundering. asionally, his face even turned purple from the illness he was suffering.


    "Urich, how did Gurhen, the chief of the ck Spear, react?"


    Sending Urich with the chief of the ck Spear was Samikan''s n.


    "He resents you, just like you said he would. But he wouldn''t have killed Noah."


    "Are you sure?"


    "I¡¯m sure."


    Samikan gestured, calling Urich into his quarters.


    "Huff."


    Samikan took a deep breath and let it out. He sat down awkwardly in his chair like an old man.


    "It seems like you¡¯re doing pretty bad?" Urich pointed out.


    Without responding, Samikan popped a pill wrapped in leaves in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed the medicine, shivering momentarily. Once the pain subsided, he finally looked directly at Urich.


    "So Gurhen of the ck Spear didn''t kill Noah?"


    "Gurhen was on the battlefield when Noah was killed."


    "He could have ordered his men to do it. The warriors of the ck Spear are formidable. He probably has many brothers who have died at my hands."


    "Gurhen had nothing to gain by killing Noah."


    "He doesn¡¯t need any benefit to do something like that; his resentment alone is enough motivation. Stupid ones like him hated that a civilized man like Noah was giving them orders from above them."


    Samikan gritted his teeth. He fiddled with his sun ne.


    "That seems like a reach, Samikan."


    "...You¡¯re the only one I can trust right now, and you''ve been away from the alliance for a while. You probably don''t know how things are going inside," Samikan spoke quietly. He handed a ss of liquor to Urich.


    "No matter what anyone says, the chiefs are all supporting you as the Great Chief. Whether they like you or not is not what''s important. They believe there''s no one else but you to lead the alliance right now. No one¡¯s going to rebel against you at a time like this."


    "No one? Nonsense! There are plenty out there trying to stab me in the back at any chance they see! I can hear them clicking their tongues at my illness behind me. If not them, then who killed Noah? Tell me, Urich."


    Samikan''s fingers trembled.


    ¡°Whatever. I already told you that Chief Gurhen did not kill Noah. I''ll look into it further."


    Urich did not finish his drink and left it as it was. He then left Samikan''s quarters.


    Throughout the winter, the alliance emptied the Arten outpost and prepared to advance. At winter''s end, they nned to invade the territories under direct control of the empire to deplete the empire''s strength. Despite the ominous movements of the alliance, the empire could not send a subjugation force easily.


    In the north, the independence army was in a stand-off with the imperial army. The northern winter was harsh on the imperial army, and the northern independence army had ample time to grow their forces. The independence army upied several northern fortresses that were originally built by the imperial army, dered them their own territories, and imed to be a kingdom.


    All of this was a predicament for the empire. Recognizing the north as an independent kingdom would drastically undermine the empire''s prestige and dignity. It was absurd to im to rule civilized vassal states while even a barbarian kingdom could dere independence from them.


    The independent kingdom of the north became a precedent for other vassal states'' independence ims. From the empire''s perspective, these states were more dangerous than the plunderers from the west.


    "If weunch our attacks in spring and summer, we¡¯ll be able to see a lot of immediate surrenders. It will be devastating for them if they were to get attacked during the nting season and cannot farm for the year ahead."


    Georg was a good advisor to Urich. He had a lot of knowledge and was adept at filling Urich''s gaps, much like Noah had been to Samikan.


    Urich and Georg tried to map out the course of the uing battles. They nned to attack the southern regions extensively to distance the northern and western fronts as much as possible.


    "It''s tough even for the imperial forces to handle two fronts simultaneously. They might have to bring out the entirety of their military force or abandon one of the two fronts," Georgmented.


    "I''ve heard there are many granaries in the south. Shouldn''t we attack there?" Urich asked.


    "Ah, you¡¯re talking about the Marganu region. But that won''t be easy. The area, being a granary, has substantial local forces. I¡¯d say they¡¯re on par with a small kingdom."


    While Urich and Georg were discussing, a warrior entered. He had just returned from visiting his family in the west.


    "Urich, Gurhen of the ck Spear is dead. Apparently, he slipped and fell off Yailrud while he was crossing it."


    Urich frowned upon hearing this. It was true that Yailrud was a dangerous bridge. But out of everyone, it was Gurhen of the ck Spear who died.


    <i>¡®Samikan...¡¯</i>


    It was clearly Samikan¡¯s doing. He had finally lost patience and had Gurhen killed. There was no proof, but the circumstantial evidence was more thanpelling.


    Many chiefs murmured about Gurhen''s death, but Samikan''s influence still dominated the alliance. Although the warriors of the ck Spear Tribe left the alliance in protest at their chief''s death, that was all.


    The long winter ended, and sprouts appeared on the ins. Just standing outside in the daytime was enough to make one sweat. Warriors who had been cooped up in the outpost for a long time shouldered their gear.


    The day of departure arrived. Urich and Samikan took the lead on their horses.


    "Taking out Gurhen was a mistake, Samikan," Urich said from his horse.


    Samikan turned his head to gaze at Urich and replied, "There are no mistakes in my actions, Urich. My actions are the will of the heavens."


    "Such words shouldn''te from you, Samikan. You are a man who deceives the heavens."


    "If the heavens were really angry with my actions thus far, I wouldn''t still be alive, would I?"


    Samikan sat straight. From the side, he didn''t look like a sick man at all. The only time Samikan showed his weakness was when he was alone with Urich.


    "Samikan, it''s not gods or heavens that punish humans on earth. It''s always another human who splits a man''s head."


    "Human actions are the will of the heavens."


    "That¡¯s not what I think. My actions are always my own."


    "The one blessed by the earth should not speak such words, or you might find yourself in trouble on the battlefield, Urich. Haha."


    Samikanughed lightly.


    "If I die, that just means that I''mcking. Samikan, you didn''t rely on the heavens when you formed the alliance. You trusted only your strength and vision."


    "That¡¯s because forming the alliance was achievable with human strength. What we are about to do is a great deed. We cannot aplish it without borrowing the power and will of the heavens! Urich, do you think it was merely by chance that I survived an arrow to the chest?"


    Urich was at a loss for words. Samikan, having gained the upper hand, pressed on.


    "Gurhen would have eventually rebelled against me. Eliminating him before departing was to remove an element of uncertainty. You of all people should understand me. Urich, look! This is our achievement! This is our army!"


    Samikan turned around and raised his hand high. Over ten thousand troops roared.


    Once again, the warriors of the west had gathered. This was theirst chance. If they lost warriors again, it would be difficult to replenish it with just the poption of the west.


    "We will be remembered as the terror and great warriors who traveled between two worlds, my brother!"


    Samikan grabbed Urich''s head with both hands and red with intense eyes. The smile on Samikan¡¯s face was precarious.


    * * *


    The northern front was shrouded in heated screams. The dying cries of those calling out to their gods stained the sky.


    The northern warriors were no longer mere barbarians. They had be an army with equipment and systems no different from the civilized world. To make matters worse for the empire, themanders leading them were Sun Warriors who had received the imperial military training.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    The northern warriors loaded the catapults andrge crossbows inside the fortress. Sun Warriors standing on the walls looked out over the ins at the approaching imperial army.


    "Fire!"


    Not even the empire''s proud turtle formation could withstand the barrage of stones andrge arrows. Imperial soldiers approaching the walls tumbled down, losing their blood and chunks of flesh.


    "Dammit!"


    The imperial officers cursed as they issued a retreat. The northern warriors efficiently used the equipment left behind by the retreating imperial army.


    The fortress the northern warriors had upied was originally built by the imperial army for its own defense, boasting fortifications that could rank among the best in the civilized world. The empire had failed to station defense forces in time, losing those forts easily, and was starting the war at a significant disadvantage.


    As the imperial army showed signs of retreat, the northern warriors opened the fortress gates and charged.


    "Bilkeeeeeer!"


    "Long live the Sun!"


    It was a strange spectacle. The northern warriors invoked the sun as they tore the imperial soldiers to shreds.


    At the forefront of the northern independence army stood a boy known as the descendant of Mijorn. It was Bilker, who was already being called the king of the north.


    "Pour the fury of the north on those cowards fleeing with their backs turned! The Sun that is to dispel the darkness of the north is here! Praise the Sun! Fight for our people!"


    Bilker extended his spear far forward. His arm, once broken and now healed, was stronger than before.


    Though young, Bilker was a warrior recognized by all warriors. He possessed not only bravery but also superiorbat skills. His judgment was clear, and he was not sly. He was the ideal future king of the north.


    Many tribal chiefs had already whispered to their daughters to attempt to seduce Bilker. Yet, Bilker did not sumb to such lust. He possessed the valor of the north and also the virtue and restraint needed by a follower of the Sun God.


    <i>¡®A perfect king of the north bestowed by Lou,¡¯</i> the northerners whispered among themselves.


    The defeated imperial army retreated and regrouped much further back than where they had started from. The severely wounded soldiers groaned, calling out desperately to Lou.


    "Those are no longer barbarians! The people at the capital have got this all wrong!"


    Bloodied officers gathered and raised their voices before even washing themselves off.


    "We are facing an organized army just like ours! We need at least two legions! A ragtag group like this is never going to suppress them."


    "I¡¯ve put in a request to His Majesty. A response shoulde soon."


    Alfnan, the leader of the Sun Warriors, spoke. The northern imperial army was currently without amander, with officers arbitrarily dividingmand among themselves.


    "If only the Sun Warriors hadn''t sided with the rebels..."


    The nobles med Alfnan.


    Alfnan had nothing to say, so he remained silent. His insides were boiling just as much as the others in the room.


    Ideally, Alfnan should have taken the responsibility ofmander. However, due to the blunders of the Sun Warriors, Alfnan''s position had plummeted as low as it could. The nobles did not ept hismand.


    <i>Clip, clop.</i>


    The sound of horse hooves was heard outside. A horse near themand tent meant a messenger had arrived. Alfnan hurried outside to receive the messenger''s letter. They were desperately awaiting support from the capital.


    "What has His Majesty said?"


    Alfnan''s expression hardened upon reading the letter.


    "The western plunderers have invaded the imperial direct territories. Immediate reinforcements are impossible..."


    "If the northern front copses, the northern independence army will also break into the direct territories! Are they telling us to die?"


    The nobles who had joined the northern imperial army owned estates in the imperial north. Protecting their ownnds was a big reason why they had joined the imperial army.


    "Shut your mouth. It is His Majesty''smand. Defend the front with your lives. I, Alfnan, will takemand."


    "The Sun Warriors have betrayed the empire. What right do you have..."


    "Though I may be an ipetent sinner, who else here can takemand? I swear by Lou, until myst breath, I will fight the traitors and barbarians."


    Alfnan saw a glimmer of light in the worst possible situation. He carefully folded the letter and ced it in his pocket.


    <i>''If I can hold off the northern army here and lead us to victory, I can atone for my mistakes.''</i>


    The only way for Alfnan to survive after being branded a traitor to his people was to plunge into grim death.


    <i>''I have gone through thick and thin all my life under the yoke of being a traitor to my kin. I cannot lose everything here.''</i>


    Alfnan gritted his teeth.

 Chapter 230

    <h4>Chapter 230</h4>


    Carnius, the veteran of the empire, looked at the wall where his family''s treasured sword was hung. It was adorned with red jewels and lion-shaped silver decorations around the sheath and handle. It could probably buy a mansion if sold.


    "I was going to pass it on to you, Leo."


    Leo was the son that was no longer with him. Carnius still vividly remembered that day. He had thought the barbarians would not break through the front. He had judged that chasing down the defeated warriors would be good for his son.


    However, the barbarians decided to clear a path directly ahead. Carnius'' son was caught in the barbarian counterattack and died. He was nevering back anymore.


    It was his own misjudgment that cost his son''s life. This guilt prevented him from sleeping at night. Every time he closed his eyes, his son''s face haunted him.


    "Lou, was it truly just my foolish greed?"


    Carnius sped the sun ne with both hands. His cheeks were gaunt. He ate just enough to not die. Even those sporadic meals were often skipped due to his guilt.


    <i>''I wanted to raise my son as a general to follow in my footsteps.''</i>


    Leo was not just any son. He was nearly an extension of Carnius himself. An extension to carry on the Carnius name.


    "Why did you take him away? If you had called this old body of mine to your side in his ce, I would have happily gone. I would have waited patiently for the mes of purification without a hint of regret."


    He had lived his entire life with gratitude toward Lou. But after Leo''s death, only resentment and hatred filled his heart. Even then, the guilt of resenting the Sun God oppressed him.


    <i>''All faults are mine. There is no one else to me.''</i>


    Carnius gritted his teeth. No matter how many times he told himself that, the anger did not subside. Dark emotions ate away at his heart.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Carnius stood up as he dragged his clothes. Every movement brought sounds from his joints. His age had reached its limits for a warrior. His body, gotten as worn out as it could be, often betrayed him and did not move as he intended.


    Carnius walked into the hallway and knocked on a door.


    "Mydy."


    There was no response. Even when he asionally met his wife''s eyes, they exchanged only cursory greetings. Their rtionship was no better than strangers.


    There was rustling inside the room. The sound of a woman weeping over their lost son was heard. Carnius only moved his lips a few times.


    "If resenting me eases your heart even slightly, then please resent me all you want. It''s all my fault. I am a foolish father who lost his son and returned alone. But you, unlike me, have always been a fine mother and a good wife."


    Carnius said to his wife on the other side of the door and turned away. He entered his office, which smelled of dust from having been unupied for a long time.


    "Sir Ferzen, you were a true knight and a sage."


    Carnius sat down and took out a bottle of liquor from the cupboard. He poured one ss for himself and another as an offering to the legendary immortal knight.


    Carnius had spent his youth with the legend. He envied Ferzen while also admiring him. Now, after the passage of time, only a distant admiration remained as the burning jealousy faded away. The great knight with whom he had shared an era was distinctly different from others. He was truly excellent as if he was so obviously blessed by the gods.


    Once, Carnius had asked Ferzen why he never married.


    ¡ªWe take the lives of others, Carnius. No matter how hard we try to deny it, we umte our sins every day. We sometimes even take innocent lives because that is our job. Our life is a life of shedding blood as the sword of the empire. Lou does not love warriors like us.


    Carnius had asked again what that had to do with marriage.


    ¡ªThe sins Imit won''t end with my soul alone. The curses and misfortunes I umte will pass down to my lineage. I will not have any children of my own.


    Ferzen''s convictions were firm. As he said, he never married or had children in his life.


    "You were right, Sir Ferzen. The sins Imitted have even swallowed my son."


    Carnius drained his ss in one gulp. He drank slowly until sunset.


    "Sigh."


    Exhaling the stench of alcohol, Carnius picked up a pen. He pulled out a piece of parchment and began to write at length.


    "My tainted soul does not deserve to be by Lou''s side."


    He took out a rope from the corner of his office, draped it over a ceiling beam, and formed a loop with the end that hung down.


    "Hoooo."


    He took a deep breath. The rope felt especially rough to the touch.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    He pulled on it to test its strength. It was sturdy.


    Carnius brought a chair over and stood on it. He then ced his neck inside the loop.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The chair wobbled. Just a light kick, and everything would be over.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    Someone knocked on the door. Judging by the footsteps, it was a servant. Carnius sighed deeply and stepped down from the chair.


    "What is it?"


    "It is a message from His Imperial Majesty. Hemands your presence at the pce."


    Hearing this, Carnius covered his forehead andughed. His dried-up voice echoed hollowly.


    "Lou, do you still have work for me to do?"


    Carnius drew the sword that was leaning against his desk and swung it. The rope hanging from the ceiling beam was cut and fell to the floor.


    * * *


    Emperor Yanchinus sat with his legs crossed. His displease was evident. Every report he received only mentioned the perilous state of the empire.


    <i>¡®Things aren''t looking good.¡¯</i>


    Nothing was going his way. The plunderers from the west had invaded the empire¡¯s direct territories, and the rebels from the north had raised their banners high.


    Yanchinus took a deep breath. Getting worked up wasn¡¯t going to solve anything. He considered every possible action he could take.


    <i>¡®The great empire cannot fall during my reign.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus reflected on the achievements of the earlier emperors. A fierce desire washed away his anxiety and ignited his ambition.


    <i>¡®It''s just a momentary crisis. Once we ovee this, I willy the foundations for a millennium empire.¡¯</i>


    The empire''s power was still unparalleled. The absolute power of the empire and its formidable military were the legacies left behind by the previous emperors.


    "I am the ruler of the world."


    He dered aloud, snapping his fingers. Soon, the audience doors opened, and a white-haired knight entered.


    "You look exhausted, Carnius."


    "I heard you called for me, Your Majesty."


    Carnius threw the formalities out the window. His face was gaunt, but his eyes sparkled like a wolf''s.


    "I know that there is a discord between us," Yanchinus spoke.


    "Why even call it a discord? You are the ruler of the world, and I am but your subject."


    Carnius did not kneel. He had nothing more to fear, and even death was simply the natural flow of things now. It seemed he could willingly offer his neck if the emperor chose to decapitate him for irreverence.


    "You have been defending the empire since your youth, fighting barbarians alongside thete emperor, Sir Carnius."


    "I was not the only one who did so. Many knights who you stripped ofnd and wealth also shed their blood for the empire."


    Carnius spoke bluntly. Only the emperor''s heavily trusted guards were present. The emperor''s guards might as well have been without ears or eyes.


    Yanchinus tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand, and twisted his lips.


    "I don''t expect you to understand what I did. All my actions were for the empire. History proves what happens to kings who let powerful nobles be. The empire''s stabilityes from the emperor''s absolute power. Sir Carnius, I am prepared to do anything and everything for the peace and prosperity of the empire."


    "Those are vile excuses, Your Majesty. The men you purged were merely true warriors wishing to protect the empire. Do you not think it is you who have been eroding the wealth built by the empire for your own ambitions?"


    "Without expansion, there''s no prosperity for the empire! Do you think my actions are meaningless? If you think the wealth built by ancestors willst tens of thousands of years, that''s a grave and ignorant misconception!"


    Yanchinus raised his voice. He wasn''t wrong; the empire''s prosperity had been achieved through expansion and exploitation. First, the kingdoms were seized for war reparations, and after that, wealth was umted by exploiting the north and south. The barbarian ve industry freed many civilized people from the yoke ofbor.


    "There''s no point in arguing here. It will only deepen our rift. You must have called me here for a reason. Surely it wasn''t just to argue."


    "Our methods may differ, but our intent to protect the empire is the same, Sir Carnius."


    "Like myrades before me, I am fully prepared to offer my heart for the empire."


    "Enemies threatening the empire have crossed the borders again. No matter how hard I try to think of someone else, there seems to be no morepetentmander than you."


    "That is high praise."


    "Fight not for this emperor, but for the empire. I entrust you with full militarymand."


    For the first time during the audience, Carnius bowed deeply and showed respect.


    "I will do as youmand, Your Majesty."


    * * *


    The chill of dawn tapped sharply on Samikan''s chest.


    His lungs were silent, and his heart thudded as if it was going through a seizure. Samikan opened his mouth wide and clutched at his chest, while not even being able to scream.


    ¡°Kaagh, kugh!¡±


    Samikan burst out of the tent to breathe fresh air. Warriors standing guard on either side supported him.


    ¡°Great Chief!¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Contrary to his words, Samikan¡¯s face was pale. He struggled to breathe, looking over the camp.


    <i>¡®This is my army.¡¯</i>


    Over ten thousand warriors had invaded the empire¡¯s territory. The empire¡¯s border guards had scattered, unable to confront the plunderers.


    <i>¡®I will go down as a great being.¡¯</i>


    The fierce desire even dispelled his illness. He red and re-entered the tent.


    Samikan called for a captured Srist priest, who had medical knowledge like the shamans of the tribes. Tired of constant yet ineffective treatments from his tribe¡¯s shaman, Samikan decided to rely on the medicine of another world.


    ¡°How does my body seem to you?¡± Samikan asked in Hamelian, in which he had be quite fluent over time.


    The priest''s hands trembled. He nced at the sun ne on Samikan¡¯s chest and swallowed his fear.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou, save us from this cruel and ruthless barbarian.¡¯</i>


    The priest ced his hand on Samikan¡¯s chest, feeling the unevenness of his breath.


    ¡°Your heartbeat is irregr, and one side of your chest does not inte when you breathe. Vigorous movement will be difficult. Has your condition been worsening? If so, that is not a good sign,¡± the priest told Samikan as his garment, which had turned gray from the struggles, pped.


    Samikan grabbed his arm tightly and asked again, ¡°Am I going to die, then?¡±


    ¡°That depends on Lou¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°Priest, I¡¯m alive because this ne stopped an arrow. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s divine will?¡±


    The priest flinched. He had already noticed the oddly dented sun decoration. Initially, he thought the barbarian had deliberately damaged it to insult Lou.


    ¡°Are you telling me that Lou¡¯s sacred object stopped an arrow for you?¡±


    ¡°But your god took my only friend instead. The only man I could call a friend... Now, priest who reads the will of Lou, answer me. What exactly does Lou want from me by doing this?¡±


    ¡°It could be Lou¡¯s will that you wither away from illness. You are receiving the punishment for your deeds, leader of the barbarians,¡± the priest said, biting his lower lip.


    At that moment, Samikan¡¯s hand moved in the blink of an eye.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Blood spilled onto the floor. Samikan¡¯s axe had buried itself in the priest¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Krrrrr.¡±


    The priest foamed at the mouth, trembling violently. His lower body released the urine and feces he had been holding in.


    ¡°You are wrong, priest. Your ability to read the heavens and divine will is even worse than mine.¡±


    Samikan stepped on the priest''s head and pulled the axe from his chest. Even more blood gushed out as the gash widened. The gaping chest briefly exposed the faintly throbbing heart.


    ¡°This is proof that I still have work to do on this earth. Proof that Samikan has been chosen as the agent of the gods! Do you understand now?¡±


    The priest could not listen to the rest of Samikan¡¯s words. The convulsions stopped, and his body slowly cooled as the mist from the warmth of the blood rose.


    Samikan called the warriors to remove the body. He walked out of the tent with a much-improved expression. That morning¡¯s breakfast tasted particrly good for the first time in a while.

 Chapter 231

    <h4>Chapter 231</h4>


    <i>¡®The City of Havilond.¡¯</i>


    Urich squinted as he looked at the distant city walls. He had been out scouting. He slowly stood up from a crouch and grinned bitterly as he spat on the ground.


    <i>¡®Back in my mercenary days, I took amission of the lord here to drive out some bandits.¡¯</i>


    The memory was still vivid. The guard captain, Setton, initially dismissed Urich butter recognized him as a warrior and treated him with kindness. Urich and his mercenaries werevishly treated after subjugating the bandits.


    A warrior from the Stone Axe Tribe tapped Urich on the shoulder.


    "Urich, what are you thinking about?" The warrior asked.


    "Old times," Urich kept his reply brief.


    "Have you been here before?"


    "The wall on the east side is low and weak. If we hit them there, we should be able to breach the city with ease."


    Urich recalled the faint memories. Even the vague recollections brought the city''syout to mind. He was someone who didn¡¯t easily forget things he had seen once.


    <i>¡®I wonder how many people know me in this city.¡¯</i>


    Turning around, Urich draped himself in his leather cloak. He descended the hill to where the alliance army was encamped. They were the vanguard of about three thousand troops.


    "We¡¯re heading to the west wall. Armata! Stay here and when Samikan''s main force arrives, tell them to attack the east simultaneously."


    "Understood, Urich."


    Urich deftly issued orders and led his warriors. The warriors advanced down the ridge toward the west of Havilond.


    Despite the early hour, Havilond, being argemercial city, was still bustling. The warriors killed anyone they came across with their arrows.


    <i>Squeak!</i>


    "Aaaah!"


    A merchant hauling a carousel screamed. A whole family tumbled out from behind the cart, trembling at the sight of the barbarians.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    The warriors swung their des with emotionless eyes, sparing no one, not even the women. Only chilling corpses were left in their wake.


    Urich''s unit swiftly took control of the west side of the city. The civilized mercenaries assembled siege weapons, and the warriors carried thedders in groups to prepare for the charge.


    <i>Peeeeee!</i>


    The whistling arrows sounded from all directions. The city''s guards on the walls, who had been dozing off, only then realized they were surrounded by enemies.


    "Captain Setton! Guard captain!"


    A soldier of the city called out for Setton, the guard captain. Setton hurriedly donned his armor and rushed outside the guardhouse.


    "Dammit! Are these the infamous plunderers?"


    "They have already started attacking!"


    "Hold your positions! The enemy is barbarians! They cannot get through our walls!" Setton eximed as he climbed to the top of the wall.


    "Shit!"


    After going up the walls and getting a clear view of the situation, Setton cursed as he saw an armypletely outside of his expectations. The western plunderers used a variety of equipment just like a civilized standing army. Notably, among the civilized mercenaries were those skilled in handlingplex siege machinery like carpenters or engineers.


    <i>Click!</i>


    Adder was hooked over the wall in front of Setton.


    "Not a chance, barbarians! <i>Spit</i>."


    Setton kicked thedder off the wall while stabbing at a barbarian climbing up.


    <i>¡®My god, are they really nning to get to the heart of the empire?¡¯</i>


    For over fifty years, the empire had never suffered an invasion to its core. Even Mijorn of the north had only managed to barely breach the border.


    "It¡¯s the west side, Captain Setton! The west wall is copsing."


    Setton raced to the west wall, but the barbarians were already scaling it. The feeble local guards were no match for the barbarian warriors.


    "Sir Setton! This is the lord¡¯s message! Raise the white g! Surrender!" A messenger on horseback shouted loudly.


    The western plunderers had shredded up the Kingdom of Langkegart in its entirety. It was impossible for a single city like Havilond to resist them from the beginning.


    ¡°He orders you to surrender before the damage worsens, Sir Setton!¡±


    The messenger shouted louder. Setton trembled as he watched the barbarians. His soldiers were dying around him even as he was shaking.


    "Is our city supposed to give in to these barbarians!"


    Setton bit his lip with bloodshot eyes, almost as if he would cry tears of blood. However, he followed the orders of Count Havilond and waved the white g.


    <i>Ding! Ding!</i>


    The soldiers of Havilond rang the bell. The soldiers who heard the surrender signal dropped their weapons andy down. The city gates opened almost too easily, allowing the barbarians to enter.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    The armed plunderers entered through the gates with weapons slung over their shoulders. They surveyed the city with their faces drenched in blood. All the citizens had retreated into their homes, trembling in fear.


    The soldiers of Havilond, having discarded their weapons, awaited their fate defenselessly.


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Guard captain Setton looked at the man who was at the forefront of the barbarians. He looked oddly familiar.


    ¡°Uriiiiiiich!¡±


    Setton screamed in pain. As he sprang up, spears from the tribal warriors protruded all around him. Any false move and they were all ready to stab him through the neck.


    ¡°Wow, look, an old friend. Get your spears out of his face, you bastards!¡±


    Urich shook off the blood from his axe as he walked toward Setton.


    ¡°It is you, Urich! You son of a bitch! How dare you attack Havilond! Havilond!¡±


    Setton was furious. He liked Urich. Even to a guard captain, Urich was a great warrior. But now, he was nothing but a plunderer who had destroyed his city.


    The sense of betrayal was greater because there had been affection.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Urich kicked Setton''s head and stomped on his chest.


    <i>Schriiing.</i>


    Urich''s de stopped right before Setton''s eyes, trembling as if it would gouge out his eyes.


    ¡°If you want to know why we fight, ask that damned emperor of yours, Setton. Just as you protect the people of Havilond, I¡¯m protecting my brothers and kin. It was good you surrendered quickly. That is going to be the reason your city doesn¡¯t suffer too much damage.¡±


    ¡°Surrender was not my will but my lord¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Right, that man has always been smart. Setton, thanks to your master¡¯s wise decision, Havilond won¡¯t be erased from the map.¡±


    Setton''s fingers trembled. Urich slowly lifted his foot off Setton¡¯s chest.


    Count Havilond emerged from the inner wall and knelt before Samikan and Urich. He might be recorded as a coward who surrendered without a fight.


    Havilond handed over the keys to the store rooms to Samikan. Every single storeroom in the city of Havilond was opened. The warriors looted everything from them and left nothing behind.


    ¡°You can take whatever you want, but please do not harm our citizens, Urich.¡±


    Count Havilond recognized Urich and requested. Unlike Setton, he didn¡¯t express any resentment toward Urich. He simply did what he could from the position he was in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. Your disy of cowardice today is the true bravery.¡±


    Urich expressed his respect for Count Havilond¡¯s decision. He had prioritized the safety of the city over any personal dignity. Had the surrender been dyed even slightly, the warriors caught in the heat of battle would havepletely destroyed the entire city.


    Theck of resistance prevented the plundering beyond necessary. Samikan instructed other tribal chiefs to refrain from plundering and invading civilian homes.


    <i>¡®Samikan is listening to me. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve wanted for so long, yet it feels so strange.¡¯</i>


    Samikan, considering Urich¡¯s dignity and connections, preserved Havilond as much as possible. Of course, they scraped up everything valuable from silverware and jewels to food supplies for nting. Havilond, now with nothing left, was in for a tough time.


    ¡°Cooperate with the plunderers, citizens of Havilond!¡± Count Havilond eximed.


    People vacated their homes to offer them as quarters for the plunderers to stay in. The amount of food consumed by an army of ten thousand was extraordinary. Despite efforts to restrain, visibly attractive women were frequently grabbed by the warriors and taken to barns.


    ¡°Just do what you need to do and let them go after. They surrendered peacefully so they could avoid shedding blood. If we make them see blood, then they¡¯ll really rise up,¡± Urich said to the warriors hurrying into a barn with their trousers already half down.


    ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that? If they try to attack us, we¡¯ll just kill them all.¡±


    A tribal warriorughed offhandedly, dismissing it like it was nothing.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Urich threw an axe and hit a pir of the barn.


    ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself. Remember what I just said.¡±


    The warrior finally hid his smile and nodded. They forced a cloth into a woman¡¯s mouth to stifle her as they released their pent-up needs.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Some women voluntarily offered themselves instead of watching their daughters and young maidens be dragged away.


    <i>¡®Is this sacrifice?¡¯</i>


    Urich watched the women throwing themselves at the warriors. Some were prostitutes, others were mothers and wives. Women who were too weak to fight sacrificed themselves to protect the even more fragile and vulnerable girls.


    The number of warriors emerging from the barn with satisfied looks on their faces grew. The sun was beginning to set.


    The women returned to their homes after being tormented all night by the warriors. Even as they staggered, they supported one another. Despite their vited bodies, they seemed to glow.


    <i>¡®A halo?¡¯</i>


    Urich rubbed his eyes and looked again. It was just the movement of torchlight and moonlight.


    ¡°Urich, what are you doing there? Come over here, you gotta see this. There¡¯s a funny guy.¡±


    A young warrior called Urich over. It was mostly the older warriors who addressed Urich more formally or respectfully. Those around Urich¡¯s age were more casual with him.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny about this guy?¡±


    Urich stood up from roasting meat by the fire. He grabbed a half-cooked chicken and began tearing off chunks to eat as a snack.


    ¡°An idiot wearing a robe with a sun emblem showed up iming he could treat us.¡±


    ¡°You mean a priest? Yeah, those guys are always going on about benevolence and love, and whatnot¡±


    ¡°But the guy who got treated died. It was a fatal wound anyway. But after sending one to his death, he still insisted on treating others. We¡¯re showing him right now what happens when he messes with us.¡±


    Urich headed to the za where the warriors were gathered. They were milling around with bows, seemingly betting on shooting at a person.


    ¡°Hey, if you keep moving like that, you might get hit! Not that you understand ournguage anyway!¡±


    A bald warrior said as he shot an arrow. It flew straight into a wooden board. A trembling priest was standing in front of the board.


    ¡°There are people that I can save. Please, give me a chance,¡± the priest managed to call out in a strained voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s he saying?¡±


    ¡°He says he can save someone?¡±


    ¡°The one he treated earlier, Buker, he died. He must havee to curse us, that damned sun shaman!¡±


    The bald warrior cursed and shot another arrow. This time, it hit the priest¡¯s arm, but the arrow merely passed through his sleeve.


    ¡°Eh? I thought I got his arm. Is he missing an arm?¡±


    The priest¡¯s right sleeve pped empty. There was nothing where his right arm should be.


    The bald warrior, after blinking dumbfounded, drank heavily from his bottle. Even his scalp was flushed red. He drew another arrow and pulled the bowstring. Even the most skilled archer could make a mistake in such a drunken state.


    The priest muttered a prayer with a pale face. Then, he opened his eyes. Upon seeing something behind the bald warrior, his eyes got wider. It was as if he had seen his savior.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Someone touched the warrior¡¯s head. The bald warrior felt a skull-crushing pain and swung a dagger behind him in response. Even in his drunk state, his counterattack managed to target the head urately.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    The bald warrior¡¯s dagger dug into soft flesh, but it was not the sensation of stabbing a person.


    ¡°Damn, you wanted my chicken that bad?¡±


    Urich blocked the dagger with the chicken he was holding. He moved the chicken aside, revealing a fierce smile.


    ¡°U-Urich!¡±


    ¡°If you like it so much, eat it until your mouth rips open.¡±


    Urich shoved an entire chicken into the warrior¡¯s mouth. The chicken¡¯s meat and bones were crushed under his tremendous grip and were forced into the warrior¡¯s mouth. The helpless warrior trembled with tears and snot running down his face. Blood also dripped down the sides of his mouth as his mouth was torn open.


    ¡°Uuugh, ugh.¡±


    ¡°Piss off. This sun shaman is my guest.¡±


    Urich kicked the bald warrior''s rear and then looked at the priest. The one-armed priest¡¯s face seemed familiar.


    ¡°Long time no see, Gottval.¡±


    Urich was the first to greet.


    Gottval was the priest who had once taken a snake bite for Urich. Fortunately, he was able to survive, though he did lose his right arm in the process.


    Urich had personally amputated Gottval¡¯s arm. The sensation seemed to revive in his fingertips.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see you again, Urich.¡±


    Gottval staggered toward Urich.

 Chapter 232

    <h4>Chapter 232</h4>


    Urich brought Gottval into the house. As Urich entered, the warriors who had arrived earlier dispersed and made room.


    <i>ng.</i>


    Urich carelessly swept the dishes on the table aside with his hand, making space toy out the food and drinks he had brought.


    "Screams have filled the city, Urich."


    Gottval said while drinking water. His face and clothes were dirty. He seemed to have roamed around the city all day.


    "There was nothing I could do. This is war. It would be strange to spare only some cities just because I know them, wouldn¡¯t it? I did my best. I even spared the guard captain Setton, and since the lord here surrendered quickly, I tried to minimize the damage," Urich said, lifting his drink.


    "Speaking in such a defensive tone itself shows you feel guilty about your actions."


    "Hah, bullshit. I just saved your life, Gottval. If it weren¡¯t for me, they would¡¯ve turned you into a half-cripple, at the least."


    "Exactly. They really shot at my arm. Thank god that nothing was there, though," Gottval said as he fluttered his right sleeve.


    Urich frowned and snapped back, "If that¡¯s a joke, I don¡¯t find it funny. We won¡¯t be staying long, so just stay under my protection while we''re here. Don¡¯t try to do anything; they might actually cut you.¡±


    "There are many wounded outside. I can be of help."


    "Our warriors won¡¯t ept your treatment. We have our own people that we rely on for our wounds, sort of like our priests. We are the invaders. We have no reason to ept your help, anyway."


    "I am only practicing what I¡¯ve learned."


    "Caring for us when you¡¯re the loser? Mercy andpassion are the rights of the victor. The defeated should just keep their mouths shut and wait. If words aren¡¯t getting through to you, I¡¯m sure force will. With a singlemand from me, you won¡¯t be able to take a single step out of this house until we leave," Urich spoke as he bared his teeth. Gottval did not say anymore.


    "Gottval, you''re the man who saved my life. I am not one to forget debts or favors. No one will harm you in my presence. So just stay put," Urich said as he stood up.


    Gottval stared at Urich, then twitched his eyebrows beforementing, "You''re not wearing the sun ne."


    "I quit. The benevolence and love you speak of don¡¯t suit a warrior. Great warriors don¡¯t need such things."


    Even the Sword Demon Ferzen turned his back on Lou and turned to Ulgaro. Urich understood why Ferzen had done that. Lou¡¯s teachings were far from the life of a warrior.


    "God isn¡¯t something that one can simply choose to keep or abandon, Urich. Just as a child cannot choose their parents."


    "I¡¯m a bastard who grew up without parents, so I don¡¯t know anything about that."


    "Even if you think you have abandoned Lou, Lou is still watching over you. That¡¯s what a god is."


    "That¡¯s enough preaching for today, Mr. Priest."


    Urich left without listening further.


    Left alone, Gottval sped his hands and prayed softly.


    "Lou, please forgive us all."


    * * *


    Two days had passed since the city was conquered. The warriors had discarded the bodies of their deceased kin in the nearby forest. It was a traditional funeral custom of the west.


    "They¡¯re letting the wild animals eat the bodies, how barbaric..."


    "Shh, be quiet."


    The civilized people muttered as they watched the warriors carrying the bodies. The city was filled with unease and fear.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Samikan entered the inner city. The hallway was neatly lined with ornaments and statues of impressive quality. Statues that looked almost identical to humans were always astonishing. To the westerners, the craftsmen of the civilized world were like beings who performed strange magic.


    <i>¡®Pursuing not just survival, but something beyond.¡¯</i>


    Samikan touched the statues as he looked at them. It must have been the work of a sculptor who has spent a lifetime perfecting his art. It was a level of skill unattainable in the barbaric world, where survival was the primary concern.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Samikan moved deeper inside. Arge hall, where the lord and his lieges should be, opened up. At the end of the empty hall was the lord''s chair.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Samikan leaned back in the chair. Being elevated seven steps higher, it was a position from which one could look down on others.


    He closed his eyes, then slowly reopened them.


    <i>¡®What have I, Samikan, achieved?¡¯</i>


    He flicked his fingers, lightly tapping the armrest of the chair.


    He had unified the west, led the warriors over the mountains, and now challenged the empire, which had long reigned supreme over the civilized world.


    "It¡¯s a formidable wall. A formidable opponent indeed."


    Samikan''s blurry eyes were staring at the wall that was the empire. That wall was sturdy and tall. He had once hammered through that wall hard, but behind it was yet another wall.


    <i>¡®A foe worth putting my life on the line to topple.¡¯</i>


    It felt as if his whole life had been leading up to this achievement.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    Samikan calmed his excitement. A bout of chest pain wasing on again, throbbing intensely.


    "Kagh."


    He yelped shortly and bent over from the severe pain. The pain was so intense that his whole body convulsed.


    He gritted his teeth until the pain subsided. His illness was getting worse.


    <i>''This is an incurable sickness.''</i>


    No one knew it better than Samikan himself. Death was close.


    <i>''If only I knew how much time I had left.''</i>


    It was possible that he would live a few more years, but it was a luck that he should not rely on.


    <i>''Even tomorrow isn¡¯t guaranteed for this body.''</i>


    Samikan sweated profusely. The pain finally ceased. He spat out the breath he had been holding.


    <i>''I will strike the empire before my life runs out.''</i>


    The corners of his mouth twitched, then stretched into a wide smile.


    "Even if my body dies, Samikan will be an immortal being."


    It was every man¡¯s dream to want to leave behind an immortal legacy. They deeply desired to be that great being.


    * * *


    A tribal council was convened in the assembly hall of the Havilond fortress. More and more sounds of footsteps echoed on the cold stone floor. Soon, the hall was filled with warriors, but only a few had the right to speak.


    "We march north and strike at their capital."


    Samikan spoke in front of several tribal leaders. He unfolded a map and pointed from their current location to the imperial capital of Hamel.


    "Ohhh, finally!"


    "You¡¯ve finally made your decision, Great Chief."


    Excited voices supported Samikan.


    However, Urich furrowed his brows, looking at Samikan. He stood up and pointed at the map.


    "It''s too early for that. We are going to head south. There''s a granary region called Marganu. If we plunder that area, we should be able to hold out for a long time. Us simply roaming the imperialnds and buying time will be a huge annoyance to the empire. Our mere presence weakens them."


    Samikan shook his head at Urich¡¯s words.


    "That would only give the imperial army time to gather their forces. We should strike at their heart before their power consolidates. We are strong! Our brothers are the finest warriors! Who dares to oppose us?"


    Samikan raised his voice to boost morale.


    "If we face the main force of the imperial army again, we don''t stand a chance in a direct confrontation. We''ve already learned that the hard way."


    "Are you scared after one loss, Urich? Are you saying the Son of the Earth is backing out of a fight because he is afraid? I hope I just heard you wrong," Samikan taunted Urich. Things were different from his usual cooperative demeanor.


    "We need to go south, Samikan."


    "I don¡¯t think so. We mustunch a total offensive while the empire is busy fighting the north. Now is the perfect opportunity."


    Urich and Samikan''s opinions shed.


    As the tension between the two leaders escted, the tribal chiefs remained silent, wary of choosing the wrong side and facing consequencester.


    "Urich, you know many people in this city. I heard you even saved a priest. You must not have liked us plundering this city. Have you gone soft?"


    "Cut the nonsense."


    "Then prove it. Prove that you are on our side."


    Samikan suddenly snapped his fingers.


    <i>Drag, drag.</i>


    The warriors in the hall parted ways as the blue-faced Blue Mist warriors dragged out a one-armed priest.


    "Cough."


    Gottval coughed up blood. His usually neat face was quite swollen. He looked at Urich and simply blinked, not even begging for his life.


    Urich stared at Gottval, then covered his face with his hands and rubbed it downward.


    <i>''Hah, I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from you, Samikan.''</i>


    Urich had thought Samikan''s rity had dulled, but his political sense was still as sharp as ever.


    <i>''He already knew I''d oppose advancing to the capital. That''s why he brought Gottval. Samikan knows me too well.''</i>


    Urich had ordered the warriors to protect Gottval, but there was a single being in the alliance who could make them go against thatmand and drag Gottval out.


    <i>¡®He got me good.¡¯</i>


    A smirk nearly reached his throat. Samikan was still keeping Urich in check, cing every move of his under his control.


    "Get your hands off that man now, before I kill you all," Urich warned the warriors who had brought Gottval.


    Hismand carried weight. The Blue Mist warriors flinched and looked to Samikan for his order.


    When Samikan nodded, the warriors released Gottval.


    "Is this civilized man more precious to you than our brothers? You keep many of them close to you. It¡¯s almost as if you trust them more than our own brothers."


    The res of the warriors sharpened upon Samikan¡¯s words. Indeed, Urich had kept people like Harvald and Georg as close advisors, who were not westerners.


    "You also had Noah Arten as a close advisor. Are you really in the position to me me?"


    "Noah is an exception. Noah has been with us since before the alliance was formed. He is like a brother."


    "Hmph, you always have an excuse."


    Urich snorted. He helped Gottval to his feet.


    "It really does seem like this civilized man is more precious to you," Samikan pointed out again.


    The warriors murmured at his words. Many warriors were observing the meeting. The tribal council was a ce where chiefspeted and assessed each other''s influence.


    "This civilized man, Gottval, is the man who saved my life. I¡¯m sure you didn''t know, so I''ll let it slide this time. But there won''t be a next time. I trust you all heard that. You guys too..."


    Urich looked at the Blue Mist warriors who had dragged Gottval along. The warriors, suppressed by Urich''s murderous intent, instinctively reached for their weapons.


    Urich, supporting Gottval, left the council. With Urich gone, Samikan fully took over the flow of the meeting. No one dared to oppose Samikan''s call to march on the capital.


    Urich entered a random room within the fortress andid Gottval down. Gottval began to clean and treat his own wounds.


    "This is my fault. I didn''t realize Samikan was watching."


    It hadn¡¯t even been two full days since Urich dered he would protect Gottval. Gottval, who was supposed to be under Urich¡¯s protection, had been seriously injured. This was greatly damaging to Urich''s reputation.


    "I''m fine. My face is just swollen, but there are no serious injuries. I think they didn''t want to provoke your anger too much. It seemed like they were afraid of you."


    Gottval cooled his face with a towel soaked in cold water. After cleaning his wounds, he applied ointment.


    "The way I see it, Lou is a terrible god. Leaving a devout follower like you to suffer while saving scum like Samikan."


    "We shouldn''t read the will of the gods at the eyelevel of humans. If that is what Lou did, there must be a reason, even with my pain."


    "There''s a reason for your pain? What a load of bullshit. Pain is just pain. And pain is bad. If you like being hurt, then you''re just insane."


    Gottval justughed.


    "It seems things didn''t go your way because of me, though I don''t quite understand what you were saying back there."


    "Don''t worry about it. Even if it wasn''t for you, it would have turned out this way, anyway. I''ve never beaten Samikan in politics."


    Urich sat down in a chair and leaned his head back. He continued as he loosened his stiff neck muscles.


    "But this time, I¡¯m not just going to let it slide."


    "If it''s about revenge, I''m fine. Things like this do not bother me."


    Gottval tried to stop Urich. Urich tilted his head and grinned.


    "Dumbass, it''s not because of you. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re an insanely hot woman or something. You think I would grind my teeth just because some dude got beat up? This is solely for my brothers. If we advance the way Samikan wants, we''ll all die."


    Gottval awkwardly smiled at the misstep.


    Urich closed his eyes to cool his head. On the edge of darkness, he saw a vision. Crows were feasting on a deste hill of corpses. Fluid dripped from half-rotted eyeballs, and maggots swarmed where organs should be in the gaping bellies.


    Urich woke from a light sleep. He yawned deeply and stood up from the chair. Outside, he heard noises of Samikan''s watchers shuffling around.


    <i>''Samikan himself knows that it''s better to stall than to face the imperial army head-on right now. A short-term war is exactly what the empire wants.''</i>


    Urich gathered his thoughts.


    <i>''Samikan must have decided that he doesn''t have much time left. Even if it''s risky, he¡¯s going to try to see this war out while he''s still alive.''</i>


    Urich smirked.


    "That''s very foolish, Samikan. Our brothers are not some tools for your ambition."


    Quietly, Urich jumped out the window, eluding Samikan''s watchers. He was a man capable of climbing down the vertical fortress walls with ease. Compared to the bizarre cliffs and walls he had climbed before, this was a piece of cake. He casually left the fortress and moved alone.

 Chapter 233

    <h4>Chapter 233</h4>


    Six-Fingered stared at his six-fingered hand. In the Blue Mist Tribe, it was tradition to make a child born with six fingers a shaman. Every generation in the tribe never failed to see one or two children born with six fingers, as if they were bestowed by the heavens.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Six-Fingered clenched his ckened teeth. He picked up a knife as he gazed at his six fingers.


    ¡°Kuk, kuk, kuk.¡±


    Six-Fingered¡¯sughter made the candle flicker.


    <i>¡®How many times have I wanted to cut these damn fingers off.¡¯</i>


    His fate was sealed from birth. At a young age, he was dragged away by entric old men to learn all sorts of tricks. He was forced to swallow herbs so revolting they made him want to vomit, memorizing their tastes, names, and effects. When he was forced to dig through the entrails of animals, the stench would cling to him for days.


    <i>¡®I ran away several times but was always caught again. I was beaten all night and even hung upside down.¡¯</i>


    The path of a shaman was not easy. Although they did not die in battle like warriors, the hierarchical and apprenticeship system of the shamans was brutally harsh.


    <i>¡®And before I even realized, I had be a priest of our tribe.¡¯</i>


    But there was no freedom for Six-Fingered. Samikan, who became the chief in the same era, was more of a monster than a human. The power that should have been shared between the priest and the chief was all seized by Samikan.


    <i>¡®Samikan is a historical warrior and a great chief.¡¯</i>


    That was a fact that he could not deny. Samikan greedily swallowed all the power.


    <i>¡®First, he swallowed the tribe¡¯s power. He even made me, the priest of the tribe, his subordinate.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered¡¯s hands trembled. It was humiliating. Not following Samikan''s orders only meant death.


    <i>¡®And then he swallowed the west. He achieved the unification of the west, something no one had thought was possible.¡¯</i>


    Samikan took Noah Arten, a man from beyond the mountains, as his partner, and actively utilized his knowledge. His open-mindedness made it hard to believe he had been born and raised in a tribal society.


    <i>¡®Now he''s trying to swallow the civilization that is much greater than us. He is truly a snake that devours the world.¡¯</i>


    Samikan¡¯s actions as a warrior were admirable. Who else but him could have achieved such feats? Urich? In Six-Fingered¡¯s view, Urichcked ambition. The Son of the Earth could never have created something like the alliance. It was possible only because it was the greedy, cunning, and wicked Samikan.


    ¡°I have lived my entire life as a ve to fate, Samikan.¡±


    Without breaking free from Samikan, there would be no freedom at all.


    Six-Fingered did not sleep as if he were waiting for someone. Only his thoughts wandered.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The window burst open. It was a window Six-Fingered hadn¡¯t locked. It must have been visible from outside because of the escaping light.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    A hulking man squeezed through the small window. The density of his body was so high that it changed the air in the room. The most renowned warrior of the alliance, the man whose breath was even fierce.


    ¡°Urich, I knew you¡¯de.¡±


    Six-Fingered recognized the visitor just by his shadow. Only the yellow glow from Urich¡¯s eyes flickered in his shadowed face.


    ¡°Are you just going to stand there and not greet a guest?¡± Urich spoke.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked formalities,¡± Six-Fingered replied with a chuckle. Urich slowly sat down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Did I not tell you that you would need my hand someday? Don¡¯t just overlook a shaman¡¯s prophecy, Urich the Son of the Earth.¡±


    ¡°Enough. If you want to brag about yourself, do it when I¡¯m not around.¡±


    ¡°Why would I boast without a person to boast to? I¡¯m not a madman.¡±


    Six-Fingered had also attended the tribal council. He saw with his own eyes that Samikan was toying with Urich.


    <i>¡®The time hase,¡¯ </i>Samikan thought. It was bound to happen someday.


    Urich and Samikan were toorge a presence to coexist, especially with their different dispositions.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can help with, just say the word. I am more than willing to help.¡±


    ¡°Samikan has been raising a snake.¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about that. He knew very well that he was raising a snake. A snake needs careful handling. It¡¯ll bite even its owner if aggravated. Keke.¡±


    Urich grimaced.


    <i>¡®Six-Fingered, I¡¯ve never liked you.¡¯</i>


    But without Six-Fingered, it was impossible to strike at Samikan.


    ¡°Dere an oracle. Say there¡¯s a good omen to the south, and a bad one to the north. Make it as grand as possible so we can sway the hearts of the warriors enough to make even Samikan acknowledge it.¡±


    This was the situation that Six-Fingered had been waiting so desperately for.


    ¡°To the south?¡±


    ¡°If we head north now, the imperial army will be waiting in camp. Samikan is gambling on the fate of the west and the lives of the warriors. He¡¯s willing to take a gamble with slim chances even though there are better ways.¡±


    Upon hearing Urich¡¯s words, Six-Fingered narrowed his eyes.


    <i>¡®How can heck so much in greed?¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s motives and goals were purely for the tribe and his brothers. He had no personal ambition whatsoever.


    <i>¡®He is a terribly innocent warrior.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered flicked his fingers as he thought. He slowly parted his darkly stained lips.


    ¡°Is that going to be enough?¡±


    ¡°It will be.¡±


    ¡°But if I dere an oracle of my own ord, Samikan will try to kill me. Remember, Urich. From now on, you are the one who has to protect me.¡±


    Urich nodded. Six-Fingered and Urich grasped each other¡¯s arms, making a pact.


    * * *


    Samikan struggled to wake up in the morning. The duration of his sleep grew longer, and the fatigue never seemed to leave him no matter how long he slept, leaving shadows under his eyes.


    <i>Wriggle.</i>


    Samikan clutched the edge of the nket. The bed of the civilized was almost excessivelyfortable.


    "This thing makes peoplezy."


    Samikan opened his eyes wide and barely managed to sit up. Immediately upon waking, he checked for his weapons. He strapped his sword and axe to his waist and looked out the window. He could see the entire city from the lord''s room, which was where he was staying.


    The city of Havilond was still under the control of the alliance. The presence of the alliance forces had brought severe damage to Havilond. The resources that the city''s residents had umted over the years had already run out.


    <i>¡®We¡¯ll get enough rest here, then we¡¯ll fight the empire''s main forces.''</i>


    One victory was all he needed. A single victory would immortalize Samikan''s name. He would be a symbol of terror in the civilized world, and a legendary hero in the west, or even a mythic figure.


    Samikan had given his warriors ample rest. The sun was already high.


    <i>''I¡¯ve been sleeping too much.''</i>


    Samikan massaged his creaking neck and shoulders. While yawning lengthily, he noticed the warriors gathering outside the castle.


    "Six-Fingered?"


    He hadn''t called for a ritual yet as the day of departure had not been set.


    Samikan hastily grabbed his coat and stepped outside. The warriors silently followed him.


    Six-Fingered gathered the shamans and held a heavenly ritual to discern the will of the sky. Naturally, many warriors of the alliance flocked to the event. Everyone wanted to know their future. Through the shaman''s divination, the warriors soughtfort about whaty ahead.


    <i>Schriiing.</i>


    Six-Fingered drew a knife and ran it across a sheep''s throat. The struggling sheep bled out.


    "Oom, ooomm."


    The shamans made throaty chants. The warriors held their breath, waiting for the result of the divination.


    <i>Riiip.</i>


    Six-Fingered slit open the sheep''s belly and shoved his arm deep inside. He rummaged through the foul-smelling innards while screaming iprehensibly. Soon, Six-Fingered''s eyes rolled back as he convulsed.


    <i>p, p!</i>


    Six-Fingered fell backward. As he pulled his hand out, a crow burst forth from the sheep''s belly.


    "A crow!"


    "A crow soaked in blood!"


    The warriors cried out in rm. A blood-soaked crow burst from the sheep''s belly and soared into the sky.


    "A bad omen!"


    A blood-soaked crow could never be a good sign. The crow circled over the city and then disappeared. Even the sky seemed to darken ominously.


    "That¡¯s definitely grand."


    Urich smiled satisfactorily. It was a well-prepared ritual by Six-Fingered. It really seemed as though a crow hade out of the sheep''s belly. Urich could tell that this was the trump card that Six-Fingered had on him.


    "That is without a doubt a bad omen. That was a crow..."


    "Where the hell did ite from?"


    More crows appeared from the surroundings. The warriors'' eyes wavered. Phenomena symbolizing bad omens urred all around them.


    The shamans also gathered among themselves, murmuring seriously. The atmosphere became heavy, making it hard to believe it was a pre-battle ritual.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Samikan strode through the midst of the warriors. The warriors parted ways, staring at Samikan.


    "I have held a heavenly ritual before the battle, Great Chief Samikan," Six-Fingered spoke respectfully with his hands soaked in blood.


    "As you should, Six-Fingered. Holding a ritual before the battle is only natural," Samikan responded nonchntly.


    He still watched the crows flying in the sky, narrowing his eyes.


    "Bow!"


    A warrior brought Samikan his bow. He pulled the bowstring far back and aimed at a crow.


    <i>Thwi¡ªip!</i>


    The arrow flew without hesitation and struck the crow. It was a disy of archery skill worthy of a Great Chief. In the alliance, only a few could shoot a bow as well as he could.


    "There''s no need to fear prematurely about a bad omen."


    Samikan, having shot a crow down, which was a symbol of a bad omen, looked around at the warriors whose morale had already dropped.


    <i>''I¡¯m sure we could still advance if I pressed them, but... it''s a tough fight even in our best condition. We can''t fight the imperial army with an unstable army.''</i>


    Samikan looked afar at Urich mingled in the crowd, then turned his head and red at Six-Fingered who had conducted the ritual.


    Six-Fingered couldn''t meet Samikan''s eyes directly and pretended like he was casting another divination.


    "Six-Fingered! Then, in which direction has heaven ordained?" Samikan shouted.


    Six-Fingered pulled out the sheep''s entrails and scattered them on the ground. Blood and intestines spilled, forming a bizarre pattern.


    "South, Great Chief."


    Six-Fingered showed the whites of his eyes as he responded.


    "Then, we shall march south and receive the blessings of heaven. If our priest''s words are correct, we will encounter good news there!"


    Samikan tapped Six-Fingered''s shoulder. The faces of the warriors, previously anxious about the bad omen, brightened up.


    "You¡¯re using that little power of yours very efficiently, Six-Fingered," Samikan said softly, audible only to Six-Fingered nearby.


    "I''ll take that as apliment," Six-Fingered replied in the same manner.


    "Were you seeking power just so you could rebel against me like this?"


    Six-Fingered lifted his staff and repeatedly stamped it on the ground. Bones ttered, and the warriors matched their steps to the sound.


    Whether it''s the ancestors or heaven, the blessing of a transcendent being was crucial for the warriors. The power and authority of a priest came from the support of such warriors. As absolute as Samikan might be on earth, he couldn''t be responsible for the warriors in the afterlife.


    "I have lived my entire life as your ve, great Samikan."


    "If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t have risen to your current position. It was I who created that ce for you, not anybody else."


    "Even so, my fate and life are not yours. This six-fingered body that doesn¡¯t even have a name will live by his ownmands and will choose where he dies."


    Samikan resisted the urge to slit Six-Fingered''s throat. He wanted to tear the lips off the cunning man in front of him right then.


    Six-Fingered felt Samikan''s murderous intent and swallowed hard.


    "I don¡¯t have much time left in this world. I certainly won''t live longer than you. You couldn¡¯t have waited that much longer? Even though you¡¯ve been enduring it all your life?"


    "Honestly, I wanted to screw you over at least once before you died, Samikan.¡±


    Respect and formalities were gone from Six-Fingered¡¯s words.


    Samikanughed at his words. To the warriors, it seemed like he was justughing because of the divination.


    "This is much more like it¡ªbetter than some talk about fate and whatnot. I¡¯ll admit it. You got me today. This Samikan has been bested by Six-Fingered and Urich."


    Samikan put an eyeball of the sheep thaty on the sacrificial altar into his mouth and chewed it loudly.


    Samikan stepped down from the altar and looked at Six-Fingered again.


    "Make sure you keep your eyes wide open, Six-Fingered."


    After stepping down from the altar, Samikan looked around at the tribal chiefs and warriors. Urich, making eye contact with Samikan, nodded slightly.


    Most of the alliance warriors just thought that the Great Chief changed his n because of the omens, but the politically astute chiefs and head warriors knew a new power struggle was beginning. The ritual was just a part of politics.


    <i>''The time to choose a side ising.''</i>


    It has long been a headache for the alliance. A two-headed beast does not live long.

 Chapter 234

    <h4>Chapter 234</h4>


    The tribal leaders of the alliance gathered together and talked among themselves.


    "Samikan won''t live long."


    "Well, there are many who still manage to live a long life with chronic illnesses."


    "Still, a sick person can''t lead the alliance."


    "Haha, so what are you saying? Who can say to Samikan, to his face, that he should step down since he¡¯s sick?"


    "Well, there¡¯s Urich."


    "I don''t think Urich can do the job as well as Samikan."


    Urich was a formidable rival to Samikan. However, everyone agreed that Urich''s capabilities did not match those of Samikan. While Urich was the absolute best in terms of warrior skills, the role of the Great Chief was separate from the skills that made a great warrior. That''s why Samikan could still lead the alliance even as he was declining as a warrior.


    "Soon, one of the two will disappear from the alliance. Didn''t you see it? Samikan openly humiliated Urich at thest tribal council."


    "But Urich has joined hands with the priest Six-Fingered. Six-Fingered sided with Urich."


    The tribal chiefs maintained neutrality and observed the situation.


    "We should be fighting the empire, not fighting among ourselves. This is shameful."


    Somemented the divided state of the alliance.


    "You think there¡¯s anyone here who doesn¡¯t know that? That¡¯s just the situation we¡¯re in now¡±


    Even when they were facing amon enemy, people found ways to divide themselves. The north was like this in the past, and the west was no exception.


    The internal division Urich had tried so hard to prevent had already urred. The alliance that had be split was not going to easilye together again. One side had to be cut out before further divisions urred.


    Urich and Gottval sat across from each other by a campfire. Urich, for some reason, talked with Gottval quite frequently. Gottval was good at listening to people and drawing them out.


    "Do you want to be the Great Chief, Urich?"


    "Mm, not really."


    "Then why not just quit? Is there a need for you to oppose Samikan?"


    "Hah, that¡¯s easier said than done, Mr. Priest."


    Urichughed it off, but Gottval looked at him with an unchanged serious look.


    "There is no such thing as ¡®can¡¯t.¡¯ Everything is a choice."


    "You wouldn''t understand, Gottval. There are people who rely on me. If I leave my position, many of my people will die. It''s not about whether I want the position of Great Chief or not. It''s about the responsibility thates with the position. Running away from one''s responsibilities is dishonorable."


    "I understand responsibility quite well myself. That''s why I''ming along with you."


    Gottval looked around. All he saw around himself was barbarians. He had joined the alliance and was traveling with Urich.


    "Following me... You know that''s crazy, right? We''re going to fight the empire."


    "I can''t just stand by and watch someone who has received my baptism stray from Lou. And also, proselytizing is the duty and responsibility of a priest."


    Gottval had joined the alliance to proselytize. There were quite a few priests captured as prisoners within the alliance, but Gottval was the first to join voluntarily.


    <i>Crackle, crackle.</i>


    Urich added more branches to the fire. The smell of the wood seared by the mes filled the air.


    "Hmph, whatever floats your boat. I guess I can¡¯t stop you from digging your own grave."


    Gottval was visited often by civilized mercenaries. Unlike the priests who were captured as prisoners, Gottval treated the civilized individuals within the alliance with kindness. He heard their confessions and sometimes offered blessings.


    <i>¡®Gottval really is abnormal.¡¯</i>


    Urich still couldn''t understand Gottval''s ways.


    The alliance had attacked Gottval''s city. The city of Havilond had suffered a merciless plunder. Yet, Gottval did not show any hatred or anger.


    "If I had the power to stop you and the plunderers, I would do my best to do so. But there''s no use in getting angry and hating when I can¡¯t do anything about it. Hatred only eats away at oneself."


    When Urich first met Gottval, he was just an ordinary monk acting as a military chain, but after losing an arm, his exemry character gained attention, and he gradually gained fame.


    Within a few years, Gottval had be the most famous priest in Havilond. Nobles visiting Havilond would even line up to meet him.


    Even the priests who were being held captive came to see Gottval.


    "Gottval, the one-armed saint. I have heard of you."


    "That is an excessive title. I am simply Gottval."


    Gottval shook his head at the title of saint.


    "Has Lou forsaken us? Many are dying. The pain and screams of our brothers and sisters haunt us every night."


    "Just because they are armed with madness and rage, it does not mean that we also have to be tainted by hatred."


    "But..."


    "Forgive those who are ignorant."


    Gottval was among the most moderate of the Sun Priests, closely adhering to the fundamental teachings of Lou. Such moderate fundamentalists were rare within Srism. As long as one was human, it was not easy to let go of hatred and anger.


    "We cannot think like you, Brother Gottval. Every night, our boiling emotions do not settle. They have killed our brothers, vited our sisters, and set fire to the temples of Lou."


    "If that''s how you feel, then you can simply surrender to those emotions. But you would have to be prepared to ept the consequences. Do you have the courage to do so? The courage to act violently against Lou''s will."


    Gottval''s voice settled low. The priest listening to him closed his mouth.


    "If you don''t have the courage to take up arms and fight them, then it is better to forgive. That is our way."


    "Gottval, you are a great man but too idealistic. Not everyone can live that way."


    A few priests left the meeting. However, those inspired by Gottval''s words stayed seated, absorbing his message.


    The alliance was heading south. Throughout the journey, Urich paid special attention to the safety of Six-Fingered. He called upon his trustworthy warriors to escort Six-Fingered.


    <i>¡®Samikan will do whatever he can to eliminate Six-Fingered.''</i>


    Samikan could not assassinate Urich. If he removed a rival through wrongful means, Urich''s faction of warriors would never follow Samikan.


    <i>''After eliminating or disgracing Six-Fingered, he is going to ce a shaman that he likes in that position. Six-Fingered is scared out of his mind of Samikan, too.''</i>


    Six-Fingered had be haggard, hardly sleeping at night. Urich¡¯s warriors were the only people that he could trust. The stench of herbs was terrible near Six-Fingered as he smoked almost constantly to calm himself.


    "Harvald, take care of that herb-head. He''s an important guy."


    Urich entrusted Six-Fingered''s safety to Harvald. Harvald was more trustworthy than any other warrior within the tribe. He would not betray Urich no matter what bribe Samikan offered him.


    <i>¡®What a joke. Harvald is more trustworthy than my own brothers.''</i>


    Samikan''s criticism wasn''t entirely wrong. Urich relied heavily on those not from the west, which some warriors viewed unfavorably.


    Urich and Samikan ran into each other at the camp. Samikan, who was already sitting and drinking, gestured for Urich to join him.


    "Everyone seems to be waiting for me to die from my illness. They hover around me like stray dogs."


    Urich walked over to Samikan. The surrounding warriors cleared the area.


    "So when do you think you''ll die?"


    Urich took the cup offered by Samikan. He wouldn''t poison it; both knew that well.


    "I won''t die before my destiny is fulfilled."


    "Destiny? You sure it¡¯s not your greed? Haha."


    "So what if it is? If it''s wrong for a man to strive for great deeds, then we''re all sinners."


    "Of course. But if you gamble with your brothers¡¯ life, you deserve to lose your head."


    "War is a gamble. No one can guarantee victory. That''s why we seek the power of heaven and the gods. Anyway, cheers, for the spirits of our ancestors and the blue sky."


    Samikan raised his cup, and the two clinked their cups lightly.


    "Samikan, take your time attacking the empire. Do not rush it. They¡¯re the ones who are getting anxious, not us."


    "Your advice has been duly noted."


    Samikan nodded with a smile. If he had shown anger, there might have been room for persuasion.


    <i>''The fact that he¡¯s justughing it off means he was never going to consider my advice.''</i>


    Samikan would use any means to redirect the alliance northward. His goal was to engage the empire in a decisive battle before his death, and Samikan always got what he wanted.


    More warriors began to surround Six-Fingered. The Blue Mist warriors loyal to Samikan watched Six-Fingered day and night. Their fanatical eyes prevented Six-Fingered from sleeping.


    "Y-you have to keep your promise, Urich. Y-you must protect me."


    Six-Fingered was under tremendous psychological pressure. He was drying up with the fear of knowing that death coulde at him at any moment.


    "Man, stop worrying so much. Samikan won''t attack you so tantly. As long as we don''t show him an opening, you¡¯ll be fine."


    Urich nced at the distant Blue Mist warriors. They bowed their heads in greeting.


    Harvald, guarding Six-Fingered, suggested to Urich that they should increase the number of guards.


    ¡°If all those warriors suddenly rush us, we won''t be able to protect the shaman,¡± Harvald suggested.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Samikan won¡¯t just attack like that. I know him well.¡±


    ¡°Then why does that Samikan keep sending so many of his men to be around the shaman?¡±


    Harvald grumbled. He was a northern half-blood raised in the empire, unfamiliar with the culture of the alliance or warrior society in general. He couldn''t dismiss the possibility that Samikan''s warriors might attack.


    ¡°Just ignore it. He''s increasing the numbers to put more pressure on us. Look at Six-Fingered. He¡¯s growing more weary by the day. That''s what he''s aiming for.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard not to worry when he¡¯s putting so many people around us.¡±


    Harvald was also bing weary from guarding Six-Fingered. His tone revealed his built-up frustration.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to ignore it... huh...?¡±


    Upon hearing Harvald¡¯s concern, Urich felt a sudden chill. An inexplicable anxiety began to creep up on him.


    ¡°Anyhow, end your internal power struggles as soon as possible. There is no chance that an army divided within itself can defeat the empire.¡±


    After saying that, Harvald went back to guard Six-Fingered. Urich looked around.


    Urich cocked his head and watched the Blue Mist warriors. Samikan wasn¡¯t the type to share all his ns with his subordinates. Even if interrogated, they wouldn''t know anything.


    An unknown anxiety tormented Urich throughout the night.


    As morning arrived, Urich strolled through the camp, yawning heavily. He hadn''t slept well.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    The sound of footsteps grew louder. Urich turned to look around. A group of heavily armed warriors had surrounded him.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? You want to fight? Are you all lining up to die?¡±


    Urich gripped the hilt of his sword, threatening the warriors.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t cooperate, we are prepared to fight, Urich, the Son of the Earth.¡±


    ¡°Cooperate?¡±


    ¡°Great Chief Samikan has named you as the murderer of Noah Arten.¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes widened then sharpened. He scowled.


    ¡°using me without proof could jeopardize Samikan¡¯s position. I arrived at the Arten outpost after Noah Arten was killed. How could I possibly have killed Noah?¡±


    ¡°You will be able to exin yourself in court.¡±


    Seeing Urich surrounded by Samikan¡¯s warriors, other warriors rushed in from all sides, brandishing their weapons.


    ¡°Urich isn¡¯t someone you fools cany your hands on! Piss off!¡±


    ¡°It is the Great Chief¡¯smand!¡±


    ¡°Screw the Great Chief, we follow Urich!¡±


    ¡°That statement is treason against the alliance.¡±


    The tension was palpable; a fight could break out at any moment. Warriors quickly grabbed their weapons to defend Urich. Dozens of warriors had gathered in no time, arguing heatedly.


    Urich closed his eyes, listening to the growingmotion. He cooled the anger that was raging within. When he opened his eyes, he could see the crowd again. Things that were obscured by anger now came into view, and that included Gottval. He was praying with a face full of concern as he looked at Urich.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯tpletely eliminate my anger like you. Anger is the source of warriors.¡¯</i>


    Urich controlled his anger. He reached out to the other warriors.


    ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding. They won¡¯t be able to find any evidence that I killed Noah Arten. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°If anything goes wrong, we¡¯ll raise our weapons for you, Urich. A cunning snake cannot rule over us. What we follow is a warrior whose blood runs as hot as fire.¡±


    The warriors loyal to Urich shouted. The Valdima warriors with many burn scars especially revered Urich. There were many loyal warriors in the alliance besides just the Stone Axe warriors.


    ¡°Thanks for cooperating, Urich.¡±


    Samikan¡¯s warriors encircled Urich and moved. Urich was led to an open space that was formed in the center of the alliance camp.

 Chapter 235

    <h4>Chapter 235</h4>


    The weather was less than ideal. Dark clouds were rolling in from beyond the horizon, and moist air passed through on the wind before the imminent rain.


    In the open space, Samikan was waiting for Urich. Surrounding him were many of those who were close to Samikan. Each was armed as if they were about to go into battle.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich walked toward the open space visible in the distance. Samikan''s warriors surrounded Urich, leaving no gap for him to escape.


    <i>Pew.</i>


    Urich touched the back of his neck. There was a sudden sharp pain.


    <i>''This is...''</i>


    Urich frowned. The minor pain spread rapidly, turning into a tingling sensation that enveloped his body. His senses dulled, and his legs wobbled.


    <i>''Poison...''</i>


    The surrounding warriors pushed him forward as if they were holding him up. Someone among them had shot a poisoned dart at Urich. The poison didn¡¯t seem to be lethal.


    "You sons of bitches..."


    "We are prepared to die with you, Urich. Even if you kill us, at this distance, your life won''t be spared after. Please remain calm. The Great Chief has no intention to kill you."


    One of the warriors encircling Urich spoke.


    <i>''My senses are floating. My body doesn''t feel like my own. I''m feeling short of breath, too.''</i>


    Urich struggled to hold back nausea as he squinted his eyes.


    <i>ng, ng.</i>


    Samikan, facing Urich, tapped the ground with the tip of his sword. He looked at Urich with a chilly gaze.


    "Urich, it''s regrettable that it hase to this."


    "Are you sure you can handle what¡¯s about to happen, Samikan?"


    Urich stood firm on his numb legs.


    "The one who needs to handle it is you, not me,¡± Samikan retorted.


    "I arrived at the Arten outpost after Noah Arten died! How could I have killed him?" Urich shouted as he spread his arms and looked around.


    "That¡¯s what I thought at first, too. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t even consider the possibility that you ordered the assassination. I trusted my brother more than anyone."


    <i>Clunk!</i>


    Samikan tapped the ground with his sword tip once more.


    The crowd parted, and warriors emerged. They were dragging someone along by the arm.


    "Georg?"


    Urich''s pupils shook. Georg looked even smaller surrounded by the warriors.


    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t see Georg at all the past couple of days.''</i>


    Urich had been unable to pay attention to Georg, being too focused on keeping his eyes on what was around Six-Fingered.


    <i>¡®So this was what he was going for.''</i>


    This was the reason why so many warriors had been circling Six-Fingered. They were trying to distract Urich from paying attention elsewhere.


    <i>''Georg was the source of my anxiety...''</i>


    Urich chuckled lowly. Georg looked like he had been tortured, with all his fingernails missing.


    "Urich, here is a witness who says you ordered the assassination of Noah Arten," Samikan spoke clearly.


    Urich''s ears rang. A non-existent boom echoed around his ears. He could only see Georg moving his lips as he was speaking. The world seemed to slow down and blur. The poison spread to the rest of his body through his heart. His consciousness flickered. The amount of time that passed with each blink seemed greater than usual.


    "Kagh."


    Urich screamed like he was retching. He gasped for air, shaking his head.


    "Georg confessed that Urich ordered the assassination of Noah Arten. Urich, do you have anything to say?"


    Georg testified that Urich had ordered Noah''s assassination through a letter. Whether his statement was true or not was no longer important. What was important was that it was said by a civilized person who was a close associate of Urich.


    "That''s nonsense! Urich would never do something like that!"


    The outcry from the watching warriors grew louder, but even their words just echoed dully in Urich''s ears.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t feel very good.¡¯</i>


    Urich''s eyes trembled faintly. The blood circting in his body didn¡¯t seem to reach all the way down to his fingertips.


    Samikan approached Urich and whispered.


    ¡°Urich, if I die, the alliance is yours. You will be the next Great Chief. So, just leave the alliance to me until then. ept your punishment quietly for now. I''ll make sure it ends with just confinement.¡±


    ¡°Kek, keke. Drop the bullshit.¡±


    Urich chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. He turned and looked at Georg.


    ¡°I, I...¡±


    ¡°What I demanded from you was your knowledge, not your loyalty. I¡¯m sorry for not being able to protect you, Georg,¡± Urich spoke as he forcibly gathered his breath. His eyes settled calmly.


    Urich moved his fingers. With theck of sensation, he fumbled at first but eventually managed to grip the handle of his sword.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    Urich''s de was revealed. The shouts of surrounding warriors grew louder.


    ¡°I, Urich of the Stone Axe, refuse to take the punishment. Since I was born a man, I will not ept punishment for something I did not do. Let¡¯s cut the bullshit and ask the heavens to be our judge, Samikan.¡±


    Samikan smiled faintly and stepped back, slowly drawing his sword.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s still moving well after getting poisoned.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s body was already coursing with an amount of poison that exceeded the lethal dose. Samikan had anticipated that he would not die from that much.


    ¡°Are you saying that you refuse to admit your guilt?¡±


    Samikan twirled his sword. He had been preparing for this day for several days. He had abstained from women and followed the shaman''s nauseating medicinal prescriptions to bring his body to peak condition.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t feel out of breath.¡¯</i>


    Samikan lightly hopped in ce. The pain in his chest washed away. It wasn¡¯t entirely a good sign, as once the effect of the medicine wore off, terrible pain would ensue.


    ¡°You knew it was going toe to this from the start, didn¡¯t you? You even used poison because you were expecting to fight me.¡±


    The mention of poison caused a murmur among the warriors. Though they mored that Samikan wouldn¡¯t use such a cowardly tactic as poison, it was too obvious that Urich was not in the right state.


    ¡°You''re spouting lies just to escape this situation, Urich.¡±


    Samikan said with a scoff. The situation was easy to create misinterpretation for anyone. Samikan had brought Urich to trial out of nowhere and dered him guilty. Even if he seeded in punishing Urich, it would be controversial. This was an incident significant enough that it would affect Samikan''s legitimacy and control in the future.


    <i>¡®But I don¡¯t have much time.¡¯</i>


    Since leaving Havilond, Samikan had suffered nightly from the lung disease, spitting blood. He could feel his death drawing near.


    <i>¡®I have to get there, even if I have to force it. Before my life ends. You give this one up, Urich.¡¯</i>


    Samikan was more desperate than anyone else. Had he had more time, he wouldn¡¯t have acted this way in the first ce. He had no luxury to take his time when death was right on his tail.


    <i>¡®I just need to keep my control over the alliance now and fight the imperial army.¡¯</i>


    Samikan no longer looked to the future. Fighting the imperial army and capturing the enemy¡¯s capital in battle was his sole focus. He dreamt only of asting legend.


    Samikan was prepared to sacrifice everything for his cause. The number and amount of things he was willing to throw away to achieve his goal was far different from Urich, who still had much to live for. Samikan could even discard his pride and honor, which he had valued more than his life.


    A bizarrely twisted obsession leaked from Samikan''s eyes. Even the surrounding warriors shivered and trembled.


    ¡°Of all people, you resort to using poison even with that high pride of yours; what a joke... were you that anxious and rushed?¡±


    Urich staggered as he raised his sword. His vision was already dimming.


    <i>¡®Samikan...¡¯</i>


    Samikan of the Blue Mist. Urich murmured the name. Their rtionship was never off to a good start to begin with. Their rtionship had started as practically nemeses and fluctuated between closeness and distance.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s time to end this long rtionship of ours.¡¯</i>


    Urich tried to grip his sword tightly, but his graspcked strength. His muscles felt as if they were unraveling like a ball of yarn.


    Urich didn¡¯t want things toe to this. Samikan was a talent necessary for the alliance. They had acknowledged each other¡¯s necessity. However, both were exceedingly superior, and no pack of beasts could have two leaders.


    Poison coursed through Urich¡¯s veins, attacking him. Yet, Urich stared intently at Samikan.


    <i>¡®Indeed, you are a blessed warrior, Urich. Not even poison and injuries can kill you.¡¯</i>


    Samikan swayed his sword from side to side, stepping forward.


    <i>¡®I wasn¡¯t given such blessings. So I have to resort to using poison to defeat you.¡¯</i>


    Samikan was already expecting that bringing Urich to trial would lead to a duel. Urich was the only being in the alliance who was equal to him. Samikan could not punish him on his authority alone.


    In a warrior society, when equals shed, a duel was the only oue.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Samikan gripped his sword with both hands and assumed his stance. His weapon was also a high-quality steel sword.


    ¡°Hoooo.¡±


    Samikan''s chest heaved as he caught his breath. Normally, the pain would have prevented him from even taking such deep breaths.


    It felt like the clear breath was reaching all the way up to the top of his head.


    <i>''How long has it been since I''ve felt this good?''</i>


    His tormented body had also been corrupting his mind. As his mind cleared, his vision broadened.


    <i>¡®Urich and I didn¡¯t have toe to this.¡¯</i>


    Samikan saw the many paths he had taken. But regrets were always toote, no matter how soon they came. If he failed to overpower Urich right here, Samikan would not be able to seize his desires.


    Ambition kills humanity. Desire destroys ethics. Even if it meant sinking to the bottom as a human, Samikan could not give up his path. He had already paid too much to havee this far. If he stopped here, what Samikan has built up would merely be a series of misdeeds.


    Samikan imagined a future after his death. He didn''t n to live long. He intended to strike at the heart of the empire and end his life there.


    He would be remembered as an unforgettable terror in the civilized world. In the west, he would be remembered as a warrior who lived and died in the realm of legends and myths.


    "Sigh."


    It was as thrilling as ejacting. Even thest sense of guilt disappeared.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich and Samikan''s swords shed. Urich had to grip the hilt with both hands as if he were pressing them into the hilt because it felt like the sword would slip out of his hands if he didn¡¯t do so.


    There wasn¡¯t a single person who could match Urich''s skill as a warrior. Samikan was a formidable warrior as well, but he was far from Urich''s level.


    <i>''To think I would just barely gain an upper hand even with using poison.''</i>


    Samikan gritted his teeth. It was humiliating, but Urich was a great warrior.


    Urich somehow managed to block Samikan''s attacks and even attempt a counterattack. To those unaware of Urich''s actual skills, it almost seemed like he was fighting well.


    "Why is Urich being pushed back like that?"


    The warriors watching murmured among themselves. They had seen Urich in battles with their own eyes. Although Samikan was the chief, they didn¡¯t think Urich could lose.


    "Didn''t Urich mention something about poison earlier? Did Samikan really use poison?"


    Supporters of Urich shouted as if they were booing Samikan.


    "Keep wagging your tongue carelessly, and you might end up dead without anyone knowing. Urich is just not in good shape. Maybe he drank too muchst night."


    Whatever the truth was, it seemed Urich was the one who had challenged Samikan to a duel. There was no room for a third party to intervene.


    Gradually, more and more people gathered to watch the duel. It was the event that was going to decide the long-held question of who the true leader of the alliance was.


    "Kagh, <i>spit</i>."


    Urich shook his head and spat. His focus was gradually drifting. The poison moved faster through his body as he exerted himself more rigorously.


    "You¡¯re pretty light on your feet for someone with a lung disease."


    Urich reached for his axe. Sweat was pouring down like rain.


    The person most shocked in the area was the warrior who had shot the poison at Urich. The poison he had used was a paralytic that could take down even a bear.


    <i>''How is he still moving?''</i>


    Urich was still fighting Samikan evenly, despite the poison spreading through his body. Those aware of the poison''s potency were fully astonished.


    <i>Schriing!</i>


    Samikan''s de pushed Urich''s sword aside. Urich''s bnce was broken, and Samikan kicked forward.


    "Hup!"


    Samikan exhaled sharply as he swung his sword long. The de''s tip grazed past Urich''s front seam.


    <i>¡®Do not get in my way, Urich.''</i>


    Samikan''s body heated up. His movements became faster, whereas Urich''s steps slowed significantly. The difference became more and more clearly pronounced. Even defending was a struggle for Urich who was stumbling back.


    <i>''My eyes are closing.''</i>


    Urich felt his consciousness intermittently cutting off. His eyes closed as if he was being overwhelmed by sleep. He relied on his pure reflexes to thrust his axe and deflect Samikan''s de to the side. Urich''s trained body didn''t miss a beat in counterattacking.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Urich''s de grazed Samikan''s cheek. A bit more to the side, and it would have shed his face. Even in such a state, Urich''s shes were often dangerously sharp, enough to end Samikan¡¯s life.

 Chapter 236

    <h4>Chapter 236</h4>


    <i>Tatatata!</i>


    Rain started to fall as the dark rain clouds gradually gathered. Urich and Samikan both caught their breaths for a second in the rain.


    <i>''Ah man, it would¡¯ve been nice if that attack got through.''</i>


    Urich weakly grinned with half-closed eyes. His fingers noticeably trembled. His eyes failed to follow Samikan''s de and lost track of it.


    <i>Splush.</i>


    Urich slipped on the rain-soaked ground. He tried to support himself by plunging his sword into the ground, but Samikan''s kick struck Urich''s chin.


    "Keugh."


    Urich rolled on the ground. Groans erupted from all directions. Everyone knew it was a deciding point in the fight.


    "Urich, a warrior like you probably doesn¡¯t even fear death."


    Samikan frowned and walked over. He, too, vomited blood. The pain suppressed by the herbs surged again. It felt like his chest was being torn apart.


    <i>Woooooosh!</i>


    The rain grew heavier. Samikan swept back his sagging hair.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Lying down, Urich threw an axe. Samikan, who was barely managing to gasp for breath, twisted his head to dodge the axe.


    "Samikaaaaan!"


    Urich squeezed out as he got himself up. He moved forward with his limp body. He raised his sword high, but the trajectory of his swing was terribly misaligned.


    des shed again. Urich and Samikan tangled up. Samikan was able to maintain his bnce and posture, but Urich was in aplete mess.


    <i>''Just being able to stand and move is a superhuman mentality.''</i>


    Samikan focused his eyes on Urich charging at him. Urich''s eyes were nearly flipped as he rushed forward.


    Samikan and Urich crossed. The sound of flesh being sliced filled the air. Samikan seemed like he was about to fall but steadied himself with a step.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    Urich fell to the ground bleeding. A deep wound crossed his right corbone, clearly breaking it.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Urich fell on his knee. His upper body slowly tilted to the ground. Eventually, even his head plunged into the muddy ground. Blood spread from his body as it became mixed with the rainwater.


    "Huff, huff."


    Samikan caught his breath. His face, muddled with sweat and rain, felt heavy. His eyelids quivered and twitched.


    <i>Kriiiing.</i>


    Samikan dragged his sword and walked over to Urich¡¯s side.


    The warriors, despite having watched the battle from start to finish, couldn¡¯t believe what they had just seen.


    <i>''Urich lost.''</i>


    Secretly, everyone thought Urich would win even with the disadvantage. Urich was a symbol of invincibility to the warriors of the alliance. He always emerged victorious, regardless of the circumstances.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    Samikan drove his sword down with both hands. The de grazed Urich''s head and stuck in the ground. Samikan let go of the hilt and raised his voice with thest of his strength.


    "I, Samikan, will show mercy to my brother! If I were to cut off Urich''s head here, we could never win the uing war! The next Great Chief will be the great warrior, Urich, no matter what anyone says, and this is guaranteed by me, Samikan, who bears the will of the heavens! My brothers! My dear warriors! It is finally time to open your eyes and see our real enemy."


    The warriors murmured. Even those from Urich''s faction listened to Samikan''s voice. Samikan had just affirmed Urich''s status in front of countless warriors.


    <i>¡®Did Samikan just say that Urich will be the next Great Chief when he dies?''</i>


    Samikan publicly dered the transfer of power. There was no reason for the chiefs and warriors from Urich''s faction to oppose. They had clearly seen in this battle that Samikan was not going to live much longer. More blood had poured out from Samikan''s mouth than from Urich''s wounds.


    "The strife ends here! The meaningless conflict ends today! I, Samikan, will be the spearhead for you all! We will all walk the same path!"


    Samikan''s fervent speech of literally spitting blood stirred the hearts of the warriors. The controversy of poison and such had long been forgotten.


    On top of that, Samikan did not kill Urich and dered him his sessor. Although it was a measure to preserve the full strength of the alliance, it was undoubtedly a generous act. With so many chiefs and warriors hearing his words, he was not going to be able to overturn the transfer of power.


    "I-I¡¯m finished."


    Six-Fingered trembled with fear. Urich had been defeated.


    <i>¡®Urich won¡¯t die... but my life is in danger. What can I do to survive?''</i>


    Soon enough, Samikan would find any sort of reason to drag Six-Fingered down.


    Warriors carrying Urich passed by the trembling Six-Fingered. Urich''s injury was quite severe. A deep cut had reached inside his right shoulder, breaking the corbone.


    Samikan¡¯s promise to save Urich was not an empty one. Renowned healers of the alliance clung to Urich, tending to his wounds.


    Urich only managed to groan. He asionally opened his eyes, but he was far from being awake due to the fever. He did not regain his consciousness until three dayster, and the healers muttered amongst themselves that it was a miracle that he survived.


    * * *


    A typhoonden with rain from crossing the sea was approaching from the east. The storm clouds were just a precursor. The allied forces turned their route northeast, nning to pass directly through the typhoon.


    <i>Wooooosh!</i>


    The wind howled fiercely. Even the tents anchored deep into the ground shook.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    Urich was locked inside a mobile prison pulled by four horses. The gaps between the sturdy wooden bars were just wide enough for Urich''s arm to barely pass through.


    "Looks like it''s going to rain," Urich murmured.


    The warriors nearby covered the cell with leather to keep Urich from getting wet.


    <i>Throb.</i>


    Urich tried to move his right arm but then winced in pain. He cradled his face and shrugged his shoulders. He felt pathetic for having been imprisoned after being defeated by Samikan. His gloomy mood had not lifted for days.


    Urich was to be detained until the next battle. Moreover, Samikan had designated him as the next Great Chief. The warriors of Urich''s faction had epted this. There was no resistance from them since the punishment was quite generous.


    Samikan had not killed Urich and had prevented the division of the alliance.


    <i>¡®Amazing, Samikan. I would have never thought of such a solution. You¡¯ve managed to cast me aside and take over the alliance just like that. You put everything on the line just for the chance to leave your name behind.¡¯</i>


    Urich leaned against the bars and looked at the surroundingndscape. Despite the rain beginning to fall, the alliance continued their eastward march.


    <i>¡®Are we moving northeast?¡¯</i>


    The alliance had changed direction from moving south. The typhoon wasing into their view in the distance. The lightning struck the ground, and the sound followed muchter.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Urich blinked.


    <i>¡®I''m tired now, too.¡¯</i>


    Urich lost to Samikan. He had no choice but to watch as the alliance headed toward a dead end.


    <i>¡®I tried hard enough, I really did,¡¯ </i>Urich muttered to himself as he sped his face.


    <i>¡®I did my best for my brothers and my tribe.¡¯</i>


    He didn¡¯t be the chief because he wanted to. He never had such ambition or desire. All he wanted was to live and die as a warrior. He had spent years engaged in politics and power struggles that did not suit his temperament.


    Urich simply could not bear to see his kin be ves of the empire like the north and south. He had moved toward what his heart wanted in order not to bow to injustice, but this was where the choices he made got him.


    "How much more do I have to struggle?"


    There was no answer.


    His wounds itched and tingled. He wanted to tear off the suffocating bandages and scratch out his wounds with his fingers.


    <i>Chew.</i>


    Urich took out a leaf of medicinal herbs given by a shaman and chewed it relentlessly. The pain went away, but his senses only sharpened. The shamans called such symptoms ¡®entering the spiritual realm.¡¯


    <i>Drip, drip.</i>


    Urich could make out each raindrop falling. Thanks to the consistent fall of the raindrops, Urich was able to delve deeper into his inner world.


    <i>¡®I just wanted to see things I had never seen before.¡¯</i>


    That was also why he had crossed the Sky Mountains. He broke the taboos of his tribe. He had shattered the afterlife that was given to his tribe.


    <i>¡®Civilized world...¡¯</i>


    Though he had faced death countless times, Urich could proudly say that he enjoyed those times. He had made friends who weren¡¯t just his brothers from his tribe and met men whom, despiteing from different worlds, he could share his values with. asionally, he met those withpletely different values, as well.


    If only he could, he wanted to go back to the day he crossed the Sky Mountains. Back then, Urich had endless possibilities and a future.


    Urich looked at the sun obscured by the dark rain clouds.


    <i>¡ªThere is no such thing as ¡®can¡¯t.¡¯ Everything is a choice.</i>


    Gottval''s words came to mind. Urich could have left the alliance and his tribe at any time. He had sacrificed himself until now. Alone, he had struggled and saved the Stone Axe Tribe and the west from the enemies of the other world.


    <i>¡®Gottval was right. I had a choice.¡¯</i>


    He could just leave. The problems of the west and the empire were none of his business. Urich had done his part. The rest could be left to Samikan, who had the ambitions and desires for the matter.


    There was the south, which he still hasn¡¯t been to, and even the eastern continent of the legends. He also wanted to know why the eastern artifact was found on the edge of the west.


    "I can leave whenever I want..."


    His heart pounded.


    There were other ways of life. Urich was young. He could be a merchant, receive a title in the Porcana Kingdom and livefortably, or he could even be a liege of a noble with vastnds, serving as a guard captain or the chief of security. There were plenty of ces that would appreciate a capable barbarian mercenary.


    "Ha, haha."


    His shoulders felt lighter. It was as if he had shed a heavy burden.


    ¡®Goddammit, Samikan. If you really want it all that badly, then just have it all. Why the hell have I been fighting with you over a power I didn''t even want? Huh?"


    His head felt clear. He felt as if he had been freed from all agony. Urich saw the many pathsid out before him.


    "I can choose for myself."


    Urich swallowed the herb he had been chewing. His throat tingled.


    <i>Crrrraaash!</i>


    Lightning struck. The sh and the sound came closer together.


    The northerners called lighting the spear of Ulgaro. Unlike Lou, who symbolized warm sunlight and tranquility, Ulgaro was a god who showed himself through harsh environments like storms and blizzards.


    <i>¡®I could be dying right now, and I don¡¯t even have a god to believe in.¡¯</i>


    Urich felt his energy waning. The defeat had gnawed away at his body. He wasn''t sure if his wounds would heal properly. Since Samikan''s sword had reached all the way into his corbone, he could very well die if luck wasn¡¯t with him.


    <i>Chew.</i>


    Urich took out a clump of herbs and chewed on them. His body trembled as his eyes rolled back. Saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth. Just like that, he lost consciousness and did not awaken until nightfall.


    <i>Crrraash!</i>


    It was the sound of thunder that woke Urich. He wiped the drool from his mouth. Lightning struck repeatedly. Urich covered his ears and curled up into a ball.


    "Ughhhh."


    The effect of the herbs made the thunder feel like it was thumping at his eardrums and pounding inside his head. The severe headache made it impossible for Urich to open his eyes. He had never imagined thunder could be so vile.


    Urich stuck his fingers down his throat and threw up the herbs he had overdosed on.


    "Guuuuugh, guugh."


    The warriors guarding the bars furrowed their brows.


    <i>¡®Has even the great warrior who¡¯s called the Son of the Earth gone mad?¡¯</i>


    The warriors clicked their tongues and looked away. The most towering warriors usually found it difficult to rise again once fallen.


    Despite throwing up the herbs, the effects of the medicine still lingered in Urich''s body. He opened his eyes slightly and was seeing things with each blink. Someone had entered Urich¡¯s cell through the bars.


    "You really showed up in front of me as an evil spirit, Gizzle. It seems our souls really don¡¯t have anywhere to go, huh? Kek, kek."


    Gizzle, the former chief of the Stone Axe Tribe, was staring at Urich. He extended his index finger toward Urich.


    "I did much better than you. I saved our tribe that was falling apart because of you. I even formed an alliance you could have never imagined. You can''t me me for shit, you idiot," Urich ranted.


    The warriors looked at Urich muttering to himself in the state that he was in and shook their heads.


    "Just what do you want from me? I''m just a person. I get hurt when cut by a sword, and I get frustrated when things are tough. Why do people like you, who are not at all better than me, demand so much from me? Why?"


    Urich thrust his left fist forward. Gizzle''s illusion scattered like mist.


    <i>Crrraaash!</i>


    Urich looked in the direction of the lightning. Darkness writhed in the distance.


    The darkness squirmed into a shape. A warrior wearing a winged helmet appeared with his eyes glowing with a blue light. His lips, which were distorted with a red color, were hideous.


    Urich gritted his teeth. He called the warrior guarding the bars.


    "There''s a one-armed sun priest named Gottval. Bring him here. Right now..."


    The warrior who belonged to Samikan hesitated but then nodded after seeing Urich¡¯s nervous expression.


    Despite his defeat to Samikan, Urich was still the most respected warrior in the alliance. He could not refuse the desperate request of such a warrior.

 Chapter 237

    <h4>Chapter 237</h4>


    Gottval hurried in the rain under the guidance of the warrior.


    The alliance''s camp was quiet. Even those drinking were silent as if they were in mourning. In the corner of the cluster of tents, there was even a talk of rising up for Urich.


    If Samikan had considered the future of the alliance, he should not have ended the internal strife the way he did. Though the visible division was stitched, for now, nothing had changed underneath the surface. It was uncertain when things might go wrong again.


    <i>''An imperfect organization like this can¡¯t be led for much longer.''</i>


    Gottval narrowed his eyes. He saw the future of the barbarians. It was a group that would likely copse if morale dropped or if there was even a slightck of justification for staying together.


    In contrast, the imperial army moved as if they were a single entity. Unity was their strongest weapon. They were soldiers bonded by a sense of duty, not desire.


    <i>''Is this... a good thing? But if things stay this way, many will die, whether they are the plunderers or imperial soldiers.''</i>


    Gottval followed the warrior to the cell where Urich was confined. He saw Urich who was slouching against the wooden bars.


    "I heard you called for me. Urich?"


    Gottval looked into Urich''s eyes from the other side of the bars. Urich''s cloudy eyes were staring into the darkness.


    "Gottval... do you know of Ulgaro?" Urich spoke with an uneasy voice.


    "Yes, I have heard of him. He is the northern god who oversees war."


    Gottval grabbed the bars. The wood''s grain was solid.


    "That Ulgaro ising to take me."


    Urich''s lips were quivering as he spoke. Gottval tilted his head puzzled and reached through the bars to grasp Urich''s arm.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "He''s always been watching me. Ulgaro has been waiting for the chance to take my soul."


    "...have you forsaken Lou for Ulgaro?"


    Urich looked at Gottval for a moment then shook his head.


    "I never put my faith in Ulgaro, but I did receive his help a few times. He¡¯s shown up in front of me every now and then."


    "You saw a god," Gottval murmured as he stroked his chin. He hadn''t shaved recently, so his beard was rough.


    "The Ulgaro who has only been watching me until now is finallying to collect my soul. I am indebted to him."


    "Urich, if you could see a god, that is proof that you are a being who is close to them. Resist him with that power."


    Gottval read Urich''s gestures and eyes. They resembled the reactions of knights or soldiers who were close to death.


    "You told me I had a choice."


    "We always have a choice. Just as I chose to follow you."


    Proselytizing was a duty of a Srist priest, but Gottval was the only priest who was bold enough to willingly join a group of barbarians who were invading the civilized world. People said it was madness, but Gottval chose to do what he believed was right.


    <i>''It wasn''t by chance that I met Urich. Everything was led by Lou. Urich is loved by the gods. The gods are fighting over his soul.''</i>


    Urich''s soul was being dragged to Ulgaro.


    "Urich, you said you abandoned Lou, but a god is not something you can just abandon at will. From the moment you were baptized, you were always a son of Lou. Lou has never ignored you. The sunlight isn''t as intense as Ulgaro''s thunder and darkness, but it always shines on us."


    Gottval realized what his mission was. A priest was a representative of the gods.


    "Ulgaro was human. He is an evil spirit who couldn''t find an afterlife. The northerners only worshipped a great human as a god. If you follow Ulgaro, you''ll be just another evil spirit, like him. Hold on until dawn, Urich."


    "Yeah, I know all about evil spirits. Hell, I¡¯ve got one right in front of me right now. It''s harboring resentment toward me."


    Urich was leaning against the bars in the corner of his cell. His movements were restricted as if there was someone else inside the bars with him.


    <i>''Just what exactly is Urich seeing?''</i>


    Gottval took out his sun ne and handed it to Urich.


    <i>Clink.</i>


    The ne of a sun priest was a precious treasure. The ne of ate renowned priest was sold to nobles for a high price as it was believed to be imbued with blessings.


    "Lou will be able to see you a bit better now."


    Urich clutched the sun ne and looked at Gottval. The torch behind Gottval flickered, dazzling his eyes. The light split like a rainbow.


    "The name of the evil spirit before my eyes is Gizzle," Urich recited hollowly.


    "Gizzle?"


    "He was the former chief of my tribe. He was stupid and ipetent. Well, not that stupid. But he never properly understood his capabilities. That foolishness led the tribe into crisis. I became the chief for the sake of my people. I¡¯ve never even wanted this position. Ever since I was young, the elders said I would be the chief, and it turned out to be true. The reasons Gizzle was wary and disliked me became reality."


    The old shaman always said that Urich was the warrior of light. She went around bbering that he would be a great warrior. The elders murmured that Urich was going to grow into an extraordinary person.


    "That is fate and choice, Urich. Some are purified by Lou''s side and born as kings and nobles, while others are born as ves or barbarians. That¡¯s just the fate and duty bestowed by Lou. Those born into royalty fulfill their duties ording to Lou''s will. Everyone receives their roles from Lou, just as I am a priest, and you are a barbarian chief."


    "So, is this suffering I''m enduring also fate?"


    "The pain like the one you¡¯re experiencing right now always has a reason behind it. We just can''t see it with our eyes right now."


    The word ''fate'' was terrifyingly frightening. Gottval''s eyes, which had always been warm, felt cold at this moment.


    "Urich, however, within the fate granted by Lou, we can make choices. You can show benevolence, or you can wield terror. How much terror have you wielded so far, and how much benevolence have you shown?"


    "...Gottval, I didn''t call you here for this kind of philosophical discussion. I need you to help me."


    Urich grasped the bars and leaned in close. The face of the young man that was always hidden by scars was revealed. Great warrior, Son of the Earth, chief of the Stone Axe Tribe. There were many titles that referred to Urich, but no one truly saw the young man inside.


    "Of course. I want to help you."


    "I''ll live spreading benevolence and love just like you said. Putting down my weapons wouldn¡¯t be too bad, either. Lou doesn''t favor warriors, right? This was never what I wanted to do. I was just curious about whaty beyond. I just wanted to know the unknown, to see what I hadn''t seen. I''ve been making the wrong choices all along. It''s time to correct them."


    Gottval''s eyes narrowed as he listened to Urich.


    "Is that your choice?"


    "I want your blessing and protection. Of all the people I''ve met, you''re the only one who told me I could live a different life. Everyone else just demanded the strength and valor of a warrior from me."


    Urich was tired. Despite being a young warrior, he felt as worn as an old knight who had spent a lifetime on the battlefield. He lifted his rain-soaked face, waiting for Gottval''s response.


    "I will respect your choice, even if everyone jeers and condemns it. But that is only when it''s truly a choice. Have you made a brave choice now? Or are you running away in fear?"


    Urich''s pupils quivered. Thunder crashed. The noise was so intense it gave him a headache. He swallowed the swelling nausea and bared his teeth before speaking again.


    "...It''s my choice."


    "I''ve seen how people here rely on you. Even in a time like this, they believe you will rise again."


    "I''ve done enough."


    "There''s no such thing as enough in this world, Urich. You¡¯ve either aplished or not."


    "Are you ming me, too? Even you?"


    Urich red fiercely. He reached through the bars and grabbed Gottval by the cor.


    "You can always make a choice, and there are other paths for you as well. But you must take responsibility for the choices you have made thus far. Everyone does... If you didn''t want to be a chief, why did you be one? Why did you be a warrior respected by all those people?"


    "Shut up."


    "To start anew and make new choices, you must finish what you¡¯ve started, Urich. From what I see, you just want to throw away a tangled situation and run."


    "Shut your mouth before I kill you."


    Urich extended his fingers and gripped Gottval''s throat.


    "If that''s your choice, I am more than willing to die. My duty is to spread Lou''s teachings and lead others on the right path. I do not run away from my duty and responsibility like you. Sometimes, duty and responsibility are scarier than death. But you must not run away... g-gugh."


    Urich tightened his grip. Gottval''s throat constricted.


    To those who understood honor, duty and responsibility were scarier than death. Knowing that fear, people sometimes fled to death to avoid their given duties. The frustration and pain of knowing that you did not fulfill a given mission were a heavy burden.


    "K-kugh, running away won''t set you free."


    "I said shut up!"


    Urich lifted Gottval with one hand and threw him down. His strength was still monstrous.


    "Cough."


    Gottval, thrown into the mud, coughed as he spat out the filth that got into his mouth.


    Urich nkly stared at his own hand. The falling raindrops looked red, like blood.


    <i>¡ªUrich, you too must fulfill your responsibilities. You can''t abandon your tribe now.</i>


    Gizzle appeared and whispered. Hisst words echoed in Urich''s ears. Despite facing all kinds of disasters and criticisms, Gizzle never ran away from his duties and responsibilities.


    <i>¡ªUlgaro is the god of warriors.</i>


    And then there were Sven¡¯s words. He was a stubborn northerner who did not give up his people and religion, staunchly adhering to his beliefs until death.


    <i>¡ªOh, Ulgaro.</i>


    Ferzen, who betrayed Lou and believed in Ulgaro, lived his entire life filled with pain and curses.


    A warrior endured pain in order to protect. The warriors of the west knew that life equated to pain. They understood that living painfully, gasping and starving, was life itself. Even after enduring a difficult dry season, they knew another woulde. They simply found sce in the brief moments of sweetness that asionally arrived.


    Urich''s body was robust. It was sturdy as if it was blessed by a god.


    Therefore, he never truly experienced the real meaning of pain and endurance. He did not know the pain of those who were not chosen, those who fell to rock bottom and desperately struggled as they rolled in it.


    To Urich, his strength was natural, and winning battles was just a matter of course. He was superior even when just running around and swinging a sword the same as others. It was a blessing that couldn''t be exined by mere effort.


    However, most people fail and get frustrated. Foolishly, everyone harbors desires in their hearts that are beyond their means. They yearn for a better life and things they cannot have. Even though they trip and fall over and over, they rise again driven by those desires.


    <i>¡®Bachman, who used to hunt whales...¡¯</i>


    Bachman, who was Urich¡¯s friend and brother from his mercenary squad, died without achieving anything even until the day he died. He had neither the blessed strength like Urich nor was he born into nobility or royalty. Thus, the ordinary Bachman envied and resented the nobility and royalty until the day he died.


    <i>¡®Princess Damia, who was a royalty.¡¯</i>


    She was never recognized for her royal talents because she was born as a woman. Damia, who was jealous of yet loved her twin brother, lived a twisted life and faced the worst catastrophe she had feared.


    <i>¡®Sven, whose life and values were denied.¡¯</i>


    Yet, Sven still lived his life ording to his beliefs. He steadfastly lived on despite the whole world denying the values he believed in and followed all his life. Even if the path he walked was downhill, he did not stop.


    The path Urich climbed was filled with people who had failed. Urich always won and looked down on those who failed. He lectured them and demanded things from them as if he were superior, and that they should naturally also be on the same level as him.


    Not everyone could be strong like Urich.


    There was no one who could stand unbroken against the storms of life.


    <i>¡®Pahell, you were an incredible guy.¡¯</i>


    He remembered Pahell, who had be a king, and the tubby Bilker who died. Pahell¡¯s agonies were not theints of a weak person. Despite failing, getting frustrated, and losing many times, Pahell always moved forward. Even when his sister''s betrayal pierced his heart, he did not forget his duties as a king.


    The tubby Bilker was forced into a role that did not match his capabilities. How heavy must the duties and responsibilities that he simply could not fulfill have been for such a young boy?


    "Ah, ahhhh..."


    Urich scraped the floor with his nails, groaning low like a beast. He remembered how he med Pahell¡¯s weakness and mocked and exploited Bilker''s foolishness.


    Underneath Samikan''s victoryy Urich''s defeat. For the first time in his life, Urich stood in the position of the loser, looking up at the winner.


    "You lose one time and now you talk about running away to live afortable life? Have you lost your mind, Urich?" Urich criticized himself.


    Urich banged his head against the wooden bars. The warriors murmured that Urich had finally gone mad.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The thunderstorm was getting closer. The warriors in the camp crouched close to the ground, waiting for the storm to pass. They knew from experience that lightning struck high structures and metal.


    Gottval ran toward Urich in a frantic hurry upon seeing him banging his head against the bars. Madness flickered in that act of self-harm.


    Rain and lightning struck the alliance. In the harsh rainstorm, Gottval''s clothes soared as if they were about to take off.


    <i>Drip, drip.</i>


    Urich raised his head, bleeding. His forehead was scraped, revealing raw, red flesh. His yellow eyes flickered, searching through the writhing darkness.


    "Come on, give me your advice, you damned lost spirit. Now''s the time."


    The warrior in the winged helmet who was drawing the darkness toward Urich stepped backward into the shadows. Only a vague shadow and a pair of faint blue lights continued to stare at Urich.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The warrior in the winged helmet pointed to the sky with his finger. The sound of the wind tore through the air like a cry from Ulgaro.


    The warriors had dropped their spears on the ground due to the thunderstorm. However, the wind just before had been so strong that the spears on the ground were lifted and swept upward. Some warriors were injured by the airborne weapons and debris.


    All of a sudden, Gottval, who was protecting his head with his single arm, opened his eyes wide and screamed out.


    "Urich!"


    A spear, swept up by the wind, plunged into the bars of Urich''s cell.


    <i>Thwuck!</i>


    The spearhead pierced Urich''s chest. The warriors who were crouched down stood up abruptly to look at Urich. They all thought he had died.


    <i>Drip, drip.</i>


    Blood dripped from the spear. Urich had instinctively raised his injured right arm and caught the spear. His chest was merely scratched, but the abrupt movement had reopened the wound on his right corbone.


    "Throw the weapon here, Urich."


    The warriors said to Urich as they were on alert for Urich obtaining a weapon. They were getting up awkwardly due to the still ongoing lightning storm.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Urich looked up at the sky as he heard the sound. He lifted the spear through the bars above.


    "W-what are you doing!" The warriors eximed in confusion.


    Urich looked at them with a grin on his face, but his face gradually stiffened.


    "Shit."


    Nothing happened. The thunderstorm had passed the alliance.


    "Ha, haha, what exactly were you trying to do?"


    The warriors gradually straightened their backs andughed. Urich''s face turned red.


    <i>''Damn you, Ulgaro, ying with me like that.''</i>


    The tail end of the storm passed over the alliance as it sprinkled light rain over them.


    But when no one was expecting it, a single streak of lightning fell.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    By the time the warriors heard it, the lightning had already struck.


    <i>Tsssss!</i>


    The wooden bars were burning. A ck shadow wavered in the space shrouded in mes and smoke.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    A heavy fist shattered the half-burned bars. ck smoke poured out as the owner of the fist opened his mouth. Sparks sizzled, jumping off the metal essories.


    The first thing visible through the smoke was an arm. On the right forearm, a lightning burn was vividly swollen.


    "...Gods really are entric, Gottval."


    Smoke rolled over the charred muscles and receded. Urich stepped out from the broken bars.

 Chapter 238

    <h4>Chapter 238</h4>


    The lights in Samikan¡¯s tent did not go out for days. Even as the typhoon passed, the heat inside the tent did not dissipate. Shamans sweated profusely as they held down Samikan''s arms and legs.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Samikan clenched his teeth so hard to the point of cracking. His body convulsed violently, striking the surrounding healers.


    "Kagh!" The shaman who had taken the lead yelped.


    "Open the Great Chief''s mouth!"


    The shaman picked up the brewed medicine. Healers quickly pried open Samikan''s jaw.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Samikan bit off a healer''s finger and spat it out. The healer who fell victim screamed and stumbled back.


    "Great Chief! Snap out of it!"


    The veins on Samikan''s face swelled as if they were about to burst. It was literally bone-crushing pain. Every breath he took was painful, and it felt as if his whole body was on fire.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The storm that was passing over Samikan¡¯s tent felt like nothing to those inside. What was more dangerous was Samikan¡¯s thrashing which was throwing off and breaking the bones of the healers.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s going to die if we use any more medicine on him.''</i>


    At this point, pain-relieving drugs could not be used on Samikan as the overdose of them was what put him in a critical state in the first ce. Even after fighting Urich, he had screamed at the top of his lungs. His already damaged lungs were surely torn to shreds.


    "Cough, cough."


    The blood Samikan coughed up was enough to fill a basin. He looked at the men trying to heal him with a daze.


    <i>''I am not going to die here.''</i>


    What had hee so far for?


    Samikan thought about his past. He had been a smart and outstanding warrior. It was only natural for him to grow up to be a tribal chief. There was no man to rival Samikan in the Blue Mist Tribe.


    <i>¡®Noah, Noah Arten.¡¯</i>


    Samikan reached upward. Noah was the only person he could confide everything in. He was Samikan¡¯s true friend and brother.


    Through Noah, who came from beyond the mountains, Samikan cultivated his ambitions as a conqueror. He expanded his power through military knowledge from the civilized world.


    <i>''...Those were the glory days.''</i>


    Samikan had only known victory. He subdued the neighboring tribes and grew them into a singr force. As the months changed, Samikan''s fame only grew higher. Soon, he unified the tribes around the Sky Mountains into a force called the alliance.


    <i>''Why was that not enough for me...?''</i>


    At that time, Samikan felt like he could do anything. There was nothing in the world he feared. Even the being called the ¡®empire¡¯ beyond the mountains seemed like a child¡¯s y.


    <i>''As if it could ever be enough!''</i>


    Samikan''s eyes bulged. If he had been a small-minded man who could be satisfied with only the things he had, he would never have taken over the surrounding tribes or formed the alliance.


    <i>''I will take and have more. Even immortality will be mine.''</i>


    One could never achieve immortality with a human body. What remained was only the name achieved through aplishments.


    "I... I, I."


    Samikan swallowed hard and exhaled. His tongue trembled. His body shook violently.


    "...I am... Samikan..."


    Samikan sat himself up with his face flushed bright red. Then, he reached out to the shaman.


    "H-heal me."


    Samikan was no longer thrashing. However, it wasn¡¯t because the pain had gone down; he simply suppressed every outburst with a patience that surpassed that of humans. His clenched jaw intermittently trembled, and bruises bloomed across his skin where the blood vessels had burst.


    <i>¡®Even dying would hurt less for Samikan.''</i>


    The shaman looked at Samikan sitting up and handed him the brewed medicine.


    "Great Chief, you must rest, or your life will be at risk."


    "I¡¯ve already announced the sessor, so don''t worry about my life. I just need my body to keep moving until the day I die."


    Samikan gulped down the broth in one go.


    "My god, it really just tastes like filthy water."


    Although Samikan''s condition improved, he had only gone from being near death to merely severely injured.


    <i>¡®If only he had rested properly when he needed to, he wouldn¡¯t be in this bad of a shape.¡¯</i>


    The shaman who treated Samikan clicked his tongue. He was expected to take over as the priest of the alliance once Six-Fingered stepped down.


    "Great Chief, you must keep your promise."


    "Don''t worry. Six-Fingered won''t be able to keep his position."


    Samikan was nning to strip Six-Fingered of his position and kill him before he died himself. After all, it was because of Six-Fingered that Urich had been influenced, leading to this situation. Urich alone wouldn¡¯t have easily revolted.


    <i>¡®Urich puts the welfare of his brothers and his tribe before his own desires...¡¯</i>


    Urich was not capable of engaging in actions that didn''t fit his moral code. No matter how smart or talented he was, his nature was too upright as a warrior. Samikan could always attack Urich, with whom he had sworn brotherhood, but Urich could never do such a thing.


    <i>¡®You prioritize your values over the benefits. That''s your limit, Urich.¡¯</i>


    In Samikan''s eyes, the current oue was an obvious conclusion. Honest people could not beat the deceitful. That was the way things worked.


    <i>¡®I salute you for making me resort to such vile tricks.¡¯</i>


    He had subdued Urich using disgustingly deceitful tactics. He had set traps and even used poison. Anyone with a brain could see that Samikan had used unjust methods.


    But there was no one who could openly criticize Samikan at the moment. The alliance was at war, and another internal strife would mean the end for everyone. The other warriors and chiefs had futures to think about. Their situation was different from Samikan''s, who was at his life''s end.


    They all just held their breath as they waited for Samikan to die.


    <i>¡®It doesn''t matter what those bastards think of me.¡¯</i>


    Samikan lifted his head. One victory was all it was going to take. If he could just stab at the heart of the empire, Samikan would be a legend.


    Exhration surged. His dying body twitched.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The thunder and the fierce wind gradually subsided. Amotion was happening outside.


    "You should fully rest, Great Chief."


    The shaman advised onest time. It was going to be a headache for him if Samikan died before taking out Six-Fingered for him.


    Samikan''s cheeks had grown even more gaunt in just a few days. For the first time since his battle against Urich, he was able to fall asleep like a normal person instead of passing out from the pain.


    "Great Chief!"


    A warrior outside called Samikan. Just as Samikan was about to drift off to sleep, he snapped his eyes open. He didn''t show any irritation but grabbed his sword and axe and went outside.


    "What is it?"


    "U-Urich has been released!"


    Samikan frowned.


    "Is it a rebellion? Who is the instigator?"


    He had all the chiefs and key figures who could potentially lead a revolt under surveince. They were to be killed immediately if they showed any signs of rebellion. The chiefs who supported Urich were also aware of this and had kept their mouths shut, silently waiting for their chance.


    "A-about that... it was actually..."


    The warrior was at a loss for words. He too found the report hard to believe.


    Samikan urged the warrior, but before the warrior could speak, a thunderous voice filled the entire camp.


    "Samikaaaaaaan!"


    It was a familiar roar. The robust voice was like the remnants of the typhoon.


    "Urich..."


    Samikan bared his teeth. His broken teeth and copsed gums looked hideous.


    The warriors gathered around, and Urich emerged from them. Steam was still rising from his body. His hair which was spiked all over seemed brittle.


    "Why does he look like that...? Has he been hit by lightning, or something?"


    "The lightning has freed the Son of the Earth."


    "Now we truly know who is favored by the heavens."


    The warriors murmured among themselves. Even Samikan''s loyal warriors couldn''t stop Urich. Urich''s release was not just a simple rebellion.


    <i>¡®The will of the heavens.¡¯</i>


    That was the only exnation.


    The bars of Urich''s cell had been burned by the lightning bolt. It wasn''t human strength but the heavens that had freed Urich.


    No one could stand in the way of Urich, who was backed by the heavens. Even warriors with a shallow belief in mythology bowed their heads to the spectacle.


    A path was parted open in the direction Urich walked.


    "Hoo."


    Urich exhaled a pitch-ck breath. His steps wobbled like a drunk man¡¯s. His right pupil had lost its light, and its focus was blurred. His right arm, burned by the lightning strike, trembled even when he wasn¡¯t moving it.


    "He lived after getting hit by lightning."


    "My God... Urich."


    Urich slowly lifted his head. He could see Samikan standing in the distance.


    "Axe."


    Urich reached out haphazardly as a bunch of the warriors threw their axes at his feet. Urich picked one up with his left hand and spun it lightly.


    "You truly are persistent, Urich."


    Samikan red at the approaching Urich. They had enough spectators gathered. What they wanted was a duel. Urich, who was given another chance, was challenging Samikan.


    "If you really didn¡¯t use poison when you beat Urich, try beating him again and prove it, Samikan!" Someone in the crowd shouted, and other warriors raised their arms and yelled in support.


    <i>Schriiing.</i>


    Samikan drew his sword and stepped forward. His steps were also staggered, nearly falling several times. Both Samikan and Urich were ridiculously weakenedpared to their original capacities. They seemed like they could barely manage to beat a ten-year-old in their current states.


    But the warriors watched silently. They were witnessing what might be a legendary scene.


    "The heavens sent Urich back because Samikan resorted to cowardly tricks!"


    A fierce voice broke the silence. Six-Fingered banged his staff on the ground as he screamed. He was nearly screeching for the legitimacy of Urich¡¯s challenge.


    "Chief Samikan also once received the blessings of the heavens, but he has lost that favor due to his immoral actions! How can the one who lost the blessings of the heavens lead the alliance!"


    Six-Fingered openly poured out his criticism toward Samikan. Until now, no one had ever acted like this in public before, as every man in the alliance was afraid of Samikan.


    <i>''If Urich doesn¡¯t win, I will die too.''</i>


    Six-Fingered sweated profusely as he looked at Samikan.


    <i>''Six-Fingered is a small fry. I just need to defeat Urich right here.''</i>


    Samikan cooled his anger and focused on Urich.


    "Look at the arm of Urich, the great warrior and the Son of the Earth! The wrath of heaven has seeped into his right arm! That lightning mark is the agent of divine retribution!"


    Six-Fingered continued to shout until the end. Urich''s right arm bore a lightning-shaped burn. The mark spread from his forearm up to his shoulder.


    Urich survived being struck by lightning. That was the ultimate truth.


    The warriors once again realized the sanctity of the heavens amidst this overwhelming reality. At the end of the day, everything in this world was up to the will of the heavens. Life and death were governed by the heavens and were beyond human efforts. No one could survive an endless drought. Life was a gift from the heavens.


    <i>''I can''t see with my right eye.''</i>


    Urich extended his arm, gauging the distance. His depth perception was off since he had never had to see with just one eye before.


    <i>''My right arm is also useless right now.''</i>


    His right corbone was broken, making it difficult to even wield a weapon. Though Urich could only use his left hand, he didn¡¯t care. He was a warrior skilled in using dual weapons and could use his left hand just as well as his right.


    "Samikan has..." Six-Fingered continued to denounce Samikan.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    Samikan threw his axe toward Six-Fingered''s head. The axe embedded itself in Six-Fingered¡¯s staff.


    "Quiet, Six-Fingered. It will be Urich and I who prove who is truly blessed by the heavens. Shut that lying mouth."


    Samikan gripped his sword with both hands as hecked the strength to wield it with one.


    <i>Step.</i>


    As Urich and Samikan drew closer, the surrounding warriors formed a circle, clearing space for them.


    "I, Urich of the Stone Axe Tribe, dere that Great Chief Samikan is unfit to lead the alliance and challenge him to a duel. Pick up your weapon, Samikan. Let''s end this as warriors should."


    Hearing this, Samikan shrugged his shoulders andughed.


    "Yes, let''s end this as warriors should... we¡¯ll prove it with weapons and blood."

 Chapter 239

    <h4>Chapter 239</h4>


    The wavering des shed. It looked more like the des were dragging the men, not the other way around.


    Urich and Samikan fell several times but both managed to get up over and over again, though it was clearly a struggle. The swings of their axes and swordscked the strength to inflict fatal wounds.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The sound of metal shing was heavy. Urich, gritting his teeth, pushed Samikan with his left shoulder. Samikan staggered, and Urich swung his axe with as much momentum as possible, aiming to split Samikan¡¯s head.


    "A-aaaah!" Urich shouted as he swung his arm widely.


    <i>aang!</i>


    Samikan desperately raised his sword with both hands. Once again, metal shed. The axe that was thrown off its course slightly tore through Samikan''s clothing.


    "Huff."


    Urich sighed and kicked Samikan. The struck Samikan rolled on the ground.


    It was hard for the watching warriors to predict who would win. Samikan was frail like a dying old man, but Urich was also severely injured and had been struck by lightning on top of that. The two men, who should be struggling to even lift a finger, were fighting.


    Despite their different ideas and purposes, they were both individuals with superhuman perseverance. The warriors watching held their breath under their dominating presence.


    "Just die, Urich. It¡¯s time. You kicked away the mercy that I had shown you."


    Samikan, slumping his shoulders, stood up. He gripped his sword properly again. Although he had no major injuries from the fight, blood dripped from his lips.


    "Mercy? That¡¯s something that I¡¯m supposed to grant to you. I¡¯ll finish you off before you show any more of your uglier side."


    "Haha, without me, this alliance wouldn¡¯t even exist."


    "Yes, right. You were indeed the ¡®great¡¯ Samikan."


    Urich took a deep breath and charged. For a split second, he was as fast as he had been when his strength was at the usual condition.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich''s axe hammered down on Samikan¡¯s sword like a mallet. Samikan, who had lost his grip on the sword, grimaced and charged at Urich.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Samikan swung his fist, striking Urich''s right corbone. The bone that had barely settled in ce was dislocated again, causing an involuntary groan to escape from Urich.


    Urich lifted his knee and hit the approaching Samikan in the sr plexus, then swung his axe aiming for Samikan¡¯s neck as he stumbled back.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Blood spurted long. Samikan raised his left hand to block Urich¡¯s axe.


    Normally, Urich would have easily severed the hand, but he wascking strength this time. Samikan¡¯s left hand was only severed halfway through.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Samikan, while holding Urich''s axe, pulled a dagger from his belt. A quick stab aimed at Urich¡¯s throat.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Urich tilted his neck to dodge the dagger. The de tore long across the side of his neck. Blood seeped out but no major vessels were cut.


    <i>Twitch.</i>


    Urich quickly turned his head and bit down on Samikan¡¯s right hand that was holding the dagger. His limbs were weak, but his biting force was still as strong as ever.


    "Pah!"


    Urich bit off a chunk of flesh from Samikan''s palm and spat it out. Samikan, stepping back, silently picked up a fallen sword with his two damaged hands.


    "I¡¯m trying to send you off gracefully before you ruin the alliance you created. That way, you''ll at least be remembered as the hero who founded it," Urich said, wiping his blood-stained lips with the back of his hand.


    The tide of battle was gradually turning in Urich''s favor. The slight differences inbat skills were bing increasingly apparent. Urich was a warrior with natural robustness and abnormal real-lifebat experience. He knew how to use his entire body as a weapon even in the worst situations.


    "Is it wrong for a man to aim higher? Even if I falter through misjudgments and mistakes, I should live without regrets until the day I die, brother."


    Samikan¡¯s eyes shone sinisterly between the strands of his fallen hair. They were filled with malice and stubborn determination. He was a man who achieved everything with the sole ambition of leaving his name in the world. That was something he valued more than his own life.


    "You''re hopeless, Samikan. A chief is supposed to protect his brothers and his tribe. You''ve forgotten your most fundamental duties, and that¡¯s why you no longer deserve to lead us as the Great Chief. You were willing to die for your own honor and conviction, but not for your brothers."


    Urich strode toward Samikan.


    "Taking you in was my mistake. The Son of the Earth was a de I could not wield," Samikan said as he chuckled.


    As Samikan¡¯s and Urich¡¯s weapons shed, Urich could feel Samikan''s strength had significantly weakened. He pressed on with force.


    "If you really thought of me as your brother..."


    Urich swung an axe with one hand. Samikan''s sword was knocked away by the impact.


    <i>¡®It''s over.¡¯</i>


    Samikan watched his sword fly from his grip and realized that was it. His life of desperately surviving each day shed before his eyes as he spread his hand toward Urich.


    "...I would have dly died for you, my brother."


    Urich, with somber eyes, drove his axe down.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The axe lodged into Samikan''s face. Urich, too weak to even pull it out, slumped down beside him.


    Urich only managed to move his eyes to look at Samikan¡¯s face covered in blood.


    "We had our chances. We had several chances to make different choices."


    Perhaps Urich and Samikan could have been close brothers, standing together against the empire. They wasted too much time being weary against each other, trying to read each other¡¯s intentions, and repeating meaningless conflicts.


    "You called me your brother, yet you never wanted to share the honor."


    Urich gripped the axe embedded in Samikan''s face and pulled forcefully several times to retrieve it.


    <i>Squelch.</i>


    Sticky, dark, dense blood coated Urich''s hand, indicating how poor Samikan''s health had been.


    "The heavens have chosen Urich to judge the man who deceived and manipted! Look! Here stands the man who holds the will of the heavens!"


    Six-Fingered ran up, jumping up with excitement. He felt a rough sense of liberation as he looked at Samikan''s corpse.


    Urich, listening to the noisy Six-Fingered, sighed heavily. The Stone Axe warriors promptly supported Urich and carried him to his tent.


    * * *


    Urich, who had been sleeping like he was dead, finally opened his eyes. It had been two days since Samikan''s death.


    Urich had challenged Samikan to a duel and won. In tribal societies, it wasmon for subordinates with power and legitimacy to challenge their superiors. In smaller tribes, even those with only physical strength often took the chief''s position.


    However, the alliance was not a small tribe. It was a vast group that led ten thousand warriors and conquered most of the west.


    Simply being an exceptional warrior was not enough for someone to ascend to the position of Great Chief. One needed force, intellect, and a sizeable following for such a grand position.


    Having just woken up, Urich came to his senses and drank some water. The healers, who had been dozing off nearby, rushed to check on him.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Sitting inside the Great Chief¡¯s tent, Urich tilted his head and watched the flickering torch.


    <i>¡®My vision is blurry on one side.¡¯</i>


    His right field of vision hadn''t fully recovered. The healer had mentioned that soon he would not be able to see with his right eye.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter."


    Urich chuckled. He had never expected to grow old with his body fully intact. The fact that all his limbs were still fine was already a blessing.


    <i>Twitch.</i>


    Urich moved his right fingers. He could still feel them. The broken corbone had settled back into its ce and had begun its healing process.


    Six-Fingered stealthily entered Urich''s tent. His hands were stained with blood. He had taken out the shamans who had clung to Samikan. Now, there were no shamans or priests left to oppose him.


    "Samikan was deceiving and defiling the heavens. He has paid the price for his wrongdoings," Six-Fingered spoke politely.


    "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something you can say. You were the one who cooperated."


    "If I hadn''t done so, he would have killed me. Samikan''s body has been hung on a pole in the open area."


    Hearing this, Urich sprang up and grabbed Six-Fingered by the scruff.


    "Ke-kek!"


    "Who the hell told you that you could insult Samikan''s body?"


    "S-Samikan was a deceiver of the heavens!"


    "Shut it."


    Urich hurled Six-Fingered away with one arm. Themotion drew warriors inside, who bowed their heads upon seeing Urich.


    "Hmm."


    Urich''s body was still not normal. Despite his proud robust body, the injuries and wounds he had been umting were not insignificant. He slowly walked toward the open area where their duel had taken ce.


    "Urich."


    The warriors showed their respect to Urich as he passed.


    The vivid lightning scar on Urich''s right arm was proof of divine will. He was the Son of the Earth and a warrior of the heavens. Urich had obtained all the honors a warrior of the west could possess.


    "Do not disrespect Samikan''s body!"


    "Give him a proper funeral!"


    The warriors of the Blue Mist Tribe were eximing in the open area. They had been waiting only for Urich to wake up, enduring the humiliation that Samikan was being put to.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The wind swayed the pole. Samikan''s body, hung just after the duel, was still suspended there.


    His body had started to decay. His warriors were chasing away the birds that tried to feed on it.


    "Urich, it would be better to deal with Samikan''s men now. They are harboring resentment."


    Six-Fingered, who had followed Urich, spoke again. Urich, picking at his ear, looked at Samikan''s body hanging on the pole.


    <i>¡®Just for what did we hate each other and fight so much over?''</i>


    Urich could onlyugh. He had never coveted Samikan''s position. He simply wished that his brothers and kin would not be ves of the empire.


    <i>''But in the end, I killed you and took your ce.''</i>


    Emptiness outweighed relief inside Urich after Samikan¡¯s death.


    "... well, since it came to this, I might as well do a better job than you."


    Urich strode toward the pole where Samikan was hung. The warriors moved away, clearing a path.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Urich kicked the pole and broke it. He caught Samikan''s falling body. Despite the foul smell and unpleasant fluids running down his arm, Urich kept his face straight.


    The sight of Urich treating his ex-enemy Samikan with respect took the warriors by surprise. The insults that Samikan had inflicted on Urich were well-known amongst the warriors of the alliance.


    <i>¡®This is the mercy that I can offer as a warrior.¡¯</i>


    Urich cradled Samikan''s body and walked toward the warriors of the Blue Mist Tribe.


    "There will be proper honors for the former Great Chief. The Blue Mist Tribe still remains a pir of the alliance, and I will not allow any insults to Samikan or the Blue Mist Tribe."


    Urich handed over Samikan''s body to the warriors of the Blue Mist. Despite the way things ended, Samikan had been an undisputed hero of the Blue Mist Tribe, having elevated them to rulers of the west in a single generation.


    "Thank you, Urich¡ªno¡ªGreat Chief."


    The leader of the Blue Mist warriors nodded in respect as he received the body. The first addressing of Urich with the title ''Great Chief'' came from the mouth of a Blue Mist warrior. Urich was yet to officially be made the Great Chief.


    The funeral for Samikan was swiftly organized. Samikan''s body was submerged at the bottom of ake, following the traditions of the Blue Mist tribe.


    Urich dered that he would not seek any sort of vengeance against Samikan''s forces. Thanks to this, many warriors and chiefs attended the funeral to honor Samikan''s spirit. However, there were still those who were cautious of Urich and did not attend the funeral.


    "Georg, write down the names of the chiefs who attended Samikan''s funeral. They¡¯re more loyal and trustworthy than the ones who suck up to me only because of the power shift. Unlike you, keke."


    Urich still kept Georg Artur close. Even if it was because he was tortured, Georg had still betrayed Urich. While the warriors cried for Georg''s death, Urich ignored these calls.


    "Urich, I am a man who works with his brain and his pen. It''s your fault for not protecting me. What would you have done if more than a fingernail had been cut off? Do you think these ignorant illiterate barbarians would have written for you in my ce?"


    Georg brazenly continued to stick by Urich. Even the generous Urich, known for his leniency toward his subordinates and brothers, considered cutting off Georg''s tongue and leaving just his fingers be. Georg seemed to have no idea how close he came to it.


    It was a clear day, with the remnants of the typhoon gone. The sun was hot, and the sky was endlessly high. The warriors of the alliance gathered, fully armed.


    Although ten thousand warriors gathered, there was profound silence.


    <i>Screeee!</i>


    An eagle screeched long and high, circling the sky before disappearing.


    "Great warrior, Son of the Earth, emissary of heavenly punishment!"


    Six-Fingered, adorned with feathers all over his body, shouted loudly. The warriors stomped their feet and chanted ¡®Oh!¡¯ in response.


    "Urich, the chief of Stone Axe, have you seen the will of the heavens?"


    Six-Fingered, with veins bulging on the whites of his eyes, shouted. The shamans on either side droned on, elongating the smoke from the censers.


    "...I have seen it."


    Urich couldn''t help but grin, but he tried to maintain a solemn expression and responded. Turning his gaze, he spotted a figure that looked out of ce in the crowd.


    <i>''Gottval.''</i>


    Urich had tried to escape through Gottval. He wanted to throw away the burdens he had chosen to bear himself. He thought the kind Gottval would affirm his weaknesses, but Gottval did not condone Urich''s frailties.


    <i>''You may not be a warrior, but you are truly strong.''</i>


    There were times when a warrior could not flee even when they faced an opponent who was stronger than him. If his brothers and tribe were in crisis, he had to fight even knowing that the only oue for him was death. Just as a warrior must endure, people must bear their burdens to the end. They had to be responsible for the choices they had made, even if it was a wrong one that they wanted to undo a hundred times over.


    Urich closed and then opened his eyes, turning his gaze forward. He saw Six-Fingered''s face, ckened with charcoal. The eerily white eyes of his were creepy, fitting for a shaman.


    "Have the heavensmanded you to lead the warriors of the sky?" Six-Fingered shouted as if he was tearing his throat after taking a deep breath.


    He continued without pause, "Have the spirits of our ancestors and the essence of all creatures inhabited your shoulders?"


    Urich nodded and drew his sword, nting it on the ground.


    "...If so, you are worthy to be the Great Chief! The heavens have chosen you! Great Chief Urich, may the sons and daughters of the heavens follow you!"


    Six-Fingered knelt. The feathers that adorned his outfit fluttered and fell around him.


    Urich caught a feather that had flown close to his face and spun it lightly. The feather twirled before falling to the ground.


    He looked at the kneeling warriors. None dared to meet Urich''s eyes directly.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich sheathed his sword and sat down in the chair. He rested his chin on his hand andzily opened his eyes. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a jade figurine. It was the artifact that he had obtained from the edge of the west.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Urich clenched the jade figurine and broke it. Shattered pieces fell to the ground.


    Urich closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. A tranquil scene came to mind. It was the snowyndscape he had seen from the peaks of the Sky Mountains. The young Urich had pondered in that ce. To the easty the unknown world, and to the west, his vige where his brothers waited.


    Urich could no longer abandon his brothers for the unknown world. He was no longer the young Urich.


    "Stand up, my brothers."


    Great Chief Urich spoke.

 Chapter 240: Snake Pit

    <h4>Chapter 240: Snake Pit</h4>


    Varca Baneu Porcana. He had stayed in the imperial pce for a while to gain the emperor''s trust. Leaving his kingdom unattended for so long was not the best thing a king could do, but it was better than arousing the emperor''s suspicion.


    <i>¡®No matter how unstable the empire is right now... I just can¡¯t imagine them falling.¡¯</i>


    Varca looked out the window at the city. It was the city that embodied the essence of the civilized world. It wasn''t just about military revival; it was the home of all sorts of academic and cultural achievements.


    <i>¡®The empire is the ruler of the world, and Hamel is the center of the world.¡¯</i>


    That was the undeniable fact.


    <i>¡®If I hurry back to the kingdom, I will only pique the suspicion around myself. The emperor must be doubting me since Urich and I are close friends.¡¯</i>


    Just thinking about it gave Varca a throbbing headache. The plunderers from the west had brought chaos to the world. Their momentum had even led the barbarians of the north to dere themselves an independent kingdom, iming divine revtion from Lou.


    <i>¡®Bilker, the descendant of Mijorn...¡¯</i>


    Varca, too, had heard his name. Bilker was a boy who confronted the imperial forces with terrifying vigor. He was leading the fierce northern warriors despite his young age, as one would expect from a descendant of Mijorn.


    <i>¡®If even the kingdoms turn their backs on the empire, then that will truly mean crisis for the empire, and civilization as a whole.¡¯</i>


    Varca was staying in the Swallow Residence as a distinguished guest of the emperor. Knights from Porcana were always guarding him.


    <i>¡®The emperor will try to win over the kings somehow. I could use this opportunity to further Porcana''s interests.¡¯</i>


    The Swallow Residence was bustling with envoys from the seven kingdoms. The capital of Hamel was truly a battleground of diplomacy. One might even think of it as a ce for a world conference.


    <i>¡®Dammit, sister. Why did you have to bear Urich''s child?¡¯</i>


    Varca rubbed his temples. His handsome face was filled with worry. Despite his attempts to ignore his sister¡¯s business, he couldn''t easily sever the ties with family.


    "Hah."


    Varca went out to the garden for some fresh air. Soon, elegantly dresseddies began to flock to him one by one.


    "It¡¯s an honor to meet the king of Porcana."


    A woman in a low-cut dress approached him with a light smile. In the distance, he could see more women waiting behind pirs for their turn to speak to him.


    Varca sighed heavily in his head as he dealt with the women. These women were people who had nothing better to do than wait all day for his outing. The purpose of their lives seemed only to marry a nobleman.


    Varca, who had ascended to the throne after fighting with his uncle during his boyhood, was already a celebrity. Nody of nobility was unaware of his story. Moreover, Varca was single, and he was from the royal lineage of Porcana who were famous for their supreme appearance.


    The nobledies of the empire gathered to catch even the slightest glimpse of Varca. In their eyes, Varca was a perfect man who seemed to havee straight out of a dream.


    "How can a man be so beautifully made?"


    "He makes my brothers seem so inferior. Really,pared to him, other men are just hairless beasts."


    "Eeep! He looked this way!"


    "Yeah, he was looking at me."


    The women gathered and chattered among themselves. The faces of the ignorant, oblivious women were flushed with excitement. Plunderers from the west and the uprising warriors of the north were merely distant tales to them. War and politics were the affairs of men in current times.


    "Thank you, we¡¯ll set up a dinner if an opportunity ever arises,¡± Varca replied out of politeness.


    "Then tomorrow would be perfect," the woman replied as she smiled broadly.


    Varca forced a smile and responded, "... I will reach out if I have the time."


    "You must. I''ll be waiting."


    Varca watched the woman''s retreating figure with a tired look.


    <i>''I should find a suitable woman to marry when I return.''</i>


    Varca had never fancied a woman yet. Before bing king, he was practically confined by his sister, and after bing king, he was too busy to think about marriage. Since he was a young king, his subjects did not press him much about the matter of a sessor, either.


    <i>''A daughter of a duke would make an ideal queen.''</i>


    Varca wanted to solidify the internal affairs of his kingdom. He was bearing the disadvantage of being made king with the emperor and the empire''s backing. Thus, marrying into the empire''s nobility would not sit well with Porcana''s nobles.


    "I am honored to meet the ruler of Porcana."


    While Varca was lost in thought, another woman approached him. He tried to leave, but unlike a typical noblewoman who valued face-saving, she was persistent.


    "I''m sorry, madam. I see no reason to dine with you," Varca spoke bluntly, as he was now clearly annoyed. Yet, the woman kept smiling cheerfully.


    <i>¡®This is not just an ordinarydy,'' </i>Varca thought.


    Her smile was chilling. Her eyes were steady as she smiled only with her lips.


    "I would appreciate it if you could consider my pride. Otherwise, I might get a reputation for being a woman who clung to a man just for his pretty face."


    The woman was not a noble from the empire. She was the daughter of a noble from the Caselmaroni Kingdom.


    <i>¡®Caselmaroni...¡¯</i>


    Caselmaroni was a kingdom located in the northwest. It was quite far from the kingdom of Porcana, which was located on the eastern coast. Due to their geographical distance, there had been little interaction between the two kingdoms. The empire was located between the two kingdoms.


    "I will ept that gracious invitation."


    Varca ced one hand on his waist and bowed slightly, disying impable manners. His slightly upturned blue eyes gazed at thedy''s face.


    "I have seeded where many women have failed. It is truly an honor."


    "I do hope my intuition does not fail me. I am not a person with much time to waste."


    "It will not be a bad use of your time either, Your Majesty."


    The woman hinted that this was no ordinary meeting.


    In the Swallow Residence, it wasmon for young royalty and nobles to form interest for each other. Knowing that, many women stayed in Hamel with that very hope. Varca, too, was in his prime, and having dinner with a lovelydy was no strange activity.


    The sun was setting. Servants bustled about as they prepared for dinner. Varca confirmed the promised time as he looked at the sun.


    He donned a stylish cape and strode down the corridor. Five knights and squires followed him.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    As he opened the door, the smell of food greeted him. Servants bowed as they recognized Varca.


    "It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty."


    Inside, a well-dressed man was present. A family crest was intricately embroidered on his chest. He was clearly a high noble.


    "That is the crest of the Whn family of Caselmaroni."


    The scribe from Porcana who had followed as a squire recognized the family crest and whispered to Varca.


    "Whn?" Varca replied.


    "A coteral line of the Caselmaroni royal family."


    Hearing this, Varca stared at the man.


    "I am Count Hangar Whn. If you fancied my daughter, I could call her here."


    Whn Count smiled as he lifted the corner of his mouth.


    "That won¡¯t be necessary, Count Whn."


    Varca quickly understood the situation.


    <i>''Secret diplomacy.''</i>


    Count Whn was a diplomatic envoy from Caselmaroni. He had used his daughter to establish contact with Varca.


    <i>¡®They don¡¯t want to attract the empire¡¯s attention... It must be something that shouldn¡¯t reach the empire¡¯s ears.¡¯</i>


    Varca half-heartedly ate while observing Count Whn.


    "His Majesty wishes to maintain good rtions with Porcana."


    "It is my understanding that we are already in good rtions. Caselmaroni and Porcana are distant neighbors without any grievances."


    "Distant neighbors also equate to good neighbors."


    Count Whn smiled as he gestured to a servant. The sound of the wine hitting the ss was serene. Varca''s servant tasted the wine first and nodded.


    "This is an excellent wine," Varcamented after sipping the wine.


    "I am embarrassed that this is all I could prepare to host the renowned Varca Baneu Porcana. There is no one who doesn''t know the famous stories about you, Your Highness."


    "People who like gossip tend to exaggerate things."


    "Your Highness, you are a hero if even half of those stories are true. It''s hard to believe that you are a young royal from this generation."


    Royalty and nobility of Varca''s age grew up during a period without wars. Thest decade or so had been peaceful with no significant wars between nations, except for skirmishes like barbarian subjugations, and thergest of the recent wars was the civil war of Porcana. At least, that was the case until the appearance of the western plunderers.


    <i>''Hmph, it¡¯s that ¡®your generation¡¯ talk again.''</i>


    Varca scoffed internally. They were words he had heard countless times.


    <i>¡®Youths these days don''t know how to wield a sword and are too fragile.''</i>


    Such remarks circted asmon sense among the older generation of nobles. However, it was true that they were now living in an era where civil officials were more likely to seed than military ones.


    "Do you think the ruler of a country has the leisure to dine with a mere noble?"


    Varca wiped his hands and mouth with a handkerchief.


    Count Whn¡¯s expression did not change. He calmly watched Varca.


    "What do you think of the current political climate?"


    "I think it would be polite for you to state your stance first before asking me for mine."


    Varca crossed his legs and interlocked his hands. It was an attitude of arrogance, but he was the king of Porcana. He had every right to be arrogant toward a mere nobleman.


    The blue-eyed young man had the dominating presence of a king. With his sculpture-like features lending him a hand, it made him seem like a king who was sent from the heavens. Every move he made was like a scene from a portrait.


    <i>''Indeed, the rumors are true. He is by no means a puppet king.''</i>


    Puppet kings weremon in the current kingdoms. Kings who groveled at the sight of powerful nobles of their own kingdom, kings who were foolish enough to lose their crowns just because their lieges brought up their dissatisfaction. It had been over five decades since thest inter-kingdom war under imperial rule, making it an era where even a fool could be king.


    Count Whn hesitated before speaking.


    "Up north, the northerners who believe in Lou are iming their own kingdom. They also have a focal point named Bilker, so they won¡¯t be broken too easily. Rumor has it that many traitors from the Sun Warriors have joined the northern rebellion army. If that is indeed the case, it would mean that the empire''s military strategies have been leaked to them."


    "Traitors? From the Sun Warriors?"


    This was the first time Varca had heard this news. The betrayal of the Sun Warriors was quite shocking. It was crucial information.


    "The imperial army is stretching its front lines tobat both the plunderers from the west and the northern rebels. Both forces are armies of significant standards. The western plunderers have turned the entire Langkegart Kingdom into ruins. After this crisis settles, Langkegart will likely be downgraded to a duchy or even absorbed by the empire. Anyway, what I wanted to point out was that managing both armies is going to be challenging even for the empire."


    "Count Whn, General Carnius, who had already won a battle against them, has already been deployed to defeat the plunderers. Once the plunderers are dealt with, the empire will focus its military efforts northward."


    Varca waited for Count Whn''s response.


    "Even after that victory, General Carnius was reprimanded. It wasn''t aplete victory since he lost a significant part of his main forces fighting barbarians."


    "That''s quite a dangerous statement, Count. Porcana is the kingdom that is most supported by the empire and I am a pro-imperial king ced on the throne by the empire''s grace. Do you think I would just forget about this conversation?"


    "I''ve heard that the things you just mentioned are precisely what¡¯s causing you trouble, Your Highness. Every person in the kingdom dreams of independence. The imperial halo won¡¯t always bring you benefits. This is an opportunity for the king of Porcana to prove he''s not just a puppet of the emperor."


    Count Whn did not hide his intentions.


    Varca frowned with his fine face. The count''s words were, actually, not wrong.


    Count Whn, noticing Varca''s hesitation, continued.


    "Urich," Whn said.


    At the mention of that name, Varca''s eyes turned cold.


    "Where did you hear that name?"


    "Caselmaroni has been in preparation for a long time¡ªlong enough to have eyes and ears even inside the empire. If all those rumors are true, you, Your Majesty, are the only king with the connections tomunicate with the army of plunderers."


    Varca leaned forward and rested his arms on the table.


    <i>¡®This isn¡¯t a n they came up with overnight. Caselmaroni has been preparing for independence.¡¯</i>


    One of themanders of the western plunderers was Urich, and he was a close friend of Varca. Knowing such information would naturally lead one to contact Varca.


    "If Your Majesty has the will to seek independence, you must not miss this opportunity. This may be our only chance to shake the empire during our lifetime. Look! Even those barbarians from the north are fighting to reim theirnd and freedom! Yet, we are too afraid of the empire to even think about reiming our lostnds. I find that very shameful."


    Count Whn''s voice grew louder. Varca fidgeted nervously with his fingers.


    "How many kingdoms do you think will join, Count Whn?"


    Varca bit his lower lip and raised his head.


    "Including us, there will be at least three. The Kerbat Kingdom, which has lost half its territory to the empire, would raise an army as soon as they saw an opportunity to do so."


    Count Whn waited with trembling eyes for Varca''s response.


    "...I will prepare a letter to be sent to your king."


    Upon hearing this, Count Whn knelt and kissed Varca''s si ring.


    "You have made a magnificent decision."

 Chapter 241

    <h4>Chapter 241</h4>


    Varca gnawed at his fingernails. He had to clutch his knee to stop his leg from shaking.


    <i>Click, click.</i>


    The carriage Varca was in moved. It had not yet left the capital of Hamel.


    The empire hadid roads from Hamel to all over the world across the entire imperial territory. Thanks to these roads, it was possible to travel by carriage to the seven kingdoms, the south, and the north.


    <i>''This road too is a legacy of war.''</i>


    The roads that connected the world wereid not during a peaceful era but an era of war. The empire had early on realized the importance of supplies as it was conquering the seven kingdoms one by one. The roads served as a means of supply as well as amunicationwork to govern the vastnds.


    <i>''It¡¯s already been done.''</i>


    Varca ced his hand on his chest. His heart was racing relentlessly.


    <i>''Count Whn is right. We cannot remain a vassal state of the empire forever.''</i>


    They were going to have to break away from the empire eventually. The empire''s support for Porcana was merely out of necessity.


    <i>''If we do discover the eastern continent... the entire Porcana Kingdom will be a mere outpost for the empire.''</i>


    Porcana had managed to retain its old territories because of its small size, but there were kingdoms like the Kerbat Kingdom which had lost half of itsnds to the empire.


    The kingdoms that had lost their power were no match for the empire. The first emperor of the empire, who unified the civilized world, adjusted the national powers so that even if the kingdoms united, they could not stand up to the empire. This bnce has been maintained since then.


    <i>''But now, it''s not just the kingdoms and the empire that are in y.''</i>


    There were barbarians from outside the civilized world. The barbarians of the south and north had been connected to the civilized world for a long time, but the plunderers from the west had appeared as suddenly as if they had fallen from the sky.


    The army that crossed the forbidden Sky Mountains had plunged the civilized world into chaos. Some said it was a divine punishment for humanity''s hubris in trying to cross the Sky Mountains.


    <i>Clunk.</i>


    The carriage stopped. It was still inside the capital.


    "Dammit."


    Varca had a bad feeling. He cursed to himself and leaned out of the carriage.


    <i>''Steel knights.''</i>


    There were several steel knights gathered. They were the pride of the empire. The knights had blocked Varca''s carriage and were waiting for him toe out.


    "Are you blocking the carriage of a king?"


    There was a quarrel between the knights of Porcana and the empire''s steel knights. No swords were drawn, but the atmosphere was sufficiently hostile.


    "Your Highness Varca! His Majesty invites you to dinner tomorrow evening! If you leave now, His Majesty would certainly be disappointed."


    The steel knight ignored the knight of Porcana and shouted directly at Varca. It was an extremely rude gesture, but the steel knights were the hands and feet of the emperor. It meant that this was the emperor''s will.


    <i>¡®Why now?''</i>


    All sorts of thoughts ran through Varca''s mind.


    "I have been away from my kingdom for a long time. I will send a letter to His Majesty with my apology," Varca respondedposedly.


    "I wasmanded by His Majesty to deliver this dinner invitation for tomorrow."


    The steel knight repeated the same phrase. He did not back down.


    "Who do you think you''re talking to...!"


    The knight of Porcana shouted angrily. Despite the surrounding threats, the steel knight kept his eyes locked on Varca without even blinking.


    "The ruler of the world invites His Highness of Porcana to dinner."


    "I am aware that this is rude, but I truly must decline," Varca spoke as he extended his hand.


    Despite his clear refusal, the steel knight did not budge and pressed on, "Please ept the invitation, Your Highness."


    The steel knight bowed and waited for Varca''s consent.


    "Are the knights of the empire not taught basic manners!"


    The knight of Porcana grabbed the steel knight by the shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, they were tangled. After a brief moment on the ground, the steel knight quickly subdued the knight of Porcana, bending his arm harshly.


    "Your Highness, His Imperial Majesty has invited you to dinner."


    The steel knight pressed his knee into the back of the Porcana knight as he spoke. His expressionless face seemed all the fiercer.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    The subdued knight''s arm twisted as if it would break. The steel knight stared intently at Varca, silently pressing for an answer.


    "Very well, then. I will return to the Swallow Residence and wait for further news."


    Varca fluttered his cloak and climbed back into the carriage. The coachman turned the horse toward the Swallow Residence.


    The steel knights disappeared only after confirming the carriage entered the Swallow Residence.


    <i>m!</i>


    After returning to the Swallow Residence, Varca punted the chair in the room. He sat on the bed, clutching his head.


    <i>''This means the emperor knows what I did.''</i>


    Varca''s eyes trembled anxiously. He couldn¡¯t help but think that he had been tricked.


    It was a feeling he had experienced several times in his kingdom. No matter how clever Varca was, ruling as king without proper political support was difficult. The influential nobles of Porcana used Varca for their own gain.


    Varca''s power was still unstable in Porcana. Duke Lungell, who had conserved his strength by not participating in the civil war, yed the role of the real power and restrained Varca.


    <i>¡®One day, I will have my revenge.''</i>


    Varca took a deep breath to calm himself.


    <i>''Either it was a trap from the beginning with Count Whn, or Count Whn was deceived too.''</i>


    Varca was no longer a naive youth. He had already gone through countless failures and defeats. Even after bing king, there were numerous instances where his subjects deceived him. There were plenty who criticized him for senselessly wasting the national treasury on meaningless expeditions to the eastern continent.


    Varca waited in the Swallow Residence for the emperor''s invitation. But nothing came his way the next day. Each time Varca tried to leave the Swallow Residence, steel knights came out of nowhere.


    "His Majesty has invited you to dinner tomorrow evening."


    There was only the same invitation. Varca had not seen the emperor''s face for days.


    "This is a clear insult! You are clearly being detained!"


    Varca''s attendants, who had apanied him, were more furious and agitated than he was. Varca calmly surveyed the situation as he looked around the Swallow Residence.


    Varca decided to take a walk in the garden to get some air.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Count Whn and his daughter walked across from him.


    "Greetings to the ruler of Porcana," Count Whn said as he bowed respectfully.


    "Ah, greetings, Count. And Miss," Varca also replied courteously toward the two.


    "Your letter has been delivered, Your Highness. You just have to wait for the right moment."


    Count Whn said, ncing around cautiously. Varca almost let a chuckle escape at Whn¡¯s action, but instead, he replied with an innocent look.


    "I hope that momentes soon."


    Varca looked into Count Whn''s eyes.


    <i>''So he did deceive me after all.''</i>


    Varca surmised that Count Whn was a diplomatic envoy from Caselmaroni but also an extension of the emperor. Perhaps the king of Caselmaroni maintained a close rtionship with the empire.


    <i>''The emperor was testing me through Count Whn.''</i>


    Even without direct evidence, the circumstances and suspicions were enough to convince him.


    Count Whn greeted and tried to pass by Varca quickly. He did not want to take any risk of getting caught in his scheme. Whether Varca discovered Count Whn''s betrayal or not was of no concern to him. He had already reported Varca''s intentions to the emperor and received ample rewards for his service.


    "Ah?"


    Count Whn''s daughter, Leslie, flinched at an unfamiliar touch. She saw a note stuck between her fingers and looked at Varca.


    Varca smiled faintly as he looked at Leslie.


    "What is it?"


    Count Whn asked his daughter, who had stopped abruptly. Leslie shook her head and hurried after her father.


    "It''s nothing, father."


    Having returned to her room, Leslie unfolded the note with a perplexed expression.


    <i>''I wish to meet tonight. At the same ce as earlier.''</i>


    The garden of the Swallow Residence became a rendezvous for lovers after sunset. It was natural for young noblemen and noblewomen to be drawn to each other.


    The garden was poorly lit, but there were still asional sounds of people.


    "...You came. I''ve been waiting," Varca spoke as he pulled Leslie by the wrist.


    "Ah..."


    Leslie was listlessly dragged by Varca. His face, which was reflected in the faint moonlight, was beautiful even among women. The slight smile hanging on his face seemed to melt her brain just by looking at it.


    His deep blue eyes drew Leslie''s soul in like a deepke.


    <i>''Get a hold of yourself, Leslie,¡¯ </i>Leslie told herself. Meeting up with Varca was a risky act.


    <i>''I followed my father¡¯s instructions to bring King Varca to his secret meeting ce.''</i>


    Leslie understood the ways of the world, unlike other young women of her generation. But she was also a young woman who dreamed of love. When presented with a royal youth who was so perfect that he seemed like he would only exist in the songs of the bards, it was natural that she was irresistibly drawn to him. Initially, she just wanted to enjoy some frivolous fun with a handsome young man.


    "Have you ever seen the sea?"


    "I have not. There is no sea in Caselmaroni."


    "I would like to show you the sea of Porcana someday. The sea is especially beautiful at night. When you¡¯re admiring the reflection of the moon on the waters, you simply lose track of time."


    Varca brought up such casual topics. Leslie was swept away by his words as if they were magic. She knew she shouldn¡¯t get close to Varca personally, but being with him felt like her soul was blossoming.


    It was the magic of Porcana''s royalty. The bloodline of Porcana had the power to turn those of the opposite sex into fools, just as Damia had devoured the lives of many men...


    Leslie had met Varca in secret behind her father¡¯s back several times. Count Whn was aware of her frequent visits to the garden of the Swallow Residence, but he thought little of it.


    Blindly picking a random nobleman was infinitely better than her asking his permission to marry a peasant or servant after bearing their child. But never in his dreams had he imagined that it would be Varca.


    Varca did not rush things. The emperor''s surveince did not reach the garden where men and women met in secret. He was patient, slowly cultivating his rtionship with Leslie.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s not like other men.''</i>


    It was no surprise that Varca was different. He had practically been educated under Damia his whole life. Every little act of Varca was filled with respect for women.


    <i>''Even my father thinks of me merely as a pretty tool, but this man respects me.''</i>


    Leslie had been led by her father¡¯smand to lure Varca to their meeting ce. She had done this job several times and therefore was used to faking her smiles.


    But in front of Varca, she could show her real smile.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    The sound of rustling leaves spread low. In a corner of the garden, Varca and Lesliey side by side. Young couples passing by saw the two shadows lying down and respectfully went to find another spot. It was sort of an unspoken rule and etiquette of the garden.


    "You truly are a mysterious person. To be honest, I never thought I could feel this way. After all, men are all fools."


    Leslie ran her fingers over Varca''s chest. Their clothes were disheveled. They had been meeting for a fortnight, and they had already been intimate a few times.


    Leslie couldn''t contain her smile as she was filled with this newfound fulfillment.


    "Caselmaroni and Porcana will be allies by blood. And when that happens, we can officially..."


    Varca caressed Leslie''s cheek as he spoke. His naive eyes were like those of a puppy. Overwhelmed by irresistible emotions, Leslie hugged Varca tightly. She wondered if this was what having a child felt like.


    <i>¡®My father and I are deceiving such a good man.''</i>


    Leslie was tormented by heavy guilt. Until now, she had lured men at her father¡¯s behest without a second thought.


    <i>''This man is truly my soulmate.''</i>


    Leslie was ashamed to face the sun. She could no longer bear her own contradictions.


    "Your Highness."


    "I would prefer you call me Varca, or even Pahell."


    "Pahell?"


    "It¡¯s what my old friend asionally calls me. It¡¯s a name known by very few."


    "Then I would like to call you Pahell since only a few know of it. Only a few people... including myself."


    Leslie blushed. She felt like she had be someone special to Varca.


    "Pahell, Pahell... Pahell."


    Leslie murmured the name several times. She then steeled her expression.


    ¡°There is something I must tell you."


    Varca sat up in surprise at Leslie¡¯s solemn deration.


    "I truly hope that you are not breaking up with me."


    "No, I would never do that. But please forgive me, Pahell. My father and I have been deceiving you. My father, Count Whn, while he is indeed a noble of Caselmaroni, is also practically a servant to the emperor. Your letters likely never made it to Caselmaroni."


    Varca''s eyes widened as he shook and grabbed Leslie''s shoulders.


    "W-what are you saying, Leslie?"


    Leslie couldn¡¯t dare to look at Varca.


    "Please forgive me, Pahell. Please don''t leave me."


    Leslie confessed everything and shed thick tears. Pahell hesitated for a moment, then embraced her tightly.


    "There must surely be a way for us to still be together," Pahell reassured Leslie.


    Leslie smiled, relieved by the confirmation of their love. Lost in her emotions, she could not notice the twisted smile on Varca¡¯s face.

 Chapter 242

    <h4>Chapter 242</h4>


    Count Whn was sleeping well at night. Though he had not had an audience with the emperor, he was told that the emperor was pleased because of the information he had provided.


    <i>¡®King Varca of Porcana must have been quite a headache.''</i>


    Thanks to Count Whn, the emperor was able to uncover the true intentions of Varca. The king of Porcana was going to betray the empire if he ever got an opportunity to do so.


    <i>''Most kingdoms are like that.''</i>


    No kingdom was satisfied with being a vassal state of the empire. It was natural for them to want to escape their vassal status considering the annual tributes they had to pay.


    Yet, no kingdom dared to raise its g against the empire first. They all just watched and monitored the empire''s movements.


    "Hehe."


    Count Whnughed as he sipped his wine. Once this time of chaos passed, he would receive the empire¡¯s patronage to be a strong noble in Caselmaroni.


    "I will be back, father."


    Lesley curtsied, lifting the hem of her skirt. She looked decent when dressed up nicely. She was by no means an extreme beauty per se but not unpleasant to look at either.


    "Who have you been seeing so often?" Count Whn asked Lesley, who had been frequently going out.


    "Don¡¯t worry, father. Mypany is of high standing."


    "That''s reassuring. You¡¯re a smart girl, so I trust you will handle things well on your own."


    Count Whn trusted Lesley enough to utilize her as a diplomatic tool.


    <i>''But at the end of the day, a girl¡¯s use is in marriage.''</i>


    He needed to find a suitable man from a good family to marry Lesley off to before her marriageable age passed.


    "Another reason why we¡¯re staying at the Swallow Residence for so long is to find you a partner. If there¡¯s anything I can do for you, just let me know," Whn said to his daughter.


    "It would be splendid if you could get us a good horse. This man likes to go riding."


    "He sounds like a manly gentleman, seeing how he is into horses. A man should enjoy horse riding and hunting! Of course!"


    Count Whnughed heartily. He told Lesley she could take his horse.


    Before heading out, Lesley looked back at Count Whn and asked, "Do you wish for my happiness, father?"


    "What father would not want his daughter to be happy?" Whn replied.


    "Then, please wish for my happiness."


    Lesley smiled broadly and left the room. Count Whn chuckled with satisfaction as he watched his daughter walk away.


    "She must really fancy this man."


    Lesley stopped by the stable at the Swallow Residence to fetch Count Whn''s horse. She held the reins and waited anxiously for someone. Soon, a maid approached the stable.


    "You look great in that, Pahell."


    "I''m not sure if that''s apliment or not."


    "It is apliment."


    Lesley covered her mouth and giggled. She looked at Varca, who was disguised as a maid. The wig and maid''s outfit Lesley had found fit Varca like a glove.


    Varca reached out and held Lesley¡¯s finger. It was trembling ever so slightly.


    "It will be fine."


    Varca swore to take Lesley as his queen. Trusting his words, Lesley was prepared to leave with Varca for the kingdom of Porcana. This was an adventure of a lifetime for her.


    Lesley stared at Varca''s face. With the wig and light makeup, his facial lines looked quite androgynous, almost prettier than the less-than-ideal maids.


    "As long as you don¡¯t speak, no one would know you''re a man."


    Lesley soothed her fluttering heart.


    <i>''...I never thought I''d be eloping with a man.''</i>


    Lesley was not a target of surveince to the imperial guards. They performed a quick inspection out of formality and nced over Lesley and Varca.


    "Ah, you are thedy of the Whn Family. Going for a pic, mydy? Even with Hamel''s good public order, it''s not a good idea for two women to go out like this without a man with them. My shift ends soon, maybe I could apany you..." The knight in charge of the checkpoint hinted slyly.


    "No, thank you. There¡¯s nothing for us to worry about with Hamel¡¯s excellent security. We''re not going far, so even if anything happens, we''ll be seen from the city walls."


    It was a clear refusal. The knight smacked his lips and looked at Varca, who was next to Lesley. The cascading brown curls, with the blue eyes beneath, were strikingly beautiful.


    "Very well. Anyway, you are quite tall for a maid."


    When the knight said this, Lesley answered on her behalf.


    "Not just tall, her hands are fierce too. It would be best to keep your hands off her."


    "Haha, just the type I like. There¡¯s fun in taming a cat-like woman."


    The knightughed at his own joke, but Lesley showed a look of displeasure.


    The embarrassed knight escorted Lesley out of the city. After sending Lesley off first, he yfully grabbed Varca''s waist.


    "Oops, you almost tripped over a rock there. Gotta be careful."


    The knight''s hand wandered from Varca''s waist and lightly pped her buttock. Varca, holding back his anger, hurried after Lesley.


    "Aw man, she¡¯s tall but her body¡¯s built like a can."


    The knight muttered as he looked at his palm. He watched Lesley and Varca walk away for a bit, then resumed his guard duty.


    Lesley and Varca safely made their way out of the inner and outer walls. The security at the gate of the outer wall wasx, making it easy to pass through.


    "W-we really made it out, Pahell! We did it!"


    "You did well," Varca muttered as he looked at the city wall. Soldiers were moving along the high walls.


    Varca''s attendants were still inside. If the emperor found out that Varca had escaped, they would certainly be harmed.


    <i>''I hope we can meet again.''</i>


    The one under the imperial surveince was Varca, not his attendants. They couldn''t monitor every attendant individually. If they managed to escape individually, they might meet again in Porcana.


    <i>''If I don¡¯t see them back in Porcana, they¡¯re probably dead.''</i>


    Varca still attempted the escape knowing that his attendants might die. He was a king and knew his life was more precious than others''.


    <i>''Lou said all lives are equal, but surely the life of a king weighs more than that of other nobles, let alonemoners.''</i>


    That was the reality. Cowardly as it may sound, Varca had to live even at the expense of others.


    <i>''If I fall here... then the sacrifice of those who died for me would also be meaningless.''</i>


    Varca had learned to be deceitful. Living truly ording to Lou''s teachings was impossible. A king had to be a cunning snake.


    <i>Throb.</i>


    He was ashamed of his own actions. He wanted to run away from the sunlight.


    "Pahell?" Lesley asked worriedly.


    <i>''I don¡¯t have a pinch of affection for this woman in my heart, yet I held her and whispered love. How terribly fallen am I?''</i>


    Betraying and being betrayed, deceiving and being deceived. That was now the norm for Varca.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Varca gripped the dagger he had kept hidden. He looked at the back of Lesley''s neck.


    <i>''If I slit that slender neck and leave the body lying in front of the walls, it would be a dreadful gift for Count Whn.''</i>


    It would be a definite revenge and a warning toward the emperor and Count Whn who had deceived him.


    <i>¡®But all she did was being loyal to her parents who birthed her... what sin does she have?''</i>


    Varca let go of the hilt of his dagger and grabbed the reins of Lesley''s horse.


    <i>''Spilling unnecessary blood would make me no different from the beings I despised.''</i>


    Varca felt himself changing, but he constantly strove to maintain at least a minimum standard. He had strayed far from Lou''s teachings, yet he did not forget the basic decency of humans.


    For a while, Varca dressed as a woman as he pretended to be Lesley''s servant. His usual appearance as a man was so noticeable that cross-dressing was actually better.


    "Just hold on a bit longer. We''ll be able to sleep in a vige tomorrow."


    "By vige, you mean a room swarming with unknown bugs? We''d be lucky to get a room at all. Ah, what am I saying! It''s fine," Lesley grumbled and then covered her mouth.


    Traveling just the two of them was harder than expected. Lesley especially quickly grew weary of the rough sleeping conditions she was unustomed to. Even the vige inns were so filthy that it made for a miserable rest for a delicately raised nobledy.


    <i>''This is not romantic at all.''</i>


    Lesley looked at Varca with a gloomy expression.


    There was no such thing as counting stars as theyy side by side by the campfire. At night, they were busy scratching at bug bites. Their nightly routine was the rustling of the bushes that made their spines tingle.


    <i>''I didn¡¯t think it would be this hard.''</i>


    Lesley clung closely to Varca as she brushed off a bug clinging to her arm. She was too exhausted for any desires to arise. All she wanted was to get to the Porcana Kingdom as soon as possible.


    <i>''There must be a grand castle waiting for me. All the women in the world will envy me. They say that the beauty of a woman is temporary but that of a mansts a lifetime... Surely our child will be very cute and lovely, as well.''</i>


    Lesley endured the harsh reality by focusing only on a sparkling future.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    A sound came from the bushes, indistinguishable whether it was the wind or a beast. Lesley, with a frozen face, stared into the darkness until she was sure no one was there and then sighed in relief.


    "We should hire a mercenary or something. Didn¡¯t you mention that you¡¯ve used a mercenary squad for protection before, Pahell?"


    "It''s hard to find mercenaries unless we¡¯re in a big city. And half of those self-proimed mercenaries turn into robbers at the slightest chance. They are not trustworthy. I was just lucky to have met a proper one for protection. Really lucky."


    Varca chuckled.


    <i>''Urich¡¯s Brotherhood.''</i>


    Varca looked into the campfire with a distant gaze. They were tough days with even the loss of a dear one, but they also held many memories.


    <i>''I didn¡¯t expect you toe back as the plunderer after leaving so abruptly. You never failed to surprise me.''</i>


    Varca added more wood to the campfire.


    "Most of my story dramatically changed because of a single barbarian. Honestly, I''m nothing special. I¡¯m just a coward who can¡¯t do anything without the help of others, just amoner who resorts to shallow tactics," Varca muttered.


    But no one was listening. Lesley had already fallen deep asleep, breathing softly.


    It would have been nice if they could take turns keeping watch, but he knew he shouldn¡¯t expect Lesley to go to that extent. But that also didn¡¯t mean that Varca could stay up all night on his own.


    Varca closed his eyes and slept lightly. Multiple dreams shed by, perhaps because of the light sleep. Some were nightmares, some were pleasant.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    A noise woke him up. Varca opened his eyes wide. He grabbed his dagger and looked around. He was almost too quick for someone who had been sleeping.


    "Lesley."


    Varca shook Lesley by the shoulder. She was slow to wake.


    <i>Snap.</i>


    There was a sound of a twig snapping. Varca stared in the direction of the sound.


    <i>''Please.''</i>


    People were scarier than beasts. Varca hoped the noise was just a passing animal.


    "Hehe."


    Aughter passed chillingly down Varca''s spine. He stepped on Lesley''s hand.


    "A-argh!"


    Lesley woke up with a yelp. She was about toin, but seeing Varca''s serious face, she closed her mouth.

 Chapter 243

    <h4>Chapter 243</h4>


    Varca gripped the dagger upside down and assumed a stance.


    "Lesley, there is someone here."


    Lesley looked around with her eyes still half closed from sleep. She couldn¡¯t see anyone.


    "A-are you sure there is someone?"


    "Look behind you. We need to watch each other''s backs, Lesley."


    Varca tried to steady his voice. He also felt like his heart was in his throat, but he pretended to be calm.


    "I-I can''t, I can''t do it," Lesley said with a trembling voice.


    "You have to."


    Varca listened intently. Someone emerged from the darkness.


    Two men who appeared were wearing ragged clothes. Their attire was shabby, but their axes and maces were well-maintained.


    "What are twodies doing out here at this hour?"


    "Idiot, one of them is a man."


    "A man? Why is he dressed like that? Is he a pervert?"


    The men were vagrants who made a living from robbery. They had approached quietly upon seeing two women camping. Upon closer inspection, one was a man, but he seemed too frail to be strong.


    "H-here, take everything we have. Just please let us go."


    Lesley, already frightened, showed the thieves her jewelry. Varca frowned.


    <i>''Showing that is only going to excite them more...''</i>


    As Varca expected, the sight of the sparkling jewelry made the thieves¡¯ eyes widen.


    "Wow! We¡¯ve really hit the jackpot! They¡¯re rich girls! They¡¯re rich!"


    "We could sell the girl, too. After we have a go, of course, hehe."


    Varca grimaced. Because they showed them their valuables first, there was no room for negotiation.


    "Hah."


    Varca exhaled.


    <i>''These are just petty thieves. But even they probably have morebat experience than me.''</i>


    Although Varca had trained inbat skills since bing king, his real experience was minimal. Moreover, all he had on him now was a dagger.


    <i>¡®I won¡¯t be able to take on two men with my skills.''</i>


    Varca assumed the stance he had been taught. Being a royal who had received well-structured training, his posture was solid.


    He spread his legs at a reasonable distance and extended the slightly bent arm with the dagger.


    "W-what is that?"


    The thieves were taken aback. Sharpness emanated from Varca¡¯s stance.


    "H-he looks like he¡¯s been trained, doesn¡¯t he?"


    "Y-you think he could really be strong with that size?"


    "He might secretly be a veteran or something."


    The thieves hesitated and did not attack easily.


    <i>''But they won¡¯t give up since they¡¯ve already seen our treasure.''</i>


    The standoff was brief. One of the thieves charged at Varca with his mace.


    Varca opened his eyes wide and watched the movement of the mace closely. He dodged the attack and swung his dagger in response.


    Both attacks missed their targets. The brief exchange was enough for those present to gauge their enemy¡¯s skill.


    <i>''I can see it in my head, but my body isn¡¯t moving fast enough.''</i>


    Varca''s heart pounded. He wanted to scream.


    <i>''But that thief isn¡¯t that strong either. In fact, he¡¯s rather sloppy. Maybe...''</i>


    Varca''s grip on his dagger tightened. He felt he might be able to pull it off.


    "Wait!"


    The thief holding an axe said as he extended his hand. Both Varca and the thief with a mace took a step back.


    "How about we negotiate? I¡¯m talking to you, the pervert dressed like a girl."


    The axe thief suggested. He also thought that if they fought Varca directly, one of them might die.


    "Negotiate?"


    "Just hand over that girl to us, and we¡¯ll let you walk away."


    "If it¡¯s money that you want, we¡¯ll give you everything we have."


    "No, we need the girl too. It¡¯s been half a month since we¡¯ve seen a woman. We can¡¯t pass that up."


    Hearing this, Lesley grabbed Varca''s clothes tightly.


    "Y-you¡¯re not going to do that, right, Pahell? You won¡¯t j-just hand me over to them."


    Varca did not give a clear answer. The chances of defeating the two thieves head-on were extremely low. At best, he might manage to take one down with him.


    <i>''I stand here on the sacrifice of many.''</i>


    The loyal knight Phillion died for Varca. The attendants he left behind in the capital might also die because he had to escape.


    <i>''I don¡¯t need to risk my life for a woman who deceived me.''</i>


    If Varca died here, Porcana would plunge into chaos. Many more people would surely die.


    "Brother, don¡¯t even bother pretending to think. All you have to do is just back away and leave. It¡¯s a win-win for all of us, right?"


    The thief smirked wickedly.


    ¡°Pahell!¡±


    Lesley screamed. Her face had gone pale. The drowsinesspletely left her. The thief standing before her was real. There was no romantic elopement for the young couple. Once they stepped out of the empire¡¯s solid protection, humans were no different from beasts.


    Varca finally spoke up.


    "Is that all? I just have to give you the woman?"


    "We''re all just trying to get by. I have no intention of risking my life in a fight," the thief responded.


    Varca considered his position and status. He knew better than anyone how valuable his life was.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Varca took a step back. A satisfied smile appeared on the thief''s lips.


    "Hehe, wise choice. Hey,dy,e here. If you behave, maybe we''ll just let you go, too."


    The thief gestured toward Lesley.


    "Pahell! Pahell!"


    Lesley grabbed Varca''s arm. The thieves grabbed Lesley''s arm and dragged her away. Her frail strength was not enough to ovee them.


    "Please! Please don¡¯t leave me here. Please......"


    Lesley cried out in despair as she watched Pahell disappear. The thieves'' dirty hands groped her skin.


    The rough palms of the thieves searched for the private areas. Lesley struggled, biting at their hands and pushing them away, but the thieves merely thought of it as a cute tantrum.


    "Hehe, man, how long has it been?"


    "Make it quick. I¡¯m dying here, too."


    The thieves tied Lesley''s arms. They clumsily pulled down their trousers.


    "U-ugh."


    Lesley shook her head, tears streaming down. Her wet eyes only spurred the sadism of the thieves.


    "I said just spread your legs. Stop making things so difficult."


    The thief who was growing impatient spat as he spoke. He sighed, then raised his palm to strike Lesley''s cheek.


    <i>p!</i>


    Lesley looked up at the thief with her eyes opened wide. She felt the fear of death for the first time in her life. The violence of the oppressive man made her hands and feet tremble.


    "Please."


    Lesley''s pleading did not reach the thief''s heart. They were men with already devastated hearts. There was no such thing as human decency inside them.


    "H-huh? What the hell?"


    The other thief who was on the lookout shouted. Varca, who they thought had left, was running back toward them.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Something struck the thief''s head.


    "Kek!"


    It was a heavy stone. Varca threw it and immediately tackled the thief.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Varca stabbed the thief who had lost his bnce in the neck. Blood flowed along the smooth de.


    "Ugh, kuugh!"


    The thief who had been stabbed foamed at the mouth with blood as he grabbed Varca''s body. Varca pushed him away with his shoulder and red at the thief who was trying to vite Lesley.


    "Y-you son of a bitch! We made a deal!"


    The thief tried to hurriedly pull up his trousers, but Varca was quicker. Varca''s de aimed for the thief''s neck. The thief barely dodged the de.


    "Huff, huff."


    Varca was already out of breath. It wasn''t just theck of fitness. The weight of murder heavily pressed on his lungs.


    <i>¡®I killed someone.¡¯</i>


    There was no time to be sentimental. He had to attack again before the thief was ready.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Varca swung his dagger. The thief who was busy dodging couldn¡¯t even manage to pull up his trousers before rolling on the ground. He hurriedly grabbed his mace and lifted it up.


    "Dammit, did you kill Hamon?! Shit, he was my childhood friend! You dirty bastard! You piece of shit! How could you break your word!"


    The thief with the mace fell into despair as he shamed Varca. Varca silently stared back at the emotional thief with his frost-touched blue eyes.


    <i>¡®Can I win this?¡¯</i>


    There was no certainty. He could only hope that luck would be on his side.


    <i>¡®Urich would have smashed his skull in with his bare hands. He would have done it with a smile on his face, too.¡¯</i>


    A warrior who overcame all difficulties with only the faith in his own body. Varca admired that Urich, but he knew he could never be a warrior like him.


    <i>¡®How stupid. To put my life in danger for a woman...¡¯</i>


    But he couldn¡¯t just leave Lesley here. That would be like throwing away thest bit of his humanity.


    <i>¡®If I abandon a woman, who has no resolve to die whatsoever, among these thieves, my soul will never receive salvation.¡¯</i>


    The thief swung his mace. Varca dodged to the side and sliced the thief¡¯s arm with his dagger.


    ¡°You son of a biiiiitch!¡± The thief screamed and charged at Varca.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Varca kicked the thief. Even as he was staggering, the thief swung his mace widely. It was a messy move, but a hit from that heavy mace was certainly going to be fatal. Varca stepped back, waiting for an opportunity.


    ¡°If you throw away your weapon and run now, I will spare your life,¡± Varca said, catching his breath.


    The thief snorted and retorted, ¡°Shut up! I will have my revenge for Hamon right here! Would I even be a man if I just let go of the death of my friend!¡±


    The thief bared his teeth and growled.


    ¡°Talking about loyalty while you rob and rape innocent women...¡±


    Varca shook his head. But in this world, many men thought this way. Especially for the barbarians, rape and plunder were not sins but daily life. Only the devout followers of the teachings of Lou somewhat lived by human principles.


    <i>¡®This world is a mess.¡¯</i>


    Varca sighed and faced the thief.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    The thief¡¯s blind swing hit Varca¡¯s thigh. Luckily, it didn¡¯t break the bone. Varca limped forward and stabbed under the thief¡¯s armpit.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    The thief screamed but still threw his head at Varca. Varca almost tripped backward. If he gave the thief space, the wildly swinging mace would crush his skull.


    <i>¡®Advance.¡¯</i>


    Varca pulled himself forward. He shoved the thief in the chest with his shoulder. They tangled up. Varca, with the dagger, had the upper hand.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The thief bit into Varca¡¯s right hand. It was the hand holding the dagger.


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    Varca elbowed the thief¡¯s cheek several times. However, the thief clung on, knowing letting go meant his death.


    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>


    It was a quiet night. Only the sound of flesh being squashed was heard. Varca¡¯s face was sttered with the thief¡¯s blood. His elbow turned red, dripping blood.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    The thief looked at Varca with a swollen face.


    ¡°P-please, l-let me l-live,¡± the thief struggled to speak.


    Varca shook his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. Tonight, I win.¡±


    Varca¡¯s eyes were cold as he plunged the dagger into the thief¡¯s heart. The de pierced through flesh and muscle, stabbing the beating heart.


    ¡°Kugh! Kak! Kak!¡±


    The thief shook his limbs, and then finally stopped breathing.


    Varca stared straight into the thief¡¯s empty eyes. It felt as if death was tapping on his shoulder. It seemed like the Grim Reaper would be standing there if he turned around.


    ¡°Pahell!¡±


    Lesley, her clothes disheveled, clung to Varca. The smell of blood was strong, but she wanted to feel his warmth.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright now.¡±


    Varca held Lesley¡¯s shoulders.


    <i>¡®I struggled against two men. Just two.¡¯</i>


    A senselessugh escaped him. He had fought for his life against merely two men to protect Lesley. It was enough to make his heart feel like it was about to burst, having nearly died several times.


    Back in the day, Urich had recklessly faced many enemies for Varca¡¯s sake. Unlike these ragged thieves, the ones Urich had fought off were fully armed soldiers.


    ¡°Lesley, I have something to tell you.¡±


    Varca wiped the blood from his face and told Lesley everything, even the fact that his intention was to use her to escape the imperial pce.


    Lesley bit her lower lip several times, holding back a scream.


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t love me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have absolutely no feelings of affection toward you. Everything I said to you was words and actions of pure necessity. But if youe with me to Porcana, I will make you my queen. That is not a lie; I swear to Lou.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I followed you for the queen¡¯s position?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps because of my face too.¡±


    <i>p!</i>


    Lesley pped Varca hard on the cheek. The fact that she couldn¡¯t deny his words made her all the more furious. Varca was too perfect of a man, from his face to his status.


    ¡°Then why did you save me? You could have just left me to be vited by those filthy men.¡±


    ¡°It was not for you, but for my own peace of mind,¡± Varca said honestly.


    He had hurt Lesley a lot. But on the other hand, he felt relieved.


    ¡°You can go back to the imperial pce on horseback. If you request protection from the imperial patrol, you should be able to return safely.¡±


    ¡°You''re telling me to go back to that snake pit. Pahell, no, Your Highness Varca, I thought you were different.¡±


    Varcaughed softly.


    ¡°I am no different from a snake. If I hadn¡¯t been, I wouldn¡¯t have survived.¡±


    ¡°So the prince in my fantasies never existed.¡±


    Lesley''s voice trailed off. She suppressed the scream that was at the tip of her tongue.


    ¡°Find an ordinary man and live a happy life, Lesley.¡±


    Varca¡¯s face was expressionless.


    ¡°You really are shameless.¡±


    Lesley shrugged her shoulders low and covered her face. She mounted her horse and stared nkly at Varca.


    <i>¡®Hold me back,¡¯ </i>Lesley muttered inwardly.


    But Varca did not lift a finger. He looked at Lesley with cold eyes.


    ¡°Goodbye, Lesley.¡±


    Varca turned his back and walked away with a steady stride. Though his thigh was bruised from getting hit by the thief¡¯s mace, it didn¡¯t hinder his ability to walk. By the time Lesley reached Hamel, Varca would have already left the empire.


    The news of Varca¡¯s disappearance soon reached the emperor. Count Whn was restless upon learning that his daughter had also vanished.


    The enraged Emperor Yanchinus had the attendants of Porcana tortured relentlessly, but since Varca had left without designating a rendezvous, no one had any useful information. Even the emperor had not anticipated that Varca would act so boldly. The growth of the boy had exceeded the expectations of adults.


    Amid the turmoil at the heart of the empire, the plunderers from the west suddenly changed their direction of march and invaded the grain-producing region of Marganu. Although the army of Carnius was taken aback by the plunderers¡¯ actions, they quickly moved to recapture Marganu.

 Chapter 244: Marganu

    <h4>Chapter 244: Marganu</h4>


    From the seat of the Great Chief, Urich could see things that he could not before. The massive organization called the alliance was no different from a living entity. Numerous chiefs and factions were intertwined, constantly checking each other.


    Urich often dreamed. It had been so long since he had a peaceful sleep that he couldn''t remember thest time. The tribe and the alliance were responsibilities and burdens that Urich never wanted. Urich¡¯s only wish was for his people to not be ves of the empire. It was the spirit that arose from the heart of a young barbarian.


    ¡ªUrich.


    Urich woke up because of a voice. Was it Gizzle¡¯s voice? Or was it the vengeful spirit of Samikan? Urich was bearing the legacy they left behind. It was like a curse he couldn''t get rid of even if he wanted to give everything up.


    <i>Murmur, murmur.</i>


    Themotion outside his tent gradually seeped in as his ears slowly woke up with him.


    <i>Ssh.</i>


    Urich lightly washed his face with the water in the basin. The cold water refreshed his muddled mind as they seeped into his skin.


    <i>¡®Right, I was attacking Marganu. How many days has it been now?''</i>


    Urich looked at the dented armor in the corner of the tent. Bloodstains clung to the axe and sword lying beside the armor. He had been so tired that he had fallen asleep without even maintaining his weapons.


    There had been several skirmishes, and the army of Marganu, which had fled, had locked themselves behind the gates, refusing toe out.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich donned his armor and fastened the straps. If not for the steel breastte, he would have died several times on the battlefield. The dents were evidence of that.


    <i>Clink.</i>


    The joints of the metal made a sound. The steel gauntlets allowed him to kill people easily even with bare hands. He could also grasp des if push came to shove.


    The alliance''s army was no longer formed of mere naked barbarians. It was an army armed with the weapons of the civilized world. The more the alliance fought, the stronger it became.


    <i>Scrape, scrape.</i>


    Urich scraped off the blood clots stuck to the des of his weapons and thered oil on them. After shing a person, their fat and blood clung to the de. This caused the de to be dull, and that small hindrance often meant life or death on the battlefield.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    A sharp sound came from the tended weapons. Urich lightly swung the sword and axe, then hung them at his waist.


    "Hmm."


    Urich stirred the ashes left from the fire that had burned overnight and mixed them with water. He smeared the ash-water mixture thickly on his face. His ckened face revealed only his pale, gleaming eyes.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The sound of the earth being struck echoed. Urich stuck his head out of the tent.


    "Oho, that¡¯s flying nicely."


    Urich squinted and smiled.


    The alliance''s catapults were hurling boulders one after another. The boulders fell around the city walls with loud thuds.


    The region of Marganu was wealthy, and the fortress wasrger and stronger than the capital of most average kingdoms. The walls they had built over a decade were practically impregnable to the barbarians.


    <i>Creeaaaak.</i>


    The catapults made a sound that was like wood splitting. The civilized mercenaries were shouting and reloading around the catapults.


    The mercenaries who were handling the catapults were highly specialized personnel. Among them were even engineers who had served in the imperial army. Some had joined the alliance army only after being captured, while others came seeking the alliance after hearing rumors.


    There was only one reason why the mercenaries of civilization origin joined the alliance.


    <i>''Gold coins.''</i>


    Urich treated capable civilized men well. Those who had experience in the imperial army could earn in a few battles what they couldn''t in a lifetime of service in the empire. The alliance''s loot distribution process was different from the civilized armies, where nobles andmanders monopolized the spoils.


    The leaders of the alliance were their tribal chiefs, and these men had little greed for the treasures of the civilized world. Thanks to this, even the lowest soldiers received a share of the loot in the alliance.


    Urich''s active recruitment of civilized men caused bacsh from conservative tribal warriors, but the fact that it was highly effective in warfare was undeniable.


    "Great Chief, the left wall will copse soon."


    Urich nodded at the report. Once the path into the fortress was open, it would be the turn of the tribal warriors.


    "Katagi! Olga! Come with me."


    Urich called up two warriors. One was Katagi of the Twilight Wolf Tribe, and the other was Olga of the Frost Snake Tribe. Both had earned significant merit within the alliance, though not as much as Urich. Katagi had even fought alongside Urich in the Battle of Valdima.


    "We were waiting for your orders, Great Chief."


    Katagi, with his reddish-brown hair like autumn leaves, bowed his head and showed respect. Even though he was a warrior around Urich''s age, he spoke to Urich with the utmost respect and practically worshipped him.


    "Be... careful... Urich. Wall...high. Broken...gap...narrow...too."


    Olga¡¯s tribe, the Frost Snake Tribe, was on the northwestern outskirts of the western region. Olga¡¯s speech was slow since he originally spoke a differentnguage. There always seemed to be some sort of shadowy gloom around Olga¡¯s rather skinny figure.


    <i>''Olga of the Frost Snake was a warrior favored by Samikan.''</i>


    Olga was mademander of a thousand-man unit by Samikan even though he wasn''t a chief, and the unit led by Olga indeed made great contributions in battles with their quality battle skills.


    <i>¡®Samikan knows how to judge people. If he made Olga amander of a thousand-man unit even though he wasn¡¯t a chief, it means Olga is an exceptionally outstanding warrior.¡¯</i>


    Urich appointed Katagi and Olga as his deputies. He deliberately chose outstanding warriors from weaker tribes and excluded those from the Stone Axe Tribe or other tribes with power. This was to maintain the political bnce within the alliance.


    "Olga, you attack the western wall. But there''s no need to go through it. Just provoke them to draw their forces to that side. Katagi, you¡¯lle with me. We¡¯ll break through the wall that¡¯s just copsed."


    Urich walked through the resting warriors. The warriors, who had been sitting and resting soundly, began to rise one by one.


    "Urich."


    "Great Chief."


    <i>ng, ng.</i>


    The warriors signaled by shing their weapons and shields or tapping the ground. As Urich passed by, the warriors picked up their weapons and followed him.


    The alliance seen through the eyes of the Great Chief was different from before. These warriors were all Urich''s responsibility. Their lives and deaths depended on Urich''smands.


    <i>¡®The life and death of these men are up to me.¡¯</i>


    Urich massaged his right shoulder, which was still creaking every time he moved. It was the side that the corbone had broken, and on top of that, the arm was struck by lightning in that state. The stiffness in his arm did not go away.


    Urich repeatedly opened and closed his right fist.


    <i>¡®As long as it moves when I need it.¡¯</i>


    As he walked through the encampment, Urich felt the gazes of the warriors and took a deep breath.


    "I think...," Urich began.


    The warriors fell silent, waiting for Urich''s words.


    Hecked the eloquence to speak grandly about the will of the heavens like Samikan, but Urich had sincerity. He was a straightforward warrior who didn''t have to resort to deceiving others with empty words. Such straightforwardness was a natural trait that couldn''t be acquired through training or effort.


    "...The reason we fight is not that grand. What are we going to do with the gold and treasures of thisnd if we bring them to the west? What use do they have? We can¡¯t eat the gold coins, and offering treasures to the heavens won''t bring rain."


    Urich drew his sword and spun it around. He climbed to the top of a hill and continued.


    "But does that mean we''re just a group of a bunch of bloodthirsty killers? That''s not it, either. Well, I¡¯m not saying that I hate fighting. After all, it does feel good to win a fight, doesn''t it?"


    The warriors raised their weapons in response. As the news of Urich stepping forward spread, the warriors began to emerge from their tents one by one. Chiefs and warriors who had their own factions watched Urich with cold eyes.


    Urich''s approach was different from Samikan''s. In order to be a great leader, Samikan had packaged himself in the appropriate manner.


    <i>¡®Urich doesn''t need to strategically adorn himself like Samikan. He earns praise by honestly showing the person he is.¡¯</i>


    The chiefs watched their new leader with sharp judgment.


    Urich was a man truly loved by the warriors. Even his simple words were met with enthusiastic responses from the warriors.


    "They invaded us. Despite already having and more prosperous than ours, they tried to trample on ournd, which was practically a wastndpared to theirs. What do they have to gain by invading us? I know of the peoples who have already been trampled by the empire. Defeated peoples became the ves of the victors. What they want to take is ¡®people¡¯."


    Urich nted his sword on the ground and raised his head high. His chest swelled, and his voice echoed through the camp.


    "We will not be ves! If there really has to be ves, it will be them who be it, not us! If they try to kill us, we will kill them, and if they seek to scare us, we will be their terror! Raise your weapons, brothers!"


    Urich raised his right arm high. The burn marks in the shape of lightning streaks were vividly revealed.


    The warriors shouted out in response.


    "Our existence is the will of the heavens!"


    "No fire or threat can stop us!"


    Warriors who revered Urich like Katagi shouted. They were those who believed in Urich''s divinity. The warriors who had fought alongside Urich in many battles couldn''t help but believe in the strange divinity and blessing that surrounded him.


    <i>¡®An average human would have died a long time ago. He is blessed by the heavens. That¡¯s the only way he could stay alive like this.¡¯</i>


    Katagi looked at Urich''s back. Urich had crossed the rugged Sky Mountains with the body of a human, and even Valdima''s mes couldn''t harm him. The terrifying lightning didn''t harm Urich but instead blessed him with an opportunity to rival Samikan again.


    <i>¡®He is not the son of man. He is literally the son of the earth.¡¯</i>


    The Stone Axe Tribe had taken in and raised a child left alone on the earth. That child had an extraordinary character and always outpaced his peers. The tribe''s old shaman praised him as a warrior of light, and the tribespeople whispered that he would grow up to be a great warrior.


    As if to prove his mysterious past, the child grew up to be the head of the alliance.


    "The wall has copsed!"


    Finally, a part of the wall crumbled, revealing the inside.


    Urich pointed his sword forward. The warriors charged across the in.


    * * *


    The forces gathered to defend Marganu numbered three thousand. Upon hearing the rumors of the invasion of the plunderers, Duke Marganu summoned all his troops and stationed them at the fortress. Being the empire''srgest granary, the number of troops was substantial.


    "H-how do the barbarians have such siege weapons?"


    The soldiers on the walls screamed, ducking their heads.


    It did not make sense from the soldiers'' perspective. Siege weapons, typically used by imperial forces, were now in the hands of the barbarian army. To make things worse, they operated them very skillfully. Imperial siege weapons were not something barbarians could learn to use overnight.


    Imperial siege weapons required specialized personnel who were trained to operate them. The barbarians took care of the fields unfamiliar to them by using civilized mercenaries. From a civilized person''s point of view, they were traitors to be torn apart, but very few could resist thepensation offered by the alliance.


    "The wall has copsed!"


    As the bricks crumbled, the soldiers on the wall fell. Boulders from the catapults rolled, crushing the soldiers into a bloody pulp.


    <i>Buuuuup!</i>


    The sound of a horn spread across the in. Soldiers with pale faces looked out over the in.


    "They''reing!"


    They had already heard plenty of rumors. These were the ruthless plunderers that came from the west.


    They were the ones who had turned the Langkegart Kingdom into ruins. They were said to be more beasts than men, with fangs as sharp as those of animals, and they supposedly consumed human flesh and drank blood.


    "A-ah!"


    The spirit of the soldiers plummeted in an instant.


    "Hold your positions! Draw your bows!" the knights encouraged the soldiers as they ran across the walls.


    "They''re swarming from the west too! We need reinforcements!"


    A messenger from the western wall shouted.


    The guard captain frowned as he watched the simultaneous advance of the barbarians.


    "They''re using a shallow trick! The west is a trap! Move the archers from the west over to this side!"


    The captain¡¯s judgment was spot on. The barbarians woulde through the copsed wall. The barbarians by the western wall were a ploy to draw the forces away from the copsed wall.


    <i>Thud, thud.</i>


    The guard captain led his heavy body down the wall. He positioned knights and elite soldiers at the opening of the wall. Out of the three thousand, there were only a few hundred soldiers who were well-trained inbat. The rest were mere conscripts who were brought in to fill the headcount.


    "We are going to hold our positions even if it means death! Are you just going to let the barbarians trample ournd?"


    The guard captain shouted, looking at the breach in the wall.


    <i>¡®The gap is narrow. We can stop the barbarians whoe through it.¡¯</i>


    The guard captain was also aware of the fearsome reputation of the barbarian warriors. If they couldn''t stop the barbarians here, Marganu was definitely going to be ravaged.


    ¡°Fire!"


    The archers on the wall drew their bowstrings until their fingers bled.


    The barbarians raised their shields overhead to block the shower of arrows. Warriors who reached the wall threw aside their arrow-studded shields and leaped through the breach.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    The soldiers of Marganu thrust their spears at the warriors entering through the breach. Some warriors died impaled on the spears, but others managed to deflect the spearheads with their shields and armor.


    "Oooooh!"


    The warriors who managed to get to the other side of the wall began to rampage. But the waiting soldiers were not the ordinary soldiers, either. A battle ensued between the warriors trying to charge and the soldiers trying to stop them. Bodies piled up in the narrow breach.


    <i>ng.</i>


    Urich drew his sword and walked through the breach in the wall. Ahead, he saw warriors engaged in battle. If this attrition battle went on longer, it would only lead to more warrior deaths.


    "Hmm."


    Urich picked up a fallen shield with his other hand as it seemed like it would be impossible to get out unscathed from the battle ahead without one.


    "Great Chief, I''ll go in first," Katagi offered. He was stuck right beside Urich.


    He was trying to demonstrate his loyalty to Urich, saying that he would prioritize Urich¡¯s safety, even if it meant his death. He gripped his weapon firmly, hoping Urich would see his loyalty.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    Urich struck Katagi hard on the back of the head. Katagi staggered forward, nearly falling.


    After barely managing to stay on his feet, Katagi looked up at Urich in confusion.


    "Hah, don''t try to show off. Just keep your eyes on my ass and follow me."


    Urich exhaled through his nose as he spoke. He advanced, hoping not to be killed by stray arrows and spears. All sorts of metal greeted him as if they had been waiting for him.

 Chapter 245

    <h4>Chapter 245</h4>


    Urich widened his eyes and stared at the arrow flying toward him. He tilted his shield to block the arrow.


    <i>Thuck!</i>


    Arrows were embedded in the shield. The vibrations traveled through the shield and shook his arm.


    "Follow the Great Chiiiieeef!" Katagi shouted.


    He threw himself into the copsed wall without hesitation, fearing that Urich might be isted. The warriors followed, not paying any attention to the shower of arrows.


    In battle, the morale of the army was just as important as their strategy and tactics. Sometimes, amander charging at the forefront was the quickest way to boost the spirit.


    Urich, having blocked the arrows, looked at the soldiers surrounding him. He could feel their determination.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re probably going to try to stop us in this narrow gap.¡¯</i>


    In infantry battles, the alliance army held an overwhelming advantage. To stop the alliance, an equal number of heavy infantry was needed. But Marganu had no more than five hundred.


    "Oooh!"


    Urich shouted as he advanced. The faces of the Marganu soldiers filled with fear at the sight of the hulking barbarian.


    "Ahhhh!"


    The soldiers thrust their spears as they had been trained. Urich grabbed the spear between his armpits and pulled a soldier out of formation.


    The soldier tried to return to the formation but couldn''t avoid the deing from behind.


    <i>sh!</i>


    The soldier''s head was severed by Urich''s sword. He kicked the falling head of the soldier forward.


    "Eeeek!"


    The soldiers were horrified as the head of their fallenrade fell into their arms. It was a brutality they had never experienced before. They couldn¡¯t believe that the barbarians entering through walls were the same humans as them.


    <i>¡®Fear.¡¯</i>


    Logically speaking, the alliance army was at a significant disadvantage in this war. They had to use every trick in the book in order to deal a blow to the empire with just ten thousand warriors.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t even expect us to topple the empire. We just have to cripple them enough to keep them from targeting the west again.¡¯</i>


    Urich used every weapon at his disposal. The most important of them was fear.


    "Wooooaaah!"


    Urich roared with all his might. The soldiers approaching him flinched at the beast-like roar. Urich threw an axe, killing another soldier.


    The formation around the dead soldier broke and scattered.


    No matter how outstanding Urich was as an individual warrior, it was impossible for him to cut down a hundred warriors by himself. But on the battlefield, the influence he exuded was greater than that of a hundred soldiersbined. All he had to do was overwhelm ten enemies and the momentum gained through doing so was enough to disrupt the enemy¡¯s formation and energize his allies.


    In closebat, individual prowess influenced the battle''s oue. Urich already knew how to exert influence on the battlefield. He was a warrior with a plethora of realbat experience.


    <i>¡®I think I understand how that Sword Demon Ferzen gramps became a legend.¡¯</i>


    There was a story of the Sword Demon Ferzen holding off a hundred men on a bridge. Though it was a very famous tale, it was impossible for even Ferzen to defeat a hundred men alone; no matter how formidable he was as a warrior.


    <i>¡®He probably took down a few quickly and bluffed. The enemies probably couldn¡¯t dare to cross the bridge because they were all scared after hearing Ferzen¡¯s fame.¡¯</i>


    A bluff that put one¡¯s life on the line became a skill if sessful.


    Although Urich had stepped forward and only cut down a few soldiers, it appeared to others as if he had single-handedly broken through the enemy lines. It was certainly a dangerous act, but it was not beyond human capability.


    To perform the role of a hundred, one didn¡¯t need to be as strong as a hundred. Being just a bit stronger than the others was enough.


    "Kaaaah!" The soldiers screamed.


    "Woooooah!" Urich shouted as he grabbed a severed head by the hair and lifted it.


    As if Urich''s cry was a signal, the warriors threw themselves into the fray without hesitation.


    Marganu¡¯s defense captain sensed the flow of the battle. More and more barbarians were squeezing through the narrow gap in the wall.


    <i>¡®We have to hold this ground even if we die doing so.¡¯</i>


    The captain grabbed a fleeing soldier and beheaded him.


    "Fight! Advance! Are you going to let our families be ravaged by the barbarians? Fight, sons of Marganu! Defend thisnd!"


    The captain shouted desperately. The knights executed the soldiers who were fleeing after losing their spirits on the spot.


    The soldiers, now realizing they would die either way, had no choice but to stand their ground. They trembled as they faced the approaching barbarians.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s not over yet. We¡¯ll hold here as long as we can.¡¯</i>


    The battle wasn¡¯t over. Though the tide favored the barbarians, the soldiers¡¯ formation around the narrow gap was still intact.


    "That one¡¯s the leader! Attack him!"


    The defense captain, with sharp eyes, directed the archers toward Urich. If the leader of the barbarians was killed, they could regain the upper hand.


    "Hah, not bad at all," Urich said cheerfully, ducking his head.


    An arrow whizzed past him, striking another warrior¡¯s face. Dying to a stray arrow was amon urrence on a battlefield.


    <i>¡®I can tell that themander has some experience. He¡¯s holding out until the end.¡¯</i>


    Urich acknowledged the enemymander. Despite the relentless pressure of the alliance, the enemies did not break.


    The defense captain maintained the formation to thest, even beheading his own fleeing soldiers. Though it was unfortunate for the soldiers, it was a necessary action on the battlefield.


    Urich drew his bow. Amid the chaos, he identified Marganu¡¯s defense captain. He was the particrly vocal knight, who frequently gestured with his fingers.


    <i>¡®If I kill him, they¡¯ll implode in no time.¡¯</i>


    Urich pulled the bowstring. His eyes tracked the captain.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich waited for the captain to stop moving. At this distance, a moving target was hard to hit. Moreover, the captain wore armor, so his head was the only spot he could aim for.


    <i>Tang!</i>


    Urich released the arrow. It flew across the battlefield toward the captain.


    ¡°Kagh!¡±


    The scream came from an unexpected ce. A knight next to the captain was hit in the armpit by the arrow.


    "Eh?"


    Urich tilted his head, looking at his fingers. The arrow had missed by a long shot.


    <i>¡®Ah, it¡¯s because of my right eye.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s right eye was clouded. Things looked blurry when he woke up in the morning. What should have been an urate shot missed because he couldn¡¯t focus properly.


    <i>¡®Man, I guess I¡¯ll have to practice shooting again,¡¯ </i>Urich thought as he slung the bow over his shoulder and sighed.


    ¡°I guess I have no choice but to break through head-on.¡±


    There would be some sacrifices, but it was the only option. Just as Urich thought this, a loud noise came from the west side of the fortress.


    ¡°The western wall has been breached! The barbarians areing through! Urgh!¡±


    A wounded messenger reported to the defense captain before copsing. He had dragged himself to report with an arrow in his back.


    ¡°The west?¡±


    The defense captain looked west as he closed the eyes of the dead messenger. He had reassigned forces from the west to the breached wall after judging that the barbarians who had approached the western wall wouldn¡¯t actually attack.


    However, the barbarians on the western side had boldly breached the wall. With the bare minimum forces left to guard the wall, even the high walls were useless.


    ¡°Ke, keke.¡±


    Olga of the Frost Snake Tribe climbed onto the western wall as he shrugged his shoulders. He had led a thousand warriors to attack the western wall.


    <i>¡®The Great Chief¡¯s order was to just lure them to this side... But they pulled back instead of reinforcing the wall here.¡¯</i>


    Olga had taken it upon himself to attack the western wall.


    It was a rather primitive breaching tactic using ropes anddders, but the sparse defenders on the wall allowed the warriors to breach the wall with great momentum.


    <i>Schring!</i>


    Olga thrust his spear forward, directing the advance. His warriors swept through the fortress from the west, leaving only a trail of dead soldiers in their wake.


    Olga¡¯s warriors reinforced the main alliance force breaking through the copsed wall. The warriors appearing from the west destroyed Marganu soldiers¡¯ formation from the rear.


    ¡°Huh? Why are Olga and his mening from there?¡±


    Urich said, cutting open a fallen soldier¡¯s belly. The stench of intestines rose from the ground at his feet.


    ¡°It seems like Olga has disobeyed the order of the Great Chief and crossed the western wall,¡± Katagi ground his teeth as he spoke.


    ¡°He really is impressive. He did well on his own,¡± Urich praised Olga.


    But unlike the impressed Urich, Katagi frowned and rebutted, ¡°Great Chief, he disobeyed your order, which was to only threaten the western wall! He should be punishedter.¡±


    ¡°If I were looking for people who would just blindly follow my orders, then I wouldn¡¯t have looked for talented individuals in the first ce.¡±


    Urich watched Olga¡¯s forces. The battle¡¯s tide hadpletely turned. Only the screams of the Marganu soldiers echoed all around.


    Urich stepped over the bodies to meet Olga¡¯s forces.


    ¡°Not... many soldiers... in west... so I attacked,¡± Olga said, wiping the blood from his spear.


    ¡°I thought I told you to just threaten them?¡± Urich said.


    ¡°My judgment... correct. If... you have... problem... don¡¯t use... me.¡±


    Olga didn¡¯t bother to tter Urich. He held his spear firmly with calm eyes.


    ¡°What insolence is this toward the Great Chief, Olga!¡± Katagi was the one shouting furiously.


    Olga just red at Katagi before continuing, ¡°If you need... well-behaved dog... isn¡¯t this one... enough?¡±


    Katagi¡¯s face turned red as Olga sneered.


    ¡°Enough. Olga showed good improvisation. Things ended pretty easily thanks to that. The result is what matters.¡±


    Urich stopped Katagi from doing anything rash before a fight broke out. Katagi fell silent at Urich¡¯s words, which were like the words from heaven to him.


    <i>¡®Olga is a hidden genius. No wonder Samikan used him so much.¡¯</i>


    Olga¡¯s motives were unclear, but his abilities were undeniable.


    ¡°Olga shouldn¡¯t be kept close. He¡¯s a warrior who was trusted by Samikan... and most importantly, he shows no respect for you, Great Chief,¡± Katagi advised, watching Olga walk away.


    ¡°Haha, if any happens, you¡¯ll protect me, right, Katagi?¡±


    Urichughed as he walked through the battlefield full of the stench of blood. Warriors with spears were stabbing the fallen soldiers, making sure they were dead.


    ¡°Of course. As long as my head is on my neck, no one will be able toy a finger on you, Great Chief.¡±


    ¡°Good. For now, fighting the empirees first. We can¡¯t waste talented warriors over petty conflicts.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! Your foresight is truly remarkable.¡±


    Katagi¡¯s eyes widened in admiration.


    Screams did not cease from the conquered Marganu. Fertile fields burned, granaries were emptied, and the sobs of women echoed from every house.


    ¡°Y-you beastly bastards!¡±


    Duke Marganu was dragged before Urich. The warriors had caught him trying to run with his treasures. The duke was a tubby, round man who seemed like he would roll like a ball if punted.


    ¡°If you had surrendered, the city wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much damage. You were the one who ignored the offer of surrender, weren¡¯t you? We also suffered decent damage because of that,¡± Urich spoke, seated in a chair.


    Duke Marganu widened his eyes at Urich¡¯s fluent Hamelian.


    ¡°How the hell do you invaders have the audacity to say that!¡± The duke screamed to express his feelings of being wrongly done.


    ¡°What the hell is he even saying? Pigs should just grunt like pigs,¡± Urich said in his native tongue, making the chiefs and warriorsugh.


    Realizing he was being mocked, the duke wanted to bite his tongue and die, but of course, hecked the courage to actually do so.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut his head off and hang it on a pole!¡±


    ¡°Ooh!¡±


    The warriors brandished their axes, circling the duke. The duke, terrified, wet himself.


    ¡°The soldiers and knights defending thisnd fought bravely until they died. If you really are their leader, then hold your head high,¡± Urich said, wiping blood from his cheek.


    The duke trembled violently to the point his belly started shaking. His life was in danger. This wasn¡¯t a noble¡¯s war. Barbarians killed everyone indiscriminately, noble ormoner.


    <i>ng.</i>


    Urich threw a sword in front of the duke. The duke looked up at him in confusion.


    ¡°If you really are the man standing above others, prove your worthiness, duke. Show your mettle and I¡¯ll spare your life. Pick up the sword and aim for my neck.¡±


    Urich pointed to his throat with his finger.


    The duke hesitated, then grabbed the sword hilt.


    <i>¡®Is he toying with me? Is he serious?¡¯</i>


    The duke red at Urich, trying to read his intentions. He searched for a way out, even ncing at the warriors'' expressions. Just as he was about to stand awkwardly, something flew at his head.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    An axe embedded itself in the duke¡¯s forehead. Urich, who had thrown the axe, watched the duke copse with his arm outstretched.


    ¡°The enemy who destroyed yournd and trampled on your people stands before you, yet you nce around looking for a way to save yourself. You deserve only death.¡±


    The dying body of the duke trembled.


    Urich stood and stepped on the duke¡¯s head. He wiggled the axe out from the duke¡¯s forehead. Blood dripped from the de.


    ¡°Hang this pig¡¯s head on the city gate.¡±


    Urich ordered. Katagi swung his axe and beheaded the dead Duke of Marganu.

 Chapter 246: Fatherly Love

    <h4>Chapter 246: Fatherly Love</h4>


    ¡°Hehe, let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡±


    Laughter from the warriors came from all over the city.


    Mercy was shown only to cities that surrendered without resistance. Marganu had resisted fiercely and fought until the very end. Their effort gave the alliance army a hard time, and the tribal warriors plundered and burned the city even more brutally, as if doing so was honoring their fallen brothers.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    A tribal warrior opened the door inside the house, holding an axe. There was a presence inside.


    ¡°Youuuuu!¡±


    An old man with a bent back attacked the warrior with a hoe.


    ¡°What the! Who¡¯s this old man?¡±


    The attacked warrior easily dodged the hoe. Another warrior next to him stabbed the old man in the chest with a spear.


    ¡°Kuuugh!¡±


    The old man spat blood and fell to the floor. He scratched the warrior¡¯s leg with his nails.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou, please protect my granddaughter.¡¯</i>


    The old man convulsed and eventually died. The warriors trampled on the old man''s corpse and searched the house with blood-stained feet.


    ¡°Sniff, sniff.¡±


    A warrior who smelled a woman flipped the bed. A girl hiding under the bed screamed.


    ¡°Look, a girl, a girl!¡±


    ¡°You go first. I¡¯m going to see if there¡¯s anything worth bringing back.¡±


    The warriors chewed on the vegetables on the table. They broke the furniture and carelessly shoved shiny objects into their looting sacks.


    ¡°What are your thoughts on the new Great Chief?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care. The current Great Chief, Urich, fights better. That¡¯s all that matters to me, really.¡±


    The warriorsughed.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The door opened again. The warrior about to vite the girl shouted, ¡°We got here first! Go find a different house!¡±


    But the footsteps still grew closer, despite the warrior¡¯s im.


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    The voice spoke in a slurred tribalnguage. The warriors frowned and looked at the man who entered the house.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s that one-armed guy. Damn.¡±


    The warriors recognized the man and muttered among themselves.


    The man who walked into the house was Gottval. Two warriors who served as his guards stood behind him.


    ¡°This is our right.¡±


    The warriors grumbled but didn¡¯t proceed to vite the woman in front of Gottval. Clicking their tongues, they just took the valuables they found and left the house.


    ¡°Heuughhh.¡±


    The girl, with her clothes half-torn, curled up in a corner.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright now.¡±


    Gottval gently ced a hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder to calm her.


    <i>¡®This is all I can do.¡¯</i>


    He couldn''t stop the plundering. Not even Urich could do that. Even if the Great Chief issued a ban on plundering with his authority, only his direct subordinates would follow such a demand.


    Gottval moved to save as many people as possible. He treated and protected both civilized people and barbarians. The tribal warriors couldn''t harm Gottval easily since he was favored by Urich.


    ¡°Well, he is definitely a weird one but at least he¡¯s good at healing.¡±


    Gottval¡¯s medical skills were quite excellent. There were even rumors that he could heal even fatal wounds. Injured tribal warriors often sought him out after hearing about his skills.


    <i>¡®Lou, is this your punishment?¡¯</i>


    Gottval walked, dragging his clothes. In the square, he saw a group of barbarians enjoying and drinking through the night. Unlike Urich, they were proper barbarians.


    <i>¡®Urich longed for the civilized world and tried to assimte into it. He even learned to read and write in order to understand our world.¡¯</i>


    Gottval let out a long sigh. He wasn¡¯t confident he could persuade those people.


    <i>¡®They are our trial.¡¯</i>


    That was how Gottval wanted to see it, but the suffering of innocent people was too great.


    ¡°Gottval, the Great Chief calls for you.¡±


    A warrior who had learned Hamelian called out to Gottval. Gottval nodded and crossed through the warriors to enter Marganu¡¯s inner castle.


    Urich faced Gottval while seated in the lord¡¯s chair. Warriors stood around him as if they were guarding him.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly remarkable. How long do you think it took them to build this castle?¡±


    ¡°Even if they built it over multiple decades, all you need is a few days to tear it down,¡± Gottval replied, brushing his fingertips over the bloodstains on a stone pir.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh. I gave the Duke of Marganu a chance. I promised to end it with minimal damage if he surrendered.¡±


    ¡°Whether they surrendered or resisted, the innocent people of this city are suffering.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what war is. War is suffering. You didn¡¯t know that? If the people here don¡¯t suffer, then my people will. Someone has to suffer either way. That¡¯s the reality,¡± though Urich spoke sarcastically, he understood what Gottval was trying to say.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m an idealist, but that¡¯s not always a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°... Anyway, I didn¡¯t call you here to argue with you. I called you because the warriors areining about your actions. If you keep interfering and stopping the plundering, you might get killed, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried. You¡¯ll protect me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust me too much. If the need ever arises, I can watch you die.¡±


    ¡°If you let me die, then I¡¯m sure it would be for a reason I can ept.¡±


    Urich groaned lowly.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t beat him with words.¡¯</i>


    No threat or intimidation worked on Gottval. Even death, which would frighten most people, meant nothing to him.


    <i>¡®Gottval is someone immune to fear.¡¯</i>


    If he could have persuaded Gottval with force, he would have done so long ago.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re wearing the sun ne I gave you.¡±


    Gottval pointed at the sun ne swinging from Urich¡¯s neck with his finger.


    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in receiving one more divine blessing, right? Lou saved Samikan¡¯s life; who knows? He might save mine too.¡±


    ¡°If you believe in the gods with such impure thoughts, you¡¯ll be punished.¡±


    Urich shrugged his shoulders without answering.


    The alliance army didn¡¯t n to stay long in Marganu. They were going to leave as soon as they stocked up on food and supplies.


    Urich tilted his head and looked at the horizon as he stood on the watch tower.


    <i>¡®The imperial army is probablying after us.¡¯</i>


    The imperial army was under pressure. They had to remove the plunderers from their territory at any cost.


    Georg climbed the watchtower stairs and stood next to Urich.


    ¡°Urich, the Phergamon scouts have spotted the imperial vanguard. I think it would be best if we left tomorrow. We¡¯ve stocked up enough supplies.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going east,¡± Urich mumbled out of nowhere.


    ¡°Sorry? The east is blocked. That¡¯s where the Porcana Kingdom...¡± Georg started to speak but then widened his eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯re going to the Porcana Kingdom. If my friend doesn¡¯t open the way for us, we¡¯ll have to break through by force.¡±


    Urich had made his decision.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m sorry, Pahell, but I have to take responsibility for the alliance.¡¯</i>


    Even if the talks with Pahell didn¡¯t go well, Urich nned to forcefully enter the Porcana Kingdom. The terrain of Porcana was highly advantageous for defense. During the Great Unification War, the imperial army had to expend significant military power to upy Porcana.


    Porcana was a kingdom with a long, narrow territory along the coastline. With many cliffs and mountains, it was difficult for the empire¡¯s heavy cavalry to exert their full strength.


    ¡®The imperial army is going to try to drive us out as soon as possible. Even if it¡¯s disadvantageous, they¡¯ll have no choice but to enter Porcana.¡¯


    Porcana was also a familiar terrain to Urich. He nned to face the imperial army in the location that gave him the most advantage.


    * * *


    Although it was early summer, breath still steamed in the air at night on the northern front.


    Alfnan themander of the Sun Warriors was the onemanding the northern imperial army. He had been bedridden in his tent for days with an untimely cold.


    "Cough, cough."


    Alfnan spat out yellow phlegm and drank hot water.


    <i>¡®Me, a northerner, catching a cold in early summer....¡¯</i>


    Alfnan bent over, mocking himself.


    The northern front was painful. They repeatedlyunched futile assaults against an imprable defense line, engaging in attrition warfare. It was hard to grasp a strategic advantage due to the Sun Warriors who had joined the rebellion army.


    Alfnan couldn''t sleep at night due to the pressure of needing to achieve merit as themander of the Sun Warriors. It was no wonder he fell ill.


    <i>¡®Everything I''ve worked my entire life for is on the verge of sinking.¡¯</i>


    That thought alone kept him from resting peacefully. Alfnan barely managed to stand up.


    ¡°This is no time to be in bed. Sherad!¡±


    Alfnan called for his squire. Sherad took a while toe to the tent, but he eventually entered with a pale face.


    "S-Sir Alfnan!"


    "Prepare my armor and sword. Summon the adjutants, as well."


    "T-that¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now...."


    "What could be more important than my orders!" Alfnan shouted harshly.


    The squire took a deep breath and almost screamed, "His Majesty has arrived! His Imperial Majesty hase up to the northern front!"


    As soon as he heard that, even Alfnan''s headache seemed to disappear. He jumped up and put on his coat and cloak.


    "What are you saying! There is no way His Majesty woulde to the northern front without a single heads-up letter!"


    "B-but he really is here, Sir!"


    There wasmotion outside the tent. It was the sound of people collectively falling silent and kneeling.


    "Long live the emperor!"


    "Long live Emperor Yanchinus!"


    The squire had not lied. Cries praising the emperor spread from everywhere.


    "Goddammit! Cough."


    Alfnan, his face flushed red, rushed outside.


    <i>¡®What has His Majestye here for? No, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it''s only natural.¡¯</i>


    Alfnan saw the violet eagle gs fluttering everywhere as soon as he exited the tent.


    <i>¡®The empire has always had its emperors leading the wars. It was always natural for them to take the lead on the battlefield.¡¯</i>


    The first and second emperors had also personally gone to war. So, there was no reason Yanchinus couldn''t do the same.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    Yanchinus, on horseback, crossed the camp. Knights and soldiers knelt, waiting for the emperor¡¯s words.


    "I, Emperor Yanchinus Hamelon, do not simply point fingers from behind walls. If blood must be shed, I will shed it with you! Raise your heads, guardians of the empire! Right now, I am but one soldier among you, striving to protect the empire just like every man present here!"


    At Yanchinus'' words, the knights began to rise one by one. They raised their weapons high, shouting the emperor¡¯s name.


    "Your Majesty, we did not receive any notice of your arrival."


    "Of course you didn¡¯t. I never sent a letter."


    Alfnan greeted Yanchinus.


    The camp was visibly excited. The wine and smoked meats Yanchinus had brought were luxuries not found in the north. The soldiers forgot their fatigue as they relished the rare treats.


    Yanchinus entered Alfnan¡¯s tent. He was apanied by two steel knights as guards.


    <i>¡®Is he here to hold me ountable?¡¯</i>


    Alfnan swallowed hard, waiting for Yanchinus to speak.


    ¡°Here, have a drink.¡±


    Yanchinus called for a servant to pour wine. Alfnan, staring at the red wine, barely moved his lips.


    <i>¡®He could kill me right here.¡¯</i>


    The wine could have been poisoned. But even if it was, what could he do? The opponent was the emperor of the empire. If he had decided to kill Alfnan, there was no way around it.


    <i>Gulp.</i>


    Alfnan drank the wine in one go. Even if it was poisoned, he had no choice.


    "Isn¡¯t it nice? It''s the best wine of the year."


    Yanchinusughed and snapped his fingers. The servant refilled the ss.


    "It is an honor to drink such wine, Your Majesty. And about my failure...."


    Alfnan tried to bring up his failure before Yanchinus could, but the emperor waved his finger, stopping Alfnan.


    "Shh, shh. What''s the use of dwelling on the past? Who could have predicted traitors would emerge within the Sun Warriors? What''s important now is to suppress the northern rebels. If punishing you was going to weaken the rebels, I would have had your head cut off a long time ago. But if I killed a capablemander like you, it would only bring joy to the rebels. Right now, I need as manymanders like you as I can get."


    Alfnan''s eyes widened. He banged his head on the ground, shouting with all his might.


    "Your Majesty! This unworthy Alfnan! I will fight for you with my life!"


    Alfnan''s eyes were teary. He had prepared himself for punishment, but the emperor did not fault him.


    Yanchinus lifted Alfnan up and crossed his legs. He propped his chin on his hand and pondered the situation.


    <i>¡®Varca of Porcana has fled. He might rebel against me.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus had shackled various kingdoms. There were those that he seeded with, but there were also those who did not get shackled¡ªlike Porcana.


    <i>¡®If I can handle just one of the northern front or the western plunderers, the kingdoms won''t dare to rebel.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus hade to the northern front to put an end to it. The situation was dire enough for him to personally lead the army. He could no longer afford to sit back and watch.


    ¡°Right, that¡¯s great. I will dly ept your loyalty and life, Alfnan. Can I count on you to lead the next battle?¡±


    Yanchinus patted Alfnan¡¯s shoulder.


    Alfnan had been prepared for death, but the emperor¡¯s words were of immense trust. His loyalty towards his lord, who believed in his abilities, surged endlessly. Even his flu seemed to vanish.


    "Leave it to me, Your Majesty."


    Alfnan¡¯s eyes became sharp. What drove him now was not the ambition to seed, but loyalty.

 Chapter 247

    <h4>Chapter 247</h4>


    The northern front gained momentum with the emperor¡¯s involvement. The emperor¡¯s guards also joined the northern imperial army. The most powerful army in the civilized world was now in the north.0


    <em>¡®His Majesty came with a clear intent. He has decided to put an end to the northern front first.¡¯</em>0


    Alfnan lowered his helmet visor and mounted his horse. The Sun Warriors who followed him began to gather one by one.0


    The Sun Warriors had always been the emperor¡¯s loyal right-hand men. Since all members of the Sun Warriors were either barbarians or mixed blood, they had no ties to the civilized world. This made them a force free from political conflicts or power struggles of the empire.0


    <em>¡®The independence of the north shook the hearts of the Sun Warriors.¡¯</em>0


    Most of the Sun Warriors were of northern origin. Even those who had always remained unmoved by the bribes of the nobles decided to take action for the freedom of their people.0


    <em>¡®This is all the result of the growth of the influence of Srism in the north¡­.¡¯</em>0


    The original purpose of the formation of the Sun Warriors was to strengthen the emperor¡¯s power internally, but the more publicly known purpose was the conversion of barbarians. Naturally, protecting the converted kin was also a part of the Sun Warriors'' mission.0


    <em>¡®In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before a division like this happened. Recruiting members based on their faith was the mistake.¡¯</em>0


    Only the Sun Warriors who were loyal to their secr desires remained with the empire. They knew that joining the northern rebels would only bring hardship.0


    ¡°I¡­ will rise to even greater heights, no matter what,¡± Alfnan muttered.0n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He had dedicated his entire life to bing themander of the Sun Warriors. The core of power was within his reach. The power and authority that rivaled even the great nobles had almost been his before it slipped away right as he was about to grasp it.0


    <em>¡®It¡¯s not toote yet. His Majesty has given me another chance.¡¯</em>0


    Alfnan looked at the rebels¡¯ fortress. It was incredibly strong, built with the empire''s fortification techniques.0


    <em>¡®A fortress built to keep out the northerners has now be their shield.¡¯</em>0


    Alfnan took a deep breath and pulled the reins. He stood at the forefront with the Sun Warriors under hismand. The Sun Warriors had been reduced to about a hundred men due to betrayal and casualties.0


    <em>Buuuuup!</em>0


    The trumpeter blew with all his might, swelling his chest and cheeks.0


    ¡°Chaaaaarge!¡±0


    The Sun Warriors¡¯ standard-bearer raised the g high. At the signal, the Sun Warriors charged valiantly.0


    ¡°The gate is open! They areing out to intercept us!¡±0


    Armed rebels poured out from the gate.0


    Alfnan raised his head, awaiting orders.0


    <em>¡®We charge.¡¯</em>0


    The main force''s standard-bearer waved the charging g. Alfnan led the Sun Warriors and soldiers to sh with the rebels¡¯ formation.0


    ¡°Ugh, ughhh!¡±0


    The armies collided. Metal shed and flesh was crushed. Blood soaked the ground.0


    ¡°Stand up! Advance! We will clear the way!¡±0


    Alfnan swung his sword wide. The battlefield, tangled with people, was no different from hell. Death relentlessly imed lives.0


    Alfnan¡¯s unit desperately retaliated against the northerners.0


    ¡°Ooooooh!¡±0


    Even in the empire, the Sun Warriors were considered to be an elite force. Even the northern warriors retreated in the face of the might of the Sun Warriors.0


    <em>Creak, creak.</em>0


    The sound of wheels turning came from the rear.0


    ¡°Clear the way! It¡¯s the Fire of the Empire!¡±0


    Soldiers shouted loudly from behind. The imperial army parted, allowing a cart with a steel cannon to be set up before the northern warriors.1


    <em>Bubble, bubble.</em>0


    Something was boiling.1


    <em>Fwooooosh!</em>0


    A rough me shot out from the steel cannon on the cart.0


    ¡°A-aaargh!¡±0


    Northern warriors caught in the mes screamed. The fire that had been sprayed along with a ck liquid did not extinguish easily. Even when cloaks were beaten on it and the warriors rolled on the ground, the mes persistently burned until there was simply no more left to burn.0


    ¡°My God!¡±0


    Even Alfnan was astonished by the empire¡¯s new weapon.0


    It was a new weapon called the ¡®Fire of the Empire.¡¯ Though this was its first introduction to real battle, the terror of the mes was immense. The northern warriors, calling it magic, were terrified.0


    ¡°It¡¯s fire magic! Those bastards are using magic! Kaaaah!¡±0


    The northern warriors shouted.0


    ¡°Ignite!¡± The imperial officer shouted.0


    At the officer¡¯smand, the imperial soldiers brought torches to the steel cannon. The boiling sound grew louder, and ck liquid and mes spurted out.0


    <em>Fwooooosh!</em>0


    Alfnan watched the soldiers who were operating the Fire of the Empire. Their faces were mottled with burns.0


    <em>¡®I did hear the rumors of weapons made from me powder and ck liquid, but this is¡­.¡¯</em>0


    In the southern desert, ck liquid that caught on fire easily was often found rising from the ground. It was a fluid that burned quite well like tallow. Schrs of the empire had created me-throwing weapons through long research on the substance.1


    ¡°Ha, hahaha!¡±0


    Yanchinus pped his hands, watching the rising mes from a distance. Even in its first real use, the power was tremendous. Even the famously brave northern warriors were busy running away in fear of the mes.0


    ¡°Amazing. Excellent!¡±0


    The sticky, mmable liquid was alsounched together with the me. Because of this, the Fire of the Empire didn¡¯t easily extinguish once it ignited.0


    The northern warriors, their morale broken, retreated into the fortress. They shut the gates and prepared for a siege.0


    ¡°Launch the me jars.¡±0


    Yanchinus extended his hand. He felt a thrilling impulse whenever he saw the rising mes.1


    me oil was a mixture created by the empire¡¯s schrs after extensive research. The ignition material used in the Fire of the Empire was also a type of me oil.0


    <em>Thu¡ªunk!</em>0


    Arge jar filled with me oil wasunched from the catapult. The me oil fell inside the fortress.0


    ¡°Fire!¡±0


    Arrows soaked in fire immediately followed the me jars, falling where the jars had fallen. In an instant, mes spread inside the fortress. The houses inside the fortress, being mainly built with wood, fueled the fire even more, making it spread even faster.0


    ¡°Pour water! Water!¡±0


    Inside the fortress, the northern warriors tried to extinguish the fire with water.0


    <em>Fwooooosh!</em>0


    Warriors attempting to douse the mes screamed. Their faces and bodies burned red.0


    ¡°W-water won¡¯t put it out! It explodes when you pour water!¡±0


    When water touched the burning me oil, the mes exploded outward instead. It was a truly terrifying novel weapon.0


    ¡°Are they using magic?¡±0


    ¡°They have to have a wizard!¡±0


    The northern warriors were greatly taken aback by the weapon they had never seen before. Fortunately, no more me oil jars fell. The northern warriors regained theirposure and climbed the walls, drawing their bows.0


    Yanchinus, now with the upper hand, raised his hand again.0


    ¡°Launch more me jars.¡±0


    ¡°This is all the me oil we brought, Your Majesty.¡±0


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s too bad.¡±0


    Producing me oil took a lot of time and money. They had to haul the key ingredient, the ck liquid, from the southern desert, and sulfur, bone powder, and lime were also required. The weapon couldn¡¯t be used if the proportions were even slightly off, making production all the more difficult.0


    ¡°Kaaaah!¡±0


    A soldier operating the Fire of the Empire screamed. The ignited cannon exploded on the spot withoutunching.0


    ¡°Pull back the Fire of the Empire. In any case, we should be able to take that fortress today.¡±0


    After his excitement had dampened, Yanchinus sat down and observed the battlefield. The new weapon of the empire had significantly shifted the flow of battle in their favor. Even the brave northern warriors were cautious of the new weapon.0


    <em>¡®No matter how brave they are, they can¡¯t help but be startled by a weapon they¡¯ve never seen before.¡¯</em>0


    Yanchinus propped his chin and looked at the fortress.0


    <em>¡®It¡¯s pathetic that we¡¯re stuck because of a fortress we built ourselves.¡¯</em>0


    They should have been more vignt toward the northerners.0


    <em>¡®I thought Srism¡¯s growing influence would make it easier for them to assimte into the empire¡­. Who could have guessed it would be a pretext for iming an independent kingdom?¡¯</em>0


    Yanchinus had attempted to draw even the barbarians into the empire. He aggressively implemented the barbarian inclusion policy and spread Srism among them. However, despite his efforts, the northerners had rebelled.0


    <em>¡®The empire¡¯s territory has be too vastpared to its core to manage. If we¡¯re going to extend our power to the west and the eastern continent, we need to organize ourselves internally, first. I¡¯ll start with the Langkegart Kingdom, which has practically copsed. They should be made part of the empire¡­.¡¯</em>0


    Yanchinus felt the need to reorganize the empire before facing a new world.0


    ¡°A kingdom of northerners? Hah, nonsense.¡±0


    Yanchinusughed aloud. Just as he was confident of victory, a scout came running, knelt, and reported.0


    ¡°Your Majesty! An army is advancing from the west.¡±0


    Yanchinus frowned and looked at the horizon. The smoke was thick. It meant arge force had arrived there.0


    ¡°Whose banner?¡±0


    ¡°It is the banner of Gray Wolf! It¡¯s the army of the Caselmaroni Kingdom!¡±0


    Caselmaroni was an ind mountainous kingdom located in the northwest.0


    <em>¡®I thought I had Caselmaroni in the palm of my hands through Count Whn.¡¯</em>0


    Yanchinus furrowed his brows.0


    <em>¡®I¡¯ll have to execute Count Whn when I¡¯m back in the empire. He sure talks a lot, but he is useless.¡¯</em>0


    There was no way Caselmaroni had brought a whole army to support the empire. No matter how close a kingdom was to the empire, it seldom helped in its conquest activities. Diplomatic closeness aside, the empire was fundamentally an invader, and the kingdoms were technically under subjugation.0


    ¡°A messenger from Caselmaroni has arrived.¡±0


    ¡°Haha, let¡¯s hear what grand n they have foring here!¡±0


    Yanchinus swallowed his anger andughed. He stood up to greet the messenger.0


    ¡°It is an honor toe before the ruler of the world.¡±0


    The messenger, wearing light armor, bowed as he fluttered his cloak. He handed over a letter bearing the King of Caselmaroni¡¯s will.0


    ¡°As sons of Lou, Caselmaroni supports the Srists of the north?¡±0


    Yanchinus skimmed through the content and scoffed. The King of Caselmaroni supported the formation of the northern kingdom. The logic was that since the northerners also believed in Srism, they had the appropriate legitimacy.0


    The logic itself wasn¡¯t wrong. Even the Sun priests in the north had turned their backs on the empire for the same reason. The northerners who had thrown Ulgaro aside had the right to establish a kingdom under the Sun.0


    <em>¡®Support, my ass¡­. They¡¯re using this as an excuse to break away from the empire. It¡¯s a bold gamble. Maybe there was a real Caselmaroni spy in the capital that wasn¡¯t Count Whn. Perhaps Count Whn was just bait to make me believe I had sessfully won over their spy.¡¯</em>0


    The political arena was a tangled web of lies. The more of a cold-blooded snake one was, the more likely they would survive. Regardless, Count Whn¡¯s life was as good as over.0


    <em>¡®The worst-case scenario is that Caselmaroni finds out I let Varca of Porcana get away. They might expect Porcana to rise if they do. Perhaps they¡¯ve already discussed it.¡¯</em>0


    If Porcana rebelled, it would be a significant problem for Yanchinus. The resources that had been poured into Porcana for the exploration of the eastern continent were substantial. That was why he had kept Varca in the capital. Out of all kingdoms, Porcana was one that had to be kept in check no matter what.0


    <em>¡®Varca escaped using Count Whn¡¯s daughter. Count Whn is causing me all sorts of problems. Giving him a quick death won¡¯t suffice.¡¯</em>0


    Yanchinus¡¯ lengthy thoughts didn¡¯t actually take much time. It was merely a momentary pause.0


    ¡°Are you seriously challenging the imperial army? Did your king really send a letter like this?¡±0


    The messenger flinched at Yanchinus¡¯ low voice. Being a messenger was one of the most dangerous positions. Especially those delivering bad news often met unpleasant ends.0


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±0


    A knight approached Yanchinus and whispered.0


    ¡°Reinforcements are arriving for the northern rebels, and the onemanding them is the boy king Bilker of the rumors. I think it would be wise to regroup before we fight them.¡±0


    Yanchinus did not let his emotions dictate hismand. He ordered a retreat.0


    <em>¡®Caselmaroni won¡¯t want a direct confrontation here either. If they did, they wouldn¡¯t have sent a messenger.¡¯</em>0


    Both sides likely wanted to reorganize their forces and fight in their best conditions.0


    <em>¡®It seems the war in the north is going to drag longer.¡¯</em>0


    Yanchinus smiled bitterly. He began preparing a letter to send to Carnius.

 Chapter 248

    <h4>Chapter 248</h4>


    The western plunderers were headed toward the Porcana Kingdom. The movement of ten thousand warriors couldn''t be kept discreet. In Porcana, news of the swarming plunderers got the lords gathering their troops.


    There was a precedent called the Langkegart Kingdom, and the national power of Porcana was simr to Langkegart. The news of the advance of the plunderers caused fear among the lords and the people.


    "The plunderers from the west areing!"


    "What is the empire doing in a time like this?"


    The nobles of Porcana fell into chaos. The local lords on the outskirts of the kingdom were even more nervous as they were directly exposed to the plunderers.


    "Has His Highness not returned yet?"


    "He is still missing."


    "My God, what on earth is happening to our kingdom...."


    The throne was vacant. Varca had not yet returned to Porcana. There were even rumors that King Varca was dead. Some said he had been poisoned by the emperor, while some nobles whispered that Damia must have cursed Varca to death.


    "Request help from Duke Lungell. He is the only man who can protect our kingdom right now."


    The local lords sent letters to Duke Lungell in haste.


    Duke Lungell was a powerful noble who had conserved his strength by not participating in the civil war. In fact, with King Varca absent, Duke Lungell was practically acting as regent.


    Duke Lungell quickly convened a council of nobles to discuss how they would respond to the approaching barbarians. Even the nobles who were usually toozy to participate in these councils grabbed the reins of their horses and attended the meeting at the news of the imminent appearance of the plunderers.


    "The imperial army is also pursuing the western plunderers. If we prevent the barbarians from crossing the border, Porcana and the imperial army can attack them from both sides," Duke Lungell said, spreading out a map.


    The nobles murmured in response.


    "That¡¯s assuming we can stop them before the imperial army arrives. They turned Langkegart into ruins in an instant, and even the imperial army couldn''t eradicate them. Some say the plunderers aren''t even humans like us."


    "If we give into fear before we even fight, we have no chance of winning, Lord Gargel. We must focus the kingdom''s capabilities on defense. If His Highness were present, he would have thought the same as I do. Come to think of it, where in the world is he at such a critical time..."


    Duke Lungellmented outwardly butughed inwardly.


    <i>¡®I don''t know where Varca is, but he left his position during the kingdom''s crisis. If I navigate the kingdom through this crisis, the support of the nobles and people will gather toward me. It might even be possible to overthrow the royal family in my generation.¡¯</i>


    A crisis bes an opportunity.


    Duke Lungell ambitiously urged the nobles to issue a mobilization order.


    "If the plunderers from the west are as formidable as the rumors say, even the kingdom''s full military power won''t be enough."


    The nobles, who would usually be lukewarm even to summons from high lords or the king, couldn''t afford to hold back now. The enemy was barbarians. If they lost, Porcana would be left with nothing. There was no such thing as the luxury of sparing their resources.


    <i>¡®If we win, all the glory will be mine, and if we fail, Porcana will be reduced to ashes.¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell smiled with a cold sweat. He too did not want his homnd to perish. He was going to use all his strength to defend it.


    "Oh, Sun God Lou, please look after us."


    Young men gathered to defend their homnd. Freemoners pooled money from every three households to arm a warrior they had chosen among themselves, and bound serfs took up farming tools and donned shabby quilted clothes as armor. Some young men volunteered enthusiastically in response to the mobilization order.


    With such men gathered, Duke Lungell''s force managed to exceed five thousand. When the gathering wasplete, the force would reach eight thousand.


    Duke Lungell deployed five thousand troops to the border first. Since the majority of Porcana''s ind border was a canyon, the routes the barbarians could invade were limited.


    <i>¡®We can do it. We can hold them until the imperial army arrives.¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell entrenched himself in the border fortress. Mounted border guards patrolled regrly. When the barbarian army arrived, he would receive the report immediately.


    <i>¡®The true guardian of Porcana is me, Duke Lungell.¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell''s ambition red up like in his younger days. It was an opportunity that came after being patient for such a long time. The young King Varca had led the government well, preventing Duke Lungell from finding a foothold. Varca had never given Duke Lungell an opening.


    <i>¡®This could very well be myst chance.¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell felt the gazes of the nobles. They had entrusted their troops to him. Nothing remained where the plunderers from the west passed. All the wealth that was umted over generations evaporated. The nobles fought with all their might to protect their lives and wealth.


    "The barbarians are here! They are in the direction of the Degris in!"


    A mounted border guard rushed into the fortress with the report. The army stirred at that single report.


    "They really came. Those bastards are really here."


    "We will not end up like Langkegart. We have prepared thoroughly."


    "But...."


    "If what you¡¯re about to say is something that could hinder our morale, keep it to yourself."


    The nobles also trembled with fear.


    Not even three days after the messenger''s report, Porcana''s nobles and soldiers faced the plunderers from the west. The plunderers set up a camp within visible distance from the border fortress. The sight of ten thousand warriors and the aura they exuded was overwhelming.


    <i>¡®Every single man in that army is a seasoned warrior.¡¯</i>


    The barbarian army had a qualitative advantage in infantry. Its members were lifelong hunters and warriors who fought with neighboring tribes. They were different from the soldiers of the civilized world whose actual profession was farming.


    "So that is the army of the plunderers from the west...."


    The nobles observed the plunderers from the ramparts.


    "It doesn''t seem like they will attack immediately."


    "Are they resting before attacking?"


    "They shouldn¡¯t have that much leisure. The imperial army should be after them."


    "When will you stop harping on about the imperial army? Porcana must be defended by our own hands!"


    "Hah, if you''re so valiant, why don''t you lead your army and go intercept them yourself?"


    Even among the nobles, fights broke out. They were that anxious. The enemy from the unknown was right before them.


    "Huh?"


    The nobles widened their eyes. A mounted messenger approached the fortress from the plunderer camp.


    <i>¡®A civilized person?¡¯</i>


    The mounted messenger was a civilized person. The alliance had sent one of their civilized mercenaries as their messenger.


    "A civilized person in the army of barbarians! That traitor! Let¡¯s kill him immediately! Archers!" The hot-tempered nobles shouted. An archer on the gate, caught off guard, drew his bow.


    Duke Lungell sighed and held back the nobles and archers.


    "Enough! If a messenger hase, should we not hear him out? We are civilized people, not some barbarians like them! Get a grip!"


    At Duke Lungell''s rebuke, the noble calling for an attack fell silent.


    "I am an envoy of the alliance!"


    The messenger shouted from in front of the gate. He was grabbing the reins to flee at any moment. He had taken on the role of a messenger for a reward of three gold coins, which was worth thirty thousand gilds.


    ¡°The alliance?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a term the plunderers use to refer to themselves.¡±


    ¡°The alliance...¡±


    The nobles murmured among themselves, all eyes on Duke Lungell.


    ¡°The leader of the alliance army, Great Chief Urich, wishes to negotiate! The Great Chief proposes that ten representatives from each side meet at noon at the midpoint! No weapons will be brought!¡±


    It was a negotiation proposal that one might expect from civilized people.


    Duke Lungell tilted his head, feeling puzzled. He shouted at the messenger from atop the wall.


    ¡°Why should we put ourselves at risk ande out to negotiate with you?¡±


    ¡°Because if you don''t, Porcana will be destroyed. The alliance is ruthless to those who resist but shows mercy to those who surrender.¡±


    ¡°Mercy? Is raping women and burning fields your idea of mercy?¡± Duke Lungell shouted angrily.


    ¡°You will regret noting to the negotiation.¡±


    The messenger said this and turned his horse around. Duke Lungell pondered the messenger¡¯s words deeply.


    <i>¡®Urich?¡¯</i>


    It was a name he had definitely heard somewhere before. The messenger had called him Great Chief Urich.


    His memory was hazy. Duke Lungell¡¯s eyes narrowed and then widened.


    <i>¡®That barbarian mercenary who was with Varca!¡¯</i>


    It could be a coincidence that they had the same name.


    <i>¡®But what if it really is him? What if the leader of these plunderers is that very Urich?¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell was confused. In any case, to confirm the truth, he had to ept the negotiation proposal.


    ¡°I will go to the negotiation! Prepare ordingly!¡± Duke Lungell shouted. Three or four influential nobles agreed to join the negotiation.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    At noon, the fortress gate opened. Duke Lungell, along with four other nobles and their escorting knights, rode out.


    ¡°Ten men areing from the other side.¡±


    A keen-eyed knight said, looking toward the alliance army¡¯s camp. Ten men on horseback emerged from the alliance camp.


    <i>Clop, clop.</i>


    Their distance closed as both parties maintained their caution toward each other. Soon, they were close enough to hear each other¡¯s murmurs.


    ¡°I am Duke Lungell of Porcana!¡±


    Duke Lungell swallowed nervously as he eyed the barbarians. Arge man on horseback emerged from them.


    ¡°Oho, are you the current leader of Porcana? What about Pah... no, King Varca?¡±


    Urich spoke. Duke Lungell¡¯s eyes widened as he observed Urich.


    <i>¡®He has changed a lot... But it¡¯s definitely him.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s face and exposed skin were covered with scars. The burn marks from lightning were clear on his right forearm, and his breastte was dented and tattered, hinting he had gone through numerous battles. Yet, his confident eyes still shone brightly with a yellow glow.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Duke Lungell couldn¡¯t continue speaking. Why had Urich invaded Porcana with a barbarian army? There was no one who could immediately grasp the process that had led to this situation.


    ¡°Ah, I remember now. Lungell!¡±


    Urich recognized Duke Lungell and smiled brightly. His smile was so pure it was hard to believe they were enemies.


    ¡°If you are truly a friend of King Varca, withdraw your army and leave. Porcana cannot ept a barbarian army,¡± Duke Lungell warned.


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. Where is Varca?¡±


    ¡°King Varca is currently missing. I, Duke Lungell, am his representative.¡±


    ¡°Missing?¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes suddenly turned fierce. Many thoughts crossed his mind. It was possible Varca had been killed by Duke Lungell¡¯s schemes.


    ¡°He went missing in the empire. I had nothing to do with it,¡± Duke Lungell spoke as if he had read Urich¡¯s mind.


    ¡°So the point is that you¡¯re the one in charge... Very well. Open the gates and provide us with a month¡¯s worth of food. Then we won¡¯t touch anything in Porcana. We¡¯ll alsopensate you appropriately. We might not look like it, but we have umted some wealth.¡±


    Urich¡¯s proposal caused a stir among Porcana¡¯s nobles. However, Duke Lungell, the negotiator, maintained hisposure and looked at Urich.


    ¡°You speak as if we¡¯re the ones in trouble, but it is you who are being chased by the imperial army. Who do you think will be surrounded if they eventually arrive?¡±


    ¡°Do you think we wouldn¡¯t be able to break through Porcana before the imperial army gets here?¡±


    ¡°You should not underestimate Porcana¡¯s strength, Urich the barbarian.¡±


    Duke Lungell couldn¡¯t grant passage through the territory without a fight. Moreover, the opponent was a barbarian army.


    <i>¡®At the end of the day, it¡¯s going to be the empire who wins this war. There¡¯s no reason to cooperate with the barbarians.¡¯</i>


    The fact that the western plunderers were fleeing from the imperial army was proof enough. The army of the empire was stronger than the army of the west.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s making this difficult. It was going to be a gamble even with Varca, but we¡¯re dealing with Duke Lungell...¡¯</i>


    Urich scratched his neck roughly. ck grime got stuck underneath his nails.


    <i>¡®The best oue is to enter Porcana¡¯s territory without fighting. If we expend any more of our strength, we¡¯re going to have even less of a chance in a full-on battle with the imperial army.¡¯</i>


    But it seemed like persuading the duke with words was impossible.


    <i>¡®I guess scaring them is the only way to get the negotiation going on my terms.¡¯</i>


    There was no progress in a verbal negotiation.


    Urich pointed a finger at Duke Lungell.


    ¡°We will attack tonight. Prepare yourselves. I guarantee you¡¯ll feel like negotiating after seeing your soldiers dragging their organs on the ground and calling for their mothers.¡±


    Urich¡¯s words made Duke Lungell and the nobles flinch.


    Duke Lungell hurried back to the fortress. He issued orders to prepare for the evening assault, and the knights shouted about the approaching barbarians. The soldiers slept, conserving their strength for the attack that was toe in the evening.


    ¡°They¡¯reing! They¡¯reing!¡±


    But Urich¡¯s words were a lie. He ordered an attack immediately upon returning to the alliance camp. The civilized army, ustomed to dered warfare, was caught off guard and hastily prepared their defense.


    <i>¡®I wascent, thinking they would negotiate like civilized people. I was a fool to believe they would keep their word like us!¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell also hurriedly donned his armor and joined the defense.

 Chapter 249

    <h4>Chapter 249</h4>


    The resistance of Porcana was as fierce as Duke Lungell had warned. The fortress built on the sloping hill was a high ground that was hard to capture.


    "Fire!"


    Duke Lungell watched the barbarians swarming in with dirty faces. The crossbowmen worked in pairs, repeatedly loading and firing. The soldiers of Porcana, seasoned by the recent civil war, were no easy opponents.


    "Just thoughtlessly charging up is going to result in heavy losses."


    Urich propped his chin and surveyed the battlefield. Hemanded the trumpeter to order a retreat.


    The retreat trumpet was sounded. The warriors raised their shields and awkwardly shuffled back.


    "If weunch an all-out attack, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to take down their fortress, Great Chief," Katagi shouted, ready to lead the charge.


    "For this battle, we need to focus on minimizing the number of casualties. If we suffer heavy losses here, we won''t have enough strength to fight the imperial army."


    Urich scratched his cheek, deep in thought.


    <i>¡®I thought it would be worth negotiating if Varca were here...¡¯</i>


    Themander of Porcana''s army was currently Duke Lungell, who didn¡¯t have even a bit of goodwill toward Urich.


    "Hmm, thatmander over there won''t give way. Georg, what do you think?"


    Urich called Georg for his opinion.


    "If he turns the absence of the king into an opportunity and sessfully pulls off a heroic defense, the consensus around him will greatly improve. The only way a kingdom like Porcana could have gathered that magnitude of force would be by rallying men from all over theirnd. If they defeat us here, Duke Lungell will be a more popr noble than the king. A man with ambition would probably choose to die here rather than surrender."


    Georg was a man who knew history. Knowing the past allowed one to read the present and even the future. The greatest treasure of civilization was the written word which could leave records.


    "So, we have no choice but tounch an all-out attack, even with the likely casualties. Call the civilized mercenaries and prepare the siege weapons."


    Georg lightly nodded at Urich''s words. As Urich''s long-time confidant, Georg wielded significant power within the alliance. The number of civilized mercenaries under hismand reached two thousand, which was more than what most chiefs had.


    <i>¡®Me, who was nothing but a mere ve, nowmands two thousand men.¡¯</i>


    It was something that was unimaginable in the civilized world. No matter how exceptional a ve was, they could not surpass the limits of their status. The highest honor a ve could attain was bing a freeman.


    <i>¡®Here, I am treated well. I am in a position that matches, or even surpasses, my abilities.¡¯</i>


    His chest swelled with pride. He was looking at the infinite possibilities.


    <i>¡®If Urich were to establish a nation, I would be the chancellor. Who else could take on such a role?¡¯</i>


    His heart pounded. While there was the imminent threat of the imperial army, it wasn¡¯t like they had absolutely no chance of victory.


    "Georg, the catapults are assembled."


    An engineer in chainmail informed Georg. The civilized mercenaries were an indispensable force for the alliance army, and they were treated ordingly. Their priority for loot after the siege was quite high.


    "The Great Chief will give the attack order. Stand by until then."


    Georg moved among the mercenaries, his cloak fluttering. The unit was a mix of former ves and deserters from the empire.


    Georg captured the attention of enough mercenaries before giving a speech.


    "We are mercenaries! We earn as much as we work, and we take as much as we fight! If you have the ability, you will be treated ordingly! If you want something, fight for it! If you achieve merit, you can have as much gold or silver as you desire!"


    Georg emphasized meritocracy and equality, especially as he was a former ve himself.


    "Ho!"


    The mercenaries, already motivated by the rewards they had been receiving, shouted out.


    "Did the so-called honor of being civilized ever provide you with bread? Or give you wine? We follow those who pay us! The nobles have taken what was ours from us until now, so now it''s our turn to take from them!"


    Georg openly antagonized the nobles. The mercenaries, formed mostly of lower-ss people, were easily unified in their shared animosity.


    Georg''s eloquence was shy yet easy to understand for everyone. He even eased the guilt of betraying the civilized world.


    <i>¡®We are not betraying the civilized world. All we are doing is getting our revenge on the nobles. The bastards who had been stealing from us!¡¯ </i>The mercenaries thought so as they loaded stones onto the catapults.


    "Whew."


    Georg drank from a water bottle, soothing his dry throat. He turned to look at Porcana¡¯s border fortress.


    <i>¡®That ce will soon be a hellhole just like the others.¡¯</i>


    He had already seen plenty of times the fate of those who did not surrender.


    The faces of the men pushing the catapults were red from the exertion.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    About twenty catapults advanced to their firing range. The siege engineers secured the catapults to the ground. The operation of the catapults was on par with the imperial army elite. Recognizing the importance of siege weapons early on, the alliance paid the siege engineers and other technical soldiers in chests of gold and silver.


    "Pull! Heave, ho!"


    Operating the alliance¡¯s catapults required at least fifty men. They pulled the counterweights with all their strength to load the catapults.


    The ones most startled by the appearance of the catapults were the soldiers of Porcana. The soldiers on the walls screamed.


    ¡°They have catapults!¡±


    "How are the barbarians operating catapults?"


    Duke Lungell¡¯s eyes widened. The operation method of catapults wasn''t something that could be learned overnight. It required specialized personnel.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A stone flew over the wall, breaking off the top edge. The soldier hit by the stone couldn''t even scream before turning into a bloody mess.


    "Lower your heads! Duck!"


    The soldiers ducked their heads under the catapult assault.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Stones continued to pound the walls.


    "Uuugh, it''s over. We¡¯re all going to die."


    The morale of Porcana¡¯s soldiers plummeted. The walls of the border fortress were built for gatekeeping. They were not sturdy enough to withstand a catapult attack.


    "The attack has stopped! Repair the walls before they start again!"


    The knights shouted. The soldiers tore down buildings inside the fortress to use them as materials to patch the walls. They looked on at the plunderers with their eyes filled with fear.


    <i>¡®Why aren''t they attacking again right away?¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell cautiously raised his head above the wall. The plunderers, who had been bombarding them with catapults, had suddenly fallen silent.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    A man on horseback crossed between the two armies. It was a situation where he could easily be killed by a stray attack at any moment.


    "Stop the attack."


    Urich raised his hand and observed the situation.


    A hooded traveler approached the fortress gate.


    "Remove your hood!"


    The knight guarding the gate aimed a crossbow and shouted. The traveler on horseback slowly pushed back his hood.


    "Tell the person in charge that the ruler of the kingdom has arrived," the man said.


    He showed a dirty appearance and shabby face, but his eyes bore deep dignity.


    The knight''s eyes widened as he hurriedly descended from the wall.


    "His Highness has arrived! The ruler of the kingdom, Varca Baneu Porcana is here!"


    The knight''s shout spread rapidly through the fortress, passing from soldier to soldier. Their king had bravely crossed the dangerous battlefield to get to them.


    "King Varca is here?"


    Duke Lungell''s expression wasplex. While he was d to see Varca, he also felt a sense of disappointment as he realized that his opportunity had disappeared.


    "Who is in charge of the fortress right now?"


    Varca said as he threw off his dirty coat. He took a wet towel from a servant and wiped his dirty face. The soldiers knelt before the nobility frosted in his blue eyes.


    "Oh, Your Highness!"


    "King Varca has arrived! Kneel!"


    It was as if they had met their savior. The soldiers¡¯ and knights'' morale soared with the king''s appearance.


    "Duke Lungell has taken charge, Your Highness."


    "Report the situation, Duke Lungell! From now on, I, Varca Baneu Porcana, will takemand of the fortress!"


    Varca made his presence known as he toured the fortress. Despite the dire situation, the king''s face was calm and rxed. Hope surged in the soldiers'' hearts.


    "Your Highness, we were worried as we had lost contact with you after you went to the empire."


    Duke Lungell, d in armor, approached.


    "Worried? Let''s not kid ourselves here, duke. Protecting Porcana is our utmost priority right now," Varca said sharply. Duke Lungell shrugged his shoulders.


    <i>¡®Hmph, it would have been better if that brat had died somewhere on the way here. Lou, is the throne truly not in my fate?¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell''s ambition was over. Instead of defending the fortress, Varca had arrived at the most critical moment as if this was the n all along.


    <i>¡®The throne is not earned by effort but granted by Lou.¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell realized the meaning of those words. One could not obtain the throne through effort alone.


    "Report in detail. Leave nothing out," Varca gathered the nobles and said to them.


    Time was of the essence. They never knew when the plunderers would attack again.


    Varca massaged under his eyes as he caught his breath. He had ridden nonstop, sleeping on horseback, to return to the Porcana Kingdom.


    <i>¡®This is the worst situation I could havee back to. It would have been better to arrive before the attack started.¡¯</i>


    He had heard about the attack on Porcana from the refugees he had run into along the way.


    "The barbarians demanded we open the gates and provide them with food. That simply cannot happen."


    The nobles protested. Varca looked at Duke Lungell amid the chaotic meeting room.


    "Was Urich among the plunderers¡¯manders?"


    When Varca said this, Duke Lungell''s eyes widened.


    <i>¡®How does he know that?¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell nodded in affirmation.


    "He¡¯s not just amander, Your Highness. He is the leader of the plunderer horde. The ungrateful barbarian Urich is attacking us!"


    The nobles all jumped in and cursed Urich¡¯s name.


    <i>¡®We can¡¯t really call him ungrateful,¡¯ </i>Varca thought.


    After all, Varca was the one who owed a favor. But despite that, it was true that the close friend, Urich the barbarian, had invaded Porcana.


    <i>¡®Of all people, Urich, why did you attack us?¡¯</i>


    That answer had to be heard directly from him.


    "Send a messenger to the barbarians. We are going to renegotiate," Varca dered as he tilted his head slightly to the side. His eyes observed the nobles'' confused expressions.


    "Renegotiate? Your Highness! Both they and we have already shed blood!"


    Varca opened his dry lips to the nobles'' objections.


    "Do you know how I ended uping here looking like some vagrant?"


    Varca''s voice was deep, belying his age.


    Though no one had pointed out because of how chaotic the current situation was, the disappearance of the king was a significant event. Varca was the only one in this room who knew the full story.


    "I, Varca Baneu Porcana, was detained by the emperor and barely escaped. The attendants who were with me have likely already returned to Lou''s side."


    It was shocking news. The nobles murmured among themselves. No one dared to cast a spection hastily.


    <i>¡®Has the empire be our enemy?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Why did the emperor detain His Highness?¡¯</i>


    The nobles waited for Varca''s next words.


    "Emperor Yanchinus did not trust Porcana or me. He tried to keep me, a king, locked inside the capital. Of course, if we request to join hands with the empire again, the emperor will dly ept us. But the emperor is a man who wants to control Porcana ording to his will, even if that requires detaining the king. Even if we join hands with the empire to drive out the barbarians, we will not be able to protest this humiliation. We would only be like dogs, who wag their tails without fail even after getting beaten with a stick."


    It was a matter of pride. The kingdom could not utter a word of protest even when their king was detained. The nobles with strong anti-imperial sentiments unanimously cursed the empire.


    <i>¡®Even King Varca, who is in the pro-imperial faction, was humiliated by the empire.¡¯</i>


    In a way, the empire was a more long-standing enemy than the barbarians. They had conquered thisnd just fifty years ago.


    "We must make a decision. We do not have much time. My honorable guardians of Porcana, whichever side we choose, we will lose our honor and pride."


    Varca squinted his blue eyes, waiting for the nobles'' reactions.

 Chapter 250

    <h4>Chapter 250</h4>


    The battle between Porcana and the alliance entered a lull. The alliance army looked at Porcana''s border fortress as they prepared for the next attack.


    "We have about ten days until we face the imperial army," Georg said to Urich, looking at the map.


    "So, we need to wrap this up before then," Urich replied.


    "Why did you stop the attack, Urich?"


    "Something felt off. I saw someone enter their fortress."


    "Could it be a messenger from the imperial army?"


    "Well, we''ll find out soon enough."


    Urich smiled as he looked at the fortress. Soon, the fortress gates opened, and a messenger from Porcana approached the alliance camp on horseback.


    "We demand to renegotiate," the mounted messenger dered from a distance.


    "Renegotiate? It was your side that refused our offer to negotiate in the first ce. Are you asking for our mercy now? That¡¯s a little too scummy for my taste," Urich sneered, twirling his axe.


    The messenger''s face turned pale, and his lips trembled.


    "Mercy, Urich, remember mercy."


    Gottval, the Sun priest beside Urich, spoke nervously. He wanted to resolve things peacefully somehow. Many people were groaning in pain in these times. The alliance was the key to ending the suffering of the groaning world.


    "Prince Varca of Porcana wille out for the negotiation. His Highness said that would get you to agree to the negotiation."


    The messenger pulled the reins and circled around. The horse''s legs didn''t stop, ready to flee at any moment.


    "Hah! So that guy was Varca after all! I knew his vibe was different!"


    Urich pped his hands andughed loudly out of nowhere.


    "I remember you too, mercenary leader Urich."


    The messenger squinted his eyes. Urich stopped twirling his axe and extended his hand.


    "I ept the negotiation. The personnel and time will be the same as before."


    "Understood. The same as before."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the messenger hurried back to the fortress. Sweat was pouring down his face.


    "Georg! Katagi! Rest time! Give the warriors plenty of food and drink to eat and rest."


    Katagi approached Urich with a questioning look. He asked, "Great Chief, if they were to attack when we¡¯re resting so openly...."


    "It''s fine. There won¡¯t be a battle tonight," Urich said with confidence.


    That night, Urich stretched out and slept deeply for the first time in a while. Just as he assured, there was no battle. Despite the warriors holding a feast with drinks and meat in in sight, Porcana''s army remained quiet.


    Some of Porcana''s nobles suggested that they should attack while the alliance was feasting. They thought they had a better chance of defeating a drunken, rxed army.


    "Are they resting because they believe my guarantee...."


    Varca sat on the ramparts, looking at the glittering barbarian camp. Their singing could be heard all the way from the fortress.


    <i>¡®Is it trust in me or is it a trap....¡¯</i>


    Varca smiled bitterly. It had been a long time since he and Urich went their separate ways. Even now, four or five yearster, was he the same person?


    <i>¡®As much as I''ve changed, Urich must have changed too. We were both always growing.¡¯</i>


    Back then, both Varca and Urich were just boys. At the end of the day, Urich, even with his warrior skills, was just a bulky barbarian who hadn''t even reached twenty. Now, both Varca and Urich were undeniably adults.


    <i>¡®Adulthoodes with many restrictions on actions.¡¯</i>


    They were no longer free. There were too many responsibilities that came with following his heart. Adulthood meant such things. Infinite possibilities narrowed, and there was an obligation to meet the expectations of others.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Varca brought a silver wine cup to his lips. It was wine heated with ginger in it. As his body warmed, sleepiness washed over him. The umted fatigue pressed on his eyelids.


    <i>¡®I''m tired.¡¯</i>


    A young man with no special skills had traveled all the way to Porcana on his own. He had nearly encountered bandits several times while camping and chose remote paths to avoid the empire''s knights.


    <i>¡®Without the experience of traveling with Sir Phillion and Urich, I would have surely died along the way.¡¯</i>


    Nine out of ten nobles or royals of Varca''s age wouldn¡¯t make it home from such a trip.


    "Lesley...."


    He had wronged her. He often felt the guilt.


    <i>¡®But even if I could go back, I wouldn¡¯t do anything differently. It was the best choice.¡¯</i>


    Varca staggered back to his makeshift tent. Soldiers and knights he passed bowed their heads to him.


    <i>¡®They believe in me. They believe I will save them. They can hope for Lou''s salvation in death, but in this world, I''m the only one they can rely on. Their lives and deaths are decided at my fingertips.¡¯</i>


    Varca was a king who understood the weight and responsibility of life. People were not tools. Each one was their own person with emotions and stories.


    <i>¡®I am the master and father of Porcana.¡¯</i>


    As soon as Varcay on his bed, he fell into a deep sleep as if he had died.


    <i>Sss.</i>


    Time passed, and the dawn chill tickled Varca''s body. Varca quietly opened his eyes.


    He had a modest meal and offered a devout morning prayer. When he returned to the tent, his squire was waiting while tending to his armor.


    <i>nk.</i>


    After donning his armor, Varca flipped his chain hood back and mounted his horse. The coat over his armor bore the crest of a fishing boat from Porcana. His long cape billowed, covering his horse''s hindquarters.


    "Your Highness!"


    "Please...."


    As Varca rode by, the soldiers murmured prayers. Duke Lungell and the knights followed behind him.


    "Open the gates!"


    At the knight''s shout, the soldiers released the pulleys.


    <i>Creeeak!</i>


    The gate descended to form a bridge. Varca urged his horse forward, leading the way out.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    Only the sound of hooves quietly spread. By noon, ten men from the alliance camp also rode out to meet them.


    <i>Click.</i>


    The horses stopped. Negotiators from both sides faced each other, observing their opponents.


    "I almost didn''t recognize you," Urich spoke first.


    "Your face has gotten even rougher. Women probably run away just seeing your face, right?"


    Varca smiled faintly. His eyes were fixed on Urich''s face.


    <i>¡®How many more battlefields has he been through?¡¯</i>


    Even when they first met, Urich was a warrior covered in scars. But now, he had even more. Burn marks mottled his forearms and neck. The fact that he was standing in front of Varca alive with such injuries was a miracle.


    "Well, let''s get started with the negotiations, Pahell."


    Urich crossed his arms and gestured with his chin. It wasn''t a time for a warm embrace. They were opponents who would have to draw swords if things went wrong.


    "Your demands?"


    "The same as before. Open the way and provide food. Then there will be no plundering. I swear on my tribe and my name."


    "You know how unreasonable that demand is. The moment we let you into our territory, we are practically turning against the empire. The empire and the emperor gifted me the throne."


    "I also yed a decentlyrge part in you securing that throne."


    Urich tilted his head sideways. His bright yellow eyes stared at Varca.


    "The empire is not the only issue. Surrendering to the barbarians and opening the way? Porcana''s dignity and honor would be in ruins. The entire world wouldugh at us."


    "Then Porcana will have to see the same end as Langkegart."


    Urich smirked. Duke Lungell and the knights frowned at his words.


    <i>¡®I can''t back down for your sake. The lives of my brothers depend on my decision.¡¯</i>


    The same went for Varca. This wasn''t a situation where he could concede just because of their friendship.


    "We''ll talk alone! Step back!"


    Varca stretched his hand toward Duke Lungell and the knights.


    "That is dangerous, Your Highness! That man is a barbarian who can snap a neck with his bare hands!"


    "If I die here, duke, you will gainmand, and the soldiers'' anger will only boost their morale. Wouldn¡¯t that actually be a good thing for you?" Varca said with a grin.


    He calmly rode closer to Urich. Urich also sent his warriors back and stepped forward alone.


    Soon, they were close enough to hear each other''s breathing.


    "Wow, I could just grab you by the neck and drag you away from here. If I took the king hostage, they would surely open the way, right?"


    Urich rolled his shoulders and swung his arms.


    "Drop the lousy n. I''d bite my tongue and die before I let that happen."


    Varca stuck out his tongue and smiled.


    "I¡¯m sorry it came to this. But I can''t back down here. Honestly, I¡¯m not confident we can beat the imperial army if we have to face them on the ins. There is no fighting ground that is ideal for us in the empire''s nds."


    "Thends good for farming were all taken by the empire. Only the vassal states are left with mountains."


    "You can''t stop my army with that fortress."


    "Maybe not, but with enough luck, we might be able to hold out until the imperial army arrives. And I¡¯m sure you know that as well, which is why you asked to negotiate."


    Varca hit the mark. The naive boy of the past was gone.


    "Stop probing andy your cards on the table, Pahell."


    "You show yours first."


    A vein popped on Urich''s forehead. He clenched his fist tightly.


    "If you weren''t my friend, I''d have smashed your head in by now. What cards do you think I have? Passing through Porcana is our only option."


    "No, I¡¯m saying we should talk about the future, beyond all that. How far do you n to go with the empire?"


    "What?"


    "As I said, letting you into our kingdom means Porcana turning against the empire. If you achieve what you wanted in Porcana and simply leave, Porcana will be isted. We need a firmmitment."


    Urich''s expression brightened. Varca was positively considering epting the alliance into the Porcana borders.


    The rtionship between Varca and the emperor was already strained. Even if they reunited after brushing off the past, things weren¡¯t going to be great in the end.


    <i>¡®Urich doesn''t know that the rtionship between me and the emperor is already strained. I need to use that to my advantage and extract as much as possible.¡¯</i>


    Varca observed Urich''s slightest expressions and hand movements. Urich was easy to read because he wasn''t much different inside and out.


    "Our goal is to make it so the empire can''t threaten the west for the next hundred years... well, ideally, we would bring them downpletely. My thought is to push for the liberation of the seven kingdoms. It would be good if the northern kingdom could get established as well. That should keep the empire distracted from the west," Urich said, folding his fingers one by one.


    "Do you understand what that means? It means destroying the order of the civilized world. If the kingdoms gain independence, wars will be more frequent than now. Porcana would also have to protect itself from neighboring kingdoms and the empire''s threats. We would have to pour a lot of money into strengthening our military power."


    "To be honest, that¡¯s not my concern... but I know it matters to you."


    Urich scratched his chin.


    "Promise a defense treaty. Ten years from the end of this war. The armies of the west will participate in all of Porcana''s defensive wars. And five hundred of your warriors will stay in Porcana as mercenaries for those ten years, with you paying for their stay. The minimum support force will be five thousand, and even this is me conceding big time. There''s no guarantee you¡¯ll stay alive or that the army will remain intact for that decade."


    It was the biggest gamble of Varca''s life. If the treaty Varca proposed were sessful, it would be hugely beneficial in the long run. It would be like borrowing five hundred well-trained warriors for free for ten years. If the western plunderers seeded in dealing a significant blow to the empire, Porcana could even borrow that prestige through the defense treaty.


    <i>¡®I''m cornered.¡¯</i>


    Even if he reconciled with the empire, their alliance would be precarious. The future was just as uncertain if he allied with Urich.


    <i>¡®But I trust Urich more than the emperor....¡¯</i>


    The scale in Varca¡¯s heart tipped ever so slightly. If it weren''t for his personal rtionship with Urich, he would have sided with the emperor despite the uncertainty. Making a treaty with an untrustworthy barbarian was unthinkable.


    <i>¡®Urich isn''t just a barbarian to me. He''s a trustworthy friend.¡¯</i>


    Varca''s lips and fingers trembled.


    <i>¡®Is it okay for me to decide the fate of my kingdom based on my personal friendship? Did I choose what''s best for the kingdom objectively, or am I making a foolish decision just because I want to trust Urich? What if the empire manages to end all these conflicts without suffering much damage itself?¡¯</i>


    If the empire won, Varca would be imprisoned, and Porcana would suffer horrific exploitation. Varca knew the cruelty of Emperor Yanchinus better than anyone.


    "I need to ask my smarty-pants advisor what he thinks about your demands, but even I think they¡¯re a bit obsessive for just opening the way. With that being said, am I safe to assume Porcana will be fighting alongside us in this war? I¡¯m talking about being allies, you know," Urich said as he bared his teeth and extended his hand.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou, please guide my mission and fate. Since youmanded me to reim the eastern continent... I trust Porcana won''t fall. Prove that my choice was right.¡¯</i>


    Varca closed his eyes and prayed. Slowly opening his eyes, he extended his hand to sp Urich''s. Urich''s thick hand was still rough.


    "Pahell, to be honest, I thought you might help me without any strings attached."


    "So do you resent me? You''ve risked your life to help me several times before. I know I should do the same for you... but now I have something more important than my own life. This kingdom and its people."


    "If Phillion heard that, he would be happy that you¡¯ve be a good king."


    After their handshake, the two stepped back. Urich called Georg to prepare the paperwork.


    When Duke Lungell heard Varca''s words after he came back, he raged at the idea of an agreement with the barbarians, but after hearing the terms of the treaty, his eyes widened, and he stroked his chin.


    If things smoothly went as nned, Porcana might rise to be a nation with great power. At the end of the day, Duke Lungell was also a noble on the ship called Porcana. The rise of Porcana was in Duke Lungell''s interest as well.

 Chapter 251

    <h4>Chapter 251</h4>


    The imperial army''s procession stretched out long. The sight of the army moving across the vast ins of the empire was magnificent. At the forefront was an old general with graying hair.


    As most knights did, the old general Carnius looked at least ten years older than his actual age. He had aged even more in thest year so that just looking at his face, one would think he was well over seventy. However, his broad shoulders and back still carried the sharpness of a man in his prime.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    Thebat troops belonging to the army under Carnius''mand numbered twenty thousand. Including the supply units, the total exceeded forty thousand. It was an excessive number for a single general tomand alone. If he gained the soldiers'' trust, he could even consider a rebellion with such a force.


    Such a force was given to Carnius, who belonged to the anti-imperial faction. This showed how invested the emperor was in this war.


    "General, the plunderers have reached the border of Porcana. It would be best to increase our marching speed," the adjutant reported after receiving the message.


    Carnius shook his head and responded, "Do not rush. The barbarians are already cornered. We just need to tighten the noose slowly."


    Carnius was cautious. If they failed to drive out the plunderers in this battle, the empire would have to engage in an all-out war.


    <i>¡®This is just about the extent of the forces the empire can mobilizefortably.¡¯</i>


    Carnius assumed that there were about thirty thousandbat troops on the northern front. Thebat troops under Carnius''mand numbered twenty thousand. Including the supply troops on both fronts, the empire was mobilizing over one hundred thousand personnel.


    The imperial army needed just as many nonbatants asbat troops. Being a defensive army, they could not plunder thends of the civilized world. They were different from the barbarian armies that sustained themselves through local plundering and self-sufficiency.


    <i>¡®Mobilizing any more troops would lead to a loss of imperial power.¡¯</i>


    The loss of mobilizing one hundred thousand personnel was enormous for the empire. Mobilization of such forces without causing social chaos was only possible because the empire had umted wealth by plundering its vassal states and barbarians over three generations. It was an unimaginable act for anyone else.


    Emperor Yanchinus likely wanted to end the war as quickly as possible with only the current forces.


    ¡°Sigh, they really took everyst cil.¡±


    Carnius looked around the devastated region of Marganu. The western plunderers had taken even the food they needed tost until the next harvest, and to make things as bad as possible, set fire to the fields.


    <i>¡®Marganu won''t be able to feed itself until next fall.¡¯</i>


    The damage to the granary region of Marganu was a significant blow to the empire as well. The empire''s grain storage would have to bear the brunt of that loss.


    ¡°There are no remaining forces in Marganu. All the men capable of wielding weapons are dead. Actually, they are demanding security forces from us,¡± the knight who had gone to conscript reported.


    ¡°Tell them we will send them some troops once the barbarians are eradicated.¡±


    Of the twenty thousand troops under Carnius, ten thousand were organized into legions. The two legions formed this way were the core of Carnius'' army.


    The remaining ten thousand were mercenaries, conscripts, and ve soldiers. They had low morale and poor discipline and were meant to merely bolster the numbers. They were those who would likely flee if the battle turned against them, so they couldn''t be included in the core strategy.


    Carnius'' army passed through Marganu and headed for the border region of Porcana.


    "Sir Varican, move ahead by a day''s distance."


    Carnius sent out a unit of light cavalry for reconnaissance. Traces of the barbarian campsites were scattered here and there.


    The western plunderers numbered about ten thousand. Though they were fewer than the imperial army, almost all of their troops were seasonedbatants. They also actively captured and used imperial equipment and weapons, so their level of armament was substantial.


    "General, a messenger from His Imperial Majesty."


    Carnius squinted as he looked back. The emperor¡¯s direct messenger handed a letter to Carnius.


    Carnius opened the letter with the violet eagle seal. He frowned as he read the words.


    "...It seems the stalemate on the northern front is dragging on longer than expected," Carnius murmured after reading the letter.


    He tucked the letter into his inner pocket and ordered the advance.


    <i>¡®Is His Majesty serious about this?¡¯</i>


    Carnius squinted as he pondered on the contents of the letter. If things were to unfold as stated in the letter, the dynamics of the civilized world might tip.


    * * *


    The fortress of Porcana opened. Soldiers on the walls and towers stared at the barbarians.


    ¡°What on earth is His Highness thinking, dealing with these barbarians...¡±


    ¡°Shh, quiet. Even Duke Lungell agreed.¡±


    ¡°But an alliance with barbarians? How does that make any sense? Anyone with half a brain willugh at Porcana.¡±


    The nobles and knights murmured. Even someone ignorant of politics could tell that the current situation was unusual.


    Up until now, barbarians and civilized people were enemies. No matter how much the civilized fought among themselves, when barbarians appeared, they had always united to fight them. Themon enemy was always the barbarians.


    <i>¡®We are joining hands with the barbarians to fight the empire.¡¯</i>


    The soldiers of Porcana were shocked. But upon reflection, it wasn¡¯t entirely strange; it just hadn¡¯t been done before. After all, the imperial army was the very first invaders, and the coastal state of Porcana had never bordered the barbarians.


    <i>¡®If we think of the plunderers from the west as a civilized nation, this is a perfect alliance.¡¯</i>


    Nobles with political acumen chose their words carefully.


    No matter how much the barbarians beyond the Sky Mountains expanded, they would never share a border with Porcana on the east coast. This meant there would be no border disputes to cause friction.


    ¡°The problem is that they are barbarians and a tribal state that could disintegrate at any moment. Look at the north. As soon as their head Mijorn died, the tribes all scattered. This is an alliance with no guarantee of reliability.¡±


    The western alliance was different from a kingdom withnd and a feudal system. To civilized people, their structure seemed very unstable.


    ¡°The silver lining is that the leader of the barbarian alliance army is that Urich.¡±


    ¡°Urich?¡±


    ¡°Urich, the mercenary leader who participated in Porcana¡¯s civil war. He is close friends with His Highness and a capable barbarian who could serve as a mercenary leader in the civilized world.¡±


    ¡°A barbarian is close friends with royalty? I wish that were a joke.¡±


    ¡°He is the leader of the army that destroyed even the Langkegart Kingdom. If an army that fought the imperial army to a standstill is an ally of Porcana, independence is not a stretch!¡±


    The nobles¡¯ eyes widened at the mention of independence. It was a desire that they had long abandoned.


    King Varca ascended the throne with the help of the emperor. They thought Porcana would never escape the empire¡¯s grasp, at least while King Varca lived.


    ¡°Is His Highness aiming for Porcana¡¯s independence?¡±


    ¡°Of course, he is. The fact that we¡¯ve joined hands with the barbarians means that we¡¯ve turned against the empire.¡±


    ¡°My goodness, opposing the empire! The empire...¡±


    Some had only now grasped the current situation. Even such foolish people could hold power over others simply because they were nobles.


    In any case, the alliance was formed. With Georg, Urich was able to formalize the treaty in writing.


    ¡°No plundering. Do not leave the designated area!¡±


    Katagi, Urich¡¯s right-hand man, went around shouting. The warriors spat on the ground with indifferent faces, ring at the soldiers.


    ¡°We managed to get inside, so why don¡¯t we just take over? What¡¯s the point of keeping this treaty or something...¡±


    Belligerent chiefs grumbled. Now that they were inside the fortress, they could sweep through and take over if they wanted.


    ¡°Where are the women? Any women?¡±


    The warriors shouted. No matter how great the Great Chief¡¯s authority, controlling all ten thousand warriors individually was impossible. They were seasoned warriors but not trained soldiers.


    Olga of the Frost Snake Tribe red. He looked extremely ufortable.


    ¡°Boo!¡±


    Olga shouted at the soldiers staring at him. The frightened soldiers flinched and looked away.


    <i>¡®To think we are joining hands with these men... They are nothing but a bunch of weaklings.¡¯</i>


    To the warriors, the soldiers seemed weak and frail. The gap between tribal warriors who spent their entire lives hunting and fighting and civilized soldiers who farmed was vast.


    The alliance between Porcana and the barbarian alliance was formed, but internally there were many uncertainties.


    ¡°But for what it¡¯s worth, I do like the food here!¡±


    Olga shouted in his tribe¡¯snguage, grabbing the meat hung over the campfire. The smell of smoke wafted through the air.


    ng!


    Olga was about to eat the meat when an axe de touched his shoulder.


    It was Katagi¡¯s axe. Katagi, while trying to control the warriors, saw Olga trying to eat the meat and stopped him.


    ¡°Olga, the Great Chief has forbidden any sort of looting. Do not touch anything without permission.¡±


    ¡°You... will die... Put... this away...¡±


    Olga spoke haltingly. His words were clumsy, but his eyes were as fierce as a hungry beast.


    ¡°You seem to not recognize the Great Chief¡¯s authority. That part of you didn¡¯t sit right with me since before.¡±


    Katagi did not remove his axe. Warriors gathered around to watch the fight.


    ¡°I recognize... but not worship... like you. I am a proud... warrior. I... believe in... myself.¡±


    ¡°If you recognize his authority, then put down the meat. In the alliance, the Great Chief¡¯s order is thew of the heavens.¡±


    ¡°We take... what we want. That is... what warriors... do.¡±


    Olga bit into the meat and chewed. Katagi frowned at the tant provocation.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to make an example out of you here.¡±


    Katagi gripped an axe in each hand. In response, Olga twirled his spear like a windmill.


    ¡°Ooooh!¡±


    ¡°Ho! Ho!¡±


    The warriors shouted in a circle.


    Hearing themotion, Urich shoved himself through the warriors.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on over there? Is someone fighting?¡±


    Urich saw Olga and Katagi and scratched his messy neck. He flicked the dirt from his nails into Katagi¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Blegh!¡±


    Katagi spat out the dirt clump that nearly went down his throat.


    ¡°Stop fighting over stupid stuff like some ten-year-old kids.¡±


    ¡°G-great Chief! Olga broke your order to not loot. We need to kill him to establish your authority,¡± Katagi shouted after clearing his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth killing him over a bit of meat. But if it¡¯s not just Olga but all of us doing that, it¡¯ll be quite a big problem. The alliance with these civilized people that we worked so hard to form would break. I trust that you guys won¡¯t follow Olga¡¯s example and plunder. He¡¯s being let off because he did well in thest battle. Anyone else will just die. If you¡¯re upset, go cut off one of the imperial army¡¯s general¡¯s head in the next battle. Then I¡¯ll give you all the special treatment you want.¡±


    Punishing Olga for merely stealing meat would cause other warriors to rebel. Olga was a renowned warrior.


    Urich scratched his oily scalp with a blunt dagger, thinking.


    <i>¡®Theck of discipline in the alliance is a problem. It¡¯s hard to keep letting things slide like this.¡¯</i>


    There were many warriors in the alliance causing minor disturbances like Olga, and the main troublemakers were often excellent warriors. Without confidence in their abilities, they wouldn¡¯t cause such problems.


    <i>¡®But it¡¯s not like discipline can be established overnight.¡¯</i>


    Urich rubbed the grease from his hair on the de.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s also a problem to worry about after we beat the imperial army.¡±


    Urich ordered the alliance to set up camp behind the fortress. It was better to keep them away from the soldiers of Porcana.


    Urich and a few close adjutants stayed in the fortress to attend the high-level meeting of Porcana¡¯s leaders.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich pushed open the door to the meeting room. All eyes turned to him. Nobles, knights, and King Varca.

 Chapter 252

    <h4>Chapter 252</h4>


    ¡°For the freedom of Porcana!¡±


    The nobles and knights of Porcana shouted as they concluded their meeting. The strategy meeting was brief. They would lure the imperial army, which was following the alliance, into the mountainous regions of Porcana and attack. It was a straightforward yet effective n.


    <i>¡®We can win.¡¯</i>


    Urich clenched his fist. The nobles of Porcana who looked at him all had different expressions. Some were friendly, some contemptuous, and others fearful.


    <i>¡®With Porcana¡¯s army helping us, we have a good chance. We can even reinforce the troops we werecking. What they think of me doesn¡¯t matter one bit.¡¯</i>


    Urich was introduced to the Porcana¡¯s keymanders. Some of them already knew him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hold a feast!¡±


    It was a temporary peace. The alliance army, which had seemed poised to sweep over Porcana, had allied with them.


    The soldiers felt relieved for now, knowing they were safe from immediate threats. It was natural to fear the barbarians who were in front of their eyes right now more than the imperial army that they could not see just yet.


    The heavy atmosphere of the meeting dissipated, and food was served in abundance.


    ¡°Tonight might be thest night we can eat to our heart¡¯s content! Let¡¯s eat until our stomachs burst!¡±


    Feeding ten thousand warriors was quite a strain even on Porcana¡¯s resources. Emptying the kingdom¡¯s granaries was only going tost them a few months.


    ¡°Urich, aren¡¯t you curious about what happened to your mercenary squad?¡±


    Varca sat in front of Urich, holding a ss of wine. Urich had piled his te with chicken and pork.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Donovan¡¯s taking good care of them.¡±


    Urich¡¯s brothers had received their ownnd, and after Urich left, Donovan should have been in charge. At least that¡¯s what Urich thought.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t end very well. After you left, it only took a year before an internal conflict broke out between the mercenaries. It seemed like they fought over harvests andnd. I¡¯m sure the neighboring lords also incited the mercenaries by recruiting them.¡±


    Urich¡¯s jaw, which was chewing the meat, stopped. He wiped his mouth and looked at Varca.


    ¡°Idiots... So what, they all died?¡±


    ¡°After Donovan died, they scattered. Those who weren¡¯t greedy were content with the small farms they had and continued to live asndowners, but those who lost their farms and wealth in the conflict left the kingdom to be mercenaries again. And thend that was left without a lord was incorporated back into my domain.¡±


    ¡°So I guess it worked out for you, Pahell.¡±


    ¡°It wasnd that I gave to you in the first ce. You were the one who abandoned it. I had quite a headache dealing with it.¡±


    ¡°I thought Donovan would manage well.¡±


    Varca shook his head with a bitter smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re an exceptional person, Urich. I¡¯ve met many people since bing a king, but none were a warrior as clever as you. Not very many people in this world can do what you do. It only took a year for Urich¡¯s Brotherhood to fall apart without you.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that was my fault?¡±


    ¡°Not only did you abandon thend I gave you, but you also returned leading an invading army. Because of you, I...¡±


    Varca furrowed his brows and turned his head. He had narrowly escaped death after being suspected by the emperor. He could have been imprisoned for life, never returning to Porcana.


    ¡°Well, I did also bring you a chance for independence, isn¡¯t that good?¡± Urich said with a shrug.


    ¡°A lot of people will die. The citizens of Porcana will bleed.¡±


    ¡°Countless of my brothers have already died, Pahell. I¡¯ve lost more of my brothers than the number of scars on my body.¡±


    Their voices gradually grew louder. It was not a situation for friendly greetings. Varca was a king, and Urich and his alliance army were practically a disaster that had brought crisis to Porcana.


    From the beginning, it wasn¡¯t a willingly formed alliance. It was Varca¡¯s decision to somehow save the Porcana Kingdom from an even bigger danger.


    <i>¡®Does Urich know that my sister had a child?¡¯</i>


    Varca didn¡¯t mention Damia. Nothing good was going toe out of Urich knowing at this moment.


    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s good to see you again, Pahell. How is your search for the eastern continent going?¡± Urich subtly changed the subject.


    ¡°It was making some progress with the support of the empire. We won¡¯t have that anymore, though.¡±


    ¡°Man, I already said I¡¯m sorry it came to this, didn¡¯t I? Let it go.¡±


    ¡°Even without the empire¡¯s support, it¡¯s already Porcana¡¯s national project. We can¡¯t give up after the amount of money we¡¯ve invested into it. We¡¯re still building ships capable of sailing for months without resupply to explore the outer seas.¡±


    ¡°Months at sea? Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t know until we try.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive. I¡¯d love to see it when it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also sending letters to the Pope to secure legitimacy for the exploration of the eastern continent. If we proim that we¡¯re discovering newnds under Lou¡¯s will, it will gain momentum. As you know, the emperor isn¡¯t close to the Pope, and the Pope isn¡¯t exactly fond of the empire either. There are even rumors that the recent independence of the northern Srism was orchestrated by the Pope.¡±


    Urich, having filled his belly, drank wine. He listened attentively to Varca. Information from the mouth of a king was very valuable. A lot of it was information that could aid the alliance army.


    ¡°By the way, are you really the king of the west?¡± Varca asked.


    His face was gradually turning red from the alcohol. His usually clear pronunciation started to falter.


    ¡°We don¡¯t use the word king. We call it Great Chief instead. I split the head of ourst Great Chief and took his ce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrifying. So, does that mean other warriors could take your ce as Great Chief? You¡¯d better watch your back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. If you want to challenge for the position of Great Chief, there are many qualifications to have and conditions to meet. A warrior has to be famous enough that the tribes wouldn¡¯t break off from the alliance even if the Great Chief actually changes. They also have to receive the authority of the heavens from the shamans.¡±


    ¡°Then will your son be the next Great Chief?¡±


    ¡°Well, that I don¡¯t know. It¡¯smon for a chief¡¯s son to seed him, but it¡¯s not always the case. And for the Great Chief, there¡¯s no precedent, though I guess ourst Great Chief seemed to consider passing the power down to his child.¡±


    ¡°So that means you¡¯re the one setting the precedent now, right?¡±


    Varca casually remarked. Urich¡¯s eyes widened.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m setting the precedent?¡¯</i>


    The future of the western alliance depended on Urich¡¯s decisions. They could merely end as a bunch of plunderers, or they could form their own nation.


    ¡°...Urich, what about wife and child? Have any yet?¡±


    Varca decided to ask before he got any more drunk. He couldn¡¯t quite get rid of his sister from his mind.


    ¡°A kid? Of course, I do!¡±


    Urich answered cheerfully, causing Varca¡¯s eyes to tremble.


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°There must be at least one somewhere on thisnd, right? There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have any after sowing so many seeds.¡±


    Varca felt relieved inside.


    ¡°What would you do if a woman came iming a child as yours?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this about? Pahell, are you hiding my kid somewhere?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Urich put down his ss and closed his eyes.


    ¡°...Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I have a smart subordinate who said I wouldn¡¯t make a good father.¡±


    ¡°Take good care of that subordinate. He sees you very objectively. He¡¯s a capable guy.¡±


    Urich thought for a moment, then spoke, ¡°Hmm, that was an insult, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Varca smirked silently.


    Urich and Varca talked about the things that had happened to them during their time apart. Urich¡¯s stories from the west intrigued not only Varca but also the nobles around them.


    Thend beyond the Sky Mountains was an unknown world until now. It was considered as mythical and fictional as the eastern continent. But now, people from the west were sweeping through the civilized world. Everyone wanted to know just what kind of ce the west was.


    After a night of feasting, the Porcana army and the alliance army abandoned the fortress and moved deeper into Porcana. The fortress they left behind looked as if it had been raided and plundered.


    * * *


    Carnius¡¯ army arrived at the borders of Porcana. The scouts signaled to the main force that the fortress was empty.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    Carnius led his adjutants into the fortress.


    ¡°It seems like the fortress already got plundered. The barbarians have already entered deeper into Porcana,¡± the adjutants said as they scoured the fortress.


    ¡°They¡¯ve already been breached?¡±


    There was no denying that the fortress had been attacked. The traces of a siege, which couldn''t be made artificially, were evident on the walls and inside the fortress.


    ¡°The barbarians are using the siege weapons of the empire. It would have been difficult to hold them off with just a border fortress like this one.¡±


    The adjutants checked the food storage and armory of the fortress. As expected, they werepletely empty.


    ¡°Porcana has an army with war experience. An army that has gone through civil war shouldn¡¯t have been an easy opponent. They fell earlier than I expected.¡±


    ¡°The soldiers may have been slow to gather, or there could have been many uncooperative lords.¡±


    ¡°It seems I overestimated Porcana. It makes sense that a country with simr national power to Langkegart couldn¡¯t hold out.¡±


    Despite his words, Carnius¡¯ expression was stiff.


    <i>¡®If it weren''t for the emperor¡¯s letter, I wouldn¡¯t have thought much of this situation, either.¡¯</i>


    There was nothing strange about the fortress of Porcana being breached.


    Unlike the imperial army, the kingdoms often had armies formed of halfpetent men. It wasmon for a lord who could mobilize a hundred men to send only ten in response to a conscription order.


    <i>¡®Even if they knew about the barbarians¡¯ attack, they might not have been able to gather their forces in time. It¡¯s almost natural that they lost.¡¯</i>


    Carnius gestured to his adjutant to start moving the army. If the plunderers had passed through the fortress of Porcana, it was best to pursue them quickly.


    The traces of the plunderers were clear. It was evident that they had plundered and camped in the fortress before leaving.


    Carnius¡¯ army passed through the fortress and pursued the plunderers into Porcana. As soon as the roads built by the empire ended, the terrain became rough. Carts and wagons carrying supplies jolted over the rocky ground.


    ¡°Damn this countryside ce!¡±


    ¡°Pull! Pull!¡±


    The imperial army crossed a rocky hill. They unloaded the carts, pulled them to the top of the hill, and then reloaded them. The imperial soldiers cursed the barrennd of Porcana.


    Gradually, the imperial army made their way deeper into Porcana.


    ¡°We are the imperial army! By order of His Imperial Majesty, we will requisition supplies!¡±


    The imperial army practically raided the farms they encountered in Porcana. As their supply lines lengthened, the supply of provisions was no longer smooth. Moreover, Porcana was not even a direct territory of the empire.


    ¡°General, this man says he has something to say.¡±


    A knight brought a shabby farmer to Carnius. The farmer, intimidated by the imperial army¡¯s presence, hesitated for a second before rubbing his palms together.


    ¡°Hehe, I have some information that might interest you, good sir.¡±


    Carnius frowned. He had seen countless people of this sort. He was clearly a petty, small-hearted man blinded by money.


    But the truth was that the help of people like these were also needed. Information was extremely important in war. The presence or absence of information could determine the oue of a battle.


    <i>Clink.</i>


    Carnius tossed a gold coin. The farmer grinned after picking it up without any pride.


    ¡°I-I heard you came to catch the barbarians. T-those barbarians are currently moving together with the army of Porcana. I-I saw it with my own eyes.¡±


    At the farmer¡¯s words, Carnius jumped to his feet. The adjutants and knights also jumped up in disbelief.


    <i>¡®Under normal circumstances, I would have also brushed it off as nonsense.¡¯</i>


    Carnius¡¯ eyes trembled. He nced at the letter from the emperor again.


    <i>¡®If Porcana and the plunderers form an alliance, make an armistice agreement.¡¯</i>


    The emperor¡¯s letter detailed the terms of the agreement. The emperor had already anticipated that Porcana and the barbarians would form a military alliance.


    ¡°Ha, haha.¡±


    Carniusughed hollowly and sat back down. Sensing the tense atmosphere, the farmer backed away and left the scene.

 Chapter 253

    <h4>Chapter 253</h4>


    The armies of Porcana and the alliance set up camp on a hill. They watched the imperial army approach from a distance.


    On the hill, themanders of the Porcana-Alliance forces gathered to assess the situation.


    ¡°We¡¯ve taken the high ground, so it will be difficult for the imperial army to deploy their cavalry.¡±


    Varca opened his eyes halfway as he looked at the imperial army. The hill with an uneven terrain made it difficult for the heavy cavalry to charge. It was terrain thoroughly disadvantageous to the imperial army.


    ¡°It seems like the enemymander is Carnius.¡±


    Duke Lungell recognized the banner of the Carnius house and muttered.


    Urich also remembered Carnius. The alliance had suffered a great defeat at his hands and went on the brink of crumbling.


    ¡°We fought that guy once. He gave us a serious blow,¡± Urich spoke as he trimmed his beard with the de of his axe while sitting on a rock.


    Urich had narrowly escaped death at the hands of Carnius but survived miraculously through the Battle of Valdima.


    ¡°Though Carnius was overshadowed by the Sword Demon Ferzen, he is a renowned general of the empire. Since he already has experience fighting against you guys, he won¡¯t be careless, either.¡±


    Varca clutched his chest with one hand. His heart was pounding.


    <i>¡®This is a battle that will decide the fate of the kingdom.¡¯</i>


    He had pondered many times. What if he had made a different choice? What if he had sided with the empire?


    ¡°Pahell, the arrow has already left our hands. We can only hope it hits the mark.¡±


    Urich, having finished shaving, rubbed his chin. He looked at the imperial army with a grin on his face.


    ¡°And what if the arrow misses?¡±


    Varca said reflexively and then closed his mouth. It wasn¡¯t good to say ominous things before a battle.


    ¡°...That¡¯s why you have to carefully draw your bowstring when you¡¯re hunting a big beast. If you miss, the enraged beast will tear the hunter apart with its ws and teeth. Well, if you¡¯re lucky, you might get another chance to draw your bow while rolling in the dirt, but you can¡¯t rely on such luck. Luck is just luck.¡±


    Urich¡¯s eyes sharpened. His hair seemed to flutter wildly.


    <i>¡®This is the decisive battle.¡¯</i>


    If the western alliance suffered even one major defeat, recovery would be difficult. In the civilized world, where the roles of warriors and farmers were distinct, society continued even if warriors died. But in a tribal society like the west, the death of warriors meant an equal loss of productivity.


    <i>¡®I cannot lose here. Even if we win, we have no future if all our warriors die.¡¯</i>


    Urich had practically brought the future of the west to thisnd. Even young warriors without children hade to the heart of an unfamiliar world. The only men left in the west were dying old men or infants.


    <i>¡®If we fall here, even some random kingdom could conquer the west.¡¯</i>


    Urich closed his eyes. His nape felt cold. It was as if someone was holding a de to his neck.


    <i>¡®If we lose, my brothers will be ves.¡¯</i>


    Urich had seen the fate of defeated peoples during his travels in the civilized world. They had be ves and were discriminated against. Some were treated as less than human.


    Urich couldn¡¯t tolerate his people living such a life. No matter how much he admired the civilized world, he had no intention of willingly bing their ve.


    ¡°...We will not be ves,¡± he muttered to himself.


    He thought of Sven¡¯s red tears. Sven had experienced defeat firsthand and was a warrior who had harbored that resentment all his life.


    The Porcana-Alliance camp was sharpening their weapons and preparing for battle. The look-out soldiers kept their eyes on the movements of the imperial army.


    The two camps stared right at each other. It was a situation where strategies like surprise attacks could not be used. They would start the battle like a contest once both sides were ready.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    A messenger emerged from the imperial camp. Themanders of the Porcana-Alliance army stood up and looked at the messenger.


    ¡°Is it a deration of war?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re trying to insult Porcana, calling us traitors to the civilized world or something.¡±


    The nobles looked at the messenger with worried expressions.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of sending someone now? All that¡¯s left for us to do is face each other with swords,¡± Urich grumbled as he stood up from the campfire.


    ¡°King Varca of Porcana and the head of the plunderers, here this!¡±


    The messenger raised his voice. Judging by the te armor, he seemed to be an imperial steel knight. The messenger nced around and continued.


    ¡°In the name of His Imperial Majesty, we request peace! If you are willing to negotiate,e out tomorrow at noon with two representatives and twenty attendants each! In the name of the Sun God Lou!¡±


    The messenger shouted with a fist to his chest. He waited for the response of the Porcana-Alliance army.


    ¡°Peace?¡±


    ¡°Is the emperor asking us for peace?¡±


    The nobles jumped up in excitement. The fact that the empire was the one requesting peace first indicated its dire situation. In this case, the Porcana-Alliance army would have the upper hand in the negotiations.


    ¡°Our military alliance seems to be putting significant pressure on the empire.,¡± Varca muttered as he gathered the nobles.


    The nobles murmured, each saying a word.


    ¡°We must go to the negotiation table. If we can gain independence without exhausting our national strength and soldiers, what better oue could there be?¡±


    The nobles were in favor of negotiating. Even after considering it ten times, it was better to listen to the peace terms of the empire. After all, they couldn¡¯t be certain of victory against their enemy.


    ¡°Peace...¡±


    Urich muttered. He called his close subordinates like Katagi and Georg to ask their opinions.


    ¡°This means that they are afraid of us. We must prepare to attack immediately.¡±


    Katagi insisted, and the warriors shouted in agreement. Unlike the Porcana nobles, the alliance warriors were aggressive. They saw the current situation as an opportunity.


    <i>¡®Katagi is not wrong. If we refuse peace and attack immediately, it will put great pressure on them.¡¯</i>


    Urich squinted his eyes. He waited for Georg¡¯s opinion. Urich was not strong in diplomacy and politics. Thus, he listened carefully to the words of his close subordinates.


    After thinking for a moment, Georg spoke.


    ¡°Porcana is keen on negotiation. In fact, most of them are weing this proposal as if it were salvation. They¡¯ve been under the pressure of fighting against the imperial army. Even if we suggest an attack, Porcana won¡¯t easily agree. They will insist on at least hearing the terms of peace.¡±


    Interpreters conveyed Georg¡¯s words to the warriors.


    ¡°We can win without those cowards! We are the proud warriors of the sky!¡±


    The warriors red at Georg. Their morale was high. They believed the imperial army was proposing peace because they were scared of the Porcana-Alliance army.


    ¡°Shut up. They didn¡¯t propose peace because they¡¯re afraid of us.¡±


    Urich spoke calmly. He tried to put himself in the empire¡¯s shoes.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re doing this because of the northern front.¡¯</i>


    The western alliance didn¡¯t know the status of the northern front. They had no way of knowing whether the northern independence army was winning or losing. However, the empire, with its advancedmunication system, would know the situation on the northern front.


    ¡°Either the northern front is in a stalemate, or the imperial army is being pushed back. Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for them to propose peace. It seems like the strategy of dividing the frontlines has seeded,¡± Georg stated a rational inference with no room for rebuttal.


    ¡°We will go to the negotiation table,¡± Urich dered. The warriors looked disappointed.


    ¡°What¡¯s with those faces? You guys all chew on shit or something? If you want to fight so badly,e to my tent with your weapons tonight. I¡¯ll take on as many of you as you want.¡±


    Urich said as heughed, and the warriorsughed with him.


    * * *


    Carnius groomed his beard as soon as he woke up in the morning. He personally took up his armor and greased it thoroughly. The surface of the armor, freshly polished with an oil-soaked cloth, seemed to shine. Normally, he would have his squire do it, but today he wanted to do it himself.


    <i>¡®Leo.¡¯</i>


    Whenever he had a moment of leisure, the face of his son came to mind. He had dreamt many times of the day he lost Leo.


    "Please forgive this fool of a father."


    Carnius underestimated the copsing barbarians. He thought nothing would happen even if he sent Leo to the battlefield. That was an arrogant thought.


    The barbarians made ast-ditch effort and broke through the imperial army''s encirclement, and Leo lost his life in the process.


    <i>¡®I wouldn''t have lost Leo if I had been just a bit more cautious.¡¯</i>


    Carnius med himself. His heart ached as if it was bound by chains that were tightening their grip on it.


    <i>¡®No, if I hadn''t raised Leo to be a knight in the first ce....¡¯</i>


    There were many other paths in life besides being a knight. In these times, there were several ways for noblemen to climb the socialdder. In fact, rising through martial prowess was something only fallen nobles were still doing.


    <i>¡®All of this is the sin of my greed. Lou punished my foolishness. He gave me pain through the barbarians and the Leo¡¯s death.¡¯</i>


    Carnius'' eyes were hollow. He wanted to throw everything away and be a monk. But he had responsibilities as the head of his family.


    <i>¡®Even Emperor Yanchinus put his pride aside and entrusted me with the army. He did it to protect the empire.¡¯</i>


    It was an impressive decision on the emperor¡¯s part. The emperor at least wanted an armistice, and if possible, a peace treaty. Yielding to the barbarians like this would utterly disgrace the emperor¡¯s honor and dignity. It was a choice that could potentially beughed at by future historians.


    <i>¡®But even that arrogant emperor chose to let his pride be trampled rather than see the empire destroyed. He wasn¡¯t stubborn.¡¯</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus knew that it was his own decisions that had made the empire''s finances precarious. It wasn¡¯t anyone else¡¯s fault but the failure and mistake of the emperor himself.


    ¡°General, it¡¯s almost noon,¡± the adjutant outside spoke cautiously.


    Carnius hadn¡¯t touched the meal on the table. As he aged, his appetite seemed to have gone down as well.


    <i>Crinkle.</i>


    Carnius unfolded the letter and looked at the negotiation authority delegated by the emperor.


    <i>¡®Porcana¡¯s independence is inevitable. The war reparations are substantial as well. I guess without at least that, Porcana would be too afraid to negotiate because of the possibility of the empire taking revenge in the future.¡¯</i>


    Carnius only drank water as he read the letter to the end. He had read it over at least ten times already. That¡¯s how cautious he was about this negotiation. It was a matter of the empire¡¯s peace.


    <i>¡®The plunderers and the Porcana army probably don¡¯t know that the Caselmaroni Kingdom and the northern rebellion army have allied.¡¯</i>


    To negotiate, the empire had to seize the moment when there was a gap in information. If Porcana and the plunderers knew the northern front was more disadvantageous to the empire than expected, they wouldn¡¯t negotiate.


    ¡°General,¡± the adjutant spoke again, quietly.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Carnius called for his squire, who was waiting outside. With the squire¡¯s help, he donned his te armor. As befitting a general¡¯s armor, it was an advanced steel armor ahead of its time. The heat-treated and processed surface shone like the sun, and the curvature on the slightly curved tes had an aesthetic functionality. It was cutting-edge protection against all sorts of des and arrows.


    After donning his armor, Carnius mounted his horse. He led ten attendants and thirty knights to the midpoint between the two camps.


    The sun of the noon was harsh. Even the armor draped with an outer garment seemed to heat up.


    <i>Rattle!</i>


    The attendants scurried ahead and set up a canopy and negotiation table.


    ¡°They¡¯reing out as well,¡± a knight whispered in Carnius¡¯ ear. With his aged eyes, all he could see was a blur, and even that barely.


    Two riders emerged from the Porcana-Alliance camp, side by side. They were Varca of Porcana and Urich of the alliance. Even from afar, it was clear these two were the leaders.


    Nearly a hundred people gathered in the middle ground. They held their breaths, waiting for their leaders to speak.


    Carnius recognized Varca and nodded. Although he was an enemy, he was a royal and therefore deserved respect. Then he looked at Urich beside him and widened his eyes. Somehow, he looked familiar. What was more surprising was that such a young warrior was the leader of those fearsome plunderers.


    <i>¡®I expected the leader to be a man with a thick beard....¡¯</i>


    Barbarians always chose the strongest and most valiant warrior as their leader.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m assuming this means that he has that level of skill at such a young age.¡¯</i>


    On closer inspection, his scars were no ordinary ones. There were several marks of wounds that should have killed him multiple times.


    Feeling Carnius¡¯ intense gaze, Urich became discontent and red back. The atmosphere was already tense. Knights and warriors silently ced their hands on their weapons.

 Chapter 254

    <h4>Chapter 254</h4>


    Carnius quietly stated the terms.


    "What do you think, King Varca?"


    The emperor¡¯s peace terms were extraordinary. They included the independence of the kingdom, which the empire had never allowed until now. Moreover, even though no battle actually took ce, the empire was willing to pay gold coins for war reparations equivalent to Porcana''s ten years of national budget.


    It was clear how desperately the emperor wanted this peace. He knew that Carnius was a military man and not skilled in negotiations, so he chose to offer a substantial reward right from the beginning rather than engage in clumsy haggling.


    "This is incredible."


    The nobles participating in the negotiations whispered among themselves, covering their mouths. The empire''s terms were perfect for Porcana. The emperor promised the status of an independent kingdom in the future and included massive war reparations. No matter how arrogant the empire was, they couldn¡¯t break a negotiation that involved Lou''s name and the faith of the nation.


    <i>¡®With the empire¡¯s promise, Porcana will gain the status of an independent kingdom for at least the next few decades.¡¯</i>


    Even Duke Lungell¡¯s eyes widened.


    "This is an immense fortune for us, Your Highness. It¡¯s an opportunity for Porcana to rise to a powerful nation in a single stroke. If we gain the status of an independent kingdom, other kingdoms will rise along and push for their own negotiations with the empire. This is our chance to take the lead in all of that."


    The minds of those at the negotiation table were spinning nonstop. Varca also closed his eyes and opened them again as he looked over the terms of the negotiation.


    <i>¡®If the other kingdoms find out that we have made such an agreement, they won''t stay idle. They¡¯ll jump at the opportunity knowing the empire has been weakened, but there is no way the empire doesn¡¯t know this. The fact that they proposed such terms to us first means that something is making them that desperate,¡¯ </i>Varca thought deeply.


    The Caselmaroni Kingdom had already risen in rebellion. If Porcana heard about this, it would be difficult to achieve peace even with the current terms. It made sense that the emperor was in a hurry.


    Moreover, with Caselmaroni, Porcana, the northern independent army, and the western alliance army, there were four forces opposing the empire. The kingdoms with a fast channel of news were probably already gathering their armies. If just two more kingdoms rose in the current state, the empire would have to engage in an all-out war.


    <i>¡®His Imperial Majesty wants to prevent the worst-case scenario.¡¯</i>


    Carnius smiled bitterly and looked at the head of the barbarians.


    "His Majesty has decided to give you westerners the territory of Yailrud and its entrance. He wishes to establish a non-aggression pact and open exchanges."


    Urich crossed his arms and tapped his forearm with his fingers, frowning.


    "So you want to make a deal with me, yet you don¡¯t even ask for my name. Are you saying that a barbarian¡¯s name isn¡¯t even worth knowing?"


    Carnius flinched. He had habitually centered the negotiation around Varca, forgetting that the other man was also the leader of ten thousand warriors. He was a military man through and through, not a diplomat. On top of that, his vision was also narrowed because of the humiliation of making a treaty with barbarians.


    "I apologize for my rudeness."


    Carnius bowed his head slightly. Only then did Urich smile satisfactorily.


    "My name is Urich."


    "...Urich."


    Carnius murmured the name. His fingers trembled.


    Things were going exactly as the emperor feared. Urich, who was close to the King of Porcana, had formed an alliance with him.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "The Battle of Valdima... you delivered quite a blow to us."


    The mes of that day still flickered before Carnius'' eyes. The soldiers swept up in mes tangled with the barbarians. Even the imperial army was daunted by the barbarians'' fearless fighting.


    By all ounts, themander of the Battle of Valdima was Urich.


    Carnius forced himself to stop thinking about the battle. He was in the middle of a negotiation.


    "Urich, I have something to say to you."


    Harvald intervened in the negotiation. He was the representative of the north.


    "I know, Harvald. We won''t let the north be isted."


    Urich quickly responded, reading Harvald''s thoughts. Harvald nodded with serious eyes.


    "Us, Porcana, and the northerners. Georg, what was the thing called?"


    When Urich mumbled, Georg whispered ¡®triangr alliance.¡¯


    "Right, we¡¯re basically that triangr alliance or whatever. Even if Porcana is left out, the west will stand with the north until the end. If the north fights, the west will fight. But Porcana probably won''t back out of the triangr alliance too easily, am I wrong?"


    Carnius frowned.


    <i>¡®When did the west and north form an alliance?¡¯</i>


    He hadn''t expected there to be a treaty between the west and the north. But the Harvald standing behind Urich was clearly dressed in the attire of a Sun Warrior.


    <i>¡®The diplomatic rtions are moreplex than His Majesty thought. Even the north is involved.¡¯</i>


    Carnius tried to focus his thoughts.


    "The empire can¡¯t offer terms only to Porcana and the west. You have to also promise something to the north. The empire should recognize the kingdom of the north through a treaty and guarantee peace," Urich said.


    The empire¡¯s representatives murmured as they slowly plunged into disarray.


    <i>¡®If we make a treaty with the north, Caselmaroni will also want a ce at the table. This is beyond my authority.¡¯</i>


    The emperor''s intention was to put one front in a lull with a peace treaty and then stabilize the empire and the civilized world. The emperor judged that suppressing the rebellion by also cing Carnius¡¯ army on the northern front was the priority.


    <i>¡®Can I promise peace even on the northern front here? By the time I send a letter to His Majesty and wait for the reply, the news of Caselmaroni''s rebellion will have reached here. Then the negotiation will be even more unfavorable for the empire. Then shouldn¡¯t I finalize the negotiation here? I know it exceeds my authority, but considering the emperor''s will, it''s the right thing to do. We can''t afford to shed more blood here.¡¯</i>


    Carnius was sweating profusely. He drank some water and spoke.


    "I would like to request a short recess."


    At Carnius'' suggestion, Varca and Urich looked at each other. Varca nodded, epting the break.


    The two sides distanced themselves and discussed the negotiation among themselves. They shared ideas to draw out an even better result for the respective sides.


    "Carnius is not an experienced diplomat. The fact that the empire¡¯s cornered right now is written all over his face," Varca said.


    Even to Urich, the situation seemed favorable for the Porcana-Alliance forces.


    "He was especially flustered when we brought up the north. That man really can¡¯t hide his thoughts," Urich added.


    Urich cracked a walnut with his bare hands and ate the kernel.


    ¡°That north might be what stops the negotiations from going through. The negotiation about the north is probably beyond his authority.¡±


    Varca spoke with concern. The best oue was for the conflict to end without war. Nothing good woulde from shedding blood in Porcana¡¯s territory.


    ¡°Leaving the north out of the negotiations cannot happen,¡± Harvald, the Sun Warrior, said coldly.


    If only Porcana and the alliance made peace with the empire, the north would be isted.


    ¡°We were able to receive these negotiation terms thanks to the northern rebellion. If we make peace, the north should also get what they want.¡±


    Urich chewed on the walnut kernel. He had promised an alliance with the north and had no intention of breaking it.


    ¡°They¡¯ve requested a break, which means they¡¯re organizing their negotiation terms. The north will be included,¡± Varca said, making sure Harvald could hear.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe the emperor made a decision like this, but he must have decided it would be better to stop now and cut the losses than to risk all of the kingdoms rebelling and losing the empire¡¯s power.¡±


    Urich tossed a walnut kernel into the air and caught it with his mouth. Varca watched him, then snatched a walnut mid-air and put it in his own mouth.


    ¡°The emperor may be cruel and ambitious, but he¡¯s pragmatic. If he thinks there¡¯s more to lose, he¡¯ll back out without hesitation.¡±


    By now, Varca had interacted with the emperor for years. Although the emperor was the one who helped him reim his throne, his assessment of Yanchinus was harsh. Few people could have a personal rtionship with Emperor Yanchinus like Varca.


    <i>¡®It would be good if the war ended like this.¡¯</i>


    Urich stood up and looked back and forth between the two camps.


    <i>¡®We¡¯ve already spilled too much blood. I can''t spill any more of our brothers¡¯ blood.¡¯</i>


    Urich had several concerns that others did not know of. He was also concerned about the situation in the west. The ten thousand warriors on the expedition recognized Urich¡¯s authority as Great Chief, but the remaining forces in the west did not know about Samikan¡¯s death. Urich could very well face new challenges when he returned to the west.


    <i>¡®Belrua bore Samikan¡¯s child. I hope it was a daughter rather than a son.¡¯</i>


    In the west, it was difficult for women to be recognized. Belrua was just an exception. If Samikan¡¯s child were a daughter, no forces would gather under her.


    <i>¡®Other tribes still exist in the west. The farther from the Sky Mountains, the harder they are to control. When the exiled tribes find out about Samikan¡¯s death, they might rise again.¡¯</i>


    The western tribes feared Samikan, and Urich did notmand the same fear. The formation of the alliance and the expedition had always centered around Samikan, who was also a figure everyone feared.


    The war and expedition had gone on for a while, and the west, just like the empire, needed internal reorganization.


    <i>¡®Exchange.¡¯</i>


    Urich carefully ced his hand on his chest. He could feel his heart pounding.


    The west and the civilized world were already connected. If peace came, there would be a mutual exchange between the two worlds. The west could adopt the civilized world¡¯s culture. Even if others didn¡¯t, Urich would actively pursue exchange.


    Gottval walked beside Urich. His steps were lighter than ever.


    ¡°Urich, you can stop this war with your power. You can bring peace to thisnd.¡±


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re smiling, Gottval. Even though the empire is making this deal in defeat.¡±


    ¡°What I follow is Lou¡¯s teachings, not the empire. I am no different from the Sun priests in the north.¡±


    Srism was able to gain much support because it valued peace and love. Its peace and love also proved their value in the harsh northernnd.


    ¡°Gottval, in the end, this peace was achieved through blood and steel, not Lou¡¯s teachings. The spread of Srism in the north wasn¡¯t through love and mercy, either. The imperial soldiers forced civilization and culture on the northerners by putting their swords against their necks.¡± Urich spoke coldly.


    He knew from experience that cold steel was more effective than love and mercy. Words couldn¡¯t persuade, but des could.


    ¡°Lou¡¯s intentions should not be interpreted from a human perspective. He sees what we cannot.¡±


    ¡°You are an excellent priest and also a good teacher. But you can¡¯t do anything with just mercy and love. If I had prioritized mercy and love over power, I wouldn¡¯t be alive today.¡±


    Urich rejected Lou¡¯s teachings. Once, he too had admired the civilized people and had tried to ept their religion.


    ¡°Gottval, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t follow Lou¡¯s teachings. If I don¡¯t kill, I will be killed. That¡¯s just the way it is. Only merciless violence can protect my life and the lives of my brothers and my family.¡±


    ¡°Urich! You are misunderstanding. Even those actions are born out of your desire to protect someone. That is love.¡±


    ¡°If Lou¡¯s teachings are so difficult, I won¡¯t learn them. Reality is simpler than Lou¡¯s teachings. What has guided me up to this point wasn¡¯t Lou but the spirit of the warrior with the winged helmet.¡±


    Gottval¡¯s eyes widened. He knew well who the warrior in the winged helmet was.


    <i>¡®Urich¡¯s soul is going to leave Lou¡¯s side.¡¯</i>


    Gottval wanted to keep Urich close to Lou. He believed that no matter how much Urich wavered, he would eventually return to Lou¡¯s side.


    <i>¡®Urich is now trying topletely leave Lou¡¯s side.¡¯</i>


    Gottval considered it his mission to guide Urich back to Lou. Urich was the barbarian he had personally baptized.


    ¡°Urich...¡±


    But Urich interrupted Gottval.


    ¡°The negotiations will resume soon. We¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    Carnius was walking from the opposite side. He sat back at the negotiation table.


    Gottval watched Urich¡¯s back with a bitter expression.

 Chapter 255

    <h4>Chapter 255</h4>


    Carnius quietly ran his hand over the imperial seal. Once it was stamped, the treaty would be finalized. He nced at Urich and Varca sitting across from him.


    Emperor Yanchinus had entrusted Carnius with the treaty negotiation. If the empire managed to achieve peace with the north as well, all conflicts in the civilized world would cease. Though it may be temporary, the empire would have a chance to consolidate internally.


    <i>¡®But if that happens, the empire will be surrounded by enemies. There are four anti-empire factions.¡¯</i>


    The bnce the civilized world had maintained thus far would be broken. Other kingdoms would be waiting for their chance as well. The empire would lose control over both the south and the north as well.


    <i>¡®If we end the negotiation like this, we''ll lose too much.¡¯</i>


    Carnius'' lips twitched. He closed his eyes.


    ¡ªFather.


    Suddenly, he heard a voice. Carnius grasped his sun ne. He took a deep breath.


    His shoulders felt heavy. His decision would determine the lives and deaths of many people.


    Many people desired peace. The people of civilization were exhausted from thest two years of the tyranny of the plunderers. The plunderers had gradually gnawed at the empire''s national strength, and before they knew it, the empire''s enemies had started to bare their teeth.


    ¡ªI think you are a greater knight than the Sword Demon Ferzen.


    That¡¯s what young Leo said, but the reality was harsh. As his perspective widened, Leo also came to realize just how great the fame of the Sword Demon Ferzen was. Comparing Ferzen and Carnius only elicited ridicule.


    <i>¡®Lord Ferzen disappeared to be a wless legend.¡¯</i>


    The legendary knight was perfect until the very end. The great hero who saved the empire countless times thus achieved immortal glory.


    <i>¡®My name will not be remembered. A knight and general who lived in the same era as Ferzen, and a civilized man who negotiated peace with the barbarians because he couldn¡¯t defeat them.¡¯</i>


    Even if he managed to live out his natural lifespan, Carnius might only live another twenty years at most. He also had no desire to live long. If Lou called, he would go to him anytime.


    <i>¡®If Leo is still waiting for me by Lou¡¯s side, what would I say to him? That I made peace without defeating the barbarians... Could I say that to him with pride?¡¯</i>


    Carnius¡¯ fingers twitched.


    If Carnius¡¯ army lost here, the empire would be in a dire crisis of unprecedented scale. Its very existence might be shaken. The emperor had sought peace to prevent that very worst-case scenario.


    <i>¡®Then we just have to not lose here.¡¯</i>


    Defeating Porcana and the plunderers into retreating would solve all problems. Without the plunderers¡¯ army, Porcana wouldn''t be able to hold out either.


    ¡°Urich, leader of the west.¡±


    Carnius spoke. Urich raised his eyebrows and shrugged. Carnius hesitated before continuing.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask. You were themander who led the battle of Valdima. In the battle that was already lost, the western army broke through the imperial forces head-on. Was that decision also yours?¡±


    Urich scratched his chin for a moment, thinking. It was a desperate battle where he had fought frantically on the brink of death. The alliance had lost to the empire, and Urich had led the remnants to break through the encirclement.


    <i>¡®We charged straight at the imperial army ahead to carve a way out.¡¯</i>


    It was a decision based on instinct and intuition. It seemed suicidal at first, but it was possible because the warriors trusted Urich. Eventually, Urich and the warriors escaped the encirclement, leading to the victory at Valdima.


    ¡°That forward breakthrough? Yeah, it was my order.¡±


    Urich answered, and Carnius closed his eyes tightly, suppressing his rising anger.


    <i>¡®Just as I thought. Urich, themander of Valdima, was the one who killed my son.¡¯</i>


    If not for Urich¡¯s order, Leo wouldn''t have died. He died because Urich had boldly rallied the barbarian warriors for a straight charge.


    Urich was practically Leo¡¯s enemy. Even though Carnius had known it in his head, hearing it directly red his anger even more.


    ¡ªFather.


    Leo¡¯s voice echoed in Carnius¡¯ ears. Memories of Leo from when he was just a little boy to a grown-up man shed through his mind.


    <i>¡®Please, let us have peace.¡¯</i>


    People like Gottval, who wished for peace, prayed. If this negotiation seeded, that peace woulde.


    ¡°Lou, please end this trial.¡±


    Gottval muttered a prayer. He was earnestly hopeful.


    ¡°I...¡±


    Carnius ced his hand on the table. It was the calloused and rugged hand of a seasoned knight.


    Everyone waited for the old knight¡¯s words. The conflict shed within Carnius until the veryst moment. There was no right choice. Whichever option he chose, he would have to take on the risk and the following despair would be inevitable.


    <i>¡®But I have to be a knight who can stand proudly before my son.¡¯</i>


    How could he tell Leo that he made peace with the very man who murdered him, even if it was the emperor¡¯s order or to save many imperial lives? To Carnius, his son was more important.


    ¡°There will be no negotiations. Prepare for battle. Negotiations about the north are beyond my authority.¡±


    Carnius spoke with a deep, dark gaze. His eyes and lips trembled slightly. Even he found it hard to believe what he was saying.


    <i>¡®What am I even saying?¡¯</i>


    Lives numbering thousands would be extinguished.


    <i>¡®This is the right decision. Not just for my son¡¯s revenge but for the empire as well.¡¯</i>


    He tried telling himself that, but what his heart truly desired was to avenge his son. It was a fact that Leo¡¯s spirit shook Carnius¡¯ heart.


    ¡°Wait! General Carnius!¡±


    Varca shouted urgently. He couldn''t understand why the negotiation fell apart. The flow had been good. The empire was the one who was cornered.


    ¡°Forget it, Pahell. Look at his eyes. This isn¡¯t about the negotiation terms. It¡¯s a personal grudge.¡±


    Urich extended his arm to block Varca. Urich was grinning with his lips twisted. The smell of war that had settled down began to rise again. It felt as if digging the ground here would reveal a pool of blood.


    Carnius also felt his hair stand on end. Urich''s eyes were primal, like a beast''s.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, King Varca, but I cannot let this happen. The imperial army does not negotiate with barbarians. There is only victory for us,¡± Carnius shouted like an impetuous knight.


    Porcana wanted to avoid battle just as much as the empire. Carnius'' sudden deration caused a great stir at the negotiation table.


    ¡°Aaah....¡±


    Gottval and the nobles who were advocating for peace sighed in despair. Peace was shattered, leaving only bloodshed.


    <i>¡®Why.¡¯</i>


    The negotiation table fell into chaos. Sensing the stirring atmosphere, warriors and knights sprang forward, ready to draw their weapons.


    ¡°Step back, Your Highness.¡±


    Porcana¡¯s knights stepped forward to protect Varca.


    Urich continued to stare at Carnius. Tilting his head, he spoke.


    ¡°...The person you lost... blood? A son?¡±


    Urich''s words hit the mark.


    <i>¡®Carnius is a knight with tons of battle experience. He wouldn''t hold such a deep grudge just over losingrades or a defeat. He''s not at an age to grieve over losing a sibling, either. It has to be his son.¡¯</i>


    Carnius stiffly turned his head and looked at Urich.


    ¡°I intend to win this battle and be a proud father.¡±


    With that, Carnius disappeared behind the knights. The knights stood in front of him like a wall. As the conversation ended, only the murmuring noise grew louder.


    ¡°Carnius has gone mad! After all that brooding, he suddenly wants to go to war?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did he propose negotiations in the first ce!¡±


    ¡°It was a mistake to include the north in the negotiations! If it had been just the west and Porcana, there wouldn¡¯t have been any problems!¡±


    The nobles of Porcana chattered. They also wanted the negotiations to seed.


    ¡°In the end, we¡¯re going to have to shed blood, Urich.¡±


    Varca staggered. He was also mentally shocked as the negotiations fell apart after being so close to seeding. Urich supported Varca by grabbing his shoulder.


    ¡°The north is just a superficial reason. Carnius probably didn¡¯t have his heart in the negotiations. He was just looking for a reason not to negotiate.¡±


    Urich nced at the retreating Carnius.


    ¡°Urich, a war is about to break out and you¡¯re smiling.¡±


    ¡°If we have no choice but to go to war, we might as well smile while doing it.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°Barbarians have always been crazy in the eyes of civilization.¡±


    Varca chuckled hollowly and punched Urich¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Since it came to this, we have to win, Urich. We cannot afford to lose.¡±


    The Porcana-Alliance camp was watching the returning negotiation party. Some had already guessed the oue by the atmosphere.


    ¡°What are you looking at, you idiots? It¡¯s war! War! Katagi, Olga! Get ready! Clean your armor and weapons! What¡¯s with those rusty des? Do you want to die because your axe got stuck in an enemy¡¯s neck and you couldn¡¯t pull it out?¡±


    Urich kicked the weapons stuck in the ground as he returned to the alliance camp.


    ¡°Ho! Ho!¡±


    The warriors were excited at the mention of battle. No one looked sullen about the failed negotiations. Whether genuinely or out of bravado, they weed the fight.


    ¡°It¡¯s the order of Great Chief Urich! Prepare for battle!¡±


    Katagi shouted until his voice cracked. Warriors who had been sleeping began to emerge from their tents one by one. They gathered their gear and stretched with long yawns.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, oh, Lou. Why do you give us such trials again?¡±


    Gottval clung to a tree and struggled to stand. His teary eyes were red. This was more painful than when he lost his arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s war!¡±


    The warriors shouted as they moved around. No one paid attention to Gottval. Many warriors saw Gottval as a thorn, but since he was favored by the Great Chief, they left him alone, treating him as if he didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Is shedding blood on thisnd truly your will?¡±


    Gottval looked around. He saw eyes filled with fear.


    Not everyone weed the fight. In fact, most people feared battle. They just pretended otherwise, putting on a show of bravado. Everyone knew that avoiding a fight was best. That¡¯s why they had gotten so close to a sessful negotiation.


    <i>¡®So, General Carnius lost his son?¡¯</i>


    The circumstances made it clear. A personal grudge over losing his son was one of the reasons for the breakdown of the negotiation.


    ¡°This too must be a form of love.¡±


    Gottval¡¯s eyes trembled. Carnius loved his son.


    ¡°Gottval! Don¡¯t just stand there, fall back. You could get hit by a stray arrow and die,¡± Urich said to Gottval and then disappeared.


    The warriors were already falling into their formations. Those with shields stood in line with Katagi, while the nimble warriors formed a separate unit under Olga. Urich called the chiefs leading the thousand-man units to decide the left and right nks.


    ¡°There is no need for us to charge in first, Urich,¡± Duke Lungell said.


    ¡°I know. We hold the hill. It¡¯s perfect for tying down the enemy¡¯s heavy cavalry.¡±


    Urich had already told his warriors not to descend the hill. The key to this battle was who could best utilize the terrain.


    The Porcana-Alliance army was positioned on the hill, while the imperial army was arrayed below. Even the warhorses of the empire would quickly tire if they had to run up the hill.


    Both armies finished their battle preparations. The Porcana-Alliance army waited for the imperial army to make the first move.


    ¡°Huh? Are they waiting too?¡±


    Urich tilted his head as he sharpened his axe de, waiting for the sh. The battle did not start even after a day. Both sides only exchanged a few futile arrows and only observed each other.


    The soldiers and warriors waiting for battle yawned and maintained their formations in turns, bored by the standoff thatsted three days.


    ¡°Urich, we¡¯re in trouble. The imperial army has settled in for a long campaign.¡±


    Varca squinted, looking at the imperial camp. The imperial army remained steady, maintaining their encampment without a single move. The sophisticated imperial camp was practically a fortress in itself.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Urich turned his head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be starving in ten days. Porcana¡¯s rations aren¡¯t enough to sustain nearly twenty thousand troops.¡±


    Porcana¡¯s rations alone couldn¡¯t support the Porcana-Alliance army. Meanwhile, the imperial army was famously well-supplied to the point of being known to win wars through their supply systems.


    The alliance had always sustained itself through local plundering. That was how a force of ten thousand could wreak havoc in the civilized world without a proper supply line or supply troops. They were an army that constantly needed to move in search of new ces to plunder.


    ¡°This is unexpected. Isn¡¯t he being way too rational for a father who¡¯s supposed to be blinded by revenge?¡±


    Urich groaned. The imperial army was also waiting for the Porcana-Alliance army to abandon the hill and make the first move.


    <i>¡®The Iron Blood knight.¡¯</i>


    It seemed like Carnius¡¯ nickname had slipped everyone¡¯s minds.

 Chapter 256

    <h4>Chapter 256</h4>


    Carnius remembered his iron rule.


    <i>¡®Be cautious.¡¯</i>


    Objectively, the imperial army had the advantage. Even with simr numbers, the quality of the imperial army was far superior. Especially, among the twenty thousand imperial soldiers, there were over three thousand heavy cavalries. If they could secure a favorable terrain, those three thousand heavy cavalries alone could devastate the enemy.


    <i>¡®They want to immobilize our heavy cavalry. That¡¯s why they took a position on the hill.¡¯</i>


    Without the breakthrough power of the heavy cavalry, even Carnius couldn¡¯t guarantee victory. The western plunderers were strong in infantrybat and skirmishes. And now, with the barbarian warriors being armed with the imperial armory, were a formidable force.


    ¡°They don¡¯t stubbornly cling to their ways like the northerners. They¡¯re using our strategies, tactics, and even our armory. They¡¯re not some ordinary barbarians draped in leather.¡±


    Carnius gathered his adjutants for a strategy meeting.


    ¡°The traitors who joined the plunderers will desert quickly if the battle turns significantly unfavorable.¡±


    There was no loyalty in mercenaries. They tended to be quick to desert when the situation became unfavorable, and the civilized mercenaries who joined the western plunderers were no different.


    ¡°If they get hungry, they¡¯ll abandon the hill ande down.¡±


    Carnius pointed to the expected retreat routes on the map.


    The imperial army quickly analyzed the situation of the Porcana-Alliance army. An army was a monster that devoured money just by existing. Porcana did not stockpile enough provisions and surplus money during their peacetimes.


    <i>¡®They probably thought they were waiting for us in a good spot, but they¡¯ve actually isted themselves. Without additional supplies, they¡¯ll just self-destruct.¡¯</i>


    Carnius waited for the enemy toe down. The twenty thousand imperial soldiers had supplies tost for a couple of months. If necessary, they could also operate a separate supply unit for additional provisions.


    ¡°The peace agreement seems to have been a misjudgment by His Imperial Majesty. He couldn¡¯t see the situation from afar, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±


    The knights were rxed. Despite the negotiations for peace having fallen through, the actual battle favored the empire. Their effort to achieve peace seemed rather foolish now.


    But Carnius, the one who actually dered the battle, thought differently.


    <i>¡®We need to wrap up this front as quickly as possible and move up to the northern front. If the northern front copses, the empire¡¯s crisis won¡¯t end even if we pull off a victory here.</i>


    Carnius wasn¡¯t rxed either. The reason why the emperor sought peace was also because there was a need to concentrate the empire¡¯s military power in the north.


    <i>¡®Please,e down to us.¡¯</i>


    After the meeting, Carnius gazed at the distant hill. The Porcana-Alliance army still didn¡¯t budge.


    The imperial army¡¯s encampment was perfect. The various facilities and barracks were positioned exactly ording to the military textbook. Any educated imperial soldier could find all the facilities in the camp, even if it was their first time there.


    Carnius headed to the prayer room. Confirming no one was there, he knelt before the sun relic.


    ¡°Oh, Sun God Lou, please prove that my decision is not wrong. I need your courage and wisdom.¡±


    Carnius erased his anxiety through prayer. When he left the prayer room, there was no hesitation or confusion on his face.


    <i>¡®The sword is already drawn. Looking back will only lead to my death.¡¯</i>


    Carnius walked around the barracks, encouraging the soldiers in order to maintain their discipline.


    * * *


    Porcana-Alliance forces reduced their food rations. They had resorted to reducing the amount they ate in order to buy more time. No strategy had yet emerged to resolve the situation, and their morale was dropping while the army''s discontent was growing.


    It was a situation where the civilized mercenaries might desert the army at any moment.


    "Georg, try to prevent desertions as much as possible. Put that silver tongue of yours to use."


    Urich and Georg were walking side by side to attend a meeting.


    "I can only bribe them so many times with the war spoils. You can always gather wealth again, but you only have one life. Hell, even I¡¯m thinking about running away right now."


    "I don¡¯t care if you run away but you better not let me catch you. This time, I''ll actually skin you alive. Anyway, if the civilized mercenaries desert, it will greatly affect the entire army. So do whatever it takes to keep them."


    "To do that, we need hope, Urich. Hope that we can win."


    Georg was persuading the civilized mercenaries every day. He visited their influential unit leaders, promised rewards, and cried for camaraderie. But if the situation worsened anymore, they were certainly going to leave the alliance army.


    "Haha, should we just charge head-on?" Urich spoke as he whistled.


    Georg shook his head and replied, "If that were possible, we wouldn''t havee into Porcana in the first ce."


    The alliance knew the power of the imperial heavy cavalry well. The heavy cavalry was the core force of the imperial army. Even without horses, the imperial knights and heavy infantry were formidablebat troops. In the past, even the appearance of heavy infantry and dismounted knights caused significant damage to the tribal warriors.


    <i>¡®But now, we can handle their heavy infantry. Everyone has gotten better at dealing with their armor.¡¯</i>


    There were many warriors in the alliance army armed with iron armor. Walking around the alliance camp, one could frequently hear the clinking of chainmail. Some chiefs or head warriors even wore steel armor.


    The tribal warriors of the west admired iron armor. The western warriors, who had little to no armor culture back home, considered iron armor acquired as loot a source of pride. They actively adopted and used the enemy''s weapons and armor.


    "We can''t stay on this hill forever."


    "How about securing a supply route?"


    "Do you think the imperial army would just let us send out a supply unit?"


    "If we go down the hill like this, we''ll just be fodder for the cavalry."


    The Porcana-Alliance army''s meetings were noisy but yielded no specific strategies. Everyone was just stomping their feet. If they stayed on the hill, they would eventually all starve to death. If morale dropped due to hunger, the imperial army might push up. No matter how excellent a warrior, they couldn''t fight while starving.


    "U... rich."


    Urich, who was spectating the meeting, turned his head at a familiar voice. Olga, who always looked depressed like a sick person, was standing behind him.


    "Hmm?"


    "I have... something... to say."


    It didn''t seem like a solution woulde from the meeting at this rate. Urich left his seat and followed Olga outside.


    "Great Chief Urich."


    Urich''s eyebrows twitched slightly. Following Olga, he found the Blue Mist warrior chief waiting for him.


    <i>¡®A rebellion? At a time like this?¡¯</i>


    Urich nced around. The surroundings were calm. He could only see a few Blue Mist warriors.


    <i>¡®Olga was a warrior whom Samikan favored. It makes sense he would be close to the Blue Mist Tribe. Are they trying to kill me here?¡¯</i>


    Urich took a deep breath. He trusted Olga, but it seemed like he was about to be stabbed in the back.


    "If you''re after my neck,e at me now. I''ll take you on."


    Urich drew his sword without hesitation. If he could hold on for just a moment, the other warriors would hear themotion and gather.


    "What... are you talking... about?"


    Olga widened his eyes andughed. The Blue Mist warrior chief also chuckled and shook his head.


    "We have no intention of starting a civil war when the battle that will decide the fate of the west is about to happen. The Blue Mist Tribe hasn''t even appointed a new chief yet. Even if we were to be enemies, that is a concern of the future, Great Chief."


    The internal situation of the Blue Mist Tribe was alsoplicated. Samikan''s presence had been so significant that they couldn''t easily choose the next chief. For now, their head warrior was acting as the interim chief.


    "O-oh, really?"


    Urich scratched the back of his head awkwardly. His face turned red, feeling he had caused a fuss for no reason.


    "When Samikan was the Great Chief, the alliance aimed straight for the imperial capital."


    "Right."


    After Urich became the Great Chief, the policy of the alliance changed to avoiding the main imperial army.


    Samikan, who was not in good health, had prepared for a decisive short-term battle. If he were still the Great Chief, the decisive battle between the empire and the west would have been over long ago.


    "Samikan had prepared weapons and tactics to use against the heavy cavalry of the empire."


    The head Blue Mist warrior gestured. Two warriors carrying spears demonstrated on the spot.


    <i>Snap.</i>


    The warriors broke a spear and connected it to another spear, securing it. The length of the connected spears exceeded the height of two tall menbined. It could even stab a target that was eight steps away.


    ¡°How are you going to use such a long spear?¡± Urich asked with skepticism, but his eyes sparkled with curiosity.


    The spear was too long to be used in typicalbat. Urich felt that if he faced soldiers wielding such spears, he could easily handle even ten of them.


    ¡°This spear is longer than the cavalrynces they use. Just holding and extending it will provide deterrence. Their attacks won¡¯t reach us, but our spears will reach them.¡±


    The warriors fixed the ends of the spear shafts to their feet or the ground.


    Urich widened his eyes and imagined the sight of heavy cavalry charging. It seemed like it could be effective, but it was hard to confirm without testing the new tactic in actualbat.


    ¡°Did Samikan devise this?¡±


    ¡°Only the Blue Mist warriors have practiced it a few times. Samikan wasn¡¯t entirely sure either. He went to the heavens before being able to fully test it.¡±


    Hearing this, Urich stroked his chin.


    <i>¡®Samikan wasn¡¯t just spouting nonsense about fighting the empire because he was high on the herbs. He was trying toe up with ways to battle the imperial army.¡¯</i>


    In the horse-less west, they couldn¡¯t cultivate heavy cavalry. They needed another method to counter them. Samikan must have been contemting how to do this for a long time.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult without considerable bravery.¡±


    Urich practically snatched the long spear from the Blue Mist warrior.


    <i>¡®To hold your ground against charging heavy cavalry with just a spear would require immense courage.¡¯</i>


    When heavy cavalry charged, the instinct was to dodge to the side. If one were to ovee that fear and hold their position, they could catch the cavalry off guard.


    ¡°Samikan¡¯s intention was to form a phnx with Blue Mist warriors wielding these pikes. We¡¯re the only tribe that¡¯s well-trained in doing that.¡±


    The end of the sentence carried pride. These were the men who conquered the west under Samikan¡¯smand. Even the Stone Axe Tribe had been defeated by them.


    <i>¡®The Blue Mist warriors have fought in phnx ever since they began their western conquest. They are as disciplined as the empire¡¯s professional soldiers.¡¯</i>


    Urich saw a faint light. The alliance had the legacy that Samikan had left.


    ¡°Urich, gather the most... excellent warriors and have them... learn this,¡± Olga stammered.


    To master such tactics in a short time, they needed the absolute best warriors within the alliance. They had to have the bravery to face heavy cavalry head-on with a grin on their faces and the skill to wield long spears freely.


    ¡°Leave the unit... to me... You trusted me... and treated me ordingly. I will... repay.¡±


    Olga grinned, revealing his ckened teeth.


    Urich immediately summoned all the chiefs and head warriors. In addition, he also selected the most skilled warriors.


    About three thousand warriors, including the Blue Mist warriors, were separately gathered for training and education. They broke and connected spears, extracted des, and assembled them to create long anti-cavalry spears. Weapons discarded in the process piled up in a corner of the camp.


    Urich demonstrated the anti-cavalry tactics at the next meeting.


    ¡°Watch carefully. This is how we stop their heavy cavalry.¡±


    The nobles and knights of Porcana watched Urich¡¯s demonstration. He was holding an unusually long spear.


    Urich extended the spear and fixed it in ce. The heavy cavalry from Porcana who was charging at him flinched and stopped. It was only possible because the spear was much longer than theirnces.


    ¡°Oooh, I see.¡±


    The nobles and knights watching widened their eyes. Heavy cavalry had always been an absolute force. Countering them with another unit had always been nearly impossible.


    ¡°It looks usible, but I doubt its practicality. If anyone steps back or gets scared when the cavalry charges, the formation will break, leading to a massacre. If the heavy cavalry of the empire could be stopped with just some longer spears, we would have done it long ago.¡±


    Duke Lungell frowned as he spoke. His words were also valid.


    ¡°We¡¯re different from you. We don¡¯t flee out of fear. Even if corpses litter the ground around us or our guts spill out of our stomachs, we do our job. We¡¯re warriors from birth.¡±


    Urich practically mocked Duke Lungell. The duke¡¯s face flushed slightly.


    ¡°What if that method fails? We¡¯ll be annihted.¡±


    Duke Lungell opposed Urich¡¯s tactics. He couldn¡¯t fight relying solely on a tactic devised by a barbarian.


    ¡°...Do you have another way besides starving together? If my stomach starts growling, your tongue will be the first thing I cook and eat. Take good care of it.¡±


    ¡°You, you...!¡±


    Duke Lungell¡¯s mouth gaped open. He was about to shout but closed his mouth upon seeing Varca step forward.


    Varca and Urich¡¯s eyes met, and Varca nodded without a word.

 Chapter 257

    <h4>Chapter 257</h4>


    There wasn''t much time to train with the pikes. They only had three days for the adaptation training. Even then, many warriors found the rather new weight distribution and use of the pikes unfamiliar. They preferred weapons that they could swing directly to attack the enemy.


    Pikes were passive and defensive. Their role was to rely on tight formations to stop the heavy cavalry. The barbarian warriors had to restrain their inherent aggression and strictly follow discipline.


    <i>¡®Discipline.¡¯</i>


    Urich muttered as he looked at the pike unit. In war, individualbat ability wasn''t everything. The organization and discipline of each unit performing its role were crucial. That''s why the imperial army was strong in war.


    <i>¡®Samikan realized the importance of discipline early on. He even standardized the equipment of the Blue Mist warriors and utilized phnxes. It was probably thanks to Noah, who brought in the strategies and tactics of civilization. He was the one who opened Samikan¡¯s eyes ahead of our time.¡¯</i>


    Urich also encountered the civilized world early on, but his interest was in civilization and culture itself. Samikan, on the other hand, meticulously sought out only strategies and tactics for his ambitions.


    ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that I¡¯d be using what Samikan left us with? The world truly is unpredictable.¡±


    Urich looked at the altar. Six-Fingered was offering a sacrifice before the battle. It was customary to perform a human sacrifice by cutting open the belly of a prisoner ahead of an important battle, but since they were now allied with Porcana, they used a cow instead. A human sacrifice would undoubtedly lower Porcana¡¯s morale.


    <i>¡®Six-Fingered is quiet now, but who knows what he''ll do in the future. He doesn''t pledge loyalty to me; he just supported me because he hated Samikan. Now that Samikan is gone, he has no reason to back me anymore.¡¯</i>


    Urich pondered various thoughts as he watched the ritual. Political judgment came first whenever he looked at important figures in the alliance.


    <i>¡®They say the position shapes the person....¡¯</i>


    Urich chuckled to himself. He could understand Samikan a little now.


    <i>¡®Now that I''m in the position of Great Chief, everything seems suspicious, and I tend to think twice. It''s hard to think as simply as I did before.¡¯</i>


    Even when he faced Olga and the head warrior of the Blue Mist Tribe, the first thing that came to his mind was rebellion.


    <i>St!</i>


    Six-Fingered pulled out the cow''s entrails and scattered them on the ground. Then he lifted its heart, which was still thumping.


    ¡°Woahhhh!¡±


    The warriors cheered. The heart beating freshly meant the blessing of the heavens was with them.


    ¡°Great Chief.¡±


    Six-Fingered knelt and raised the cow heart. Blood dripped down his hands. The nobles of Porcana cursed among themselves at the grotesque sight.


    <i>Munch, munch.</i>


    Urich bit into the cow heart. Blood filled his mouth, staining even his teeth red.


    <i>Gulp.</i>


    After swallowing a bite of the heart, Urich raised his arm and shouted. Urich¡¯s health was top-notch, and he proved it by eating a raw heart. Since the former Great Chief Samikan had health issues, Urich unted his physical strength to set himself apart.


    <i>Thump, thump.</i>


    The warriors stomped their feet, preparing for battle. They wore the helmets and armor that they looted from various ces. The pike unit was particrly well-equipped, all wearing iron armor. Chains clinked with each step they took.


    ¡°I know we practiced, but is this going to be effective?¡±


    ¡°Eh, if it doesn¡¯t work, we''ll just die. Together. Hehe.¡±


    The warriorsughed heartily, checking on each other.


    The pike phnx had to be tightly packed like a hedgehog. In fact, it was an adaptation of the imperial army¡¯s hedgehog formation.


    The hedgehog formation was an all-purpose phnx where soldiers worked in pairs using shields and spears to press the enemy. Only professional soldiers like the men of the imperial army could execute it. The formation wouldn''t hold without trust in one''srades. It was a tactic that could not be expected from conscripts like peasants or ve soldiers.


    The morale and courage of tribal warriors were higher than those of professional soldiers, and they hunted together with their brethren until death. They had the potential to be excellent soldiers, barring the characteristic disorder of barbarians.


    ¡°Do not even think about breaking out of formation on your own.¡±


    The warriors who took on the role of unit captains emphasized this repeatedly. Breaking formation in a battle frenzy would lead to the death of the brothers beside them.


    The pike unit was divided into three groups of a thousand warriors each. One unit was ced at the center, and one on each nk. This formation allowed them to respond to heavy cavalry from any direction.


    ¡°We only deal with the cavalry charges. Do not engage in the other generalbats,¡± the chiefs said. They were also the captains of the thousand-man units.


    Olga of the Frost Snake Tribemanded the central pike unit. An interpreter stayed close to him to ry his orders.


    <i>¡®Samikan said we could stop their heavy cavalry with this.¡¯</i>


    Olga was a warrior who primarily used spears. Yet, even to him, the pike still felt unfamiliar. He doubted its effectiveness. No one had ever used such pikes in realbat.


    <i>¡®To think we have to trust the insight of Samikan who¡¯s dead...¡¯</i>


    Olga smirked. Samikan was remarkable in many ways. If not for his health problems, he would have aplished even more.


    The Porcana army served as support troops in the rear.


    Porcana also had about five hundred heavy cavalry. However,pared to the imperial heavy cavalry, they significantlycked bothbat experience and equipment.


    The Porcana-Alliance army descended the hill in formation. The imperial army advanced its formation in response.


    The pike units did not reveal their spears. They held their spears at waist height, hiding them despite the inconvenience. New tactics were most effective in the first engagement. They didn''t give the enemy a chance to prepare a countermeasure.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    The sound of crossbows being loaded and bows being drawn came from all directions.


    Most of the warriors of the alliance had the archery skills of trained archers. In alternating ranged engagements, the alliance warriors fired far more arrows.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    Urich shouted, thrusting his sword forward. The warriors with bows shot in unison.


    <i>Tatatata!</i>


    The arrows fired in an arc had a range equal to the modified crossbows of the empire. The alliance warriors also bested the imperial army in their firing frequency.


    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>


    The imperial crossbowmen who came up to the front lines ntedrge, fixed shields they carried on their backs in front of them. Therge shields, weighing over five kilograms, were the war supply for crossbowmen who had long reload times.


    <i>Tatatata!</i>


    The alliance arrows were blocked by therge, fixed shields. The effort of the supply soldiers who had brought them tirelessly proved its worth. The crossbowmen finished reloading safely, briefly poked their faces out, and fired.


    Although the alliance fired more arrows, the casualties were far fewer on the imperial side. Other than the ones who were unlucky enough to be hit by arrows, there wasn¡¯t much damage.


    ¡°Ow, ow, ow.¡±


    Warriors with arrows stuck in their limbs grumbled as they pulled them out.


    ¡°Give us some shields here. Damn bastards.¡±


    The warriors also held shields, but they couldn¡¯t cover their entire bodies. Even if their torsos were protected, their limbs were still exposed.


    ¡°Drag these bodies out of our way! They¡¯re getting in the way.¡±


    The warriors shouted. Despite their chatter, they continued to consistently draw their bowstrings.


    ¡°Chikaka!¡±


    Urich called for Chikaka of the Phergamo Tribe. The mountain goat warriors, who numbered five hundred at the start of the campaign, had dwindled to three hundred. This was partly because the battle goats couldn''t adapt to the foreign climate and died, and also because many had perished carrying out dangerous reconnaissance missions.


    ¡°Teach those cowards hiding behind the shields a lesson.¡±


    Chikaka smiled only with his mouth and put on his wooden mask. They were an alien presence. They were exceptional warriors not only in the civilized world but also within the alliance army.


    <i>Tap, tap.</i>


    As the alliance army''s formation opened up, the mountain goat warriors quickly dashed out to the left. The three hundred mountain goat warriors were armed with horn bows. With their child-like stature, they could not generate enough tension with a regr wooden bow.


    But the horn bows, with their excellent sticity, allowed for great tension even with a short draw. However, these were very difficult to make and were a secret weapon used only by the mountain goat warriors even among the Phergamo Tribe.


    <i>Creaaaak!</i>


    The horn bows bent significantly. Phergamo was the only tribe that possessed warriors who could skillfully use bows while mounted. They were a shockingbat force even in the civilized world.


    ¡°Kaaagh!¡±


    The mountain goat warriors swiftly moved to the side of the crossbow unit. They fired arrows from an angle thatrge shields couldn''t protect. The crossbowmen tried to counter, but hitting the warriors on goats was difficult, and their small stature made them even more elusive targets.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡± Chikaka shouted fiercely.


    The masked dwarf warriors were monsters in the eyes of the civilized men, and the battle goats with their strangely developed leg muscles seemed like beasts created by heathen sorcery.


    The mountain goat warriors were called human hunters even in the west. If barbarians hunted civilized men, the Phergamon mountain goat warriors hunted those barbarians. They were warriors at the very top of the food chain.


    <i>¡®If only we had three or four times more mountain goat warriors...¡¯</i>


    All the alliance warriors who were observing the battle had the same thought. Having the Phergamon warriors on their side was incredibly reassuring. They were invincible warriors with both mobility and lethality.


    <i>¡®But if the number of mountain goat warriors reached thousands, the Phergamo Tribe would have been the one to take control of the west.¡¯</i>


    After a few passes by the mountain goat warriors, the imperial crossbowmen were busy fleeing to the rear.


    ¡°Make way! The mountain goat warriors areing back!¡±


    Chikaka checked the condition of the battle goats and turned back to the alliance camp. The mountain goat warriors, having fulfilled their role, rested.


    ¡°M-monsters. What the hell was that?! What are those things?¡±


    The crossbowmen who had returned to their side were trembling, and the fear was magnified because they had no idea what had just happened. At least barbarians looked like civilized men.


    ¡°Heavy infantry! Forward!¡±


    Carnius gave themand.


    The core of the empire, the heavy infantry, moved. Every single man was a professional soldier, armed to the teeth with iron armor and shields. They were elite troops capable of switching weapons ording to the situation as well. Though not mounted, theirbat power rivaled that of knights from most kingdoms.


    ¡°They''re finallying.¡±


    The Porcana-Alliancemand murmured. The skirmishes were over, and the real battle was beginning.


    ¡°Pike units, fall back to the second line. Do not show yourselves until the heavy cavalry charges.¡±


    As soon as Urich¡¯smand was ryed, the pike units quickly moved to follow the first line closely.


    <i>¡®Watching from the back makes me itch.¡¯</i>


    Urich tilted his head from side to side. He was riding with themand. The battle required precise formationbat, making it impossible for the Great Chief to lead from the front. This wasn''t a battle where the Great Chief raising morale by rushing forward would ensure victory.


    ¡°We must time the pike units to counter the heavy cavalry perfectly. If we fail, we''re done for, Urich.¡±


    Varca also understood the key strategic and tactical points. He emphasized them several times out of anxiety. Varca,cking military skills, had no choice but to rely on Urich.


    Urich held back his urge to stand at the forefront and observed the battle situation from the back instead.


    ¡°Come on! Come at us, you cowards! A whore would be braver than you!¡±


    They were close enough to hear each other¡¯s shouts. Warriors growled and threw axes and spears meaninglessly to provoke the soldiers.


    Though they spoke in differentnguages, insults were universally understood.


    ¡°You horseshit-looking bastards! My dog back home is probably cleaner than you!¡±


    Though they shouted confidently, warriors and soldiers alike had slightly trembling fingers. They knew their opponent¡¯sbat prowess better than anyone else.


    ¡°General, there aren¡¯t many routes for us to bypass them, but if we go around following the base of the hill, it seems feasible. We will engage the front line and then use the cavalry to break them down.¡±


    An adjutant reported to Carnius after surveying the terrain. There were a few routes that the cavalry could bypass while the heavy infantry shed. Though the terrain was a bit rough, sturdy warhorses could manage.


    The imperial heavy cavalry had two roles. One was to repeatedly charge the front lines to break down the infantry''s formation, and the other was to use the infantry shing on the front lines as an anvil and the cavalry as a hammer to strike the enemy''s nks or rear.


    Carnius chose thetter strategy. Now he had to decide whether to send the heavy cavalry to the left or right nk.


    ¡°Huff.¡±


    Carnius took a deep breath and touched the sun ne. He calmed his mind, muttering his son''s name.


    <i>¡®Leo, today I will be a father you can be proud of.¡¯</i>


    Carnius opened his eyes and gave orders to the cavalry.

 Chapter 258

    <h4>Chapter 258</h4>


    <i>Clip, clop.</i>


    The sound of hooves striking the ground echoed.


    The majority of the heavy cavalry wasposed of knights. Even in the empire, which adopted a professional military system, only nobles could call themselves knights. asionally,moners who rose to prominence could be knights, but even that only happened during times of intense war.


    A man who understood honor and sacrifice. Being a knight was a role that signified more than a mere soldier.


    The knights'' outer garments bore the crests of their houses. Wealthy knights sometimes had their entire crest engraved on their armor.


    Among the heavy cavalry, there were some with particrly gleaming armor. These were the emperor''s elite, known as the steel knights. Their polished steel armor was a masterpiece produced in limited quantities by the imperial smithy. Only the royal family of the empire knew why such steel equipment that was far superior to regr iron gear was produced in limited numbers only.


    Leading the charge of the heavy cavalry was Harman. He had served as a knight in the Order of Imperial Steel for ten years. After receiving his orders, Harman raised his hand high.


    ¡°Chaaaarge!¡± Harman shouted, closing the visor of his helmet.


    The cavalrymen spurred their horses and leaned forward.


    <i>Rumble, rumble, rumble!</i>


    The heavy cavalry kicked up clouds of dust with every step. Even the enemy could tell the heavy cavalry wasing.


    Varca widened his eyes at the sight of the rising dust.


    ¡°Urich!¡±


    ¡°I see it too, idiot. I have eyes just like you, you know.¡±


    Urich squinted one eye. On the front lines, the two armies were already locked inbat. The imperial heavy infantry maintained their formation closely, clinging together. Even when the head warriors on the front line tried to lure them into chaos, the imperial army''s formation remained unbroken.


    <i>¡®Dammit.¡¯</i>


    Urich was anxious, but it wasn''t because the cavalry was charging at them; it was because he felt useless standing in the back rows while his brothers fought desperately. Despite knowing it was necessary, it felt like a thorn was stuck in his throat.


    ¡°Left?¡±


    The dust was rising from the left wing. Urich called for the standard-bearer and gave amand.


    <i>Buuuup!</i>


    The horn''s sound echoed through the alliance¡¯s camp. Olga and the other captains of the pike units confirmed the signal. Those on the battlefield couldn''t see the overall situation. They had to trust and follow themand''s judgment.


    ¡°To the left!¡±


    The three pike units moved to the left wing. There was still time before they had to sh with the enemy¡¯s heavy cavalry, which allowed the pikemen to regroup.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, please...¡±


    Varca prayed as he watched the pike units move. He had done his best, and all he could do now was leave the oue to his god.


    On the other hand, Urich kept his eyes wide open, watching the battlefield. He opened his mouth wide.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Urich, with his right eye nearly closed, shouted urgently. Themand was startled and looked at Urich.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Things are going as we nned!¡±


    Duke Lungell also urged Urich for an boration, bewildered.


    ¡°No, signal the standard-bearer again! It''s not the left! Send the pikemen back to their original positions!¡±


    The standard-bearer raised the g high, sweating profusely. The trumpeter also sent the signal, but the moving pike units were slow to respond. It took much longer to return to the original position when units were intermingled.


    ¡°A-ah, no!¡±


    The others finally understood Urich¡¯s words.


    <i>¡®Before, I would have noticed sooner!¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s vision was not what it used to be. He looked at the cavalry charging from the left.


    ¡°What''sing now isn''t the real heavy cavalry charge! The real one ising from the right! Send the signal quickly!¡± Duke Lungell also shouted urgently.


    Frustrated, he grabbed the g himself and waved it to the right. But sending signals frantically didn''t make the army move any faster.


    ¡°That ¡®Great Carnius¡¯ resorting to such a cheap trick!¡± The nobles of Porcana fumed.


    <i>¡®He positioned the heavy cavalry at the front and followed them with light cavalry to make it seem like there were more.¡¯</i>


    Urich gritted his teeth. It wasn¡¯t a cheap trick. It was a good tactic to catch them off guard.


    <i>¡®The empire wouldn''t have known about the pikemen. They just mixed in a deception before the real attack. Dammit. This strategy reeks of experience.¡¯</i>


    Before the Porcana-Alliance army could even respond, the real heavy cavalry unit emerged. They were charging toward the right wing at high speed.


    ¡°Stick closely together! Solidify the defenses! Here theye!¡±


    The warrior captains on the Porcana-Alliance right wing shouted. They, too, saw the heavy cavalry charging at them.


    The pike units, which had shifted to the left, couldn¡¯t take their positions on the right. The pikes they were hiding also hindered their movement.


    ¡°Do not throw away your pikes!¡±


    The pike unit captain shouted. The excited warriors were itching to throw down their pikes and rush forward with their heaving shoulders.


    <i>¡®But rushing without maintaining formation would only result in meaningless deaths. No matter how slow, we have to keep our formation.¡¯</i>


    It was maddening for the barbarian warriors. They had to move in a roundabout way even with the enemy right in front of them. They wanted to throw aside the discipline and rush forward.


    ¡°What the hell are we doing? We fight! Woooaaaah!¡±


    Some warriors tried to break off from the pike units. They threw down their cumbersome pikes and drew their swords and axes.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    The warrior who was inciting others was speared and fell. The one who thrust the spear was Olga. He squinted his eyes and red at the warriors.


    ¡°Leave the formation... and you... die... by my hand,¡± Olga said coldly.


    Olga also knew the importance of this strategy. Without the pike units¡¯ contribution, there was no chance of victory.


    <i>¡®Discipline...¡¯ </i>Olga muttered. In this battle, discipline was more important than bravery and madness.


    <i>¡®This is a trial for us.¡¯</i>


    Olga advanced, looking at the sky. Until now, the alliance army had fought however they liked and won victories that way. They always had a grand strategy, but didn¡¯t have to worry about any detailed tactics.


    <i>¡®If we don''t move forward from here, we can''t defeat the imperial army. We have to maintain discipline.¡¯</i>


    Olga hated the ban on plundering and various other rules just as much as anyone, but what he hated even more was losing to the empire.


    The empire''s deception was sessful. The internal movements of the alliance army became tangled, and the imperial heavy cavalry carved through the right wing of the Porcana-Alliance army.


    ¡°Woooaaaah!¡±


    The warriors charged with a battle cry, but their bravery was meaningless. When the heavy cavalry swept through, they left behind heaps of bodies skewered bynces.


    The charge of the heavy cavalry caused the right wing of the alliance army to waver greatly. Taking advantage of this gap, the imperial heavy infantry encircled the alliance army as if they were devouring them. As the right wing of the alliance army copsed, the entire formation began to break down.


    ¡°Ah, aah! No, this can¡¯t be!¡±


    Screams erupted from themand post. The formation that was broken by the heavy cavalry''s charge was hard to restore. The empire seemed to be devouring the Porcana-Alliance army.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t even use the pike units!¡±


    Duke Lungell was furious. If the formation of the army copsed, the pike unit was practically useless. This wasn¡¯t a problem that could be solved by simply sending out the conscripts waiting in the rear. They needed a unit strong enough to push back the imperial heavy infantry.


    ¡°Katagi, lead the remaining troops and follow me. We will restore the copsed right wing!¡± Urich shouted as he descended the hill.


    ¡°Urich! You need to stay here andmand!¡± Varca shouted.


    ¡°Stack those brains of yours and figure out themand yourselves. Are the men beside you just decorations? The trick they used earlier won''t work again, so figure out where the heavy cavalry is and send us a signal.¡±


    Urich could no longer stand it. He couldn''t just watch the mess happening down the hill while he stood around watching from a safe ce.


    ¡°Dammit, I was the one bbering about discipline to the warriors... I guess I can¡¯t help it either.¡±


    His blood was boiling. He was always going to jump into the battlefield as soon as he found any excuse to do so, anyway.


    ¡°Great Chief! I will handle it. You don''t need to go out.¡±


    Katagi followed beside Urich.


    ¡°No. Our formations have already crumbled significantly. If I don''t step in, we won''t evenst until their next charge.¡±


    As the closebat resembling a war of attrition dragged on, the differences between the two armies became increasingly apparent. It was the difference between warriors and soldiers.


    <i>Peeeeeeep!</i>


    The imperial infantry officers blew their whistles. At the sound of the whistle, the soldiers in the front line extended their shields and retreated, while the soldiers in the rear rushed forward. The imperial army alternated their frontline at regr intervals.


    The Porcana-Alliance army had no concept of fighting in shifts like the imperial army. Once they were on the frontline, they simply swung their weapons until they died.


    The battle dragged on. The imperial army, fighting efficiently while taking turns to rest, suffered significantly fewer casualties. Anyone with a bit of sense would know that alternating was beneficial, but knowing and doing were two very different things.


    ¡°Shift!¡±


    <i>Peeeeeeep!</i>


    The infantry officer blew the whistle loudly. The heavy infantry with shields stood shoulder to shoulder and changed formations.


    ¡°Ho!¡±


    The blood-soaked soldiers retreated to catch their breath. The wounded were also able to withdraw and receive treatment.


    The imperial army was the only army in the civilized world who was trained enough to alternate their lines during battle. This was because they used professional soldiers as their main force, based on the vast national power. Other kingdoms were well aware of the system of the empire but could not imitate it.


    ¡°Are you running away? You cowardly bastards!¡±


    The warriors shouted, throwing their axes. But fresh soldiers stepped forward in ce of the fatigued, pressing the warriors with their weapons.


    Warriors who were exhausted from fighting for a long time. Soldiers who fought in shifts and had plenty of rest.


    Breaking the stalemate and causing chaos was the only way for the warriors to have a chance at winning as thebat powers of the two forces were simr.


    <i>¡®To hell with causing chaos, we''re at risk of being devoured.¡¯</i>


    The chiefs and head warriors frowned as they watched the copsed right wing. If the imperial heavy cavalry charged one more time after resupplying their spears, the right wing wouldpletely copse. They needed a single moment that could rectify the broken formation.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    The sound of drums spread.


    ¡°What are you idiots dawdling for? Move forward!¡±


    Urich stepped into the front line after arriving on the battlefield. The warriors'' eyes widened, and they roared. The warriors buzzed and their eyes lit up at the news that their Great Chief had arrived.


    ¡°The Great Chief is heeeeeere!¡±


    ¡°Urich is here?¡±


    Even the warriors who were aggressively shrugging from being out of breath turned to look. Urich and his warriors had reached the right wing.


    ¡°Watching you fight was so frustrating that I ran down here, you bastards!¡±


    Urich picked up a spear from the ground and threw it. The spear, which was not built for throwing, flew far and pierced the body of a heavy infantryman. His chainmail couldn''t stop the hefty spear.


    ¡°Uuuuuuuriiiiich!¡±


    The warriors jumped up and shouted. Even the right wing, which had been pushed back, gradually extended forward again. The reinforcements joining certainly helped, but it was the presence of the Great Chief that raised the morale of the entire army. They had a belief that as long as their Great Chief stood on the battlefield, they would not lose.


    ¡°Follow me! We¡¯re going to break through! Rip them apart!¡±


    Urich stood at the forefront of the copsed right wing. Despite having arrived merely moments ago, Urich''s body was already covered in blood. He destroyed the enemy''s formation with his outstandingbat power and led the warriors. Urich and the warriors shed through the enemy like a sharp de.


    Sometimes, a single presence could change the course of the entire battle. Such individuals were those with superhuman physiques who had earned a fitting reputation. They were called the heroes of the battlefield and became legends. Heroes who have survived numerous battles could easily do the work of a thousand men on the battlefield.


    When Urich stepped forward, the warriors leaped into the enemy''s formation with even their slight sense of fear paralyzed. The awl called Urich tore deep into the enemy lines and spread outward. Soon, the right wing that had copsed advanced to a line simr to the other fronts.

 Chapter 259

    <h4>Chapter 259</h4>


    ¡°Katagi! Call Olga! Prepare the pike units! They¡¯re gonna be here soon!¡±


    Urich felt that the time hade. His blood-soaked hair stood on end, and a chill ran down his spine. Even without seeing from the top of the hill, he had a premonition that the heavy cavalry was about to show themselves.


    <i>Buuuup!</i>


    Urich¡¯s orders were faster than themand from the hill. Only after Urich gave themand did the standard-bearer on the hill raise the g to signal the heavy cavalry¡¯s location.


    ¡°Woah, woaaahhhh!¡±


    Urich shouted and stretched out his front foot. The soldier he kicked was sent flying back, causing four or five others to tumble down.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich swung his axe wide, splitting¡ªmore like crushing¡ªthe soldier¡¯s helmet.


    ¡°Great Chief! Fall back!¡±


    Urich went deep into enemy lines. The warriors following him could no longer advance. The attacks from soldiers closing in from all sides were fierce.


    Listening to the soldiers'' pleas, Urich slowly retreated and rejoined the warriors. Katagi had returned after touching base with Olga.


    ¡°Olga and two pike units are on their way. They should be able to get set up in time.¡±


    Katagi was also panting heavily. He had run on foot to be Urich¡¯s personal messenger.


    Urich was a warrior by nature. No matter how hard the situation was, he needed to fight on the battlefield in order for his sharp instincts toe to life. Even if he couldn''t see the overall battle, his keen instincts stood out even more by doing so.


    ¡°Give me a pike!¡±


    Urich grabbed a pike and joined the pike unit. The morale of the pike unit soared with the appearance of the Great Chief. They, too, were eager to fight after being unable to properly engage due to the empire''s deceptive tactics. The frustrated warriors were just waiting for the chance to sh with the imperial army.


    <i>Thump, thump, thump, thump!</i>


    The heavy cavalry, already having enjoyed great sess once, targeted the right wing of the Porcana-Alliance army again. With the resupply of the cavalrynces, they had nothing to fear. Heavy cavalry had always been invincible.


    ¡°Move! Move! Don¡¯t just stand there, get out of the way!¡±


    The pike units fell into formation, ready to counter the cavalry. Warriors scattered to make space for the pike units to form a phnx.


    The heavy cavalry charged fiercely. Even direct volleys of arrows were useless against them. Knights d in steel armor were leading the charge, and the curved surface of their steel te armor was highly resistant to arrows. Unless extremely unlucky, they wouldn''t even be scratched by such arrow attacks.


    ¡°Shoot the horses!¡±


    The warriors who were shooting arrows aimed at the rtively less armored horses instead of their riders, but even the horses were covered in armor thick enough to render most arrows useless. The well-trained warhorses charged unafraid despite the barrage of arrows.


    ¡°Woh, wohhhhh!¡±


    The heavy cavalry thrust theirnces forward and shouted. Thences fixed in thence holder under their armpit had tremendous piercing power. A well-aimednce could easily pierce through two people.


    ¡°For His Imperial Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Long live the empire!¡±


    ¡°May the Sun God¡¯s blessings be with us!¡±


    The knights shouted their own mottos. Knights from noble families shouted their family creeds as they fought.


    ¡°Die, you barbarian scuuuuums!¡±


    The heavy cavalry were getting closer. One could truly feel their intimidation only when they faced them directly. They felt nearly three timesrger than an average man, and theirbined weight with their horses was ten times that of infantry. When infantry and heavy cavalry collided, the oue was obvious.


    Facing the heavy cavalry head-on was no different from suicide for infantrymen.


    ¡°Do not break the formation! If we die, we die standing here! Fight without shame before the heavens!¡±


    ¡°Just look at the back of the Great Chief! Urich is standing in front of us!¡±


    ¡°Shoulder to shoulder! Stick to the ones next to you like they¡¯re your wives! If you scatter, you die!¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have a wife!¡±


    ¡°Then the guy next to you is your wife, you goddamn idiot! I don¡¯t give a shit, go rub your dick on him or something if you have to!¡±


    The warriors of the pike unit sweated profusely. They were moments away from colliding with the heavy cavalry.


    <i>¡®Can we really stop them with these long spears? Those monstrous clumps of armor?¡¯</i>


    Even the warriors in the pike units were having doubts as the moment actually approached.


    Sensing the wavering morale, Urich shouted so loudly his throat started bleeding.


    ¡°Woooooaaaaaah!¡±


    Urich¡¯s roar spread as if it was contagious. He could taste the blood as it tore. Near the end of his roar, his voice was so dry it sounded like scraping metal.


    The warriors knew that the Great Chief Urich was standing with them. If they failed here, the Great Chief would die as well. He was the Great Chief who was blessed by the heavens, the earth, and all spirits.


    <i>¡®There is no such thing as failure.¡¯</i>


    The warriors'' thoughts ceased. The heavy cavalry had arrived.


    ¡°Piiiiiikes!¡± The head warriors shouted.


    The warriors in the first line lowered their stance and thrust their pikes upward. The warriors in the second line pointed their pikes straight ahead with a rather awkward stance, while the warriors in the third line aimed their pikes high at the riders.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The heavy cavalryman charging at the forefront saw the sharp pike tips but couldn¡¯t gauge their length while facing them directly. Naturally, he thought they couldn¡¯t be longer than the cavalrynces.


    He thought that even if both he and his enemy were to extend their spears, the cavalrynce would be the one tond first.


    And it didn¡¯t take long for that thought to change. The leading steel knights suddenly fell off their horses, crashing down. Since they were pushed on by momentum, it caused the cavalry to scatter and their horses to collide with others.


    ¡°Hold your ground!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to die, die holding your pikes!¡±


    The warriors couldn¡¯t fully grasp the situation either. They just screamed at the top of their lungs and thrust their pikes forward. They screamed as they felt the heavy resistance on their pike tips and arms.


    <i>Crrrrrunch!</i>


    Of course, not all the cavalrynces could be blocked. The tremendous charging force of thences and horses toppled the pike units. Tons of warriors were skewered by pikes and crushed by horses, but even though they were faced with the wave of heavy cavalry that could kill them with such ease, the warriors did not break formation.


    ¡°Woooaaah!¡±


    The pike units suffered heavy casualties. Most of the warriors in the first line were killed, entangled with the heavy cavalry. The horrific ends of the first line could have been enough to make the other warriors flee, but they did not break formation. They persistently thrust their pikes forward even if it meant that they would be crushed by the warhorses.


    Just being able to exchange casualties with the heavy cavalry as a pike unit was a tremendous gain.


    <i>Buzzzzz!</i>


    The knights who had fallen off their horses could notprehend the situation. They looked up as blood dripped down their body. The vanguard of the charging cavalry was nearly annihted. They became tangled up among themselves, and even when they managed to advance forward, they were hindered by the pikes. The startled horses panicked, and the rear heavy cavalry attempted to retreat, sensing something was wrong.


    <i>¡®What hit us?¡¯</i>


    The knights shook their heads as they stood up. They walked on broken legs and wielded weapons with twisted arms. Blood trickled from the seams of their armor. It was the fallen state of the steel knights who were supposed to be invincible.


    Horses with broken legs whinnied. Warriors who survived the collision staggered and threw themselves at the knights. They forced the visors of the knights open and shoved their des inside.


    Screams echoed everywhere. The heavy cavalryy scattered from the collision numbered hundreds. Most of them were key forces of the imperial army, as it was customary for the steel knights to lead the charge.


    "Kaaargh!"


    Urich rose from the pile of corpses. Dead warriors and knightsy around him.


    The first engagement of the pike unit was sessful. The heavy cavalry charged straight into the pike formation that they never sawing. It was like rushing into a death trap. Hundreds of warriors died entangled with the heavy cavalry, but it was still a significant gain for the alliance. Even if the pike units were annihted, bringing down the imperial cavalry was a victory for the alliance army.


    <i>¡®This is an incredible achievement for an improvised unit.¡¯</i>


    Urich wiped the blood from his face. The sticky blood fell like phlegm.


    "Why are you idiots just standing around? Advance! Teach them a lesson, you damn bastards!" Urich shouted to his warriors.


    The heavy cavalry''s crushing defeat greatly affected the morale of the imperial army. The heavy cavalry that was supposed to be invincible was unexpectedly defeated. The warriors gained momentum, and the imperial army was bewildered.


    Even the imperialmand couldn''t understand the current situation. Because they were watching from afar, they couldn¡¯t figure out why the heavy cavalry was defeated.


    ¡°What in the world just happened?¡±


    Even theposed Carnius was furious. His army had lost most of the steel knights. They had practically lost the core of the heavy cavalry¡¯s breakthrough power.


    Both the Porcana-Alliance army and the imperial army were taken aback. Even the sessful side couldn''t believe it and repeatedly checked the battlefield. The heavy cavalry, who had suffered directly, were still in shock.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what happened. There were spearsing out of nowhere....¡±


    ¡°Was it a hedgehog formation?¡±


    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t it. If it were just spears, we would have stabbed them first. Their spears... their spears were longer. So long that they managed to stab us first. Even when crushed by fallen horses and pierced in the neck by broken spears, they held onto their spears and stood their ground.¡±


    A knight who had returned from the cavalry charge pieced together his memory. His pupils continued to tremble.


    ¡°Just how long were their spears to reach us before our cavalrynces?¡± The adjutants murmured. These were pikes that were unheard of in the civilized world.


    The armies of the civilized worldprised conscripts, mercenaries, professional soldiers, and knights. Operating a pike unit capable of countering heavy cavalry required professional soldiers. But only the empire had such arge number of professional soldiers, and since they possessed the strongest heavy cavalry, they didn¡¯t feel the need to develop anti-cavalry weapons.


    Weapons and tactics were born out of necessity. It had been over two years since the western plunderers first shed with the imperial army. The barbarians didn¡¯t stop at absorbing the weapons and strategies of civilization but went further.


    <i>¡®This is the introduction of tactics and units that hadn¡¯t existed before.¡¯</i>


    Carnius realized what the alliance army had done. They had created tactics and units to counter the imperial heavy cavalry. In the past, heavy cavalry hadn¡¯t been very effective in the north due to the snowy terrains. Additionally, the conservative northerners were not able toe up with countermeasures like pike units.


    <i>¡®These barbarians could be more threatening than the northerners.¡¯</i>


    Carnius was anxious. He had no idea how many pike units there were. Their scale was unknown. Even if they wanted to respond, they had no experience. Veteranmanders were people who solved current problems through past experiences. Generals who have aged were quite far from creative tactics.


    <i>¡®There were cases of blocking heavy cavalry with pointed stakes. But this is like moving stakes. They don¡¯t fear shing with the heavy cavalry even if it means them dying.¡¯</i>


    Having experienced one victory, they would have gained confidence. On the other hand, the heavy cavalry of the imperial army waspletely demoralized after a severe beating. There were no knights willing to charge at the moment. The brave knights who had led the charge did not return to the imperial camp.


    ¡°They seem poised for a full-scale offensive. Their rear units are moving as well.¡±


    Carnius received reports from all directions.


    The Porcana-Alliance army didn¡¯t let their momentum go to waste. They mobilized even their reserve units with the intention to crush the imperial army in one go. Their morale soared as they witnessed the devastation of the heavy cavalry.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Carnius took deep breaths. Getting aggravated wasn¡¯t going to yield any answers. Everyone was looking at Carnius. They waited for a solution toe from his mouth.


    <i>Squeak.</i>


    Carnius donned his helmet. He looked at the remaining heavy cavalry. There were still two thousand left.


    ¡°I will lead the cavalry.¡±


    Carnius took a cavalrynce from his squire. The adjutants didn¡¯t try to stop him, as only Carnius could resolve the current situation.


    <i>¡®We¡¯ll hit the rear of the force that¡¯sunching the full-scale attack. We just have to climb the hill and smash theirmand.¡¯</i>


    The Porcana-Alliance army hadmitted all their forces forward. They knew they had to ride the current momentum. Only a small number of troops guarded the Porcana-Alliancemand on the hill.


    ¡°General, there''s only one path we can take due to thest exchange. If they realize we¡¯re moving, they¡¯ll deploy their troops there.¡±


    An adjutant donned his helmet and followed.


    ¡°If they block us, we¡¯ll just have to break through. Isn¡¯t that what knights do?¡± Carnius said, closing his visor.

 Chapter 260

    <h4>Chapter 260</h4>


    The imperial army needed a decisive move to change the tide of the battlefield. The Porcana-Alliance armyunched a full-scale attack, and the right wing under Urich¡¯smand devoured the imperial army from one side as they encircled them. No matter how strong the imperial army was, it would be hard tost if their formation was overwhelmed like that.


    <i>¡®This is strange.¡¯</i>


    Carnius closed his eyes and opened them again. He looked at the right wing of the Porcana-Alliance army.


    <i>¡®That side has an unusually high morale and breakthrough power. There must be an extraordinary fieldmander. I remember seeing something like this before....¡¯</i>


    Carnius traced his old memories. In his youth, he had fought alongside the Sword Demon Ferzen.


    <i>¡®Something simr happened whenever the Sword Demon Ferzen led his army at the forefront.¡¯</i>


    The legendary knight was not only exceptional inmand. There was something indescribable. When he took the field, the soldiers forgot their fear. His mere presence was a halo to the soldiers.


    He made his entire army stronger not through logical strategies and tactics but through his mere existence. Such a presence wasn¡¯t something that could be mimicked by anyone. It was as if these people were chosen by the gods, born with such talents.


    <i>¡®A blessing of the gods.¡¯</i>


    Carnius smiled bitterly.


    ¡°Bring my horse!¡±


    The cavalry who had gone out returned to change horses. Many horses were injured by the pike phnx, and the horses that made it out almost copsed from undergoing two charges.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Supply soldiers and squires moved busily. They took the armor off the horses and put it on other horses.


    <i>¡®If we don¡¯t break the momentum of that right wing, our front line will be pushed back. We need something that can change this flow.¡¯</i>


    Carnius looked at the battlefield while mounted on his horse. The imperial army, which had maintained superiority in an equal standoff, was now unable to properly carry out shift battles while defending the nk. If they got pushed any further, a chaotic battle would ensue, which was exactly what the barbarians wanted.


    The pride of the imperial armyy in their discipline, organization, and ability to perfectly maintain formation ording to themander¡¯s tactics. If that copsed, the imperial infantry would be no more than just slightly better soldiers.


    ¡°General, the preparations areplete.¡±


    Carnius nodded. He took the lead on his horse. Two thousand heavy cavalry followed, along with three thousand light cavalry. The heavy and light cavalrybined numbered over five thousand.


    The light cavalry were mostly mercenaries or wealthymoners. While good discipline andbat power couldn¡¯t be expected from them, the number one priority at the moment was increasing the numbers.


    ¡°Follow General Carniuuuuus!¡±


    ¡°Long live the Sun!¡±


    ¡°We have Lou¡¯s blessings on our backs!¡±


    The knights shouted to boost morale, but despite their efforts, their morale wasn¡¯t as high as it was for the first and second charges.


    <i>¡®Their spears are longer than ournces.¡¯</i>


    Confronting them head-on was not an option. There was no way to break through the pike phnx with the current equipment of the imperial army.


    Carnius led the cavalry to circle around to the side of the alliance army. His eyes constantly scanned the battlefield.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow came flying from afar. The heavy cavalry that were gradually increasing their speed made good targets.


    Most of the steel knights who protected the front and sides of the heavy cavalry had fallen in the previous charge. The light cavalry were fully exposed in the rear ranks, and even many of the heavy cavalry were injured by arrows because they were only protected by their chainmail.


    <i>¡®Where should we go?¡¯</i>


    Carnius bit his lip.


    Now that he had actually brought out the cavalry, he couldn¡¯t decide on what to do next. Every direction seemed like a dead end. Even with umted experience and knowledge, he couldn¡¯t see a way to break through. The current path was also as good as a dead end.


    ¡°General! We¡¯re about to sh!¡± The adjutant shouted.


    The heavy cavalry in front increased their speed. They held theirnces at their sides and braced for the imminent impact.


    Carnius narrowed his eyes. The world seemed to slow down, just like when a de was grazing his throat. The lives of thousands of soldiers depended on his judgment.


    <i>Buzzzz.</i>


    It was a strange feeling, one he had never felt before.


    It felt like he could even sense the sticity of the passing arrows. Sounds were divided and heard in fragments. His eyes were staring at the heat of the battlefield. Indescribable intuitions welled up.


    ¡°To the leeeeeeft!¡± Carnius shouted as he rushed out to the forefront. He pulled the reins hard, changing direction right in front of the alliance army.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    The cavalry, who couldn¡¯t respond in time to the sudden shift in direction, crashed into the alliance army and died.


    ¡°General!¡± The adjutants shouted, not understanding Carnius¡¯ actions. Innocent cavalry were thrown out and killed.


    ¡°There! We¡¯re going over there!¡± Carnius shouted like a madman.


    Carnius had managed to pick out the location of the Porcana conscripts amidst the chaotic battlefield.


    It wasn¡¯t a certainty borne out of logic. He had simply sensed the subtle flow of the battlefield like a wild dog. He trusted his intuition, which was the culmination of his years of experience. Normally, Carnius would have never done such a thing.


    For the first time, Carnius used a gamble with zero certainty as a tactic. In the aligned formation, there was a point where the imperial army had an advantage. It was a subtle difference, but it was crucial, nheless.


    ¡°Ahhhh! Get out of the way!¡±


    Carnius grabbed the horn trumpet on his horse and sent a signal. His cavalry wore down their horses¡¯ legs to prevent the pike units from catching up to them. The turning and twisting cavalry couldn¡¯t be caught by a small pike unit.


    ¡°Follow the General!¡±


    The adjutants had no choice but to trust Carnius. He tried to break through the alliance formation by cutting through the heavy infantry of the imperial army.


    ¡°Kaaargh!¡±


    It was an unnned operation. The sudden action by Carnius didn¡¯t give the heavy infantry enough time to make way. Many were trampled by the cavalry of their own army.


    <i>¡®Has the general gone mad?¡¯</i>


    Even the adjutants were puzzled. They still ced their trust in him and followed, but it felt like death was creeping closer. The sudden turn by Carnius had resulted in dozens of casualties, and now they were trampling their own formation.


    The adjutants knew this war also served Carnius¡¯ personal revenge. Given the worsening situation, it wasn¡¯t strange for Carnius to take a risky move.


    <i>¡®Even the Iron Blood knight...¡¯</i>


    But they were already charging on their horses. Even if they died, they were only going to do so in the heart of the enemies. The knights followed Carnius blindly like sheep.


    ¡°General! The light cavalry are deserting.¡±


    ¡°Leave them!¡±


    The light cavalry, sensing something was wrong, deserted the battlefield and scattered. Made up of mercenaries and peasants, the light cavalry were more like loot hunters with no loyalty. They avoided full-scale battles as much as possible.


    The desertion of the light cavalry led to a decline in the imperial army¡¯s morale. The situation was headed toward the worst possible scenario for the imperial army.


    ¡°Chaaaaarge!¡±


    Carnius shouted as he threw off his helmet upon reaching the front of the Porcana-Alliance army after trampling over his own men. His voice, unrestrained by the helmet, echoed loudly in the ears of the knights.


    ¡°Goddammiiiiiiiit!¡±


    The knights also tucked their spears under their arms and charged forward.


    <i>Crunch! Snap!</i>


    The sound of flesh being crushed and bones breaking shook the battlefield. The charge of the heavy cavalry, which had lost most of its steel knights before this sh, was significantly weakened. On top of that, having circled around for quite some time had also drained the strength in the horses¡¯ legs.


    ¡°Push forwaaaaaard!¡±


    Despite this, Carnius'' cavalry managed to pierce through the center of the Porcana-Alliance army. The knights who broke through looked around in shock. The soldiers impaled on their spears were just ragtag conscripts.


    <i>¡®Did the general know that this was their weak spot... in this chaotic battlefield...?¡¯</i>


    The adjutants stared at Carnius in astonishment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Draw your weapons!¡±


    The sacrifices of the heavy cavalry were not insignificant, but they had aplished what they thought was impossible. They drew their swords and maces, preparing for the next battle.


    ¡°Our target is the top of that hill! If we upy it, we can annihte theirmand!¡±


    Carnius pulled hard on the reins as if he wasn¡¯t tired at all while even his horse was drenched in sweat from exhaustion.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Carnius struck his horse''s nk with the t of his de. The startled horse mustered its remaining strength and ran.


    The cavalry rushed toward the hill before the Porcana-Alliance forces could surround them. However, injured or exhausted horses copsed and fell to their knees.


    ¡°General, leave the rear to us.¡±


    The knights who lost their horses stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the enemies rushing toward them. Dozens of knights were practically trapped within the formation of the Porcana-Alliance army.


    ¡°We saw a rare spectacle today. The general was unlike his usual self.¡±


    The knightsughed as they swung their swords in circles. They wouldn¡¯t have followed Carnius¡¯ reckless charge if they were going to be scared now.


    ¡°Lou is waiting for us.¡±


    The stranded knights fought with a roar, but no matter how brave, they couldn¡¯t stand against the barbarian warriors and soldiersing from all directions. The knights all became corpses shortly after.


    Carnius moved forward without looking back as if he had turned into an arrow. He had lost even the knights who had served alongside him for a long time.


    <i>¡®Ah, so this is how you felt, Lord Ferzen.¡¯</i>


    Instead of sorrow,ughter came out. In his youth had watched Ferzen¡¯s charges from behind. At first, he thought it was reckless, but as the reckless charges seeded not just once or twice, it became legendary.


    <i>¡®There are things you just can¡¯t see until you stand in the spot yourself.¡¯</i>


    Carnius had always hesitated to take that one extra step. He never took action unless he could be logically certain. However, there were things that could only be seen by throwing oneself into uncertainty.


    At first, he nned to concentrate all the cavalry as the only breakthrough. It was a desperate gamble with the resolve to die. But when he got closer to the alliance army, only then did another path appear. Though he could not be certain, Carnius chose thetter path.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Halfway up the hill, the horses fell to their knees out of exhaustion. The horses had carried the armed knights while wearing armor themselves. It was impressive that they were able to endure this far.


    <i>nk, nk.</i>


    The dismounted knights ran up the hill. Their hearts felt like they would burst, but they knew this was theirst chance.


    ¡°Oooooh!¡±


    On top of the hill, Porcana¡¯s heavy cavalry, who were guarding themand, were descending. Five hundred heavy cavalry charged down the hill and shed with Carnius¡¯ unit.


    <i>Bo¡ªom!</i>


    Carnius dodged the spear of the charging heavy cavalry and swung his sword long. He broke the horse¡¯s leg, and the knocked-off heavy cavalry had their necks snapped and died.


    ¡°Do you think you can beat us with the tactics you stole from us?¡± Carnius shouted, raising his bloodshot eyes.


    The knights faced the heavy cavalry and responded calmly without fear. The difference in skill between the empire and the kingdom was evident here. The highly trained imperial knights were deadly weapons even without their horses. They blocked the attacking heavy cavalry with maces and swords.


    The few remaining steel knights even withstood the ironnces with their bodies and survived. The curved surfaces of the steel armor deflected the crude spears to the side. They were able to get away with only broken bones, even with direct hits. The kingdom¡¯s ironnces couldn¡¯t easily prate the steel armor.


    ¡°My god!¡± Duke Lungell shouted from the top of the hill upon seeing Porcana¡¯s heavy cavalry being overwhelmed.


    Despite holding the advantageous hill, the heavy cavalry fell helplessly. Many of Porcana¡¯s heavy cavalry were only now experiencing mounted charges in actualbat for the first time. They were not as seasoned as the knights of the empire.


    ¡°Call back our troops at the front! Quickly!¡± The nobles shouted, stomping their feet.


    No matter how advantageous the situation was for their army, it was all pointless if they died here. The forces they had with them on the hill were a thousand infantrymen, and even their morale was plummeting after seeing the heavy cavalry at the front being defeated so easily.


    It was a mistake tomit all their forces to overturn the unfavorable situation. Even the heavy cavalry, believed to be sufficient for protection, powerlessly rolled down the hill.


    The number of knights climbing the hill after abandoning their horses was over a thousand at a nce. The blood-soaked imperial knights were more threatening than thousands of soldiers.


    ¡°We must flee, Your Highness!¡±


    The nobles hurriedly mounted their horses. They were fully prepared to abandon themand and flee.


    ¡°If we abandon this ce, who willmand the rest of our troops? Even if we survive that way, who will be loyal to us in the future?¡± Varca spoke calmly.


    He tightened the belt of his chainmail. Raising both hands, he donned his helmet adorned with a crown symbol. His blue eyes gleamed beneath the helmet¡¯s shadow.


    <i>¡®The imperial knights are just as anxious. Our troops who were in formation are already retreating to save us.¡¯</i>


    Varca narrowed his eyes, looking at the approaching mountain goat warriors. The agile detachment wasing to save themand.


    ¡°The situation is in our favor. Stay calm, guardians of Porcana! Look at them! They are exhausted to the point of stumbling. Their swords will not reach us.¡±


    Varca encouraged the soldiers, stepping forward. His noble appearance was proving its worth. Upon seeing the kingly demeanor bestowed by the heavens, the soldiers prayed as if they were facing Lou himself.


    ¡°The enemy has split into two,¡± a Porcana knight said beside Varca.


    Carnius¡¯ unit that was climbing the hill had split up. Half stayed behind to stop the mountain goat warriors while the other half continued to rush up the hill.


    <i>Huff, huff.</i>


    Wheezing sounds came from among the imperial knights. The exhaled breath was blocked by the helmet and was inhaled back through the nose.


    Though exhausted, the imperial knights¡¯ valor was fiercer than ever. The sess of the seemingly reckless charge gave them a feeling that the protection of their god was with them.

 Chapter 261

    <h4>Chapter 261</h4>


    ¡°Archers, ready!¡± Varca shouted as he drew his sword.


    His voice resonated clearly among the soldiers. Although he didn¡¯t have much talent inmanding an army, just the presence of the king alone was enough to boost the soldiers'' morale.


    <i>Creaaak!</i>


    The archers pulled back their bowstrings. Varca raised his sword high and then brought it down.


    ¡°Shields!¡±


    Imperial knights in chainmail raised their shields to block the iing arrows.


    <i>¡®My whole body is aching.¡¯</i>


    Carnius practically crawled up the hill. Thest line of the Porcana defense was in sight.


    ¡°If only I were ten years younger....¡±


    Carnius chuckled as he watched the knights climbing the hill ahead of him. The knights fought the enemy without hesitation as if they were a suicide squad. Carnius'' reckless actions had ignited their morale.


    ¡®This whole n wasn¡¯t really like myself to begin with.¡¯


    Carnius spat bloody phlegm onto the ground. His heart and lungs felt like they were going to burst. He thought his lifespan was probably reduced by a decade even if he managed to survive this battle. It was a fight that abused his entire body.


    <i>¡®Don¡¯t even think about surviving. Fight with the resolve to bury your bones here and die.¡¯</i>


    If one left something behind before a battle, they couldn¡¯t give their all in the fight. The Sword Demon Ferzen had no attachments for this very reason. He had neither children nor a wife so he could die without regrets at any time.


    <i>¡®Lord Ferzen, you gave up everything to live the life of a knight. You tossed aside even the basic human pleasures andfort...¡¯</i>


    To be a great knight, one had to give up everything and sacrifice. Living a happy life while bing a great person was difficult. The life of bing a great person belonged only to those who suffered endless pain and struggled in despair.


    <i>¡®That''s probably why I could never surpass Ferzen.¡¯</i>


    Carnius wanted a happy life. He wanted to die peacefully with his wife and son by his side.


    ¡°Such acent person could never receive Lou''s blessing.¡±


    But now, things were different. His mind was sharp as if he was possessed by a divine spirit. He could see things he hadn''t seen before and felt capable of things he once thought impossible.


    ¡°Oooh, Lou.¡±


    Carnius kissed the sun-ornamented hilt of his sword and climbed the hill. The knights who had arrived first were cutting down Porcana soldiers and clearing a path.


    ¡°Grant us the strength to defeat these heretics. We need the courage to protect innocent people now. Do not let ournd be trampled by barbarians who know no mercy or love,¡± Carnius prayed as he walked among the knights. The knights also recited prayers or the mottos of their houses.


    ¡°King Varca!¡±


    Carnius shouted, seeing Varca standing behind the soldiers.


    Varca flinched and looked at the imperial knights who had approached within shouting distance.


    ¡°You will pay for allying with heretics and threatening the empire and the civilized world! Shame on you!¡±


    Carnius'' voice thundered. His im was extremely threatening, fitting for a seasoned general. Varca shrank back without even realizing it.


    ¡°If you want to talk about true shame, go talk to your emperor, general! Can¡¯t you see the disaster brought by the empire''s tyranny?¡± Varca shouted back, not giving in. Carnius'' bloodshot eyes were terrifying.


    The remaining imperial knights on the hillside did their part as the barrier. Even the mountain goat warriors couldn''t easily break through while Carnius aimed for the Porcana-Alliancemand.


    The mountain goat warriors had superior mobility, but their small stature hindered their ability to perform in frontal battles. They couldn''t easily overthrow the steadfast knights.


    ¡°Kaaargh!¡±


    Carnius dragged his exhausted old body and cut down the enemy soldiers. The almost miraculous swordsmanship of a knight who had wielded a sword all his life was impressive. Soldiers who had only practiced thrusting their spears against scarecrows were no match and died helplessly to the knights.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    A spear aimed at Carnius¡¯ neck. Carnius twisted his head and swung his sword without even looking. The soldier with the spear fell to the ground, scattering blood.


    <i>¡®Leo.¡¯</i>


    His old heart boiled. Passion burned just like it did in his youth. His heart, which seemed it would never beat again, thumped as it consumed his son''s death.


    <i>¡®I could never surpass Ferzen in my lifetime myself, so who did I think I was to try to raise you as a knight....¡¯</i>


    He had tried to pass on the life of a knight living in Ferzen''s shadow to his son. Despite living his life constantlypared to the Sword Demon Ferzen, he had forced the same life on his son. It was shameless and embarrassing.


    <i>¡®You probably never got to say that the Iron Blood Carnius was better than the Sword Demon Ferzen. Everyone knew that Ferzen was the best.¡¯</i>


    Leo grew up hearing that his father was always inferior to someone. If Carnius hadn¡¯t raised his son as a knight, he wouldn¡¯t have passed on his inferiorityplex.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived a shameful life,¡± Carnius muttered, exhaling his breath that smelled of exhaustion. He hadn''t even tried to understand his son''s feelings, who couldn''t say his father was the best.


    A father should be the best in the eyes of his child. That was the duty and mission of a father. A man his child could admire as a role model without doubt.


    ¡°General!¡±


    The knights rushed out to protect Carnius. No matter how much spirit he had, he couldn¡¯t ovee his aged body. As his stamina declined, his fingers trembled, and his vision significantly narrowed.


    ¡°Push! We just have to push a bit more!¡± The knights shouted.


    Porcana¡¯s infantry, having lost their morale, began to throw down their weapons and flee.


    ¡°Hold the line! Reinforcements will arrive soon! Anyone who deserts will be dealt with by strict militaryw!¡± The nobles of Porcana shouted, grabbing fleeing soldiers by the back of their necks.


    ¡°My lord! I have two children... Kagh!¡±


    The nobles of Porcana beheaded the fleeing soldiers to prevent the others from doing the same. It was a brutal measure, but without it, the soldiers would all run away. Varca also turned a blind eye and encouraged the soldiers.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    Dozens of mounted warriors burst out from the alliance army. They charged up the hill to support themand post.


    Urich gritted his teeth and spurred his horse. It was a hastily assembled cavalry of warriors who knew how to ride. Naturally, except for Urich, they looked awkward on horseback. Mountedbat was out of the question.


    <i>¡®The empire¡¯s heavy cavalry chose not to bypass and prated directly to break through the weakest point.¡¯</i>


    It was just like when Urich broke through the front of the imperial army. Acting on impulse by directly observing the battle instead of making rational decisions was the trait and privilege of the fieldmander.


    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d go straight for themand post. Impressive. I thought he was just a stuck-up oldie.¡¯</i>


    Urich smirked.


    ¡°Signal the mountain goat warriors!¡±


    Katagi blew a horn and waved a spear with a red cloth tied to it, signaling a simultaneous attack. The knights blocking reinforcements at the foot of the hill were hit from both sides by the mountain goat warriors and Urich¡¯s charge.


    ¡°Ooooooooh!¡±


    Urich jumped off his horse. The warriors also dismounted and faced off against the knights.


    <i>Thwiwiwip!</i>


    The knights were disoriented by the arrows from the mountain goat warriors attacking from behind. They could only defend from one direction.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Urich and the warriors thumped on the imperial knights'' shields.


    ¡°Hooooaaaah!¡±


    Urich kicked the imperial shields forcefully. Even the heavy knights of the empire fell over from his strength.


    ¡°Oooooh!¡±


    Urich took a spear from a nearby warrior and quickly thrust it. The spear pierced through the chainmail and into the flesh.


    ¡°Push forward!¡±


    The number of warriors climbing the hill only increased. Quick-witted warriors acted independently without being given orders. Due to theck of discipline, there were many who deserted their posts to join Urich as well.


    ¡°Hoh! We are here, Great Chief!¡±


    Some chiefs sent their fastest warriors up the hill even though Urich hadn¡¯t ordered. The alliance''s chiefs and thousand-man-unit captains were all seasoned veterans. As they had fought all their battles thus far based on intuition alone, they were excellent at dealing with unexpected situations.


    The knights guarding the bottom of the hill wavered and merged with Carnius¡¯ army. Carnius¡¯ forces were now surrounded on all sides. The resistance from themand post was unexpectedly strong, dying the mission.


    ¡°It was a good fight, general. What a pity.¡±


    ¡°It was an honor to fight with you men,¡± Carnius said to his knights


    Carnius and his knights knew their end was near. They bid farewell to theirrades with heavy breaths.


    ¡°...General, you must escape.¡±


    A knight who had barely managed to grab a hold of a horse approached Carnius. If the barbariansing up the hillpleted their encirclement, escape would be impossible.


    ¡°What are you saying!¡± Carnius shouted angrily.


    The adjutants and knights exchanged nces and nodded.


    ¡°If you escape, we will surrender. The king of Porcana will ransom us at best, but he will not kill us. That wouldn¡¯t be the case if we were dealing only with the barbarians, but the king and nobles of Porcana are civilized and honorable.¡±


    ¡°You want me to flee alone? Are you trying to disgrace me?¡±


    ¡°Porcana will let us live, but you, General Carnius, they will kill without a doubt. You were extremely threatening today. So, survive andmand the imperial army one more time. The empire needs the experience you have from fighting the plunderers multiple times. There will be many more opportunities to gather an army and fight, but if you are captured here, the empire loses all those chances.¡±


    The adjutant grabbed the reins and urged him.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t run away from this battle.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to die without avenging your son, general!¡± The adjutant shouted.


    Carnius grimaced and mounted the horse.


    ¡°Make way! Fight with everything you¡¯ve got until the general makes it out!¡±


    The adjutant shouted. The knights abandoned their attempt to capture themand post and moved toward a weaker part of the encirclement. About ten knights gathered their horses and clung to Carnius, acting as bodyguards.


    ¡°Escort the general to safety, even if it costs your lives,¡± the adjutant urged the knights.


    The knights fought fiercely to extract Carnius. The mounted Carnius and his escort knights attempted to escape through the path created by the knights.


    ¡°Ooooooooh!¡±


    The Porcana soldiers guarding themand cheered, celebrating their victory. The famously formidable imperial knights were tucking their tails and running for their lives.


    The entire imperial army was retreating. The Porcana-Alliance army pursued them relentlessly.


    ¡°Get me a horse! We have to chase them down!¡±


    Urich abandoned the remaining imperial knights and readied his horse. His eyes were fixed on Carnius. Even in the chaos, he picked out his target.


    <i>¡®We can¡¯t let him escape. He is going to be a huge threat.¡¯</i>


    Carnius was amander who had fought the alliance multiple times. It would be fortunate for the western plunderers if he was demoted for his defeat, but if he was given another opportunity to lead an army, he would be a formidable enemy.


    <i>¡®He made an unexpected assault. I didn¡¯t expect him to break through that part and target ourmand. He¡¯s amander who knows how to read the flow of battle.¡¯</i>


    Urich felt a strange kinship with Carnius¡¯ actions today. He understood and empathized with why Carnius made such decisions. The flow of battles was not always rational. Each and every one of the soldiers on the battlefield was a living being, and this made their morale, though invisible, crucial.


    It was impossible toprehend all the variables on the battlefield with one¡¯s head. Sometimes, reckless intuition was needed to catch the enemy by surprise.


    <i>¡®We cannot lose him.¡¯</i>


    Urich wanted to send the mountain goat warriors in pursuit, but even the battle goats were exhausted. Unlike horses, there were no recements for them, either.


    ¡°Gather the horses that aren¡¯t panting!¡±


    There were horses scattered all over the battlefield, a mix of friendly and enemy mounts. The warriors, following Urich¡¯smand, captured the horses.


    ¡°Urich! Don¡¯t overdo it! The battle here isn¡¯t over yet!¡±


    Varca came down the blood-soaked hill. The imperial resistance was still alive. Although victory seemed almost certain, the strength of the imperial army always unsettled their enemies.


    ¡°Shut up. We can¡¯t let Carnius get away. If we lose him here, we¡¯ve basically lost half of our battle today,¡± Urich shouted firmly, pulling the reins. He wasn¡¯t going to be able to rx until Carnius was dead.


    Urich hastily formed a pursuit team and chased after Carnius.


    <i>¡®They¡¯reing after us.¡¯</i>


    After barely escaping the battlefield, Carnius frowned upon seeing the pursuers. The shame of fleeing was almost unbearable.


    ¡°General, throwing your life away here will not be an act of courage,¡± a knight spoke as if he read Carnius¡¯ mind.


    ¡°Heeeeyyyy! Carnius! Let¡¯s settle this like men!¡±


    The voice, though quite distant, sounded like it wasing from right behind him. The brash and loud voice echoed through the woods.


    Carnius instantly recognized the voice.


    <i>¡®Urich the barbarian.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 262

    <h4>Chapter 262</h4>


    After this battle, Urich''s fame would spread widely throughout the civilized world. It would be a fear iparable to his previous renown. The conqueror from the west, one more terrifying than the Mijorn the Brave of the north.


    Carnius smirked bitterly. A being too frightening to be dismissed as a mere barbarian was chasing after him.


    <i>¡®He is a beast that might destroy the civilized world.¡¯</i>


    The Sun priests said that the plunderers from the west were Lou''s judgment. They were the divine punishment released upon the civilized people who had lived indulgently, viting the teachings of Lou. The priests imed that this was why the civilized people were not receiving Lou''s protection.


    "They dare to prattle on after just one victory!"


    The knights escorting Carnius exploded in anger. Voices mocking the imperial army''s defeat were heard from behind.


    <i>¡®This defeat will bring many threats to the empire.¡¯</i>


    Carnius felt the weight on his shoulders. He had lost many elite knights. The retreating imperial army had lost over half of its forces.


    <i>¡®Even if I return alive, I will be met with reproach and criticism.¡¯</i>


    The responsibility for defeat was heavy. Carnius had already failed despite being given a second chance. There might not be a third chance. His political rivals would do anything to seize this opportunity to reduce Carnius'' influence.


    <i>¡®But if not me, who will defend the empire from these people?¡¯</i>


    Carnius bit his lips hard. He wanted to take his own life immediately from all the disgrace and guilt.


    <i>¡®If anyone besides me fights them while still dismissing them as mere barbarians, they¡¯ll end up just like me. I must lead the army again, no matter what humiliation I have to endure....¡¯</i>


    The nobles of the empire would not understand Carnius'' resolve. They would undoubtedly whisper that he was a shameless old man. People would me Carnius for his ipetence while reminiscing about the Sword Demon Ferzen.


    <i>¡®I will swallow this disgrace and survive.¡¯</i>


    But there was no guarantee that he would win the next battle. If Carnius lost once more, he would be despised by all civilized people.


    A senile old man and a foolish knight who knew neither honor nor shame. A fool who refused to make peace due to his personal vengeance, leading the civilized world to ruin. Historians would record Carnius'' ipetence with all their malice.


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case....¡±


    Carnius chose the life of shame. He felt the horse''s movement and briefly closed his eyes before opening them again. His haggard eyes were dark. Blood was flowing out of his copsed gums from clenching his teeth too hard.


    Urich''s pursuit unit couldn¡¯t seem to catch up to Carnius. The forest paths favored the fleeing side.


    "Argh!"


    A warrior riding beside Urich fell off his horse after hitting a tree. Except for Urich, everyone else was inexperienced in horseback riding. It was difficult to navigate the forest path full of rocks and trees.


    "Idiots!" Urich cursed as he kicked his horse''s side.


    <i>¡®Shit, I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from knights who¡¯ve ridden horses all their lives.¡¯</i>


    He wasn¡¯t getting any closer to Carnius. Urich frowned and took a deep breath.


    "Heeeeeeey! Carniuuuuuus! Don¡¯t you want to know how your son died?"


    Urich''s voice echoed through the forest. The leaves rustled roughly.


    "General, ignore him! It''s a childish provocation!" The knights said as they ground their teeth. They too wanted to turn around and fight.


    "Your son begged pathetically for his life like a coward, begging to be spared. Everything makes sense now! He must have taken after his father, the ultimate coward! You know what they say: like father, like son!"


    Urich shouted at the top of his lungs. His sarcastic tone grated on Carnius and the knights'' nerves.


    <i>Grip.</i>


    Carnius clenched his fist. His face turned bright red. Blood flowed from under his lips.


    "Grghhhh."


    Carnius groaned as veins rose on his face. His face twisted to the point it no longer looked human. Even the knights fell silent at the sight of Carnius'' face.


    "Hmm, what was it that he said as he died? Daddy? Did he say daddy? Nope, he cried for his mommy like a little bitch. Well, no wonder a kid raised under such a coward turned out the way he did! You sure he didn¡¯t sneak into some dudes¡¯ beds at night, ying the woman?"


    Urich shouted at the top of his lungs, sweating profusely. He said whatever that came to his mind, thinking he must not lose Carnius. Despite what his tone suggested, Urich was also desperate.


    <i>¡®I can''t catch up. If this doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll lose him.¡¯</i>


    The warriors chasing alongside Urich fell off their horses one by one, unable to endure the rough forest path. Now, only about ten were left.


    <i>¡®Where is my son''s honor?¡¯</i>


    Carnius'' mind was nk. Consequences were not on his mind.


    "General!"


    That was all the knights could say. How could they tell him to ignore such words when his dead son was being so severely insulted?


    "Run away all you want, Carnius! The man who murdered your son is right here, yet you''re running away! I, Urich, am right here!"


    Finally, Carnius looked back. His eyes, ominous like those of an evil spirit, stared at Urich.


    <i>¡®The number of pursuers is only about ten.¡¯</i>


    Combining Carnius and the knights, they outnumbered the pursuers. They could turn their horses around and kill them, then continue with their escape.


    "I..."


    Carnius muttered. The knights waited for his next words.


    "...cannot take this anymore."


    The knights nodded, closing their visors. This could turn out to be an opportunity. Killing the leader of the plunderers here would greatly benefit the empire.


    <i>¡®This is a chance to make up for the defeat.¡¯</i>


    Rage was the fundamental reason for the knights turning their horses. They couldn''t bear Urich''s insults. The opportunity to make up for the defeat was nothing but an excuse. Without Urich''s provocation, they would have never even considered turning around to fight.


    "Great Chief! Those bastards areing!"


    A warrior shouted. The knights were charging at Urich through the forest path.


    <i>¡®Damn, mountedbat is not good for us.¡¯</i>


    Urich snapped back to reality. Both sides had a simr number of men. There was no sure win.


    "Let''s go! Kill theeeeem!"


    There was no other choice. Urich and the warriors shed head-on with the knights.


    <i>Craaash!</i>


    People were falling off their horses left and right. Knights and warriors tangled together, hitting the ground. Those still on horseback circled and charged again.


    "Barbarian Uriiiiiiich!" Carnius shouted, raising his sword high.


    He drove his horse fiercely toward Urich. Urich also grabbed his reins and charged.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Swords shed. Carnius grimaced as he felt like his arm was about to pop out of the socket.


    <i>¡®What tremendous strength.¡¯</i>


    Carnius nearly fell off his horse but managed to hold on. He heard the sound of something falling over.


    "Kagh! Shit!"


    Urich, having lost his bnce, tumbled along with his horse. Though he had won in strength, hecked in mountedbat.


    "Dumbass horse! This would have been a piece of cake with Kylios!"


    Urich kicked the head of the horse whose leg broke. He picked up his sword again with his aching body.


    "Urich the barbarian, you will pay for insulting my son," Carnius muttered as if praying, holding his sword de to his nose.


    <i>¡®Finally, the opportunity hase, Leo.¡¯</i>


    He felt a sense of relief. Leo¡¯s enemy was right in front of him.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou, please help me. You can take everything I have, so just help me.¡¯</i>


    Carnius pulled on the reins. He lowered his posture and charged at Urich.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll kill you with my axe, you old shit.¡¯</i>


    Urich reached behind his waist. He waited until Carnius was within range.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Urich¡¯s hand moved swiftly. Throwing axes was one of Urich¡¯s favorite skills.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Carnius raised his sword and deflected the axe. Urich¡¯s axe bounced off and lodged into a tree.


    <i>¡®An attack is easy to block if you know it¡¯sing.¡¯</i>


    Carnius had anticipated Urich¡¯s axe throw. This wasn¡¯t his first time dealing with a barbarian.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Urichughed, gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands.


    <i>Schriiing!</i>


    The swords of the two men shed long. Urich kicked the horse''s knee with his leg.


    ¡°Neigh!¡±


    The horse lost its bnce and fell over. Urich pounced on the falling Carnius and thrust his sword down.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Carnius rolled quickly even as he fell. Urich¡¯s sword struck the dirt. It did note out easily as it was embedded quite deeply.


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    Urich grabbed a rock from the ground and hurled it. The rock struck Carnius on the forehead, making him stagger as he held his head.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Urich took the chance to pull his sword from the ground.


    ¡°Wooooaaaah!¡±


    Suddenly, a knight aimed at Urich¡¯s back without him realizing.


    ¡°Great Chief!¡± A warrior shouted, seeing Urich in danger.


    It was a chaotic battle where warriors and knights were entangled. Urich bent down to dodge the knight¡¯s sword.


    <i>¡®Shit.¡¯</i>


    Carnius didn¡¯t miss this opportunity and attacked Urich. Urich, despite his size, moved nimbly, rolling backward like doing somersaults.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Urich¡¯s shoulders heaved. Carnius, too, was panting, trying to catch his breath. The exhaustion was much more severe for the older Carnius.


    Urich watched the knight approaching him. Everyone had fallen off their horses and were fighting on foot in a melee.


    <i>Schring! ng!</i>


    The knight targeting the exhausted Urich fell lifelessly. Urich had struck the knight¡¯s face with his axe.


    ¡°Nice try.¡±


    Urich kicked the knight¡¯s head and broke his neck. He walked toward Carnius as he crossed his axe and sword.


    <i>¡®His speech and actions are frivolous, but he is stronger than anyone I¡¯ve fought against.¡¯</i>


    Carnius acknowledged Urich¡¯s prowess. The status of leader of the plunderers was fully deserved. Urich¡¯s fame that had spread throughout the civilized world was no lie. Calling him a legendary warrior wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement.


    <i>¡®The frivolous provocations were just a guise.¡¯</i>


    Carnius looked quietly into Urich¡¯s eyes. The opponent wasn¡¯t an emotional barbarian but a cold-hearted warrior. He was a man who had chased him down using every trick to ensure he didn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°I was worried you might just get away like that.¡±


    Urich muttered, looking at Carnius.


    ¡°I saw right through your obvious provocation. I just decided to fall for it, Urich the barbarian.¡±


    Hearing that, Urich shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°My ass. You just didn¡¯t have the courage and patience to endure disgrace and humiliation.¡±


    Urich sneered. Carnius, infuriated, charged.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich extended his arm and swung his sword. Carnius¡¯ arm, unable to withstand Urich¡¯s strength, was forced upward.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich swung his axe rhythmically, targeting Carnius¡¯ head like a hammer. Carnius twisted his upper body to avoid the axe¡¯s trajectory. The axe grazed the armor covering his neck. The sloped te armor deflected the attack with ease. It was the highest technology of the empire, befitting the armor of a general.


    A life-or-death blow was exchanged.


    ¡°Spit!¡±


    Urich spat on Carnius¡¯ face. The thick saliva, mixed with blood and phlegm, hit Carnius¡¯ eyes.


    The spit blurred his vision, but he couldn¡¯t easily wipe it away due to his steel gauntlets.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve kept your helmet on!¡±


    Urich shouted and seized the opportunity. He began shing wildly with his axe and sword. Urich struck Carnius¡¯ arm with the axe, breaking it. Then, he wedged his sword underneath the breastte.


    <i>Riiip!</i>


    There was the sound of Carnius¡¯ entrails being torn. The sensation of the sword churning inside his stomach was chilling.


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    Carnius grabbed Urich¡¯s shoulder, coughing up blood. Bloody tears streamed down his wide-open eyes.


    ¡°I...! I!¡±


    Carnius kept repeating. Knights fighting other warriors screamed and looked at Carnius.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich drove the sword deeper. Carnius¡¯ body convulsed violently.


    ¡°Oh, Lou, why....¡±


    It was an old, frail voice. Lou had not granted Carnius his vengeance.


    ¡°Go ask him after you die.¡±


    Urich pushed Carnius¡¯ body away with his foot and withdrew his sword. He lightly shook off the blood from the messed-up de.


    Carnius¡¯ eyes and body grew cold.


    Even the resisting knights began to fall or flee in all directions. Urich didn¡¯t bother to chase them. For now, this was enough.


    <i>¡®A lot of blood has been spilled today.¡¯</i>


    No peace was achieved, and the amount of blood that was shed reflected that.


    It was a rampage of a father who had lost his son, and Urich had provoked him. It wasn¡¯t the greatest aftertaste.


    <i>¡®How many Carniuses have there been... and how many more will there be?¡¯</i>


    Urich collected the body of Carnius, who died with his eyes open. His body would be sent back to the empire.

 Chapter 263: Chaos of War

    <h4>Chapter 263: Chaos of War</h4>


    "Porcana and Caselmaroni have dered independence."


    "They are being aided by the west and the north. Who would have thought they would ally with barbarians? It''s hard to see even an inch ahead in this world these days."


    "What is the empire even doing?"


    Such was themon topic all over the empire. Even in the countryside where news was slow to reach, no one was unaware of the chaos in the civilized world. People were trembling with fear but also excited by the tiny hope of a new world opening up.


    The plunderers from the west became allies with a kingdom of the civilized world. The northerners were iming to be an independent nation under the Sun. Different factions with varying values had united against themon enemy called the empire.


    "The so-called ¡®millennium empire¡¯ couldn''t evenst a hundred years."


    "Hey, we don¡¯t know that yet. Do you really think the empire would copse so easily?"


    "Apparently they were hit pretty hard this time. I heard they sought peace but were rejected. That just shows that the empire is really on the defensive."


    All the men who could wield a sword in the civilized world were jumping into the mercenary business. Not only the empire but also the kingdoms were busy frantically bolstering their armies. If the empire fell, the peace and bnce of the civilized world would crumble along with it.


    "Well, it did feel like the peace wassting too long."


    The elders had lived their entire lives in war. In fact, the peaceful period that had fewer wars hadsted only about ten years. Considering the history of civilization, this peaceful era was an unusual era, while war had always existed.


    "Have you heard of the leader of the plunderers? They say it''s a barbarian warrior named Urich."


    "Urich?"


    "Apparently he¡¯s a barbarian who drinks blood instead of water and enjoys eating human flesh. That¡¯s what the rumors say, at least."


    "How horrible. To think those kingdoms allied and shook hands with such a man...."


    News of the empire''s major defeat spread quickly. The name of the plunderer leader became a symbol of fear, and bizarre rumors circted.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    The remnants of the imperial army returned despondently to the imperial capital of Hamel. The sight of the knights was especially pitiful.


    <i>¡®They call this mercy?¡¯</i>


    The defeated imperial knights looked at their empty right wrists. They had kept their heads, but their lives as knights were over. With their right hands cut off, they couldn''t wield weapons. Their bodies trembled whenever they saw their severed hands. It was a cruel fate.


    <i>¡®Those crazy barbarian bastards.¡¯</i>


    But Urich called it mercy. The knights recalled the day their fate was decided.


    Knights who were of nobility naturally thought they would be released for ransom. Even the Porcana Kingdom leaned toward releasing them that way as well.


    "Show mercy, Urich,¡± Gottval said while looking at the prisoners after the battle had ended.


    "I can¡¯t do that; these guys are masters ofbat. Maybe if it was just a couple of them, but hundreds? You want me to just let all of them go?"


    Urich shook his head firmly to dismiss any sliver of hope for the imperial knights. The knights who came out for ransom negotiations turned pale at his words.


    Urich sat on a fur-covered chair, looking at the kneeling imperial knights. Ten knights of higher noble birth and rank stood as representatives.


    Gottval looked at Varca as if he was pleading for help. Varca awkwardly smiled and spoke up, having been looking away.


    "Urich, you can''t kill them all. Many of them have rtives in Porcana. All nobles are somewhat rted by blood, so their fathers or grandfathers might be from Porcana. This battle isn''t just your alliance army''s concern; Porcana is involved too... please save my face."


    Thest part was whispered.


    "Letting such dangerous men go will only have theme back armed again. You''ve seen how they fight. They''re scary."


    As Urich said this, the faces of the imperial knights were filled with mixed emotions.


    Urich, the formidable barbarian enemy, acknowledged their skills. Urich said he couldn''t afford to let them live because of how strong they were. To the knights, it was a greatpliment, but at the same time also made their hearts sink.


    "We will ept whatever decision."


    The representative imperial knights maintained their pride. They did not beg for their lives.


    "See? They say it''s okay to kill them. Exactly what I would expect from true warriors."


    Urichughed heartily. The nobles of Porcana grumbled and cursed Urich.


    "Urich! We have shed enough blood already. Are you saying you intend to spill more?"


    Gottval desperately tried to save the knights. The knights were stirred by his actions.


    <i>¡®Who is this Sun priest shouting like this before the leader of the barbarians?¡¯</i>


    It was clear to everyone that Gottval was a priest of Srism. The pairing of a barbarian leader and a Sun priest was rather peculiar.


    Urich scratched his chin and picked off a scab. His opponent was Gottval, and he wasn¡¯t easy to ignore.


    "Why can''t you understand what I¡¯m saying? If we let good fighters like these guys go, only more of us will dieter. It''s that simple, man."


    Urich grumbled. The debate about what to do with the imperial knights continued. From Porcana''s perspective, who were a part of civilization themselves, they couldn''t annihte the imperial knights.


    Urich rubbed his forehead and looked at the knights. He sighed deeply.


    "Fine. I''ll show mercy."


    Gottval''s face brightened, and the knights'' eyes wavered.


    "You''ve made the right decision, Urich. Lou will surely return the mercy you¡¯re showing today with even greater blessings."


    Urich didn¡¯t pay any attention to Gottval¡¯s words and threw a hand axe in front of the knights.


    He then spoke casually, "Cut off your right hands. Then I''ll let you go."


    "What?!"


    The knights jumped up.


    "This is as much as I can concede. If you can''t ept it, wipe your necks clean ande back to me when you¡¯re ready."


    Urich was firm.


    Neither Gottval nor Varca could say anymore. Urich didn''t kill the knights, just as they had asked.


    The knights had no choice. They looked at each other and nodded. It was better to return alive even if it meant having their hands cut off.


    "We will not forget this humiliation," the knights said as they grabbed the axe Urich had thrown at them.


    Urich shrugged and chewed on some jerky.


    "No, no. Feel free to forget it. Just remember that I showed you mercy, keke."


    Urich''s lowughter echoed in the knights'' ears. The captured imperial knights lost their right hands. Their lives as knights were as good as over, even if any of them were left-handed.


    The knights who had their right hands severed made it back to the empire with their arms wrapped in multipleyers of bandage. Seeing their condition, the people of the empire were even more terrified. The physical muttion was more shocking than the deaths they couldn¡¯t see.


    * * *


    Emperor Yanchinus could not avoid struggling on the northern front.


    The northern warriors, who had essentially be civilized by now, followed the empire''s strategies and tactics exactly. When at a disadvantage, they held out in fortresses and engaged in defensive warfare while sending separate units to attack the empire''s rear. Moreover, the Caselmaroni Kingdom, allied with the northerners, fiercely pressured the empire.


    The regr army of Caselmaroni repeatedly attacked the empire''s supply lines. The imperial army, unable to divide its front any further, was in a desperate situation.


    Amidst all this, news of Carnius'' defeat reached the north.


    ¡°Carnius....¡±


    Yanchinus received the letter and sped his forehead. He turned a bottle of wine upside down, pouring it onto the ground.


    ¡°Y-your Majesty!¡±


    The maid next to Yanchinus trembled violently. None of the women in the imperial household were unaware of Yanchinus'' temper. His violence especially peaked when receiving bad news.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Yanchinus struck the maid¡¯s head with the empty wine bottle. ss shards embedded themselves in her head and face. She couldn''t even scream, just covering her mouth and sobbing.


    ¡°Go tell the doctor I sent you,¡± Yanchinus said without even looking at her. He grabbed a few pieces of clothing from beside the bed and threw them at her.


    <i>¡®Not only did he fail to make peace, but he also lost the battle....¡¯</i>


    It was the worst possible oue among many choices. He couldn''t even reprimand Carnius because he was already dead.


    ¡°Ha, haha.¡±


    Yanchinusughed hollowly and then covered his mouth. He leaned over and retched. Cold sweat poured down his face.


    ¡°Is the empire going to crumble under my reign? The empire?¡±


    The kingdoms that had been under oppression were rising up. The empire''s main army was busy dealing with barbarians and had no time to subjugate the kingdoms.


    <i>¡®Will the nobles still listen to me at a time like this?¡¯</i>


    He needed to gather an army one more time. This time, it wasn''t enough with just the direct territory of the empire. He needed the support of even the nobles on the outskirts. All nobles, whether they were anti- or pro-imperial, had to send troops if the empire was going to resolve the current situation.


    <i>¡®I need to return to Hamel. There''s no time to waste on the northern front like this.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus looked at the tactical map.


    <i>¡®Who should I leave in charge of the northern front? Sun Warriors Commander Alfnan? No, he''s too blinded by ambition to be reliable.¡¯</i>


    He couldn''t immediately think of a capablemander. The empire was in a transitional period with their talents. The old men who had lived the empire''s golden age were retiring, and the new young ones were just beginning to gain experience.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t have anyone better than Carnius.¡¯</i>


    The situation was dire. Soon, the kingdoms would dere war on the empire.


    <i>¡®Where did it all go wrong?¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus closed his eyes and reflected on his decisions. He had invested heavily in exploring the Eastern Continent and pioneering the Sky Mountains. Although some nobles cried out that it was a waste of national funds, it wasn''t a major issue for the economically prosperous empire.


    <i>¡®They were both investments worth making if we were thinking long-term.¡¯</i>


    Yailrud and the western expedition were the crucial mistakes. He had essentially created a passage connecting the west and the civilized world. He had thought that one legion would be enough to develop the west.


    On paper, it was a correct judgment. One legion should have been enough to handle the barbarians who were not united.


    ¡°That¡¯s where you came in... Urich.¡±


    Urich was the root of all problems. He was an early explorer and warrior who had traversed both worlds.


    Urich quickly unified the west and awaited the empire''s legion. No matter how weak the tribal armies were, their power, when united, was tremendously strong. The plunderers wiped out the legion, upied Yailrud, and only grew stronger.


    ¡°Keke, I should have killed him when I had the chance.¡±


    He never thought that Urich would be such a great threat. He had thought of him as just a barbarian good at fighting, merely a tool to be used.


    ¡°So, where should I start the cleanup?¡±


    Yanchinus looked around the map with rolling eyes. Porcana and the plunderers were not going to agree to peace now. Even if they did, their demands would be excessive since they had just won a major battle against the imperial army.


    <i>¡®The ones I can persuade are the other kingdoms. I need to give them what they want before they dere war.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus decided to give up on the kingdoms. It was nearly impossible to maintain vassal states in the current situation.


    ¡°If defeat is inevitable, it''s better to give them what they want first,¡± Yanchinus mumbled the lesson he had received.


    He needed to make concessions before rtions with other kingdoms soured. At least that way, he could avoid hostile rtionships.


    <i>¡®If I return the territory we upied to the Giskin Kingdom, which borders Caselmaroni, they will likely want to strike at Caselmaroni given their long-time rivalry instead of antagonizing us. If Giskin starts military action, Caselmaroni won''t have the leisure to fight us.¡¯</i>


    If the immediate military forces were insufficient, he had to use another kingdom to tie up the hostile kingdom. He was an emperor who had learned statecraft, and this was how the first emperor had achieved great unification fifty years ago; by expanding his power by allying with various kingdoms and sometimes even betraying them.


    <i>¡®You¡¯re supposed to learn from history.¡¯</i>


    It was already toote to prevent the chaos of war. In that case, he needed to make the most of the turmoil.


    <i>¡®Not much can be done about Porcana and the western plunderers gnawing away at the eastern part of the empire. It would be nice if the local lords could hold out, but I can''t expect much from them.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus bit his thumbnail.


    <i>¡®As soon as Caselmaroni is out of the picture, I need to push the northern rebels up with all my might. If I can take just three of their strongholds, I can create a stalemate.¡¯</i>


    The northern rebels had upied the strongholds the empire had selected as strategic points. With Caselmaroni''s support added on top of that, they were managing to hold their ground against the empire. But this also meant that if the imperial army were to take those strongholds back, they could tie down the northern rebels with just a small army.


    <i>¡®If I couldn''t tie down the west and Porcana... then this time, I must tie down the north.¡¯</i>


    <i>Riiip!</i>


    Yanchinus picked up his dagger and stuck it into the map. He put on his coat and went out to summon themanders and scribes. Even in a disadvantageous situation, the emperor was pondering a breakthrough.


    The blood of conquerors spanning three generations was boiling hot. The breath of a hungry wolf spread fiercely.


    After five decades, the era of chaos of war returned. Yanchinus thought of his grandfather''s era. The great first emperor had built up the empire despite being in a more desperate situation. Compared to that, the current empire was still in a much more advantageous position.

 Chapter 264: Catastrophe

    <h4>Chapter 264: Catastrophe</h4>


    Gottval gathered the people and cleared his throat. Many people had gathered to hear him preach. In particr, the civilized mercenaries found moralfort in him.


    ¡°The world is chaotic, and we are living in an era where what is right and wrong is unclear. A soldier I know needed money. He grew up as the son of a poor serf and fled from the exploitation of the lord. There was a woman whom he loved, but in order to marry her, he had to pay a fee to his lord. Now, let me remind you that the soldier needed money. So now, he fights against the empire for these barbarians called the ¡®alliance¡¯ as a mercenary. This story is about one of you.¡±


    Gottval looked at the people. He made eye contact with each and every man in the crowd.


    ¡°The soldier who needed money worked as a mercenary. He killed and plundered people. He also burned fields and houses. He killed someone''s son and perhaps the father of an innocent child. Much sorrow and despair must have been created. We must take responsibility for those actions and feel the guilt.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do, Brother Gottval?¡±


    ¡°You already know what is right and wrong. You justcked the courage to act. You just need to do what you believe is more right. If you believe that Lou is watching every moral choice you make, you will inevitably do the right thing.¡±


    Gottval smiled bitterly. Despite what he was saying, he himself could not always adhere to Lou¡¯s teachings.


    <i>¡®All we can do is try our best.¡¯</i>


    Gottval spent most of his time listening to confessions or giving advice. The number of people who came looking for him after hearing about his reputation increased day by day.


    ¡°The barbarians...¡±


    The mercenaries looked at the westerners who were listening to Gottval.


    ¡°Go on, priest. Don¡¯t mind us.¡±


    The westerner spoke fluent Hamelian. It was thenguage of the empire and essentially the universalnguage of the civilized world.


    The westerners who learned Hamelian were considered quite knowledgeable in the tribal world. They put a lot of effort into learning thenguage of civilization because they were driven by intellectual curiosity and felt an attraction to the civilized world, like Urich.


    What piqued the curiosity of the westerners was the technology and religion of civilization. The technology of the civilized world was advanced enough to createplex machinery, and Srism was iparably more sophisticated and systematic than any belief in the tribal world.


    Srism was much clearer than the vague tribal beliefs. Most importantly, there was the concrete existence of the sun god Lou.


    ¡°Are you saying that if we believe in this sun god Lou, wee back to life after we die?¡± A westerner asked.


    Gottval opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°It is reincarnation. It has a slightly different meaning than simplying back to life. A purified soul will live a different life in a new body. If Lou does not permit reincarnation, the soul bes an evil spirit and wanders the earth in torment.¡±


    ¡°Then our ancestors must all have be evil spirits.¡±


    The westernersughed and chatted among themselves.


    The number of westerners visiting Gottval increased daily.


    <i>¡®Is this my mission?¡¯</i>


    Gottval actively spread his faith. Unlike the northerners, the westerners were very open-minded. Because their religious views were sox, they were able to naturally ept the worldview of Srism.


    The number of westerners interested in Srism kept growing. There were even warriors who received baptism for fun.


    The more protection from powerful beings like spirits or gods a warrior had, the better it was. Warriors received baptism with such simple motives. It wasn¡¯t necessarily for reincarnation or to follow Lou¡¯s teachings.


    Six-Fingered found Gottval''s actions unpleasant. Unable to bear it, he directly confronted Urich about Gottval''s preaching.


    ¡°Stop that man from talking about his god anymore, Great Chief,¡± Six-Fingered said as he bared his dark teeth.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich, sitting in a rocking chair, expressed that he did not care one bit.


    The alliance army was stationed at the border fortress of Porcana. They had seized the supplies of the defeated imperial army, so they had plenty of provisions. They nned to march directly into the empire once they finished reorganizing.


    ¡°Urich!¡± Six-Fingered shouted and pointed. The bone fragments on his staff rattled loudly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a few people going over to listen to him, isn¡¯t it? Even Samikan didn¡¯t reject Srism. It¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡±


    ¡°It is for me, Great Chief.¡±


    ¡°Besides, Gottval is not someone who would stop just because I told him to. He is not my subordinate. He is merely my guest.¡±


    ¡°...He will stop when he bes a corpse.¡±


    Six-Fingered¡¯s dark lips twisted.


    ¡°I said Gottval is my guest, Priest Six-Fingered.¡±


    Urich also frowned.


    ¡°Great Chief Urich! You are the leader of the west! How long will you keep amodating the people of thisnd! Some even doubt if you are truly our Great Chief!¡±


    Six-Fingeredshed out, but his criticism did have merit. There were many civilized people among Urich¡¯s close associates to the point where he was spending more time with the people of civilization. There were some who viewed this unfavorably.


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. Let me make it clear right now. If you touch Gottval, you will die.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill the priest of the alliance? Urich, are you nning to be a tyrant like Samikan?¡±


    Six-Fingeredughed sinisterly.


    Even Samikan could not easily touch Six-Fingered when his power grew. Six-Fingered was now even more powerful than before.


    There were countless warriors who relied on shamans in this foreignnd. The shamans used mysterious herbs to show the warriors the smells andndscapes of their homnd.


    ¡°Great Chief Urich! I was the one who made you who you are today. I even gave you the divinity of the Son of the Earth! Could you have overthrown Samikan without my help? I arranged everything so you could smoothly receive the power of the Great Chief! I helped you bear the will of the heavens! I made you the Great Chief!¡±


    Six-Fingered shouted as if he was casting a spell on Urich with his fingers weaving erratically.


    Urich tilted his head to the side. He stared nkly at Six-Fingered¡¯s six fingers.


    ¡°So, what?¡±


    At Urich¡¯s retort, Six-Fingered slowly calmed his anger.


    ¡°A priest is someone who sees the will of the heavens, Great Chief. Without the help of the heavens, you cannot achieve anything.¡±


    Six-Fingered spoke politely as if he hadn¡¯tshed out merely seconds ago. He lightly tapped the floor with his staff, making a sound.


    ¡°The help of the heavens...¡±


    Urich chuckled lightly. He watched as Six-Fingered left.


    The Porcana-Alliance army prepared for a decisive battle with the empire while reorganizing. The empire was still very much intact. It was not going to copse just because it lost a significant number of troops.


    <i>¡®I want to end this war as soon as possible.¡¯</i>


    Urich walked around the camp, looking at the warriors. The number of warriors visibly decreased after each battle. The tribal warriors fought bravely, but their numbers dwindled just as quickly as well.


    <i>¡®We can¡¯t drag this long. Even if we win multiple battles, soldiers will continue toe from the empire¡¯snds. We have to crush the empire with the momentum we have right now.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s thoughts were sound, and others like Varca and Georg felt the same.


    Urich and Varca sat on the fortress walls, looking beyond the border. Inside the fortress, soldiers were preparing for departure.


    "Now is our chance, Urich. Once the preparations areplete, we should advance quickly. It will take a while for the empire to gather their army."


    Varca stood at the edge of the rampart with his arms crossed. His cloak fluttered long in the wind.


    "What about Duke Lungell? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s very fond of me."


    "That¡¯s true, but he doesn''t have much influence. What''s more important to the other nobles is the fact that we gained independence. Besides, we''re not the only ones who joined hands with a barbarian army, so we were able to somewhat save face as well."


    The news of the alliance between Caselmaroni and the northern independence army had reached Porcana. It exined why the empire so urgently requested peace.


    "Let''s rush up while the emperor is on the northern front. If we advance directly, it might be possible to end the war within a year."


    "A year? Urich, you''ve seen the high walls of Hamel. That''s the capital of the empire. They must have stockpiled supplies that couldst them years. Even if we were to engage in a siege, it would take years."


    "Who said anything about a siege?"


    "Huh?"


    Varca turned around and looked at Urich.


    "Those walls are obviously impossible to breach. Did you not hear what I said earlier? The emperor is on the northern front."


    Varca''s eyes widened.


    "You¡¯re talking about striking first!" Varca eximed.


    "We attack the emperor¡¯s army before he can get back into Hamel."


    "The empire, with its strong imperial authority, will be thrown into chaos if the emperor''s position is vacant. That''s why the emperor will try to leave the northern front as quickly as possible."


    "Exactly. So, if we capture the emperor before he enters Hamel, the war will be over," Urich said as he lifted his head and looked north.


    <i>¡®This is how we¡¯re going to end the war. If the war drags on, the tide can turn at any time. It won¡¯t get any easier even if we win every battle.¡¯</i>


    Urich and Varca discussed the route of their advance. If they were to attack the emperor on the northern front, their best bet was to take the fastest route even if the path was rough, as time was of the essence.


    "Isn''t this route the fastest? That one''s a bit far," Urich asked, looking at the map.


    "Urich, it''s better to avoid thends of powerful local lords. They won''t surrender easily and will only waste our time."


    "I guess we¡¯ll still have to go past Hamel. You don¡¯t think an army would suddenlye out from behind, do you?"


    "They won¡¯t try to engage in field battles with a garrison. I heard a lot of troops have been invested in the northern front. They shouldn¡¯t have enough forces to intercept us..."


    Varca traced the map with his finger and stopped at the imperial capital of Hamel. His blue eyes swirled like a vortex in ake.


    <i>¡®Damia.¡¯</i>


    Varca stared intently at Urich.


    "What are you looking at? If you have something to say, say it like a man. Do you still act like a little girl?"


    Urich chuckled.


    "Urich, do you..."


    Varca trailed off. His sister''s face lingered in his mind. His nephew''s face resembled Urich¡¯s. Anyone who knew Urich would immediately recognize him as his son.


    "Man, if you can¡¯t talk about it, just don''t bring it up in the first ce."


    Urich didn''t press further. He saw Varca as a reasonable and intelligent young man. If he chose not to speak, he must have had a good reason for not doing so.


    The Porcana-Alliance armypleted their preparations and crossed the empire''s border. No local lord could stop the army that had destroyed the imperial army. The local lords simply curled up, hoping the army wouldn''te to theirnds.


    "Phew."


    Summer had arrived in the civilized world. The air was humid.


    "I love it here, but the summer here is the worst."


    The marching warriors grumbled. They could tolerate the heat, but the unpleasant humidity was unbearable.


    Urich, riding on Kylios, chugged cold water. After quenching his thirst, he poured the rest of the water over Kylios'' head.


    "Marching in this weather is killing me. The smell is awful too."


    An army of over twenty thousand soldiers were on the move. The supply soldiers from Porcana were also following, making the procession that much longer. The warriors from the west, whocked a bathing culture, smelled terrible.


    "There is no time to rest, Urich. If we want to face the emperor ording to the n, we have to move diligently. I¡¯ve calcted our days ahead, and we¡¯re on a tight schedule. If the emperor finds out about our movements, he will run to avoid our attack," Georg said.


    He was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, the luxurious kind that was usually worn by nobles. With feathers neatly tucked in, he looked like a young noble.


    "That¡¯s that, but Georg, I feel like your clothes are getting fancier every time I see you."


    "Who knows when I¡¯ll die? Might as well enjoy it while I can. My name and face are already known along with yours, so I have no choice but to stay with you whether I live or die."


    As the alliance army grew, Georg also became a famous figure. Although he was not an outstandingmander, he was adept at persuading and controlling civilized mercenaries. He was even known by his nickname ¡®Traitor Georg¡¯ among the imperial army.


    "It''s funny that they call me a traitor when I had no loyalty to begin with."


    Georg responded this way when he heard the nickname traitor.


    Urich pulled his horse over next to Georg and whispered, "Protect Gottval well. Things seem a bit offtely."


    "Is it because of Six-Fingered?" Georg asked.


    "Six-Fingered hates Gottval."


    "That Gottval really is an inflexible fellow. He could have just waited quietly until things settled down...."


    "Six-Fingered is also good at scheming, so it''s iffy to assign warriors to protect Gottval. You protect him, Georg. If he dies, it''s on you."


    Georg sighed and wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.


    "You know what, Urich?"


    "What? I won''t take no for an answer."


    Urich waved his hand and shot Georg down without even hearing what he had to say.


    "It seems thattely, you leave all the troublesome tasks to me."


    Urich scratched his bearded chin andughed at those words. Georg shrugged and turned his horse toward Gottval. Whatever the case was, the death of Gottval was going to be an ufortable matter for Georg as well, anyway. Gottval was a great priest worthy of protection.


    Urich looked at the distant pnquin of Six-Fingered. Smoke rose hazily from the pnquin. He was probably high on his herbs, without a doubt.

 Chapter 265

    <h4>Chapter 265</h4>


    ¡°Weapons made from imperial steel really are the best.¡±


    The alliance camp was bustling. Warriors who obtained steel weapons unted their spoils, earning the envy of others. They collected arge number of spoils from the recent victory, and the warriors'' favorite loot was not gold or jewels, but weapons made from imperial steel.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    A warrior struck a tribal axe de several times with a steel sword. The tribal iron couldn''t withstand the steel, and its edge quickly chipped. Even in battle, it wasn¡¯t umon for the tribal weapons to break.


    ¡°Imagine losing to us with such fine weapons like these. What a bunch of idiots.¡±


    The warriors who obtained steel weapons swaggered. They swung the gleaming steel weapons around.


    <i>Crackle, crackle.</i>


    The campfire burned. Sparks fluttered upward.


    Urich poked the fire with a stick. He gazed into the darkness.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t see anything tonight.¡¯</i>


    All he could see was darkness.


    Urich often saw a being known as a god. He appeared before him in various forms and then vanished.


    <i>¡®He reveals himself when I desperately want something in a dire situation.¡¯</i>


    He was invisible most of the time. Urich smirked as he looked at the piece of meat ced over the fire. Delicious smoke rose whenever the meat''s fat dripped.


    ¡°Divine blessing, huh...¡±


    People called Urich a man blessed by the gods. He had lived his life hearing such words as if it were natural.


    <i>¡®Am I really someone who has the blessing and guidance of the gods?¡¯</i>


    Even when he asked himself, he couldn¡¯t find an answer.


    ¡°Is this my destiny?¡±


    Urich opened his palm. The Great Chief wasn¡¯t something he ever wanted to be.


    <i>¡ªYou will be a great warrior.</i>


    The old shaman had said.


    Just as everyone expected and prophesied, Urich became a great warrior. No one doubted it and took it for granted.


    <i>¡®Except for me...¡¯</i>


    When he closed his eyes, he often saw the horizon of the sea. He also glimpsed the southern desert he had only heard about in stories but never visited.


    <i>¡®I want to see new people and beautiful cities.¡¯</i>


    But he could not act on his whims. He could not live doing only what he wanted.


    Great Chief Urich was an adult, and he had to take responsibility for his actions and his life.


    * * *


    Urich and Varca sat in chairs with their army behind them. In the distance, the city gate opened, and its lord walked out.


    "We surrender."


    The small domain raised the white g as soon as the Porcana-Alliance army arrived. They did not resist the army that had defeated the imperial army.


    <i>¡®Fearsome barbarians.¡¯</i>


    There were manynds that had been devastated after resisting the alliance army. On the other hand, those who surrendered suffered only minimal damage. With such precedents, lords with less power often surrendered in advance and offered chests filled with gold and silver treasures.


    "We will not plunder your domain," Varca said as he ced his hand on the lord''s shoulder. The lord bowed his head and gestured to his attendants.


    <i>Clink, rattle!</i>


    As the chests opened, treasures inside were revealed. They were filled with gold and silver coins that the city had umted over decades.


    "Ohhh, this is pretty nice, huh?"


    Urich''s eyes lit up as he grabbed a handful of gold coins. With money, they could buy the loyalty of mercenaries. As the civilized world entered the era of chaos of war, mercenaries from various ces hade to join the alliance army.


    The rumor that the western plunderers paid mercenaries handsomely was already widespread. Many mercenary groups joined the alliance army. The news that the plunderers had allied with the civilized kingdom of Porcana eliminated even thest vestiges of fear and resistance.


    "Georg! Pay the mercenaries their wages."


    Urich called for Georg. Cheers erupted from all sides.


    As promised, the Porcana-Alliance army did not invade the city. They still had enough provisions without plundering, and the city also sent out carts filled with meat and wine.


    "They''re definitely scared of us. Look at them giving everything up before we even told them to."


    "They must have realized it''s better to give willingly than to have everything taken by force."


    The warriors set up camp in front of the city and enjoyed a feast. They were satisfied to see a city submitting to their power and fear.


    The domain''s people prayed to Lou and hoped that the plunderers would leave soon.


    "Those bastards are a disaster, truly a disaster."


    The imperial army, which was supposed to protect the civilized world, was absent. There was no army anywhere capable of stopping the western plunderers. The kingdoms had summoned their armies but were more focused on exploiting the chaos than stopping the plunderers.


    "Oh, Lou, please give them your punishment. Help us so that those wicked men cannot take our sons and daughters," the citizens prayed from the city walls, staring at the plunderers'' camp sparkling with their fire.


    The raucous feast ran deep into the night. It was only in the morning that the warriors awoke staggering and began preparing to march.


    "Cough, cough."


    A warrior who had just gotten up clung to a tree, vomiting.


    "Is that all you can handle? Pathetic."


    Other warriorsughed at the vomiting warrior.


    "I, no, something feels off."


    The vomiting warrior opened his mouth wide. He couldn''t stand properly and copsed to the ground.


    "What are you doing? Shit! Call the shaman!"


    The warriors who wereughing just a second ago quickly grabbed the fallen warrior.


    "His body is burning up."


    When one fell ill, their body heated up. The warrior ran to the tent where the shamans were gathered.


    <i>Murmur, murmur.</i>


    The shamans'' tent was crowded. Many people had already gathered. Warriors who were panting from falling ill were scattered all over the ground.


    "It''s poison! Those bastards gave us poisoned food!"


    "We must get our revenge!"


    The warriors shouted as they rushed to arm themselves. They yelled as they looked at their sickrades.


    The number of warriors within the alliance army copsing from high fever was significant. The number reached about a hundred.


    "Stay calm, you bastards! Six-Fingered! Is it really poison?"


    Urich pushed through the warriors and entered the shamans'' tent.


    <i>Sssss.</i>


    Thick smoke billowed from the shamans'' tent. The incense was so overwhelming it made his head throb. The shamans imed this smoke was what was going to heal the sick soldiers.


    "Ohmmm, mmm."


    Six-Fingered groaned as he rolled his eyes back. His body trembled, causing his bone ornaments to rattle.


    <i>Click, click.</i>


    Urich waited five steps away from Six-Fingered until he finished his ritual.


    "Great Chief Urich...."


    Six-Fingered looked at Urich with a sweat-soaked face. The ck makeup had melted from the sweat, revealing his wrinkled skin.


    "Why are the warriors falling ill?"


    Urich crossed his arms and tilted his head.


    "What do you think the reason is?" Six-Fingered asked Urich instead of answering his question.


    "Is it a contagious disease? Or did those city bastards really poison the food like the warriors are saying?"


    Six-Fingered squinted his eyes.


    ¡°It is a disaster sent by the heavens, Great Chief. epting their god was the mistake.¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit. Can you treat it?¡±


    ¡°I will try. But if it was indeed the wrath of the heavens that struck us, we will not be able to avoid it.¡±


    Six-Fingered gave a strong warning. Urich stepped outside the tent, visibly annoyed. The sick warriors were gathered in one ce, bathing in the smoke. Shamans with censers moved among the sick.


    ¡°We''re stuck here.¡±


    Urich scratched the back of his head, checking the Porcana camp.


    Varca, who heard the whole story, tilted his head and asked Urich again.


    ¡°None of my men are sick. Are you sure there wasn¡¯t poison in the wine?¡±


    The soldiers of the Porcana army did not drinkst night. Though a few nobles and knights did, they only drank the wine they brought from Porcana.


    Urich checked the civilized mercenary units next. Georg also shrugged his shoulders after hearing the reports from other mercenary leaders.


    ¡°We have some idiots who cut off their fingers while drinking and gambling, but no one is sick.¡±


    ¡°So it really is only our men that got sick? What in the world...¡±


    The Porcana soldiers and the civilized mercenaries were fine. The only ones groaning in sickness were the warriors of the alliance.


    ¡°Urich! We have a problem!¡±


    Gottval came running to Urich, sweating profusely. His sleeve, missing an arm, pped long.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are we being attacked or something?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s not it, it¡¯s Olga! Huff, huff.¡±


    Gottval copsed and panted, showing how urgent the matter was.


    ¡°Speak slowly.¡±


    ¡°Olga is about to start something with the lord! He imed that there was poison in the food, so he barged through the city gate with his warriors.¡±


    ¡°This idiot, that idiot, none of you listen to me. That includes you, Gottval!¡±


    Urich mounted his horse, annoyed. He took the horse and moved to the city gate. Hundreds of warriors were gathered, causing a disturbance.


    The soldiers of the city were not responding to the provocations of the warriors as they feared the possibility of a battle. The lord also just trembled with his mouth shut.


    <i>¡®If a fight breaks out here, we¡¯ll be annihted. No matter what they use us of, we must avoid a fight.¡¯</i>


    The lord looked at Olga with fearful eyes. The interpreter beside Olga spoke in Hamelian.


    ¡°Why did you poison us? Were you trying to kill us?¡±


    Olga bared his teeth and grabbed the lord by the cor.


    ¡°P-poison? What on earth are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Our brothers fell ill after eating your food and drinking your wine.¡±


    The interpreter quickly tranted Olga''s words. Olga pressed the axe de to the lord¡¯s neck.


    ¡°The lord is in danger!¡±


    The soldiers on the wall raised their crossbows.


    ¡°Stop, stop! We cannot attack!¡±


    The lord hurriedly raised his hand to restrain his soldiers. A fight had to be avoided at all costs.


    ¡°I''ll ask again, why did you use poison? Was it because you wanted to help the imperial army, being on the same side?¡±


    Olga pressed the axe de deeper into the lord¡¯s neck.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    From a distance, Urich rushed over on his horse.


    ¡°Olga, what are you doing over there?¡±


    ¡°Justice,¡± Olga answered shortly and then threw the lord down, whom he was dragging by the cor.


    ¡°That¡¯s not justice, you idiot!¡±


    Urich stood in front of the lord, blocking Olga.


    ¡°Are you... taking the side of... the civilized people... again?¡±


    Olga spat on the ground in frustration.


    ¡°Hah, enough with that bullshit. Why would they give us poisoned food? If they were capable of poisoning us, they wouldn¡¯t have been this helpless in the first ce. Our men just got sick, that¡¯s all. Take the warriors back! Stop acting on your own without my orders. My patience has limits.¡±


    Urich patted Olga¡¯s shoulder as he passed. He gestured for the warriors to return.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget... who your true brothers... are... Great Chief,¡± Olga said and returned to the camp.


    Urich helped the fallen lord up and sent him back into the city.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The lord expressed his gratitude to Urich as he entered the city gate. The infamous Urich, the leader of the plunderers, was well-known even to him. The name alone made the people of civilization tremble.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s different from the rumors... I heard he was a ruthless person...¡¯</i>


    The Urich he saw in person was a man with clear discernment.


    The lord stood on the wall, watching Urich ride away.

 Chapter 266

    <h4>Chapter 266</h4>


    The advance of the alliance army halted due to a sudden outbreak of disease. The number of the ill, which started with about a hundred, swelled to hundreds in just two days.


    ¡°The disease is spreading.¡±


    Most of the ones who fell ill were tribal warriors. It was hard to find civilized people who got sick.


    <i>Tssss.</i>


    Smoke rose high from the area where the sick men were gathered. Incense made from a secret recipe handed down through generations wafted among the patients.


    ¡°Bleeegh!¡±


    The number of warriors vomiting increased everywhere. The stench of the sick filled the air all over the camp.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    Urich traced his memory. He had also suffered a severe illness in the civilized world once.


    Sometimes, barbarians would fall ill when they came to the civilized world. Even Urich had nearly died from such an illness.


    ¡°Great Chief, we must offer sacrifices to the heavens,¡± Six-Fingered said as he covered his mouth with a cloth.


    ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± Urich replied carelessly.


    ¡°We need the help of the heavens, Great Chief. Fix your attitude and behave ordingly,¡± Six-Fingered warned coldly. Urich stared nkly at him.


    The disease did not subside. By the third day, the number of deaths started piling up. As people started dying, ominous rumors spread everywhere.


    The time of the year being a humid summer, the corpses quickly decayed and emitted a foul stench.


    ¡°Urich, we need to burn the dead warriors and also prevent anyone from taking their belongings.¡±


    Gottval came to Urich, shouting. He, too, had been busy caring for the patients.


    ¡°Burn them?¡±


    ¡°This is an infectious disease. We cannot leave the corpses as they are, and we also have to stop anyone from taking stuff from the dead warriors.¡±


    Urich looked at Gottval with a troubled expression.


    ¡°Do we really have to burn them?¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t do that, the disease will spread even more.¡±


    Gottval was adamant. The priests of Srism were highly skilled in medicine. They also knew how to deal with infectious diseases such as this one.


    ¡°Armies of this size are more vulnerable to infectious diseases like this one. In fact, it would be strange if they didn¡¯t get sick, moving around in groups like this.¡±


    ¡°Our shamans will lose their minds if I say we need to burn the bodies. They¡¯ll criticize me for following the funeral customs of your people.¡±


    ¡°Urich, it¡¯s something that has to be done. You know I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±


    Urich scratched his cheek. He knew that Gottval wouldn¡¯t lie. Even though he wanted to spread the faith of Srism within the alliance, he wouldn¡¯t lie to achieve that goal of his.


    <i>¡®The problem is Six-Fingered.¡¯</i>


    Urich could already see how Six-Fingered would react if he told him they had to burn the bodies. He turned and went to find the shaman.


    ¡°You must have gone mad, Great Chief! You mean to send our warriors away ording to their customs?¡±


    As expected, Six-Fingered jumped up with his eyes wide with anger.


    ¡°We have to burn the bodies if we want to prevent the disease from spreading anymore. These people know more about this disease.¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe that man¡¯s words? Don¡¯t you think I know what he¡¯s trying to do here? He wants to burn the bodies to send the souls of our warriors to Lou! His intentions are extremely clear! You are being deceived, Great Chief!¡±


    Six-Fingered pointed his staff at Gottval.


    ¡°So are you saying we should just watch the disease spread?¡±


    Urich¡¯s expression gradually hardened. Six-Fingered also did not back down from his stance, though he did visibly flinch for a moment.


    ¡°If you, the Great Chief, steady your heart, the disease will disappear. It would be even better if we offered that man as a sacrifice to the heavens.¡±


    ¡°Treating the sick is your job, Six-Fingered. If there¡¯s someone to me for all this, it¡¯s you for your ipetence.¡±


    Six-Fingered trembled with anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one to me? This is a disaster brought on by you, Great Chief! This was all brought because the one who should honor the will of the heavens has strayed!¡±


    Six-Fingered publicly denounced Urich.


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Six-Fingered,¡± Urich warned the priest.


    ¡°Watch my mouth? You should know who your brothers are. Who has helped you and fought alongside you until now? That man gained your trust just by whispering sweet words in your ear.¡±


    ¡°Six-Fingered, are you saying I haven¡¯t treated you fairly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that the problem is you keep that man closer to you than me. The warriors talk among themselves. They say that the priest of the alliance does not have the Great Chief¡¯s trust, but the priest of the Sun God has the Great Chief¡¯s favor,¡± Six-Fingered spat as he spoke, overwhelmed with anger.


    ¡°...You have my apologies for that.¡±


    Urich hadn¡¯t considered things from Six-Fingered¡¯s point of view.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m still not great at this.¡¯</i>


    From Six-Fingered¡¯s perspective, it was understandable to dislike Gottval.


    ¡°But we have to burn the bodies. We can¡¯t just watch while the disease keeps spreading. Burn the belongings as well.¡±


    ¡°Our warriors¡¯ souls must ascend to the heavens! Their bodies must fully merge with the earth...!¡±


    ¡°Before we crossed the mountains, you shamans told us that our souls would go beyond the mountains. But where is that ce? Where is the ce beyond the mountains where our souls were supposed to go?¡±


    ¡°If you desecrate the heavens, the disease won¡¯t go away!¡±


    ¡°The Great Chief who honors the will of the heavens is me. Isn¡¯t lying in the name of the heavens your specialty? Six-Fingered.¡±


    Urich was firm. They couldn¡¯t afford to be dyed anymore by the disease. What needed to be done, had to be done.


    ¡°Katagi!¡±


    Urich called for Katagi and the warriors. The loyal Katagi paid no attention whatsoever to Six-Fingered¡¯s words. He believed in Urich¡¯s divinity over the priest¡¯s.


    ¡°How dare you! How dare you!¡±


    Six-Fingered, enraged, tried to stand in Katagi¡¯s way. Katagi pushed him aside.


    ¡°It is the Great Chief who has been bringing victory to the alliance, not you, Priest Six-Fingered.¡±


    Katagi walked past the fallen Six-Fingered. The warriors dug a pit and threw the bodies into it. The belongings of the sick also piled up in the pit.


    ¡°Burn them.¡±


    Urich stared at the mes. Dozens of corpses were engulfed in the fire. The smell of burning bodies and smoke rose thickly into the air.


    The alliance dealt with the disease ording to Gottval¡¯s instructions. They isted the sick and burned the corpses and their belongings. There was never a day without smoke.


    ¡°It''s a disaster.¡±


    Katagi burned the corpses as per Urich¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Cough.¡±


    A warrior handling the corpses coughed. Katagi frowned.


    ¡°You stay inside the tent starting tomorrow, too.¡±


    Katagi indiscriminately isted any warriors showing signs of illness. This disease was a contagious one. The warriors handling the corpses were the most at risk.


    Katagi took the lead in handling the corpses himself.


    <i>¡®Even if I die, the Great Chief must not catch the disease.¡¯</i>


    Katagi confirmed the corpses were burning and then turned away.


    ¡°You will be cursed, Katagi!¡±


    Six-Fingered cursed at Katagi as he pointed his finger at him.


    ¡°I do not believe in you, priest. I simply believe in the Great Chief.¡±


    ¡°That Great Chief of yours is being deceived by the man named Gottval. If you truly care for the Great Chief, we must kill that man. The Great Chief is getting closer to the civilized people than to us, who are his kin. Does that not frighten you?¡±


    Katagi burst intoughter. Heughed for a long time and then shook his head.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this since you always stay in the back on the battlefield, but there¡¯s one thing that everyone who has fought alongside the Great Chief knows. The Great Chief is the true warrior blessed by the heavens. They have no choice but to ept this.¡±


    ¡°Y-you!¡±


    Six-Fingered ground his teeth.


    ¡°Have you ever won a battle you thought was unwinnable, priest? Have you ever thought you were going to die but survived? I have, many times. The Great Chief has saved us by winning countless battles,¡± Katagi continued.


    ¡°The Great Chief may bear the will of the heavens, but he is human! What we should worship are the heavens and the great spirits!¡± Six-Fingered retorted.


    ¡°Go ahead and worship them all you want. I will worship the Great Chief who is very much alive.¡±


    Katagi scoffed and passed by Six-Fingered. Other warriors also smirked and followed.


    Six-Fingered¡¯s pride was wounded. He red at Katagi¡¯s back and cursed him vehemently.


    ¡°You will onlye to realize your mistake at the end, you insolent fool!¡±


    Katagi ignored him and silently continued his work.


    A week passed. Gottval¡¯s solution seemed effective, as the spread of the disease significantly slowed. However, they couldn¡¯t afford to stay in the same ce for much longer just because of some disease.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to move. We''ve dyed too long. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the emperor¡¯s already heard about our movements.¡±


    Varca urged Urich to resume the march. Urich knew that was what they had to do, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy.


    <i>¡®A lot of warriors are still sick. Am I supposed to leave them behind...?¡¯</i>


    Even if they left the sick ones of the army behind, no one could guarantee they would safely return to the west.


    ¡°Urich, if you hesitate here, I can¡¯t continue with you. I have people that I¡¯m responsible for, just like you do. You know that nothinges without sacrifice.¡±


    Varca seemed to understand Urich¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°Look how the table has turned. I never thought I¡¯d be getting advice from you.¡±


    Urich smiled and nodded.


    <i>¡®I know. Not wanting to leave my brothers behind is just my stubbornness.¡¯</i>


    The world was harsh. There weren¡¯t many things that could be acquired for free without any sacrifice and cost.


    ¡°Get ready. We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Urich called Georg to announce the march. The army, which had stayed in one ce for a long time, began to stir. The Porcana-Alliance army¡¯s bustling preparations could be seen from the city walls.


    ¡°T-they''re finally leaving! Those bastards are going to be gone! Urich and the barbarians are leaving!¡±


    The soldiers on the wall cheered. They had been so anxious and nervous that they could neither eat nor drink properly. They didn¡¯t know when the barbarians might change their mind and attack the city.


    ¡°The barbarians are leaving!¡±


    ¡°That terrifying Urich is leaving!¡±


    Children ran through the streets, shouting. People who heard the news wept with relief.


    ¡°Those damned bastards are finally leaving. Oh, Lou, please punish them!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t they already been punished? I heard they¡¯re having a rough time because of some disease.¡±


    ¡°It has to be Lou¡¯s wrath. They won¡¯t get far before they¡¯re wiped out by the disease! Damn barbarians!¡±


    ¡°Lou will protect us! Long live the Sun!¡±


    ¡°May the heavens curse Urich the barbarian!¡±


    Curses against Urich echoed throughout the city.


    Although the city was left impoverished, it was in a much better shape than the devastated Marganu or Langkegart, where not even the basic means of livelihood remained.


    ¡°Wealth can always be rebuilt! What¡¯s really important are the people and the city.¡±


    The lord also felt relieved that the Porcana-Alliance army was leaving. He had earned the respect of his people for giving up the family¡¯s treasures, which had been umted over generations, to save the city. Besides the empty granary, the city had suffered almost no damage.


    Yet, the lord, being human, couldn¡¯t help but think of the gold and jewels. He wondered if he should have resisted at least once, utilizing the walls of his city.


    ¡°Is this good enough?¡± The lord asked the man standing behind him.


    The man, with his hood pulled down low, nodded and replied, ¡°Excellent, my lord. Desire is meaningless. It is precisely that desire that makes this worldly life painful.¡±


    ¡°I await the day this suffering ends.¡±


    ¡°The plunderers from the west are a disaster that will flip this corrupt world upside down. The greater the cmity, the stronger the longing for salvation. The sun godcks the power to change this painful world. The sun merely watches the suffering,¡± the hooded man spoke boldly. His words could easily be seen as heresy or a cult.


    The lord merely nodded lightly. His face, worn by the pain of life, was densely wrinkled.

 Chapter 267

    <h4>Chapter 267</h4>


    Urich looked at the sick warriors from a distance. They would not be able to join the expedition.


    ¡°There are about five hundred of them,¡± Georg said after calcting the number of sick warriors.


    ¡°If they¡¯re lucky, they¡¯ll be able to return safely.¡±


    The disease was severe. Some warriors managed to recover after three days, but there were also many whonguished and died. In any case, the alliance couldn''t continue dragging the sick with them.


    No warriors opposed Urich''s decision. In tribal society, the weak were left behind. That was the natural way of things. In dire situations, the elderly and disabled voluntarily left the tribe.


    Katagi, who had finished the march preparations, reported to Urich. After his report, Katagi added a few words.


    ¡°Urich, we need to keep an eye on Six-Fingered. He¡¯s spreading dissent against you, the Great Chief.¡±


    ¡°Should I just kill him?¡± Urich said as he chuckled.


    ¡°That would cause an uproar. Whatever the case is, he is still the priest of the alliance.¡±


    Katagi shrugged. Urich did not have the same level of control over the alliance as Samikan.


    <i>¡®It would be hard to rece Six-Fingered with another shaman like Samikan had nned to.¡¯</i>


    Samikan knew the key figures of the alliance intimately and understood their conflicts and connections. He skillfully used people to run the alliance ording to his will.


    Leading the alliance was not something that could be done with ordinary skills. It was akin to being a king in the civilized world. There were many who would turn their backs on the Great Chief if things went wrong.


    Urich''s reign as the Great Chief was purely thanks to his reputation as a warrior. The warriors who admired him were his support base.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m different from Samikan. Samikan kept his Great Chief status even after losing in battle, but I¡¯ll lose mine if I lose just once.¡¯</i>


    Urich lightly shook his head as he looked over the alliance''s camp.


    ¡°Great Chief! Someone hase to see you.¡±


    Urich nced back. A man wearing a hood stood surrounded by warriors.


    ¡°Show your face,¡± Katagi spoke on behalf of Urich. The man pushed back his hood.


    ¡°I¡¯vee to see Urich, the leader of the plunderers.¡±


    The man spoke without a hint of fear. His almost overly calm voice had an oddly persuasive tone.


    ¡°You¡¯re a southerner.¡±


    Urich smirked as he looked at the man''s face. The man was a southerner with mottled tattoos on his cheeks. His skin was a slightly tanned brown. Tattoos were amon cultural element among many peoples, but they were especially enjoyed by southerners.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty good at remembering faces, but it seems we¡¯re meeting for the first time.¡±


    Urich waited for the man''s response.


    ¡°My name is Joya. Though we¡¯re meeting for the first time, I¡¯ve heard of your name and deeds many times. You are a very important person to us.¡±


    The man who introduced himself as Joya had a gentle appearance. He was young yet exuded a mature atmosphere. He had a charisma that drew people to him.


    <i>¡®He must be a priest or a shaman.¡¯</i>


    Urich knew such types well. They had a mysterious aura that seduced people. They were people who spread their religion.


    ¡°So, Joya. What business do you have with me? If you ask a meaningless question even once, I¡¯ll rip out your tongue.¡±


    Joya flinched for the first time. He hesitated for a moment, then took out a small cloth pouch from his inner pocket.


    ¡°I am a disciple of Trikee. I came because I heard rumors that your army is suffering from a gue.¡±


    ¡°Trikee? That guy is still alive?¡±


    ¡°He is in the south now, but he spread disciples like me across the civilized world before leaving. Our influence has grown beyond what you might imagine.¡±


    The conversation between Urich and Joya didn¡¯t make any sense to the others in the room.


    ¡°Haha, so he survived stubbornly. I thought he was dead since I hadn¡¯t heard any rumors.¡±


    ¡°There will be rumors soon. Very soon.¡±


    Joya spoke ambiguously. He opened the cloth pouch and took out several small pills.


    ¡°And those are?¡± Urich asked.


    ¡°Dissolve these in water and give them to the sick warriors. They should work well against the fever.¡±


    Joya''s words caused a stir among Urich¡¯s close aides.


    ¡°Be careful, Great Chief. It could be poison.¡±


    ¡°Judging by how he mentioned Trikee, it shouldn¡¯t be poison. That guy is an enemy of the empire.¡±


    Urich had Katagi receive the pouch of pills.


    ¡°Go and give the medicine to the warriors as he said. Hey, how long will it take for them to recover?¡±


    ¡°One to two days,¡± Joya replied.


    ¡°So they should be able to move within a day.¡±


    Urich epted the pill from Joya. The news made Six-Fingered and even Gottval furrow their brows.


    "Great Chief! Is it true that you took medicine from an unknown person and gave it to the warriors!"


    Six-Fingered came to Urich, fuming. Urich, who was talking with Joya, looked at Six-Fingered andughed.


    "Don''t worry. If it really is poison, we can just cut this guy¡¯s head off and offer it as a sacrifice."


    "How could you joke around at a time like this?!" Six-Fingered was baffled.


    "Shut your frivolous mouth, Six-Fingered. If I cure the disease that you couldn''t, how do you think the warriors will react? They''llugh at you for being an ipetent priest."


    Six-Fingered red and stormed out.


    "U-ughhhhhh."


    Six-Fingered ground his teeth and groaned. This whole event was an opportunity for the priest to shine, but he couldn''t achieve anything significant.


    Everything around Urich was chaotic. It was hard to see even a step ahead. Various people, including those of civilization, stood next to him. Those who lived with different thoughts and cultures babbled all kinds of things around Urich.


    "W-who the hell is that man now!"


    Six-Fingered threw down his staff as soon as he entered his tent.


    The advance of the alliance was dyed by a day due to Joya''s arrival. Warriors who drank the water mixed with the pill coughed until they fell asleep.


    "Urich, that man is a cultist."


    Gottval rarely hated anyone, but he pointed at Joya and called him a cultist.


    A cult described an oppressed religion. If heresy was considered merely different, a cult was seen as harmful by nature. Serpentism was considered a cult because it infiltrated society and caused all sorts of harm. The empire had long been trying to eradicate the Serpentines who had snuck into civilized society.


    "Rx, Gottval. If you want to use big words, we can call them a different faction of that evil Serpentism."


    "But Serpentism is still Serpentism. Nothing changes the fact that they are a cult that kidnaps and eats children."


    Child abduction and cannibalism. These were the reasons Serpentism was particrly hated.


    "If you put it that way, I¡¯m also rumored to be a monster that eats kids."


    "That''s just a false rumor. But Serpentism actuallymitted such acts."


    Joya quietly listened to Gottval''s assessment.


    "Calm down. Joya brought medicine. He is also my guest."


    Gottval stood with a discontented face.


    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t expect Urich to have ties with this cult....¡¯</i>


    Even Gottval hadn''t anticipated this. Ulgaro of the north and the sky faith of the west were barbaric but not evil.


    <i>¡®But Serpentism is different. It is nothing but a sinister cult¡ªa religion shunned by the entire world.¡¯</i>


    Serpentism was hard for anyone to acknowledge, even Gottval.


    "Say hello. Joya, this is Gottval, the Sun priest. Gottval, this is Joya of Serpentism."


    Urich chuckled as if he found their meeting amusing.


    Joya also nodded at Gottval after staring at him. From his perspective, Srism was an outdated religion that had to be overthrown.


    <i>¡®Srism is the root of this world turning more and more into hell.¡¯</i>


    But Joya didn''t say his thoughts out loud. Srism did not bring change to the world. They were merely busy trying to maintain the painful world as it was.


    Although no words made their way around, the mutual difort in the air was palpable.


    "Do you trust the medicine that man brought?"


    "Six-Fingered said the same thing to me when I followed your instructions to deal with the disease. He said, ''Do you trust the words of a civilized man?'' and got angry at me."


    Gottval had no response to that.


    Joya, who had been quietly watching the two, spoke up, "I won''t stay long, Sun priest Gottval. I¡¯m just going to make sure the medicine does its job."


    "Seeing that you know how to use medicine, you must be a shaman of Serpentism."


    "Please call me a priest of Serpentism. We are even considering changing the name of the church. The name Serpentism itself carries a strong negative connotation."


    Joya spoke calmly, but Gottval was enraged by hisment.


    The harm that Serpentism had inflicted on civilized society was immense. Bandits who roamed and harmed the innocents were led by the remnants of Serpentism, and in the city''s underground, shamans of Serpentism dealt all sorts of drugs.


    Urich watched the two alternately with an intrigued face. He had intentionally summoned Gottval to face Joya.


    <i>¡®I was curious if Gottval¡ªthe man who preaches mercy and love¡ªcould do the same in front of Serpentism.¡¯</i>


    Gottval did not spew curses or baseless anger, but he could not hide his difort and hostility.


    "The afterlife in Serpentism¡ªthat was about going to the next world when we die, right?"


    Urich subtly started the conversation.


    ¡°There is no such thing as the next world. The reincarnation and the sun can be proven, but the next world does not exist,¡± Gottval quickly responded.


    Joya became frustrated and retorted coldly, ¡°If the sun god Lou loves the humans on earth, then why do people live in suffering? Sun priest Gottval.¡±


    ¡°We must not judge His will by our standards.¡±


    ¡°When we ask you Srists about the sufferings in this world, you always repeat those same words. The current world is full of only despair and suffering. If I had to be reborn in this world, I would rather choose eternal demise.¡±


    ¡°There is no such thing as an eternal demise. You merely be a shadow standing on the opposite side of the Sun¡ªa shadow wandering the earth as an evil spirit, just like Ulgaro.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. People like you who blindly follow the sun will never move on to the next stage and remain forever trapped in this world.¡±


    Urich leaned back in his chair and watched the argument.


    ¡°So is that why you kidnap and eat children?¡±


    ¡°That is a thing of the past. It never had a whole lot to do with us in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Even if it was in the past, it¡¯s still true. As long as that sin exists, you will never gain the understanding of others,¡± Gottval said this and left the room.


    Joya picked up a ss of water and soothed his dry throat.


    ¡°Did you enjoy that, Urich?¡± Joya asked.


    ¡°I guess you could say that.¡±


    Urich smiled, chewing on an unknown red fruit. Red juice stained his mouth.


    ¡°Our church does not see your appearance as a mere coincidence. The Ark said that this world would end soon, and you are the harbinger, Urich.¡±


    ¡°Harbinger?¡±


    ¡°The beast of the apocalypse, the disaster that will destroy the world. A stage to select those who will move on to the next world.¡±


    ¡°That is quite... grand.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a coincidence that you lead such arge army and sweep through the world? This is the will of the world.¡±


    Joya¡¯s eyes sparkled. His gentle smile was filled with faith.


    Urich treated Joya as a guest and prepared a separate sleeping ce for him. After a hectic day, Urichy down to sleep.


    ¡°Beast of the apocalypse? Will of the world? Funny.¡±


    Urich snorted.


    <i>¡®Everything is my choice.¡¯</i>


    He was tired of the vague, ambiguous words of the priests and shamans. Those men didn¡¯t believe in human will. They spoke as if humans were nothing in the face of transcendent beings.


    <i>Hisssss, hiss, hiss.</i>


    That night, Urich heard the sound of a snake while half-asleep. Perhaps because of the story about Serpentism, he remembered the day he almost got bitten by a snake, except in his dream, Gottval didn¡¯t save him, and he was bitten on the neck.


    The snake¡¯s pupils gazed into Urich¡¯s. Its forked tongue licked Urich¡¯s ear. The snake tried to pry open Urich¡¯s ear and burrow into his head.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Urich cursed and sat up. His neck throbbed. When he touched it, there were no signs he was bitten by a snake.


    ¡°What a shitty dream. Eh?¡±


    After washing his face with cold water, Urich looked at the floor of his tent. He picked up a transparent, elongated object with his hand.


    <i>¡®Snake shedding.¡¯</i>


    There was a shed skin of a snake in Urich¡¯s tent. Feeling eerie, Urich searched around the tent but found no trace of the snake.


    ¡°...Find Joya and bring him to me.¡±


    Urich went outside and ordered the warriors, but Joya had already disappeared. No one knew how he had evaded the warriors¡¯ surveince, but he was gone like the wind.


    Contrary to Urich¡¯s unease, the warriors who had fallen ill recovered overnight. They still had mild colds but were able to move again.


    Urich stood there, dazed for a long time.


    ¡°You have the face of someone bewitched by a cultist, Urich,¡± Gottval said as he passed by. He prayed softly for Urich.

 Chapter 268: Saintess

    <h4>Chapter 268: Saintess</h4>


    There was a vige that had been trampled by barbarian plunderers. In the grand scheme of things, it was nothing. Nobody really cared much about that vige being wiped out.


    Who would care about a small farmhouse burning down when the world was in an era where entire nations and cities were falling? The plunderers who were d in animal skins and wielding axes had even defeated the mighty imperial army.


    The girl looked at her burning house. Her father, who had fought against the barbarians with a pitchfork, was impaled on a wall and burned alive. Her mother was vited by the barbarians in the barn.


    ¡°Oh, Lou!¡±


    Someone cried out the name of the god, though there was no answer.


    <i>¡®Why, just why?¡¯</i>


    The girl trembled as she hid inside a dirty wooden barrel.


    ¡°Please, please, please.¡±


    She prayed to Lou over and over, asking him to end this hellish moment.


    <i>Clunk, clunk.</i>


    The sound of metal footsteps approached.


    The girl''s breathing became rough, and she couldn¡¯t stop the panting no matter how hard she tried.


    <i>¡®They¡¯ll find me at this rate.¡¯</i>


    Even though she knew this, her breathing only grew louder. It felt like her heart would burst out of her chest.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Someone opened the lid of the barrel. The girl looked up with her eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t see his face very well because of the burning vige in the background, but judging by his build and smell, he was undoubtedly a barbarian.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m finished.¡¯</i>


    She could see the inevitable, horrifying future. The girl despaired.


    ¡°...If you can''t quiet down your breathing, at least bite your hand to silence yourself,¡± the barbarian man said and then closed the barrel.


    ¡°Mm, mmph.¡±


    The girl bit the back of her hand as she was told by the barbarian. But despite her effort, the barrel still trembled slightly. She could only resent her own breathing that kept making her shudder.


    The night of plundering passed. The girl managed to spend the night undetected by the barbarians. The silent morning air brushed past her, sending a chill down her spine.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The girl opened the lid and got out of the barrel.


    ¡°Oh, Lou...¡±


    That was all she could mumble as she touched her sun ne. She was supposed to marry the cksmith''s son from the neighboring vige next spring.


    Only embers flickered in the deste ruins. As the girl walked through them, her body, which was beginning to mature, shone with beauty in stark contrast to the ruins.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    No more tears came out of her eyes; perhaps because she had cried so muchst night. She looked at the half-copsed house. Her father had burned to death with his limbs nailed to the wall.


    When the girl entered the barn, she copsed and vomited. There was a corpse that had been torn to pieces. It wasn''t until she saw its head hanging like an ornament at the back of the barn that she realized it was her mother.


    ¡°Ughhh, ugh.¡±


    Dry sobs came out.


    ¡°...You should have taken me as well,¡± the girl said as she looked up as if she was resenting the sun that was rising on the horizon.


    A girl who had not yet be an adult lost her parents. She knew that surviving would be a challenge. There was no hope to be found in a ce where everything had burned down.


    There was nothing left in the farm vige that had beenpletely swept through by the barbarians. The girl, who had lost even the will to live, sat nkly on the charred bed, staring in the direction the barbarians had disappeared.


    The copsed wall could not keep the wind out, and the night dew soaked her body. It didn¡¯t take too many days until her body became weak, almost on the cusp of death.


    ¡°My child.¡±


    The girl opened her heavy eyes. She shivered so much she couldn''t tell if she was dreaming or not.


    ¡°Priest?¡±


    The first thing she saw was a cloak with a sun engraving. A Sun priest, with a soft beard like winter snow, was looking at her.


    ¡°Ohh, Lou...! You did not take this child. Thank you, Lou!¡±


    A priest who was on a pilgrimage took the girl in. He thought meeting this girl was Lou''s will. She was a girl who survived the plundering of barbarians who were known to turn everything into ruins.


    ¡°Why does Lou not help us even when the barbarians invade ournd?¡± The girl asked as she traveled with the priest.


    She had recovered a lot under the priest''s care. Her withered body had regained flesh, and her eyes sparkled with intelligence.


    ¡°Some say that these men are Lou¡¯s punishment for the corrupted people.¡±


    ¡°That can''t be true. How could Lou...¡± the girl mumbled, looking at the campfire.


    ¡°The sun and light give us hope and life, but just like this fire, we can get hurt if we get too close to it. Arrogance is a great sin,¡± the priest replied with his eyes half-closed.


    The girl, who had mentally recovered, slowly recounted what had happened in the vige. The burning vige, her father who was burned alive, and even her mother who was torn apart after being vited by the barbarians. The girl¡¯s hands trembled as she spoke.


    ¡°Did you see who the man who saved you was?¡±


    ¡°I couldn''t see his face. I only remember that he was a barbarian.¡±


    ¡°Lou must have appeared before you as a barbarian warrior. He showed you mercy.¡±


    ¡°But he let all the vigers die.¡±


    ¡°In time, you and I will both understand Lou¡¯s will.¡±


    The priest entrusted the girl to the Sun Temple in a rtivelyrge city.


    "Please take me with you..."


    The girl whimpered, looking at the departing priest. The priest smiled faintly and shook his head.


    "The principal here will find you a suitable home where you can live a good life. Your life was saved by Lou, so cherish it."


    Being in a city, the temple wasrge. Over a hundred believers came and went each day. The girl was at an age that made it difficult for her to stay in the temple. Her mature body was very tempting to the young priests.


    "We''ve found someone to take care of you," the principal with a half-bald head said as he called the girl. It had not even been a week since the girl arrived at the temple.


    The ce where the principal and the girl arrived was a farm quite far from the city. The farmer, whose teeth were stained ck at the edges, grinned as he looked at the principal and the girl.


    "Is this the child? What about her parents?"


    "She has no rtives. This is your home now, child."


    The girl flinched and looked at the farmer and the principal. She looked at the sky over their shoulders. A piece of cloud was covering the sun.


    "Well then, let''s head inside, Principal."


    The farmer opened the barn door. The principal cleared his throat and grabbed the girl''s hand.


    The girl grew anxious and tried to shake off the principal''s hand, but she could not ovee the strength of a grown man.


    "You bitch!"


    The principal pped the girl and practically threw her into the barn.


    "I''ll educate her properlyter, so please don¡¯t be too rough on her. Now, please have enjoy," the farmer said before closing the barn door.


    <i>Creak, thud.</i>


    The door closed. Inside the darkened barn, only the man blinded by lust exhaled heavily.


    "Ah, ahh."


    The girl looked at the ceiling with blurred eyes. Only her body moved rhythmically. Her groin felt unpleasant and moist.


    <i>¡®This is what the priest meant. Corrupt people....¡¯</i>


    A hollowugh escaped the girl''s lips.


    "You¡¯re enjoying this already? You wicked girl! I''m trying to help you not get corrupted by lust! Instead of fearing sin, you''re letting yourugh leak out!"


    The principal strangled the girl as he poured out his twisted sexual desires.


    "Enjoying sex is a sin! You shall know the terror of lust! Fear it! Fear it!"


    The world was corrupt. Even the priests, who were supposed to be the most noble of all men, were blinded by lust and wielded violence against the weak.


    <i>¡®It''s no wonder Lou brought divine retribution.¡¯</i>


    The girl looked at the ceiling of the barn. The roof was full of holes as if it would leak in the rain. As the single piece of cloud that covered the sun cleared, a ray of light seeped in.


    <i>¡®Light?¡¯</i>


    The light shone on a pile of hay. Something glinted. The girl didn''t think this was mere coincidence.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou, are you saving me?¡¯</i>


    A sharp piece of metal was waiting for the girl''s hand. She felt no hatred or anger; there was only a sense of mission and religious reverence filling her heart.


    "If this is your will..." The girl murmured. She reached for the pile of hay.


    An iron stake fell into her hands.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    The stake plunged deep into the principal''s neck.


    "K-kugh."


    The principal gushed blood and copsed on the spot. His grotesque body that had never seen a minute of hardbor rippled.


    "Everything is Lou''s will..." The girl said, looking at the dying principal. She pressed the stake harder, pushing it further in.


    "Guuuuuugh."


    The principal convulsed and fell. The girl closed the principal''s open eyes.


    <i>p.</i>


    The girl picked up the principal¡¯s coat from the ground and draped it over her shoulders. The coat, adorned with sun emblems, didn''t fit her and dragged on the ground. She walked out of the barn with the stake still in her hand.


    "H-h-huhhh?"


    The farmer, who was chopping wood, looked at the girl in shock. He didn''t know what to do.


    <i>¡®The principal?¡¯</i>


    The principal of the Sun Temple was found dead in the barn. How could he possibly exin this? If the lord and the guards found out, they would undoubtedly question the farmer.


    "Bring a donkey and a week''s worth of food."


    The girl¡¯s voice carried confidence as she straightened her shoulders. The farmer, bewildered by her audacious request, only stared at the girl.


    "Y-you bitch!"


    The farmer grabbed an axe and strode toward her.


    "Bury the body that¡¯s in the barn and pray to Lou. You shall be forgiven if you confess the sin you¡¯vemitted today."


    The girl''s pupils were strange. Her eyes were unfocused, making it look like she wasn''t looking at the person in front of her.


    "Who the hell do you think you are, talking about forgiveness! Get in the barn now! Damn wretch! I''ll sell you off as a ve!" The farmer shouted once more.


    "You will regret this."


    The girl quietly closed her eyes and prayed. The farmer approached closer.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    An arrow protruded from the farmer''s chest. Hot blood sttered on the girl''s face.


    "G-gugh, geugh."


    The farmer turned around and fell in despair. Several of the lord''s soldiers were already on their way.


    <i>¡®That idiot principal, he ended up getting caught.¡¯</i>


    The principal had donned the guise of a priest to get away with all sorts of ungodly deeds.


    As the farmer copsed forward, he rolled his eyes toward the sun.


    "Oh, Lou... Please forgive me and take my soul," the farmer mumbled as he gasped for hisst breaths.


    The girl opened her eyes. Her eyes seemed like they were not looking at reality. They were always unfocused as if she was gazing into the distance.


    "Thank you for hearing my prayer."


    The girl unsped her hands as she looked at the farmer.


    <i>¡®Did Lou really answer this girl''s prayer?¡¯</i>


    The farmer looked up at the girl with his face full of disbelief.


    The soldiers searched the farmhouse and found the principal''s body. They then questioned the girl.


    "What is your name?!" The guard captain shouted, pulling hard on the reins of his horse.


    The girl replied without a hint of fear in her voice as if she was possessed by something.


    "My name is Basha."


    Basha was practically dragged over to the lord.


    The lord of the city had been eyeing the principal for some time. The principal had amassed wealth through corrupt means and even asionallymitted crimes. The lord had intended to raid and arrest him, but the principal was already killed by the girl''s hand.


    "Lou saved me. He didn''t want me to die at the hands of corrupt people," Basha murmured.


    She wore the principal''s sun cloak and smiled faintly. There was something eerie yet reverent about her.


    <i>¡®Who is this girl...¡¯</i>


    The lord couldn''t easily decide what to do with Basha. The story that she told was far from ordinary.


    <i>¡®She survived a barbarian plundering, was helped by a Sun priest, but then was handed over to a corrupted priest...¡¯</i>


    The lord pondered. Basha looked at him as she sipped warm honey water.


    "A light came down. It was as if that light was telling me to deliver the divine punishment on His behalf. When I reached out my hand, there was a stake."


    And there the stake was as evidence. It was stained with the blood of the corrupt principal.


    The girl had protected herself from the principal¡¯s assault and violence. It was an impossible thing for a mere girl to do without the help of Lou.


    <i>¡®This is troubling.¡¯</i>


    Even though she was the one who killed the principal, punishing her felt wrong.


    "If you write a letter to prove my story, I will leave. Ah, and a donkey and some extra money too."


    The lord groaned as he rested his chin on his hand, then nodded.


    "Where do you n to go?"


    "Hamel. There has to be something I must do there."


    The lord wrote the letter with a reluctant look on his face. He did not religiously revere the girl. He simply wrote that something strange had happened.


    <i>¡®Either she went mad from the consecutive hardships she had to go through, or she truly is blessed by Lou.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 269

    <h4>Chapter 269</h4>


    The imperial army was preparing for an offensive on the northern front. Even in the north, summer was warm. The climate was more favorable to fight in for the imperial army. Mobile siege towers that the imperial army had assembled were scattered among the camps.


    ¡°The negotiations with the Giskin Kingdom are done. The Caselmaroni army will retreat soon as well,¡± a bureaucrat who had returned from a diplomatic mission reported.


    The empire had agreed to return the old territories of the Giskin Kingdom. In return, the Giskin Kingdom would attack Caselmaroni.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s not a bad deal if you look at it from the perspective of the Giskin Kingdom. They can recover their old territories and, if they manage to seize thend of Caselmaroni on top of that, they will be a powerful nation in one stroke.¡¯</i>


    If the Giskin Kingdom expanded as nned, even the empire would not be able to treat them lightly. The Giskin Kingdom epted the empire¡¯s request because they knew this.


    Yanchinus was bitter, but he was also relieved at the same time. He was extinguishing one urgent fire at a time.


    Imperial scouts were watching the movements of the Caselmaroni army. The imperial army nned to advance north simultaneously as soon as Casemaroni went to stop the Giskin army.


    ¡°Bilker the Boy King...¡±


    The nickname "Boy King" spread far and wide quite quickly.


    He was the descendant of Mijorn and was also young. The northern warriors were highly motivated when they were fighting alongside Bilker. No northerner was going to hesitate when even the young descendant of Mijorn fought at the forefront.


    On the other hand, the morale of the imperial army was precarious. The boost in morale from the emperor¡¯s participation in battle did notst long. As the stalemate on the front lines dragged on, various opinions arose within the imperial army.


    <i>¡®The news of Carnius¡¯plete defeat is making things especially dire. We¡¯re almost lucky that there haven¡¯t been any desertions.¡¯</i>


    In the southeast, the army of plunderers wasing, along with Porcana.


    <i>¡®We need more support from other kingdoms. If we can get two more kingdoms besides the Giskin Kingdom to help us, things will look much better.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus pondered how to entice the kingdoms. The kingdoms were not all of one mind. In fact, neighboring kingdoms were often mortal enemies, like Caselmaroni and Giskin.


    <i>¡®We need to create allies by maneuvering these diplomatic rtionships well.¡¯</i>


    If the empire gave up on keeping vassal states, diplomatic possibilities with the kingdoms were very much open.


    <i>Tap, tap, tap.</i>


    Yanchinus drummed his fingers on the table as he looked at the map. Various thoughts swirled in his mind.


    ¡°Your Majesty, there is someone here to see you.¡±


    Any news reaching his ears at a time like this was likely bad news. Yanchinus frowned because he knew that.


    There was amotion outside. An ordinary envoy or messenger wouldn¡¯t have caused such a reaction.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    A girl on a donkey crossed the imperial army camp. She was wearing a dirty sun cloak. The hem of the cloak reached the donkey¡¯s rump. Her face was grimy, but the corners of her smiling mouth exuded a strange sense of ease.


    ¡°What¡¯s with themotion?¡±


    ¡°Well, the one who came to see you is a young girl. She brought a letter bearing the seal of Count Gargan.¡±


    Gargan was a lord of a rtively peripheralnd. Yanchinus had never met him personally but had heard several times that he was a diligent and prudent man.


    ¡°Is she supposed to be a gift for me? Surely, he isn¡¯t thinking of advancing to the central government at a time like this, is he?¡±


    Yanchinus chuckled with his fist to his mouth.


    ¡°Her attire is truly odd. She is shabby but dressed in a priest¡¯s cloak.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the descriptions. I need to see for myself.¡±


    Yanchinus gestured, and a soldier brought the girl to him.


    ¡°I am Basha.¡±


    ¡°You are a peasant with no education in manners,¡± Yanchinus said coldly.


    Basha''s mannerisms and speech were not those of a noble or an educated person.


    "I''vee a long way to see you, Your Majesty."


    "There is no need to tell me what I can tell just by looking at your disheveled appearance."


    The knight beside him handed the letter he got from Basha to Yanchinus.


    The letter was tattered, but the seal was unbroken. Yanchinus melted the seal over a candle and checked the contents of the letter.


    He took his time reading the letter. As he did so, he asionally nced at Basha¡¯s face.


    "Did you travel alone?" Yanchinus asked Basha.


    "I was able to reach you thanks to the protection of Lou, Your Majesty," Basha replied.


    "It¡¯s indeed close to a miracle for a young girl like you to make it all the way here by herself. It seems you do have a bit of Lou¡¯s grace."


    "...My actions and words are the direct will of Lou," Basha spoke quietly. At her words, the knight flinched and ced his hand on his sword hilt.


    Basha''s words were extremely rude as well as sphemous. If a priest had heard her, they would have been outraged. It was unthinkable that a mere girl could im to speak for Lou.


    <i>¡ª...It was a bizarre sight. A corrupted priest died because he tried to vite the girl. That little girl imed she knew the will of Lou.</i>


    The letter detailed Basha''s journey to this point.


    "You¡¯ve somehow managed to survive after being raided by the plunderers."


    "I nearly died, but Lou, who took the form of a barbarian, saved me."


    Yanchinus gave a bitterugh at her words. He finished reading the letter and closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts.


    <i>¡®She lost her entire family to the plunderers and was raped by a priest. She¡¯s gone mad.¡¯</i>


    The girl in front of him was simply mad. That was the rational conclusion that Yanchinus came to.


    "I have heard the rumors that the empire is in dire straits. Those who took Lou¡¯s grace for granted and neglected him are paying the price. The priests have fallen into corruption, and the people stopped truly revering Lou,¡± Basha said.


    "It seems you''ve forgotten who stands before you."


    Yanchinus snapped his fingers. The knight drew his sword and pointed it at Basha''s neck. Despite the cold steel at her throat, Basha''s eyes remained calm.


    "If you give me armor and a sword, I will prove Lou''s greatness. He is the only one who can save us from this plight."


    Basha''s face was flushed as if she were in love. Her heightened spiritual state made her forget even the fear of death.


    The knight, unable to tolerate Basha¡¯s insolence and arrogance, spoke up, "She¡¯s a mad, lowly bitch, Your Majesty."


    But Yanchinus slowly lowered his raised hand.


    "Clean her up and give her armor that fits."


    Yanchinus smiled, resting his chin on his hand.


    "I knew Your Majesty would grant my request. After all, Lou was the one who guided me here."


    "Lead the vanguard in battle. I¡¯m sure Lou will protect you. Since you are d in the grace of the sun, no arrow or me will harm you."


    Basha grew even more excited at Yanchinus'' words. A faint light flickered in her blurry eyes.


    "Now, go. The knight will guide you."


    Basha knelt and kissed Yanchinus'' hand.


    Basha and the knight left the tent. Left alone, Yanchinus put away the letter andughed.


    <i>¡®Whether she lives or dies, she¡¯ll certainly raise our spirit.¡¯</i>


    A young girl d in armor was about to lead the vanguard. Whether she lived or died, the soldiers inspired by her would fight bravely. In fact, it might even be better if she died heroically on the battlefield.


    "A mad woman can still be useful. You just have to know how to use one."


    * * *


    The Caselmaroni army that had been targeting the rear of the imperial army retreated. News came that the Giskin army had crossed Caselmaroni''s border.


    Yanchinus'' imperial army decided to attack the fortress where Bilker''s main force was stationed. Attacking the main force directly was a risky move, but time was of the essence for the imperial army.


    ¡°Basha?¡±


    ¡°I heard she came a long way to save the empire.¡±


    ¡°A girl is going to fight on the battlefield?¡±


    The soldiers chattered among themselves.


    Basha, d in chainmail, held the sun g high. She looked at the northern fortress before closing her eyes.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou, if my purpose is to be your servant, let it be proven here.¡¯</i>


    Chains clinked every time she moved. The armor weighed heavily on her shoulders.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to wield a sword, Basha. Just hold the g and move forward. We¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    The knights ordered by Yanchinus guarded Basha.


    ¡°Lou will be watching over us. Just as He saved me, He will protect all of you who are with me.¡±


    Basha spoke to each knight and soldier she met. The faces of the soldiers who heard her words were filled with peculiar expressions.


    <i>Boom, boom, boom.</i>


    The soldiers beat the drums, to which the imperial army advanced. Their formation was perfect, with not even a single man falling out of line.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    The sound of winding catapults came from all directions. The siege towers on wheels moved slowly.


    Basha looked at the fortress as she listened to her pounding heart. Although the fortress currently belonged to the northerners, it was incredibly sturdy as one would expect from the empire¡¯s construction.


    <i>Buuuuuup!</i>


    The charge trumpet sounded long. As the catapult stones rained down, the imperial soldiers approached the walls in formation.


    ¡°Basha! Hold the g and follow me!¡± A knight urged Basha.


    Basha continued to pant. She opened her eyes and mouth wide.


    ¡°A-ahhh!¡±


    Out of nowhere, Basha screamed like an insane person. The unique high-pitched voice of a woman echoed through the ranks.


    ¡°Basha!¡±


    The knights were startled. Basha had broken out of formation and charged forward. Just a lone sun g advanced, fluttering.


    <i>Thwiwiwip!</i>


    Arrows fell at Basha''s feet, but she tripped on her way and fell, ultimately avoiding the arrows. She moved awkwardly as she was not used to wearing armor, which ironically helped her evade the skilled archer¡¯s arrows. A more seasoned soldier would have been hit a long time ago.


    ¡°The blessing of the sun is with us! Fight with me, good-hearted men!¡± Basha shouted as she picked herself back up.


    A little girl, young enough to be a little sister or even daughter to the imperial soldiers, shouted in the middle of a battlefield full of men.


    ¡°Advance! Advance! Chaaaarge!¡±


    As Yanchinus ordered his army to charge, officers shouted from all directions.


    Soldiers roared and sprinted. It was a distance they normally would have advanced at a slower pace, but the army darted forward as if it was possessed and eventually clung to the base of the walls.


    ¡°She really is crazy!¡±


    The knights assigned to guard Basha looked at each other andughed. Basha''s sudden actions were absurd. Such behavior was unthinkable in the imperial army where discipline was of utmost priority.


    The knights frantically followed Basha. She climbed the siege tower and waved the g high. The knights raised their shields to protect her.


    The sun g was carried by Basha. There wasn¡¯t a single man in the imperial army who was going to feel fear when a little girl was standing at the forefront of the ranks. Even conscripted soldiers, who usually had the lowest morale, were inspired and fearlessly crowded into the siege tower.


    ¡°Lou is with us in many forms! Do not be afraid!¡±


    The excited Basha advanced despite the rain of arrows. A cold spearhead grazed her head.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    A knight pulled Basha by the arm to protect her. Up close, she was just a girl who was on a wild rampage. The knights used every means to protect her.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Basha took advantage of the opening created by the tangled knights to leap onto the wall. She threw off her helmet after jumping into the enemies, raised the g high, and swung it widely. Her reddish-blonde hair flowed wildly in the air.


    ¡°Woooaaaaah!¡±


    The soldiers who were tussling between the siege tower and the wall suddenly went berserk and advanced as if they had turned into barbarian warriors themselves. The soldiers charged in before Basha could be killed.


    The imperial army with the sun g at its center had a tremendous breakthrough power. The madness that the civilized armycked was present in this mere girl. Even if she were to die fighting on this battlefield, it would have its own tremendous impact.


    ¡°The sun g....¡±


    Bilker, who was defending the fortress, also realized that the gbearer carrying the sun g was encouraging the imperial army. He led his elite warriors and climbed to the top of the wall.


    ¡°Come with me! We have to defend the western wall!¡±


    Bilker ran along the wall, thrusting his spear long. His spear pierced countless imperial soldiers climbing thedders. Despite his young age, his solid spear technique was truly impressive.


    ¡°Ohhhhhh!¡±


    The northern warriors, though they believed in Srism, still had their warrior culture and customs within them. They loved violence and the sight of blood still exhrated them. Before them stood the descendant of Mijorn who had matured into an excellent man.


    ¡°King of the north!¡±


    Bilker and his warrior unit cleared the wall with fierce momentum and targeted the sun g bearer¡¯s unit.


    ¡°Ohhhhhh!¡±


    Bilker thrust his spear deep with a roar. He skewered an imperial soldier with his spear and threw them off the wall.


    He could see the sun g ahead. The face of the bearer was hidden among the knights, but it was certain that they were a brave person who was brave enough to expose their position with a tall g. Bilker tensed.


    <i>¡®Surely, an exceptional knight is holding that g.¡¯</i>


    Bilker swallowed and narrowed his eyes.


    <i>¡®Oh, Ulgaro...¡¯</i>


    His heart still belonged to Ulgaro.

 Chapter 270

    <h4>Chapter 270</h4>


    Basha watched as the northern barbarians charged toward her. Howling frivolously yet ferociously, they pushed through the soldiers and knights.


    <i>¡®Barbarians, barbarians,¡¯ </i>Basha thought. <i>¡®They are unworthy of Lou¡¯s grace and love.¡¯</i>


    <i>aaang!</i>


    Metals fiercely shed as the knights tried to stop the northerners from getting any closer.


    ¡°<i>Hooooh</i>!¡±


    Bilker leaped high into the air and over the knights, then used his agility to avoid being caught.


    Upon finally spotting the g bearer, he smiled with satisfaction.


    <i>¡®There you are.¡¯</i>


    He didn''t know who the gbearer was, but he knew that decapitating them would surely dampen the imperial army¡¯s morale.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    With the gbearer pinned to the floor, Bilker drew the axe strapped to his waist and held it high. He only needed one strike to split the knight¡¯s head open.


    However, he hesitated.


    ¡°A woman?¡±


    No, the knight was no woman; she was just a young girl. Children her age had no business being on the battlefield.


    Bilker was not above killing women. He simply did not expect to encounter such an incongruous individual.


    Fear slowly crept up into Basha¡¯s eyes like a foul stench. Unable to break free, she screamed as if she was having a seizure.


    <i>¡°Aaaaaah!¡±</i>


    Basha then forcibly sat up, identally mming the top of her head against Bilker¡¯s jaw.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    <i>¡®Damn.¡¯</i>


    Bilker tumbled down the wall. His spine tingled.


    <i>¡®What is this girl doing here in full armor?¡¯</i>


    Although there were women who knew how to fight and were as tough and strong as men, war was inherently a man''s domain. It made no sense for a slender girl to be standing on the battlefield.


    ¡°Aaaaaah!¡±


    Basha let out another ear-splitting scream¡ªmaking Bilker frown¡ªas she jumped down toward him from the wall. She aimed the bottom of the gpole she was holding squarely at his face.


    ¡°Basha!¡±


    Imperial knights and soldiers also jumped down, following Basha. Several soldiersnded awkwardly and twisted their ankles.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Bilker rolled to the side to dodge Basha¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Bilker! Fall back! We''re being overwhelmed! The wall has already been breached!¡± a northern warrior shouted as the rest of their troops surrounded Bilker.


    Things were not looking great for the Northern Army. The fortress was gradually being breached.


    ¡°Those damned Caselmaroni bastards.¡±


    The Caselmaroni troops had withdrawn, iming they needed to defend their own territory.


    <i>¡®The empire probably pulled a diplomatic trick on them.¡¯</i>


    Acknowledging the unfavorable tide of the battle, Bilker led their remaining troops out through the back gate.


    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡±


    Considering this fortress offered them the most defensible position, it pained them to abandon it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have another opportunity soon, Bilker. The Imperial Army can''t afford to focus solely on the north,¡± said one of the northern Sun Warriors guarding Bilker.


    As the northern warriors retreated, the imperial army jeered at them from on top of the wall.


    ¡°Piss off, you idiots! Lou does not love you!¡±


    The imperial soldiers bared their buttocks and shook them toward the northern warriors while shouting.


    After recapturing the fortress, the Imperial Army immediately began repairing and reinforcing the fortress. Basha was constantly mentioned among the soldiers who were carrying the materials.


    ¡°Did you see that girl fight? Lou truly seems to have blessed her.¡±


    ¡°She charged right into the middle of the enemy camp, yet she didn¡¯t die. On the contrary, she made the barbarians run for their lives.¡±


    The soldiers gathered, trying to catch a glimpse of Basha¡¯s face.


    Basha entered an unupied room panting, still unable to shake off the excitement of the battlefield and the ecstasy coursing through her. Nevertheless, she knelt and prayed.


    ¡°Oh Lou, thank you for giving me the strength to defeat the barbarians. You have proven to me that mying here was not a mistake.¡±


    Afterward, she sat quietly until her heart calmed. The steel knights, personally assigned by Emperor Yanchinus, guarded her door.


    The emperor had taken note of Basha¡¯s contribution. After all, despite having feeblebat skills and no leadership ability, the girl had managed to leave a significant impact on the battlefield.


    Yanchinus entered the captured fortress with a grin.


    ¡°No grown man would run off when a young girl like her is leading the charge.¡±


    Although any capablemander could boost the army¡¯s morale, Basha¡¯s presence raised a different kind of morale. It drew out not their sense of duty or inspiration but a far deeper internal madness.


    Even the imperial army, renowned for its high discipline, couldn¡¯t help but feel excited and giddy. Winning with a girl leading their charge also made them feel a strange sense of guilty pleasure.


    ¡°Give Basha better armor and treat her nicely.¡±


    Yanchinus was generous to those he deemed valuable. Now, Basha was one of those people.


    <i>¡®With this fortress as our central base, we¡¯ll be able to hold off the Northern Army. Although we¡¯ll still have trouble advancing further north, it¡¯ll be just as tough for them to get past this location and invade us.¡¯</i>


    In the evening, Yanchinus threw a banquet for the soldiers. However, he himself spent the night in a strategy meeting with his staff.


    ¡°Basha is a dangerous woman. While she did bring us good results this time, her reckless actions could ruin our strategies in the future.¡±


    ¡°She has a significant impact on the soldiers'' morale, though. Today, the men fought like barbarians. It was as if they had turned into young boys trying to show off to a girl.¡±


    ¡°That is precisely what makes her so dangerous.¡±


    Due to others¡¯ refusal to just blindly ept Basha¡¯s actions, themanders¡¯ discussion went on.


    ¡°Unity and discipline are the greatest strengths of our army, Your Majesty.¡±


    Everyone turned to Yanchinus, who had been listening to the knights andmanders in silence. They awaited his response.


    ¡°Discipline is indeed important. No one would deny that it is the greatest virtue and value of the imperial army,¡± Yanchinus leisurely said. ¡°However, results are far more important. Today, it was Basha, not discipline, who led us to victory. That makes her a valuable asset.¡±


    Some of themanders frowned and clicked their tongues. If nobles in the royal court had reacted like this, their necks would have been in danger.


    Yanchinus was close to a tyrant politically, but on the battlefield, he listened to diverse opinions. After all, armies required the utmost rationality in every decision. They also had to be innovative and ever-changing. That was why those wrapped in authority and prejudice were often weak and short-lived


    On the battlefield, a strategy that had worked yesterday could be a weakness the next day. For that reason, Yanchinus allowed his militarymanders to voice their opinions without worrying about his.


    ¡°If we are going to use Basha on the battlefield, it would be best to turn her into a symbol, Your Majesty. Perhaps we could send a letter to the Pope to recognize Basha as a saintess?¡±


    ¡°While I¡¯m sure the Pope will dly grant my request, we cannot hand Basha over to the priests. She¡¯s an ignorant peasant girl who doesn''t know right from wrong. Make sure that the priests under the influence of the Pope do not approach her.¡±


    Yanchinus had heard rumors about the Pope and Srism instigating the northern rebellion. The Pope had once reigned above kings before the empire was established. Hence, although he only ruled over an average independent domain now, he had immense political influence. Moreover, he would undoubtedly want to reim his past glory.


    Yanchinus continued, ¡°There are still fortresses to capture. If Basha is truly useful, she will prove herself in those battles as well. If she survives and leads us to victory again, the soldiers will regard her as Lou¡¯s apostle and follow her regardless of the Pope¡¯s authority.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a reckless girl who has no understanding of the battlefield. She will surely die soon,¡± amandermented.


    ¡°Even if she does, her death will be a heroic tale. The sacrifice of a country girl who received Lou¡¯s revtion to save the empire sounds like a pretty good story to me,¡± Yanchinus countered.


    While the imperial army¡¯s highmand dismissed Basha as just another crazy girl, some knights watched the meeting with uneasy expressions.


    <i>¡®What if Basha truly is a saintess who has received Lou¡¯s revtion?¡¯</i>


    They had heard of stories about ancient kingdoms being destroyed by the wrath of Lou because they had dismissed a saint that she had blessed. The stories dated back to the barbaric age¡ªan age without records. In that era, even Lou wasn¡¯t always merciful.


    The world hadn¡¯t always been this civilized. Just like everything else, it also started from barbarism.


    * * *


    Basha fell asleep in her armor.


    <i>¡®If you can''t quiet down your breathing, at least bite your hand to silence yourself.¡¯</i>


    She dreamed of the past¡ªof the sun god Lou, who had appeared in the guise of a barbarian, saving her from death.


    Afterward, Basha dreamed of what had happened in the barn. As fragmented sunlight shone on the stake, she delivered divine punishment to a corrupted priest on behalf of Lou.


    <i>¡®Lou, since the corrupted ones have fallen to the barbarians, I now see it as my mission to save the empire from them.¡¯</i>


    Basha opened her eyes. Her chainmail, which had been weighing down on her, nked as she stretched her arms.


    Despite having slept soundly, she felt weary and heavy and ached all over. With the adrenaline rush now gone, every step she took felt as if it would shatter her.


    Basha awkwardly stepped outside. She then looked at the fortress that she had captured.


    <i>¡®I took this fortress from the barbarians.¡¯</i>


    A sense of aplishment pounded in her chest, seemingly making the pain vanish.


    <i>¡®I am special. I am under Lou¡¯s protection and grace.¡¯</i>


    Basha walked confidently. The soldiers, who were holding torches, knelt and prayed as soon as they saw her.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    A serene echo spread as she entered one of the halls of the fortress.


    Perhaps it was because it was a prayer room, but it seemed to have been left untouched.


    Looking at the center of the hall, Basha tilted her head. ¡°Why are there sun relics here?¡±


    Despite having been previously owned by barbarians, the hall was decorated like a Sun Temple. It even had signs of prayers everywhere.


    <i>¡®I thought the barbarians worshipped the god of war?¡¯</i>


    Even an ignorant person like Basha had heard that the barbarian god was evil and violent. He moved under the cover of night and darkness and embraced storms and thunder as his symbols.


    Basha¡¯s pupils shook. Frozen, she clutched her throbbing forehead.


    ¡°Basha, Basha,¡± someone whispered from behind a pir.


    She turned toward the call, finding the military chain who had been following the imperial army.


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    Basha bowed her head politely in greeting. The chain nced around before approaching her.


    ¡°I heard you fought bearing Lou¡¯s revtion,¡± he said.


    ¡°Lou has tasked me to save the empire from the barbarians,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re targeting the wrong people. The northerners believe in Lou. They even aim to build the kingdom of the Sun.¡±


    Frowning, Basha red at the chain. Sadness was evident in her eyes.


    Taking her silence as an opportunity, he continued, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard the rumors? Even Bilker, a descendant of Mijorn and the self-proimed king of the north, is said to be the son of the sun god. The empire is waging a futile war driven by worldly desires.¡±


    ¡°... I refuse to believe such a tant lie. The barbarians are likely just trying to deceive us while still worshiping their barbarian god,¡± Basha argued, her voice rising and her gaze growing colder. ¡°If they believed in Him, Lou would not havemanded me to kill them. I have also gazed into their evil eyes myself. Lou does not dwell in them. That Bilker must harbor the barbarian god in his heart!¡±


    ¡°Come with me to His Holiness the Pope, then! If you have truly received Lou¡¯s revtion, His Holiness will recognize it.¡±


    The chain grabbed Basha¡¯s wrist. She recoiled in fear and pushed him away.


    ¡°I-I heard the voice of Lou. He saved me and bestowed grace upon me! All barbarians must die!¡±


    ¡°The barbarians are tools Lou has sent to punish the corrupted. Although they are disguised as heretics, they will eventually return to Him just as the northerners have. After all, all humans are sons and daughters of Lou.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying... that we are no different from the barbarians?¡±


    Basha trembled.


    <i>¡®This priest has been corrupted.¡¯</i>


    Her ears buzzed. She reached toward her waist and clumsily drew her sword.


    ¡°W-what are you doing?!¡±


    As the chain stepped back in rm, Basha ineptly cut into his chest deeply.


    ¡°<i>Kaaagh</i>!¡±


    She then viciously drove the de in deeper. Blood gushed onto the floor.


    ¡°Pay for your sin of invoking His name while tainted by heretical gods,¡± Basha murmured as she ended the chain¡¯s life.


    Still enraged, she repeatedly kicked and stomped the dead chain¡¯s lower body.


    Hearing themotion, a knight on patrol entered the hall. He flinched as soon as he saw the dead chain and the blood-soaked Basha.


    ¡°Basha! What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡±


    ¡°This man tried to defile me, but Lou protected me. Let us pray to Him.¡±


    Basha quietly knelt before the sun relic and began to pray with an incredibly serene expression.

 Chapter 271: Urich

    <h4>Chapter 271: Urich</h4>


    The nobles of the civilized world were on edge due to the movements of the alliance army. The Porcana-Alliance army was making its way up north. At this rate, they would be passing the imperial capital of Hamel in just two days.


    The vast ins of the imperialnds made camping easy anywhere. As night fell, the warriors pitched tents and prepared to camp.


    "We will gainnd in the civilized world and engage with them in an exchange. Some of us will be farmers, and we will even meet strange merchants from faraway ces every now and then."


    Urich spoke while sitting by the campfire. There were a lot of warriors gathered around him.


    "Exchange?"


    Someone questioned as if they didn¡¯t wee the sound of it.


    "What, you¡¯re just going to retreat back to the west and stay there after going through all this trouble? We may be united as brothers right now, but once we return to the west, we''ll be enemies again. Thend in the west is harsh. We can''t get enough food there. We need to interact with the civilized world."


    The alliance army had gained the upper hand and could negotiate with the empire to get what they wanted at any time.


    <i>¡®The reason why we¡¯re still fighting is to get better negotiation terms.¡¯</i>


    Unlike in the early days, the frequency of plundering by the alliance army had greatly decreased. Many warriors were itching for action, but Urich prohibited any unnecessary attacks. They supplemented their necessities by receiving tributes from the territories they passed by.


    <i>¡®We need to interact with civilization. That¡¯s what the future of the west will depend on. We need to learn civilization on equal terms, not in a subjugated state like the north or the south.¡¯</i>


    Urich was looking toward the future.


    <i>¡®I have no intention to let this end without a clear n.¡¯</i>


    He felt as heavy as if he was submerged in ake. The eyes of the warriors pressed on him.


    Urich had to live up to the expectations of the warriors. That was his responsibility and mission. Once he started something, he had to see it through to the end.


    <i>¡®What I want to do.¡¯</i>


    Everyone has dreams. There is something they truly want to do.


    But how many people actually get to live the life they want? Responsibilities, duties, family, and status. These were some of the reasons that made people either settle for reality or feel frustrated.


    One had to fulfill the responsibilities given to them. Dreams were something to be chased after that.


    Urich came back to the west to save his people. His brothers and kin relied on and followed him. From that very moment, Urich was no longer a free man.


    <i>¡®It would be nice if my ambition and duty aligned like they did for Samikan....¡¯</i>


    Urich smiled faintly. Each day of Samikan¡¯s life must have been filled with fulfillment.


    <i>¡®After the war ends and our exchange with the civilized world stabilizes...¡¯</i>


    A faint hope glimmered.


    Feeling unsettled, Urich got up and walked to the outskirts of the camp where there was less traffic. He found Gottval praying and spoke to him.


    ¡°Why are you praying out here, of all ces?¡±


    ¡°I was looking for a quiet ce, and I just happened to end up here.¡±


    ¡°You might get killed wandering around like that. Not all warriors follow my control. The ones who hate you are sharpening their axe des with passion.¡±


    Gottvalughed softly and stood up.


    ¡°Do you know how Srism expanded its influence?¡±


    Urich thought for a moment before speaking.


    ¡°Martyrdom... Those who overcame the fear of death with their religious fervor inspire others with their deaths.¡±


    Gottval flinched at Urich¡¯s answer.


    <i>¡®Urich''s knowledge might have already surpassed that of many schrs.¡¯</i>


    Urich was an extraordinary barbarian from their very first encounter. He was not just an exceptional warrior but a keen explorer. If he were merely a good fighter, he wouldn''t have garnered this much love from so many people.


    ¡°Would you believe in Lou if I died for you?¡± Gottval asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try to threaten me like that. Well, if you do actually die, I might do a little pretending out of guilt.¡±


    Urich shrugged.


    ¡°Urich, you are smart.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t get anything from me with that kind of ttery.¡±


    ¡°You don''t need to be smug. That intelligence is your problem. Smart people don''t easily believe in what they can¡¯t see. They need to see it with their own eyes. I heard about the taboo of the Sky Mountains. The taboo you challenged and broke.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°In the past, you were a barbarian filled with curiosity about the gods. But over time, you''ve seen, heard, and experienced many things. Now, you don''t worship or follow anything¡ªnot the sky, not Ulgaro, and not Lou. You''ve be tooplex to walk a single path, Urich the barbarian.¡±


    ¡°I like you, Gottval, but don''t talk like you know everything about me. Save your preaching for when I ask for it.¡±


    Despite Urich''s words, Gottval didn''t stop.


    ¡°Please don''t choose the worst path, Urich.¡±


    Urich frowned to show his displeasure. He quietly returned to his tent.


    * * *


    <i>¡®The Porcana-Alliance army is attacking the imperial capital of Hamel.¡¯</i>


    Such rumors were heard everywhere. It was also true that the Porcana-Alliance army had advanced near Hamel. The people inside the walls prayed as they trembled in fear, while merchants avoided Hamel even if it meant taking losses on their business.


    "Let theme if they dare!"


    However, the morale of the garrison stationed in Hamel was extremely high. Despite the emperor''s absence, the steel knights remained unwavering.


    <i>¡®The walls of Hamel will never be breached.¡¯</i>


    Hamel''s outer walls were the highest in the civilized world. Even with all the existing siege weapons and techniques, breaching Hamel was difficult. Anyone who was familiar with Hamel''s wall structure and had military knowledge knew that Hamel wouldn''t be easily breached.


    The garrison, who knew the power of Hamel¡¯s defense better than anyone, stood firm, maintaining their positions without a single deserter.


    The Porcana-Alliance army encamped at a distance where the walls of Hamel were visible as a mere dot. They hesitated instead of advancing as nned.


    There was an unexpected reinforcement for the alliance army.


    "It¡¯s Belrua!"


    Belrua joined the alliance army with three thousand warriors.


    "Belrua came... at a time like this..."


    The chiefs cautiously nced at each other. They did not hastily wee Belrua.


    The Porcana army who waspletely unaware of the internal dynamics of the alliance army was simply pleased to see their numbers increase.


    "I went through all that trouble to drag myself here and what, not even a proper wee?"


    Belrua snapped at the warriors who weed her. She had returned to the alliance army after being away to give birth to her child in the west.


    <i>¡®The wife of thest Great Chief Samikan.¡¯</i>


    It was quite an awkward status within the current alliance army. Urich had killed Samikan and taken the position of Great Chief. In a way, he was her enemy.


    "What the hell are you all just standing around for? Belrua of the Red Sand is here! Bring out the wine and meat!"


    Urich pushed the warriors aside and stepped forward. He greeted Belrua with a broad smile.


    The warriors seemed relieved by his words. They couldn''t afford a civil war now.


    "Great Chief Urich, huh? I guess it suits you well enough," Belrua said as she approached Urich.


    "Son, or daughter?"


    Urich asked as he guided Belrua into the camp. Belrua led her warriors deeper into the camp, where a peculiar stillness and tension hung in the air.


    Belrua entered arge tent and sat on a fur-covered chair. She toyed with the armrest of the chair and looked at Urich with half-closed eyes.


    "Son."


    Upon hearing this, Urich''s excited smile faded, and he closed his eyes briefly before reopening them.


    "Well, let¡¯s have a drink first. It''s good to see you after a while."


    "You have the audacity to say that after killing my husband?"


    But despite her words, Belrua shrugged. Everyone in the alliance knew it was a loveless marriage.


    "It''s not like it was a union out of affection anyway. What, you¡¯re going to try to avenge your husband here?"


    "I know there''s no chance of winning if I go against you now. I brought my warriors here purely for the purpose of joining you. I swear to the heavens."


    Belrua epted the cup of wine. The two shared a light toast of friendship.


    Urich exhaled deeply and muttered, "I see. You had a son. Samikan''s son...."


    Belrua had left her son with the Red Sand Tribe. He was under good care of the women who were more caring than herself.


    "A son has to avenge his father someday. Maybe not now, but eventually. He''ll be ridiculed by the warriors if he doesn''t when he''s grown. Samikan''s revenge is none of my business, but my son''s dishonor certainly is."


    "Can I not be his godfather? After all, Samikan and I are sworn brothers."


    "Are you joking? That would be like my son begging for his life by making the man who killed his father his godfather. I''d rather strangle him with my own hands."


    "Well, we still have at least ten years before that child grows up. It''s not an immediate issue. And who knows? I might die before then."


    The issue of Samikan''s son wasn''t urgent enough to resolve right away. Belrua came to Urich because she knew that.


    Belrua and Urich put the matter aside. It was a problem that would resolve itself if one of them died before the son grew up.


    "Why did you kill Samikan and take the Great Chief position, anyway? Things got that bad between you two while I was gone? Knowing you, I doubt you wanted the Great Chief''s position that badly."


    "Samikan made a reckless decision. He became overly ambitious because he knew he didn¡¯t have much time left, and there was only one way to stop him."


    "Are you sure his decision was reckless?"


    Belrua''s eyes narrowed sharply.


    At the time of their conflict, Urich believed that Samikan would lead the alliance to ruin.


    <i>¡®But was there really no chance of winning? Could Samikan have known something I didn''t that could have brought down the empire?¡¯ </i>Urich thought to himself.


    In some ways, Samikan''s vision was broader than Urich¡¯s. They often saw different things even when they were standing in the same ce.


    "...Even if his decision was the correct one, what meaning does it have now? I am the Great Chief of the alliance, Belrua. You''ve already broken a promise with me for your own gain once. Are you sure you have the right to me me? If you can''t ept me as the Great Chief, then go back to the west. Go start a rebellion or whatever."


    Urich leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. He let his arms hang loosely and fiddled with the axe that had fallen under the chair.


    The organization called the alliance had be as politicallyplicated as its size had grown. But an organization built on the tribal warrior culture had a simple rule.


    One rule that transcended any morality, ethics, or legitimacy.


    Belrua brought her hand to her chest. Urich''s pupils dted and contracted repeatedly like a hawk eyeing its prey.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    There was a cold sound. Belrua drew her meteorite dagger, her treasure and symbol. If Urich''s expedition failed, the west would be ves of civilization, and she knew that just as well as Urich.


    Creak.


    Belrua knelt on one knee and bowed her head. She raised her palm high and offered the meteorite dagger to Urich. It was a form of tribute to repair their shaky rtionship.


    "I apologize for my rudeness, Great Chief Urich. I will follow your words withoutint."


    Thew of the wilderness, both simple and close to nature.


    The strong have the right to rule over the weak.

 Chapter 272

    <h4>Chapter 272</h4>


    ¡°We must defend this ce while His Majesty is out leading the campaign in the north!¡±


    The knight in charge of the garrison shouted as he walked around the tform in the training grounds. He gestured wildly, encouraging the soldiers. The remainingbat force in Hamel was only about three thousand, but that was enough to hold off tens of thousands of siege forces.


    ¡°Our walls are high, and they are nothing but a bunch of ignorant barbarians!¡±


    ¡°Hoh!¡±


    The soldiers stomped their feet and struck the ground with their spears.


    ¡°Hamel will not fall! If theye for this ce, they will only pay for their foolish judgment! Who will make them pay that price with their blood? We will!¡±


    The garrisonmander shouted until his voice was hoarse. It felt like his face was turning red all the way up to the crown of his head as the veins on his neck became prominent.


    <i>¡®If Hamel falls, it will be difficult to reim it.¡¯</i>


    With the walls of Hamel, defending an enemy even a hundred times bigger was not impossible. Even an untrained man could do their part with just a crossbow. Hamel''s walls were tough to breach no matter what kind of siege weapon one had. The moat was deep and wide, making it impossible to cross with siege towers ordders. The stockpiled military supplies were sufficient tost over a year without issues.


    <i>¡®Them attacking Hamel would actually be an excellent opportunity for us. They will end up losing most of their forces.¡¯</i>


    The empire actually preferred a siege. They had already suffered a significant defeat in open battle. But in a siege, variables such as the ones they experienced earlier were almost non-existent.


    ¡°We must defend Hamel in His Majesty''s absence.¡±


    The garrisonmander finished his speech and assigned the deployment of troops to his adjutants. He gathered the forces by gathering whoever was eligible among Hamel¡¯s citizens. Even retired soldiers with gray hair voluntarily picked up weapons to defend Hamel.


    ¡°Come on then... barbarians.¡±


    The garrisonmander climbed the battlements and looked out at the Porcana-Alliance army''s camp. Smoke rose in the distance, but there was no significant movement in two days.


    ¡°Raise the oil barrels to the walls! We don''t know when they will attack!¡±


    Workers moved busily below the walls. The garrison positioned siege defense materials on every battlement, thoroughly preparing for the attack.


    ¡°Sir Sarvan! There is someoneing.¡±


    A soldier rushed over to the garrisonmander.


    ¡°Is it their messenger? These barbarians have the decency to dere war?¡±


    ¡°It might be a messenger from Porcana. Being a civilized kingdom, they might follow protocol.¡±


    The garrisonmander went up to the gate without even donning his armor. A man on horseback was galloping across the in from a distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s a barbarian! A barbarian ising!¡±


    Dozens of workers who were outside the walls fled inside in fear. It was only one man, but that was how terrifying the plunderers were. To the civilized people, the plunderers from the west were not seen as human. They were essentially monsters from an entirely different world.


    ¡°A-ahhh!¡±


    The workers even threw aside their equipment and ran frantically.


    It was obvious that the man on horseback was an extraordinary barbarian even from afar. His massive build was enough to make even the horse look small.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen these walls. It was hard to believe humans built them,¡± Urich mumbled as he pulled the reins. He stopped quite a distance from the gate.


    ¡°Calm down, Kylios. We¡¯re not here to fight today.¡±


    Urich reached out and brushed the horse¡¯s mane. Kylios exhaled contentedly.


    Kylios was a good horse. It was rare to find a horse that could withstand Urich''s rough handling. Kylios was the perfect battle horse, strong and fearless. Most importantly, it was resilient enough to survive just by feeding on grass.


    ¡°I am Urich, Great Chief of the alliance!¡±


    Urich''s voice rang out loudly. Imperial soldiers murmured at his words.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s the famous Urich.¡¯</i>


    By now, nobody was unaware of Urich. His infamy spread like an infectious disease. Bad news traveled fast.


    The plunderers were no more than ominous shadows to the civilized world until Urich showed up. He was the one who solidified their form. The fact that his name already had a certain renown in the civilized world made him even more fearsome.


    <i>¡®We don¡¯t know much about them, but they know us well.¡¯</i>


    The knowledge of their enemy. That was what set apart the current plunderers from the northerners of the past.


    Northerners were conservative and too busy fighting among themselves to notice the external threats. They knew that there were goodnds to the south, but they were too upied with their long tribal rivalries to expand southward. The most they did was send small plundering parties into the civilized world during winters.


    The civilized world was united under the empire¡¯s banner. The empire conquered the barbarian world in order to expand its territories, and the north was helpless. Just as times create heroes, Mijorn appeared to unite the north, but it was already far toote to reverse the tide.


    <i>¡®We are different from the north.¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at Hamel''s walls. They were so high his neck ached from looking up. The walls of Hamel were not something one could conquer withdders. To conquer this city, he would have to be prepared to lose all of the alliance forces.


    Westerners acted cunningly. Because they knew the civilized world, they only fought battles they could win and even epted civilized mercenaries and allied with kingdoms when needed.


    A flexible mindset and a willingness to learn.


    These were the strengths andmon traits of Urich and Samikan. Urich gained his understanding of the civilized world by crossing the mountains, while Samikan did so through Noah, who came from the other side.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    Urich took a deep breath.


    ¡°We will attack at dawn! Tremble in fear! Pray that the sun doesn¡¯t rise tomorrow! I promise you that your god will only watch as we take you down!¡±


    Urich''s voice rang out, even echoing beyond the walls.


    ¡°Shoot him.¡±


    The garrisonmander opened his mouth. It was certainly not an honorable act, but there was no need to uphold civilized manners against barbarians. Most importantly, the leader of the plunderers was standing right there. Tribal armies self-imploded when they lost their central leader.


    <i>¡®If we kill him here, the victory is practically ours.¡¯</i>


    The barbarian was just barely within their range, but the crossbowmen took aim regardless.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    Dozens of arrows flew.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Urich pulled the shield hanging from his horse¡¯s nk and blocked the arrows skillfully. He then struck the arrows embedded in the shield with his axe and broke them off.


    "Dammit!" the garrison captain cursed.


    Urich rode his horse in circles just out of range as if he was teasing the garrison. He then suddenly dismounted, pulled down his trousers, and urinated in the direction of the gate.


    "T-that son of a bitch! We need to kill him!"


    The agitated voices of the soldiers turned into curses.


    Urich shook off everyst drop and pulled his trousers back up.


    "Hah, you cowards! Is no one going toe out of the walls? Really? And you still call yourselves honorable knights and imperial soldiers? There really isn¡¯t a single man in there who¡¯s willing to sh their weapons against mine?"


    The garrison captain suppressed his urge to rush out immediately.


    "Should we send out a pursuit squad?" An adjutant asked.


    "No, we won¡¯t catch him. We might even get ambushed if we chase him."


    At this point, even one trained soldier was too precious to lose. The garrison captain just seethed, staring at Urich.


    Urich spat on the ground, mounted his horse, and returned to his camp after thoroughly mocking the imperial army.


    "Urich the Plunderer has dered war."


    "Are they finallying..."


    Urich''s deration quickly spread within Hamel. Everyone in Hamel from street beggars to noblemen heard Urich''s name before the soldiers even announced the news.


    "Is it really that barbarian Urich from the jousting tournament?"


    "My friend in the imperial army says it''s true."


    "The fact that we once cheered for that demon..."


    "I am sure Lou will protect us."


    "You think so? The priests are saying that the plunderers are a punishment from Lou."


    "They¡¯re not a punishment, but a trial. A trial we must ovee."


    Hamel spent the day in heavy silence. The Sun Temple waspletely packed with peopleing to pray. There was nearly no ce to even take a step in.


    Women prepared what might be theirst meal. Every household was filled with prayers mixed with sobs. The only onesughing innocently were the children, who knew nothing.


    "As long as we follow our training, there''s no reason we can''t hold them off."


    The garrison captain gathered his adjutants and officers for a long meeting inspecting the walls and supplies without missing anything. The meeting wentte into the night, even skipping dinner.


    "But he must have something that¡¯s giving him confidence if he is provoking us like that."


    The imperial army knew nothing about the western plunderers. This made them even more uneasy. They would have felt much more assured if their enemy was also from civilization.


    <i>¡®Nobody knows what bizarre tactics they''ll use to attack the walls.¡¯</i>


    The barbarians often employed strategies and tactics that went beyond the predictions of the civilized. This was possible because of the difference in culture. Even if they were looking at the same thing, different religions and cultures made them perceive it differently.


    The moon waned, and the night deepened. The insects of summer chirped away. The westerners were ustomed to the humid night air by now.


    "Hamel..."


    Urich sat on a hill that was some distance away from the encampment. He stared at Hamel without even a campfire. The city walls were illuminated by soft light even at night, as one would expect from a city asrge as Hamel.


    Urich''s eyes swirled like whirlpools. He had seen much in the civilized world. He learned different values and ways of life from the several influential people he met. His heart burned as if to melt all the things that he had experienced.


    <i>Throb.</i>


    His heart pounded, almost aching. The imperial capital of Hamel was the epitome of the civilization he admired.


    <i>¡®Our warriors have never been inside there. Even Samikan died before he could see what kind of ce Hamel was.¡¯</i>


    The warriors were unaware of Hamel''s greatness.


    Hamel was backed by mountains, with water flowing from the mountains into the city through canals. That water was distributed throughout the city through spider web-like channels on top of buildings while waste was treated underground, preventing it from mixing with clean water.


    <i>¡®Even if we capture Hamel, the warriors will mercilessly plunder and destroy it. My brothers will not understand Hamel''s greatness. That¡¯s just the way they¡¯ve lived their entire lives.¡¯</i>


    Not many warriors had the sensitivity that Urich had. Only a few had the desire to learn about civilization, and they were close to being prophets. The rest were only interested in pleasure and plundering.


    "Urich."


    Urich wrote his name in the dirt with a stick. He enjoyed learning how to write. He wanted to share this joy with his brothers, but he also knew he wouldn¡¯t be understood by them. A warrior would rather spend time sharpening his axe than learning how to write.


    Urich turned his head to gaze into the darkness. Outside the city was dark as if nothing existed.


    If civilization was light, barbarism was darkness. Urich didn¡¯t see a future in the world of barbarism. They were too busy killing and plundering each other for survival. The only value in that world was the warrior life.


    At some point, Urich stopped seeing the evil spirits. The anxious shadows that were whispering of the afterlife had left him.


    "No matter where I go after I die..."


    Urich chuckled. He looked at his name written in the dirt.


    "People will remember me."


    There was no need to be anxious.


    Not only his brothers but even the civilized people would remember him.

 Chapter 273

    <h4>Chapter 273</h4>


    The darkness faded, and the sun rose.


    The soldiers on the wall squinted their eyes and watched the sunrise. The barbarian''s warning was still etched in their minds. Urich''s deration of war tightened the soldiers'' hearts.


    "Don''t worry. We can stop them."


    An experienced senior tried tofort the younger soldiers.


    <i>¡®Unknown anxiety and fear.¡¯</i>


    Even though they knew Hamel wouldn''t be breached, their hearts still trembled. That was the kind of fear that the plunderers from the west brought: emotions that preceded logical understanding. If one gained emotional superiority, they could also gain an advantage on the battlefield.


    <i>¡®Fear is gnawing at us.¡¯</i>


    The garrisonmander lifted his heavy eyes. He constantly encouraged his soldiers who stood guard in their armor.


    "Is the attacking soon?"


    The leader of the plunderers, Urich, had dered his Alliance would attack this morning.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re probably nning to capture Hamel while His Majesty and the main force are absent. That¡¯s decently clever.¡¯</i>


    The garrisonmander took a deep breath to maintain hisposure.


    <i>¡®But they won''t get Hamel. We can hold out. How would they fill that wide and deep moat, and how would they attack walls they can''t reach even withdders? Each wall is well-stocked with oil and arrows as well. No matter where they attack, this city is impregnable.¡¯</i>


    The garrisonmander checked the walls several times. He meticulously inspected everything just in case there was anycency, perhaps an open side door.


    "There is no need to be anxious," the garrisonmander told himself.


    The sun, which had been peeking out the horizon, gradually rose higher. Even the extremely tense imperial soldiers slowly rxed.


    As the anticipated attack did note, fatigue umted from the night-long tension set in. Soldiers leaning against the walls nodded off.


    "Captain, It''s almost noon, but there''s no sign of an attack."


    A sharp-eyed officer reported to the garrisonmander.


    The garrisonmander observed the state of the soldiers and frowned.


    "They¡¯re waiting for us to put our guards down. When we do that, that¡¯s when they will attack. They know we will bex if they don''t attack at the promised time. Don''t fall for their deception. They wille!"


    The garrisonmander walked along the wall, kicking the dozing soldiers awake. The startled soldiers opened their eyes wide as they wiped the saliva off the corners of their mouths.


    "These barbarians have no sense of honor or promises! And that Porcana, too! They are no different from them, as expected from a remote kingdom!"


    The garrisonmander pressed his fingers against his temples in frustration. He too was extremely tired from staying up all night.


    <i>¡®Are they trying to engage us in a psychological battle? Is their army smart enough to pull off such a thing?¡¯</i>


    Everything seemed suspicious. The Porcana-Alliance army was an army formidable enough to decisively defeat that of Carnius. When an army like that didn¡¯t show itself for an extended period of time, it only made the anxiety worse.


    <i>¡®Anxiety and fear.¡¯</i>


    The emotions he had tried to suppress slowly crept up. The excessively heavy responsibility weighed down on his shoulders.


    "Sir Sarvan, you should get some rest."


    The adjutant urged the garrisonmander to rest.


    "If I sleep now, I won''t wake up with a clear head."


    The garrisonmander said this as he sat down in a chair. But being human, he could no longer resist the drowsiness. He merely closed his eyes for a moment, but it only took a moment for his consciousness to slip into darkness.


    A quiet time passed. The garrisonmander did not wake until after noon. The adjutants took turnsmanding and waiting for the attack without waking him.


    "Kaaaah!"


    The garrisonmander opened his eyes with a screech. He had a terrible nightmare, perhaps due to the built-up anxiety. He dreamt of Hamel engulfed in mes.


    "H-have the barbarians note yet!" He shouted, looking at the sky.


    The sun was already beginning to set. Having just woken up, he couldn¡¯t even be sure about whether it was a dream or reality.


    "Calm down, Sir Sarvan. The barbarians haven''te yet."


    "Still?"


    The garrisonmander''s anxiety grew. Any sign of attack would have allowed him to carry out preparations. Knowing nothing about the enemy kept him on edge.


    "Send out scouts to check their movements! If they haven''t moved by now, there must be a reason."


    The adjutant nodded and selected swift soldiers to send through the side gate.


    The garrisonmander gathered his scattered thoughts as he took a sip of water. A quiet day was passing.


    <i>¡®How on earth are they nning to attack Hamel?¡¯</i>


    The scouts returned before sunset.


    "There are smoke from cooking rising throughout the camp. It seemed like their attack was dyed because their preparations weren¡¯tplete."


    Themander smirked upon hearing the scout report.


    "So they just failed to carry out the attack ording to their n?"


    "They might not be as formidable of an army as we thought. Who knows? Maybe they are having internal disputes. The Porcana army knows how formidable Hamel''s walls are, but the plunderers wouldn¡¯t know that. Since King Varca is leading the army himself, he probably prevented a reckless attack."


    Adjutants and knights gradually opened their mouths in spection.


    An anxious day passed. There was still no battle the next day. As tension eased, the soldiers'' faces brightened. More and more were tossing around jokes.


    "They might be waiting for us to bex! Keep the soldiers in line!"


    Only the garrisonmander''s face was filled with concern. Despite sending scouts repeatedly, all he heard was that they were still encamped.


    Just observing from afar didn''t provide information of enough detail.


    "Go closer and get me some more information."


    The garrisonmander didn¡¯t send out a spy until two days after Urich''s deration of war. He nned to send an imperial soldier of Porcana origin as a spy to extract information.


    The garrisonmander and his adjutants sensed that something was off. They thought the Porcana-Alliance army was plotting some scheme.


    It didn¡¯t even take an entire day for a report toe back.


    "Only the head of the spy made it back, captain."


    A barbarian rode up, threw the spy''s head near the gate, and disappeared.


    As soon as they opened the cloth wrapping the head, a foul smell spread everywhere.


    "Filthy bastards."


    The garrisonmander cursed as he saw the severed head. He was about to explode from the anger.


    ¡°How could they do this to a dead person!¡±


    The head was smeared with urine and feces. It was clear that the barbarians wanted to humiliate the dead man. It was an unthinkable deed in a war between civilized people.


    <i>¡®At least we know one thing for sure now. The ones holding the reins of this army are the plunderers, not Porcana. If the Porcana Kingdom''s army were in charge, they would never do something like this.¡¯</i>


    The garrisonmander ground his teeth. He found himself feeling more hatred for Porcana than for the plunderers.


    <i>¡®They sucked up to the empire when they needed to, and now they¡¯ve joined hands with the barbarians... They''re no better than bats.¡¯</i>


    But the situation was rather strange. Days passed without any sign of an attack from the barbarians.


    ¡°They are the ones who are running out of time. They must be running low on supplies by now. Porcana''s capabilities wouldn''t allow for proper resupply all the way out here.¡±


    ¡°They probably know that better than we do. There must be a reason why they are not attacking,¡± the garrisonmander said, remaining cautious.


    Themander did not wait idly in the information void. He called for knights and formed a reconnaissance force. Knights in light armor equipped themselves with pre-loaded crossbows and weapons.


    <i>Creeeak.</i>


    In broad daylight, the city gates opened. The garrisonmander and a hundred light cavalry dashed out.


    The garrisonmander approached the enemy encampment. People moving around inside the camp were visible.


    ¡°Our goal is to determine the extent of their forces. Avoid any unnecessary closebat and just circle around their camp.¡±


    The purpose of a reconnaissance force was to urately grasp the enemy''s movements.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    The light cavalry who managed to get close to the campunched a surprise attack, firing crossbows at the outskirts.


    <i>¡®They¡¯re noting out?¡¯</i>


    Despite the cavalry''s sudden attack, there seemed to be no retaliating enemy force.


    The garrisonmander approached closer as his pupils trembled.


    <i>¡®Barbarians are supposed to be aggressive; the plunderers shouldn¡¯t be any different. How can they not retaliate after being attacked like this?¡¯</i>


    The garrisonmander looked to the side and signaled his men with his hand. Some of the cavalry broke out of formation and moved deeper inside.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The cavalry swung their maces to break the poles supporting the tents. One of the cavalry who checked the tents shouted with his eyes widened.


    ¡°Sir Sarvan! It''s empty! There''s no one here!¡±


    Only then did they notice the fleeing plunderers. There were only a few hundred of them.


    ¡°Shiiiiiiiiit!¡±


    The garrisonmander shouted with wide eyes. He didn''t even consider chasing the fleeing plunderers. That wasn''t the important thing right now.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap! It was a trap! They already left the camp days ago! They were just pretending like they were surrounding Hamel!¡±


    The Porcana-Alliance army had left only the bare minimum personnel required to maintain the camp. The main force had long since departed. The tents, which seemed intact, were actually empty inside.


    The garrisonmander was aghast and furious. He had wasted time due to unnecessary anxiety.


    <i>¡®Where did these bastards go?¡¯</i>


    The garrisonmander chased the plunderers'' tracks and looked north. Realizing something, he hurried back to the fortress.


    ¡°Scribe!¡±


    He called for a scribe as soon as he entered Hamel. From this point on, every second mattered.


    ¡°His Majesty is in danger. Dammit! They went north, north!¡±


    The garrisonmander was almost frantic.


    ¡°Their deration of war was a ruse!¡±


    He pounded the wall and ground his teeth. They hadpletely fallen for the plunderers¡¯ scheme. The barbarians had fully exploited the fear and anxiety of civilized people. The unknown and fear made people cautious and sometimes prevented action when boldness was needed.


    ¡°We must get to the northern front before them and warn His Majesty of their attack!¡±


    The garrisonmander grabbed the messenger¡¯s cheek, spitting as he spoke. The messenger nodded with determined eyes.


    ¡°The fate of our empire rests on your shoulders! Now, go!¡±


    The garrisonmander pped the horse¡¯s behind and urged it forward. The messenger kicked up dust as he headed north.


    <i>¡®Who would have thought they would make such a bold move...¡¯</i>


    It was a massive gamble. The Porcana-Alliance army was going for the emperor''s army without securing its rear.


    <i>¡®If they can¡¯t take down His Majesty¡¯s army in time, then they¡¯ll be the ones in danger.¡¯</i>


    A new legion was already being formed in the emperor¡¯s direct territory. It was only a matter of time before the Porcana-Alliance army got surrounded from both sides.


    <i>¡®Does this mean that they are confident they can defeat the emperor¡¯s army?¡¯</i>


    The garrisonmander ground his teeth. Bold strategies and tactics had their pros and cons, along with proportionally significant risks. But if sessful, the rewards were great.


    He wanted to lead the garrison to pursue the plunderers immediately, but he thought that even that might be another trap. If he hastily sent the garrison out, Hamel could be captured.


    ¡°That Urich... Is this his idea?¡±


    The enemy suddenly seemed enormous. When suspicion took hold, nothing could be done.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve lost before the fight even began.¡¯</i>


    The garrisonmander finally let out a bitterugh.

 Chapter 274

    <h4>Chapter 274</h4>


    The Imperial Army was attacking another fortress on the northern front. Capturing three fortresses would allow them to secure most of the border between the empire and the north. They had already upied two, making this essentially the final siege.


    "Long live the Sun!"


    The imperial soldiers shouted as they charged. The sun banner fluttered prominently before them.


    "Huff, huff."


    Basha stood at the forefront, panting heavily. She advanced without any strategic tactics. Detailedbat was left to the knights anyway.


    "Aaaah..."


    Basha nced back. Thousands of soldiers were following her.


    <i>¡®People who believe in the blessing of the sun.¡¯</i>


    Basha felt her body heat up. A warm sense of fulfillment radiated from deep inside her abdomen.


    <i>Ting!</i>


    An arrow struck Basha¡¯s torso but bounced off. Her armor glinted with a silvery sheen. The armor she was wearing was no longer just a flimsy one, but a well-crafted armor made of steel.


    "Fire!"


    The catapultsunched barrels of me oil into the fortress. Fire arrows that followed ignited the oil, turning the inside of the fortress into a sea of mes.


    "Kaaagh!"


    Northern warriors screamed from the excruciating pain of being burned alive.


    The northern fortress, having many wooden buildings, caught fire in the blink of an eye. Several more barrels of me oil were dropped onto the already-zing mes.


    "Pour the rest of the oil in there. We just have to capture this ce."


    Yanchinus watched the burning fortress with unflinching eyes. Each barrel of me oil used was like throwing away a chest full of silver coins. That was how high the production cost of me oil was.


    <i>¡®This is not the time to be frugal.¡¯</i>


    The imperial army used everyst drop of the me oil they had brought on this expedition. The first actual deployment of the brand-new me oil and the Fire of the Empire proved that they could be extremely powerful.


    <i>¡®Military technology like this must not leak out.¡¯</i>


    Imperial steel and me oil were invaluable. The empire put in significant efforts to protect these secrets.


    "I can see Basha¡¯s banner all the way from here."


    Yanchinus, looking at the battlefield, leaned back leisurely and propped his chin.


    "She has been quite a significant help in boosting the morale of the soldiers. Her enthusiasm makes even the air around her feel hot."


    Jorman, the steel knight in helmet, answered. He had guarded Basha in the previous battle.


    "Enthusiasm... sometimes that¡¯s necessary too."


    Yanchinus twisted one corner of his mouth.


    <i>¡®That girl truly believes she has the blessing of Lou.¡¯</i>


    The banner was already fluttering on the walls.


    <i>¡®An ipetent girl surviving the battlefield is purely due to a bit of luck and the protection of my knights.¡¯</i>


    An emperor¡¯s position was a seat where one could see all sorts of people.


    <i>¡®The most important thing for a ruler is neither virtue nor knowledge.¡¯</i>


    There was a lesson passed down from his grandfather and father. Yanchinus'' pupils stared at the sun banner.


    <i>¡®The only thing that matters is the ability to judge people.¡¯</i>


    Being able to distinguish friend from foe and recognizing ordinary people from heroes was all that was needed to be a great ruler.


    "My one mistake was failing to see Urich as an enemy," Yanchinus muttered to himself.


    He knew that Urich was an extraordinary person but thought he could bring him under hismand.


    "Basha has achieved yet another feat, Your Majesty," Jorman said as he watched the battlefield. The fortress quickly copsed, starting from where Basha¡¯s banner was fluttering.


    The soldiers following Basha felt a surge of emotion. A girl young enough to be their daughter or sister was fighting in front of them. Even the calmest soldiers could not contain their boiling emotions and charged after her.


    ¡°Wooooaaaaah!¡±


    The soldier beside Basha thrust his spear deeply, stabbing a northern warrior before quickly withdrawing the de. His actions were bolder and more aggressive than usual.


    ¡°Lou is with us! Fight with me, everyone! Lou has whispered victory in my ear!¡± Basha shouted at the top of her lungs. Despite the danger, she did not retreat from the front line.


    ¡°Just a little more. We just have to go a little further,¡± Basha murmured, staring into the distance.


    Her eyes were not looking at the battlefield, which reeked of blood. Despite the spears and arrows raining down, she had no sense of reality.


    <i>¡®Lou is protecting me.¡¯</i>


    A faint smile even crept onto her face.


    She delved deeper into the battlefield as if she were running toward climax.


    ¡°<i>Oooooooh!¡±</i>


    A northern warrior took a big swing with his axe at Basha. A steel knight blocked the northern warrior and protected her as if he had been waiting for this very moment.


    ¡°Follow Basha!¡± The soldiers shouted as they charged toward the remnants inside the fortress.


    A peasant woman stood at the forefront of the battlefield. In the eyes of the ordinary soldiers, it was nothing short of a miracle. Despite participating in several battles at the forefront, Basha had never failed to return alive.


    The northern warriors gripped their weapons, staring at the approaching imperial army.


    ¡°My brothers.¡±


    ¡°It has been an honor.¡±


    The remaining northern warriors stood back-to-back and shoulder-to-shoulder and nodded to each other as they prepared for a glorious end.


    ¡°The blessing of Lou is not for the barbarians! They are no more than beasts! They are not humans!¡±


    Basha spewed whatever came into her mind. Her speech waspletely different from that of a typical priest. She didn¡¯t talk about boring love and mercy. She spoke only the words the soldiers wanted to hear.


    The Sun Warrior Commander Alfnan was the only one who frowned as he looked at Basha.


    <i>¡®What on earth was His Majesty thinking, sending such a lowly woman to the battlefield....¡¯</i>


    Though not deeply devout, Alfnan was the head of the Sun Warriors. The words from Basha¡¯s mouth were filled with hate,pletely mismatched with the teachings of Srism. She particrly spewed words of hatred toward barbarians. She was an extremely ufortable woman for Alfnan, who was a Sun Warrior of barbarian origin.


    ¡°The blessing of Lou belongs to the innocent civilized people!¡±


    Basha nted the g into the ground and knelt. Her exhausted shoulders heaved greatly.


    ¡°Oooooh...¡±


    The scene of Basha praying in her silver armor in the middle of the battlefield looked like a piece of art. Many soldiers were inspired to recite prayers themselves.


    Some Sun priests, who did not pledge loyalty to the empire, had said that the northern war was immoral and would not be blessed by Lou. Thanks to Basha, the soldiers found sce.


    <i>¡®The priests were wrong. That wasn¡¯t the truth. Lou is still protecting our empire, and Basha is the proof.¡¯</i>


    The Imperial Army upied three fortresses in the area between the north and the empire. Basha had taken the lead in all those battles. Just seeing her raise the banner greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers.


    ¡°My good people! We will continue to win!¡±


    Drunk with victory, Basha climbed the wall and shouted. Her flushed face was almost sensual. The soldiers stared at her as if they had been enchanted.


    A knight approached Basha, who was descending the wall.


    ¡°Basha, clean off the blood and change into fresh clothes. His Majesty has invited you to dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°I will dly attend.¡±


    Basha smiled.


    * * *


    Sun Warrior Commander Alfnan went to see Yanchinus immediately after the conclusion of the battle. He hadn''t even wiped the blood off his armor.


    "Your Majesty, you must not continue to use Basha. She has not received the blessing of Lou," Alfnan spoke after ncing around the tent. Basha had not yete.


    "Try saying that in front of the soldiers. They would love that."


    Yanchinusughed softly, covering his mouth.


    "This is not aughing matter, Your Majesty. She is an unpredictable woman. You cannot let her go around iming she has received Lou''s blessing. The ignorant soldiers will believe whateveres out of her mouth."


    Alfnan insisted firmly in front of the emperor, which was rare.


    <i>¡®You¡¯re panicking, Alfnan.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus leisurely picked up a ss of water and lightly swirled it. The water rippled with a light ssh.


    "If Basha gains influence among the soldiers, I¡¯m sure it will trouble you. Basha despises barbarians and she just wants to kill them. She doesn''t care whether they believe in Lou or not."


    Yanchinus saw right through Alfnan.


    "T-That is... That is precisely the problem. The soldiers believe she is a saintess."


    Alfnan did not hide his true feelings.


    "If the soldiers believe she is a saintess, then it would be best to let them continue believing so."


    "Your Majesty!"


    "Are you doubting my judgment, Alfnan?"


    Alfnan shut his mouth. He was in no position to speak against Yanchinus. In the current situation, the Sun Warriors were practically criminals. Yanchinus¡¯ grace was the only reason that Alfnan and the Sun Warriors were able to retain their position.


    "Do you think I, Yanchinus, would trust a woman gone mad more than warriors armed with loyalty and faith? It seems like you really saw me as such an indiscriminate person!"


    Alfnan hurriedly knelt.


    "I misspoke, Your Majesty. My sword and my life are yours."


    "Then be gone. All you have to do is fight for me, as you have done until now."


    "I have been disrespectful. I will atone for my insolence with the blood of our enemies, Your Majesty."


    Alfnan bowed his head in respect and retreated backward.


    Yanchinus pressed his fingers to his eyes to relieve the fatigue.


    <i>¡®Alfnan is too petty and obsessive about even the most trivial matters. I guess that¡¯s what got him to the rank ofmander, but he¡¯ll never be anything more than that. That¡¯s his limit.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus briefly shut his eyes before Basha arrived. Not only had he beenmanding the battlefield, he had been sending many diplomatic envoys to various ces. He hadn¡¯t had a proper rest or sleptfortably due to the constantly emerging urgent situations.


    "Your Majesty, Basha is here to see you."


    The emperor¡¯s attendant whispered repeatedly until Yanchinus woke up.


    "Basha? Ah, right. I invited her for a meal."


    Yanchinus blinked and shook his head.


    "...Greetings, Your Majesty."


    Basha entered the tent wearing pants like a man. There wasn¡¯t even a slight tremble in her eyes despite facing the empire.


    <i>¡®I am the one who has received the blessing of Lou. I stand above any worldly rank.¡¯</i>


    Basha sat confidently with her shoulders back. The dishes on the table were luxurious enough to make it hard to believe they were on a battlefield.


    "You¡¯ve achieved quite some feats, so it is only right that you are treated ordingly. That¡¯s my way, Basha."


    Yanchinus tore off a piece of veal with his hand and put it in his mouth. Basha clumsily mimicked his gestures.


    "Lou is the one that deserves all praise, not me, Your Majesty. I merely fight ording to His will."


    "The blessing of Lou... As far as I know, the priests have not yet acknowledged you as a saintess, have they?"


    "The opinion of the priests is not important. What matters is that I have heard Lou¡¯s voice."


    Basha wiped the grease off her mouth and raised her head.


    "I don¡¯t particrly like the priests either. They always talk about what¡¯s right and what¡¯s not, even though they can¡¯t even follow their own words. "


    "You must have seen it yourself as well, Your Majesty. How else could I have aplished these feats if His blessings were not with me?"


    Basha''s eyes sparkled, and her cheeks were flushed.


    Yanchinus chuckled as he licked his fingers.


    "...Basha, I have seen those blessed by the gods. The truly blessed are steadfast and strong. They achieve what others deem impossible, and their courage and determination far exceed others."


    "I have also done what others said was impossible. I led us to victory in this battle."


    Basha bit her lip.


    Yanchinus'' grin grew bigger. He wanted to hurl insults at her face right then and there and tell her that the victory she imed was actually achieved by the blood of knights and soldiers.


    <i>¡®She¡¯s still very useful. I suppose even her naive words are half-true.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus drank water to soothe his itchy throat.


    "Among the men I know, there were some who seemed like they were truly blessed by the gods. Let me tell you about one of them."


    Basha tore the bread and meat with her hands and waited for Yanchinus to continue.


    "...Not long ago, the Sky Mountains were considered the end of the world and an insurmountable taboo. The Sun priests bbered there was nothing but a void cliff beyond the mountains, but I didn¡¯t believe them. I thought there had to be something beyond the sea and beyond those mountains. I was excited to achieve a great feat, convinced I would discover a new world. Yes, that new world existed. But I wasn¡¯t the only one with that thought. There was a man who traversed the two disconnected worlds before us."


    "Who was that man?"


    At Basha''s question, Yanchinus grinned, baring his teeth.


    "The leader of the plunderers, Urich."

 Chapter 275

    <h4>Chapter 275</h4>


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Urich blinked.


    Lying on the ground was a girl with an arrow lodged in her neck, still alive despite the blood flowing out from the wound.


    ¡°Ah, did I hit you? That¡¯s too bad,¡± Urich muttered upon noticing her. Around them were scattered wagons and men.


    The warriors sorted the loot and loaded them on their backs. They carelessly whistled as they finished off the gasping men.


    The Alliance Army dispatched several plundering units to gather resources. Urich also led some of the warriors to ambush a passing caravan. They showered it with arrows before engaging, harming an innocent girl in the process.


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>.¡±


    The girl coughed up blood with an unpleasant blood-gurgling sound as she looked up at Urich.


    Urich drew the axe hanging at his waist and spun it in his hand as he strode over to the girl¡¯s head.


    ¡°Reminds me of old times. I could¡¯ve spared you if you weren¡¯t hit.¡±


    Urich smiled bitterly. In the past, he had saved a girl who was weeping inside the wooden barrel she was hiding in.


    <i>¡®I wonder if that girl remembers me with gratitude. Or maybe she just sees me as the enemy who destroyed her family and vige.¡¯</i>


    Urich swung the axe down with force, snapping the girl¡¯s neck with a loud snap. The girl''s head separated from her body.


    ¡°Eh, it doesn¡¯t matter, anyway,¡± he told himself.


    Urich wiped the blood off the axe de on his pants. He left the dead girl behind and looked at the warriors who had gathered the loot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back. We have a long way to go.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoh!</i>¡±


    The warriors, whose faces were lit with smiles from the sessful plunder, raised their weapons andughed heartily.


    <i>Crunch, crunch.</i>


    Urich was also in a good mood from eating fresh fruit for the first time in a while. The juice dripped down his chin as he nced back at the remains of the raided caravan.


    He saw the girl''s head. It was staring at Urich with lifeless open eyes from further than where he had left it as if someone had kicked it for no particr reason.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you resent me or not,¡± Urich muttered.


    He couldn¡¯tugh as freely as the other warriors. He felt that he wasn¡¯t purely enjoying the plundering.


    <i>¡®This is not right,¡¯ </i>he thought suddenly as he looked at the backs of his brothers. They were boasting about the methods they used to kill the people of the caravan while Urich felt a surge of contempt and disgust in his chest.


    At some point in his journey, Urich had be different from his brothers. He felt a sense of guilt in his conscience.


    ¡°Urich?¡±


    A warrior who was walking ahead looked back at the slowing Urich.


    The warrior flinched and quickly averted his gaze. Urich was looking at the warriors with eyes full of ferocity.


    <i>¡®Why is Urich looking at us like that?¡¯</i>


    He pretended not to notice Urich''s gaze after feeling a chill that was simr to getting stabbed in the back.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Urich muttered under his breath as he closed his eyes and shook his head.


    <i>¡®Did I see it wrong?¡¯ </i>The warrior thought as he nced at Urich again. The intense murderous intent had vanished like an illusion, and the Great Chief of the Alliance was no different from his usual self.


    Urich''s plundering party rejoined the main force along with the other small units who had gone out on various plundering expeditions. The Alliance Army marched with only three days¡¯ worth of food and resupplied through plundering as needed.


    ¡°Great Chief.¡±


    Katagi, whose body was particrly stained with blood, hurried over as soon as he spotted Urich.


    ¡°We found an imperial supply unit. The Imperial Army must be nearby.¡±


    ¡°Did you capture any prisoners?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Olga is interrogating them now. We should know the location of their main force soon.¡±


    Screams of the captured imperial soldiers being put through an excruciating torture spread through the Alliance''s camp.


    Urich crossed the camp and entered the tent where the interrogation was taking ce.


    The prisoner, tied to a post, was sobbing and trembling with tears and snot running down his face. Standing in front of him was Olga, calmly cleaning his dagger.


    ¡°You can take your time with your answers. You see, I actually enjoy skinning people alive, so it¡¯d be better if I could savor it for a long time.¡±


    The interpreter conveyed Olga''s words to the prisoner, which made the prisoner shriek in horror.


    ¡°<i>Mmmph</i>!¡±


    The prisoner tried to say something, but Olga did not hear him out. Thorns were already embedded under his fingernails, and parts of his torso''s skin were peeled away, revealing the red muscle underneath.


    ¡°Did you get anything out of him?¡±


    Urich entered and asked indifferently.


    ¡°I... will now.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t stutter much anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good with your...nguage now.¡±


    ¡°If you get a chance, learn these guys'' too. It can¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Not... interested.¡±


    Urich shrugged and looked at the prisoner. Olga was sharpening his de keenly as if he was excited to enjoy the process for a while.


    ¡°Olga, we don¡¯t have time to y with the prisoner.¡±


    Urich reached out and grabbed the prisoner''s gag.


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Urich broke the solid wooden gag with just his grip strength. The prisoner, with splinters stuck in his lips, trembled as he looked at Urich.


    ¡°Where is the main force of the emperor?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh, aah.</i>¡±


    Urich had no intention to give the prisoner any time to think. He pressed him harder by pping him before he could even speak, and each time the prisoner stuttered, Urich broke another finger.


    ¡°Just say whatever¡¯s in your head and don¡¯t even try to think. If it gets to the guy behind me, you''ll really wish you were dead.¡±


    The soldier nodded with tears streaming down. As he sobbed like a child, he confessed everything he knew.


    ¡°The emperor¡¯s main force ising down? Have they already dealt with the northern front?¡±


    Urich frowned. The emperor''s arrival was quicker than he had anticipated.


    The new information quickly spread to themanders, and the leaders of the Porcana-Alliance army gathered in a single tent to discuss further actions.


    ¡°It would have been ideal to hit them from behind while they were fighting the Northern Independence Army... but we ended up being toote,¡± Duke Lungell said and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°We¡¯re not thatte. It¡¯s not like we missed them, right? The worst oue would have been the emperor going past us and making it to Hamel.¡±


    ¡°Urich is right, Duke.¡±


    Varca supported Urich''s words. Things could have been much worse.


    However, Duke Lungell still looked displeased.


    ¡°Our opponent this time is the emperor¡¯s private army¡ªthe armyposed of the elite of the elite of the empire. Just because we defeated Carnius doesn¡¯t guarantee we can defeat the emperor with ease.¡±


    ¡°So, are you saying we should flee?¡± Varca retorted.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, Your Highness... I''m saying we should be cautious.¡±


    Various opinions were exchanged inside the tent.


    ¡°Hmm....¡±


    Harvald, the Sun Warrior in Urich¡¯s camp, looked at the map and spoke up.


    ¡°The empire couldn''t have conquered the north this quickly. They must have rushed to upy a few key points first ande to attack us first. They would have had to leave garrisons at each point, so that should have weakened the emperor¡¯s main force.¡±


    Harvald knew the northern front quite well.


    ¡°If Harvald is right, then we can¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡±


    Urich grinned as he looked at the others.


    <i>¡®This is the final battle.¡¯</i>


    Urich was sick of war. He wanted to stop the meaningless plundering and killing.


    * * *


    The main force led by Yanchinus was heading back toward Hamel. They had left enough forces and supplies for the northern fortress to hold out for the time being.


    ¡°Time is key for us,¡± Yanchinus muttered on his horse.


    The longer the war of attrition dragged on, the more the plunderers would falter. There were still plenty of troops left in the vast territory of the empire who could be gathered as long as they were given time.


    <i>¡®Carnius¡¯ defeat was fatal. Losing troops is one thing, but we¡¯ve lost a capable general.¡¯</i>


    There was no suitable recement for the dead Carnius. Yanchinus¡¯ tyrannical rule drove him out of manypetent and experienced generals¡¯ favor, and givingmand to such individuals could incite rebellion.


    <i>¡®Carnius didn¡¯t like me either, but he wasn¡¯t the type to turn his back on the empire and start a rebellion. That''s why I could entrust him with troops.¡¯</i>


    Several names shed through Yanchinus'' mind.


    ¡°I miss Noya, hehe.¡±


    His shoulders shook. The Sword Demon Ferzen was an absolute figure even to the emperor, almost like a father.


    <i>¡®Back in the day, Noya had no problem resolving any problem.¡¯</i>


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    Yanchinus'' horse carefully stepped forward, even without its master holding the reins.


    The Sword Demon Ferzen had been by Yanchinus¡¯ side growing up and was a close friend of his father.


    <i>¡®I wonder if I would have been in such a defensive position right now if Noya were still here?¡¯</i>


    But hypotheticals were meaningless.


    Though technically considered missing, Ferzen was probably dead. It wasn¡¯t umon for people to go missing during expeditions. Perhaps he had disappeared on his own upon sensing the impending death.


    Yanchinus raised his head, shaking off his thoughts.


    <i>¡®Look at you running around all happy, Basha.¡¯</i>


    Basha was moving among the soldiers on a white horse given by the emperor and in an borate and shy armor that was more decorative than practical.


    Basha¡¯s role was to attract attention. Her armor had no practical use, and even the white horse was just an old one that was not fit for battle at all whose coat had turned white from aging.


    Basha looked at her reflection as he passed a stream. She saw herself in shining armor, mounted on a splendid white horse.


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>.¡±


    Basha smiled and let out a soft exmation.


    <i>¡®Lou loves me. The high-ranking people, even the emperor, all acknowledge me. It¡¯s proof that He is watching over me.¡¯</i>


    It was a strange feeling. She felt so light that she could float and even getting stabbed by a sword wouldn¡¯t hurt a bit.


    ¡°Please grace me with a word of blessing, Lady Basha,¡± a soldier approached Basha and asked. Basha ced her hand on the soldier¡¯s helmet and uttered a blessing as if she were a priest.


    ¡°With Lou''s grace, arrows and spear tips will not harm you.¡±


    Upon seeing this, other soldiers began to gather one by one to receive her blessing.


    ¡°My goodness, someone who isn¡¯t even a priest is giving blessings!¡±


    A military priest angrily tried to approach Basha. The Sun priests already disapproved of her, as everyone knew she had killed a chain.


    <i>¡®He was a respectable chain. He would have never even thought of assaulting a woman.¡¯</i>


    However, the emperor and the Imperial Army defended Basha.


    ¡°Are you knights stopping me?¡±


    The Sun priest red at the knights assigned as Basha¡¯s guards standing in his way.


    ¡°It¡¯s the order of His Imperial Majesty. Do not interfere with what thatdy does, Priest.¡±


    ¡°Someone who isn¡¯t a priest is arbitrarily invoking Lou¡¯s name to give blessings!¡±


    The knights shook their heads and stood firm in the way of the priest. The priest grumbled as he returned to his ce.


    The priests voiced theirints to the Sun Warrior Commander Alfnan, with whom they were close in the army.


    ¡°If His Holiness the Pope were here, he would have immediately called that woman a witch. Commander Alfnan, are you just going to watch the arrogant behavior of that girl?¡±


    Alfnan was in a difficult position. The Sun Warriors were in close rtions with Srism, but their loyalty ultimatelyy with the emperor.


    <i>¡®I cannot go against His Majesty.¡¯</i>


    Alfnan consoled the priests, speaking in a whisper.


    ¡°She is kept around because of her usefulness. His Majesty doesn¡¯t truly think she is a saintess.¡±


    ¡°Then should she not be expelled immediately?! If such a woman remains in the army, Lou will not be on our side. Isn''t the empire in this whole mess because its army is being led by those with weak faith?¡±


    Hearing the priest''s anger, Alfnan''s mouth twitched.


    ¡°You best not speak like that in front of others, Priest. You are not one fighting on the battlefield with swords and blood. If faith and prayer alone could win wars, go ahead and try.¡±


    Alfnan clenched his teeth in anger. No matter what anyone said, the credit for victory belonged to those who fought and bled. He didn¡¯t like Basha either, but at least she risked her life at the forefront of the battlefield. Unlike some, she didn¡¯t just stand around and talk with hands behind her back.


    ¡°C-Commander Alfnan, you are a Sun Warrior who has dedicated your body and soul to Lou! How could you say such things?¡±


    ¡°I will answer for my insolence after the war is over. What matters now is winning the battle. If the power of a madwoman is what we need to do just that, then we will dly use it.¡±


    Alfnan patted the priest¡¯s shoulder as he passed by. He was also in a tight spot as losing the war would mean that he would lose everything.

 Chapter 276

    <h4>Chapter 276</h4>


    <i>Pitter-patter!</i>


    The pouring summer monsoon harshly beat the shoulders of the warriors, making them feel sticky and ufortable.


    Urich¡¯s army was camped inside a forest away from the in where the Imperial Army was most likely going to pass through. Urich gazed at thend that was turning muddy.


    Katagi approached Urich, pushing his wet hair back.


    ¡°Several of our warriors have fallen ill,¡± he reported.


    It was a hot and humid summer, and the Porcana-Alliance army was encamped in a forest where the rainwater wasing up to their knees.


    Urich looked back at the bleak camp. The warriors did note out of their tents due to the pouring rain, and even those who asionally did walked with slumped shoulders and unsteady steps


    <i>¡®Everyone is exhausted.¡¯</i>


    No matter how strong the tribal warriors were, they too had limits and needed rest both physically and mentally, and camping didn¡¯t provide enough. They needed to settle down and recuperate.


    The disease that seemed to have calmed down was spreading again among the warriors whereas the Serpentism medicine was running low.


    ¡°We need to get their spirits up, Katagi. Go tell them that this is thest battle. If we capture the emperor here, we don¡¯t have to fight anymore.¡±


    Katagi nodded. He turned back toward the camp in the rain.


    Urich continued to stare at the in. There was no other ce for the Imperial Army to pass through.


    <i>Squelch.</i>


    Urich, with his hair drenched in rain and looking like a ghost, climbed up the hill and sat down in the mud.


    ¡°<i>Hoo</i>.¡±


    He breathed a deep sigh as he drew his sword and nted it deep into the ground with ease.


    <i>¡®Thisnd is quite fertile. It will work well for us.¡¯</i>


    Fertilends turned into a bog when soaked with rain. Those in armor would sink with every step, and cavalry wouldn¡¯t be able to utilize their mobility.


    <i>¡®If I¡¯m not wrong, the emperor shouldn¡¯t have realized our n yet.¡¯</i>


    Having the upper hand in intelligence against the empire was a rare opportunity for anyone. They had the opportunity to know the situation first and fight in a location where they had the most advantage.


    <i>¡®The warriors are exhausted.¡¯</i>


    The western warriors had practically marched across the continent in a rigorous advance, engaging in consecutive arduous battles that ordinary soldiers would have copsed in long ago.


    ¡°...and so am I.¡±


    Urich rubbed his chest. He couldn¡¯t reignite his heart with the hot desire like before as if it had turned into cold ashes.


    <i>¡®This is bad. I¡¯m starting to doubt this whole war.¡¯</i>


    Urich was simply moving forward out of duty because of how close the finish line was, but his heart was no longer in the war.


    He turned around at the sound of someone approaching. Varca, who had grown into a decent young man, emerged from the forest as he looked at Urich with his blue eyes.


    ¡°Urich, even you will catch a cold if you stay in the rain like this.¡±


    Varca undid his cloak and draped it over Urich¡¯s head and shoulders. Raindrops trickled down the texture of the cloak, which was treated with oil and wax to be waterproof.


    ¡°This war... you think it¡¯ll end once we catch the emperor?¡± Urich asked in a shaky voice, perhaps due to the rain.


    ¡°You saw it too, didn¡¯t you? The emperor is the focal power of the empire while the local lords are descendants of duchies and kingdoms that perished over five decades ago. If the imperial power copses, so will the empire.¡±


    Varca also looked in the direction Urich was staring.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡±


    Urich showed his desire to end the war by asking a question to which he already knew the answer.


    ¡°It seems like Brother Gottval is quite fond of you, judging by how worried he is about you,¡± Varca said.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s pretty eager to make me believe in Lou. Probably because he baptized me himself, think about it, how big of an achievement would it be if he could convert the entire west, starting with me? He would be remembered as one of the greatest saints in the history of Srism.¡±


    ¡°You know he¡¯s not that kind of person, Urich.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m just joking. Gottval is just a straightforward priest.¡±


    Varca sat down next to Urich and stared straight at him.


    ¡°I also want you to believe in Lou. I often dream of the Porcana fleet discovering the Eastern Continent after a long voyage, but you¡¯re never there.¡±


    Urich burst intoughter.


    ¡°Why the hell is everyone so obsessed with which god I believe in? Who cares?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because we all like you. Brother Gottval, me, we all worry about you. We want your soul to find peace.¡±


    Urich quietly turned his head to look at Varca whose blue eyes were sparkling with religious fervor. Without a doubt, Varca was a devout believer in Lou, and he believed that exploring the Eastern Continent was a mission given by Lou.


    ¡°I can¡¯t put my faith in Lou,¡± Urich said as he touched the sun ne he got from Gottval, which he had been wearing without any sort of faith.


    ¡°Then do you believe in Ulgaro?¡±


    Varca frowned and sighed.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s not my ce to interfere with what Urich believes in, but...¡¯</i>


    Urich was silent for a moment before answering.


    ¡°I almost did. He did save me a bunch of times, you know.¡±


    Urich thought of Ulgaro¡¯s shadow that used to show itself asionally to shout at him.


    ¡°Or do you praise the sky like other warriors?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    Urich simply smiled and looked at the rain-soaked in.


    Varca pursed his lips at Urich¡¯s vague answer.


    ¡°In the end, we have no choice but to believe in Lou, Urich. You¡¯re trying to choose your own god, but that¡¯s just arrogant and outright wrong. We have no right to choose a god. We just believe and follow.¡±


    ¡°You are a good friend, Pahell.¡±


    That was all Urich muttered.


    Varca sighed and stood up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep acting so arrogant because you think the gods love you. We must be humble before them, Urich. I hope you find the right path.¡±


    Varca prayed softly for Urich and then returned to the camp.


    * * *


    The emperor''s army was marching south toward the capital.


    ¡°Dammit, of course, we get hit by the rain.¡±


    Alfnan, the Sun Warrior Commander, grumbled as the moisture seeping through his clothes made his entire body feel sticky and swollen.


    <i>tter, tter.</i>


    The horses were dragging wagons loaded with armor and supplies through the mud, but the wheels often got stuck due to the weight. Eventually, it was the squires who had to carry the armor themselves. The uniforms of the unarmed supply soldiers were covered in mud.


    ¡°The imperial road is just around the corner!¡±


    Under the encouragement of the supply officer, the supply soldiers pushed and pulled the wagons forward.


    Things were going to turn for the better once they reached the imperial road as the rain would not affect the well-maintained pavement. Once the wagons move at their usual speed, the speed of their advancement would double.


    ¡°Push!¡±


    The supply soldiers, sweating mixed with rain, pushed the wagons with all their might. The wagon wheels that were stuck in the mud finally came loose, and the horses pulled the wagons forward energetically.


    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±


    Someone approached the supply soldiers who had copsed in the mud to catch their breath.


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty!¡± The soldiers jumped up in surprise.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t get up. Take your breaks, soldiers. The empire will not forget your efforts.¡±


    Emperor Yanchinus praised the soldiers as he passed by. Yanchinus had spent a lot of time among the soldiers to the point that even the lowest-ranking soldiers knew his face and voice.


    Yanchinus, who was harsh with the nobles, was always generous with the army.


    <i>¡®Stay close to your army. That¡¯s what Father always said.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus always practiced the teachings of his predecessors. Expansion, defense, and even quelling rebellions all required the army''s strength.


    <i>¡®I can strike at Porcana and the plunderers once I gather the rest of our forces in Hamel. We even have a kingdom that will help.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus had already formed a n in his mind.


    <i>¡®Things never go as nned, but it¡¯s better to have a n than not.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus spurred his horse and returned to themanders, who were in no better shape than the rest of the army due to the rain. If they weren¡¯t so pressed for time, they wouldn¡¯t be marching in such conditions.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it seems the rain is dying the supply unit. The one we were supposed to meet isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Do we have enough food?¡±


    ¡°It should stillst us if we cut down by one meal, and the horses can graze since the ins are not too far away,¡± the supply officer quickly answered.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem. We¡¯ll reach the imperial road before sunset,¡± Yanchinus spoke firmly.


    Though it was a forced march to reach the imperial road through the muddy terrain in one day, the emperor and themanders all preferred it over spending another day in the mud.


    <i>Pitter-patter.</i>


    The rain grew heavier. Yanchinus pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders.


    With the diligent march, the Imperial Army reached the imperial road faster than themanders expected. It seemed they could rest before nightfall.


    ¡°Your Majesty! A messenger from Hamel has arrived! He says that Hamel is under attack!¡±


    A knight came running, followed by a panting messenger who had just arrived.


    ¡°A siege?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Garrison Captain Sarvan will defend the wall with caution. He¡¯s not someone who would fall so easily.¡±


    Not only was Yanchinus not fazed, but a slight smile also yed on his lips.


    ¡°This is a chance for us to hit them from behind. If we attack while they¡¯reying siege, they won¡¯t be able to fight properly.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ve reached the road earlier than expected. Your Majesty, it might be best to close down the distance even further while we can.¡±


    The knights advised, to which Yanchinus listened attentively.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep moving until nightfall!¡± The knights shouted the order as they rode around the army.


    The Imperial Army continued moving along the imperial road without resting as many knights and soldiers were excited by the news of Hamel being attacked.


    <i>¡®Why would theyy siege on Hamel? Did they simply underestimate our capital, or do they have another trick up their sleeve?¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus knew he was going against Varca and Urich, and both knew how difficult it would be to breach Hamel.


    <i>¡®A war of attrition is significantly favorable for us. Hamel has more than enough supplies tost, so even if they managed to surround it, starving it with a long siege would be impossible. In fact, they could end up just wasting their troops.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus, like a habit, tried to put himself in his enemy¡¯s shoes to read their strategy.


    <i>¡®This has to mean that Urich and Varca have another n to break through Hamel. Does Hamel have a weakness that I don¡¯t know about?¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus raised his head. He decided to think more fundamentally.


    <i>¡®Would I attack Hamel if I were in their position?¡¯</i>


    No, there was an easier way to gain a decisive advantage in the war, and it struck like lightning in Yanchinus¡¯ head.


    ¡°Bring me the messenger from Hamel!¡±


    Yanchinus shouted. The messenger, who had arrived earlier, hurriedly tried to flee on his horse.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    A crossbowman shot the messenger¡¯s horse. The messenger, who broke his leg from the fall, drew a dagger and attempted to slit his own throat as he limped away.


    ¡°Get him!¡±


    The soldiers seized the messenger and pinned him down. The swollen-faced messengery before Yanchinus.


    ¡°You are not an imperial messenger.¡±


    ¡°Kek, keke.¡±


    The messenger chuckled softly. Yanchinus recognized him as a knight of Porcana. It was a highly loyal, low-ranking knight who had risked his life on a dangerous mission for what was presumably King Varca¡¯s promise of his family¡¯s revival.


    ¡°They were trying to deceive us...¡± Yanchinus muttered and called hismanders.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already fallen into their trap. Go get your armors and weapons¡±


    But a horn red loudly before the Imperial Army could fully arm themselves.


    ¡°Enemies! Enemies iing!¡±


    Warriors with weapons emerged from a forest not far from the imperial road, marching confidently through the pouring rain. Soon, they charged one by one.


    ¡°<i>Oh, ooooh!¡±</i>


    The advancing warriors roared loud enough to drown out the sound of the pouring rain and reached the Imperial Army, who had to face the enemies before they could fully prepare for battle.

 Chapter 277

    <h4>Chapter 277</h4>


    The Imperial Army was stretched out in a long line on the imperial road, which was just wide enough for two wagons to pass side by side.


    <i>¡®We can¡¯t fall into formation properly in these conditions.¡¯</i>


    The knights hurriedly called their squires to at least put on their breasttes. The heavy infantry also gathered their necessary equipment and assembled around their directmanders.


    The marching column of the Imperial Army was thin and long, leaving them highly vulnerable to an ambush. The situation quickly turned for the worse. If they were attacked from the side in this state, they would copse without even being able to form proper lines.


    The well-trained Imperial Army gathered into small units without waiting formands from their officers.


    "Form a line and advance! We must hold out until our rear lines can fall into formation!" The senior officer shouted.


    The professional heavy infantry quickly found theirrades and formed a defensive line in preparation for the imminent sh with the approaching barbarians.


    "They got us good," Yanchinus muttered under his breath as he pulled on his horse¡¯s reins and observed the situation.


    The eyes of the emperor did not waver even when things took an unexpected turn.


    <i>¡®The rain and the long column are dying themand delivery. I have to trust my well-trained soldiers and field officers to adapt.¡¯</i>


    Unified strategy and tactics have always been the strength of the Imperial Army, meaning that they were strong in organized battles but were no better in chaos than barbarians with the same armament.


    <i>¡®They must have waited for the ground to be too muddy for us to use our cavalry.¡¯</i>


    The terrain and situation were both thoroughly advantageous for the barbarians.


    <i>¡®Fighting in the most favorable condition... they¡¯re showing me the basics ofbat.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus gave a wry smile.


    "Quite bold of them to target me."


    Although there were only a few heavy infantry, they maintained their formation and countered the iing barbarians.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Flesh and muscle tore apart and cries of pain erupted from all sides as weapons roughly shed.


    "<i>Oooooh!</i>"


    The highly motivated warriors mercilessly ripped through the imperial infantry. The Imperial Army, unprepared for battle, couldn''t fully respond to the attacks from the barbarians pouring in from all sides.


    <i>Clunk, clunk.</i>


    The army of Porcana formed proper lines and also advanced following the warriors at the forefront.


    Porcana''s army ced themselves in the center of the Porcana-Alliance army while the Alliance forces spread out to the sides, inducing skirmishes and acting as a separate unit.


    Lightly armed imperial soldiers were the first to engage in battle. The bted crossbowmen fired arrows, but individual shots were not very effective.


    "Timing is key for us, so don¡¯t give them any time to get settled. Push them back at once!"


    Urich pointed his sword forward as we walked calmly amidst the wave of warriors charging like a tide.


    "<i>Hoo</i>."


    The air heated up to the point where even the raindrops felt hot. Urich''s breath trembled in the humid air. The warriors, gripping their weapons, jumped into the battlefield in their primal state, either naked or only d in leather.


    <i>Squelch, squelch.</i>


    Urich threw off his shoes and walked barefoot through the mud as the mud clinging to the shoes grew heavier and more substantial.


    Even the exhausted warriors summoned their spirits, knowing they had the advantage. They knew from experience to press the attack when in a favorable situation.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    The crossbowmen of the Imperial Army struggled to reload in the rain as their crossbows became more sluggish and heavier than usual from being soaked.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    They only managed to shoot three arrows at most before being attacked by the barbarians who hurled their axes as soon as their targets were in sight.


    "<i>Kagh!</i>"


    The axes flew in an arc, hitting the soldiers'' heads and chests. The warriors swiftly retrieved the fallen axes and continued to charge forward.


    As the wave of barbarians engulfed the Imperial Army, the imperial soldiers chose to abandon their isted and separatedrades and gathered around the emperor instead.


    <i>Schring!</i>


    In the midst of the isted imperial troops, a banner waved high.


    "Soldiers, we can win this!"


    Basha, who wasn¡¯t even wearing armor, shouted. She wore only a cloth robe and held the g high while reciting prayers.


    "Lady Basha! It¡¯s dangerous!"


    The soldiers tried to stop her, but she refused to put the sun banner down.


    "Lou will protect us as long as I am standing with you, and He will not let us be defeated by the barbarians!"


    Basha''s red-blonde hair fluttered wildly. She took a deep breath and led her soldiers to sh with the barbarian unit.


    Basha was densely surrounded by the Imperial Army, among which were also capable knights assigned by the emperor who had excellentmanding abilities.


    "Hold your shields together! They are nothing but wild beasts!"


    Basha''s guard knights raised their shields and led the soldiers. Even without armor, as long as they had shields and swords, they could hold their own. The imperial soldiers, with their ovepping shields, advanced step by step, fending off the swarming barbarians.


    <i>¡®Is that where the emperor is?¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at the tall sun banner where there was a noticeable concentration of soldiers forming a formation around it.


    <i>¡®We can¡¯t let the emperor get away.¡¯</i>


    Among the copsing imperial soldiers, there were a few groups who showed proper retaliation and were likely the unitmanded by the emperor.


    ¡°<i>Hup!¡±</i>


    Urich held his breath and swung his axe widely, tearing open the chest of an attacking soldier.


    <i>¡®This soldier isn¡¯t even properly armed.¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at the soldier he just killed with a puzzled expression. This soldier wasn¡¯t unarmed because he didn¡¯t have time to arm himself; his clothes were dirty, and his body was so skinny that he didn''t look like a soldier at all.


    <i>¡®Is he a peasant soldier?¡¯</i>


    He then noticed that some warriors were being killed by the haphazard swings of imperial conscripts, whose morale was supposed to be incredibly low.


    "The conscripts are charging in a situation like this?"


    Urich tilted his head at the unprecedented situation as he pulled his axe from the soldier''s body.


    <i>¡®We''ve seeded in the surprise attack, so these conscripts should be running for their lives, not fighting back like this.¡¯</i>


    Yet, the soldiers around him did not back down and kept fighting stubbornly.


    ¡°Urich, look at these bastards. They''reing at us like madmen. I swear they weren¡¯t like this before, were they?¡±


    A warrior ahead of Urich said, holding up the severed head of a soldier. His face, covered in blood, was smiling.


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting back harder than before, that¡¯s strange. I thought they¡¯d be busy running away. Be careful not to die under their blind swings.¡±


    Urich deflected a spear aimed at his neck and extended his front leg. The soldier was kicked into the air and then crashed into other soldiers.


    Around Urich were some of the most notable warriors in the alliance who were at least a head warrior in their own tribe.


    ¡°Shit, I thought these bastards were supposed to be cowards. <i>Cough</i>.¡±


    A warrior who had been leading the charge coughed blood as his intestines protruded out his back, tangled with the spearhead.


    Urich looked beyond the bloody battlefield at the banner.


    <i>¡®A banner with the sun on it.¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t the emperor¡¯s banner, but judging by the extraordinary resistance around it, it was possible that the emperor was there.


    ¡°<i>Ooooooh!</i>¡±


    A soldier in only cloth armor ran toward Urich with all his strength behind his spear.


    ¡°What the hell are they fighting so hard for?¡±


    In civilized armies, the morale and quality of the troops other than knights and professional soldiers were supposed to be low. Conscripts were merely used to fill numbers, so in a civilized army of twenty-thousandbat troops, less than half were actuallybat-effective.


    ¡°<i>Aaaaah!</i>¡±


    Urich heard a high-pitched voice that did not belong on the battlefield, almost like that of a prepubescent boy.


    ¡°A woman?¡±


    Urich let out a hollowugh when he saw a girl on horseback. Even Urich, who had been on countless battlefields over the years, found it an unusual sight.


    This girl wasn¡¯t built like Belrua, who could beat several men. No, she was just an average slender girl who, driven by desperation, shouted something to encourage the soldiers.


    Many of the soldiers following Basha were from the lower sses.


    ¡°We will emerge victorious! The barbarians cannoty their fingers on the children of Lou! The clouds will part, and the sun will rise!¡±


    Basha''s voice was almost hoarse.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Basha was hit in the face by the spear thrown by a warrior who got close and fell backward off her horse.


    ¡°Lady Basha!¡±


    The soldiers in the distance thought Basha was dead as it looked like her head had been pierced by the spear.


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>...¡±


    Basha, lying on the ground, opened her eyes. Her cheek burned. The falling raindrops gradually ceased, and sunlight began to peek through the broken clouds.


    ¡°Basha!¡±


    The guard knights grabbed Basha¡¯s arms and shouted something. Basha, her ears ringing, stared nkly at the sky.


    ¡°Get up, Basha! We must retreat!¡±


    The knights grabbed Basha and pulled her up on her feet. The ringing in her ears gradually faded, and the voices became clearer.


    ¡°L-Lou is watching over us. Just look over there, the sun is shining on us!¡±


    Basha shouted with trembling lips as blood flowed down her jaw from the wound in her cheek.


    "It¡¯s time for us to retreat, Basha."


    "There is no defeat for the Imperial Army! We¡¯ve even reimed the northern fortresses! Gather the soldiers and tell them to follow me."


    The soldiers cheered when they saw Basha standing back up using the gpole as a staff as if she was rising from the dead.


    Only her guard knight frowned and grabbed Basha''s shoulder. He had fought alongside Basha on the battlefield several times, and she reminded him of his youngest sister, so he couldn''t just leave her be.


    "We are going to be surrounded soon, Basha. We need to retreat and reorganize our lines. Not even Lou can save us from the barbarian violence now."


    The guard knight, who was trained in military strategy unlike the ignorant soldiers, saw the battle through a logical lens. He knew that morale alone couldn''t win battles.


    "What are you talking about, Sir Jorman! Lou has blessed us, and I just saw it with my own eyes! He saved me from what should have been certain death and whispered to me that this is our chance."


    Basha shouted, spitting as she spoke. She fumbled at the guard¡¯s waist and drew his sword.


    "Charge! Victory is within reach! The barbarians will not take anything from us!"


    Basha was unaware of defeat as she had won every battle she had led so far.


    "Basha, we are going to lose and the poor soldiers who believe in and follow you will be torn to pieces by the barbarians. You will be captured alive, humiliated by the barbarians, and even in death, you will be their ything. There will be no such thing as Lou¡¯s embrace for such a death. That¡¯s the fate we¡¯re going to meet if you insist on your stubbornness."


    The guard knight removed his helmet and looked into Basha''s eyes. He genuinely worried about her and hoped she would find peace instead of being driven by anger and hatred.


    "Nonsense!"


    Basha tried to shake off the guard knight''s hand but couldn''t escape his strength as she was just a girl with no formal training.


    "Look at the reality, Basha. Please. The saintly act is over. The only ones who believe that you are blessed by Lou are the foolish soldiers who simply believe what they want to believe, not the nobles and priests. We must save our own lives now."


    Basha''s face turned red on top of the blood trickling thickly from the spear wound on her cheek.


    "T-that kind of attitude is precisely why we lost to the barbarians in the first ce! It''s why my vige was burned! It''s why the barbarians who killed my parents still run rampant! It''s because of people like you whock faith! Why don''t you believe in Lou and fight to the end? We can win! I¡¯m telling you that we can win!"


    Basha kicked between the guard knight''s legs. The knight, hastily armored only in his breastte, let go of Basha due to the intense pain.


    <i>Neigh!</i>


    Basha mounted her horse and waved the banner high once again. Her soldiers were encouraged by the sight of her standing tall with blood dripping from her cheek. Even the soldiers who had been fleeing turned back at the sight of Basha''s banner.


    "Goddammit!"


    The guard knight, having suppressed the pain, cursed as he looked at Basha advancing on her horse with the gpole thrust forward.


    He led the other knights to protect Basha, knowing that she wasn¡¯t going tost a minute without them.


    <i>¡®It is not Lou''s grace that protects you, but our swords and shields...¡¯</i>


    On the urgent battlefield, the girl¡¯s eyes were too busy looking at the sunlight breaking through the dark clouds to see the knights running after her.


    <i>¡®...I¡¯m going to do it.¡¯</i>


    Basha''s lips moved slightly.


    "Basha!"


    The guard knight shouted from behind, and Basha could not advance further. The barbarians, whom she thought she could break through, were solid, and the limbs of the soldiers fell to the ground as they were cut down without any meaning.


    "<i>Hooo.</i>"


    A giant warrior, covered in blood, emerged from the chaos. His axe and sword were already stained with the blood of dozens.


    The flow of the air changed as the seemingly continuous favorable wind stopped. Perhaps the favorable wind had never blown and it was all just a hollow illusion.


    Basha stared nkly at the man who strode over to her as he chopped down the charging imperial soldiers like logs. It was almost a surreal sight.


    She finally understood what true divine blessing meant. Scars covered the man¡¯s body from head to toe like tattoos, showing wounds that would have killed any other ordinary human. She knew that the man standing there survived because he was loved by the gods.


    "Urich...."


    Basha recalled the emperor''s story.

 Chapter 278

    <h4>Chapter 278</h4>


    Come to think of it, Emperor Yanchinus mentioned a man who was blessed by the gods. As an emperor, he asionally met extraordinary individuals¡ªpeople with achievements that seemed unbelievable when heard of. The Sword Demon Ferzen was such a person, and so was Urich.


    "<i>Ah, aah</i>."


    Basha was horrified by the sight of human lives vanishing as if they were nothing.


    Only the heads of soldiers remained in the path walked by the barbarian called Urich who had a shadowed face with fierce yellow eyes and a wide, savage mouth. Despite the rain, the blood on his face didn''t wash away.


    "<i>Oooooooh!</i>"


    Urich continued the ughter with the roar that one would expect from a bloodthirsty demon, not someone who did not want war.


    "<i>Aaaaah!</i>"


    Terror filled the faces of the soldiers facing Urich. It was an instinctive fear that even faith couldn''t hide. A beast that had ughtered countless people stood before them.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Urich swung his sword widely, shattering the neck bone of a soldier with the de that was dulled to the point of being akin to a club from cutting so many people. The broken neck wobbled limply like a puppet with its strings cut.


    It was the pinnacle of violence achievable with the human body¡ªpure violence that was devoid of justice or malice. It took the form ofbat techniques ingrained in Urich''s body and came to him as natural as breathing, engulfing the soldiers.


    A stench, one so foul that not even the rain could wash away, spread as flesh and intestines fell to the ground.


    "<i>Hooo.</i>¡±


    Urich''s hands only paused for a moment to catch his breath.


    The soldiers couldn''t even swing their weapons at Urich who stood at the front and stepped back. Urich rolled his eyes and nced at a woman holding a banner.


    <i>¡®Is the emperor not here?¡¯</i>


    Urich suppressed the battle frenzy seeping into his body and cooly surveyed the battlefield in search of the emperor.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll take care of that woman first...¡¯</i>


    After catching his breath, Urich took a step forward. A few deep breaths were enough to calm his ragged breathing.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Seeing the glint of silver, Urich tilted his head back to see the de brush past his head.


    "That one is Urich! Kill him!"


    A group of soldiers with skillful swordsmanship stood in Urich''s way.


    <i>¡®Judging by their sturdy build, they must be knights.¡¯</i>


    They were different from soldiers who swung their swords with just courage. Urich took a step back and gestured with his chin to call the surrounding warriors. He was the Great Chief. The western warriors were always behind him.


    "<i>Ooooooooh!</i>¡±


    The warriors, boosted by their numerical advantage, sliced through the rain and attacked the knights.


    With the sess of the ambush, the victory of the Porcana-Alliance army was a given. The remaining issues were whether they could capture the emperor and how much damage they could inflict.


    "Why won''t you grant us victory?"


    Basha''s eyes widened as she looked at the sun banner she was holding, which was soaked with rain and no longer fluttered.


    The knights guarding Basha copsed face-first in the mud, bleeding profusely.


    <i>¡®Oh Lou, why do you take such good people first?¡¯</i>


    Basha''s eyes turned to the sky.


    "Basha! Look at the people, not the sky!"


    A guard knight turned his head and shouted. At that moment, Urich''s axe de severed the knight''s neck.


    "Sir Jorman!" Basha screamed as even the guard knight who had been protecting her lost his life.


    "<i>Ooooh!</i> This is my gift to you, you bitch!" Urich shouted, throwing the severed knight¡¯s head at Basha.


    The knight''s head struck Basha¡¯s. Seeing the dead knight''s eyes, Basha''s pupils dted.


    "<i>Ah, aaaah!</i>" Basha screamed, wildly swinging the gpole.


    But such a sloppy attack was never going to work on Urich. He swung his arm and broke the gpole before approaching within striking distance to swing his sword to kill Basha.


    But his pupils trembled slightly as he looked directly at Basha¡¯s face in the pouring rain.


    Urich twisted his de, striking Basha''s head with the t of the sword. Basha fell from her horse and rolled on the ground.


    Her face was buried in the muddy ground that was soaked with blood and rain. The essence of human life seemed to seep into her nose.


    "Oh, Lou..."


    As Basha murmured with unfocused eyes, Urich stared at her nkly before ordering the surrounding warriors to capture her alive.


    * * *


    Belrua led the army she brought from the west and attacked the Imperial Army. She fought harder on the battlefield than anyone else.


    <i>¡®Capturing the emperor here will benefit me in the future.¡¯</i>


    Compared to Urich, the power of Belrua of the Red Sand was like a mere firefly, which showed the vast difference between a mere chief and a Great Chief. Urich could erase her influence in a heartbeat if he wanted to.


    <i>¡®If Urich were as cruel as Samikan, I would already be dead.¡¯</i>


    Belrua swung her greatsword widely to deliver a heavy blow that was unbelievable for a woman¡¯s strength. Her greatsword was more for disy than forbat effectiveness, and when she swung her huge greatsword, the surrounding soldiers were intimidated while the morale of the warriors rose.


    <i>¡®We started as equals, but look at me now, at the bottom.¡¯</i>


    Belruaughed, shaking her shoulders. There was a time when the three chiefs of the Alliance were equals. Although Samikan was always somewhat superior, when Urich and Belrua joined forces, even Samikan couldn''t act recklessly.


    <i>¡®But it didn¡¯t take long for that to change. Samikan grew his influence well with his political acumen to the point where Urich and I couldn¡¯t do much even if we were tobine our forces.¡¯</i>


    The western expedition made Samikan the undisputed Great Chief and Urich a respected warrior among others for his valor in battle, but it yielded nothing for Belrua.


    <i>¡®I betrayed Urich to preserve my power and influence. Even when Urich was in danger, I didn''t send reinforcements and even married Samikan.¡¯</i>


    She wouldn¡¯t repeat the same mistake if she could go back in time. In hindsight, it was something she should never have done.


    <i>¡®Samikan wasn¡¯t a good man. Especially as a husband, he was the worst.¡¯</i>


    Belrua¡¯s hoarse voice spread across the battlefield as she shouted with a bitter smile. Her greatsword cleaved a soldier in two.


    Though more of her affection was toward Urich, she chose to marry Samikan to protect the power and status she had built.


    <i>¡®Samikan...¡¯</i>


    She had heard countless times about Samikan''s downfall from others. Knowing Samikan and Urich''s personalities better than anyone, Belrua could clearly see how things had unfolded.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s my fault.¡¯</i>


    Samikan''s decline began with the death of Noah Arten and Belrua med herself.


    <i>¡®I know who killed Noah Arten.¡¯</i>


    Belrua lifted her head and saw a group on horseback in the distance, likely nobles. Capturing them would be advantageous and the emperor might even be among them.


    <i>¡®It was one of my subordinates.¡¯</i>


    Belrua had nted one of her warriors out of fear that Noah Arten might betray the Alliance, who then, believing Noah had betrayed them, killed him and fled to the west where Belrua was.


    By the time Belrua heard the warrior''s report, it was toote to admit that her subordinate had killed Noah, and the situation of the Alliance was at a point where no one coulde back from. She justified it by telling herself that she had simply taken action to prevent the Alliance from copsing due to Noah''s potential betrayal.


    <i>¡®Looking back, I even wonder if Noah truly intended to betray.¡¯</i>


    Many warriors disliked Noah, so it was entirely possible that Belrua''s subordinate killed Noah just because he didn''t like him and then lied about the betrayal.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past,¡± Belrua muttered. What mattered now was securing her position within the Alliance by earning merit.


    <i>¡®Urich epted my submission and gave me a chance even though I¡¯ve betrayed him once. I would never have done that. Someone who betrays once will do it again.¡¯</i>


    Belrua knew Urich well. He was the purest warrior among them and had aplished so much with the single-minded determination not to let his tribe and people be ves, even enduring humiliation for the sake of all westerners, not just for his ambition.


    Despite Samikan''s unfair treatment, Urich endured for the alliance. How many warriors could be as magnanimous as Urich, who tolerated Samikan¡¯s unfair treatment solely for the Alliance? If he had left in anger, the west would already be the empire''s ves. Samikan alone couldn''t stand against the empire.


    <i>¡®...He''s truly admirable. Urich is indeed our Great Chief in every sense.¡¯</i>


    But only a few in the Alliance thought to this depth. It wasn¡¯t just because Urich was strong and brave that she acknowledged him as a Great Chief. Urich sacrificed himself for the west, showing that he truly had the qualities of a leader.


    ¡°Belrua! That¡¯s their leader! Look at the eagle crest!¡±


    A warrior with a face full of wrinkles shouted. Belrua also squinted and looked where he pointed.


    <i>¡®Violet eagle.¡¯</i>


    It was the symbol of the emperor. One of the nobles on horseback was wearing a cloak with the violet eagle embroidered.


    ¡°Chase them! The glory is ours!¡± Belrua shouted.


    The warriors crossed the muddy terrain in no time thanks to only wearing light armor and having rested before the battle, unlike the Imperial Army.


    <i>Ssh, ssh.</i>


    Belrua''s unit waded through the mud with rainwatering up to their knees in pursuit of the violet eagle cloak.


    ¡°Crow-Tit!¡± Belrua called her subordinate, who was an excellent archer.


    ¡°This is a terrible condition to shoot in. I¡¯m not too confident in the rain...¡±


    The warrior, named Crow-Tit for his round and bright eyes, drew his bow and assumed his shooting stance.


    ¡°If you hit the target, I¡¯ll give you the three of the finest women in our tribe!¡± Belrua urged him with a promise of reward.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of the dirt-smelling women of the west now. Did you know the women here smell nicer?¡±


    Crow-Tit chuckled and steadied his breath.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    He drew the bowstring powerfully as he carefully aimed at the violet eagle cloak.


    The air was heavy with humidity, and the rain hit the ground hard. The bowstring was slippery from the wet.


    <i>Ting!</i>


    Crow-Tit released the bowstring. The arrow flew, swaying left and right, and struck the violet eagle cloak amidst many soldiers.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The violet eagle cloak fell from the horse. Belrua''s eyes widened at the sight.


    ¡°Good! You¡¯re the best, Crow-Tit!¡± Belrua shouted and led her warriors forward.


    Crow-Tit wiped under his nose with satisfaction.


    ¡°If the conditions are bad, you just have to ovee them,¡± he muttered confidently, satisfied with a shot that was worth boasting about for the rest of his life.


    <i>Buuuuup!</i>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Belrua, who had beenughing, looked up and saw that there were many warriors blowing horn trumpets all around.


    ¡°It¡¯s the emperor!¡±


    ¡°The emperor is right here!¡±


    ¡°The emperor¡¯s running away! Get him!¡±


    Warriors shouted that they had found the emperor from all over the battlefield. Belrua¡¯s unit wasn¡¯t the only one.


    Among the Imperial Army, there was more than one person wearing the violet eagle cloak looking like the emperor and fleeing in all directions.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    Belrua checked the face of the man Crow-Tit had shot, only to find out that it waspletely different from the emperor''s description.


    The units aiming for glory scattered to chase after those presumed to be the emperor as the warriors went mad at the sight of the violet eagle cloak.


    ¡°You idiots! Do you think the real one would be wearing a cloak to announce where he is?!¡±


    Belrua shouted as she realized, but the other units¡¯ warriors didn¡¯t believe her, thinking she was just trying to take all the glory for herself.


    Blinded by the target, the warriors continued their hunt for those who would only turn out to be imposters.

 Chapter 279

    <h4>Chapter 279</h4>


    <i>¡®I did my best.¡¯</i>


    But in war, such words were mere excuses. In fact, doing your best in an unwinnable battle was an act that only resulted in greater meaningless damage. Sometimes, one had to know when to give up.


    ¡°This way, Your Majesty.¡±


    A knight, after cutting down an approaching barbarian warrior, turned around to see Emperor Yanchinus dressed like an ordinary soldier.


    <i>¡®We were ambushed in the worst possible situation.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus epted his defeat knowing that stubbornness never turned an unwinnable battle into a victory. While there was no strategy that could bring victory, admitting defeat opened up new possibilities.


    The knights, wearing the emperor¡¯s cloak, scattered in all directions and drew away the barbarians who blindly chased after the emperor to give the real Yanchinus a chance to escape.


    ¡°Basha¡¯s unit is distracting them,¡± the knight muttered as he saw the sun banner fluttering in the distance.


    ¡°They must havee all this way because they want to capture me. There is no reason to let this defeat discourage us. In fact, if I can get away, we would be the real winners in this exchange.¡±


    Yanchinus shrugged his shoulders and left the battlefield, blending into the retreating Imperial Army.


    ¡°We will rendezvous at Hamel.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s words spread throughout the Imperial Army without fail even in such a dire situation, showing how strong the militarymand structure was. The Imperial Army split into dozens of units, each seeking its own means of survival.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve gotten ourselves enough distance, Your Majesty. We should be okay to ride from here,¡± the knight said as he handed the reins to Yanchinus.


    Since having too many guards would attract the enemy¡¯s attention, Yanchinus kept the size of his escort unit small enough to blend in.


    ¡°We will meet in Hamel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, in Hamel.¡±


    The knights nodded to each other as the retreating forces parted ways.


    Yanchinus, with only ten knights, quickly left the battlefield. They snapped the reins of their horses like whips.


    <i>Grit.</i>


    Yanchinus ground his teeth as a sense of frustration that had been suppressed by the danger welled up inside him.


    <i>¡®I was foolish. I should have anticipated they would attack us.¡¯</i>


    With a little more caution, they could have been fully prepared for this battle. Yanchinus¡¯ army wasn¡¯t a force to be easily defeated like this.


    <i>¡®First Carnius, then me. We¡¯ve suffered yet another major defeat and lost two main forces.¡¯</i>


    The thorough defeat was the cherry on top.


    <i>¡®This is why I didn¡¯t want to split the front lines.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus forced himself not to dwell on painful memories. No matter how many times he told himself that he did everything as nned, it wouldn¡¯t change the failed past.


    <i>¡®Only stragglers and the defeated dwell on their losses.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus opened his eyes wide.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    A knight ahead was struck by an arrow and fell off his horse. The knights instinctively surrounded Yanchinus to protect him.


    ¡°There are enemies ambushed!¡±


    Night was falling, and the rain and dark clouds further limited their visibility.


    <i>Squelch, squelch.</i>


    Yanchinus¡¯ eyes widened as the mountain goat warriors emerged from the darkness.


    ¡°The dwarves from the rumors!¡±


    ¡°You must duck, Your Majesty! They¡¯re dangerous!¡±


    Knights who had already experienced the mountain goat warriors shouted with pale faces.


    ¡°The dwarves...¡±


    Though only a few had actually seen them in the flesh, everyone in the Imperial Army knew of the Phergamon mountain goat warriors as the rumors of the dwarf demons mixed into the plunderers¡¯ army were rampant among the knights and soldiers.


    The mountain goat warriors, skilled in mobile warfare and ambushes, were another source of fear. No army could counter those who shot arrows freely while riding around on goats.


    The mountain goat warriors, who were wearing wooden masks that made them seem even more terrifying,ughed and chatted among themselves.


    <i>¡®There really was a group retreating before the rest of the army, just as Urich said.¡¯</i>


    In anticipation of the emperor¡¯s escape, Urich had positioned the mountain goat warriors along the escape routes before the battle even began.


    The mountain goat warriors spread out in groups of ten to fifteen, forming a wide encirclement. They didn¡¯t participate in the battle but hid along the escape routes to ambush the fleeing Imperial Army.


    ¡°Go first, Your Majesty. We will hold them off.¡±


    A knight held the reins and looked at the muddy ground.


    ¡°What are you saying...!¡±


    Yanchinus couldn¡¯t understand why the knights were so scared. He had heard of the dwarves'' infamy but didn¡¯t think the knights could be defeated by such small bodies.


    ¡°...Thebat skills we¡¯ve honed our entire lives are utterly useless against them. Since they don¡¯t engage in closebat, dying them is the best we could possibly do. We cannot defeat them, Your Majesty.¡±


    A knight who had fought the mountain goat warriors in the past spoke.


    The mountain goat warriors of the Phergamo Tribe knew their size better than anyone, so they mastered the art of shooting arrows while riding mountain goats to the extreme.


    ¡°I am sorry we couldn¡¯t escort you to the end... <i>kaagh</i>!¡± A knight screamed as an arrow struck his shoulder.


    The mountain goat warriors unleashed their arrows.


    ¡°You must go, Your Majesty!¡±


    The knights, who had most of their bodies exposed due to not having proper armor on, barely held on thanks to the rain significantly reducing the uracy of the Phergamon warriors.


    Yanchinus frowned, but he knew that on such a battlefield, the knights'' judgment would be more urate. He spurred his horse forward, leaving the knights behind.


    The quick-witted mountain goat warriors tried to follow Yanchinus, but the knights desperately drove their horses to stop their pursuit.


    ¡°Die, you damn dwarves!¡± A knight yelled as he swung his sword.


    The arrow that the mountain goat warrior shot while falling pierced the knight¡¯s neck, showing their miraculous archery skill.


    ¡°<i>Kugh, k-kugh</i>.¡±


    The knight continued to swing his sword at the mountain goat warrior despite the blood flowing down his neck.


    Yanchinus did not look back. As the sky grew darker, everything around him seemed suspicious.


    ¡°This is the first time since I started growing hair down there that I¡¯ve been afraid of the dark. <i>Whoa, whoa.</i>¡±


    Yanchinus patted the mane of his horse who was breathing harshly andboriously from exhaustion after running for a long time on the muddy ground.


    <i>¡®Hamel.¡¯</i>


    He had to reach Hamel somehow.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s not over until I die.¡¯</i>


    With the symbol of the emperor, he could gather soldiers somehow.


    <i>¡®No matter how many times I lose, all I need is a single victory to turn things around.¡¯</i>


    The aftermath of the war was a concern for the future. Yanchinus was still young, and he would have several opportunities to recover from the crisis and leap even further forward.


    <i>¡®Keep your eyes focused on what¡¯s in front of you, Yanchinus. Think of what your grandfather and father aplished. This is nothingpared to what they had to ovee,¡¯</i> Yanchinus thought to himself.


    His horse staggered for a while before eventually copsing from the continuous retreat without sleep.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Putting you down myself would be better than letting you get eaten alive by wild beasts.¡±


    Yanchinus drew his sword and slit the horse¡¯s throat. He put pieces of the horse meat in his bag and chewed on them as he continued toward Hamel. At some point, he even lost track of the direction.


    The dreadful night ended, and the sun finally rose.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>.¡±


    Yanchinus sat down under a tree to take a short rest, thinking he had moved enough to have earned a brief respite.


    Sleep came over him the moment he closed his eyes, but he struggled to stay conscious to avoid falling into a deep sleep.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    He opened his eyes at the sound of something moving in the bushes, unsure whether he had slept or not.


    <i>Growl.</i>


    It was the low grumbling of a beast.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    Yanchinus jumped up and fumbled for his sword at his waist. Still half-asleep, he barely managed to find and draw it.


    A fully grown bear emerged from the bushes. Seeing the bear¡¯s size, Yanchinus didn¡¯t even think of fighting and started running.


    <i>¡®Am I, the man called the ruler of the world, going to die to a mere bear?¡¯</i>


    A hollowugh escaped his mouth at the fact that the one who had the power to change the fate of the world with a single gesture was being chased by a bear.


    A person couldn¡¯t outrun a bear. Yanchinus threw a fist-sized piece of horse meat that he had dug out of his pocket behind him to distract the bear.


    ¡°<i>Roaaar</i>.¡±


    The bear swallowed the horse meat in a single gulp and continued chasing Yanchinus.


    Yanchinus threw everything he had at the bear, including his sword and shiny jewelry.


    Gradually, the distance between the bear and Yanchinus widened as the bear hesitated, intrigued by the dropped items.


    ¡°Thank you, you goddamn Lou! I¡¯ll give a box of silver coins as an offering when I return safely!¡± He shouted in joyful profanity.


    The bear stopped its pursuit, attracted by the items Yanchinus had thrown. If the bear had been hungry, he would have already been dead.


    <i>¡®I''mpletely broke.¡¯</i>


    All he had left was his si ring with the engraved eagle¡ªno sword, no jewelry, nothing.


    <i>Throb, throb.</i>


    Yanchinus frowned at the pain in his ankle after escaping the forest. He hadn¡¯t noticed it while being chased by the bear, but it seemed he had sprained his ankle, and the pain worsened to the point where he couldn¡¯t walk any further.


    <i>Snap.</i>


    He broke off a stick of suitable size and used it as a cane. He hobbled along, feeling as if he had aged several years overnight. The usual confident smile was also gone from his face.


    <i>¡®Where even am I?¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus frowned as he discovered a farmhouse instead of the city that he should have reached ording to his nned route.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Yanchinus opened the barn door and went inside. He sat down on the hay and removed his shoes only to be met with a swollen ankle that would make walking to Hamel impossible.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll thinkter. I need to sleep first.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus, unable to hold on any longer, copsed onto the haystack and fell into a deep sleep as if he were dead.


    * * *


    Basha opened her eyes. She, along with the other prisoners, were bound together with ropes, which made it impossible for anyone to escape.


    ¡°Lady Basha, you must steel yourself. What they are about to put you through will make you wish you were dead.¡±


    Basha looked at the soldier beside her with dazed eyes.


    ¡°Lou...¡± Basha muttered. The spear wound on her cheek was still open and throbbed.


    <i>¡®If you were going to give me defeat, why did you tell me to fight in the first ce?¡¯</i>


    Basha blinked several times as if she were trying to snap out of a bad dream, but the reality of their defeat did not change.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Barbarians, who hadn''t even washed the blood off their bodies, walked toward the prisoners and stopped in front of Basha.


    ¡°You ignorant barbarians, do you even know who this woman is? She is favored by Lou! You barbarians have no right to touch her! Bring a noble from Porcana!¡± The soldiers who followed Basha shouted.


    However, some no longer paid attention to her. ¡°Favor, my ass. If Lou favored her, we wouldn¡¯t have lost the war. It¡¯s embarrassing that we let a girl fool us for so long.¡±


    ¡°Y-you bastard!¡±


    The soldiers argued among themselves.


    ¡°I-I heard the King of Porcana is here! I would like to speak to him!¡±


    Basha flinched and shouted as the barbarians approached. The barbarians chuckled and murmured in theirnguage.


    ¡°I am Basha, the one who hears Lou¡¯s voice! Even the emperor acknowledged me! You can''t treat me like this! Don¡¯t hand me over to the barbarians! Isn¡¯t there anyone who wants to share Lou¡¯s favor?¡± Basha shouted frantically in all directions.


    Some of the civilized people of the Porcana-Alliance flinched and avoided Basha¡¯s gaze knowing how strange it was for a young woman to be on the battlefield. They only spected there must be some story behind it.


    The barbarians cut Basha''s ropes since they saw her as harmless.


    Seeing the girl standing still, the barbarians gestured for her to follow them. Every time she heard theirughter, chills ran down her spine.


    Basha nced at the receding prisoners with a pale face, but there was no one to help her.


    <i>¡®You will be humiliated by the barbarians, and they will make you wish you were dead.¡¯</i>


    Basha recalled the words of the dead guard knight saying that she would have to endure things worse than death knowing the atrocities of the barbarians


    <i>¡®They are not human, but beasts unworthy of Lou¡¯s blessing.¡¯</i>


    Rage swallowed her fear as she recalled the injustice of her vited mother and beheaded father. Basha extended her fingers and aimed for a barbarian¡¯s eye.


    <i>Stab!</i>


    Basha¡¯s nail dug deep into the barbarian¡¯s eye.


    ¡°<i>Kaagh!</i>¡±


    The barbarian, with his eyes stained red from the blood, drew his axe as if he were trying to kill the girl as bloody tears dripped from the deeply pierced eye.


    Katagi heard themotion as he was waiting for Basha toe and ran over to restrain the angered warrior.


    ¡°Stop, are you trying to defy the Great Chief¡¯s orders?¡±


    ¡°B-but that girl stabbed my eye, Katagi! It¡¯s only right that I gouge out one of her eyes...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you let a girl do that to you. Do you not have any shame?¡±


    Katagi pushed the warrior aside and grabbed Basha¡¯s wrist. He slowly spoke in broken Hamelian, ¡°If you try anything like that again, I will cut off your hands myself before bringing you to our Great Chief.¡±


    Though broken, Basha understood his words.


    ¡°I-I have received Lou¡¯s blessing...¡±


    Basha repeated, but Katagi paid no attention. He believed in the Great Chief Urich who performed miracles in person. The sun god Lou meant nothing to him.


    Urich always entrusted important tasks to Katagi who always prioritized his orders regardless of his own thoughts, unlike the other warriors who often disregarded hierarchy and acted on their own if things went wrong.


    <i>¡®The Great Chief trusts me and that¡¯s all that matters to me.¡¯</i>


    Katagi¡¯s logic was no different than that of a sun Priest. He unconditionally obeyed the order of the Great Chief, believing that there was always a greater purpose that was simply beyond his understanding. This time was no different, and Katagi did not understand why Urich wanted him to bring Basha.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought the woman, Great Chief,¡± Katagi spoke in front of Urich¡¯s tent.


    Urich lifted the entrance of the tent and revealed his face.


    ¡°Bring her in. And bring some food and water as well,¡± Urich spoke calmly and went back inside.


    ¡°Go in.¡±


    Katagi gestured with his chin toward Basha, who looked around nervously and entered the tent.

 Chapter 280

    <h4>Chapter 280</h4>


    Yanchinus opened his eyes in the barn to see a girl holding a pitchfork.


    ¡°W-who are you?¡± the girl asked in a frightened voice with the tip of her pitchfork held against Yanchinus'' neck.


    ¡°Give me something to drink and eat and I will reward you.¡±


    Yanchinus remained unfazed. His calm tone had the dignity characteristic of nobility.


    ¡°S-sorry?¡± The girl replied, dumbfounded.


    It felt as if she were standing before a lord.


    ¡°I don''t have anything to give right now, but I promise that I will reward you.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about asking for food after you¡¯ve barged into someone else''s barn?¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    Yanchinus ignored the girl''s words and just said what he wanted.


    ¡°Frey.¡±


    ¡°That''s a pretty name. Now, would you mind removing that farming tool from my neck?¡±


    Yanchinus slowly pushed the girl¡¯s pitchfork aside and stood up with a limp.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Frey asked.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it. Where is this ce? Do you know the name of the lord here?¡±


    The limping man was too confident for someone who had sneaked into a barn.


    <i>¡®Is he a noble?¡¯</i>


    The man before her did not seem like an average, ordinary person.


    ¡°This is Haifa...¡±


    ¡°This is Count Haifa¡¯s domain? I¡¯vee farther south than I thought.¡±


    The sleep had cleared his head, and the geography of the empire came to Yanchinus'' mind.


    <i>¡®This isn¡¯t actually that bad. If pursuers were on my trail, they would have expected me to take the shortest route possible, not drift down here...¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus looked at Frey, who seemed to be of marriageable age.


    ¡°Where is your husband?¡±


    ¡°I am not married!¡±


    Frey snapped for the first time, making Yanchinus shrug at her overreaction.


    ¡°Can I stay in this barn for another day or two, and could you keep it a secret?¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°As I said before, I will reward you. Is there anything you want? Money? Jewels?¡±


    ¡°You look like you don¡¯t have a single cil to your name, so how could I trust you?¡±


    Yanchinusughed cheerfully at Frey''s scrutiny.


    <i>¡®To think I, the ruler of the world, would hear such words. But I can¡¯t reveal myself as the emperor here.¡¯</i>


    The political world was in chaos. Emperor Yanchinus reigned only because he had the power to do so. If a local noble discovered his identity while he was unguarded, there was no telling what might happen.


    <i>¡®I need to inform a noble who is loyal to me that I am here.¡¯</i>


    The emperor had confiscated many nobles''nds and properties. His power base was not the support of many nobles but the army as the professional soldiers were loyal to the emperor who paid their sries, not their hometown lords.


    Throughout his reign, Yanchinus pursued centralization, and many nobles became his enemies in the process.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t trust Count Haifa.¡¯</i>


    Frey also did her own thinking while Yanchinus was contemting,


    She was the first to speak up, ¡°Are you a high noble? Higher than Lord Haifa?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely not lower, I¡¯ll say that much,¡± Yanchinus replied.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep you hidden. Promise you¡¯ll reward me.¡±


    As Yanchinus and Frey were talking, someone else approached from outside the barn.


    ¡°Sis? Who¡¯s that?¡±


    A sturdy boy entered the barn and grabbed Yanchinus by the cor.


    ¡°Stop it, Clion! He¡¯s a nobleman!¡±


    ¡°A n-noble?¡±


    ¡°You must be Frey''s brother, so I will forgive your insolence. By the way, you have a decent build. Why haven''t you enlisted?¡±


    Clion had arge stature for amoner, and his demeanor was rather aggressive, suggesting he spent his youth ying the leader in the streets. Clion let go of Yanchinus and looked at Frey.


    An argument ensued between the siblings.


    ¡°What are you going to do if Father finds out you''re hiding this person? We should inform the lord.¡±


    ¡°He said he would reward us if we hid him.¡±


    ¡°Reward? Do you actually believe that? What if he''s a criminal?¡±


    ¡°B-but...¡±


    Frey half-sobbed while Clion sighed.


    ¡°Is this about the thing?¡± Clion asked.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d only have to be his concubine for ten years at most, and if you manage to have his child, you can live worry-free on the lord''s money for the rest of your life. So what''s the issue here?¡±


    ¡°I don''t like that fat and stinky man. I get goosebumps just looking at him.¡±


    ¡°It''s a better life than marrying a poor farmer and working the fields for the rest of your life, especially in a time like this! You¡¯re an adult now, aren¡¯t you? How are you so immature? What, are you nning to run away, or something? What¡¯s going to happen to me, Father, and our siblings if you do that? Grow up!¡± Clion spoke harshly, his tone suggesting he was the eldest son.


    Yanchinus roughly understood the situation based on what he had heard from eavesdropping. It was amon urrence in the civilized world.


    <i>¡®Seems like Frey is bing the concubine of the lord''s son here. That exins why she asked if I held a higher status than the lord.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus¡¯ womanizing was well-known among the central nobility, so he wasn¡¯t a stranger to this situation.


    ¡°<i>Hah,</i> you know what, I don¡¯t even know anymore. I¡¯m going to tell Father.¡±


    ¡°Clion, do you really want me to be with such a person? Truly?¡±


    Frey pleaded with her younger brother.


    ¡°Then what do you want me to do? What about Father and our siblings? Should they all starve to death because of you? Do you think this is easy for me? You know I want to stab that bastard in the face, but enduring it is what being an adult is about. How long will you act like a child?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Father, Clion, please. Just in case this man can actually...¡±


    Clion bit his lower lip, frowning.


    ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯ll tell the kids not to go to the barn.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Clion. You¡¯re the best brother in the world.¡±


    Frey hugged Clion and patted his head. Although Frey was shorter, she still had the presence of an older sister.


    Seeing that the argument was over, Yanchinus asked again, ¡°Now, if you''re done talking, bring me some food and drink. I don''t know how many times I''ve said it today, but I will reward youter.¡±


    Frey nodded and, before leaving the barn, asked Yahimnchinus, ¡°Oh, by the way, what is your name, sir?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Yan.¡±


    Frey brought some modest food and left the barn. It was a half-rotten apple and a piece of bread with a hint of mold.


    Yanchinus¡¯ eyes widened at the sight of the food that looked worse than the food waste of the imperial pce.


    ¡°This is disgusting,¡± Yanchinusined as he forced the food into his mouth.


    Clion, who was cleaning the barn, frowned as he listened to Yanchinus'' grumbling.


    ¡°There are plenty of people who can¡¯t even have that, sir. The lords empty our granaries to give to the barbarians, and then also scrape everyst bit of it for the Imperial Army¡¯s supplies. Our family is somewhat better off because our sister is to be the young master''s concubine, but other families are lucky to even get one meal a day.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re basically telling me to be grateful and just eat it.¡±


    ¡°You are a smart man, sir. As you can see, I don''t believe a word you¡¯re saying, unlike my sister. If you were truly a high noble, you''d be talking to the lord by now instead of hiding in a barn like this. I''m just letting you be for my sister''s peace of mind. Leave when you¡¯re well enough,¡± Clion spoke curtly.


    ¡°Clion, was it? Can I ask you to get me some parchment and tools to write a letter, along with some sealing wax?¡±


    ¡°Did you not hear what I said earlier? You saw the food we gave you; how do you expect me to get those things when we can¡¯t even put proper food on the table?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re okay with having your sister get taken away by a pig, feel free to disregard my request.¡±


    Clion, who had been moving hay, stopped and stared at Yanchinus.


    ¡°I know nobles like you don''t see us as humans, and I know you won''t do such a thing for my sister, so I don¡¯t want to get involved in troublesome matters. Besides, there''s no way I can get those tools.¡±


    ¡°You seem capable enough to steal some from somewhere,¡± Yanchinus said slyly.


    Clion burst outughing and replied, ¡°Steal? Good grief! Do you want to see my hand chopped off?¡±


    There was no reason to risk his life for a self-proimed noble he knew nothing about.


    ¡°Clion, you¡¯re turning down the biggest opportunity of your life.¡±


    Yanchinus gave up persuading andy down on the haystack as his stomach growled with hunger despite having eaten.


    He spent the rest of the day resting to let the rest of the swelling and pain in his ankle subside.


    <i>¡®I should steal a horse or something and make a move by tomorrow.¡¯</i>


    Night was deepening. As evening fell, the farmhouse grew quiet with the exception of the asionalughter and conversationing from outside the barn.


    ¡°Clion, why can¡¯t I go into the barn?¡±


    It was the voice of a young child.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve just cleaned it top to bottom, and you¡¯re just going to mess it all up. So stop asking now.¡±


    Clion kept his promise and prevented anyone from entering the barn.


    Yanchinus watched the outside through the gaps in the wooden nks.


    <i>¡®Clion is a decent fellow. He keeps his promises and knows how to protect his family.¡¯</i>


    There was no way a mere farmer¡¯s son could prevent Frey from bing the concubine of the lord¡¯s son. It was a necessary sacrifice to protect the rest of the family.


    Oveing seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve one''s will was difficult for ordinary people, and a mere farmer¡¯s son would need divine blessings to oppose a lord.


    <i>¡®Unless you¡¯re Urich, that is.¡¯</i>


    If Clion were Urich, he would have stormed into the lord¡¯s quarters with an axe, caused a ruckus, and still made it out alive. But not everyone could be such extraordinary heroes.


    <i>¡®To think I¡¯d end up like this because of a mere barbarian.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus chucked. Emperor Yanchinus was born with everything and could do whatever he wanted, so it was only natural that he sought great achievements that other people deemed impossible.


    <i>¡®But I¡¯m losing everything to a barbarian who only has the blessing of the gods.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus dared to cross the Sky Mountains and explore the Eastern Continent because he had little faith. He defied the will of the gods, standing at the pinnacle of the human world.


    ¡°Heyyyy!¡±


    A strange voice called out from outside. A nobleman on horseback was loitering in front of the farmhouse apanied by three or four thugs.


    ¡°Freeeeey! My girl!¡±


    It was a drunken young nobleman.


    <i>¡®That must be the son of Count Haifa.¡¯</i>


    The noble, just as fat as the rumors, kept calling Frey¡¯s name.


    Unable to bear it, Frey¡¯s father and Clion rushed out.


    ¡°Young master, it is not yet the promised day! Please wait a little longer...¡± The father pleaded earnestly.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>, it¡¯s not even a formal marriage! Are you saying the grace I¡¯ve been showing you is not enough? You arrogant fools!¡±


    ¡°We are undoubtedly grateful for your grace¡ªin fact, no amount of gratitude is enough. But...¡±


    ¡°I want to take that girl tonight! Frey, I am here! Let¡¯s have a sweet night together!¡±


    At the fat man¡¯s gesture, the thugs dismounted and tried to enter the house.


    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing, young master? I don¡¯t care how desperate you are, keep your basic formalities!¡±


    Amotion erupted inside the house. Furniture was broken, and the cries of a child and a woman were heard.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing in my house, you piece of shit!¡±


    Clion grabbed a thug by the shoulder and swung his fist to start a fight with the thugs. Clion fiercely beat the thugs without backing down, and the intimidated thugs awkwardly retreated from the house.


    ¡°Young master, I don¡¯t think we can take the girl unless we kill that guy. Should we kill him?¡±


    The thugs looked at the sword hanging from the horse and asked.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s almost the promised day anyway, s-so there¡¯s no need to kill him and ruin the mood. But I will not forget this!¡±


    The fat man, seemingly sobered up, drily coughed and rode away as Clion watched them, spitting blood-mixed phlegm on the ground.


    Yanchinus, who had been watching the fight through the gap in the barn, chuckled. While someone was risking their life fighting barbarians, amotion erupted here over a single woman.


    ¡°<i>Kek, keke</i>.¡±


    Laughter kept escaping. The great battle that determined the fate of the empire was meaningless to the people here who were busy worrying about tomorrow and only cared about their immediate desires.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    As Yanchinusy down to sleep, the barn door opened. Yanchinus twisted his lips as he saw a shadow silhouetted against the moon.


    ¡°Sir, is the promise from earlier still valid?¡± Clion asked with his face swollen.


    ¡°Of course, it is. It¡¯s a promise between two men.¡±

 Chapter 281

    <h4>Chapter 281</h4>


    Today was the day a guest was visiting Count Haifa''s domain. The margrave, who governed the estate on the northwestern border, hade to see Count Haifa rather out of the blue, but he seemed to be bringing good news.


    Count Haifa''s second son, Kamil, was drinking with thugs despite an important diplomatic event happening involving his father.


    "Young master, what do you even like about that woman?" The thugs asked as theyughed in the tavern.


    Kamil was fat enough to be nicknamed ¡®fatty.¡¯ He had been gluttonous since childhood, never stopping eating even when he was full.


    "Shut up. Frey is a beautiful woman."


    Kamil red at the thugs as he chewed the grilledmb.


    "Hey, if the young master likes her, who are we to argue?"


    "Exactly. As long as the young master is happy."


    The thugs said whatever they could to please Kamil.


    "Remember, my older brother has a chronic illness and won''t live long. That means I''ll be the next Count Haifa."


    Kamil pointed at the thugs with a meat bone.


    "Of course, young master."


    The thugsughed obsequiously, and Kamil, pleased with their reaction, spoke grandly about the current affairs. Though it was a turbulent time, it was also an era of opportunities.


    "Regardless of who ends up winning this war, the emperor''s influence will weaken and the era of local lords will return. If I''m lucky, a time maye when I can establish a duchy or even a kingdom."


    Kamil¡¯s words were backed up by history. Eras where local warlords or nobles ran rampant always followed the weakening of the central power. In chaotic times such as this one, the bnce of power changed daily, and this was the foundation on which the empire itself was built.


    The fact that anyone who could read the ever-changing chaotic situation and prepare for the future in such turbulent times had a chance of bing kings made the hearts of men race.


    <i>¡®This fat man thinks he can be such a hero. If he weren''t a lord''s son, he''d be licking my boots.¡¯</i>


    The leader of the thugs sneered inwardly, but he also knew the importance of one¡¯s status. It was true that Kamil had a high chance of bing the next Count Haifa.


    "Stay loyal to me until then, and you''ll get solid positions. I¡¯ll make you the captain of the guard; you, the chief of security; and you, the defense captain. Now, how does that sound?"


    Kamil pointed to each thug as he spoke.


    "Aren''t they all the same thing?" a thug asked, puzzled.


    "They''re not, you idiot!" Kamil snapped.


    The domain of Count Haifa was just as poor as the other unfortunate territories who had learned that it was better to offer tributes to the barbarians willingly rather than be plundered by them. When plundered, people died, and buildings burned. If they couldn''t defend it anyway, it was better to surrender beforehand.


    After the barbarians swept through, the Imperial Army would follow, iming they would defeat the barbarians and collect provisions. The longer the war dragged on, the more the people suffered.


    "<i>Burp!</i>"


    Kamil burped and patted his belly after eating enough food for almost three people alone.


    "I knew the emperor would drive the empire to ruins when he started wasting national power on the Eastern Continent and western expansion! There was a reason why Lou decreed the Sky Mountains as forbidden, but that stupid emperor just had to cross the Sky Mountains and bring the disaster that is sweeping the civilized world right now. This is all on him!"


    Kamil raised his swaying cup, speaking whatever came to his mind drunkenly since there was no one in the Haifa domain to stop him.


    "The sun god Lou has abandoned the empire and the emperor. That''s why there''s a rebellion in the north to establish a true kingdom of the sun, isn''t that right?"


    "You¡¯re absolutely right, young master. With that being said, let¡¯s call it a night."


    "Call it a night? No, I¡¯m going to keep drinking. I''m going to see Frey tonight."


    The thugs looked troubled.


    <i>¡®He''s talking about Frey again. This dumbass only gets brave enough after drinking.¡¯</i>


    For Kamil to forcefully have his way with her, they''d have to kill her brother, who was a strong opponent who could knock down three or four thugs with his bare hands.


    "Can''t you wait three more days? By then, Frey will understand your generous heart."


    ¡°R-right, of course! She won¡¯t find a better man than me. I can''t marry her because she''s not a noble, but I''ll treat her well."


    Kamil, being as good at drinking as he was at eating, chugged more alcohol on a whim.


    "When the empire falls and the turbulent timese, it will be my era! If you follow me, you''ll seed too!"


    The situation of the empire was clear enough to be read by even a mere fat man like Kamil. The local lords were biding their time and umting power as it was certain that the empire''s influence would weaken after the war. The emperor''s authority at the center of the empire wouldn''t be the same as before.


    The tavern was noisy with Kamil''s gang. A man in the corner lightly tapped the table with his ss.


    "...Sure, the fall of the empire would definitely create opportunities; though there will be more people who die caught in the chaos than those who seize them."


    Kamil''s ears perked up despite his drunkenness.


    "Who the hell are you?" Kamil shouted, reaching for his sword hilt.


    "In my opinion, you¡¯re going to be one of those who die a petty death. You see, I have a decent eye for people."


    "I am Kamil Haifa! State your name!"


    Kamil clumsily drew his sword, but even a clumsy one could kill if stabbed.


    "I don¡¯t doubt that the people of this backwater ce worship you as some great person. After all, they don''t know what true noble status is," the man mumbled, looking at the thugs.


    He continued with his face hidden under a dirty hood, "Put that sword on me and I¡¯ll make sure you regret it, idiot."


    The man stood up and provoked Kamil with a voice that exuded dignity.


    <i>Limp.</i>


    But the man limped with every step. He was either injured or a cripple, and the dignity in his voice faded away with the rather awkward stride.


    "A cripple lecturing me?"


    Kamil sneered and sheathed his sword before grabbing the man by the cor and punching him. The hefty punch powered by the mass of the fat mannded in the man''s belly.


    "<i>Kugh.</i>"


    The man staggered back out of the tavern into the somewhat busy street.


    "How dare a vagrant insult me, Kamil Haifa, in Count Haifa''s domain!"


    Kamil spread his arms wide and shouted, drawing the attention of the people in the street.


    "I¡¯ll show you who you¡¯re messing with."


    Kamil intended to punish the unidentified vagrant thoroughly to assert his authority.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Kamil kicked the man again, and the man curled up miserably. Seeing this, Kamil and his gangughed.


    "You startled me with that ridiculous confidence of yours earlier, you damn vagrant!"


    Kamil, excited and instigated by the alcohol, kicked the man again, spat on him, and insulted him.


    "Are you angry because of what I said? Keke."


    The man spat bloody saliva on the ground andughed.


    "Still don''t get the situation, huh? I am a noble, and you, a mere vagrant, insulted me. So, you deserve to die."


    "Yes, when someone of low status challenges someone of high status, they deserve to die. Your logic is absolutely wless."


    The man continued tough, but it grew ominously loud.


    More and more people from the domain gathered, including a face that was familiar to Kamil.


    <i>¡®Frey?¡¯</i>


    Kamil turned his gaze and spotted Frey, who was ring at him with a frown.


    Seeing Frey''s expression, Kamil became even angrier and shouted, "You crazy bastard! What the hell is so funny?"


    Kamil raised his sword high, intending to cut off an arm to make an example.


    That was when the man quietly raised his hand and then clenched his fist.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow flew and struck Kamil''s arm.


    ¡°<i>Aaah! Kack! Aaah!</i>¡±


    Kamil screamed in pain, rolling on the ground and trembling as if he were about to die.


    ¡°So loud, for what? You get hit by one arrow and you¡¯re squealing like a pig?¡±


    The man stood up, dusting off his pants.


    ¡°Who is it? Who shot that arrow!¡±


    Kamil¡¯s thugs pushed through the crowd, looking for the shooter.


    ¡°H-huh? What?¡±


    The thugs pushing through the crowd backed away in confusion as they felt cold des against their throats.


    Men with sharp eyes emerged one by one from the crowd. They were clearly trained and above the pay grade of a bunch of thugs who had ruined their bodies with alcohol and women.


    ¡°W-what is the meaning of this? An ambush? Who are you!¡±


    Kamil clutched his wounded arm and looked around to see the men whom he had never seen in this territory.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± someone knelt and spoke.


    The man who had been beaten by Kamil nodded as he was handed a sword scabbard.


    ¡°And what about Sir Javoca?¡±


    Kamil¡¯s eyes widened at the man¡¯s words. Javoca was the margrave who was meeting with Count Haifa today.


    ¡°Margrave Javoca is currently meeting with Count Haifa, Your Majesty. That will soon be over too.¡±


    ¡°Good. And what is your name?¡±


    ¡°Puratian, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Be my herald, Sir Puratian¡±


    ¡°I would be honored, Your Majesty.¡±


    The man used the scabbard as a cane to straighten his back and faced the crowd that was gathered around.


    Puratian cleared his throat, looked around, and shouted loudly, ¡°People of Haifa! Kneel before His Imperial Majesty Yanchinus Hamelon, the ruler of the world! Anyone standing after I finish speaking will lose their heads!¡±


    Puratian¡¯s voice wasmanding. The crowd knelt under the pressure while tilting their heads, wondering if they had misheard.


    ¡°Yanchinus Hamelon?¡±


    ¡°T-the emperor?¡±


    No matter how ignorant they were, everyone knew the name of the emperor.


    ¡°Put your face to the ground, Kamil Haifa! Everyone here is a witness to your crime!¡±


    Puratian shouted at Kamil, who trembled and looked at his thugs with his face full of confusion.


    ¡°The emperor? His Imperial Majesty?¡±


    The thugs knelt with nk faces. The situation was dire, and they couldn¡¯t afford to help their young master. If their opponent was indeed the emperor, they would have to offer everything they had and beg with their heads on the ground just to survive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see... what was the crime for defying the imperial family?¡±


    The man with the hood, Yanchinus, lifted Kamil¡¯s chin with his foot.


    Kamil awkwardly lifted his head, guided by the foot. His face turned pale upon seeing that the area was already secured by men presumed to be knights. It was impossible for anyone but a high-ranking noble to act so brazenly in someone else¡¯s domain.


    <i>¡®...He provoked me on purpose.¡¯</i>


    Kamil¡¯s mind cleared. He trembled as he recalled the numerous rumors of the emperor¡¯s methods. Many nobles had their estates and wealth confiscated for various reasons, and the emperor¡¯s infamous reputation was no secret to anyone.


    ¡°Kamil Haifa, can you remind me what I said earlier?¡±


    ¡°Y-you said that...¡± Kamil stammered.


    Yanchinus helped. ¡°If someone of low status challenges someone of high status..., what did I say would happen next?¡±


    Kamil, forgetting even the pain from the arrow, banged his head on the ground.


    ¡°...You said they deserved to die, Your Majesty.¡±


    Without replying, Yanchinus donned the cloak brought by the knights. The violet eagle cloak, which only the emperor could wear, fluttered long.


    Yanchinus¡¯ smile looked down at Kamil. It was exactly the same as the image of the emperor that circted among the gossips.


    <i>¡®He is evil and arrogant.¡¯</i>


    Fat Kamil closed his eyes tightly.

 Chapter 282

    <h4>Chapter 282</h4>


    Without a just cause, even the emperor could not confiscate a noble''snd. However, what constituted a just cause could vary depending on the power dynamics of the parties involved.


    Yanchinus entered the castle with the violet eagle cloak swaying with his steps.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    He walked down the long corridor and sat on the lord¡¯s chair. In front of him, Count Haifa and his lieges bowed their heads.


    <i>nk.</i>


    The sound of metal quietly spread as armed soldiers roamed the castle.


    Margrave Javoka struck Haifa Castle with only fifty soldiers, but the unexpected raid left Count Haifa with no way to respond. Soon after, the castle waspletely taken over by Javoka¡¯s men.


    ¡°It is an honor to be able to serve you like this, Your Majesty.¡±


    Therge figure of Margrave Javoka in fur-adorned steel armor spoke. He was the lord of the northwestern borders and was not originally a pro-imperial faction, but Yanchinus made him an offer he could not refuse.


    Yanchinus looked at Count Haifa, who had his head bowed, and his second son, Kamil, who knelt next to his father.


    ¡°Count Haifa... Your son plotted a rebellion and insulted the imperial family in front of many witnesses. I¡¯m afraid this cannot be overlooked.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, he is a foolish child who spoke without knowing better! Please forgive him!¡±


    Count Haifa bowed deeply. News of what Kamil had done had already reached him.


    <i>¡®He bbered about a rebellion at a tavern and on top of that,id hands on the emperor. Fool!¡¯</i>


    Count Haifa wanted to drag his son to the storage room and beat him to death right away.


    ¡°Kamil, do you enjoy embracing women?¡± Yanchinus asked abruptly. Kamil replied hesitantly, ¡°Y-yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°If you are old enough to embrace women, you are old enough to take responsibility for your actions.¡±


    Yanchinus chuckled and crossed his legs.


    Count Haifa had to make a decision.


    ¡°I will behead my son myself, Your Majesty,¡± Count Haifa said solemnly as he bowed his head.


    <i>¡®I have two more sons who could carry my name.¡¯</i>


    Although the eldest of the three sons was weak with illness, there was the youngest. Before the emperor could find more faults, it was better to kill the root cause: his second son Kamil.


    ¡°Do not make me a heartless person, Count Haifa. How could I make a father kill his own child!¡± Yanchinus refused as he waved his hand dismissively.


    Count Haifa, well aware of the emperor¡¯s cruel history, knew that the words that sounded like kindness on the surface did not reflect his true nature. His expression grew even darker.


    Realizing the dire situation, Kamil grabbed Count Haifa¡¯s trouser leg.


    ¡°F-father! I can change! I will never disobey you again and will be careful in my actions...¡±


    Kamil spewed out all the words he could think of with tears streaming down his face. Seeing this, Count Haifa dropped his sword and shook his head.


    ¡°You stupid, stupid child. Your life is not what¡¯s important right now. We are finished,¡± Count Haifa muttered and looked at Yanchinus.


    ¡°Count Haifa, I will leave you with three farms in your possession. Be smart with thosends, and you should be able to get by as andlord. Once thend transfer isplete, Sir Javoka will take over and govern Haifa County.¡±


    Margrave Javoka nodded and stepped forward, unable to contain the slight smile ying on his lips. Lords never refused when offerednd.


    <i>¡®So this was the deal they made. He took mynd by bringing in Javoka.¡¯</i>


    Many lords of the empire had fallen into the hands of the emperor, and Count Haifa was now in the same position. By the end of this incident, he would be removed from the Haifa Castle and no longer be able to use the title of Count.


    Margrave Javoka assisted the emperor in exchange for the Haifands. Expanding one¡¯s domain in chaotic times like these was crucial, and having legitimate territory meant survival, regardless of the empire¡¯s future.


    <i>¡®The morend you have in these turbulent times, the better.¡¯</i>


    Margrave Javoka looked at Emperor Yanchinus sitting on the lord''s chair.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s that, but... to think the emperor would be in a position to flee from battle... Is the mighty empire and its emperor truly falling?¡¯</i>


    Margrave Javoka smiled bitterly. The empire that was once thought to be immortal was tipping. Though the empire hadn''t fallen yet, the Seven Kingdoms iming independence was inevitable after the war. Even if the empire emerged victorious, it would not be able to retain its former glory.


    <i>¡®If I can absorb a few more territories, I might even aim for the throne. Haifa County is a stepping stone for expansion.¡¯</i>


    Ambition surged within Margrave Javoka, knowing that he had to rely on his strength now that the empire''s protection was in jeopardy.


    Count Haifa, realizing how quickly he had lost everything, couldn¡¯t do anything butugh.


    ¡°Just like that...¡± He muttered.


    Only this morning, he had weed Margrave Javoka''s visit. He had found it odd that Javoka had brought so many guards but hadn¡¯t thought much of it as he just assumed the visit was about marriage, given that Margrave Javoka had a daughter. But as soon as Javoka entered the castle, he overpowered Count Haifa by force.


    ¡°This is ridiculous! Do you really think this makes sense? Margrave Javoka used force as soon as he entered the castle! I know you two nned this! You came here with the intent to seize mynd from the start! It''s all nonsense, utter nonsense!¡±


    Count Haifa raged. But the fact remained that his son Kamil had spoken of rebellion andid hands on the emperor, and there were too many witnesses to deny it.


    As long as there was the tiniest justification, the rest could be resolved by force. Emperor Yanchinus and Margrave Javoka swiftly seized Haifa County.


    ¡°Emperor? Piss off with that! You so-called emperor is running for your life from the barbarians! By what right do you get to decide who owns thend my ancestors cultivated? This is our family¡¯snd!¡±


    Count Haifa, his eyes bloodshot, pointed angrily at Yanchinus, who leaned forward with just as much anger.


    ¡°You think you have the right to speak ofnd rights when you were sittingfortably by your firece, drinking, while I was fighting the barbarians?¡±


    Yanchinus¡¯ voice was filled with rage. No one felt the sting of defeat by the Porcana-Alliance army more than Yanchinus.


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right I do; do you not collect taxes from us in exchange for protection? Even a fool knows that let alone the emperor! So you¡¯re the idiot who wasted the national treasury collected from the nobles on the Eastern Continent and western expansion! If that money had been used to grow the army, we wouldn''t have lost to the barbarians! Shame on you, Yanchinus!¡± Count Haifa shouted without backing down.


    Yanchinus propped his chin and remained silent for a moment before quietly reaching out to the soldier next to him.


    ¡°...Crossbow.¡±


    Yanchinus took the crossbow and aimed it at Count Haifa.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got nothing to say so you¡¯re going to take my life? Kamil, my son, you have done nothing wrong! You were merely used by a tyrant!¡±


    Count Haifa stepped forward with his arms wide open as if he were daring Yanchinus to kill him.


    Yanchinus squinted and aimed the crossbow.


    ¡°If I hadn''t crossed the mountains, we would have continued living thinking that ce was the end of the world, fearing non-existent taboos and unable to see beyond. Immortal glory belongs to those who walk through unseen darkness without a torch. Someone like you, who fear paths not marked on the map, would never understand.¡±


    ¡°Ha, haha! Then who is to me for the barbarians swarming the empire''s territory?¡±


    Yanchinus pulled the trigger.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    The arrow flew and embedded itself in flesh. Count Haifa closed his eyes tightly but felt no pain.


    ¡°<i>K-kugh, keugh</i>.¡±


    The one hit by the arrow was the fat Kamil who was writhing in pain, spitting blood from the arrow lodged in his chest.


    ¡°...There is no point in killing someone who is ready to die. Did you say you had three sons? Well, they will all die today because their father couldn''t control his anger for even just a moment.¡±


    Yanchinus gestured to Margrave Javoka, who ordered his soldiers to drag out Count Haifa''s remaining sons.


    ¡°F-Father, I-I want to live... <i>k-kugh</i>,¡± Kamil spoke as he spat blood. Count Haifa bit his lips hard, seething with anger.


    <i>Slice!</i>


    The soldiers beheaded Count Haifa''s other sons.


    Count Haifa looked at his sons¡¯ heads rolling on the ground in despair.


    ¡°You are not human, Yanchinus! Lou will curse you, you damned son of a bitch! You will pay for this!¡±


    Count Haifa screamed as soldiers grabbed his arms and dragged him away. His voice filled with resentment faded into the distance.


    ¡°Prepare the horses and the escort unit, Sir Javoka. I''ve kept my promise; now it''s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. I will assign only the very best soldiers and knights to escort you.¡±


    While Javoka prepared, Yanchinus left the castle to look around the territory, eventually riding to the farmhouse where he had hidden.


    <i>Neigh!</i>


    At the sound of Yanchinus'' horse, Frey came out of the house, trembling and bowing deeply.


    ¡°Y-Your Imperial Majesty! Please forgive my insolence!¡±


    ¡°Raise your head, Frey. There''s nothing to forgive. You showed kindness when I was in need, so I am the one who should be grateful. I will not forget that kindness.¡±


    Clion, who had been cleaning the barn, ran out and bowed as well.


    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty... <i>ahem, ahem</i>.¡±


    Clion cleared his throat, also recalling his actions toward Yanchinus.


    ¡°I have put in a word for you to Sir Javoka, who will be the new lord of the Haifa domain. If you wish to rise as a soldier instead of a farmer, go to him. With luck, you might even be a garrisonmander. A time of war ising, which means a man could dream of sess with a sword in his hand.¡±


    ¡°...If a time of war is indeeding, that¡¯s all the more reason I can''t be a soldier.¡±


    Clion¡¯s answer shocked Frey, and Yanchinus narrowed his eyes as well.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I cannot leave my family in such times. My father is too old to protect us, so that makes them my responsibility. Thank you for protecting my sister, Your Majesty. It was something I could not have done myself.¡±


    Yanchinus nodded subtly, smiling. He turned his horse to leave, not intending to stay long as time was pressing.


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty!¡±


    Frey summoned her courage to call out. Yanchinus looked back.


    Her face was red. Though she was not a supreme beauty by any means, she had a simple charm. She was sincere and straightforward.


    ¡°I-I wish to serve you, Your Majesty,¡± Frey whispered, her wet eyes glistening.


    Yanchinus chuckled, dismounted, and patted Frey¡¯s head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me, Frey. Many women hate me, but none love me. I want you to only keep good memories of me, and that¡¯s why I can''t keep you by my side¡ªyou would surelye to hate me.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s fine with me. There has never been a man as kind as you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yanchinus couldn''t suppress a growing smile.


    He knew his own womanizing habits better than anyone. His sadism and peculiar tastes were beyond his control, and he did not understand normal love. He couldn''t feel affection and emotions for women like others could.


    ¡°Clion! Come get your sister.¡±


    Yanchinus mounted his horse and shouted. Frey tried to say something, sobbing, but Clion stopped her.


    He nodded at Yanchinus as the emperor grabbed the reins firmly.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯ve got to try to be more realistic. He¡¯s the emperor! Why would he, with beautiful women all around, choose a inmon girl like you? It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s just trying to be nice.¡±


    Clion patted Frey¡¯s shoulder and handed her some backhanded words offort. They watched Yanchinus be smaller in the distance before returning to their ce.

 Chapter 283

    <h4>Chapter 283</h4>


    Gottval heard the prisoners talking about a girl.


    ¡°A saintess?¡±


    ¡°She was the reason we were able to win battle after battle, though it seems that all ends here.¡±


    ¡°I would like to hear more about it.¡±


    Gottval listened to the story of Basha from a prisoner. His eyes widened more and more.


    ¡°Is this all true?¡±


    ¡°She came riding a donkey, wearing a priest¡¯s cloak, looking for the army. At first, everyone whispered that she was a crazy woman, but we all acknowledged that the fact that she traveled alone for such a long distance as a woman was proof of Lou¡¯s grace. Heck, when battles broke out, even arrows and spears avoided her.¡±


    ¡°What is her name?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Basha. She¡¯s the only woman around, so it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to find her.¡±


    Gottval moved among the prisoners with his empty sleeve pping in search of Basha. Some prisoners recognized him and spoke to him.


    ¡°Father Gottval...¡±


    ¡°Please, grant us your blessing.¡±


    Even in his busy state, Gottval prayed and offered words offort to the people.


    ¡°Who is that? Why is he in the barbarian army?¡±


    ¡°Have you not heard of Gottval, the one-armed saint?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard rumors of a one-armed priest. That¡¯s him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so devout that even the barbarians dare not mistreat him. He¡¯s a remarkable person.¡±


    Gottval searched for Basha but couldn¡¯t find any trace of a woman.


    <i>¡®Could it be...¡¯</i>


    A bad thought crossed his mind. Gottval closed his eyes tightly, knowing well how the Alliance Army treated women. To make things worse, Basha was a woman who fought as an enemy, making it even more unlikely that they would leave her alone.


    <i>¡®Please...¡¯</i>


    Hoping Basha was unharmed, Gottval asked the surrounding prisoners about her whereabouts.


    ¡°The barbarians took her earlier! Please, please make sure she isn¡¯t harmed by the barbarians, Father Gottval!¡± A prisoner who saw Basha being taken by the Barbarians pleaded.


    Gottval inquired with warriors who spoke Hamelian to find out where Basha had been taken to.


    ¡°Urich took her?¡±


    Gottval frowned. Urich was also a young barbarian man with active desires. There was no telling what he might do to a female prisoner.


    Gottval ran to Urich¡¯s tent and uncharacteristically burst in.


    ¡°Urich!¡±


    Gottval¡¯s eyes widened. The muscr Urich stood there, shirtless, with Basha sitting in a chair next to him.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, nice. I was about to call for you.¡±


    ¡°W-what in the world are you doing, Urich!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Urich tilted his head in response.


    Upon looking between Urich and Basha, it didn¡¯t seem like Urich was trying to assault her in any way.


    ¡°O-oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Come and put some ointment on her face. I¡¯d do it myself, but she¡¯s been ring at me like she wants to kill me ever since I had her brought here.¡±


    Urich shrugged and tossed the ointment he used to Gottval.


    ¡°<i>Hup</i>.¡±


    Urich used a wet towel to scrub the blood off his body, which, along with the newest additions, was so scarred and burned that it was hard to find a patch of unmarked skin, showing just how hard of a life he had led.


    ¡°You must be Urich.¡±


    Basha spoke while sitting in the chair. Urich shrugged and wiped the blood off his neck with the towel.


    ¡°Get some treatment before you start rambling. A woman shouldn¡¯t have such a big scar on your face.¡±


    ¡°The leader of the barbarians.¡±


    Basha gritted her teeth. Every night, thest moments of her father and mother vividly reyed in her mind. She quietly rolled her eyes, looking for something she could use as a weapon.


    ¡°The soldiers told me about you, Basha,¡± Gottval said, sitting in front of her. Despite a Sun priest being in the room, her attitude remained sharp.


    ¡°What is a Sun priest doing with a barbarian?¡±


    ¡°These people will too eventuallye to realize Lou¡¯s love.¡±


    Gottval applied the ointment to Basha¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Lou would never love barbarians and they will never find peace.¡±


    ¡°Lou does not discriminate between barbarians and the civilized. That is merely our arrogance.¡±


    ¡°You say such things so easily when they¡¯ve burned ournds and killed people cruelly! All barbarians must be killed! That is Lou¡¯s will.¡±


    Gottval frowned. The supposed saintess sitting before him was very different from what he heard from the soldiers. She wasn¡¯t very saintly at all.


    ¡°Lou¡¯s will cannot be interpreted so easily. I have seen many barbarians, and I know that even barbarians can receive Lou¡¯s grace.¡±


    ¡°I heard Lou¡¯s voice myself, and He told me that we must kill all barbarians. Even the northern barbarians couldn¡¯t touch us because we received Lou¡¯s blessing.¡±


    ¡°But you were defeated and captured by these men. So, this too must be Lou¡¯s will.¡±


    A mere vige girl could never win an argument against a proper Sun priest. Citing Lou¡¯s will had been working thus far on ignorantmoners, but Basha stood no chance here.


    ¡°B-b-but!¡±


    Unable to contain her anger, Basha¡¯s shoulders shook violently.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough teasing, Gottval.¡±


    Urich, done cleaning up, sat in front of Basha. The wooden chair creaked and wobbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not teasing her, but it does seem like she misunderstands Lou¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°Hey, who knows? Maybe Lou really did whisper to her.¡±


    Urich chuckled. Gottval sighed and took a step back.


    ¡°Basha, was it? Eat some of this food. How are you nning to bear a child with that skinny body of yours?¡±


    Urich pushed a tray of meat and fruit toward Basha.


    ¡°I don¡¯t eat barbarian food.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s your concern, rest assured, because the person who prepared this is one of you. Aren¡¯t you hungry? You haven¡¯t eaten in over half a day, right?¡±


    Urich was unusually kind to Basha, and this made Gottval curious as he watched the scene.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s being kind just because she¡¯s a woman...¡¯</i>


    Gottval quietly stood behind Urich, observing the situation. Basha, hesitant at first, was driven by her hunger to eventually reach for the food.


    ¡°Gottval, I need to talk to you for a second.¡±


    As soon as Urich and Gottval left the tent, Basha devoured the food with fervor.


    ¡°Urich, that woman is called a saintess among the soldiers. I don¡¯t know how it happened, but she has gained considerable trust among them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that why you called her separately?¡±


    Urich smirked and shook his head at Gottval¡¯s question.


    ¡°I know that girl. I only met her once, but I remember her face. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the same person, but seeing her up close confirmed it,¡± Urich said.


    ¡°Oh? But she doesn¡¯t seem to recognize you.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. It was a pretty messed-up situation, so I¡¯m not surprised she doesn¡¯t know who I am.¡±


    ¡°Where did you meet her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a survivor of one of the viges I plundered with the warriors. I practically hid her in a barrel while she was trembling with fear.¡±


    Gottval staggered as if he had been hit by lightning. He nearly copsed but managed to keep himself on his feet while his mind raced with all sorts of strange thoughts.


    ¡°Why did you spare her?¡±


    ¡°I just felt uneasy about killing a girl who was hiding and crying. You know what would happen if other warriors found her, don¡¯t you? She wouldn¡¯t just die peacefully; she would have suffered all kinds of horrors before they eventually killed her.¡±


    Gottval¡¯s face lit up and he grabbed Urich¡¯s arm and jumped with joy.


    ¡°That¡¯s mercy, Urich! You were already practicing it!¡±


    ¡°It was a vige I plundered where her parents were probably killed by us. You still call that mercy?¡±


    ¡°At least you showed the maximum mercy you could.¡±


    Gottval was genuinely delighted, which made Urichugh heartily.


    ¡°Anyway, if we leave that girl alone, other warriors will get to her and she¡¯ll suffer for sure. That¡¯s why I called her separately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach and protect her. Basha is a girl who survived because of your mercy, and that makes her a symbol that you followed Lou¡¯s teachings¡ªa proof of mercy and conscience,¡± Gottval excitedly spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯m d it¡¯s making you happy.¡±


    After finishing their conversation, Urich and Gottval went back inside the tent and saw that the once-full tray of food was now empty.


    ¡°Basha...?¡±


    Gottval, who entered the tent first, looked around for Basha, who lunged at them out of nowhere with Urich¡¯s axe in her hands.


    ¡°<i>Aaaaaaah!</i>¡±


    Basha screamed and pushed Gottval aside, then aimed straight for Urich.


    ¡°<i>Sigh,</i> man.¡±


    But to Urich, Basha just looked like one of the kids from his tribe who used to jump at him.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    He kicked her hard, sending her rolling several times and crashing into a corner of the tent.


    ¡°<i>Cough, cough</i>.¡±


    Basha coughed and looked for the axe, but it hadnded far away.


    ¡°Stop messing around. Cherish the life you barely kept.¡±


    Urich picked up the fallen axe and twirled it in his hand.


    ¡°Just kill me! I¡¯d rather die fighting here than be humiliated by you! I¡¯m sure Lou will watch over my soul!¡± Basha shouted with all her might.


    ¡°Me? Humiliate you? I prefer women with full tits and asses. I¡¯m not interested in a skinny girl like you. Know your ce.¡±


    Urich mocked her,ughing. Basha¡¯s face flushed with anger and humiliation.


    ¡°<i>Aaaah!</i>¡±


    Basha screamed again and stood up.


    <i>¡®This was the reason why Lou made us lose. I was destined to face this barbarian here and kill him.¡¯</i>


    Basha charged recklessly.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Urich grabbed her by the arm and threw her toward a pir, sending her thin body flying through the air.


    ¡°L-Lou will not forgive you,¡± Basha muttered with difficulty, her eyes still ring at Urich.


    ¡°It¡¯s always people who kill other people. Call out to your god as much as you want, but divine punishment won¡¯te. If you want to kill someone, do some more push-ups and swing your weapons until your hands blister and bleed.¡±


    Urich swung his arm vigorously. The axe fell in front of Basha¡¯s face, cutting off a few strands of her hair. Basha unknowingly wet herself, thinking her neck would be cut.


    ¡°<i>Ah, ugh</i>.¡±


    Basha felt her mind go nk. Lou had always helped her, so she hadn¡¯t encountered a single bandit while seeking the emperor alone, and everyone she met treated her favorably upon hearing Lou¡¯s name and called her an extraordinary person.


    <i>¡®Even the emperor said I was special.¡¯</i>


    But in front of Urich, she was just a little girl. Her bottoms turned yellow with urine as her body submitted to the violence.


    ¡°You seem to have some religious zeal... Don¡¯t just talk; learn from this priest. The Lou I know doesn¡¯t whisper to kill someone. That¡¯s something a barbarian god would do.¡±


    Urich gestured to Gottval, who then helped the fallen girl to her feet.


    ¡°You serve Lou... so why are you acting like you¡¯re this barbarian¡¯s subordinate? Can¡¯t you hear the screams of those humiliated by them? Good people are suffering, so why doesn¡¯t Lou help?¡± Basha spoke as she sobbed.


    Gottval could only awkwardly smile. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t know all of Lou¡¯s will either. Let¡¯s find out together, Basha.¡±

 Chapter 284

    <h4>Chapter 284</h4>


    The failure to capture the emperor meant that the war was not yetpletely over. Despite the recent victory, there were many unsettling movements within the Alliance Army as the Porcana-Alliance army marched toward Hamel.


    The authority of the tribal shamans was declining day by day as the number of warriors seeking shamans before battles had dwindled due to many seeking priests or healers from the civilized world for their wounds. Everyone knew about the discontent dripping from Six-Fingered''s face.


    "When I had that diseasest time, I got better quickly by taking the medicine from the people here."


    "That guy in white clothes stitched up my wounds really well, too."


    For the warriors, there were practical benefits to seeking out civilized people. No matter how important tradition and faith were, going to the civilized people could save their lives immediately.


    The astrology and healing arts the shamans had learned their entire lives were outdated techniques, and they slowly fell behind the modern sciences of civilization. The number of followers dwindled as the shamans became less useful.


    "Even the Great Chief keeps that one-armed priest by his side all the time."


    The warriors'' words reached Six-Fingered''s ears. Even the Great Chief, the leader of the warriors, kept the Sun priest close, so themon warriors had no reason not to do the same.


    "Dammit."


    Six-Fingered, the leader of the shamans of the Alliance, chewed on his nails.


    <i>¡®This is not the future I envisioned for the Alliance.¡¯</i>


    The warriors were led by Urich and the shamans by Six-Fingered. That was the dual power that he had envisioned. With the despotic and tyrannical Samikan gone, he thought Urich and he would share power equally.


    <i>¡®Traditionally, the chief and the priest share power. That is our way.¡¯</i>


    In most tribes, the chief and the priest held equal authority, which was why even Samikan could not directly deny the Six-Fingered¡¯s influence.


    "Six-Fingered, we may end up losing even more authority than when Samikan was around. Their faith is eroding the hearts of our warriors."


    An old shaman muttered with discontent.


    "Samikan was brutal, but at least he didn''t bring the religion of civilization into our midst. The current Great Chief, Urich, seems to trust the Sun priest more than us."


    Some shamans even expressed that they missed Samikan. Everyone knew that Six-Fingered had a hand in Samikan''s ousting.


    Six-Fingered looked over the shamans and thought, <i>¡®They''re subtly trying to put the me on me.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered was also entangled in various political rtionships. Just as there were various factions under Urich, Six-Fingered also suffered from multiple factions, and not all shamans followed him just because he was the priest of the alliance.


    <i>"I understand your concerns."</i>


    Six-Fingered waved his hand dismissively, ending the meeting.


    "We must not lose our traditions, Six-Fingered."


    "If the Great Chief and the warriors lose their faith in the heavens, divine punishment wille."


    The shamans, as they left, each added a word to Six-Fingered.


    Six-Fingered watched the shamans'' hunched backs as they left before adding dried leaves to the censer to produce more smoke.


    <i>Sssss.</i>


    He mixed various herbs ording to the recipe passed down through ancient oral, producing a pungent aroma.


    "<i>Oooooh, uuuuuum, mm</i>."


    As he saw all sorts of visions, Six-Fingered¡¯s body trembled and his eyes rolled back. His soul left his body, traveling across the blue sky that swirled into various colors like a rainbow. The rainbow hues stormed like a typhoon, and at the center of it, Six-Fingered felt supreme pleasure.


    "Oh, great heavens..."


    Six-Fingered wept. He had deceived and manipted the will of the heavens many times.


    <i>¡®Please forgive me and guide me to the right path.¡¯</i>


    The trembling continued as he repeatedly fell asleep and woke throughout the night.


    Intoxicated, Six-Fingered regained his senses only by dawn. Holding his throbbing head, he stepped outside the tent to feel the fresh air gently pping his face.


    <i>¡®Over there, was it?¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered crossed the camp in search of something.


    "Priest Six-Fingered, what brings you here?"


    Warriors who were on guard blocked his path. It was a highly disrespectful action, but they were loyal subordinates of Urich who only followed the orders of the Great Chief and had no fear toward anyone else, including Six-Fingered.


    "I''m here to see Gottval, the one-armed priest."


    "Gottval?"


    The warriors who were stationed to guard Gottval frowned. Six-Fingered''s schemes were precisely what they were protecting the one-armed priest from.


    "You must get permission from the Great Chief, first."


    "Permission? Me? Are you telling me that I need the Great Chief''s permission just to see a prisoner?"


    "Gottval is not a prisoner but a guest of the Great Chief."


    "Are you worried I might harm him?!"


    While Six-Fingered was fuming, Gottval came outside after hearing themotion.


    "What is going on?"


    Six-Fingered was not fluent in Hamelian, but there was an interpreter with Gottval, somunication was not a problem.


    "I would like to talk with you."


    Six-Fingered looked Gottval in the eye. Gottval nodded even before the interpreter could trante, as he had learned bits of the tribalnguage and could also sense Six-Fingered''s intention from his expression.


    "Let''s talk inside."


    Gottval awkwardly spoke in the tribalnguage as he opened the tent door.


    <i>¡®Sun decorations.¡¯</i>


    As soon as Six-Fingered entered the tent, he frowned at the unfamiliar decorations that Gottval had used to make the inside of his tent like a temple of civilization. The prayer area was covered with furs with visible knee imprints where he had prayed.


    Six-Fingered felt a revolting aversion, but he forced his expression to remain neutral as he sat down.


    "I will keep this short. Do not mess with the faith of our warriors." Six-Fingered said as he raised his ck-painted face where only his hostile eyes and yellow teeth stood out.


    "I have never tried to shake them. It merely happened naturally¡ªI have never forced my values onto your warriors."


    "Rubbish! I know that you came here to proselytize."


    "I will not deny that, but like I already said, I have never forced anyone. Treating the wounded is only natural, and because of that, the warriors came to know Lou''s mercy and love."


    Gottval spoke calmly. He looked directly at Six-Fingered who was waving his six fingers strangely like spider legs.


    Gottval shook his head briefly, trying to shake off the dizziness that made him feel as if he were caught in a spell.


    <i>¡®I knew I¡¯d sh with him someday as long as I stayed with Urich.¡¯</i>


    Urich had warned Gottval that the more influence he gained within the Alliance, the more anxious Six-Fingered would be and that he should watch out for the priest of the barbarians.


    <i>¡®The dark faith of the barbarian tribes will only dissipate in the light of Lou.¡¯</i>


    Even the northerners who believed in Ulgaro eventually sumbed to the organized power of Srism. Srism was a religion that was as well-structured as the nations of civilization, making it easier to spread even faster in the west where each tribe''s faith system was ambiguous.


    Since Urich, the pinnacle of the west, was favorable toward Srism, the warriors had no hesitation in epting it.


    ¡°Do not interfere with our lives and ways any longer.¡±


    ¡°That is not possible.¡±


    Gottval was not one to bend his will out of fear of death. If he were, he wouldn¡¯t have remained in the Alliance until now.


    <i>¡®This is a problem, especially since he has the Great Chief¡¯s protection.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered would have killed Gottval long ago if it were possible.


    Six-Fingered sighed deeply and let out a phlegmcedugh as he leaned back in his chair.


    <i>¡®My people are winning the war in this foreignnd, yet I am losing the battle against this new faith.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingeredughed for a long time before leaning forward. He extended his six fingers and said, ¡°In that case, teach us your medical skills.¡±


    It was a groundbreaking proposal. The reason warriors sought treatment from the Sun priests was the proven superiority of civilized medicine. Six-Fingered sought to secure his influence by humbling himself.


    After a moment of thought, Gottval spoke, ¡°Send me your young shamans, preferably those who speak some Hamelian. The more people who can save lives, the better.¡±


    Gottval always practiced Lou¡¯s tolerance and love, such as using his medical skills on friend and foe alike.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Six-Fingered stood up, shaking his staff. That evening, young apprentice shamans who were quick learners and had no aversion to new knowledge visited Gottval as promised.


    ¡°Are you teaching the barbarians?¡±


    Basha frowned as she watched from behind. Though she was studying the doctrine of Srism under Gottval, her eyes still gleamed with hatred and anger.


    ¡°They asked to learn first, so there is no reason to refuse to teach them.¡±


    Gottval taught the apprentice shamans how to suture wounds and use herbs from the civilized world while also asionally reciting Lou¡¯s teachings.


    ¡°As they learn our medicine, they will also learn about our faith.¡±


    This was the reason Gottval epted Six-Fingered¡¯s proposal so easily.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t understand you, Father Gottval. These are the people who burned our viges and cities... how could you teach them so calmly? If you gave me a knife, I would cut all their throats.¡±


    Basha¡¯s voice gradually rose. The shamans who understood Hamelian red at her.


    ¡°They understand ournguage too, Basha. Watch your words.¡±


    ¡°If these less-than-beast bastards know their sins, they shouldn¡¯t be learning from us so shamelessly!¡±


    ¡°Basha!¡±


    Gottval raised his voice and Basha flinched at the rare scolding. Though she had only been following Gottval around for a couple of days, she recognized his greatness as a Srist. Sometimes, it even felt like a halo shone behind him.


    <i>¡®He is an uncorrupted priest.¡¯</i>


    Gottval was as devout and righteous as the pilgrim who had saved Basha, which made her behave more than usual.


    ¡°Basha, do you remember the barbarian who saved you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. He was Lou incarnate in the body of a barbarian.¡±


    ¡°Lou borrowed the body of a barbarian to save you, which means that these people too will one day return to Lou¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s...¡±


    Gottval did not tell Basha about Urich, thinking that she might react negatively if she found out.


    <i>¡®The meeting between Urich and Basha wasn¡¯t a mere coincidence. It was a miracle.¡¯</i>


    Basha made her belief that she was saved by Lou who was incarnated as a barbarian the foundation of her faith.


    <i>¡®She might not be entirely wrong. It¡¯s possible that Lou temporarily borrowed Urich¡¯s body to save her.¡¯</i>


    Gottval had also witnessed miraculous scenes around Urich where it felt as if transcendent beings were protecting him. Every time he saw such scenes, his sense of mission to guide Urich on the right path only grew stronger.


    ¡°Let go of your hatred and anger, Basha. If you truly wish to understand Lou, that¡¯s where you must start.¡±


    Gottval spoke soothingly, to which Basha twisted her lips reluctantly.


    ¡°Why do you never say this stuff to the barbarian leader Urich? He wields more violence than anyone else and uses hatred and anger as his strength. Is it because you are his subordinate?¡±


    ¡°Urich does not fight out of hatred nor anger. I know Urich better than you do, and I met him even before this war began. Indeed, warriors like Urich burn with anger and hatred when they fight, however...¡±


    ¡°Then he is the one who vites Lou¡¯s teachings more than anything.¡±


    Basha retorted as if she had found a w in Gottval¡¯s argument. She had never won a debate with him.


    ¡°Basha, there¡¯s something you need to understand. Urich does not hate or despise civilized people; actually, it¡¯s quite the opposite. But the reason why the Great Chief Urich still fights is because he loves his people more than the civilized ones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange way to describe someone who killed hundreds of civilized people, Father.¡±


    ¡°Humans, unlike gods, are imperfect and cannot love perfectly. To love someone more means to love someone else less. Basha, no one can understand Urich¡¯s suffering, not even me.¡±


    Basha merely frowned as she couldn¡¯tprehend Gottval¡¯s words and was at a loss for what to say.

 Chapter 285

    <h4>Chapter 285</h4>


    ¡°In the end, we couldn¡¯t find the emperor. If he managed to make it out alive, he should have arrived in Hamel by now.¡±


    Varca said and then nced at Urich who was sitting in his chair with exhaustion evident on his face.


    Despite the two being the same age, Urich looked at least ten years older not just because of the appearance; he had an atmosphere as bleak as autumn.


    <i>¡®He looks like a campfire that burned all night.¡¯</i>


    Watching Urich was like seeing thest embers of a fire flicker and die. He was a man who had lived each day more passionately than anyone else, and the density of his life was just as high.


    ¡°So after all that, we still have to attack Hamel?¡±


    The othermanders fell silent at Urich¡¯s words.


    ¡°How about we aim for peace? We¡¯ve pushed the empire this far; we should be able to negotiate good terms for ourselves.¡±


    Duke Lungell looked around to confirm that he had the support of othermanders, and then continued, ¡°It seems best to surround Hamel and demand peace. Regardless of what happened to the emperor, the fact is that we won the battles, so the empire will have to ept.¡±


    No one argued against his sensible n. Wars were fought out of necessity, not because people enjoyed them.


    Urich didn¡¯t argue either and agreed with the n. He was satisfied if they could secure the safety and freedom of the west through a treaty.


    As the course of action was decided, themand of the Porcana-Alliance army left the meeting room one by one.


    Georg hesitated before approaching Urich and whispering, ¡°Urich, we need to secure as many advantages as possible in the peace treaty. I know you¡¯re close to King Varca, but we can¡¯t afford to give up our gains. Remember that the ones who fought the hardest and endured the most hardships were the warriors and mercenaries of the Alliance.¡±


    Georg repeatedly emphasized the importance of iming the benefits. He wanted to secure a high position for the future and to achieve that, the Alliance Army had to establish itself as a nation.


    <i>¡®Tribal armies are likely to scatter if there is no war. We need to form a nation before that happens.¡¯</i>


    Georg was already thinking about the post-war period. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity since out of many close aides of Urich, he was the only one with strategic insight. He was the one who handled all the civil affairs, and after the war, it was usually the civil officers who gained the best position.


    <i>¡®Among Urich¡¯s close aides, I will rise the highest,¡¯ </i>Georg thought to himself as he smirked.


    ¡°Georg, the war isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    Urich pulled out the meteorite dagger and spun it around. The dagger, a gift from Belrua, was a great treasure that didn¡¯t rust even without being greased while being light and strong.


    <i>¡®A dagger made of metal from the heavens.¡¯</i>


    Urich twirled the meteorite dagger before sheathing it again.


    ¡°The emperor will probably ept peace. They¡¯re more desperate than we are,¡± Georg reassured Urich.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    Urich remained skeptical with a faint smile.


    ¡°Do you think the empire won¡¯t make peace?¡±


    ¡°In terms of sheer size, we can¡¯t beat the empire. Weck national power, poption, and also everything else.¡±


    ¡°But we are the side in the winning position right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the empire can¡¯t use all of its strength right now. Civilized nations have too much to lose tomit all their resources, so they always have to fight with their hands tied.¡±


    The troops summoned by the emperor were only a fraction of the empire¡¯s total strength as the local lords in the empire¡¯s borders were preserving their own forces.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a supply unit, so we can¡¯t besiege Hamel for long. Our army is a plundering force that has to be constantly on the move, and the supplies we get from Porcana won¡¯t be enough to sustain a prolonged siege.¡±


    ¡°The empire will make a peace treaty with us. They want peace as much as we do.¡±


    Georg tried to ease Urich¡¯s worries.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what the empire wants that¡¯s important, it¡¯s what the emperor wants.¡±


    The Porcana-Alliance army marched rapidly as the faster they moved, the better it was for them. Many couldn¡¯t endure the forced march and fell behind, and the stragglers were organized into a separate rear unit.


    The Alliance Army even camped without setting up tents to save the time that would be spent putting up the encampments.


    ¡°Great Chief!¡±


    Katagi hurriedly ran to the tree where Urich was. He had fallen asleep even though the sun hadn¡¯t set yet.


    ¡°If you woke me up for something trivial...¡±


    Urich yawned and showed his annoyance, habitually checking for his weapon by his side as he woke.


    ¡°Six-Fingered is performing a ritual.¡±


    ¡°So what? He¡¯s a priest; it¡¯s only natural for him to perform rituals.¡±


    Despite his words, Urich still got up and strapped his weapon to his waist.


    ¡°He is divining the oue of the next battle. Did youmand him to do so, Great Chief?¡±


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t like divination.¡±


    Urich chuckled as he walked toward where the divination was happening. The warriors who were on stand-by nodded upon seeing him and followed him.


    Urich led about twenty warriors to find Six-Fingered in an opening where over a hundred warriors had already gathered, along with many civilized people who were curious about the barbarian customs.


    Six-Fingered had painted his face even darker than usual which made his eyes, rolled back to show only the whites, look rather inhuman. Bone ornaments clinked whenever he moved his arms.


    ¡°<i>Oooooom, oom</i>.¡±


    Other shamans hummed long, deep tones to set the atmosphere as the rhythmic drumming seemed to pound the hearts of the spectators.


    Warriors, their skin painted ck and bare, dragged someone along.


    ¡°<i>Mmmph, mmmph!</i>¡±


    It was a person with a gag in their mouth, seemingly aware of his fate.


    ¡°Six-Fingered...¡±


    Human sacrifices were banned by Urich as a necessary measure to align with the civilized armies, despite the strong opposition from the Alliance warriors.


    ¡°<i>Oooooooh!</i>¡±


    The warriors eagerly awaited the moment to cut open the sacrifice¡¯s belly, as their faces lit up with excitement and exhration.


    ¡°<i>Mmph! Mmmmph!</i>¡±


    The unfortunate captive struggled. Many of the civilized spectators couldn¡¯t bear to watch and left, while those still watching grimaced and cursed.


    ¡°Katagi.¡±


    Urich squinted and called Katagi, who cautiously awaited Urich¡¯s orders.


    ¡°...Stop him.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Not only was human sacrifice a sensitive issue within the Alliance, but disrupting a priest¡¯s ritual before a battle was extremely dangerous. Even Samikan himself wouldn¡¯t dare interfere with a ritual once it had begun.


    However, Katagi did not hesitate, as would be expected from a man who would jump into a fire if it was Urich''smand.


    ¡°Stop, Priest Six-Fingered. It is the Great Chief¡¯s order.¡±


    Katagi and his warriors barged in. The surroundings became chaotic in an instant as the voices of those shoutingints grew louder.


    ¡°We are in the midst of the flowing heavenly energy, Katagi. Do not disturb me.¡±


    Six-Fingered¡¯s voice was different than usual¡ªit was a grating voice as if someone was running their nails across a chalkboard.


    ¡°I said it¡¯s the Great Chief¡¯s order. If you offer animals as sacrifices instead of a human, the Great Chief will have no objections.¡±


    ¡°It is only right we offer a precious sacrifice ahead of a battle of great importance.¡±


    Katagi said no more and gestured to the warriors to drag over the captive who was about to be sacrificed.


    ¡°<i>Booo!</i>¡±


    Jeers erupted from all sides as the warriors, who had been eagerly awaiting the spilling of the captive¡¯s entrails, looked at Katagi and Urich with disappointment.


    ¡°We want organs and blood!¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten our ways, Great Chief?!¡±


    Warriors with strong influence within the Alliance raised their voices. Many warriors within the alliance were keen on preserving traditions, and since they were mere seconds away from witnessing the first human sacrifice in a long time, the bacsh was even more intense.


    <i>¡®So this is what Six-Fingered was going for.¡¯</i>


    Urich just watched the bacsh quietly as he understood the warriors'' feelings.


    Human sacrifice was a grand spectacle. Warriors got to observe a shaman dissect a person with nothing but a sharp dagger. Sometimes they would cut from the throat to lessen the pain, but often they would slit the belly open and pull out the entrails while the victim was still alive. The longer the sacrificial victim survived while their entrails were being pulled out, the better the omen.


    As the argument continued, the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile to the point where the warriors unconsciously reached for their weapons.


    ¡°Urich, let Six-Fingered... continue...¡±


    Olga, who had been watching the ritual, strode over to Urich. He was a model warrior in tribal society who enjoyed brutality and bloodshed.


    ¡°If we perform a human sacrifice, the civilized people will hate it. We can¡¯t have that, Olga. The Alliance needs the strength of the civilized armies, especially with a siege battle ahead.¡±


    ¡°Why should we care... about what they... like...? They should respect our ways... We are stronger...¡±


    Olga red at Urich.


    ¡°Olga, we don¡¯t have to offer people as sacrifices anymore. In fact, many things will change from now on, not just the way we make our sacrifices,¡± Urich replied calmly, but Olga¡¯s expression only twisted further.


    ¡°We do not change... It is the civilized people who must change. We are stronger... So why should we respect and follow their ways?¡±


    Olga¡¯s shoulders heaved with agitation. Some warriors, despite usually being on Urich¡¯s side, agreed with Olga¡¯s words due to the grievances that had umted over time.


    Urich was a progressive Great Chief who liked the ways of the civilized, but that also frustrated many warriors.


    ¡°I understand where you¡¯reing from, Olga. I know the civilized do not respect our ways while we often follow theirs. It¡¯s certainly unfair.¡±


    When Urich spoke softly, the warriors nodded repeatedly and awaited his next words.


    ¡°But I know something all of you don¡¯t! In the end, we will not be able to preserve our old ways. Trying to maintain our old ways will only leave us behind and obsolete,¡± Urich dered.


    The warriors erupted in protest, ¡°We are strong, Great Chief! So what do you mean by obsolete?¡±


    ¡°The civilized record their history in writing and they do not forget the past. Unlike us, they distinguish between what should and should not be done from their past failures and learn from it. I know people who were like us. The northerners who couldn¡¯t change quickly were defeated and ended up being forced to abandon their ways after bing the ves of civilization.¡±


    Urich¡¯s perspective differed from that of the other warriors. He knew the process of the north¡¯s downfall and had seen the results with his own eyes.


    ¡°If we make the entire civilization our enemies, we will ultimately be the ones defeated. The reason we fight is to secure a position to coexist with the civilized.¡±


    Urich clearly stated his thoughts. Warriors who felt betrayed shook their heads.


    ¡°Have our victories so far been ours alone? Were all the men of civilization who we met cowards? Sometimes they fought as well as we did, and we wouldn¡¯t havee this far without some of their help. Without them, who would operate all thoseplex siege weapons?¡±


    ¡°But you must respect our ways, you are our Great Chief!¡±


    Urichughed heartily. He drew his sword and plunged it into the ground.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re exactly right. So if anyone opposes my opinion, take up your weapons and stand before me. I am always ready to ept a challenge¡ªis this not the most important part of our ways? Challenge me openly and take everything I have!¡±


    The warriors nced at each other in silence before slowly retreating. No one dared to challenge Great Chief Urich as there was no one who did not know that the legends built by Urich were not just tales, but realities witnessed by their own eyes.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Urich noticed that Olga continued to twitch his fingers in contemtion.


    ¡°Not now, Olga,¡± he said as their eyes met. Urich shook his head at Olga, who nodded and stepped back.


    Both Urich and Olga knew that the two of them were one of the most excellent warriors who the Alliance could not afford to lose before the war ended.


    <i>¡®The challenge is for another time...¡¯</i>


    Olga respected Urich but couldn¡¯t agree with his ways. He felt that being with Urich blurred their essence.


    Themotion subsided, and the sacrifice was carried on with a four-legged animal. As the beast¡¯s entrails spilled out, the stench and smell of blood filled the air.


    Urich watched the ritual and then approached Six-Fingered, whispering, ¡°This is thest time I will overlook your disobedience, Six-Fingered. I owe you nothing now.¡±


    Six-Fingered¡¯s six fingers trembled slightly.

 Chapter 286

    <h4>Chapter 286</h4>


    The establishment of the empire happened over five decades ago, and its founding was practically a mythology to the citizens of the empire, especially significant for the citizens of Hamel.


    The empire originally was a mere city-state the size of the duchies nearby. Back then, such city-states and small kingdoms ruled the world. Border conflicts were incessant, and small countries repeatedly appeared and disappeared.


    The first emperor, Xarkaman Hamelon, was the ruler of Hamelon during that tumultuous era and was praised as a perfect man in all aspects: mind, body, and spirit.


    It was a well-known fact that even the leaders of rival nations admired and respected Xarkaman Hamelon as a hero.


    "...A great man, indeed. He was a hero who stabilized the chaos and built the empire within a single generation."


    Yanchinus, who had returned to the imperial capital of Hamel, muttered as he looked at the statues of the former emperors. Upon his return, he summoned the city''s officials to prepare for the uing battles.


    "But even my grandfather wouldn¡¯t have be a legendary hero without a bit of luck."


    Yanchinus walked through the imperial pce to the industrial district where the air was stifling, unlike the well-maintained pce. It was the autonomous district of cksmiths known as the imperial smithy, and the cksmiths working here were not only highly skilled but also dedicated their lives to the empire.


    <i>nk! nk!</i>


    The sound of hammering came from all directions.


    The imperial cksmiths, despite beingmoners, enjoyed wealthparable to that of nobles. However, they were never allowed to leave Hamel and were always under surveince wherever they went.


    "Imperial steel," Yanchinus muttered as he twisted his lips.


    Even now, the iron weapons forged by the kingdoms were far inferior to that of the empire. There was simply noparison to imperial steel.


    <i>¡®The imperial steel weaponry was essentially a divine gift in my grandfather¡¯s era.¡¯</i>


    The city of Hamel wasn''t just any city. Even back then, it was a center of industry andmerce and one of the continent''s most renowned iron ore deposits, making Hamel''s weaponry famously known for its excellence.


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    Imperial steel was the result of the high-purity iron of Hamel and the dedication of its cksmiths. To this day, the kingdoms could not match the empire''s metallurgy.


    The first emperor, Xarkaman, was a man who was educated in history. He knew that eras changed ording to the development of metallurgy, and the sessive emperors shed countless amounts of blood to protect the secret of imperial steel.


    <i>nk!</i>


    The hammering ceased as Yanchinus entered the workshop, and the cksmiths removed their sweat-soaked headscarves to bow their heads in respect for the emperor. Their faces were filled with pride knowing that they were handling the empire''s most precious secrets.


    <i>¡®I might end up being the scoundrel who squanders the legacies of my grandfather and father.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus looked at the proud men and bitterly smiled. The empire did not have many means left for negotiations.


    Yanchinus called the overseer of the imperial smithy and whispered something.


    "I-is that really your will, Your Majesty?"


    The overseer of the imperial smithy opened his eyes wide in shock. Although it was disrespectful to the emperor, Yanchinus fully understood the overseer''s feelings.


    It was a secret that had been guarded for over five decades, and the blood of countless men had been shed just to keep the imperial steel in the empire, including those of the innocent.


    "Do I look like I¡¯m joking?" Yanchinus spoke calmly. He looked around the imperial smithy as the hot air touched his skin. Pieces of iron, still ck on the surface, hung here and there.


    "B-but..."


    The overseer stuttered at themand, which was difficult toply with, even if it was directly from the emperor himself.


    "Inform the heads of each workshop."


    "Your Majesty!"


    "Feel free to criticize and curse me all you want, but it must be done."


    Yanchinus was firm.


    Although the imperial army had seeded in stabilizing the northern front, it was merely a temporary measure. In a situation where the kingdoms could dere independence and invade the empire''s territory at any time, the empire had nothing certain to rely on.


    <i>¡®If you divided our frontlines and defeated us piece by piece, we have no choice but to do the same.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus selected two kingdoms to form a joint front moving forward. The Kammus Kingdom, located in the southwest, and the Aralto Kingdom, Porcana¡¯s neighboring country.


    <i>¡®The Kammus Kingdom will keep Yailrud in check, and the Aralto Kingdom will attack Porcana.¡¯</i>


    These were the two kingdoms with forces capable of effectively checking the west and Porcana.


    Knowing that there was no chance that these two forces would easilyply with his orders, Yanchinus proposed conditions that were exceptionally bold, offering to release the secrets of the imperial metallurgy to kingdoms Kammus and Aralto.


    "Even if we give them our technology, it won''t be easy to establish a production system right away."


    Moreover, the empire''s military technology was already advancing to the next stage.


    <i>¡®By the time they master steel, we will already have numerous weapons made from me oil deployed.¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t that the future was certain, and it was possible that me oil was not the next generation of weapons. If so, it would mean that the empire was giving other kingdoms a chance to catch up with their military technology.


    <i>¡®Even with such a risk, we need to borrow their strength.¡¯</i>


    Messengers were already on their way to the respective kingdoms, and once the empire''s cksmiths arrived in the Kammus and Aralto kingdoms, military actions wouldmence.


    If things went ording to Yanchinus'' ns, the Porcana-Alliance army would have two more fronts to worry about and would not be able to focus on besieging Hamel. In the meantime, the empire could reorganize internally and also have the leisure to assemble its legions.


    "Your Majesty, the barbarian army has crossed the Johan River," a messenger reported to Yanchinus.


    "They''re moving faster than expected."


    "It seems only the vanguard has arrived first."


    Yanchinus nodded and urged the othermanders to attend the meeting. If only a small vanguard had arrived quickly, it was worth trying to intercept them.


    <i>¡®Knowing Urich, he wouldn¡¯t have left himself out of the vanguard.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus repeatedly reviewed whether he had taken all possible measures.


    <i>¡®Now, all that remains is to fight.¡¯</i>


    The attendants opened the doors to the sides as Yanchinus entered the imperial council hall.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The gazes of nobles and knights who were waiting for the emperor focused on one spot. Yanchinus paused for a moment and looked at them intently.


    "I, Yanchinus Hamelon..."


    He began quietly.


    "...am a man of many sins."


    The eyes of those in the room widened at Yanchinus¡¯ words.


    * * *


    Obtaining intel on one¡¯s enemy before them was the most important thing in war. Civilized countries sent spies disguised as merchants to investigate defensive facilities and supplies before dering war.


    There was a big difference between fighting with knowledge and fighting without it.


    Georg was the first to infiltrate Hamel with another civilized mercenary. He gathered the loot the Alliance had stocked and disguised himself as a jewelry merchant.


    He set up a stall in the square and observed the situation in Hamel.


    "Georg, do you think the Alliance''s luck has run out?" The civilized mercenary next to him suddenly said.


    "What? We''re the ones who are winning right now."


    "But we failed to capture the emperor, and he made it back here alive. No matter how I look at it, I don''t think we can take down Hamel. Even if Urich''s words are true..." The mercenary showed his skepticism.


    "If we came this far, Urich must have a n," Georg defended Urich.


    "Yeah, but it¡¯s the n of a barbarian."


    "He¡¯s different from other barbarians."


    At those words, the civilized mercenary looked at Georg curiously.


    "You¡¯re pretty loyal to him, you know that?"


    "Loyal, my ass. Shut up and go pretend like you¡¯re trying to sell some of this stuff to thatdy over there. The guards are watching us,¡± Georg said, pointing with his chin. The civilized mercenary smiled genially like a merchant and approached the woman with jewelry in his hands.


    <i>¡®The atmosphere inside Hamel is not as bad as I expected; maybe it¡¯s the psychological stability that the emperor brings. They probably believe that as long as the emperor is here, the city won''t fall.¡¯</i>


    Georg watched the people passing through the square of the city that was still bustling despite the news of the approaching barbarians.


    <i>¡®Urich must have set up the encampment by now. It¡¯s only a matter of time before Hamel¡¯s isted.¡¯</i>


    Georg moved the jewelry stand around the city, observing every corner of Hamel. The high walls looked impregnable to any siege weapon and there were no low or weak points in the walls anywhere.


    <i>¡®It will be impossible to attack and break through a wall like this.¡¯</i>


    During his time in the Alliance, Georg had gained some military knowledge. He could tell whether a wall could be breached just by looking at it.


    <i>¡®If we have the resources, surrounding them would be the best option. Even Hamel will suffer from disease and hunger if isted for a long time.¡¯</i>


    However, the problem was that the Alliance didn''t have the luxury to do that.


    While Georg was rolling his eyes, a guard approached.


    "Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing? Don''t you know we''re at war?"


    "Oh, good sir, do you think the barbarians would dare to scale the walls of Hamel? If anything, this is the time to get ahead of those who are too scared to do business. Turning a crisis into an opportunity¡ªis that not a great saying?"


    Georg had already been questioned by guards several times, but he easily disguised his identity with his silver tongue.


    It was the third day since Georg had entered Hamel. He cautiously prepared something as the city prepared for battle with many carts carrying military suppliesing and going. That night, he and three other civilized mercenaries equipped themselves as if they were about to enter a cave and moved cautiously through the night streets.


    "If we actually pull this off, we''ll get a chest full of gold coins, right?"


    "We can live like rich men when we go back home."


    "Keke, war really is an opportunity for men."


    "Should we just switch to the emperor''s side? I feel like they might give us a lot of money too."


    The mercenaries chuckled, but despite their words, they were tight-lipped and loyal. Georg wouldn¡¯t have brought them along if they were easy to betray.


    "<i>Shh.</i> Sounds travel further at night," a mercenary who was a former hunter said, pressing his finger to his lips.


    As the mercenaries entered the sewer one by one, Georg kept his eyes open for any possible witnesses until thest one was in.


    <i>¡®How does Urich know about the empire''s sewers...?¡¯</i>


    Even if he had been to Hamel, it wasn¡¯t normal for him to know about the sewagework of the city. Georg had only heard from Urich about the wide underground waterways that people could walk in.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Georg and the mercenaries climbed down thedder into the underground. The mercenary who went down first lit a torch and inspected the dingy interior.


    "That¡¯s a pretty heavy smell, but this ce really is wide. How did they think of digging an underground waterway wide enough for multiple people to pass through..."


    "You¡¯d expect no less from the city called the center of the world."


    The mercenaries were also impressed by the depth and width of the sewer which was an enormous civil engineering project that other kingdoms couldn''t even dream of.


    ¡ª<i>Georg, I''m not entirely sure of this, but since it''s a ce where waste is discharged, it must be connected to the outside. Find that ce.</i>


    Georg recalled Urich''s words. It was a critical mission as there was no other way to attack Hamel, and the n to infiltrate through the sewer would fail if Georg were caught.


    <i>¡®Whatever the situation is, what¡¯s important is that Urich trusts me and believes I''m the right person for this job.¡¯</i>


    Georg twitched his lips. The fact that wealth that couldst for generations was within reach even erased the rancid smell of the sewers.


    <i>¡®I don''t even want to be a hero remembered in history. I just want to livefortably and well-fed while I''m alive and fall asleep to the whispers of a beautiful woman without any worries.¡¯</i>


    Georg thought about the women in his future before briefly closing his eyes. The feeling that had been gripping his heart still remained in one corner.


    The mercenaries tapped Georg''s shoulder, urging him to move.


    "C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get moving. Did you bring the parchment and graphite?"


    "Don¡¯t worry. Just light the way properly and make sure you don''t burn anything."


    Georg pulled out the parchment and graphite. They needed to draw a map as they moved to find the route as wandering the sewers blindly wouldn''t get them anywhere.


    "We pull this off, and we¡¯ll be heroes. We''ll get money and maybe evennd."


    Georg said to the mercenaries who nodded and walked through the dim underground passage with their torches.

 Chapter 287

    <h4>Chapter 287</h4>


    Urich opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by darkness. The murky darkness stretched along the underground waterway, but there was no foul smell.


    <i>Hiss.</i>


    He stared into the darkness at a sound and saw yellow eyes gleaming.


    <i>Hiss.</i>


    Urich was not afraid.


    An explorer did not fear ignorance and darkness as they were merely things for them to go toward and illuminate. Things that seemed scary were often not that big of a deal once actually approached, as was the case with the Sky Mountains.


    No matter what the shamans said, beyond the mountains was the world of humans, and it was humans who lived in the world on the other side of the mountains, not gods.


    <i>¡®The unknown, the unseen.¡¯</i>


    These were the sources of fear.


    <i>¡®The fear of deathes from not knowing whates after.¡¯</i>


    No one was afraid to fall asleep because they knew they would wake up the next morning, but death was a slumber without the certainty of waking up to see another day.


    Those who feared death were those who had no certainty in their afterlife.


    <i>Ssh.</i>


    Urich walked through the sshing sewer.


    There was still no stench.


    <i>Hiss.</i>


    The hissing sound, which felt oddly familiar, continued in the blurry darkness.


    Some tremble when encountering the unknown darkness and dere it a ¡®taboo¡¯ without even thinking to approach and confirm it.


    Sometimes, however, there were some who throw everything away in order to confirm the source of their fear and walk the paths that others do not dare to.


    Most of these explorers fall behind and despair and the defeated explorers live miserable lives, hearing jeers such as, ¡®I told you so,¡¯ ¡®You are a fool,¡¯ ¡®Why break the taboo and end up like that?¡¯ or ¡®You wasted your time for nothing,¡¯ from the majority who can only afford to pour out curses because they were too scared to do it themselves.


    Even among those few explorers, not all get to savor the joy of discovery and enlightenment after confirming the source of their fear.


    <i>¡®A snake.¡¯</i>


    Urich parted the darkness and saw therge snake that was hiding behind it. The snake, which had made the waterways its home, flicked its split tongue as it watched Urich with a bodyrge enough to fill the entire space.


    But despite being in the sewer, there was no stench.


    Urich realized that he was in a dream and woke up.


    ¡°Snake.¡±


    Urich opened his eyes.


    He thought of the sewers of Hamel and Serpentism who dwelled in them, though he had no way of knowing if they were still in the city.


    ¡°<i>Hooo.</i>¡±


    It was a rough, nightmarish dream. He pondered as he wiped the sweat from his sleep.


    ¡°If there is an underground waterway, there must be a way out as well.¡±


    Urich called Georg and themanders to discuss his n to infiltrate the imperial capital through its waterways. It was possible if they could find the one leading outside.


    Georg led a few mercenaries he trusted and headed into Hamel first.


    The Porcana-Alliance army had set up camp by the Johan River near Hamel, as it was a rtively convenient location to secure water and food.


    ¡°The empire has rejected the peace offer.¡±


    The Porcana-Alliance army had sent an envoy to Hamel, but it was fruitless.


    ¡°They have no intention of surrendering? Even in this situation?¡±


    ¡°They know we can''t maintain the siege for long. Dammit.¡±


    ¡°No, even so, the empire should not be in a position to reject our peace offer.¡±


    The unexpected turn of events caused much talk among themand as most of them had secretly thought there wouldn¡¯t be a battle. The idea of attacking Hamel, now that they were actually faced with it, was daunting.


    ¡°If the empire rejected peace because they trust their walls, we should be able to take them down easily as long as the men sent by Urich find the entrance to the underground waterway,¡± Varca said as he interrupted the nobles¡¯ chatter.


    ¡°There must be something more. It can¡¯t just be the walls.¡±


    Urich rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°What do you mean by something more?¡±


    ¡°There is no way that emperor would reject peace socently just with his trust in the walls. He must have something that gives him confidence¡ªsomething big enough for him to be okay with giving up the safe option. While they might win by dragging out the war... they would suffer so much damage it would have been better to make peace. What benefit would the empire gain from winning this battle while enduring such losses?¡±


    Knowing well what kind of man Emperor Yanchinus was, Urich could not get rid of the unease. The emperor was meticulous and always nned for failure, certainly not someone who wouldcently rely on some walls.


    ¡°What we need is a short-term battle. As soon as Georg finds the entrance to the waterway, we must capture Hamel. I¡¯m sure the emperor has some more tricks up his sleeve.¡±


    The nobles of Porcana frowned as Urich spoke with conviction.


    <i>¡®This barbarian is acting like he knows everything...¡¯</i>


    But it was true that Urich knew more about Hamel and the emperor than the nobles of Porcana, most of them who have never even seen the emperor¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve dined with the emperor and did a bunch of other things with him as well, so I think it¡¯s safe to say I know his character better than you lot,¡± Urich said, sensing the dissatisfied nces.


    The nobles, suppressed by Urich¡¯s fierce gaze, averted their eyes.


    * * *


    The Porcana-Alliance army formed a siege around Hamel. However, Hamel did not easily sumb to the siege and nned to intercept and inflict damage while the vanguard of the Porcana-Alliance army was the only threat.


    ¡°<i>Oh, ooooh!</i>¡± The warriors shouted.


    Urich pulled the reins and looked at the imperial heavy cavalry approaching from the front.


    <i>¡®Looks like about five hundred cavalry.¡¯</i>


    However, five hundred heavy cavalry were equivalent to thousands of soldiers in terms ofbat value, and considering the t terrain around Hamel, the environment was thoroughly advantageous for the cavalry.


    <i>Buuuuup!</i>


    Urich extended his hand and the g-bearer beside him waved a blue g, signaling the troops. Simultaneously, the trumpeters blew their horns with all their might.


    The Imperial Army conducted a reconnaissance in force before the siege lines solidified in a half-hearted attempt to intercept the enemy.


    ¡°Stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those next to you and hold your lines! If you get separated, you die!¡±


    The warriors of the pike units who were trained to face the cavalry stepped forward and shouted with vigor from having already achieved a victory.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the infamous pike unit.¡±


    The Imperial Army was already aware of the spear units thanks to the stories of the knights who had returned to the empire with one hand lost.


    <i>Peeeee!</i>


    At the long whistle of the leading imperial knight, the heavy cavalry all turned to avoid the spear units and circled around.


    But the ones waiting for the imperial heavy cavalry were the light cavalry of Porcana.


    <i>¡®Are they hitting our nks? Dammit!¡¯</i>


    The leading imperial knight realized his mistake. Avoiding the pike units was a predictable move.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    The light cavalry charged and struck the nk of the imperial heavy cavalry. Although they couldn''t win head-on, the nk was always vulnerable. As the heavy cavalry fell off their horses, the formation broke apart.


    ¡°Good, good.¡±


    Urich pulled the reins as he smiled with satisfaction. He drew his sword and charged into the chaotic battlefield.


    ¡°Kill them aaaall!¡±


    The warriors, as if they had been waiting for this moment, gripped their axes and rushed in to grab the helmets of the fallen knights and thrust their swords inside.


    ¡°<i>Kaaaagh!</i>¡±


    Most of the knights who had experience fighting the barbarians had either died or were incapacitated, leaving only the novice knights who werepletely taken aback by the foreign threat.


    The Alliance Army, on the other hand, only grew stronger with each battle. Their strategies and tactics were increasingly optimized against the empire, and more and more tribal warriors found heavy armor for themselves.


    ¡°I-I am a knight of House Paris...!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this idiot saying?¡±


    The warriors ruthlessly killed even the knights who surrendered as the concept of capturing prisoners for ransom was still vague to them.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t kill them! Great Chief Urich told us to capture them for ransom.¡±


    ¡°Ransom? What the hell are we going to do with that? Watching their blood spray out is much better, so I¡¯d rather just kill them.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true.¡±


    The warriorsughed and wiped the blood off their faces with their forearms.


    The Imperial Army reopened the gates and retreated into the city after failing to prevent the Porcana-Alliance army from setting up their siege.


    After winning the skirmish, the warriors shouted and patted each other¡¯s shoulders. The siege wasplete, leaving no openings for the empire to exploit.


    ¡°Urich, this is where it starts,¡± Varca said as he approached on his horse with his blue cloak embroidered with herring and a fishing boat fluttering in the wind.


    Three days had passed since the siege began. The local forces of the empire started attacking Porcana¡¯s supply lines, causing their supplies to dwindle faster than expected.


    ¡°We have Hamel surrounded, but in the bigger picture, we¡¯re the ones who are effectively isted.¡±


    Varca reinforced the supply unit withbat troops, but it was just a temporary measure. Maintaining the long supply line was overwhelming for Porcana, and they were staggering under the burden of supplying both their own and the Alliance Army.


    More days were spent surviving on a single bowl of thin gruel as the rations thinned out. The morale of the underfed army dropped sharply, and warriors often left the siege lines to go plundering for their own resources.


    ¡°Urich, many warriors from your army are breaking out of formation to go plundering. It¡¯s constantly leaving gaps in our siege lines,¡± Varca appealed to Urich.


    The chiefs of the Alliance often took their men away for a day or two to plunder farms at their discretion. As more and more groups engaged in such activities, the Alliance¡¯s manpower shortage became severe.


    ¡°The news of our forces dispersing must have gotten to them by now, and if the Imperial Army gathers their strength and pushes in, we might be the ones who have to retreat. If they manage to break us apart even once, all our umted victories will be in vain. Control your troops, Urich.¡±


    Urich smiled bitterly, knowing that he had to order the starving warriors to stop plundering and hold their positions. It was by no means a difficultmand for a disciplined army, but it was an unreasonable ask for the tribal warriors of the Alliance.


    <i>¡®There is going to be a lot of resistance.¡¯</i>


    The warriors who deserted their lines to plunder were well-fed, while those who stayed on Urich¡¯s orders were starving. It was a situation that required action.


    ¡°Katagi, who are the ones leading the plundering trips?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Olga, of course. He¡¯s got quite a few men under him now.¡±


    Katagi¡¯s expression was also full of discontent. The diligent warriors who were holding their lines ording to the orders were starving, while the deserters returned with full bellies. No matter how much they plundered in the nearby areas, there wasn¡¯t enough food for the entire army.


    ¡°Bring him to me.¡±


    Urich¡¯s voice was low. He was also conserving his strength, having not eaten properly either. The Great Chief couldn¡¯t eat well while his warriors starved.


    ¡°Great Chief.¡±


    Olga approached Urich with his head held high. Katagi was about to say something about his attitude, but Urich stopped him and stood before Olga.


    ¡°I told you to hold your position, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°The warriors were... hungry. They would have died of star...vation before they even got... to do anything.¡±


    ¡°I was looking out for that too, but it didn¡¯t seem like they were going to die. You simply abandoned your brothers and went plundering because you were hungry.¡±


    ¡°So... what?¡±


    Olga red at Urich.


    ¡°Stay with your brothers and hold the position. That¡¯s all I have to say, Olga.¡±


    ¡°You are the Great Chief, yet you let the warriors star...ve. There¡¯s food out there, but we¡¯re stuck here starv...ing. If we starve and weaken... they wille to strangle us. I filled my belly to prepare for that... moment.¡±


    Though his speech was still slurred, his determination was clear.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to openly disobey my orders, Olga?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of... discontent against you, Great Chief. Even the priest... isn¡¯t on your side any...more.¡±


    Listening to Olga¡¯s words, Urich smirked.


    Urich had tolerated Olga¡¯s disobedience thus far because he performed well in battles, but there was a limit to his patience, and he was finally feeling the beast within him climbing up his throat.


    ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t let this go on any longer.¡±


    Urich scratched his head, looking at the ground. When he raised his head again, there was a clear murderous intent in his eyes.


    ¡°Olga, it¡¯s sooner than I expected, but go ahead and challenge me. If you want to do as you please, take my position. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut.¡±

 Chapter 288

    <h4>Chapter 288</h4>


    Olga pondered as he looked into Urich''s fierce eyes. He thought, <i>¡®Challenging the Great Chief was something I had to do someday. But I didn¡¯t n on it being so soon.¡¯</i>


    Olga did not revere Urich and found it difficult to ept the changes the Great Chief advocated. Unlike Urich, he neither admired nor loved the civilized people¡ªhe merely faced them with nothing but hatred and anger. He could not understand Urich, who surrounded himself with andmanded various civilized people.


    ¡°<i>Hooo.</i>¡±


    Olga let out a long breath as he sharpened his gaze.


    Even though they did not share the same ideals, he did not deny that Urich was a formidable warrior. It wasn¡¯t just rumors; Olga had seen firsthand the feats Urich had aplished, and it was undeniable that he was a man who truly deserved the title ¡®Son of the Earth.¡¯ He was born as a human, yet he was stronger and faster than any beast.


    <i>¡®Honestly, I don¡¯t think I can win.¡¯</i>


    Olga chuckled and briefly looked up at the sky.


    <i>¡®If I am destined to be the Great Chief, I will win; if not, I will lose.¡¯</i>


    That was also how Urich had risen to the position of Great Chief, rising from the depths of despair to uphold the will of the heavens.


    ¡°Great Chief... We fight... today at noon,¡± Olga said, raising his finger.


    ¡°Yeah, at noon.¡±


    Urich nodded in response.


    As the news of a duel for the position of Great Chief quickly spread throughout the entire Alliance Army, some chiefs tilted their heads in confusion.


    ¡°A duel... at a time like this?¡±


    ¡°If the Great Chief dies, we¡¯re finished. How would we manage the Alliance with the civilized people without our Great Chief?¡±


    ¡°We have to stop Olga.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think the Great Chief would lose to Olga? I doubt it.¡±


    The duel brought anxiety because if Urich were to fall, the Alliance Army would descend into chaos. No one believed Olga could wield the same control as Urich.


    With the palpable tension in the air, Olga sharpened his spear and waited for the time toe.


    <i>¡®I rushed it.¡¯</i>


    Though he regretted it, the words were already out. If he backed out of the duel, the reputation he had built as a warrior his entire life would be tarnished.


    ¡°Olga.¡±


    Six-Fingered, with his face painted dark, approached Olga, exuding the familiar, thick smell of blood.


    ¡°What... is it... Six-Fingered?¡±


    Olga red. Although the two shared conservative values, their methods differed.


    <i>¡®Despicable man.¡¯</i>


    Olga knew well of Six-Fingered''s actions and that he was a vile opportunist, but the priest was on his side for now.


    ¡°I have divined the oue of your duel.¡±


    Olga squinted upon seeing Six-Fingered''s nails stained red with dried blood.


    ¡°What did you... offer as a sacrifice? A... pig? A chicken?¡±


    ¡°...A person.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Olga set down the whetstone, twisting his lips.


    ¡°You managed... to sacrifice a hu...man?¡±


    ¡°Stealing away one prisoner is nothing. Beware of fire, Olga. When I asked the spirits about your fate, they whispered fire. The sky will be dyed red.¡±


    Six-Fingered spoke with a foul stenching from his mouth and scratched Olga¡¯s cheek with his long nails.


    ¡°Fire?¡±


    ¡°Fire will determine your fate.¡±


    Six-Fingered shuddered briefly, then spat the chewed herb onto the ground.


    ¡°I will... keep that in mind.¡±


    Olga nodded.


    ¡°The current Great Chief has abandoned the heavens and our ancestors and worships the religion of the civilized. Because of that, the great ancestors will watch over you, Olga.¡±


    Six-Fingered nodded slightly and left. Alone again, Olga continued sharpening his spear.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Sparks flew as Six-Fingered''s words kept lingering in Olga¡¯s mind.


    <i>¡®Fire and lightning are the symbols of the Great Chief.¡¯</i>


    Urich, the Son of the Earth, had achieved countless feats, but the Battle of Valdima and the duel with Samikan were already considered legends.


    In the Battle of Valdima, he used fire to overturn an overwhelming disadvantage and nearly annihted the imperial pursuit force. When captured by Samikan, it was lightning that saved him. Great Chief Urich was shrouded in divine protection bestowed by the heavens.


    ¡°My fate will be determined by fire, huh...¡±


    Olga skipped his meal and steadied his resolve instead. Having an empty stomach seemed to help sharpen his senses.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    He focused his mind as he gazed at the sharp spearhead before stepping out of his tent to be greeted by the nces of many warriors.


    Among them was Katagi, who stood with his arms crossed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote, Olga. If you ask to cancel the duel, the Great Chief will dly ept it.¡±


    Katagi tried to persuade Olga, standing in his way. Though he did not like Olga, he recognized him as a capable warrior and losing a warrior like him before such an important battle was not a desirable oue at all.


    ¡°I cannot take back... the words I have already spoken. Get... out of my way.¡±


    Olga pushed Katagi aside and continued forward as he felt the gazes of the warriors.


    In the distance, the civilized people were also observing the situation, confused as to why on earth the westerners would have a duel right before a battle of such high importance.


    ¡°Ah, Olga.¡±


    Urich smiled from his chair upon seeing Olga.


    ¡°Great Chief Urich, you... have disregarded our... traditions,¡± Olga murmured, extending his spear.


    <i>ng!</i>


    In response, Urich picked up his sword and axe and shed them lightly to make a crisp, metallic sound.


    ¡°Hey, I epted your challenge ording to our tradition, didn¡¯t I? And let me make it clear that I never wanted to be a ¡®king¡¯ like the civilized people. No matter what anyone thinks or says, I am your Great Chief. If a warrior greater than I appears, I will step aside anytime, and if they defeat me, I will bless them as the next Great Chief without any resentment. So, if you want my blessing and glory, seize it with your own hands, Olga.¡±


    Olga¡¯s eyes widened as his heart pounded. Whether it was Urich or Samikan, Olga would have challenged the Great Chief for their position someday.


    <i>¡®Maybe all this talk about tradition is just an excuse.¡¯</i>


    Being born a man and rising to the top alone was reason enough to fight.


    Olga held the spear high with both hands to stab downward from his eye level, taking advantage of his long arms that gave him a wider attacking range. His muscles were highly stic, enabling him to close down any gaps despite hisrge movements.


    <i>¡®As expected of the Great Chief. I can¡¯t find any openings even though he¡¯s taken a rxed stance.¡¯</i>


    Olga did not move first.


    Urich was lightly swinging his weapon with his arms hanging down to his waist. His stance was low, like a predator about to hunt.


    If Olga was a raptor, Urich was a four-legged predator. He moved on only his toes, closing the distance.


    <i>¡®If I get stabbed by that spear, I¡¯ll die. No matter how tough my body is, it¡¯s all for naught if my heart or neck gets stabbed.¡¯</i>


    Urich knew that there was no need to look at the spearhead because what moved first were the arms and shoulders. He knew that by the time you noticed the spearhead, it would already be toote, so he kept his eyes on Olga¡¯s arms.


    Despite the presence of thousands of warriors, there wasn¡¯t a single word of chatter but only the sound of breathing.


    ¡°<i>Hooo.</i>¡±


    Olga and Urich exhaled softly and then swallowed their breaths again. Breathing always created openings, and it was better to keep the number of breaths to the minimum when facing an enemy. Controlling one¡¯s breath was amon skill in warriors who have survived many battlefields.


    Varca, the Head of Porcana, watched the duel from afar on horseback.


    <i>¡®Is this the world Urich has lived in?¡¯</i>


    What Urich and Olga were doing was something unimaginable in the civilized world. The westerners were deciding on a position equal to a king of civilization through a duel, yet no one stopped it as they valued warrior ethics and upheld traditions.


    <i>¡®They must have lived their lives honing themselves with death always by their side.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s life and existence shone like a finely crafted gem, and it shone brilliantly no matter where it was viewed from.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure that even if you die, you¡¯ll die with a smile on your face.¡¯</i>


    Varca knew that he must not stop the duel even though he wanted to, as this was what Urich had epted.


    <i>Buuuup!</i>


    There was an unexpected trumpet out of nowhere, momentarily drawing the gazes of the warriors who had been holding their breaths.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Urich and Olga moved simultaneously. Olga¡¯s spear struck fiercely, and Urich¡¯s sword followed the spear¡¯s trajectory.


    Urich pushed Olga¡¯s spear aside which then grazed Urich¡¯s side.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Urich swung his axe with his other hand, aiming for Olga¡¯s ankle.


    Olga narrowly jumped to avoid the axe in a ratherical, frog-like leap. Fighting was never supposed to be morous in the first ce. Twisting one¡¯s body awkwardly to save and target lives¡ªthis was the essence ofbat.


    Urich and Olga exchanged several attacks while the trumpet sounded. Olga leaped backward, increasing the distance.


    <i>¡®If I keep shing without taking any breaths, Urich has a huge advantage and I stand no chance. I couldn¡¯t kill him with the first strike, so I must look for another opening.¡¯</i>


    Countless thoughts raced through Olga¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Uuuurich!¡± A voice familiar to Urich shouted from a distance.


    Urich and Olga watched each other as the bone-chilling tension gradually subsided.


    <i>Clink.</i>


    Urich was the first to tap the ground with his sword, releasing hisbat stance, and only then did Olga spit on the ground and lower his spear.


    <i>Murmur, murmur.</i>


    The warriors parted to the sides, revealing a dark and human-shaped figure that was emitting a terrible stench.


    ¡°Georg, what the hell did you do?¡± Urich asked.


    ¡°I did what you asked me to do!¡± Georg shouted, spitting repeatedly along with the other civilized mercenaries behind him.


    ¡°Did you find it?¡± Urich asked again.


    Georg nodded with a wide grin, baring his teeth. Urich¡¯s eyes widened. He threw his weapon aside and ran over.


    ¡°Holy shit! Come here, Georg! Let me give you a big hug!¡±


    Urich jumped and lifted Georg in an embrace. Georg wheezed, feeling like his body was being crushed.


    Urich didn¡¯t care about Georg¡¯s filthy state and rubbed himself all over him to show how joyful the news Georg brought was. Georg had found the clue to their conquest.


    ¡°G-gugh, l-let me... down... please...¡±


    Georg grumbled as he stripped off his dirty clothes and doused himself in water. Only then did his human-like face appear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, my brothers! The heart of civilization awaits us!¡±


    Urich raised his arm high and shouted. The warriors didn¡¯t know the details but understood that Urich had found a way to attack Hamel.


    ¡°<i>Oooooh!</i>¡±


    The warriors shouted, jumping up and down.


    ¡°Olga! It seems the ancestors don¡¯t want us to fight today!¡±


    Urichughed, patting Olga on the shoulder.


    ¡°I think so... too.¡±


    Olga had no intention of fighting Urich any longer today. It was time to fight the real enemy.


    The end of the sewer Georg had found was located on a mountain behind the city of Hamel. The empire had dug caves in the mountains to connect with the sewer where the waste flowed down the mountainside and mixed into arge river.


    ¡°Do you know how hard it was to get out of there? We didn¡¯t have enough torches, so I had to memorize the turns and write them downter. I thought my head would explode.¡±


    Georg, freshly cleaned, indulged in the food. Though the Alliance Army was short on provisions, Urich spared no expense in treating Georg.


    ¡°You deserve to eat, Georg.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do! Goddammit, I wandered in that cesspool for over a day. I thought I¡¯d go mad.¡±


    Georg patted his stomach and pulled out a dirty parchment to reveal a messy map, but it didn¡¯t take long for him to refine it meticulously from memory.


    ¡°Did you meet anyone in the sewer?¡± Urich asked.


    ¡°Huh? There was no one there. Besides, who would go to such a ce? It was truly horrible. Really.¡±


    ¡°Alright, never mind, then.¡±


    Urich scratched his chin.

 Chapter 289

    <h4>Chapter 289</h4>


    Since moving arge force inevitably broughtmotion along, it was best to keep the number of men low for a mission that required stealth.


    Urich chose a moonless night that was pitch-dark, even to the seasoned eyes of a barbarian hunter. The number of moving troops was just over three hundred as Urich decided that this was the optimal number to move without attracting the enemy''s attention. Any more, and it would be difficult to avoid detection, even on such a dark night.


    "I believe I have brought only the best warriors."


    Urich motivated the warriors before setting out, though it was by no means an exaggeration; only the best warriors from the Alliance had been chosen to take part in this mission, even including some chiefs.


    "Brothers, fight with me, and we will seize victory and freedom! Even our unborn children will remember our battle and we will be proud fathers and ancestors."


    Urich had warned them in advance that this was a dangerous mission and battle with the risk of total annihtion.


    "In simple terms, we''re going into the sewers to open the gates for the rest of our army, aren''t we?" An older warrior said gruffly. He seemed to have no attachment to life, having lived long enough. He was the kind of old warrior who would die anytime and anywhere if he could die for his brothers and tribe.


    The rest of the Porcana-Alliance army would begin the attack on Hamel at dawn once Urich and the warriors sent the signal. However, even if they seeded in opening the gates, the casualties would be enormous among Urich¡¯s unit, and aplete wipeout was not out of the question.


    "Did you really have toe with us, Great Chief? You are still young."


    "What does age matter for a warrior? You die if you¡¯re weak, keke."


    Urich chuckled as he strapped his weapons to his back and waist. The warriors, d only in leather armor, left the camp.


    Their discreet and quiet movement, aided by the absence of the moon, was invisible from the walls of Hamel.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Only the sound of footsteps on dirt was asionally heard as Urich swallowed the night air and twisted his neck from side to side.


    The warriors gazed at Urich''s back. Despite his young age, the dignity of a Great Chief was evident on his shoulders.


    Urich had even included Olga, who had challenged him to a duel, in this mission for his capability. Olga was a warrior with excellent judgment and could be entrusted with solomand if push came to shove. He trusted Olga.


    "Are we going to continue the duel after the war, Olga?"


    Urich whispered to Olga, who walked beside him.


    "If you... ept, of course."


    "Then you''d better hope I get crippled in this battle. That''s the only way you¡¯d even stand a chance against me."


    Urich cackled, holding his stomach.


    "Watch your... back... when fighting, Urich," Olga light-heartedly replied, lightly swinging his spear.


    Urich and the warriors circled around the ins to climb the mountain that was located behind Hamel. Leading the way were the tribal warriors from the Sky Mountains area who were ustomed to climbing, who climbed the rugged mountain swiftly even at night.


    "This is it," Georg said, panting. He was practically carried to the mountain by the other warriors.


    <i>¡®These lunatics, crossing this distance in one go without a word ofint...¡¯</i>


    The fitness of the westerners was truly remarkable, and the mobility built on it was the sole reason why the Alliance was able to ravage the civilized world. The quick westerners moved freely without supply lines, leaving the civilized armies unable to keep up.


    Georg walked along the murky river. Though it was split into several branches, he knew that the sewer was at the end of the murkiest stream


    "Urich, do I have to go too?" Georg asked hesitantly as the stench grew stronger. It was clear the sewer entrance was close.


    "Georg..." Urich smiled mischievously with a wink. "Of course, you have to go! It¡¯s our job to risk our lives, isn¡¯t it?"


    "U-ugh."


    "We need you, Georg. No matter how detailed the map, it can¡¯t be more urate than your eyes. Come on, aren¡¯t you used to this whole thing by now? You¡¯ve been by my side for how long now?"


    Urich ced his hand on Georg''s shoulder and shook him lightly as the helpless Georg trembled.


    <i>¡®This is exactly why I didn''t want to be the guide, dammit.¡¯</i>


    With the incredibly low chance of survival, this task was nearly a suicide mission. Though it was technically a sneak attack, the reality was that they were jumping into the center of the imperial capital to wreak havoc.


    "I only have one life," Georg said.


    "No way, me too! Isn¡¯t this a crazy coincidence?" Urich yfully replied.


    Georg sighed deeply and gritted his teeth. He, too, had bet everything on Urich.


    <i>¡®So... what I could lose is my life, and what I could gain is everything.¡¯</i>


    He couldn''t help butugh bitterly. As Georg followed Urich into the dark sewer where darkness brushed past them, old memories surfaced one by one. Despite the stench that filled the air, the empty space made one feel as if they were wandering in a dream.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m not surprised that it stinks. After all, I did live a pretty stinky life.¡¯</i>


    Georg closed his eyes, though it made little difference whether his eyes were open or closed.


    <i>¡®I betrayed my master, who was like my father and teacher. I, his ve, coveted his wife.¡¯</i>


    He couldn''t stop his emotions from spiraling. Back then, he wanted to love, even if it meant dying.


    <i>¡®Now I¡¯ve got no master to resent or woman to love.¡¯</i>


    Georg was not a moral man by any means. He was just a somewhat prideful ex-ve intellectual and one who lived as actively self-serving as others.


    <i>¡®...I have no intention to risk my life for Urich but risking it for my own sess is worth it.¡¯</i>


    Georg opened his eyes when the warriors raised torches one by one, revealing the sewer that was almost like a cave.


    ¡°It seems they cleverly connected the cave to Hamel and modified it to use for sewage treatment. If you look closely, this was originally an iron mine,¡± Georg said, tapping the stone wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s impressive that they extended the sewer from here all the way to Hamel.¡±


    Urich said, covering his mouth with a hood.


    ¡°They¡¯ve practically rammed through a whole mountain.¡±


    Georg took a torch and moved forward. The path was straight enough to walk without watching the steps.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    The stench grew stronger as several more branches appeared.


    <i>Fwoosh.</i>


    Urich took Georg''s torch so that Georg could look at his map and choose a direction at the fork.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich looked around.


    ¡°Urich?¡± Georg called out with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I just thought I might know this ce, but all sewers look the same, so I can''t really tell.¡±


    ¡°Have you been here before?¡±


    ¡°I ran around down here for a bit a long time ago.¡±


    Urich and the warriors advanced smoothly. If nothing unexpected happened, they couldunch a surprise attack at a good time.


    <i>¡®If three hundred warriors suddenly appear out of nowhere, they will be thrown into confusion.¡¯</i>


    If the warriors caused havoc from within, even the empire would be greatly flustered, and if they could open the city gates using that moment, Hamel might fall more easily than expected.


    <i>Ssh, ssh.</i>


    The warriors didn''t mind the filthy environment of the sewer. Some even dipped their weapons in the muck.


    The sewer passage narrowed and became maze-like, signaling that they were beneath Hamel.


    ¡°Katagi, you and I will open the gates. Olga, you handle the wreaking havoc part.¡±


    Urich issued hismands in advance. Katagi nodded and followed closely behind Urich. He was always a loyal deputy to Urich and was also the only one who showed such unwavering loyalty to Urich.


    ¡°Katagi, I''m sorry for always making you do the dirty work. There''s just no one else I can trust to handle them.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. In fact, it¡¯s actually an honor. Ever since you saved my life in Valdima, I''ve devoted everything to you, Great Chief.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all great but keep your virginity for a woman.¡±


    Katagiughed heartily.


    ¡°I will always stand by your side, Great Chief, even if the timees when you¡¯re no longer called that.¡±


    Urich flinched. Katagi looked at him briefly and nodded.


    ¡°I don''t know what you mean,¡± Urich said.


    ¡°I know you sometimes get lost in your thoughts, Great Chief. Whenever I watch you from the side, it''s clear you didn''t be Great Chief because you wanted to. If you had truly desired the position, you wouldn''t have let Samikan take it from you in the first ce. You initially yielded the position to Samikan.¡±


    ¡°Samikan was more capable than me, and that''s why he became the first Great Chief.¡±


    ¡°Samikan wanted to be Great Chief¡ªhe desired it. But you, on the other hand, never had such an ambition. Despite that, Samikan always kept you in check because he knew very well that if you wanted, you could be Great Chief anytime. And look what happened. Exactly that.¡±


    Urich kept his mouth shut at Katagi''s surprisingly sharp words. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t just been a loyal dog by his side.


    ¡°I want to be part of a legendary warrior, even if I have to be known as a ¡®squire,¡¯ as these civilized people say. When people mention the great Urich, I want to be the one mentioned alongside him. Unlike Olga, I know I can¡¯t be a great figure. There¡¯s a point in your life where you wake up and realize your limits are like a ceiling, though I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve never felt that way, Great Chief. You see, acknowledging your own limits is incredibly painful.¡±


    Katagi was rather talkative today. Perhaps the thought of the final battle made him sentimental.


    <i>Tick, tick.</i>


    There was an unexpected sound.


    The warriors¡¯ expressions hardened as they raised their torches and looked around.


    ¡°Enemies?¡±


    Urich drew his bow. Katagi, who was beside him, threw a torch to illuminate the area.


    ¡°Imperial soldiers.¡±


    The warriors murmured upon seeing about ten imperial soldiers standing at a fork in the passage. The warriors were about to attack when they noticed a strange weapon that looked like a wheeled cylinder.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Urich shot an arrow without a moment of hesitation. The soldier hit in the head copsed limply, causing the others behind him to duck and hide behind the cylinder.


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    Some warriors rushed forward to attack the small group of imperial soldiers.


    <i>Sizzle.</i>


    Then, there was a sound and smell of something burning.


    ¡°This is the Fire of the Empire, you barbarians!¡±


    An imperial soldier cried out as the mes revealed his burn-ridden face.


    ¡°Fire.¡±


    Olga muttered, looking at the mes filling his vision. He remembered the words of Six-Fingered. Sometimes, the shaman''s prophecies were eerily urate.


    ¡°Duuuuuck!¡±


    Urich shouted upon seeing the mes. Whatever this strange weapon was, the immediate concern was the fire pouring from the cylinder engulfing the narrow passage.


    The warriors who had rushed forward with their weapons were the first to be caught in the mes. The fire, pouring out like a snake, turned Urich''s eyes red.


    ¡°Great Chief.¡±


    But what appeared before Urich was not the mes but Katagi, blocking Urich and pushing him back.


    Everything seemed to move slowly for Urich. He saw every strand of the roaring mes as the expanding red streaks reached Katagi¡¯s back.


    <i>Booooom!</i>


    The warriors were engulfed by the fire that was so intense that it burned away even the thick stench of the sewer.


    It was hot, and breathing was difficult. The warriors opened their eyes wondering if they were dead, but it was still the same reality. They staggered and began to rise one by one as the walls of the sewer exhaled scorched smoke.


    ¡°<i>Kaaaagh!</i>¡±


    A warrior screamed in agony as he was burned alive.


    Urich opened his eyes in the midst of the chaos. A warrior with red, burnt skiny on his chest as smoke rose from his body.


    <i>¡®Katagi.¡¯</i>


    Katagi had taken the mes head-on in Urich''s ce. His back was still on fire, covered in sticky me oil.


    <i>Tick, tick-tick.</i>


    Urich leaned in, waiting for hisst words. Katagi''s teeth ttered in pain. Even his hair was burnt, leaving a grotesque appearance.


    ¡°...Victory.¡±


    Katagi, with thest wheeze she could squeeze out, pointed his finger forward as his body slowly leaned back.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    Urich plunged his sword into Katagi''s heart to relieve him of the suffering.


    He tightly shut his eyes, but there was no need to shed tears. The only thing a warrior should shed was the blood of his enemies.

 Chapter 290

    <h4>Chapter 290</h4>


    The Fire of the Empire had turned the sewer into a boiling hell, making it as hard to breathe as in a desert under the scorching sun. The evaporated stench clung to the body, and the mes burning on the filth barely subsided.


    "The barbarians areing again, hit them one more time!"


    The imperial soldiers were pouring ck liquid into the metal cylinder. Seeing that, Urich didn''t hesitate and rushed forward.


    Ssh, <i>ssh</i>.


    Urich leaped high and vaulted over the cylinder. His sword and axe crossed in an instant, and a soldier''s head fell to the ground.


    "You sons of bitcheeeees!¡± Urich shouted as he hurled his axe, splitting the back of a fleeing soldier.


    "<i>Ooooooh!</i>"


    The soldier drew his sword and charged, deciding that it was toote for him to run. Urich swung his sword broadly, striking down the soldier''s de.


    "<i>Kaaagh!</i>"


    The soldier screamed as his fingers broke under Urich¡¯s overwhelming strength.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich grabbed the soldier''s head and smashed it against the wall. The helmet crushed, and brain matter and eyes spilled out.


    <i>¡®How did they know we wereing?¡¯</i>


    Urich ground his teeth as he realized that the n that he thought was perfect had gone awry. They encountered the Imperial Army and engaged in battle even before reaching the surface.


    "The barbarians areiiiiiing!"


    The shout of a soldier who managed to get away echoed through the sewer.


    "Urich!"


    The warriors awaited Urich''smand.


    <i>¡®Should we retreat here? Or should we continue trying to find the passage to the surface?¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at the scorched corpses to see the charred bodies of a dozen warriors, including Katagi¡¯s, who had burned to death in the narrow passage. Including the injured, their damage was in the dozens.


    <i>¡®Is this a new weapon of the empire...?¡¯</i>


    The image of the pouring mes was still vivid in his mind. It was like the fire breathed by dragons from the northern legends.


    "We keep going. Don''t we, Great Chief!"


    A warrior spewing charred smoke shouted. The warriors, being the elite of the west who never fled from their enemies, didn¡¯t allow their morale to falter despite the new threat. The fear of death was trivial to them.


    "There is no way they werepletely sure that we woulde this way. If they were, we would have already been wiped out by now. They just have a small guard set up."


    Urich¡¯s stopped mind quickly resumed. The empire¡¯s response was toox to think they were fully prepared.


    <i>¡®Then we just need to break through faster than they can respond.¡¯</i>


    Urich gestured to the warriors to follow.


    "Georg! Tell us which way to go!"


    "W-we have to go r-right," Georg said in a trembling voice as he lifted his ckened face.


    "We move right away, run!"


    Urich led the way. They were now in a race against time.


    <i>¡®If we retreat here, we won¡¯t have another way to attack Hammel.¡¯</i>


    The warriors hurried. There was no time to tend to the wounded brothers, and those who were severely injured by the Fire of the Empire were as good as dead.


    "We''re almost there," Georg spoke as he was carried by another warrior. He found the surface entrance he used when he had infiltrated Hamel as a spy.


    "Go out there and turn right, and we¡¯ll reach Hammel''s square! The city gates are straight ahead from there!¡±


    Urich listened intently and nodded as Georgid out the path. Having stayed in Hamel for quite a while, Urich was able to quickly grasp the city''s outline.


    "I''ll go first, Urich."


    An old warrior grabbed Urich''s shoulder and stepped forward.


    "No matter what happens, you must survive. I know there are many who oppose you, but I see you, our young Great Chief, as our future."


    Several old warriors climbed thedder first and opened the entrance to the surface, and then pushed aside a metal disc and looked up.


    "<i>Ah...</i>"


    The old warrior''s mouth dropped open. He turned and shouted, "Run awa...!"


    But the old warrior was interrupted by the spear that pierced his head. Then, a sticky ck liquid flowed endlessly into the sewer.


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    Then, it was followed by the sound of ignition.


    "Go back the way we came!"


    The warriors intuitively understood what the Imperial Army was nning¡ªthey were about to be bombarded with mes again.


    Though there were only about two hundred warriors left, it was arge number in the sewers. No matter how agile the warriors were, it was hard to move quickly with their bodies and feet entangled in the tight space.


    <i>Fwooooosh!</i>


    mes chased after the warriors, riding the spilled me oil.


    "<i>Kaaagh!</i>"


    The warriors at the back were the first to be engulfed in the mes, screaming in agony.


    "What, are they using fire sorcery or something?"


    The warriors looked back in horror to see the passageway filled with mes. The fire only spread with no signs of going out.


    "The fire doesn''t go out even on water... this has to be fire sorcery."


    The mes spread through the oil floating on the surface of the sewage water.


    <i>''Fire powder.''</i>


    Urich panted, recalling what he had seen long ago. When he first met Harvald, the Sun Warrior, Harvald had shown him fire powder, which was a trophy he got from killing a wizard.


    The fire powder exploded into colorful mes as soon as it touched fire.


    <i>''Is that ck liquid simr to fire powder?''</i>


    It was just a physical phenomenon that anyone could pull off with the right tools, not magic or sorcery that only magicians or shamans could cast. What influenced this world was not divine power but always human power.


    "Urich! Don''te this way!"


    A warrior running at the front shouted as he spotted a wooden barrel rolling toward him. ck liquid was flowing out of the hole in the barrel.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    A dot of me appeared in the distance. A fire arrow flew and hit the barrel.


    <i>Boooooom!</i>


    Oil and mes sttered everywhere as the wooden barrel exploded. Warriors caught in the fire screamed in pain and ran wildly.


    "<i>Uuuuuwaaaah!</i>"


    A warrior, despite his entire body being caught on fire, ran toward the direction from which the arrow hade, but soon fell to his knees and copsed forward before reaching the enemy.


    "It¡¯s a dead-end here too!"


    The warriors shouted as they saw barrels full of me oil rolling toward them from all directions wherever they went.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    There was another explosion following the sound of arrows.


    "Dammit!"


    Urich shouted, shaking off the mes on his arm. Smoke rose from his half-cooked forearm.


    "Get the Great Chief out of here!" A warrior engulfed in mes shouted.


    <i>''Beware of fire.''</i>


    Olga remembered Six-Fingered''s words as he watched the mes closing in from all sides. At first, he thought the fire referred to the Great Chief Urich.


    <i>''Six-Fingered said my fate would be decided by fire.''</i>


    Olga looked at Urich who was busy leading the warriors and finding a way out in front of him.


    <i>''If I thrust my spear now, I can take him down.''</i>


    It was a vile thought, but how many warriors would make it out of this situation alive? Olga''s dark desire stirred.


    <i>''The heavens have given me a sign. They''ve given me a chance to be the Great Chief.''</i>


    Olga closed his eyes and opened them again. Despite everything being blurred out by the chaos, Urich was clear in his vision.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The mes surged long, and the ck liquid stuck to the warriors'' feet. Knowing that the sticky ck liquid was the medium for the fire, the warriors hurriedly fled from the flowing liquid.


    <i>''But if the heavens are urging me to do something so cowardly and dishonorable...''</i>


    Olga grinned. Was the will of the heavens so despicable because Six-Fingered, who spoke of it, was despicable?


    <i>''...I will not follow their will.''</i>


    How could he attack Urich, who was desperately seeking a way to survive? Olga was a warrior who valued honor as much as his life, and he would rather die than do such a thing.


    The empire''s response was swift. Urich and the warriors were cornered as if they were being hunted by a group.


    Urich was sweating profusely from the pouring mes.


    <i>¡®They must have expected us toe through the sewers. They didn¡¯t know we wereing today, but they knew where we woulde through.¡¯</i>


    Urich smirked as only one person came to mind.


    <i>¡®Emperor Yanchinus.¡¯</i>


    He was the only person capable of such a response. Yanchinus knew that Urich had used the sewers when he was following the Serpentines.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m not the only one who knows my enemy. Yanchinus knows me too, and he can anticipate what I might think.¡¯</i>


    Urich med himself. He should have tried to throw off Yanchinus to keep him from reading his moves, but it was difficult to outwit an emperor who had lived his entire life amidst plots, especially so for Urich, who was not an exceptional strategist or schemer.


    ¡°Survive, Urich,¡± a warrior said, looking back at Urich. As soon as the warrior finished speaking, a huge explosion urred and a burning barrel full of me oil fell right above the warriors.


    <i>Booooom!</i>


    The explosion was akin to thunder. Urich''s vision shook. His ears were ringing, and his unbnced body fell into the sewage.


    <i>¡®I need to get up and move.¡¯</i>


    Urich wiggled his fingers.


    If he stayed still, the mes would consume his body. The only reason he was still alive was because another warrior had pushed and covered him with their own body.


    The number of warriors had drastically decreased to less than half of what they started the operation with. The sewer was engulfed in mes, and in their rush, they got themselves lost in the maze-like waterways. Urich and the warriors were practically waiting for the enemy''s attack in abyrinth. When they tried to climb up to the surface, spears and ck liquid would pour down.


    ¡°<i>Gag, ugh.</i>¡±


    Georg was also alive, but he was barely breathing from the terror. Rational decisions were off the table.


    ¡°W-we need to go that way, Urich!¡± Georg shouted, pointing blindly behind him.


    ¡°Are you sure? Georg?¡±


    Urich grabbed Georg by the cor and looked into his eyes. Georg finally calmed down and looked around.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know where to go, I don¡¯t know where we are on the map,¡± Georg mumbled as he regained his senses.


    ¡°We have to get away from the fire. As long as we¡¯re alive, we''ll find a way.¡±


    Urich led the warriors who could still move.


    ¡°The heavens have finally abandoned us, Great Chief. We are paying the price for not following their will,¡± a warrior, his face ckened by soot, spoke.


    ¡°To be exact, it¡¯s the Great Chief who didn¡¯t follow the heavens.¡±


    Now that they were somewhat far away from the mes, oldints resurfaced.


    Urich nced at Olga. He was the one who had more to say than anyone, but he followed Urich without a word.


    ¡°More enemies? Damn, is this a dead-end, too?¡±


    A warrior at the front drew his bow at the sound of footsteps.


    ¡°...Are you the plunderers from the west?¡±


    The warrior, who was about to shoot, hesitated at the voice and waited for Urich''smand. In the infiltration unit, Urich and Georg were the only ones who could speak Hamelian.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again, are you those plunderers? Is your leader named Urich?¡±


    A man with his hood pulled low appeared. Urich frowned and took a step forward.


    ¡°I am Urich.¡±


    ¡°So you are the rumored Beast of the Apocalypse. If you want to live, follow me.¡±


    ¡°...Serpentines.¡±


    Urich recognized the man¡¯s affiliation. Serpentism still lived beneath Hamel, only now more secretive and likely grown amidst the chaos.


    ¡°Where is Trikee?¡±


    Urich asked as he ran after the man. The man, pushing back his hood, frowned, seemingly upset at Urich¡¯s casual use of the sacred name of the Ark.


    ¡°You will meet him soon. He is waiting for you.¡±


    The warriors followed Urich without question. Even those who opposed Urich''s reforms believed in the miracles he created.

 Chapter 291

    <h4>Chapter 291</h4>


    The night was dark, with the sun not yet risen. Despite the hours, there was amotion on the streets of Hamel.


    Standing in the bustling streets was Emperor Yanchinus. The citizens of Hamel, seeing the army moving, stayed inside their homes.


    <i>Boooom!</i>


    A ground-shaking explosion sounded. Soldiers were rolling barrels filled with me oil here and there.


    "This way! They''reing this way! Get in!"


    Soldiers descended into the sewers, moving the barrels.


    "They really did sneak in through the sewers as Your Majesty predicted. Without your foresight, this could have been devastating."


    The defense captain marveled at the emperor¡¯s insight. No one had anticipated that the barbarians would choose the sewers as their infiltration route.


    "Do not let them escape alive. Their leader is probably with them."


    Yanchinus was certain that Urich was right below them.


    <i>¡®Urich isn''t the type to send others to do this kind of thing.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus curled his lips in a smile. He had brought out all the me oil the Empire had stored for this defense maneuver.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t care how much me oil we use as long as I can capture Urich here.¡¯</i>


    The soldiers descended into the sections of the sewers that had been subdued and brought good news to the surface shortly after.


    "The waterways are littered with the charred corpses of the barbarians!"


    The Imperial Army''s morale soared upon the confirmation that the emperor¡¯s foresight had paid off.


    "Lou is watching over us! The barbarians will never dare to covet Hamel again!" The knights shouted.


    "Things arepletely different with His Majesty with us. Who else could sweep away the barbarians so easily?¡±


    "Without their sneaky ambushes, they¡¯re nothing to be afraid of."


    The soldiers entered the heated sewers and brought the charred corpses to the surface. Even while looking at the gruesome bodies, the soldiers were grinning.


    "<i>Hup</i>."


    A soldier grabbed a corpse by the armpits and dragged it.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    The barbarian, who was thought to be dead, moved. With his excellent skills, he snatched the soldier''s sword and swung it.


    "<i>Geugh!</i>"


    The soldier fell with a bubbling breath as his throat was slit open.


    "<i>Kaaaah!</i>¡±


    The roaring warrior had one of his pupils shriveled from the burns, which made him look more like a monster than a human.


    "H-he''s still alive?"


    The startled soldiers drew their weapons to kill the barbarian.


    "Do not kill him, capture him alive!" The knight in charge shouted. The soldiers brought hooks to catch the warrior by the neck and dragged him.


    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>


    The soldiers mercilessly beat the warrior with clubs.


    "Ke, keke."


    The warriorughed, spitting blood. Knowing he wouldn''t survive with the injuries anyway, he lunged, hoping to take at least one more enemy down with him.


    "Our Great Chief Urich will tear you all apart! He will avenge his brothers!"


    The knight flinched at the mention of Urich. The soldiers tried to capture the warrior alive but had to kill him due to his fierce resistance. The warriors fell to his knees after being stabbed in the stomach by the soldiersing from all sides.


    "Looks like Urich is really here," the knight muttered, pushing the dead warrior over with his foot.


    The soldiers retrieved over a hundred dead bodies from the sewers and brought them to the surface.


    <i>Murmur, murmur.</i>


    The people who were hiding in their homes with their doors locked opened their windows to see the barbarian corpses and pped and cheered upon seeing the charred barbarians.


    "Hooray! Long live the emperor!"


    "Hamel will never fall to the barbarians!"


    The still-dark city became lively. Seeing hope, the people stopped trembling in fear and came outside.


    "Seal off the sewer passageways and go after them."


    Yanchinus ordered the knights and returned to the pce. There was no escape from the sewers.


    <i>¡®Urich, you made a foolish decision.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus felt his superiority and smiled with satisfaction. He had outsmarted Urich the barbarian and had this victory to show for it.


    <i>¡®The sewers are a good infiltration route for sure, but if the enemy sees youing, it''s like walking into a bear¡¯s den.¡¯</i>


    * * *


    The gates of Hamel did not open even at the promised dawn while the warriors on reconnaissance desperately waited as they watched the gates.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The gates finally opened, though briefly, and closed after a few carts came rolling out.


    <i>Rattle, rattle.</i>


    ves pulled the carts straight toward the Porcana-Alliance army. Commanders and knights quickly gathered.


    "Look at this!"


    The knights of Porcana pushed the ves aside and lifted the cloth covering the carts. A foul stench spread everywhere, causing those with weak stomachs to turn their heads and vomit.


    "They failed."


    "Urich and the warriors lost."


    The carts that came from Hamel were filled with the corpses of the Alliance warriors. Headless bodies filled one cart, and severed heads were piled high in another.


    Varca looked at the carts with trembling eyes.


    "<i>Ah, aah.</i>"


    People were horrified, and then they saw atop the walls of the imperial city a ckened, charred corpse impaled on a stake.


    A ve who had pulled the cart handed a letter to Varca that contained the empire''s warning along with the message that they had massacred Urich and the warriors.


    "I-is that charred corpse supposed to be Urich?"


    There was no way to identify the burnt corpse.


    The Porcana-Alliance army fell into chaos upon seeing that Urich and the warriors had failed and returned as corpses. The failure was one thing, but the death of Great Chief Urich was a major blow.


    "Is Urich dead?"


    "The Great Chief has ascended to the heavens!"


    "That can''t be true. This is bullshit!"


    "So this is how it ends. Urich has incurred the wrath of the heavens. He didn¡¯t have their blessings for the final battle."


    "Shut your mouth!"


    Conflicts arose among the warriors. The Alliance that was held together by Urich as a unifying force was on the verge of crumbling to pieces. The chiefs, watching each other, gathered their close aides and held separate meetings.


    "U...rich? Did you really die?"


    Varca¡¯s eyes alternated between the carts and the letter as he felt like he was about to copse. Then, his legs trembled and gave way.


    "Your Highness!"


    The knights supported Varca. The death of Urich was a severe shock to him as well.


    <i>¡®You always came back in the end. Are you really dead?¡¯</i>


    Varca knew he needed toe up with a new n, but he couldn¡¯t think properly with the image of Urich still lingering in his mind.


    "Take care of His Highness!"


    Varca was helped into his tent by the knights. He drank the water a servant offered, panting heavily. His heart was still pounding.


    "Did you actually die?"


    Varca leaned back and covered his face with both hands.


    <i>¡®You are not someone who would die so meaninglessly.¡¯</i>


    Everyone knew that the sewer infiltration was a dangerous mission. It was a risky move that could result in the annihtion of the unit even if they sessfully opened the gates, but no one had opposed it when Urich said he would do it himself.


    <i>¡®They all thought Urich could do it... and so did I.¡¯</i>


    It was due to their absolute trust in Urich. Deep down, everyone was certain that Urich would naturally seed.


    <i>¡®I should have stopped you. When you said you''d go on such a dangerous mission, I should have done whatever it took to stop you.¡¯</i>


    Varca suppressed his rising emotions.


    Duke Lungell, having heard the news, came running into the tent.


    "I heard they got Urich! Who will keep the barbarians in line now?"


    Urich was not just a Great Chief. He was the sole link between the Alliance Army and the civilized army.


    His powerful presence was the only thing that mediated and allowed the two armies from twopletely different cultures to coexist. Without Urich, the Alliance was meaningless.


    "They are illiterate fools! There is no way they honor the alliance treaty now that Urich is gone," Duke Lungell ranted, but he wasn''t wrong.


    The Alliance was still just a tribal army without the framework of a state, and it wasn¡¯tpletely wrong to consider them arge band of bandits. Porcana had invested in the Western Alliance, expecting it to settle into a state.


    "W-we can''t be certain that Urich is dead yet. Who can say for sure that the corpse hanging on the gate is actually Urich?"


    "Even if that corpse isn''t Urich, the reality is that the sewer infiltration failed! Your Highness, we have no way to attack Hamel now!"


    The situation was dire. The Alliance Army, having lost its leader overnight, could revert to a mere collection of barbarian tribes. The death of a great leader had that much impact.


    The Porcana-Alliance army had to make a new decision. Should they continue the fight, or admit defeat and retreat?


    * * *


    The Alliance was on the verge of crumbling. While Urich''s death wasn''t certain, the chances of him returning alive were extremely low. Above all, a leader was needed to fill the void of the Great Chief.


    The first name mentioned was Belrua, the chief of the Red Sand Tribe.


    ¡°Belrua? Are you suggesting we follow a woman?¡±


    ¡°But in terms of power, there''s no one more suitable to be the interim Great Chief than Belrua. In fact, Urich entrusted her with full authority before heading to Hamel.¡±


    Without Samikan and Urich, Belrua was the next in line for power in the Alliance.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t tell if this is an opportunity or a misfortune.¡¯</i>


    Belrua immediately summoned the chiefs. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to fall in, but the chiefs dyed their response while they calcted their own benefits. Each tribe set their internal policies based on their interests before attending the tribal council.


    ¡°We must also genuinely consider the possibility that Great Chief Urich is dead.¡±


    Belrua started the discussion, looking at the chiefs.


    ¡°There is simply no way the Son of the Earth is dead. Watch your mouth with those sphemous words.¡±


    ¡°Even the Son of the Earth can die if he incurs the wrath of the heavens. This happened all because he pushed Six-Fingered away and embraced the gods of civilization. He dug his own grave, really.¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth!¡±


    The Alliance always had diverse factions. While Samikan held the Alliance together with schemes and strategies, Urich unified the tribes through his achievements and sanctity.


    <i>¡®What do I have that can bind the Alliance together?¡¯</i>


    Belrua asked herself but found no answer. Both Samikan and Urich had the capability to lead the Alliance.


    ¡°Until we confirm the death of the Great Chief, we must act cautiously. We also have our alliance with Porcana to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Porcana? What alliance with those cowards? We never needed them in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an alliance made directly by the Great Chief, so we must respect it. Isn¡¯t that right, Belrua?¡±


    The chiefs looked at Belrua, who nodded in agreement.


    ¡°We need to send people to the Porcana side to emphasize that our alliance is still intact, though they might not believe us now that Urich is gone. He was the symbol of our trust.¡±


    Belrua summoned a warrior who spoke thenguage of the civilized world and a civilized mercenary to convey friendly words to the leaders of Porcana.


    <i>¡®We have to maintain the alliance with Porcana. If the Porcana army isn¡¯t here when Urich returns, it would truly be the end.¡¯</i>


    Belrua looked at the chiefs. The number of attendees at the tribal council gradually increased as more chiefs, who had arrived only after they had determined their policies, took their seats.


    ¡°Does anyone here really think Urich is dead? Is the Great Chief Urich you know someone who would die so easily?¡±


    ¡°B-but isn¡¯t it true that the Great Chief has recently defied the will of the heavens?¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t believe the Great Chief is dead. That monstrous man wouldn¡¯t just die like this. I¡¯ve seen him move around perfectly fine after being struck by lightning with my very own eyes.¡±


    Several chiefs nodded in agreement. They pounded their knees and shouted that Urich was still alive.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s call our priest to divine the fate of the Great Chief, as well as the fate of our Alliance.¡±

 Chapter 292

    <h4>Chapter 292</h4>


    The civilized mercenaries were discussing something with serious expressions on their faces. Basha, who overheard them from a distance, widened her eyes and hurriedly ran to Gottval¡¯s tent.


    ¡°Father Gottval, Lou has answered my prayers!¡± Basha shouted as she entered the tent.


    Gottval, who was praying on his knees with slumped shoulders, answered without even turning around.


    ¡°...What prayer are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Lou has answered my prayer to kill the barbarians! Urich and his barbarians are dead! Lou¡¯s judgment has finallye!¡± Basha eximed as her cheeks flushed with excitement. She was so happy that she could dance around.


    <i>¡®Lou has answered my prayer. I knew He was still watching over me.¡¯</i>


    Gottval slowly rose from his prayer.


    ¡°Lou does not answer such prayers. In fact, it is the god of the barbarians who listens to such prayers filled with hatred.¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t get it, Father Gottval. Lou told me to kill the barbarians, and He even gave me the power to do it for him.¡±


    Basha spoke as she bounced around, unable to contain her joy. She felt that Lou, who had been feeling more distant than ever, had blessed her once again.


    ¡°Basha, do not use Lou, or any gods that is, as an excuse to justify your anger and hatred.¡±


    Gottval raised his voice, but Basha¡¯s smile did not fade.


    ¡°You should be happy too, Father. The cmity is over, and peace will return now.¡±


    Gottval¡¯s brow furrowed further. He, too, had heard the news that Urich might be dead, and his heart ached.


    <i>¡®I have seen the deaths of many people, but...¡¯</i>


    Urich was a special person to Gottval. He was a symbol and proof that civilized and barbaric people were equally Lou¡¯s children and human beings.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s hard to ept that you are dead.¡¯</i>


    Gottval looked at Basha with half-closed eyes. He resented the girl who was genuinely rejoicing at Urich¡¯s death.


    <i>¡®What I should resent is my own heart filled with anger.¡¯</i>


    Gottval closed his eyes, then took a small breath and exhaled.


    Gottval understood where Basha wasing from. She was a girl whose peaceful life had beenpletely taken away by the barbarians. The Sun priest, whom she had thought of as her hope, had vited her. Basha was a person left with only hatred and anger.


    <i>¡®If I don¡¯t understand Basha, who will?¡¯</i>


    Gottval ced his hand on Basha¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It is not right to rejoice over anyone¡¯s death, whether they are a person of civilization or a barbarian.¡±


    ¡°I am going to be happy, and I know I won¡¯t be the only one. There are countless people who will be d to hear about Urich¡¯s death.¡±


    Gottval smiled bitterly as he knew that Basha was not wrong. It was true that Urich had caused pain to many innocent people. He was undeniably an enemy of the civilized world.


    ¡°Basha, Urich¡¯s death has not been confirmed yet.¡±


    ¡°Urich is dead. Lou Himself whispered the death of the barbarians to my ears.¡±


    ¡°The Urich I know is blessed by the gods. He wouldn¡¯t be taken away like this.¡±


    Basha looked at Gottval with a grumpy expression.


    <i>¡®Why does Father Gottval defend Urich so much?¡¯</i>


    Gottval was an excellent priest. He was so good to the point that the title ¡®One-Armed Saint¡¯ was no exaggeration. Such a person liking the leader of the barbarians was hard for Basha to understand.


    Most barbarians felt the same way as Basha did about the rtionship between Urich and Gottval, and they were displeased with the Sun priest¡¯s closeness to their Great Chief.


    ¡°...Basha, things are not great right now. The only reason we have been able to stay here was because Urich was looking out for us. Without Urich¡¯s protection, our lives might be in danger.¡±


    As soon as Gottval finished speaking, they heard someone approaching the tent. Basha also tensed up and looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon.


    ¡°Gottval, are you inside?¡±


    The voice spoke in slurred Hamelian. Three armed warriors entered the tent.


    <i>¡®I need to at least get Basha out of here.¡¯</i>


    Gottval was prepared to sacrifice himself if necessary to ensure Basha¡¯s survival.


    ¡°It is time, Gottval.¡±


    The warriors took another step closer with their faces filled with fierce expressions.


    Basha cautiously picked up a fire poker, but Gottval shook his head as he looked at Basha as he knew there was no way they could win against three warriors.


    ¡°Great Chief Urich told us...¡±


    One of the warriors spoke, looking back and forth between Gottval and Basha.


    ¡°...to take you to King Varca if anything ever happened to him. We have to move right away, so pack only what you absolutely need.¡±


    The warrior gestured with his chin and crossed his arms.


    Gottval¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Urich...¡±


    Urich had instructed his subordinates to ensure that Gottval could return safely even if he died.


    ¡°Follow us. The situation within the Alliance is bing unstable.¡±


    The warriors urged Gottval. Gottval and Basha packed only the essentials and moved.


    ¡°Stay close. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if someone attacked.¡±


    The guarding warrior nced around.


    As they left the tent, they were met by warriors who red at Gottval with murderous intent evident in their eyes with some even gripping their axes tightly and waving them menacingly. These were warriors who had been waiting for a chance to kill Gottval.


    ¡°Lou will protect us, Father, so you don¡¯t need to be afraid of these barbarians. Just as they punished Urich, they too will be punished.¡±


    Basha walked with her shoulders proudly straight. Hearing this, the guard warrior frowned and grabbed Basha¡¯s wrist.


    <i>p!</i>


    The warrior pped Basha¡¯s cheek with his thick hand.


    ¡°Y-you barbarian!¡± Basha retorted with a reddened face. The warrior sneered and continued pping Basha¡¯s cheeks alternately.


    <i>p!</i>


    Blood trickled down Basha¡¯s lips as the flesh on the inside of her mouth tore open. She red at the warrior, panting.


    <i>p!</i>


    The warrior pped Basha¡¯s cheek once more. Bruises appeared on her cheeks.


    ¡°The ones protecting you right now are us who were ordered to do so by Great Chief Urich, not your god. Do you still not get that?¡±


    Basha spat blood-tinged saliva on the ground and wiped her mouth. Before she could say anything back to the warrior, Gottval pulled her by the shoulder.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Basha. You were the one who was disrespectful.¡±


    Gottval¡¯s and the guard warrior¡¯s eyes met. The guard spat at Basha¡¯s feet and walked on.


    ¡°L-Lou will protect us. Right? Father?¡± Basha said as her lips trembled. Gottval nodded quietly and patted Basha¡¯s shoulder.


    Gottval and Basha were escorted by the warriors to King Varca. Varca took the two under his protection and ordered his knights to guard them.


    <i>¡®Things aren¡¯t looking great with the Alliance.¡¯</i>


    Varca smiled bitterly. The siege was still holding, but at this rate, it was only a matter of time before it copsed.


    * * *


    Urich and the warriors followed the Serpentine down the waterway.


    "So who exactly is that man?" Georg asked Urich.


    Urich checked behind to see if they were being pursued before answering, "He''s a Serpentine. Serpentism is secretly widespread among the lower sses of Hamel."


    The man ahead nodded at Urich''s words.


    "That''s right. You were the reason we were able to survive in this city, Urich. Thanks to you, we managed to avoid the empire¡¯s eyes and have deeply rooted ourselves in Hamel."


    Emperor Yanchinus and the Imperial Army thought they had eradicated Serpentism in Hamel, but with the subsequent western expansion and wars, it only flourished more than before. The empire, embroiled in difficult wars, had no capacity to deal with Serpentism.


    "How much further do we have to go?" Urich asked, noticing that the warriors needed a ce to rest. There were several who were practically walking corpses at this point.


    "We¡¯ll be there soon," the man answered and continued down the path without hesitation.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The man pushed what seemed like a blocked wall, which rotated to reveal a passage inside.


    "This ce wasn¡¯t originally made for the sewers, was it? It seems like a newly carved out space."


    Urich followed the Serpentine inside, realizing it was a whole new hideout of the Serpentines.


    "In the early days of Hamel, an underground cavity was built to store water to prevent floods, but it was sealed off after the construction of the sewers waspleted. Now, even the Imperial Army doesn''t know about this ce."


    People gradually came into view as vagrants sitting on either side of the dirty passage stood up one by one.


    "<i>Oooooh</i>."


    "That''s Urich."


    "The Beast of the Apocalypse chosen by the world."


    Some even knelt before Urich. It was truly a bizarre sight.


    <i>¡®They¡¯ve grown. A lot.¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at the significantly increased followers of Serpentism. At the end of the passage was arge cavity that wasrge enough for hundreds of people to move around thanks to its original purpose.


    Urich raised his hand tomand the warriors to rest while those who were still in decent condition took up arms and stood guard.


    "Where is Trikee?"


    Urich urged the man, but the man only gestured for them to keep following.


    "Georg, Olga. Come with me."


    Olga led three or four other warriors and followed Urich.


    <i>¡®I don''t see anyone I know.¡¯</i>


    Urich recalled the two key figures of Serpentism: Trikee the Ark and his disciple Baldor, who was a noble.


    At the end of the underground cavity was a room resembling a shrine where candles were lit to illuminate the nks of the entrance.


    "I have brought Urich," the man said, knocking on the stone door.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The door opened to reveal men in rtively clean clothes, who muttered among themselves upon seeing Urich.


    "That must be the Urich the Ark and Baldor spoke of," they murmured, staring at Urich.


    "Where is Trikee?"


    Urich asked once again. The men raised their hands and pointed to the altar.


    Urich brushed aside a translucent cloth and stood before the altar. His eyebrows twitched, and his mouth twisted slowly.


    "You¡¯re telling me this is Trikee?"


    "The Ark often spoke of you, and now you¡¯ve appeared leading an army. You have been chosen as the destroyer who will break this world."


    The men said as they stood behind Urich, almost whispering.


    <i>¡®The body isn''t decaying but dried up like a tree in the dry season,¡¯ </i>Urich thought as he looked at the dried corpse on the altar.


    Trikee''s corpse was bizarre. It was not decaying but dried, and Urich could not figure out how it ended up like this.


    <i>¡®Is this how they deal with the dead in the south?¡¯</i>


    Urich didn¡¯t even consider the possibility that it was a miracle or magic.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s just some method I don''t know that made the body like this. It¡¯s not a miracle or magic.¡¯</i>


    A few years ago, Urich might have believed it was some strange magic or sorcery.


    "So Trikee is dead," Urich muttered. Trikeey on the altar as a non-decaying corpse.


    "He is neither alive nor dead. When the timees, he will rise and lead us to the next world. He is the Great Ark, after all."


    "No, he''s dead. His heart isn''t beating. That means he''s dead," Urich dered. The men frowned and red at Urich¡¯s back.


    "Is there no one who knows me here anymore? Does everyone here only know stories about me?" Urich asked, looking at the priests of Serpentism.


    "All who knew you have been martyred. Their deaths were those of great saints, and it was their deaths that made Serpentism grow thisrge. I am Ludmil the Guide."


    The man who called himself the Guide spoke at the center of the priests.


    "I¡¯m Urich of the Stone Axe."


    Urich epted Ludmil¡¯s handshake. After all, the only people that helped him now was Serpentism.


    "Fulfill the promised apocalypse ording to the will of the world, Urich," Ludmil said with wide eyes.


    "Forget the will of the world. Give us some food as well as some ointments that work well on burns. We¡¯re going to need them if we¡¯re going to crush the imperial bastards," Urich said, then looked at the withered Trikee once more.


    "Death sometimeses without warning, Trikee."


    Urich smiled bitterly and walked away from the altar. He observed the Serpentine priests.


    <i>¡®This doesn¡¯t feel like Trikee¡¯s Serpentism that I expected to see. There¡¯s a suppressed ferocity in their eyes.¡¯</i>


    Trikee tried to civilize the barbaric religion, but he ended up dying sooner than expected.


    "Beast of the Apocalypse, please break this world that is full of pain."


    As Urich passed by, vagrants grabbed his ankles and murmured.


    Georg, also with a pale face, looked at Urich and asked, "Urich, these people w-worship you. What exactly did you do in Hamel when you were here before?"

 Chapter 293

    <h4>Chapter 293</h4>


    Six-Fingered¡¯s fate was decided for him from the very moment he was born with six fingers on his hands. A child could not be a warrior with such a deformity, so if he survived, he would be a shaman.


    Six-Fingered became a shaman. The tribespeople believed that the more grotesque a shaman''s appearance, the more spiritual power they possessed, making his deformity an advantage rather than a disadvantage in the shamanic world.


    <i>St, st.</i>


    Six-Fingered smeared a mixture of insect corpses, four-legged animal blood, and charcoal dust onto his face, painting it ck.


    ¡°<i>Huuup.</i>¡±


    He took a deep breath and grabbed his staff. The sound of bone fragments ttering echoed.


    Six-Fingered was summoned by the chiefs. Divining before making important decisions was an ancient tradition based on the belief that humans must not go against the will of the heavens. Those who did would only face disaster and misfortune.


    <i>¡®We must return to our homnd.¡¯</i>


    As he stepped out of the tent, Six-Fingered looked westward where the Sky Mountains were no longer visible.


    <i>¡®We havee too far.¡¯</i>


    They should not have crossed the Sky Mountains. Viting the taboo of the Sky Mountains and invading another world had caused much bloodshed.


    <i>¡®No one should have broken the taboo.¡¯</i>


    Urich, who crossed the Sky Mountains, was praised for his achievements by the warriors, but some still whispered that he had vited a taboo.


    ¡°Breaking a taboo only incurs the wrath of the heavens.¡±


    Six-Fingered longed for his homnd. He missed the barrennd and the life of living day by day, facing the arid winds.


    Shamans were needed by everyone back in his homnd unlike here, where there was no need to look at the stars for navigation nor the need to see a shaman to treat one¡¯s injury.


    As the warriors became more enthusiastic about foreign knowledge than mystical shamanism, the standing of shamans was diminishing by the day.


    <i>¡®What a fertile and richnd.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered walked barefoot on the ckish soil that was so sticky it could be kneaded as it was. It was a blessednd where anything would grow well if sown.


    Other shamans had already finished preparing the ritual and were waiting for Six-Fingered. There was a makeshift altar made of wood, and the chiefs and warriors stood at a distance, waiting for the ritual to begin.


    ¡°Where are the sacrifices?¡±


    Large warriors brought out about ten captives, more than usual as this was an important ritual.


    With Urich absent, there was no one to stop the human sacrifices. The watching warriors thirsted for blood.


    ¡°<i>Ah, uuuuugh</i>.¡±


    The captives, who included some high-ranking knights or nobles among other soldiers, knew what fate awaited them.


    ¡°I-I am...!¡±


    A noble shouted something, but his words were drowned out by the roar of the warriors. The higher the status of the sacrifice, the better, as valuable offerings held greater worth.


    ¡°<i>Kuuuugh! Cough!</i>¡±


    The shamans forced a potion with a yellow tint down the throats of the imperial captives.


    <i>Whirr.</i>


    The strong potion quickly made the captives¡¯ eyes lose focus and made it feel as if their limbs were floating. Even the captives who were thrashing around more than others slowly turned their heads and sat quietly like turtles.


    The warriors of the Alliance wanted to know Urich''s fate and the oue of the war. Urich, who was the source of their firm belief in victory, was no longer among them.


    <i>¡®If we¡¯re going to get these exhausted warriors to fight again, we¡¯ll need the will of the heavens.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered blinked and looked at the blue sky.


    <i>¡®The sky never changes. It¡¯s the same no matter where we look up at it from.¡¯</i>


    The earth might have changed, but the sky remained the same.


    Six-Fingered took out a blood-stained dagger from his inner pocket. It was a dagger that had slit the bellies of countless animals and humans.


    ¡°<i>Uuuuuugh</i>.¡±


    A captive, dazed from the potion, groaned and drooled.


    Shamans who wore nothing but fur coats held the captive¡¯s limbs andid him on the altar.


    <i>Stab.</i>


    Six-Fingered unhesitatingly plunged the dagger into the sacrifice''s belly. He avoided the internal organs as if skinning an animal.


    <i>Rip!</i>


    As the skin split, the inside of the human body was exposed. Six-Fingered and the shamans stared at the writhing internal organs.


    ¡°<i>Ee-eeeeeek!</i>¡±


    The captive with his belly split open screamed. No matter how drugged he was, seeing his own gutsid bare was unbearable.


    ¡°<i>Kuuuugh!</i>¡±


    Six-Fingered cut out the heart while the captive was still alive.


    <i>Thump, thump.</i>


    The hot, living heart thumped in Six-Fingered''s grasp.


    ¡°<i>Oh, oooooh!</i>¡±


    The warriors shouted in excitement upon seeing the beating heart.


    ¡°Offer the blood to the heavens!¡±


    ¡°Take the life!¡±


    The shamans beside Six-Fingered shouted loudly. Their voices echoed throughout the Porcana-Alliance camp.


    <i>Boom, boom, boom.</i>


    Apprentice shamans beat drums at regr intervals, mimicking the sound and rhythm of the human heart. As the drums and heartbeats gradually synchronized, the excitement turned into madness.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Other captives, hung upside down, had their throats slit. Human blood dripped onto the trays ced below.


    <i>St, st.</i>


    The shamans dipped their hands in the blood and bestowed blessings upon the warriors.


    It was a festival of blood that the warriors had long forgotten. Blood was life, and life was most precious. Offering such life to worship the heavens was the noblest ritual in tribal society.


    ¡°I-I am... Kodomos... of one of the founding Houses of the empire...¡±


    The captive with the highest ranking among them was dragged out, still speaking quite clearly even in his intoxicated state.


    ¡°We have offered enough sacrifices to gain the attention of the heavens.¡±


    Six-Fingered said, wiping the blood-stained dagger. It was time to ask the heavens of its will.


    ¡°I am Kodomos...!¡±


    The noble shouted once more. Despite being drugged, his repeated derations suggested a strong sense of pride.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Six-Fingered shoved the de into the noble¡¯s mouth, cutting off his tongue.


    ¡°Your mouth is not the ce we are seeking answers from.¡±


    The severed tongue fell to the ground.


    ¡°...It is your life.¡±


    Six-Fingered''s vision narrowed from the smoke he had been inhaling. The faces of the warriors appeared distorted, and it felt like the sky was spinning even when he stood still.


    <i>¡®Heavens, grant us an answer. Show us the path...¡¯ </i>Six-Fingered desperately wished. No one was more desperate for answers than he was.


    <i>¡®Forgive us for breaking the taboo and deceiving the will of the heavens.¡¯</i>


    It was true that the Alliance seldom moved ording to the will of the heavens, therefore it would not be strange if they faced the wrath of the heavens countless times.


    <i>¡®Samikan and Urich paid the price for defying the heavens and breaking taboos.¡¯</i>


    The priest of the Alliance had falsified omens over and over again because of Samikan, speaking words different from the will of the heavens before the warriors. It was always a torment for him.


    <i>¡®I will not go against the will of the heavens any longer.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered imagined a faithful life lived ording to the will of the heavens.


    He smiled contentedly as he disemboweled the noble captive and pulled out the entrails before waiting for the result.


    <i>Saash!</i>


    The intestines were pulled out, stretching long. Six-Fingered threw the entrails on the ground, observing the position of the bloodstain.


    Amidst the rising stench, he sought the will of the heavens. The blood shone in vibrant colors, and the blood-filled tray reflected his face like a mirror.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The drumbeat echoed once again. The rippling blood in the tray blurred Six-Fingered¡¯s reflection.


    He blinked several times as the blood in the tray settled again.


    ¡°<i>G-gugh, cough, cough!</i>¡±


    Six-Fingered suddenly clutched his own neck and groaned with his eyes filled with terror. What he saw in the blood was the image of Urich.


    <i>Ssh.</i>


    Urich reached out from the blood and wrapped his fingers around Six-Fingered¡¯s neck.


    <i>¡®A-am I afraid of Urich?¡¯</i>


    But no one was surprised by Six-Fingered¡¯s seemingly self-harming behavior. They were simply waiting for Six-Fingered to return from seeking the will of the heavens.


    <i>¡®Why are you showing up here, Urich!¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered screamed internally. He red at Urich, who still had his hand around his throat. Urich, rising from the blood tray, red fiercely at Six-Fingered.


    ¡°<i>Gaaaah!</i>¡±


    Six-Fingered exhaled deeply and shook his head. Breaking free from the hallucination, hey on the ground, staring at the bloodstains and entrails.


    ¡°My god! Look at that!¡± The warriors eximed in shock.


    The noble captive stood up with his insidespletely empty.


    The captive muttered incoherently with unfocused eyes. It was more like a strange sound than anguage, almost as if he was singing.


    <i>¡ªHe is alive.</i>


    But that was what it sounded like to Six-Fingered. The grotesque sound which was more noise than anything, seeped into his ears like humannguage.


    Anxiety and fear took shape, ready to devour Six-Fingered.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    The noble captive finally copsed. Six-Fingered hurriedly crawled toward the captive.


    All signs pointed to Urich¡¯s survival. Six-Fingered searched desperately for other signs to deny the omen but found none that symbolized Urich¡¯s death.


    <i>¡®No. This can¡¯t be.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered searched through the blood and entrails for any signs that pointed to death.


    <i>Boom, boom, boom.</i>


    The drumbeats gradually softened. The chiefs and warriors were waiting for Six-Fingered¡¯s words as the frenzy subsided, and blood cooled and hardened.


    ¡°Priest.¡±


    The shamans murmured. The omen had to be spoken before the excitementpletely died down.


    <i>¡®This is a good omen.¡¯</i>


    Other shamans vaguely knew the omen¡¯s result, as every tribe had simr symbolic signs. In this sacrifice, the captive¡¯s strong vitality stood out. There were no negative signs.


    <i>¡®Great Chief Urich is alive. Though it might just be a matter of time before he isn¡¯t, he¡¯s alive for now.¡¯</i>


    The shamans watched Six-Fingered''s back, gauging his reaction. After Samikan''s death, the new Great Chief Urich did not interfere with the shaman society, allowing Six-Fingered to seize all the power in the shaman society. Six-Fingered was the priest of the Alliance with unparalleled power.


    <i>tter.</i>


    <i>¡®Just one more time,¡¯</i> Six-Fingered thought as he grabbed his staff and stood up. He looked at the chiefs and spoke slowly.


    He had lived his life falsifying the omens of the heavens for various reasons; sometimes for Samikan¡¯s benefit, and sometimes for political survival. He had often lied about the will of the heavens.


    <i>¡®This will be thest time.¡¯</i>


    He could return to his beloved homnd where shamans were revered by the warriors.


    ¡°<i>Mmmmm, Oom, Um</i>.¡±


    The shamans made a grand sound with their breaths.


    ¡°...We must return. The earth that supported us has grown distant. Our vitality, which was born from thend, has waned.¡±


    Six-Fingered murmured. He raised his head calmly and continued.


    ¡°Let us return to our homnd and honor the death of the great Urich,¡± Six-Fingered dered. The chiefs and warriors were given the justification to return home.


    The shamans standing behind Six-Fingered remained silent. They too knew that in the rapidly changing alliance, there was no ce for shamans. To stop the change, they had to return home.


    Not everyone believed and followed Six-Fingered¡¯s omen. There was a faction that insisted on continuing the fight, believing Urich was still alive. But the weary warriors listened to Six-Fingered¡¯sforting words. Many warriors believed Urich was likely dead, omen or not.


    Warriors who lost theirnd could no longer stand.

 Chapter 294

    <h4>Chapter 294</h4>


    Most Serpentines came from the lower sses. They were the ones suffering at the very bottom of society, much like the sewage in the sewers.


    Srism could not change the world. Only those born to be kings could be kings, and the same went for nobles. Srism did not say the world was wrong and it merely preached to live with love and mercy. It always demanded superhuman patience and understanding from ordinary humans.


    Love and mercy were just empty, distant words to the starving and those who feared tomorrow¡¯s life. There was no room for such luxury in the hearts of those who had everything taken from them by the exploitation of the nobles.


    "Finally... the time hase."


    The Serpentines were excited by the arrival of Urich, better known to them as the Beast of the Apocalypse, in Hamel. He was the manifestation of will for the next world and the one who would destroy this world of suffering. At some point, the followers of Serpentism had been waiting for Urich.


    <i>¡®The one leading Serpentism now is Ludmil the Guide.¡¯</i>


    Urich nced at the underground cavern.


    <i>¡®When I met Trikee, Ludmil wasn''t there.¡¯</i>


    He slowly traced his memories.


    ¡°We will help you in any way we can,¡± Ludmil said with a wrinkled face.


    <i>¡®But whatever happened here, this is an opportunity for me,¡¯ </i>Urich thought.


    Trikee was already dead. Whatever had happened within Serpentism no longer mattered to Urich.


    ¡°Please kill all the wicked nobles.¡±


    ¡°Punish those who took everything from us.¡±


    Ludmil restrained the Serpentines clinging to Urich.


    The warriors caught their breaths and treated their injuries. Just being able to rx for a moment was a huge benefit.


    <i>¡®We don¡¯t even have a hundred who can fight properly after thest attack, so...¡¯</i>


    The Imperial Army was already on high alert, making the operation that was already difficult to start with be even more impossible.


    <i>¡®I have to get help from Serpentism no matter what.¡¯</i>


    Urich listened to Ludmil exin the situation with Serpentism. There was no such thing as an armed unit in the sewers.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask.¡±


    Urich chewed on a hard piece of bread. The other warriors also took a modest meal while resting on the scarce food that the Serpentines gathered to treat Urich and his warriors.


    <i>¡®They probably do want to fight with us. And even if that¡¯s not true, there¡¯s no other way but to join hands with Serpentism for now.¡¯</i>


    Urich''s mind raced quickly.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve answered all of your questions thus far?¡±


    Ludmil squinted his eyes. The number of wrinkles on his face suggested he had endured many hardships.


    ¡°Do you know someone named Joya?¡±


    When an infectious disease spread through the Alliance Army, Urich received help from Joya, who imed to be a priest of Serpentism. Joya had disappeared quickly, but his medicine had been very effective.


    Ludmil stared intently at Urich before asking, ¡°Who is that?¡±


    Urich¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Urich looked toward the altar where Trikee¡¯s corpsey. The altar, covered with a cloth, was worshipped by the believers.


    ¡°For now, you should be able to avoid the eyes of the empire here. Everyone here can be trusted to keep quiet.¡±


    Ludmil exined their long-prepared n to overthrow Hamel. It was a meticulously crafted n that had been prepared for a long time.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been hit hard once, so you know how terrifying me oil can be.¡±


    ¡°You call it me oil, huh.¡±


    ¡°Among our believers are servants in the imperial pce. They have even found out where the me oil is stored.¡±


    That was enough for Urich to understand Ludmil''s intention.


    ¡°Olga! Come here!¡±


    Urich called Olga, who was resting, to his side. If the warriors were to act separately, Olga was the only one he could entrust withmanding them.


    ¡°Can... we trust them?¡±


    Olga looked at Ludmil and then asked Urich. Ludmil couldn¡¯t understand the conversation as the two were speaking in the tribalnguage.


    ¡°Even if we can¡¯t trust them, we have to. Just like how I trust you to have my back.¡±


    Olga shrugged andughed. He nodded and squatted next to Urich.


    Ludmil continued exining the n.


    ¡°The me oil warehouse is outside the pce. It''s known as a lumber warehouse, but they disguise it as that because they have to keep fire away from it.¡±


    ¡°Do they really store something so important outside the pce?¡±


    Urich frowned, stroking his chin.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because it¡¯s such a tricky substance to handle. If mishandled, it could burn the entire pce down.¡±


    The empire still could not fully control me oil, and it would still take quite some time before it could be widely distributed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve experienced its power firsthand. It lets their soldiers kill our warriors without even touching their weapons,¡± Urich said, recalling thest exchange.


    ¡°If we raid the me oil warehouse and set it on fire, the Imperial Army will be drawn there. They can¡¯t ignore the fire, as the entire city would be at risk.¡±


    ¡°And when they¡¯re focused on the warehouse, we attack and open the gates?¡±


    ¡°We just have to wait three days. Among the warehouse guards is a follower of Serpentism, and he will create an opening for us in two days.¡±


    ¡°Three days? We have to wait that long?¡±


    Urich frowned. Waiting for that long made him uneasy as the agreed time had already long passed. ording to the n, the gates should have been opened on the morning of the invasion.


    ¡°Their guards must be on peak alert after yourst attempt. It will be difficult to break in without an insider.¡±


    Urich hesitated to answer. He had a bad feeling, and Urich tended to trust his instincts.


    ¡°Ludmil!¡±


    A young boy hurried into the underground cavern, calling out for Ludmil.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°T-the Imperial Army is iming that U-Urich is dead,¡± the boy stammered. Ludmil calmed the boy down and listened to the situation outside.


    ¡°This is actually a chance for us. If a man thought dead returns, the Imperial Army will bepletely thrown off!¡±


    Ludmil tried to dismiss it as nothing and send the boy away, but Urich grabbed him.


    ¡°<i>Eeeeeek!</i>¡±


    The boy recoiled in fear, pulling his hand away.


    The Beast of the Apocalypse was an ally of Serpentism, yet Urich still remained a symbol of terror. Even the followers of Serpentism had heard countless terrifying rumors about Urich, including the extraordinary number of civilized people who had died at his hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t bite. I just have something to ask,¡± Urich said, trying to put the boy¡¯s mind at ease.


    The boy nodded, swallowing hard.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I was so scared I couldn¡¯t help but scream.¡±


    The boy nced at Ludmil then waited politely for Urich to speak.


    ¡°Did you tell the army outside the city that I¡¯m dead?¡±


    ¡°Probably... Yes. I saw them loading burned corpses onto a cart and sending it outside the castle.¡±


    Urich rested his chin on his hand, pondering for a moment before looking at Ludmil.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to wait for three days,¡± he said to the Serpentine.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ludmil asked in shock.


    ¡°If they think I¡¯m dead, the army will withdraw.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying they¡¯ll abandon a battle they¡¯ve almost won? Why would the army of plunderers, which has terrified the civilized world, just run away like that?¡±


    Ludmil was furious.


    ¡°The situation isn¡¯t as favorable as you think. We infiltrated through the sewers because there was simply no other way, and if we failed, it would be the end. On top of that, if we suffer greater losses here, it will be an irreparable situation. It¡¯s more than likely that if they think I failed and died, they¡¯ll retreat.¡±


    If Porcana and the Alliance Army withdrew now, they would be safe for the time being. After all, the empire had suffered significant damage and still had to deal with the northern front as well as the independence issues of its vassal states.


    <i>¡®But if we lose the entire army here, we¡¯ll lose whatever chance we have left as well.¡¯</i>


    They were missing the most crucialponent to a long-term stand-off: supplies. Without supplies, even the strongest warriors would starve. The Alliance Army had been surrounding Hamel solely because of their belief that Urich would lead them to victory.


    <i>¡®If they think I¡¯m dead, their belief in me will break and their morale will plummet. If they¡¯re starving and morale drops, it¡¯s over. They won¡¯t be able to fight anymore.¡¯</i>


    Ludmil couldn¡¯t understand Urich¡¯s words as military knowledge was not a skill at the disposal of Ludmil the Guide.


    ¡°The world is praying for the empire¡¯s downfall! You are the will of the world, so everything will help you! Failure is impossible!¡±


    Other Serpentines muttered as well. To them, Urich was the one hope. He was the divine being who would liberate them from the suffering imposed by the hierarchical society.


    ¡°Victory in battle is determined by manpower, morale, and supplies. It has nothing to do with the will of the world.¡±


    Urich¡¯s retort made the faces of Ludmil and the other priests harden.


    <i>¡®This is not the kind of man we were waiting for as the Beast of the Apocalypse.¡¯</i>


    The followers of Serpentism expected Urich to be a barbarian filled with madness and fury. But here he was, the most cold-blooded man in the room.


    <i>¡®How can a man so cold represent our anger....¡¯</i>


    Ludmil¡¯s eyes were filled with disappointment as Urich tilted his head and looked at the Serpentine.


    ¡°The raid is tonight, Ludmil.¡±


    ¡°The guards will be waiting for you! The Imperial Army will be watching the whole city to catch you!¡±


    Ludmil felt his n falling apart.


    ¡°Haha, if there really is such a thing as the will of the world like you said, we¡¯ll seed tonight. We can¡¯t afford to wait three days. If we do, our army that¡¯s surrounding Hamel will leave.¡±


    Before Ludmil could say anything, Urich gave orders to Olga.


    ¡°Olga, lead the warriors and raid the warehouse where the me oil is stored and distract the Imperial Army. It¡¯s a dangerous task, so we probably won¡¯t meet again alive.¡±


    Olga nodded. He recalled Six-Fingered¡¯s words.


    <i>¡®Beware of fire, that¡¯s what Six-Fingered said. Surprisingly urate. No wonder he¡¯s the priest of the Alliance.¡¯</i>


    Olga chuckled. All signs were pointing to his death, and he could sense iting.


    <i>¡®If dying here is my fate, I have no choice but to ept it with dignity.¡¯</i>


    The position of Great Chief was reserved by the heavens. If he was to die ording to the prophecy of fire, that was his fate. He simply wasn¡¯t destined to be a Great Chief.


    <i>¡®I won¡¯t run from my fate.¡¯</i>


    Olga and Urich split the remaining warriors in half, one to raid the me oil warehouse to create a distraction, while the other half would open the city gates.


    ¡°If you and your warriors open the gates, we¡¯ll rise up as well.¡±


    Around Ludmil were men with crude weapons. They were supposedly the warriors of Serpentism, but only a few seemed even remotely prepared.


    <i>¡®Serpentism was originally a religion of the south, with many strong warriors.¡¯</i>


    Urich recalled the Serpentine warriors he had encountered long ago. They were formidable opponents.


    <i>¡®But what is this Serpentism in front of me now...¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t the ideal dreamed of by Trikee, nor the savage religion of the south. Serpentism, which had seeped into the lower sses of civilization, had mutated several times.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that you¡¯ll just stay put if we fail.¡±


    Ludmil answered with an awkward smile, but Urich didn¡¯t me him for the n.


    ¡°...That¡¯s a wise decision. Leading a rebellion with such a ragtag group would only lead to meaningless deaths.¡±


    Urich gestured to Olga, who then signaled to the resting warriors.


    <i>ng, ng.</i>


    The wounded and exhausted warriors struggled to their feet, gathering their weapons. Even minor wounds had festered due to the filthy sewers, and death inevitably loomed over the warriors¡¯ faces.


    ¡°The will of the world rests on your shoulders, Beast of the Apocalypse. Remember that, and you shall win.¡±


    Ludmil offered his blessing in his own way. Urich, about to start off with his guides, scoffed and looked back at Ludmil.


    ¡°Ludmil the Guide, did Trikee trust you?¡± He asked the Serpentine.


    ¡°Of course. The Ark himself designated me as the Guide.¡±


    Urich stared at Ludmil with his bright yellow eyes, making him flinch as if he were facing a bear in the woods. Even though he wanted to stand calmly, his legs trembled to the point where if it weren¡¯t for his robes covering his legs, it would be obvious that he was overwhelmed with fear.


    ¡°...Right, I¡¯m sure he did,¡± Urich muttered and entered the dark, cave-like sewer.


    Urich and the warriors followed the Serpentine guides and swiftly navigated the maze-like sewers until the guides stopped at a fork.


    ¡°We must split up here. The left path leads to the warehouse, and the right path leads to the city gates.¡±


    The guides said, waiting for Urich¡¯s decision.


    Urich stepped forward, looking at Olga and the warriors.


    ¡°If I truly have the blessing of the heavens and the earth... I would like to share it with my great brothers who stand here with me.¡±


    Some warriors twitched their eyebrows. They were always bothered by this attitude of Urich.


    <i>¡®A man blessed more than anyone else by the heavens utters such sphemous words....¡¯</i>


    Urichughed heartily at the dissatisfied warriors¡¯ reactions.


    ¡°Put your trust in your sword and trained body more than anything else, not even the heavens. Don¡¯t be weak enough to have to entrust your fate to the heavens.¡±


    Some nodded, while others shook their heads. But despite the different reactions, they all walked toward death together. No human could change the direction of life, not even warriors. Every moment, including this one, was taking a step closer to death.

 Chapter 295

    <h4>Chapter 295</h4>


    The Frost Snake Tribe, Olga¡¯s home, was a small tribe of just a few hundred people.


    Located in the northwest, the Frost Snake Tribe''s climate was dry and cool. Growing up in the biting winds, Olga''s skin became thick like a wild animal''s, and his arms were longer than most, making him adept with a spear.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve practically lived my life like an evil spirit.¡¯</i>


    While all western tribes valued survival above all, the Frost Snake Tribe engaged in particrly fierce survivalpetition. During the time when small tribes in the northwest werepeting for resources, the monstrous entity known as the Alliance appeared.


    <i>¡®We had no choice but to submit for the survival of the tribe.¡¯</i>


    The scale of the Alliance wasrger than any tribe Olga had seen. Thousands of warriors roaming the wastnds as one was truly a magnificent spectacle.


    <i>¡®Unification of the tribes.¡¯</i>


    The Alliance aplished something that no one had even thought of. They subjugated all the tribes they met on their journey to the westernmost end on foot.


    After such achievements in conquest, one would think satisfaction would follow. But the conquests were just the beginning. The true goal was to fight and win against the humans beyond the mountains.


    <i>¡®Our worldview has expanded. Our neighbors were no longer the tribes around us. The concept of ¡®us¡¯ changed to epass the entire tribal society, and ¡®neighbor¡¯ came to refer to civilized people.¡¯</i>


    Even tribes once considered enemies called each other brothers, standing shoulder to shoulder in battle. It was a great revolution. Long-standing traditions and values crumbled in the blink of an eye, and new orders infiltrated the Alliance daily.


    A lot of things changed. Some adapted to the changes led by Urich, while others, like Olga, resisted.


    Olga envied Urich and Samikan for their achievements. How many who are born a man wouldn¡¯t want to spread their name across the world?


    ¡°Olga, Kurugak is dead,¡± a warrior acting as an adjutant said.


    The warrior named Kurugak was lying face down in the sewage, already a lifeless body. He had walked with his brothers until the end, but his soul had left his body.


    The warriors collected Kurugak''s weapons. If they survived this battle, they nned to give him a proper funeral.


    ¡°We''re all going to die,¡± a warrior at the back muttered. Initially, everyone pretended not to hear and continued walking in silence.


    ¡°You all heard what Urich said. The protection of the heavens is no longer ours. Urich rejected it himself.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°You all feel it too. We''re going to die here for no reason. We won''t even achieve victory.¡±


    ¡°I said shut up!¡±


    The voices grew louder. Hearing themotion, Olga nced back.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    Olga''s spear pierced the throat of the warrior stirring up ominous feelings.


    ¡°If you... are a co...ward..., die.¡±


    Olga was ruthless. In terms of cruelty, Olga was among the top within the Alliance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if... your opinion is different... from mine..., but I will... not tolerate cowards.¡±


    The Frost Snake Tribe lived in one of the harshest environments in the west, so harsh that their poption was on a decline rather than prospering. To Olga, it was only natural for those who were not useful to die. His approach was strictly based on survival.


    <i>¡®The weak die and the strong survive.¡¯</i>


    Urich was strong. He was stronger than anyone, so even when he brought about change, the warriors endured. No one had the right to oppose the change unless they were stronger than him.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± the Serpentine guide said. An interpreter who spoke Hamelian conveyed the message to Olga.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Soon, a dead-end appeared with adder leading up to the surface.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The warriors climbed thedder one by one, cautiously surveying the surroundings. There was no sign of traffic as it was still the dead of night.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    The warriors were either unarmored or in leather armor. They moved carefully, holding their weapons to avoid making any noise.


    ¡°Keep going. Guide us until we get there.¡±


    Olga nudged the guide forward, who seemed uneasy.


    <i>¡®These men are our allies. They havee to change the world...¡¯</i>


    The guide tried to shake off the unease. The alleyways, which existed before Hamel grew into an empire, were incrediblyplex and disorganized due to ack of nnedyouts.


    ¡°H-huh?¡±


    A vagrant squatting in the alleyway opened his mouth wide upon seeing the warriors.


    ¡°Kill him.¡±


    Olga ran his thumb across his throat. A warrior covered the vagrant¡¯s mouth and stabbed a de into his heart. Olga only left blood in his wake as they killed every vagrant they encountered, even cutting the throats of those sleeping.


    ¡°T-there it is.¡±


    The frightened guide pointed to arge warehouse.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have as many guards as I expected.¡±


    Olga tilted his head in confusion. Contrary to the description, the security didn¡¯t seem heavy at all.


    <i>¡®If this is a warehouse storing something like me oil, shouldn¡¯t there be more guards than this?¡¯</i>


    The guards they could see were no more than ten. If they struck quickly, they could deal with them before reinforcements arrived.


    ¡°Hanu, you take three... warriors and cover... the rear.¡±


    Olga gestured as he gave the order. The warriors took their positions ording to hismand.


    ¡°<i>Huuup</i>.¡±


    Olga took a deep breath. He held a spear in one hand and lightly bounced in ce.


    ¡°<i>Hup!</i>¡±


    Olga stepped forward and hurled the spear forcefully.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    Olga''s spear struck a guard in the back. The warriors then silently moved in, taking down the guards one by one. In an instant, seven guards were down on the ground.


    <i>¡®What incredible skill.¡¯</i>


    The guide couldn¡¯t pick his jaw off the floor from the astonishment. He had never seen people fight so well. The warriors ended the lives of their enemies mercilessly, yet silently.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the ce?¡± Olga asked the guide again. The guide nodded after the words were tranted.


    ¡°There are fewer guards than expected, but this is definitely the ce,¡± the guide replied uneasily. The warriors hid the bodies in the shadows and grabbed torches.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Olga opened the door to the warehouse first and stepped inside. A pungent, vtile smell pricked his nose.


    <i>¡®This is the smell of me oil.¡¯</i>


    It was the same deathly smell he encountered in the sewers.


    ¡°Be careful with the torches. One wrong move, and we all die.¡±


    The warriors gripped their torches tightly and illuminated the inside of the warehouse.


    ¡°Olga, there¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    A warrior who had gone to the farthest end spoke.


    ¡°The warehouse is empty.¡±


    Olga''s eyes wavered. He knew his fate.


    <i>¡®I was destined to perish with the fire.¡¯</i>


    But his fate was not here. The empty warehouse was hollow, leaving only the smell behind.


    The empire had exhausted most of the me oil in a single night to confront Urich and the warriors, using an amount equivalent to half a year''s budget of the Porcana Kingdom. The only remaining me oil was deployed on the city walls.


    That was how much the empire and the emperor desperately wanted to drive Urich out of the sewers. With no me oil to guard, there was no need for many men around the warehouse.


    ¡°Olga.¡±


    The warriors waited for Olga''s instructions, but Olga, for once, was also at a loss. Hamel was an unfamiliarnd that he had almost no information about.


    <i>¡®We have to attract attention somehow.¡¯</i>


    Hamel had many stone buildings, and water was easily essible everywhere, making arson ineffective. Even if that weren¡¯t the case, Olga and the warriors didn''t know effective arson methods, and simply setting a fire wouldn''t spread it to the buildings.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s no me oil...¡¯</i>


    Olga gripped the cracks in the stone wall and climbed onto the warehouse roof in a swift, agile movement like that of a jaguar.


    <i>¡®How can we shake up the Imperial Army? I need to create an opportunity for Urich to attack the gate.¡¯</i>


    Olga gazed at the imperial pce standing tall at the edge of the city.


    ¡°<i>Hooo.</i>¡±


    Olga exhaled and jumped down from the roof. He looked at the warriors and then tapped the guide¡¯s shoulder with his spear shaft.


    ¡°Is there a way... to get over... there?¡±


    The warriors widened their eyes as they heard Olga¡¯s words and saw him pointing at the distant pce. It was obvious what he was thinking.


    ¡°T-the imperial pce?¡±


    Olga closed his eyes and then opened them.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to go assassinate... the ¡®emperor.¡¯ Even if we fail, all the guards... wille after... us. It might even be better... than the original n...¡±


    ¡°The heavens are no longer on our side, so I guess we have no choice,¡± a warrior said as if he had let go of all expectations.


    The other warriors chuckled bitterly. Even if Olga¡¯s n seeded, there was no chance that any of them would make it out alive from breaking into the imperial pce.


    ¡°If we had known this was going to happen, I would have followed Urich.¡±


    ¡°Right? I thought this would be easier and safer, but it¡¯s actually theplete opposite.¡±


    The warriors exchanged nces and jokes. Even warriors who had survived countless arrows and des knew that it would be hard to avoid death this time.


    ¡°...I will not ept ob...jections. Die... with me.¡±


    Olga dered, raising his spear de, and the warriors gathered their weapons and moved.


    As the torches died out, the warriors blended into the dark alleys.


    * * *


    The Imperial Army was intoxicated by the small victory they got from burning down all the invading barbarians.


    The Imperial Army''s highmand propagated widely that Urich was dead to boost morale, and the lower-ranking soldiers believed it. It wasn¡¯t entirely a lie, as the possibility of Urich''s death was high.


    ¡°The maid who serves Sir Garter is my lover, and she said the highmand believes the war will end soon. They say that the demon is dead, so the enemy won''t fight anymore.¡±


    ¡°Sir Garter is that lecherous guy, right? You should be careful.¡±


    ¡°Hey, who cares about that right now? The important thing is that the war is ending!¡±


    The pce guards chatted. They were mostly formed of low-quality recruits as many seasoned soldiers had died in the battle against the barbarians.


    ¡°When this war ends, I¡¯m leaving the army.¡±


    ¡°Where would you even go? Isn¡¯t this the only thing you¡¯re decent at?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving to make use of that. The golden age of mercenaries ising. Gerald and Bucket have already agreed to form a mercenary squad with me. Since we¡¯ll be a mercenary squad with former imperial soldiers, we¡¯ll be able to make some good money! When a war starts, mercenary prices easily skyrocket three to four times.¡±


    The other soldier, enticed by the words, flinched. There were already rumors that mercenaries in the barbarian army were earning enormous wages. With increasing military movements between kingdoms and the scent of war in the air, mercenaries'' prices were rising daily.


    ¡°Is that true? T-then count me in.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any savings? If you want to join us, you need to buy into the squad. We have to build our force with our own money first.¡±


    Their guard duty had be a secondary concern.


    Wartimes allowed mercenaries to easily rise to prominence, and with the empire''s power waning, more soldiers entertained such thoughts. If sessful, one could even be a noble withnd.


    ¡°Mark my words. Just three years as a mercenary will set you up for life.¡±


    The soldier who found a newrade smiled broadly.


    The two guard soldiers pictured their futures after the war, and it was a dashing one. Everyone liked to dream of wealth and glory.


    <i>Rustle, rustle.</i>


    The wind felt unsettlingly unstable.


    ¡°So, do you have a n? If I¡¯m going to invest, I need to hear what you have nned. And how many could we even gather with just our money?¡±


    ¡°Apparently Bucket is actually a noble''s illegitimate son. He said the Lord of Hoscaro is his brother, so we¡¯ll get investment from there. If we gather about ten former Imperial soldiers, they¡¯ll invest in a heartbeat.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You heard that the Giskin and Caselmaroni Kingdoms are at war, right? Soon a full-scale war will start. Since the Giskin Kingdom falls under the pro-imperial faction, they¡¯ll ept a mercenary squad of former imperial soldiers with open arms. We¡¯ll start from there.¡±


    Heads started to nod. The excited soldiers began making ns for the future, and their stories progressed until they imagined receiving titles as war heroes.


    ¡°You¡¯repletely right. Even if you serve in the Imperial Army for life, you¡¯ll only earn a pittance in the end... My father always said to have big dreams like a real man. W-wait, w-what¡¯s that?!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s got their own ns.


    <i>Thunk.</i>


    But most cannot put them into action for various reasons.


    Blood sttered. The soldier with aspirations of forming a mercenary squad staggered. He looked incredulously at the spear tip that had pierced his neck.


    The remaining soldier instinctively raised his spear forward. He saw the barbarians emerging from the darkness, approaching steadily.


    ¡°<i>A-ahhh...</i>¡±


    The soldier opened his mouth in fear. He couldn¡¯t understand why the barbarians were here.


    Olga and the warriors cut through the darkness and approached the pce¡¯s side gate. Their eyes gleamed fiercely in the torchlight.


    ¡°V-very well, then. I¡¯ll b-be on my w-way!¡±


    The Serpentine guide tried to flee but was caught by the Olga who slit his throat with a dagger.


    <i>sh.</i>


    Olga smeared the blood from the guide¡¯s neck all over his body. The guide copsed without even getting to say his final words.


    ¡°Olga, didn¡¯t you say this was an assassination? Why are you making so much noise already? <i>Hup!</i> Die, you bastard!¡±


    A warrior grumbled as he threw his axe. As the axe embedded itself in the guard¡¯s face, the two soldiers, who had shared a dream for a brief moment,y dead side by side.


    ¡°If we kill them all, that¡¯s an assas...sination, is it not?¡±


    Olga said, pulling the spear from the dead soldier¡¯s head with a powerful yank. He smiled lightly, shaking his head.


    <i>Deng, deng, deng.</i>


    The sound of the bell shattered the pce¡¯s tranquility.

 Chapter 296

    <h4>Chapter 296</h4>


    Yanchinus opened his eyes. His head felt heavy and dizzy like he was hungover.


    <i>¡®I just wanted to lie down for a moment, but I ended up falling asleep.¡¯</i>


    Fatigue weighed down his entire body. Since his time on the northern front, he had rarely had a proper rest.


    Yanchinus sat up in his bed and reached for a water ss beside him.


    <i>Gulp.</i>


    The cold water flowed down his throat. Yanchinus wiped his mouth and looked up at the tinkling chains.


    <i>nk.</i>


    At the end of a chain hanging from the ceiling was a woman, naked, her toes barely touching the ground.


    Her long, slender body had such a beautiful natural curvature it was hard to believe she had borne a child.


    Once the object of every man''s courtship, the princess of Porcana had be a mere ything of Emperor Yanchinus.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    Damia, hanging from the chain with whip marks vivid on her back, opened her eyes as if she were used to being in this position and looked at Yanchinus.


    <i>¡®She¡¯s still ring at me.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus stared at Damia while holding the water ss. Any other woman would have broken and surrendered, but Damia still maintained her pride.


    <i>¡®Could she still look at me like that if I threw her into the dungeon naked with a bunch of death row inmates?¡¯</i>


    But it was all just an idea. No matter how much of a ything she was, Damia was still royalty. Throwing royalty to the lowly was out of the question.


    ¡°Urich is dead,¡± Yanchinus said as he set down the ss.


    ¡°That¡¯s good news. That barbarian finally died...¡±


    Damia smirked, her blue eyes shining through her flowing golden hair.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very concerned even though he¡¯s the father of your child.¡±


    ¡°My child has no father. Perhaps my son was granted by Lou.¡±


    ¡°Anyone can see Salone is Urich¡¯s child. If he inherited Urich¡¯s spirit, he probably wouldn¡¯t obey his mother. When he grows up, he¡¯ll seek his destiny.¡±


    Yanchinus chuckled.


    ¡°Do you really have the luxury to be concerned about me, Your Majesty? Even I have heard rumors that the empire is trembling. Even the maids gossip about it.¡±


    Damia swayed her body from side to side. The chains nged as her smooth, naked body gleamed in the moonlight.


    ¡°Haha, Damia. Your thorny tone is part of your charm, but...¡±


    Yanchinus got up from the bed and stood in front of the hanging Damia.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Yanchinus¡¯ fist mmed into her stomach, making her body swing back and forth violently.


    Damia barely managed to suppress her groan. The more pain she showed, the more pleasure Yanchinus derived. He was a man with twisted desires.


    ¡°You should really watch your mouth sometimes. Besides, who knows? I might depose Varca and make you queen. Or I could recognize your son as mine and make him king of Porcana.¡±


    Even though there was a time when their interests aligned, the rtionship between Varca and Yanchinus was nowpletely severed.


    Damia red at Yanchinus as she endured the pain in her stomach that gradually subsided.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d do just that, won¡¯t you, Your Majesty?¡±


    Damiaughed, breathing heavily. Herughter echoed off the stone floor.


    ¡°Damia, I like you.¡±


    Yanchinus caressed her cheek as if the violence mere seconds ago had never happened.


    ¡°Telling me you want to kill me would sound sweeter than that,¡± she sneered.


    ¡°When I torment you, I find peace. Because of that damned pride, you¡¯ll never submit to me. King Varca gave me a great gift.¡±


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Yanchinus choked Damia. She gasped for air as her body trembled and her eyes rolled back while her consciousness faded.


    Yanchinus felt Damia¡¯s breath slowing. Her life and death were in his hands.


    <i>nk.</i>


    Yanchinus released his grip and pushed Damia back. She coughed and wheezed for air several times.


    Her consciousness was still blurry and it felt like she had stepped back from the brink of death.


    ¡°The night is still young, Damia.¡±


    Yanchinus pulled a box from under his bed, which contained various tools to satisfy his perverted desires. Damia¡¯s body, having seen this box countless times, reacted instinctively at the sight of it.


    <i>¡®Why haven¡¯t I killed myself yet?¡¯</i>


    Damia let out a smallugh. After being put through so much by the emperor, most women would have either killed themselves or gone mad. Many had been broken by the emperor.


    <i>¡®Is it pride, stubbornness, or some kind of hope for the future...?¡¯</i>


    Damia opened her eyes faintly. Yanchinus pulled out a long, sharp needle. Just thinking about what he would do with it was terrifying.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    A knight knocked on the door from outside. Unless it was something very important, no one would call for the emperor at this hour.


    ¡°Ah, what a shame. Come in!¡±


    Yanchinus called out, putting on his coat.


    ¡°Barbarians have infiltrated the pce! Your Majesty, this way, quickly!¡± The knight entered and spoke without formalities.


    ¡°Barbarians?¡±


    Yanchinus, unfazed, grabbed his sword and donned his cloak. The knight pretended not to see the hanging Damia and continued the report.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the remnants who survived the sewers,¡± Yanchinus said.


    ¡°They¡¯re targeting you, Your Majesty. It¡¯s highly unlikely that they will make it here, but it would be best to evacuate.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to see their faces myself. Call the knights.¡±


    ¡°Guard Captain Audran is already leading the troops. They¡¯re trapped from both ends, so they won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±


    Yanchinusughed at the report.


    <i>¡®This is the end, Urich.¡¯</i>


    The pce invasion was likely Urich¡¯s doing. He must have decided to break in, thinking that he knew theyout of the imperial pce well enough for an effective raid.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Yanchinus led the knights who had just woken up into the pce garden. The sound of weapons shing was already loud.


    ¡°You let them reach the garden,¡± Yanchinus spoke as if holding someone ountable. The knight inmand reported the situation.


    ¡°These barbarians fight incredibly well. But now that our forces have gathered, this is as far as they¡¯ll get.¡±


    ¡°Is Urich among them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that hasn¡¯t been confirmed, Your Majesty. It was too dark to see clearly, but the prowess of the barbarian at the forefront was remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Capture him alive if possible.¡±


    Yanchinus crossed his arms, tapping his forearm with his fingers. He didn¡¯t bother to reveal himself to the barbarians. Instead, he looked down at the garden from the second-floor corridor.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please wait here.¡±


    Leaving only the guard detail, the other knights joined the battle.


    ¡°<i>Aaah, aaaah!</i>¡± A barbarian screamed.


    The garden was a mess of blood, with human entrails dangling from the carefully tended trees.


    ¡°Kill them aaaaall!¡±


    A warrior with an arrow lodged in his shoulder howled like a beast. His eyes were bloodshot, making him look less than human, but the soldiers hesitated at his fierceness.


    ¡°Olgaaaaaa! Where are we supposed to go?¡± The warrior cried out at the top of his lungs as he shed at the approaching soldiers.


    Olga looked around. He had been blindly tearing through the pce by instinct, but finding the emperor without any real information was never going to be easy. None of the warriors present even knew what the emperor looked like.


    ¡°If we kill... them all, the emperor¡¯s... corpse should be among them!¡±


    Olga paused to catch his breath. Though each warrior seemed to have killed at least five soldiers, new ones continued to spawn from somewhere.


    ¡°There are so goddamn many of these sons of bitches, <i>kagh</i>!¡±


    A cursing warrior was shot down by an arrow from somewhere.


    The advantage of raiding at night had run out. The Imperial Army was responding with their armor on with their crossbowmen loading their weapons at the windows and armored knights advancing from the front.


    <i>¡®At this rate, we¡¯re going to be wiped out.¡¯</i>


    Though they hade prepared to die, they had no intention of doing so in vain.


    <i>¡ªFire will determine your fate.</i>


    Six-Fingered¡¯s words shed like the wind.


    <i>¡®Fire, fire, fire.¡¯</i>


    Olga looked around for fire. He grabbed a torch he saw on the wall and threw it into the garden.


    <i>¡®Please burn!¡¯</i>


    But the summer garden didn¡¯t catch fire easily. The damp soil and branches did not readily ignite.


    <i>¡®What does Six-Fingered mean by the fate of fire?¡¯</i>


    Olga struck an advancing soldier¡¯s head with his spear, knocking him down. He then raised his foot and stomped hard on the fallen soldier¡¯s head.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The sensation of the soldier¡¯s neck breaking traveled up his foot.


    ¡°<i>Hooo.</i>¡±


    Olga rolled his eyes. Being open on all sides, the garden put the warriors at a disadvantage. It was not a good ce to fight.


    <i>Peeee!</i>


    Olga whistled to signal the warriors and then leaped through a window into the building.


    ¡°<i>Kuuuugh!</i>¡±


    Only about ten warriors managed to safely follow Olga inside. The rest were killed by the pursuing imperial soldiers.


    ¡°Come on, you piece of shit bastards!¡±


    The warriors shoved back the soldiers climbing through the windows, stabbing them with their swords. Blood dripped from the windowsill.


    ¡°Is there anything here that can start a fire?¡± Olga muttered.


    ¡°What the hell are you babbling about! They¡¯reing!¡±


    The warriors couldn¡¯t even catch their breath as they faced the attacking soldiers, but fighting in the narrow corridor was still an improvement.


    ¡°<i>U-uhh.</i>¡±


    The advancing soldiers hesitated and retreated,cking the courage to charge at the growling barbarians in the narrow corridor. It was evident that whoever charged first would also be the first to die.


    ¡°Move aside!¡±


    Armored knights pushed through the soldiers and advanced.


    The warriors fought desperately until the end. Even as they fell, they did everything in their power to take the enemy down with them.


    ¡°Keke, damn you, Six-Fingered.¡±


    Olgaughed, tilting his blood-soaked head back.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s no fate of fire anywhere.¡¯</i>


    Only cold steel stared back at Olga. He was tangled in Six-Fingered¡¯s prophecy, lost in meaningless thoughts.


    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>


    Olga and the warriors upied a reception room and blocked the door with furniture.


    ¡°Olga, did we do it?¡±


    A warrior who was bleeding heavily from his stomach muttered before copsing. He died without seeing the operation seed.


    Olga looked out the window, but there were no significant signs at the gates of Hamel just yet.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow shot through the window, fired by the crossbowmen waiting below the window. Olga dodged it just in time.


    <i>¡®Including myself, we have... five left.¡¯</i>


    Blocking the entrance with heavy furniture gave the warriors a moment to catch their breath.


    ¡°Six-Fingered... predicted my fate would be determined by fire. In the sewers... the moment I saw the mes, I thought I would die...¡±


    Olga looked at his side which was stinging from a lesion. It seemed he got the wound while tangling with the soldiers.


    Olga held his side and stood up.


    ¡°But... even after seeing... the mes, I didn¡¯t die...¡±


    Breathing was only bing more difficult. He felt his body cooling down as the blood flowed out of his side like a broken dam rather than stopping.


    ¡°Maybe Six-Fingered is just a quack.¡±


    The warriorsughed as they sensed that their death was imminent.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    A spearhead burst through the door and furniture. The warrior who was blocking the door with his back fell forward, pierced by the spear.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The barricaded door broke down and the remnants of the furniture scattered everywhere. The knights who rushed in mercilessly grabbed and beat the warriors while their steel armor deflected the warriors'' weapons.


    ¡°Capture that one alive!¡±


    Olga swung his weapon while watching the other warriors die. The shaft of his spear broke against the armor, but he grabbed the floating spearhead and thrust it between the knight''s facete, piercing the eye and reaching the brain.


    ¡°<i>Hup.</i>¡±


    A single breath was all he managed to breathe in. He bent down and picked up an axe from the ground, then rolled on the ground to strike another knight''s leg.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    The knight who was struck in the back of his knee knelt. Olga grabbed the knight''s helmet and rammed his knee down on it.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Olga''s kneecap broke, but the knight also couldn''t regain his senses due to the concussion.


    <i>Limp.</i>


    Olga limped backward toward the window, startling the soldiers who witnessed hisbat prowess, having taken down two knights in an instant.


    ¡°Are you all dead?¡±


    The warriors who had vowed theirst stand moments ago were now all bloody corpses. Alone, Olga leaned against the window.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    An arrow embedded in Olga¡¯s back. He flinched and looked back. It was quite high, but the ground below was soft dirt.


    He threw himself out the window and absorbed the impact by rolling on his shoulder and back. The arrow in his back wobbled and broke, but the arrowhead dug deeper.


    ¡°<i>K-kugh.</i>¡±


    He exhaled heavily as he rose to his feet. Three crossbowmen stared at him. One was reloading, and the other two aimed at Olga.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    The crossbowmen pulled their triggers. Olga focused on just one of them as he didn¡¯t have the strength to pay attention to both.


    <i>¡®Just focus on one and leave the other to fate.¡¯</i>


    Olga read the trajectory of the arrowing straight at him and leaned to the side. However, the arrow that was shot from the side pierced his armpit.


    ¡°I-is he a monster?!¡±


    Even after being hit by the arrow, Olga did not fall. He threw his axe and killed the crossbowman in front, then climbed over the wall and wandered the imperial pce.


    ¡°He¡¯s over there! He went that way!¡±


    The soldiers who arrivedte chased Olga to the end. It wasn¡¯t hard to track him down.


    <i>Wheeze, wheeze.</i>


    There stood Olga, leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. He was practically a walking corpse, yet the soldiers dared not approach him carelessly.


    ¡°Go and bind him!¡±


    A knight pushed a soldier forward. The soldier hesitated as he approached Olga.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    Olga stretched out a hidden dagger and stabbed the soldier in the neck, but not even having the strength to shove the soldier away, he let the body fall onto him.


    ¡°T-that barbarian bastard!¡±


    If it weren''t for the order to capture him alive, they would have already killed him from a distance with a spear.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Heavy footsteps sounded behind the soldiers. The soldiers and knights nodded in respect.


    ¡°...It¡¯s not Urich.¡±


    Emperor Yanchinus looked at Olga and murmured with disappointment evident on his face. He had thought Urich was leading the remaining warriors.

 Chapter 297

    <h4>Chapter 297</h4>


    Olga looked at the man wearing the violet eagle cloak. Judging by the behavior of those around him, it was clear that he was the emperor.


    <i>¡®I have the emperor right in front of me, yet I can''t even move a finger.¡¯</i>


    Olga''s body was growing cold. Blood poured out, soaking the ground, and his eyes flickered like candle mes.


    ¡°Did you think such a crude night raid would seed?¡±


    Yanchinus prodded Olga''s side wound with his sword.


    ¡°<i>G-geuuugh.</i>¡±


    Olga howled like a beast, feeling as if his entrails were being torn apart.


    The knights grabbed and bound Olga¡¯s arms so that Yanchinus could take a step closer.


    Olga was practically a corpse. No matter how great a warrior, they could not fight with a torn body, and anyone died when they bled out.


    ¡°Do you speak ournguage?¡± Yanchinus asked, shaking off the blood from his de. Olga could only wheeze.


    Olga mustered his strength to try to get back on his feet, but the knight beside him seized the moment to punch his face.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Olga¡¯s nose broke. He was on the brink of passing out as blood trickled down his throat with each breath.


    ¡°Is Urich alive? Or is he dead?¡±


    Yanchinus asked regardless of whether Olga understood or not. At the mention of Urich, Olga reacted and lifted his head.


    <i>¡®Am I going to burn to death?¡¯</i>


    He had fought and lost. Olga awaited the enemy¡¯s decision, knowing well that the fate of the defeated was in the hands of the victor.


    <i>¡®Six-Fingered told me I had a fate of fire.¡¯</i>


    But there was no such thing in sight.


    <i>¡®The only thing I have left now is death, and if there is no me even there, then what did I...?¡¯</i>


    The knights dragged Olga by his arms.


    ¡°Hang him at the entrance of the imperial pce.¡±


    Yanchinus lost interest in Olga. He was an ignorant barbarian who didn''t even speak Hamelian. The disappointment was great because he had thought Olga was Urich, even if it was only for a brief moment.


    The nearly dead Olga was dragged along by the soldiers. It wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if he died at any moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die just yet. There are a ton of people who want to see you suffer.¡±


    A knight chuckled and pped Olga¡¯s cheek. Olga''s face was covered in blood and his facial bones were fractured, making his features almost unrecognizable.


    <i>Wheeze, wheeze.</i>


    Olga faintly opened his eyes as he breathed steadily with bloody phlegm. Sunrise was still hours away.


    There were many people milling around the entrance of the imperial pce, drawn by the nighttimemotion. They cheered at the sight of the barbarian being dragged out.


    ¡°You dirty barbarian scum!¡±


    ¡°Long live the emperor!¡±


    ¡°Kill him! Kill hiiiim!¡±


    Olga looked at the civilized people who were shouting and hurling stones at him.


    ¡°Yanchinus, the guardian of the empire!¡±


    Yanchinus deliberately showed himself before the citizens, disying his vitality and the fate of the ambushing barbarians.


    <i>¡®As long as His Majesty is here, Hamel will never fall.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus had sessfully defended the city. The citizens of Hamel, who had been trembling with fear, finally went to bed peacefully.


    ¡°Long live the emperor! Hooray!¡±


    The citizens of Hamel shouted loudly with joy, drawing even those who were asleep to open their windows and gather.


    ¡°Your Majesty, perhaps you would like to head inside now.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll stay to see his end.¡±


    The knights dragged Olga up to the pce gate, nning to hang him in front of the people.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The knights ced a noose around Olga¡¯s neck. His eyes widened, but it wasn¡¯t because he was afraid of death.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t see fire anywhere.¡¯</i>


    What he saw were people throwing stones as their anger and hatred reached his skin.


    ¡°<i>Kek, kek</i>.¡±


    Olga coughed up blood andughed. There was no such thing as a fate of fire. Was it because he missed his chance to die in the sewers? The only thing that awaited him was a cold death.


    <i>¡®I was a fool to seek the fate of fire after listening to Six-Fingered.¡¯</i>


    The noose around his neck was rough. A knight pushed Olga to the edge of the tform with a sword in his back.


    ¡°Anyst words, barbarian?¡±


    Olga didn¡¯t understand the words, but he got the message. After all, execution customs were simr everywhere.


    Life was the most precious thing, and even the most despicable criminal was granted a final word as once the me of life was extinguished, it was gone forever.


    ¡°...There are no mes.¡±


    It was augh tinged with regret. He clung to the fate bestowed by the heavens because he believed there was a fate meant for him as well, just as Urich and Samikan embraced their great destinies.


    A bizarre and mysterious shaman had foretold his fate. However, even in the face of death, the destiny foretold by the shaman did not appear.


    Even at the very end of everything, there was no fate of fire.


    Olga thought of Urich, whom he felt a sense of rejection toward, much like other warriors.


    <i>¡®Urich does not believe in fate.¡¯</i>


    If Urich was someone to believe in the heavens, he would not have crossed the Sky Mountains in the first ce. Breaking taboos was always the act of an impure one. Although those of the Alliance felt and believed in Urich¡¯s divinity, Urich himself acted as if he rejected it.


    Olga knew there was no fate of fire for him and that it was all just a wordy.


    The cheers of those awaiting his death spread.


    ¡°...Urich.¡±


    Olga tilted his head to the side. Amid the chilling crowd, someone in armor was running frantically.


    A knight pushed his back. As his weight shifted downward, the rope tightened around his neck.


    <i>Squeeze.</i>


    Olga was running out of oxygen, but he merelyughed through the pain.


    As Yanchinus saw Olga''sughter, he felt a chill in his chest. His previously stuck mind raced quickly.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    A messenger rudely broke through the crowd, but Yanchinus frowned even before hearing the news that the messenger brought. It was not the time to leisurely watch an execution.


    ¡°Send troops to the city gates immediately!¡± Yanchinus shouted.


    The knights hesitated momentarily, bewildered. The messenger, still catching his breath, continued.


    ¡°Barbarians have attacked the city gates!¡±


    Some of the troops at the gates and the patrols had gathered at the pce, and the defense of the city gates was weakened just as much.


    <i>¡®We can handle their external attacks as long as we need to, but if they attacked from within, that would make things different.¡¯</i>


    How could the barbarians move so efficiently inside Hamel? A group of barbarians moved in two groups without being detected. It was a strategy far beyond Yanchinus¡¯ expectations.


    Amotion broke out, and Olga was dying in the midst of it. Blood-mixed saliva dripped from his mouth and his half-closed eyes were blurry. His consciousnesssted only for a moment.


    His thoughts faded and darkness fell before his eyes, and soon, he saw nothing even when his eyes were open...


    But Olga was certain of one thing. He saw the sess of Urich in the desperate expression of the running soldier.


    It was quiet. No sound could be heard. In the end, there were no mes.


    * * *


    The nned fire did not happen. Urich waited on a rooftop for the situation to unfold, but the city did not catch fire.


    ¡°Urich, we must consider the possibility that Olga failed.¡±


    A warrior who hade scouting with Urich muttered. Theyy t on the roof, observing the movements below.


    ¡°If Olga fails, we fail too.¡±


    Urich watched the city gates. Just the imperial troops they could see alone numbered over dozens. Inside the city, patrols with torches moved frequently.


    Despite reaching the promised time, there were no grand explosions or fires. Instead, the sound of bells breaking the night¡¯s silence spread through the alleys one by one.


    ¡°The barbarians have attacked the imperial pce!¡±


    Not only the patrols but most of the troops guarding the gates rushed to the imperial pce as the scale of the barbarian raid unit was not known.


    The imperial pce was where the emperor was, and if he died, even the greatest Imperial Army would lose its center and copse.


    ¡°What are they saying, Urich?¡±


    A warrior who didn¡¯t understand the soldiers¡¯ Hamelian asked Urich.


    Urich closed and opened his eyes as he clenched his fists tightly. He too had no way of knowing what had happened to Olga.


    <i>¡®One thing that¡¯s clear is that things didn¡¯t go as nned.¡¯</i>


    Olga and the warriors attacked the imperial pce. There was no better way to draw attention. However, it was far more dangerous than setting the me oil warehouse aze.


    ¡°Call the warriors in the sewers. It¡¯s time to move.¡±


    The warrior nodded at Urich¡¯s words and awkwardly climbed down from the roof. He quickly crawled along the ground and peeked into the sewer entrance.


    ¡°Urich is calling us. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The warriors resting at the sewer entrance opened their eyes and shortly after, one by one, they climbed to the surface andughed as they breathed in fresh air for the first time in a while.


    ¡°Olga must have seeded!¡±


    ¡°I knew it. You can always depend on Olga.¡±


    While those watching the outside remained, the number of patrols and troops guarding the inside had reduced by half, significantly thinning out the security at the gate. The knights especially rode their horses in a hurry to protect the emperor without hesitation.


    Emperor Yanchinus was a man who had a clear reward and punishment system. Saving the emperor¡¯s life promised enormous rewards, and the knights, eager for glory, abandoned their posts in a heartbeat.


    <i>¡®Olga did his part.¡¯</i>


    Urich slid down from the roof and looked at the warriors gathered in the alley.


    ¡°Georg, as soon as the gate opens, ride to our camp and let them know that I am alive.¡±


    Urich gestured toward Georg.


    The warriors drew their weapons, waiting for Urich¡¯s signal.


    <i>Deng, deng, deng!</i>


    The sound of the bell grew louder. The entire city was in chaos due to the attack on the imperial pce. Anxiety spread, and the area around the gate became disorderly.


    The guards at the gate were also buzzing with the news of the barbarian night raid.


    ¡°Did you hear that the barbarians have attacked the imperial pce?¡±


    ¡°Must be the ones who survived from the sewers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it''s lucky or unlucky that we¡¯re not on pce guard duty.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s lucky. I wouldn¡¯t face those barbarians directly no matter how much money I¡¯m offered. They¡¯re that terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s Sir Pallen?¡±


    ¡°He rode off to go to the pce earlier.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s just us here.¡±


    Realizing this made them anxious. They knew that the barbarians were attacking the imperial pce, but thinking that they were alone without the protection of the knights sent shivers down their spines.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Look up at the wall; that¡¯s the infamous Urich hanging up there. Lou has finally shined his light upon us.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s Urich¡¯s body?¡±


    A soldier standing under the gate looked up at the wall with uneasy eyes. The higher-ups had told them that the charred corpse on the pole was Urich, but there was no way to verify it because the body was burnt.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen Urich before during a jousting tournament. I bet on him and won quite a bit. I knew he was something special the moment I first saw him.¡±


    A soldier who knew Urich reminisced.


    <i>Sssss.</i>


    The torches flickered as a shadow briefly fluttered behind the alley.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°You go check. I bought the drinksst time, remember?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>, fine.¡±


    The soldier grumbled and walked forward.


    <i>¡®Probably just a vagrant.¡¯</i>


    Vagrants had been appearing more frequentlytely with thebination of the proud security of Hamel deteriorating during the war and refugees who had lost their homes flocking to Hamel.


    ¡°I won¡¯t banish you outside the walls in times like this, so juste out,¡± the soldier said, looking into the dark alley as he raised the tip of his spear.


    ¡°...You promise?¡±


    A deep, low voice came from the alley.


    ¡°If you go outside the walls now, you¡¯re as good as dead. I¡¯m not that heartless.¡±


    Footsteps echoed from the dark alley. In the faint moonlight, a figure emerged.


    ¡°Remember that mercy. That¡¯s what saved your life.¡±


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    It all happened in a sh. Thest thing he saw before copsing unconscious to the ground was a huge fist.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich wiped the blood off his fist and stepped out into the alley.


    ¡°<i>A-ah...!</i>¡±


    The soldier, who had just watched hisrade fly, felt his heart stop. He stared at Urich with wide eyes and clearly remembered the face and massive frame.


    ¡°U-U-U...rich!¡±


    The soldier''s body stiffened. He would have preferred to meet a bear in a forest instead of the monster that had destroyed the civilized world that was standing before him. His trousers were stained yellow as he wet himself without even realizing it, and his chattering teeth showed no signs of stopping.


    Urich wasn¡¯t the only one who emerged from the dark alley. Warriors with loosely held weapons followed him out, shaking their heads left and right, looking at the soldiers.


    ¡°For our lost brothers.¡±

 Chapter 298

    <h4>Chapter 298</h4>


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    The tents were being quietly withdrawn as the Alliance Army prepared to retreat while the sun was still down in order to avoid any unexpected counterattacks from the empire.


    <i>¡®The Imperial Army probably doesn¡¯t know how starved we are.¡¯</i>


    Belrua slowly chewed thest piece of jerky, savoring it slowly, almost as if she were trying to dissolve it in her mouth. With supply linespletely cut off, the Porcana-Alliance army was in a state of famine.


    <i>¡®We¡¯ve even lost our hope in victory. It¡¯s over.¡¯</i>


    Staying here longer would only result in starvation and annihtion. The best course of action was to plunder the imperialnds on the way back and inflict as much damage on the empire as possible.


    ¡°Even though we¡¯re without Urich, we still need to prepare for the next step.¡±


    Belrua looked at the Alliance Army busy with their preparations for withdrawal.


    <i>¡®Even if it weren¡¯t for Six-Fingered¡¯s divination, it¡¯s highly likely that Urich is dead.¡¯</i>


    The situation was dire. It would have been moreforting to see bodies struck down by swords, but most of the warriors who invaded Hamel had burned to death.


    ¡°Belrua, do you really think Urich is dead? How can we retreat now aftering this far?¡±


    A warrior draped in a bear skin approached, voicing his discontent. He was the chief of the Karkar Tribe which was located in the westernmost part of the west.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been decided, and besides, there was the priest¡¯s omen too. What glory do we gain by holding out here any longer?¡± Belrua replied coldly, though she wasn¡¯t keen on retreating either.


    ¡°We must fight to the end. We can¡¯t run away without even trying to fight.¡±


    ¡°Charging head-first into a meaningless death is not what bravery is.¡±


    ¡°The warriors will remember the cowardice of today.¡±


    The Karkar chief turned away and disappeared.


    <i>¡®Even the Alliance is finished. What a short golden age it was.¡¯</i>


    Returning home would mean the tribes close to each other would group together and form several factions, effectively disbanding the Alliance. The two warriors who led the unification of the west were gone. Without Samikan and Urich, maintaining the Alliance was impossible.


    <i>¡®The tribes near the Sky Mountains are both advantaged and disadvantaged. They will be the first to start interacting with civilization, whether through trade or war.¡¯</i>


    Belrua¡¯s Red Sand was also a tribe close to the Sky Mountains.


    <i>¡®We must seek trade, not war. The empire will covet ournds again once they stabilize, so we need to forge alliances with the kingdoms near the Sky Mountains and grow stronger.¡¯</i>


    Belrua closed her eyes as she contemted the future. The era of war was over, and both the empire and the west had suffered immense losses. The west had brought almost every man to the war, which meant that if they were annihted here, only the elderly and children would be left in the west.


    ¡°Even if they call it cowardice, someone has to make the cowardly decision.¡±


    Belrua chuckled. She touched her empty side. The meteorite dagger she always carried like a talisman was gone as she had offered it to Great Chief Urich as a tribute.


    <i>¡®If the will of the heavens dwells in that dagger, it will protect you.¡¯</i>


    The meteorite iron was a mystical metal that fell from the sky and was the reason Belrua could be the chief of her tribe despite being a woman. The rise and fall of humans were the will and fate of the heavens, and Belrua, like the other warriors, believed so.


    <i>¡®If this is the end for us, that¡¯s just the decision of the heavens.¡¯</i>


    Though they never managed to uncover the secrets of imperial steel in the end, the metallurgy of the west had advanced significantly. Not just metallurgy, they quickly adopted the advanced technologies of civilization. It was only a matter of time before the west became developed.


    Despite the bloody war, barbarian culture and civilization had made contact, and their exchange would continue in the future, whether for better or worse.


    ¡°Ultimately, it was because of Urich that we didn¡¯t end up as their ves...¡±


    The sh between the west and civilization wasn¡¯t Urich¡¯s fault. Even without Urich, the civilized would have discovered the west and started another conquest while the western warriors wouldn¡¯t have dared to break the taboo and cross the Sky Mountains. Only Urich longed for and explored the unknown beyond the Sky Mountains.


    Even if they returned to the west now, Urich would remain a hero, admired and revered by countless warriors.


    <i>¡®Maybe Urich disappearing this way is the best oue for me.¡¯</i>


    Belrua had Samikan¡¯s child¡ªa son, no less. A man who didn¡¯t avenge his father was despised, but Urich was such a towering figure that even when her son grew up, there was no way he would even be able to dare to challenge him.


    <i>¡®If Urich had survived and won this war, he would be an invincible warrior no one could surpass. Those who lived in his time would shine as mere firefliespared to his radiant light.¡¯</i>


    Belrua smiled bitterly. She too was a legendary hero of the Red Sand Tribe, greatly prospering her tribe. Not just her, but many warriors in the Alliance had their own glorious heroic tales.


    <i>¡®But all these heroics are meaningless before Urich.¡¯</i>


    He crossed the Sky Mountains with just his bare body and returned to the west with only his spirit and became the Great Chief. Compared to that, defeating ten men alone or surviving a fight with a bear bare-handed were trivial feats.


    <i>Tap, tap.</i>


    The sound of a staff striking the ground echoed. Bone fragments clicked.


    Belrua knew who it was just by the sound.


    ¡°Six-Fingered.¡±


    Belrua¡¯s eyes were fierce. She felt an urge to strangle Six-Fingered to death.


    <i>¡®A cunning snake-like man.¡¯</i>


    Everyone knew of Six-Fingered¡¯s schemes and intrigues. Yet, he was still the priest of the Alliance, difficult for anyone to easily challenge. His influence among themon warriors was still immense.


    ¡°Belrua, thank you for leading the decision to retreat.¡±


    Six-Fingered showed his yellow teeth.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it out of fondness toward you. There was simply no other choice,¡± Belrua replied coldly.


    ¡°We have achieved much. What remains is to return to our home with the glory and share it.¡±


    ¡°Glory? Where¡¯s the glory in running away?¡±


    ¡°We will unify once more. You have Samikan¡¯s child. Ten years should be enough. I will support that child.¡±


    Belruaughed, clutching her belly, at Six-Fingered¡¯s words.


    <i>¡®Samikan, Urich, and then my son after them...¡¯</i>


    She could see right through Samikan¡¯s head.


    ¡°He is the child of you and Samikan. He will eventually fulfill the destiny of the heavens and he won¡¯t live an ordinary life. With my help, he could achieve greater feats than the previous two Great Chiefs.¡±


    ¡°And if my son doesn¡¯t align with you, you will make him your enemy just like you did with Samikan and Urich. You are a maggot, Six-Fingered.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the insults, Belrua. I am the priest of the Alliance. No one can seize control of the Alliance without my support now.¡±


    There was no more Samikan or Urich, who were absolute presences in the Alliance. In a way, it became a true tribal alliance only after they were gone. Everyone had equal power and influence to keep each other in check.


    ¡°If the righteous heavens are watching you, you will surely be doomed, Six-Fingered. I am already looking forward to how terrible your end will be.¡±


    ¡°I know the will of the heavens better than anyone.¡±


    ¡°You mean you deceive the heavens better than anyone. I¡¯ll ask you once more. Did the heavens really say that Urich is dead?¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt.¡±


    Six-Fingeredughed, holding his numerous fingers to his face. His eyes gleamed between them.


    ¡°How much truth is there in the words thate out of your mouth...¡±


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve rejected my offer.¡±


    Six-Fingered grinned, knowing that he was the one with leisure. If Belrua didn¡¯t take his hand, he just had to find someone else.


    <i>¡®There are always those who crave power. There has to be some chiefs in the Alliance who won¡¯t be able to refuse my offer.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered greeted Belrua and left the tent. The warriors were busily moving, as they had to abandon the camp and move before dawn.


    Then.


    ¡°Uuuuuuriiiiich is aliiiiiiive!¡±


    Six-Fingered looked startled in the direction of the voice. A warrior who was on scout duty was running back to the camp, out of breath.


    ¡°Urich is not dead! He¡¯s aliiiiiiive!¡±


    The scout shouted until his voice was hoarse. His voice was so loud that even the sleeping warriors woke up and listened.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Urich is alive! Our Great Chief is not dead!¡± The scout shouted repeatedly, grabbing the shoulders of everyone he saw. The warriors¡¯ eyes widened at his words.


    ¡°What is this nonsense!¡±


    The chiefs rushed out, stopping the scout.


    ¡°Urich is alive and fighting the Imperial Army! We must go help the Great Chief immediately!¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    Six-Fingered frowned, standing before the scout. The chiefs of the Alliance simultaneously turned their eyes to the priest.


    <i>¡®Priest Six-Fingered clearly said Urich was dead.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered had dered Urich¡¯s death in front of the entire alliance. Sharp gazes focused on him.


    ¡°It might be a false rumor spread by the enemy... We must not fall into their trap.¡±


    Six-Fingered spread his arms, drawing the attention of the chiefs and warriors.


    <i>¡®Urich cannot be alive. Why now....¡¯</i>


    So much sweat was pouring down Six-Fingered¡¯s face that the ck pigment on his face was about to wash off.


    ¡°Urich is alive!¡±


    Georg appeared along the path the scout hade. He, limping, was being supported by another scout.


    He spoke in broken tribalnguage, looking at the warriors.


    While Urich and the warriors fought, Georg escaped Hamel on horseback. After he was knocked off his horse by an arrow from a crossbowman, he limped his way to the Alliance camp.


    ¡°There seems to be arge movement at the gates of Hamel! Something is definitely happening.¡±


    Warriors with keen eyesight shouted as they returned from the hill.


    ¡°Urich is alive, you goddamned barbariaaaaans! Grab your weapons and go fight! The gate is open! I said the gate is open!¡± Georg shouted in a mix of Hamelian and the tribalnguage.


    Georg was also severely injured. He had been shot in the shoulder with an arrow, and his leg was so badly twisted he couldn¡¯t walk on his own.


    ¡°Urich? Urich is alive?¡±


    The chiefs murmured among themselves. Georg called for the leaders of the civilized mercenaries and continued shouting.


    ¡°Grab your weapons and go! Everything in Hamel is yours! The treasures of the imperial pce and even the emperor¡¯s women are ours!¡± Georg shouted at the top of his lungs. He was extremely aggravated.


    Six-Fingered, sensing the gravity of the situation, drew his ceremonial dagger and pressed it against Georg¡¯s throat.


    ¡°This manes from civilization! He is trying to lead us into a trap on the enemy''s orders! Haven¡¯t you seen my omen? Urich is dead!¡±


    Georg was greatly dismayed. After all the trouble to get here, now Six-Fingered was trying to kill him.


    ¡°You goddamn druggy!¡±


    Georg''s face contorted. Time was of the essence as Urich and the warriors couldn¡¯t hold the gates open for long. If the troops from the pce returned, Urich and the warriors would be as good as dead.


    ¡°No one here believes your deceitful mouth that couldn¡¯t even withstand Samikan¡¯s torture! Despite Great Chief Urich¡¯s grace, you betrayed him yet again and came back alive alone!¡±


    Six-Fingered spat out, observing the reactions of the chiefs and warriors. The opinion was still divided.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive, Urich is alive. He¡¯s fighting and waiting for his brothers right now, you idiots!¡±


    Georg shouted until his voice cracked. After all the effort to get here, everything was about to go to waste.


    The decision was being dyed at a time when even if the warriors grabbed their weapons and ran immediately, they were barely going to make it in time.


    Hearing themotion, Belrua ran out of the tent.


    ¡°Is that true, Georg?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m lying, you can skin me and make clothes out of my hide, Belrua!¡±


    Belrua¡¯s pupils shook.


    <i>¡®Urich is alive?¡¯</i>


    Whether Urich was dead or alive, it was going to be a problem for her. He was the warrior her son would have to face as an enemy in the future.


    Belrua¡¯s eyes met Six-Fingered¡¯s, who squinted and nodded slightly toward Belrua as if he was trying to emphasize that Urich¡¯s death was beneficial for both of them.


    The moment she saw Six-Fingered, Belrua¡¯s dilemma ended.


    Her son¡¯s issues were still in the distant future, but Six-Fingered was a filthy scum standing right in front of her. That was reason enough.


    ¡°Six-Fingered...¡± Belrua growled like a leopard, curling up her lips. ¡°...You¡¯re finished, you son of a bitch! We¡¯re going to go fight alongside our Great Chief Urich, grab your weapons!¡±


    As if they were waiting, the warriors belonging to Urich¡¯s faction jumped up. They grabbed whatever weapons were at hand and grouped with nearby warriors. ording to Georg, time was of the essence.


    ¡°Belrua! You¡¯ll regret this! It¡¯s a trap! Urich is dead!¡±


    Six-Fingered tried to stop the warriors in a panic, but no warrior paid any attention to the priest. They were tired of the siege and hunger, and if Urich was alive on top of that, they had no reason not to fight.


    ¡°Shut your mouth! When wee back alive, you¡¯ll be begging me to kill you! Thete Samikan will be d to wee you with open arms!¡±


    Belrua shouted, kicking Six-Fingered. It was a significant disrespect, but if this was indeed a trap of the Imperial Army, Belrua wouldn¡¯t return alive anyway, and if Urich was alive, it would be the end for Six-Fingered.


    ¡°<i>Ooooooh!</i> Let¡¯s goooo! If you¡¯re hungry, eat their flesh, and if you¡¯re thirsty, drink their blood!¡±


    Belrua called a messenger and informed the Porcana army of Urich¡¯s survival as well.


    Before long, Urich¡¯s survival, once doubted, became epted as fact. The warriors who believed Urich was alive ran toward the gates of Hamel.

 Chapter 299

    <h4>Chapter 299</h4>


    Gottval took out a piece of paper and wrote something on it.


    ¡°Urich.¡±


    As his lips moved, so did the letters. The words on the paper spelled out Urich''s name.


    <i>¡®Are you really dead? If so, at least appear before me as a ghost.¡¯</i>


    Gottval knelt before the makeshift altar with the sun emblem.


    ¡°Lou, if Urich¡¯s soul is wandering, please take pity and take it in your embrace.¡±


    The proper funeral rite of Srism would be to find the body and cremate it, but since Urich''s body could not be recovered, Gottval wrote his name on paper as a simple tribute.


    ¡°Father, justice has been served. The civilized have won, and the barbarians have been defeated.¡±


    ¡°Basha, justice is not such a shallow thing.¡±


    ¡°They invaded and burned ournd! If they are not evil, then who is? Barbarians are not children of Lou like us; they are beasts!¡±


    Teaching someone was always a difficult task. Prejudices built from experience were hard to break. Basha had lost everything to barbarians, so how could she possibly view them positively?


    Gottval looked at Basha, knowing the contradiction and difficulty.


    ¡°If we define invasion as evil, then the empire itself is the source of all evil. The empire was the one who attacked the west first, so strictly speaking, the Alliance is simply continuing a defensive war. Urich did note here to conquer. He came to ensure the safety of his homnd.¡±


    Basha hesitated, speechless. A mere farmer¡¯s daughter had no way of knowing the intricacy of the war, hence her belief that the barbarian invasion was the start of it all.


    ¡°...Then who should my hatred be directed at? Are you saying they did nothing wrong? Are you saying the beasts that killed and raped our people have no sin?¡±


    ¡°That too is a sin. But we, as civilized people, are more mature and advanced than them. Just as an adult does not respond to a child¡¯s outburst with equal anger, we must help those ignorant ones realize their wrongs.¡±


    ¡°That is nonsense! Even if everyone is killed, will you still say that? Barbarians do not deserve to be by Lou¡¯s side!¡± Basha shouted and tried to snatch the paper from Gottval¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Basha! Urich is someone worthy of respect! I saved him at the cost of my arm, but I would have done so even at the cost of my life.¡±


    ¡°That damn barbarian!¡± Basha yelled in frustration.


    Themotion caused the sun emblem to fall to the ground in the struggle between the two.


    ¡°Forgiveness is difficult while hatred is easy.¡±


    ¡°If you forgive and embrace the barbarians, then I will reject you! I have heard Lou¡¯s voice!¡±


    ¡°That is your problem, Basha! Do not justify your hatred in Lou¡¯s name!¡±


    Basha''s eyes trembled. She grabbed the dagger from Gottval¡¯s waist and drew it.


    ¡°Corrupt priest...¡±


    Gottval, missing an arm, struggled to fend off Basha¡¯s attack whose eyes gleamed emptily.


    <i>Creeeak.</i>


    Basha pushed Gottval¡¯s arm upward, locking eyes with him.


    ¡°You too have been corrupted by the barbarians and cannot see Lou¡¯s true will...¡±


    The de aimed for Gottval¡¯s neck. He barely held Basha back with one arm.


    ¡°Basha... Is this truly your choice?¡±


    ¡°Go ask Lou when you die. He will tell you who was right.¡±


    Basha, having gone through several hardships, was stronger than an average woman. Gottval, who had a build slenderer than most and left with only one arm, struggled.


    <i>p!</i>


    The tent p burst open. Varca, who hade to pray, was shocked to see Gottval and Basha struggling and rushed in.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this!¡±


    Varca kicked Basha in the side. She rolled and crashed into the corner of the tent.


    <i>Schring!</i>


    Varca skillfully drew his sword and ced it against Basha¡¯s throat.


    ¡°You¡¯re the king of heretics consorting with barbarians. I bet you snuck into bed with them every night, am I wrong?¡±


    Basha grabbed the de with her hand and cackled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally gone mad! Are you really trying to kill Brother Gottval, who took care of you?!¡±


    Varca, not knowing the full story, did not hesitate to me Basha first with his absolute trust in Gottval along with the fact that Basha had been at the forefront of the Imperial Army.


    Varca raised his sword high, ready to cut off Basha¡¯s head in one swift move. The King of Porcana was not a little boy who hesitated to kill.


    ¡°Please spare Basha, Your Highness.¡±


    Gottval, havingposed himself, intervened.


    <i>¡®If we retaliate against Basha for attacking me, it would be like condoning her revenge.¡¯</i>


    To teach someone, you had to set an example. Gottval strode forward and grabbed Basha by the shoulder.


    ¡°Basha, Urich is the leader of barbarians who plunder civilized people and vite women.¡±


    ¡°...So you do know that,¡± Basha sneered.


    ¡°But that Urich also sometimes feels pity for a girl hiding in a wooden barrel and shows mercy. That alone doesn¡¯t erase all his misdeeds, but at least you are alive because of it.¡±


    Basha¡¯s shoulder trembled. She gripped Gottval¡¯s wrist tightly.


    ¡°W-what do you mean by that? What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think Urich, a barbarian who ruthlessly kills children and women, spared you on the battlefield and even showed you the kindness of treating you so generously?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! Stop it! Enough!¡±


    Gottval continued to hold Basha and speak.


    ¡°Urich remembered you. He pitied the girl trembling in that barrel. In that moment, he must have seen you not through the violent eyes of a warrior, but through Lou¡¯s.¡±


    Varca stood with his sword ready, wary that Basha might rebel.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d believe such nonsense? It makes no sense that the barbarian who saved me is Urich...¡±


    Basha¡¯s words trailed off. Her heart pounded.


    ¡°That¡¯s how we know it was Lou¡¯s will and a miracle, Basha. We humans cannot hear His voice while we¡¯re alive. We can only vaguely glimpse His intentions through the events that happen to us.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Please, stop...¡±


    Basha clutched her head as if she would tear out her hair, curling up.


    <i>¡®Basha looks like she is about to break.¡¯</i>


    Gottval had waited until Basha was ready to ept the truth, but he couldn¡¯t just watch her sink deeper into the swamp of hatred.


    <i>¡®Urich.¡¯</i>


    Gottval left Basha alone for a moment and tried to burn the paper he had written Urich¡¯s name on in the candle me.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    A man¡¯s voice boomed from outside.


    <i>¡®Did the Imperial Armyunch a counterattack or something?¡¯</i>


    Varca also rushed outside. A knight who received the messenger¡¯s report pointed toward the Alliance camp.


    ¡°T-they¡¯re saying that Urich is alive! The barbarians haveunched a full-scale attack against Hamel!¡±


    The swift-footed barbarians were already running toward the gates of Hamel.


    ¡°What is this about Urich being alive?¡±


    Gottval followed Varca out and looked toward Hamel, but the news of Urich¡¯s survival was still uncertain information.


    ¡°Your Highness, are we joining the barbarians?¡±


    The knight awaited Varca¡¯s response.


    ¡°Prepare for battle. We will also join the fight once the gate breakthrough is confirmed.¡±


    Varca did not rush out immediately. He was a king, and he had to prioritize the safety of his nation and soldiers over Urich. If the gate couldn¡¯t be opened, charging it would be a suicide whether they had thousands or tens of thousands doing so.


    <i>¡®Please be alive, Urich.¡¯</i>


    A man on the throne must separate emotion from judgment. Varca learned how to make a king¡¯s decision through experience and learned that the path the heart takes isn¡¯t always the correct one.


    * * *


    It didn¡¯t take Urich much time to break through the city gates. He and his warriors rushed the ten or so soldiers below the gates before they could brace for the sh.


    Urich, wielding an axe, charged into the soldiers. It was as if he was certain that the enemy¡¯s spears and swords wouldn¡¯t touch him.


    ¡°<i>Ah, aaaaah!</i>¡±


    As the hulking barbarian charged, the soldiers screamed with none of them able to keep theirposure as they frantically thrusted their spears. In their panic, they were decapitated by Urich¡¯s sword.


    ¡°Uuuuuurich!¡±


    The warriors followed, shouting Urich¡¯s name. Despite his position as Great Chief, Urich always led from the front. He proved that the Great Chief of the Alliance was the warrior of warriors not with words but with steel.


    ¡°Georg, go!¡±


    Urich grabbed a ry horse and called for Georg. Georg staggered but managed to mount the horse.


    ¡°Live, Urich.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that. You¡¯re the one who needs to save me.¡±


    Urich pped the horse¡¯s behind with his blood-stained hand.


    Georg bowed his head and spurred the horse. He leaped over the moat even before the drawbridge was fully lowered.


    ¡°Get to the top of the walls! They¡¯re targeting Georg!¡±


    Urich, without taking a moment of rest, climbed the wall. The sentinels who were shooting their crossbows at Georg panicked when they saw Urich.


    Urich grabbed a soldier by the head and hurled him over the wall. The soldier iled in the moat below.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape! Shoot him down!¡±


    Not all the knights had left their posts. The knightmanding the wall shouted as he saw Georg.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    The arrow barely managed to reach Georg. A momentter, he would have been out of range.


    ¡°Good, now, just one more shot... <i>ah, aaah</i>!¡±


    The soldier firing the crossbow screamed as he sensed someone behind him. Urich had torn through the soldiers on the wall. With every step he took, wounded soldiers fell to either side of the wall.


    ¡°You must be the famous Urich! I shall face you!¡±


    A knight blocked Urich¡¯s path as he rampaged through. The wall was too narrow to pass without killing the opponent.


    ¡°I am the eldest son of the Bastal House... <i>Ack!</i> D-do you not even have a bit of h-honor...!¡±


    The knight couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Urich¡¯s sword pierced his neck.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, have fun dying your honorable death.¡±


    Urich swung his sword sideways, causing the knight to spew blood as he fell off the wall.


    <i>¡®Georg.¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at Georg, who had been knocked off his horse by an arrow.


    ¡°Georg! Get uuuuuuup!¡±


    Urich shouted while his hands continued the ughter. The warriors following him guarded his sides, assisting him.


    Urich¡¯s voice echoed loudly, seemingly reaching Georg who twitched.


    Georg awkwardly stood up. His shoulder felt like it was burning, but he pushed forward. He was propelled by Urich¡¯s roar and advanced in unstable, yet certain steps.


    ¡°Did you shoot that arrow at Georg?¡±


    Urich approached a soldier holding a crossbow as he left a path littered with corpses behind him, leaving no ce to step.


    ¡°<i>U-uuuuuh</i>.¡±


    The soldier threw down the crossbow and jumped into the moat.


    <i>¡®I have to live. That man in the infamous Urich.¡¯</i>


    The soldier sshed in the moat, lifting his face above the water, but his relief was short-lived as his face turned pale upon realizing what was waiting for him to look up.


    ¡°Hey, if you threw away a weapon as valuable as your life, you should die.¡±


    Urich aimed the abandoned crossbow downward and shot the soldier.


    <i>Thwack.</i>


    The soldier, hit in the head, sank to the bottom of the moat. Urich grabbed both sides of the crossbow and casually snapped it in half.


    ¡°Urich, there are torchesing this way.¡±


    The gate was secured, but the real battle was just beginning.


    Urich and his warriors had to defend the gate against the numerous iing Imperial soldiers.


    ¡°How many of us do we have left?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-two,¡± a warrior answered.


    ... And when Urich took a moment to catch his breath, he was alone.


    His breath wasbored. Exhaling darkened his vision, and inhaling brightened it.


    He twitched his fingers to sense that the de of his axe had be dull from blood, and the sword edge was surely nicked.


    ¡°Hey, you guys all dead?¡±


    Urich¡¯s body was drenched in blood as if he had bathed in it. In front of the gate was a mire of flesh and blood.


    ¡°Zrakin, did you die?¡±


    Urich poked a fallen warrior with his sword. There was no response. The body, lifeless, slumped like a puppet that had its strings cut.


    ¡°If you¡¯d trained harder, you might have made it through like me, you idiots.¡±


    Urich chuckled. He used his sword as a cane, standing awkwardly.


    The imperial soldiers who were scattered all over Hamel swarmed like locusts. There had already been four skirmishes at the gate, but the main force of the Imperial Army, which had moved toward the imperial pce, hadn¡¯t reached the gate yet.


    ¡°H-he¡¯s alone! That¡¯s Urich! Urich himself! He¡¯s nearly dead.¡±


    Several patrol soldiers flinched and shouted. They had thought Urich was dead, but here he was, standing right in front of their eyes. But what was more important to them at that moment was the fact that the reward the emperor would give for killing Urich would be unimaginable. The soldiers¡¯ eyes glinted with greed.


    Urich, panting, red at the soldiers.


    ¡°Ah, a man can¡¯t do anything without a healthy back.¡±


    Urich grimaced as he tried to straighten his back. Despite his words, his expression was serious, and cold sweat poured down his face.


    He felt around his waist to check his injury and felt that the flesh and muscles around his lower back had split open, revealing the bone.


    <i>Drip, drip.</i>


    Blood and sweat dripped from Urich¡¯s chin to the ground.


    ¡°Let me give you a tip. Seize your opportunity with the courage to ovee fear. I am Urich, the man the emperor is so desperately trying to kill. Take my head while I¡¯m selling it for cheap because this is going to be yourst chance.¡±


    Urich winked with one eye. The soldiers stiffened, their expressions tense.


    ¡°T-that bastard is crazy!¡±


    Urich¡¯s ears perked up, but it wasn¡¯t the insults of the imperial soldiers that he was listening to.


    ¡°...and just like that, you¡¯ve missed your chance.¡±


    Urich pointed his finger. An arrow flew over his shoulder and struck the soldier in the head.


    <i>Clip-clop.</i>


    It was the sound of mountain goat hooves.

 Chapter 300

    <h4>Chapter 300</h4>


    Chikaka, leading the mountain goat warriors of Phergamo, had followed the Alliance for a long time. The mountain goat warriors were different from other forces of the Alliance, having joined not as part of the Alliance but as an ally of equal standing.


    The mountain goat warriors were the first to reach the gates of Hamel.


    <i>¡®The gates are open.¡¯</i>


    Indeed, the gates were unguarded, exactly ording to the original n. There were no sentries on the walls.


    <i>Creeeeak.</i>


    Chikaka entered through the gates, drawing his bowstring.


    ¡°Urich.¡±


    He released the bowstring and ran toward Urich. He knew it was a hit even without seeing the arrow¡¯s flight, and sure enough, a soldier¡¯s scream was heard.


    <i>¡®Urich¡¯s wound is deep.¡¯</i>


    Chikaka tried to pull Urich back.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    But Urich grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Not yet. The sun is rising. It¡¯s the time of the civilized,¡± Urich muttered. His words weren¡¯t coherent, perhaps due to the loss of blood, and his thoughts were unorganized, floating around.


    Urich was standing in front of the gate, barely supporting himself. He felt that if he sat down, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up again.


    The mountain goat warriors were the first to pass by Urich as they shot arrows to fend off the approaching imperial soldiers.


    The swiftest warriors of the Alliance soon followed into Hamel.


    ¡°Great Chief Urich!¡±


    The heavily panting warriors shouted at Urich¡¯s back upon seeing him alive, feeling the ancestors'' blessings and the heavens'' favor once again.


    ¡°We knew you would be alive, Urich! There¡¯s no way the Son of the Earth would fall!¡±


    The warriors shouted something to Urich and moved forward. They fought the imperial soldiers rushing in from inside the gate.


    <i>Buzzzz.</i>


    Urich, still standing, watched the warriors pass by. Their voices were faint, like afterimages.


    The dawn was cold, and as the sun was rising, Urich felt the sunlight on his back.


    <i>¡®I have to move.¡¯</i>


    The battle was not over yet. It was unclear how many soldiers had entered Hamel, and even with an advantage like this, annihtion was only a single mistake away.


    ¡°Urich, can you stand?¡±


    Belrua asked, supporting Urich. Urich¡¯s weight hung on her arm.


    She staggered under the unexpected weight, then steadied herself.


    <i>¡®Urich is in a terrible state. He can¡¯t even support his own weight.¡¯</i>


    Urich drank water with Belrua¡¯s help. Even draining an entire water bag was not enoughpared to the blood Urich had lost.


    ¡°How many came? What¡¯s the size of our warriors?¡±


    Urich barely managed to speak. Belrua flinched.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s gone.¡¯</i>


    Urich felt like he was submerged deep in water. Every sound was distant and muffled and his limbs felt weightless. Everything looked and felt blurry.


    ¡°All of them will be here soon. Georg insisted with passion that you were alive. If he hadn¡¯t risked his life to say that, the army would have scattered because of Six-Fingered.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still the main force of the imperial Army left. Don¡¯t let the troops scatter for plundering.¡±


    Urich had to forcefully squeeze out every single word.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die yet, Urich. The warriors won¡¯t listen to me. You need to stand up and speak for them to listen.¡±


    Belrua and Urich watched the warriors charging ahead.


    ¡°Kill them all and burn everythiiiiiing! The Son of the Earth has opened the path to victory!¡±


    The warriors'' morale was incredibly high, making it hard to believe they were an army that had been starving for days. Although three hundred warriors were massacred, looking at it from therger army scale, they had practically prated the walls without blood.


    ¡°Catch your breath first, Urich. Do you want to be a legend by dying? If so, I can help with that.¡±


    Belrua ordered a warrior to bring a horse. Urich, with her help, mounted the horse.


    Belrua took a cloth to roughly bandage Urich¡¯s wounds to prevent them from reopening and the bleeding from worsening.


    ¡°I don¡¯t n on dying.¡±


    Urich¡¯s response was more rxed as his energy somewhat returned after catching his breath and stopping the bleeding.


    <i>¡®The forces of the Alliance are dispersing.¡¯</i>


    The eager warriors were scattering all over Hamel without direction. The armies, split into units of tribes and warriors, attacked civilian houses instead of heading straight to the imperial pce.


    The screams were unending.


    ¡°The heart of the civilized world is being shattered by the barbarian axe.¡±


    Even the mercenaries from the civilized world who had joined the Alliance sighed, feeling both joy and regret simultaneously.


    ¡°<i>Hooo</i>.¡±


    Urich exhaled a breath mixed with blood and swept his hair back. He weaved through the warriors on horseback.


    ¡°Uuuuurich!¡±


    ¡°The warrior of warriors! Our Great Chief!¡±


    The warriors, who had been cutting down people, saw Urich and cheered.


    <i>Ache, ache.</i>


    Urich felt as if his back was about to snap. Each time the horse jolted, he felt like he might lose consciousness.


    ¡°My brothers! Did wee all this way just for some plundering?¡± Urich shouted. Even the warriors who had been chopping doors with axes for plundering turned their gazes to him.


    ¡°Do you see that splendid pce? That is where we must go! The emperor who invaded our homes with a mere flick of a finger is there! Are there any men who will join me in avenging our brothers? Or are you all just some animals who crave food and females?¡±


    The warriors flinched and gathered. Urich relentlessly reorganized the army and changed the direction of their charge.


    <i>¡®The Imperial Army¡¯s main force is regrouping at the imperial pce. They¡¯ve given up defending the residential and outer areas.¡¯</i>


    Urich squinted his eyes. The pain disappeared as the cooling blood heated up again.


    Not all warriors had gathered under Urich as many had scattered and were still busy plundering Hamel. However, enough had assembled to attack the emperor¡¯s pce.


    The Alliance Army wasn¡¯t the only one plundering Hamel. The Serpentines who had risen from the underground also took part. Areas were wealthier the closer they were to the imperial pce, and the Serpentines mainly targeted nobles and the rich.


    ¡°That man sold my sister, all just because I owed him a few coins!¡±


    ¡°B-but you were the one who had that huge debt from your gambling! You sold your own sister!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The Serpentines searched through the residential areas, dragging out nobles and the wealthy for judgment. Hamel was in such chaos that even status and ss became blurred. There was no such thing as order any more.


    Urich led the warriors along the main road toward the pce. He rolled his eyes, ncing at the Serpentines.


    ¡°Beast of the Apocalypse marked by the world! You have fulfilled the prophecy!¡±


    A group of Serpentines stood in Urich¡¯s way. It was led by Ludmil the Guide and the priests of Serpentism.


    ¡°Ludmil the Guide.¡±


    Urich looked at Ludmil, who led the Serpentines. Ludmil slightly bowed a knee, showing reverence to Urich.


    ¡°They will face our judgment! The nobles and the rich have made the world suffer! They enjoyed our possessions for their pleasure. There is no ce for them in the world we will create!¡±


    Ludmil was so excited that his saliva was sttering on the ground.


    ¡°It seems to me that you¡¯re just venting your anger. Did Trikee tell you to drag people out, humiliate, and kill them like this?¡±


    Urich closed his eyes and opened them again. He saw the Serpentines shouting andughing, rejoicing at the sight of the blood of the nobles. They were no different from barbarians.


    Ludmil was too excited to hear Urich¡¯s words properly and babbled on about the future like a child.


    ¡°Once you and your people leave, we will create a new world! Since you have carried out the destruction of this world ording to the prophecy, we will bear the new world on our shoulders!¡±


    Urich nced at the massacre performed by the Serpentines. They carried the heads of nobles on poles.


    The Serpentines, who were mostly lower-ss people, needed to vent the hatred and anger that filled their hearts, which they had to suppress all their lives. That hatred spilled out in the name of Serpentism.


    ¡°Go, Beast of the Apocalypse! Destroy that pce, the symbol of the old world!¡± Ludmil shouted as he aggressively pointed his finger. His bloodshot eyes were not satisfied despite having drunk deeply of blood.


    Urich stared intently at Ludmil''s face. How much blood was this man going to spill in the name of the will of the world?


    ¡°Ludmil, there¡¯s a god that I¡¯ve seen multiple times. Whenever my will wavered, he appeared to help me.¡±


    Ludmil widened his eyes. He spread his arms wide, feeling as if he stood in a solemn and historic moment.


    ¡°You are truly the one chosen by the world!¡±


    ¡°But looking back, it wasn¡¯t a god... It was just shadows of my choices. It was my weak self who summoned him. Because I wasn¡¯t confident that my choices and judgments were right... I hoped that a god would assist me.¡±


    ¡°<i>U-uh?</i>¡±


    Ludmil looked up at Urich in confusion. Urich raised his axe high.


    ¡°You are no different. You merely use your faith as a means to your hatred.¡±


    His body was exhausted, but he still had enough strength to split a man¡¯s head.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Urich¡¯s axe cleaved Ludmil¡¯s head in half. Blood sprayed out to the sides.


    ¡°Divine punishment! Divine punishment has fallen upon the Guide!¡±


    The priests of Serpentism, who were watching, shouted in shock. They scattered in all directions to avoid Urich and the warriors.


    ¡°Urich, should we kill the ones running away?¡±


    ¡°Leave the small fry.¡±


    Urich winced as he bent over to pull the axe out of Ludmil¡¯s head.


    The Imperial Army maintained itsmand structure even as Hamel fell. Imperial soldiers crowded into the imperial pce for a final defense.


    Thousands of warriors followed Urich to the imperial pce in the city that was engulfed in screams and mes where the shadow of death did not lift even as the sun rose.


    <i>Clop.</i>


    Urich pulled the reins of his horse and looked up. The entrance to the imperial pce was closing, and the steel knights of the empire stood in the gap of the closing door, still resisting.


    ¡°Olga...¡±


    Olga''s body hung at the entrance of the pce. There wasn¡¯t a spot on his bloodied body that wasn¡¯t beaten, and the blood pooling beneath him stained the ground.


    <i>¡®You probably came here knowing you would die.¡¯</i>


    Olga was strong in improvisation. Though he didn''t strictly follow Urich''s orders, he was a warrior who acted on his thoughts and judgments. He was a man who led rather than followed.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s why I trusted you. I knew you would do great.¡¯</i>


    Urich ordered the warriors to lower Olga¡¯s body. Soldiers on the pce walls shot arrows, but the warriors skillfully raised their shields in response.


    The warriors treated Olga''s body with respect, honoring his death.


    It was a victory built on the blood of brothers. It was the sacrifice of the recklessly brave warriors that allowed Hamel to fall.


    The walls and gates of the imperial pce were significantly weaker than those of the outer wall of the city. Mercenaries brought roofed battering rams to pound the pce gates.


    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>


    The entrance to the pce wasn¡¯t going to hold for long, as it was designed for security, not siege.


    ¡°Urich, you have to take a break, even just for a second. You look terrible.¡±


    Belrua stood by Urich.


    Urich nodded off, then straightened up. He had been fighting for over a day without any proper sleep. Even someone called superhuman was on the verge of copsing from exhaustion.


    ¡°No. If I rest now, I won''t be able to get back up. It''s not over until the emperor falls.¡±


    Urich persevered stubbornly. He held onto consciousness.


    ¡ªThe time hase.


    ¡ªCome to us.


    ¡ªYou have done enough.


    He hadn¡¯t taken any drugs, but he was still hearing voices. His chest felt cold, and even when he turned his head toward the voices, he saw nothing.


    <i>¡®What I should fear is not the invisible beings, but my own weakened heart.¡¯</i>


    Urich shook his head and bit his tongue until it bled.

 Chapter 301

    <h4>Chapter 301</h4>


    The high-spirited mercenaries pulled the battering ram back once more before driving it forward. If they captured the imperial pce, immense treasures were within sight. Moreover, the momentum was firmly in the Alliance''s favor.


    "Let''s goooo!"


    "<i>Hooooooh!</i>"


    The mercenaries shouted. The door hit by the battering ram was dented, and splinters flew.


    "<i>Kaaargh!</i>"


    A mercenary screamed as a splinter was lodged in his eye, causing blood to flow like tears.


    "Move, you idiot!"


    Another mercenary pulled the injured man aside and took his ce. They shouted vigorously as they pushed the battering ram again.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The door was on the verge of breaking.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Thetch broke, and the gates of the imperial pce opened. The mercenaries smiled triumphantly, thinking of the future where they returned home rich to live in luxury.


    <i>Sniff, sniff.</i>


    The mercenary at the very front smelled something unfamiliar.


    <i>Fwhooosh!</i>


    mes erupted from the other side of the gates. Fire engulfed the battering ram and the mercenaries, and the ox hide binding the battering ram couldn''t withstand the Fire of the Empire.


    "<i>A-aaaaah!</i>"


    The agony of being burned alive was beyond imagination and caused the mercenaries operating the battering ram to run in all directions, screeching. Theirrades tried to extinguish the mes, but the fire fed by the empire¡¯s me oil wouldn''t go out easily.


    "W-what is that!"


    Warriors seeing the Fire of the Empire for the first time widened their eyes.


    The Alliance Army assaulting the pce hesitated momentarily as the entrance became a sea of mes.


    "Now! Block the gate again!"


    The imperial soldiers quickly brought sandbags and wood to fill the opening in the gates.


    Hamel¡¯sst resistance was fiercely intense, to the point of desperation. Warriors climbing over the walls died on sharp spears as the well-trained imperial soldiers held their positions to prevent the Alliance from advancing further.


    The Alliance Army desperately tried to break through the gate while the imperial soldiers repeatedly used the little remaining me oil to hold them off.


    <i>Craaaash!</i>


    The pce entrance copsed once again, and the chiefs urged their warriors who were eachpeting for merit.


    "Now! Go in! Go in!"


    Taking advantage of the gap, the warriors rushed into the pce entrance. This time, the imperial steel knights stepped forward to block the warriors.


    The entrance was blocked again as the steel knights battled on. The siege became a tedious back-and-forth struggle and a war of attrition between those holding the line and those trying to breach it.


    Whenever the Alliance created a gap, the imperial soldiers filled it to prevent the breach.


    But it was only a matter of time before they broke through. The Porcana army, which had been spectating until now, finally joined the assault on Hamel and targeted the pce''s nks.


    Thebined attack was enough to make the morale of the once iron-willed imperial soldiers falter. Even the knights began to drop their weapons and desert.


    <i>¡®This is the end,¡¯ </i>Urich and the warriors thought.


    <i>¡®The war ends with Urich still alive.¡¯</i>


    Belrua stared at the great hero standing before her. He was a warrior she wanted to respect freely, but he was also destined to be her own son''s future nemesis.


    <i>¡®How could my son ever avenge his father on this unparalleled hero....¡¯</i>


    Belrua subtly furrowed his eyebrows.


    But as if he had read her thoughts, Urich turned his head and looked at Belrua.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Belrua. I can¡¯t feel my legs."


    Urich, on horseback, pressed his thigh firmly. At some point, the pain in his back had disappeared. Not only the pain, but all sensation had ceased. His days as a warrior were over.


    * * *


    The capital that once dreamed of a millennial empire was burning as its destruction spread uncontrobly.


    War had always been a man¡¯s affair. Women could only wait for the war''s oue and ept their fate.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Damia sat in a rocking chair, soothing her son who had been awakened by themotion. Her son, Salone, was at the age where he could walk on his own and express his will. Time indeed flew by quickly.


    While men rolled on the battlefield, women bore and raised life. As many lives perished on the battlefield, so were children born. Such a cycle of life and soul was one of the truths of Srism.


    "Salone, someday you will receive your true name."


    ¡®Salone¡¯ was only a childhood name. Once he grew a bit more and his personality became clear, he would receive a name that fit his character.


    <i>¡®It won¡¯t be a smooth sail.¡¯</i>


    Salone¡¯s hardships were predestined, given his extraordinarily twisted birth.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Hearing themotion outside, Damia closed her eyes briefly and held Salone close.


    <i>Boom, boom.</i>


    The sound grew louder. Even the imperial pce was no longer safe.


    Damia had a rough idea of what was happening outside. The fall of the empire was imminent.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Footsteps sounded in the corridor outside.


    Damia opened the wardrobe and hid Salone inside.


    ¡°<i>Shh</i>, no matter what happens, do not look outside.¡±


    Salon, still drowsy, nodded. Hey among the clothes and closed his eyes again.


    <i>¡®Barbarians?¡¯</i>


    There was no telling who mighte. Even though Damia was once a princess of Porcana, there was no guarantee of safety if the barbarians broke in.


    <i>¡®I won¡¯t hand Salone over to Urich.¡¯</i>


    She had no intention of letting her son be raised under the barbarians.


    ¡°Lady Damia, are you there?¡±


    Upon hearing a polite voice, Damia finally rxed and walked to the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± She asked the voice on the other side of the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s Xeron, mydy. Ie by His Majesty¡¯smand.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Sir Xeron.¡±


    Xeron was a knight Damia knew. It was just hard to discern because his voice echoed from within his helmet.


    Xeron opened the door and entered. His armor and weapons were stained with blood, indicating the desperate state of the battle.


    ¡°Sir Xeron, what is the status of the battle?¡±


    ¡°It is over. Hamel will be a capital of civilization trampled by barbarians. I was as good as dead.¡±


    Damia stepped back. Xeron¡¯s words were odd.


    ¡°Sir Xeron, what exactly was the order of His Majesty?¡±


    The air trapped inside the helmet steamed out as Xeron revealed his face. He looked at Damia with cold eyes.


    ¡°I have heard your lustful cries every night, Damia. Many nights I couldn¡¯t sleep because of them. No matter how many cheap women I held, I could not quench this thirst caused by you.¡±


    Damia threw a vase at him, but Xeron knocked it away with his arm andughed.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already been sullied enough? Don¡¯t tell me you still have pride or shame left?¡±


    Xeron banged on the wall.


    More footsteps were heard. Two knights who shared Xeron¡¯s sentiments appeared. They were men who had dreamed of Damia even in their sleep. With the empire''s downfall at hand, and no honor left to uphold, they invaded Damia¡¯s chamber to fulfill their final desires.


    ¡°Strip, you whore of Porcana. Treat us as you would the emperor,¡± one knight said, cackling crudely.


    They lifted Damia¡¯s skirt with the tip of a sword. The de grazed her thigh.


    ¡°I heard that you were sold to the emperor for trying to kill your own little brother?¡±


    ¡°And what about the rumors about you and your uncle? Hmm? Are they true? How disgusting.¡±


    The knights spewed out their pent-up desires, speaking as harshly as they would toward a street woman.


    There was a time when Damia ruled over men. Men would evenmit murder for her favor and kind words.


    But now, Damia was on the receiving end. In the barbaric logic of power, it was exceedingly difficult for a woman to surpass a man.


    <i>Squeeze.</i>


    Xeron grabbed Damia¡¯s hands and tried to kiss her, but Damia dug her teeth into his ear.


    ¡°Y-you goddamn bitch!¡±


    Xeron, with half his ear bitten off, pped Damia.


    <i>p!</i>


    Damia fell back, spitting the bitten ear onto the ground. She wiped the blood from her lips andughed.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Amid themotion, the wardrobe shook. Xeron flinched.


    ¡°You can¡¯t pick a flower because you¡¯re afraid of being pricked by its thorns? How disappointing.¡±


    Hearing Damia''s words, Xeron''s shoulders shook with an expression that was hard to tell if he wasughing or crying. The knights felt the same self-loathing knowing they, who once thought of themselves as honorable, were nowmitting such a disgraceful act of gathering to assault a helpless woman.


    The knights approached Damia, loosening their armor straps. She couldn''t take on three well-trained men. However, Damia resisted to the end.


    She bit their tongue and kicked their groin, holding them off as best she could, but the violence of men only grew more severe.


    ¡°Tired already? Did you not take on all of the sexual desires of His Majesty? Huh?¡±


    A knight aggressively twisted her arm, breaking the fragile bone. Despite the pain, she stifled her scream while her entire body trembled.


    The sadism of the knights only became more fueled as she continued to refuse to yield to their violence.


    ¡°Let''s see how long you can hold out!¡±


    ¡°Let''s burn thest me of our lives together.¡±


    The emperor had toyed with Damia for years with an abuse that would have broken an ordinary woman in days, let alone a year. But she hated the idea of surrendering, whether to fate, a man, or anyone. Violence could bring her to death, but not break her.


    The knights watched Damia suppress every single groan. One of them, filled with defiance, punched her stomach.


    ¡°<i>Gah, ugh!</i>¡±


    Damia exhaled harshly, opening her tightly shut mouth. As if he was waiting for this moment, the knight''s movements quickened.


    ¡°Hurry up. I¡¯m next.¡±


    Even while the knights mocked Damia, their eyes were filled with terror. They sought pleasure with the princess to forget their fear.


    ¡°The barbarians are going to kill us all...¡±


    The knights'' anxiety bred violence. They wielded cruel violence on a single woman as if they were trying to show how low mankind could fall. They sought only their pleasure, regardless of the damage they were doing to Damia''s body.


    The barbarians trampling the imperial pce was only a matter of time as the pce crumbled under fear and chaos. Even the troops maintaining the front lines had been disbanded.


    <i>Click, click.</i>


    Footsteps quickened. Someone was walking briskly through the marble corridor, but the knights who were consumed with their desires for Damia did not hear the footsteps.


    ¡°Cry out!¡±


    Xeron pped Damia''s cheek hard. There was a strange noise from her jawbone, and her neat front teeth broke off.


    Damia barely opened her swollen eyelids to look at the open door. Something blurry was standing behind the knights panting like beasts.


    <i>Click.</i>


    The footsteps stopped.


    Order in Hamel had copsed. There was no ethics or morality, and even the proudest of the empire had reverted to beasts.


    Yet there was still a man donning the violet eagle.


    Only then did the knights hear the footsteps and turn around. The ruler of the empire that was on the brink of copse stood there.


    ¡°Go on, continue. It¡¯s a good watch.¡±


    Yanchinus squinted and smiled.


    The knights froze. At a loss, they could not react until a sword was driven into one of their hearts. Despite throwing away all their values, their bodies still trembled under the aura of the emperor in a submission that was deeply ingrained in their brains.


    Schluck!


    Blood sttered as the naked knights fell to the emperor''s sword. Yanchinus was trained in swordsmanship as well as any decent knight.


    ¡°...Forgive me, Your Majesty.¡±


    Xeron, deeply stabbed in the chest, begged for forgiveness as he died. He wasn¡¯t pleading for his life, just forgiveness.


    ¡°I understand, Sir Xeron. It is all my fault. I will not me your weakness.¡±


    Yanchinus nodded and ended the knight''s life. He wiped the blood off his sword with his cloak and looked at Damia.


    Her broken arm dangled helplessly, and her belly was bruised. Her face was swollen and ugly, and every breath she took bubbled with blood.


    ¡°If you had just given in to their demands, your body wouldn¡¯t have gotten to this state. You are still as stubborn as ever.¡±


    Yanchinus picked Damia up. She wanted to say something, but no sound came out.


    Yanchinus walked down the corridor with Damia in his arms.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Here you are!¡±


    Knights who had just retreated came looking for Yanchinus. They were among the few loyal ones left who had not sumbed to fear and had kept their duty.


    ¡°We will gather the remaining forces and open an escape route. As long as we secure your safety, we can recover anytime. There are still troops in the north...¡±


    Yanchinus closed his eyes and then opened them. The copse seemed like it was gradually approaching, but before he knew it, it was breathing down his neck.


    His heart wanted to stay and protect the throne. Facing the enemy and meeting his end as an emperor seemed honorable, but that was only an escape. Anyone could give up and die.


    <i>¡®...The true challenge is surviving to the end and achieving greatness.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus gestured with his chin. The knights, with their eyes glistening, stood by the emperor.

 Chapter 302

    <h4>Chapter 302</h4>


    The empire''s establishment was a mere fifty years ago.


    It was nothing short of a miraculous achievement. The first emperor founded the empire, and the second emperor expanded its territory to the north and south.


    <i>¡®Conquest.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus pondered the word. He wasn¡¯t venturing into the west and seeking the Eastern Continent for nothing.


    <i>¡®The empire is built on conquest.¡¯</i>


    For the vast empire which was less than a hundred years old, continuous conquest was necessary. They needed to unite the weak internal structure by focusing on external enemies. Unceasing expansion was the only thing that could bring stability to the empire.


    <i>¡®The bloodline of conquerors.¡¯</i>


    The previous emperors were great, and both were undeniable heroes.


    <i>¡®What am I doing to carry on their legacy?¡¯</i>


    He had to be an emperor remembered in history. The weight of having a heroic grandfather and father was heavy. From the time he could walk, his extraordinary judgment and heroic temperament were tested as everyone demanded yet another hero.


    If Yanchinus didn¡¯t meet their lofty ideals, they were disappointed. Merely doing as well as others wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy the people. He had to be exceptional and great in order to survive.


    <i>¡®I had everything in my hands from the moment I was born, so who can I me?¡¯</i>


    Yanchinusughed.


    Barbarians roamed the pce, searching for the emperor.


    ¡°There he is!¡±


    Civilized mercenaries who spotted the emperor rushed toward him. The bounty on Yanchinus'' head was substantial.


    ¡°<i>Oooooooh!</i>¡±


    Knights fought to protect Yanchinus, their armor looking like they were painted red with blood. The ones who had survived until now were the elite of the elite.


    ¡°This way, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yanchinus moved with a small group of knights. One of the knights was carrying the wounded Damia.


    Every country¡¯s pce had a few secret passages, and the imperial pce was no different. There was an underground passage in the pce for the imperial family that led outside Hamel.


    ¡°It seems Damia won¡¯tst much longer.¡±


    A knight said, looking at Damia¡¯s condition. Being already frail, her breath was growing weaker with the current injuries.


    ¡°We¡¯ve still got a long way to go, Your Majesty.¡±


    The knight suggested leaving Damia behind.


    ¡°Is it so difficult to bring one woman with us?¡±


    Yanchinus looked at Damia¡¯s face, cing his hand on her cheek. It was an action that might seem very affectionate to an outsider.


    <i>¡®Why is he taking me along?¡¯</i>


    Damia opened her eyes faintly. She couldn¡¯t understand the emperor¡¯s actions.


    <i>¡®It was strange that he came to find me in the first ce.¡¯</i>


    Hamel was copsing. In such an urgent situation, Yanchinus had deliberatelye to find Damia. And not just that, he resolutely took the half-dead Damia along in his escape.


    Damia stared intently at Yanchinus'' face.


    <i>¡®The great ruler of the world...¡¯</i>


    She wanted tough out loud, but it felt like her throat was blocked by a lump of blood. Her chest heaved, and she coughed up blood instead ofughter.


    <i>¡®...Has he be attached to me?¡¯</i>


    Damia looked around while being carried by the knight. Being a royal herself, she knew they were in a secret passage.


    <i>¡®I won¡¯t make it through the night.¡¯</i>


    Damia¡¯s lips moved slightly. Despite the knights covering her with their cloaks, her cold body didn¡¯t warm up. It even felt like a piece of her broken rib was floating around inside her body.


    <i>Snap.</i>


    Damia fiddled with her pearl ne. With trembling hands, she dropped each pearl at every corner they turned. The pearls made a sound as they hit the ground, but the metallic noise made by the armor drowned out the tinkling.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    The knight awaited Yanchinus¡¯ instructions. From here, only Yanchinus knew the way.


    <i>Grrrrr.</i>


    The knights pushed the stone wall that Yanchinus pointed at. The wall turned, revealing an internal passage.


    ¡°They won¡¯t know about this ce.¡±


    The knights entered the passage, catching their breath. They took out pre-prepared torches and lit them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a breather here.¡±


    Halfway through the underground passage, Yanchinus ordered a rest. Both the knights and Yanchinus were quite exhausted, and more than half of the ten or so knights were injured.


    ¡°How is Damia?¡±


    Yanchinus asked the knight carrying her. The knightid her down and checked her condition.


    <i>¡®She won¡¯t make it through the night,¡¯ </i>the knight thought and shook his head.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Yanchinus murmured as he came to Damia''s side. He looked at her disheveled state and noticed the ne she was holding. It was a pearl ne, a specialty of Porcana.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s... broken?¡¯</i>


    Half of the pearls were missing. Yanchinus stared intently at Damia as a sense of foreboding struck him. He gripped her jaw tightly, threatening her.


    ¡°...What have you done?¡±


    Damia opened her swollen eyelids wide. Sheughed, coughing up blood.


    <i>Ting, ting.</i>


    Damia gazed at Yanchinus'' face as the rest of the pearls fell to the ground one by one


    ¡°Foolish man...¡± Damia muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had me, and you never will.¡±


    With those words, Damia''s breaths grew fainter and fainter.


    Yanchinus ran his hands over his face.


    <i>¡®How meaningless.¡¯</i>


    He had thought about being with her, whether for better or for worse. But that was his one-sided delusion. To be together required the other¡¯s consent. One could destroy a woman by force but could never win her heart.


    ¡°Damia, your life is just as pitiful as mine.¡±


    Yanchinus drew his sword, at least wanting to take her death by his own hand.


    ¡°She is gone, your majesty.¡±


    The knight said, cing his ear close to Damia¡¯s nose. She was no longer breathing.


    Damia died as if it were her escape from Yanchinus. Yanchinus frowned and bowed his head as he sheathed his sword and nced at Damia''s corpse.


    <i>Thud, thud.</i>


    Sounds echoed in the underground passage that had been quiet. The murmuring voices traveled along the walls.


    ¡°In the end, I was tripped by my own toy.¡±


    Yanchinus looked back in the direction he hade. In the darkness, enemy torches flickered.


    * * *


    Hamel, the pinnacle of civilization, had fallen into the hands of a mere barbarian army. The plundering continued day and night without pause, and the civilized people trembled in fear.


    Supported by warriors, Urich sat on the emperor¡¯s throne, exhaling softly. The blood clinging to his skin was a mark of glory.


    Urich leaned back against the throne.


    ¡°It¡¯s not asfortable as I imagined.¡±


    When Urich murmured, the chiefs of the Allianceughed. The men reeking of blood had struck at the heart of civilization.


    ¡°Great Urich, you have aplished everything.¡±


    The chief of the Karkar Tribe knelt and paid his respects.


    ¡°...No, <i>we</i> have aplished everything.¡±


    Urich closed his eyes and gave a bitter smile. How many brothers had died? Vald, Katagi, Olga... The warriors who had stood shoulder to shoulder with Urich could not avoid death.


    <i>¡®The deaths of my brothers protected me.¡¯</i>


    It was Gottval¡¯s admonishment that awakened the defeated Urich, and it was Katagi¡¯s body that shielded Urich from the mes. The heavens merely watched.


    ¡°Great Chief Urich.¡±


    ¡°The Son of the Earth.¡±


    ¡°Urich.¡±


    Key figures of the Alliance entered the pce hall one by one and paid their respects to Urich.


    The battle was nearing its end. The only remaining forces were small groups still resisting. The knights of the empire were dragged out in chains and beheaded, and the warriors, drunk on blood, engaged in excessive ughter. Blood and corpses were amon sight everywhere in the pce.


    <i>¡®I destroyed it.¡¯</i>


    Urich had shattered the heart of civilization. The center of the once brilliant culture now screamed in agony.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    Urich squinted his eyes as he heard someone entering the hall.


    He had heard the news that the warriors had captured Emperor Yanchinus while he was fleeing. It was an unexpected gain.


    ¡°Yanchinus,¡± Urich uttered the name.


    The warriors bumped the back of Yanchinus'' knees with their spear shafts. The once proud Yanchinus knelt before Urich.


    ¡°Congrattions on your victory, Urich.¡±


    Yanchinus raised his head.


    It might have been because of the pearl dropped by Damia that the emperor was captured, or it could have just been bad luck. Regardless of the process, the important thing was that the emperor was now in the hands of the Alliance Army.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame to meet again under these circumstances.¡±


    Urich tapped the armrest of the throne with his fingers.


    ¡°You have seeded in conquest. History will remember your name.¡±


    ¡°I... conquered only to avoid being conquered.¡±


    Urich tilted his head to the side, his gaze fixed on Yanchinus.


    ¡°If you have conquered, then savor your victory, Urich. Enjoy the privileges of the victor. y my skin, gut my insides, do as you wish.¡±


    Urich burst intoughter. He wiped his face with a wet towel, which came away stained with blood.


    ¡°I am not going to kill you, Yanchinus.¡±


    ¡°Do you intend to show mercy?¡±


    ¡°An honorable death is the right of a hero.¡±


    Urich opened his eyes wide, his bright yellow irises ring at Yanchinus with clear murderous intent.


    ¡°Yanchinus, you are nothing but a tyrant who brought cmity. You boast about conquests and achievements when in reality, there is nothing you have gained on your own. Because of your childish ambitions, my brothers suffered and died, and I had to destroy the cities of civilization with my own hands. Can you give me one reason why I should respect you? I swear on my name, you will suffer every humiliation possible in a lifetime.¡±


    Yanchinus'' expression hardened. He stiffly looked around.


    The barbarians were snickering. Though they didn¡¯t understand what Urich was saying to the emperor, they knew from his tone that it was a mockery.


    It was not the reception Yanchinus had expected as the ruler of the world, and the emperor who once governed vastnds.


    <i>Step.</i>


    Urich stood up with the help of the warriors. The other warriors just thought his movements were stiff because of his injuries. They had no doubt that, as always, Urich would stand proudly again.


    <i>¡®Our Great Chief is a maker of miracles.¡¯</i>


    Within the Alliance, Urich''s stature pierced the sky. The existence of Samikan¡¯s son was no longer an issue. Even if Samikan himself returned alive, Urich''s position would remain unshaken.


    <i>p!</i>


    Urich raised his hand and pped Yanchinus across the cheek. Yanchinus'' tooth fell to the ground along with blood.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Urich, wielding a club, beat Yanchinus. He controlled his strength to avoid killing him, but Yanchinus still couldn¡¯t suppress the groans escaping his lips. The emperor of all men cowered like a beaten ve.


    ¡°Treat him just enough to keep him alive... and throw him out naked in the square by morning.¡±


    Urich tossed the club aside and sat back in his chair.


    Rage and hatred consumed Urich. It seemed as if all his twisted fate was because of Yanchinus. It was because of him that the war began in the first ce and countless people died.


    Urich was forced to choose between the civilized people and his own kin. If he had abandoned his kin, he would have suffered lifelong guilt, and by choosing his kin, he had to turn the civilization he admired into a sea of fire.


    Urich had met many people, and among them were those who shed swords with him and tried to kill him. However, they were those worthy of respect, and he showed glory and mercy to such people.


    ¡°I despise you, Yanchinus.¡±


    Urich¡¯s umted resentment and hatred became focused on Yanchinus.


    Yanchinus was dragged away, leaving a trail of blood. He looked at Urich with his swollen eyes. The radiant glory was fading away.

 Chapter 303

    <h4>Chapter 303</h4>


    The world was turned upside down, and the one people once knew was no more. The empire, symbolizing civilization and order, had fallen. Within days, all civilized people would hear of the empire¡¯s copse.


    The barbarian army had taken the pinnacle of the civilized world, and no one knew how the world would change from this unprecedented point.


    For decades toe, no one would dare underestimate the west who have demonstrated that their strength was enough to topple the empire. To challenge the west was akin to disturbing a ho''s nest.


    The westerners of the Alliance shouted in jubnt victory with all that remained for them to do was to enjoy the rights of the victors after having won the war and captured the emperor.


    However, there were those within the Alliance who couldn¡¯t share in the victor¡¯s joy.


    Six-Fingered bit his nails and shook his legs, sitting alone in the tent.


    <i>¡®No one came.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered had summoned the shamans under his authority as the priest of the Alliance, but none responded to the summon.


    <i>¡®Urich is alive.¡¯</i>


    It was dreadful news. Six-Fingered had already antagonized Urich enough, and he had gone as far as to dere he was dead through false omens.


    With the news that Urich was alive, Six-Fingered¡¯s authority plummeted to the ground. The two were divided into the hero who had bravely opened the gates of Hamel and the shaman who had uttered false omens. Even those who supported Six-Fingered couldn¡¯t do anything about this.


    Six-Fingered didn¡¯t have to face Urich until the next day as Urich and the warriors were still in Hamel.


    Six-Fingered flinched at a sounding from outside of the tent.


    ¡°No one wille, Priest Six-Fingered,¡± a shaman spoke from outside.


    ¡°I simply acted for the benefit of all shamans.¡±


    ¡°We know that. That¡¯s why we kept silent even though we knew your words were false omens. But you have failed, so we will no longer support you. Bear the responsibility alone.¡±


    With that, the shaman disappeared. Six-Fingered chuckled with shaking shoulders.


    <i>¡®How hard have I worked for the benefit of the shamans.¡¯</i>


    The shamans under his influence were of no help.


    Though it was for his own benefit, thanks to Six-Fingered, the shamans had gained power within the Alliance. But as soon as Six-Fingered fell, they turned their backs without hesitation, showing that their rtionship had always been based on mutual benefit.


    Six-Fingered trembled as he fearfully remembered and dreaded the warnings of Urich and Belrua, knowing that he would surely face a terrible fate upon their return.


    ¡°Why is this happening to me...¡±


    Six-Fingered gulped down the milk wineced with herbal powder.


    ¡°I did my best to survive.¡±


    But there was no one to listen to him.


    <i>¡®These goddamned six fingers.¡¯</i>


    From the moment he was born with a deformity, his fate was sealed. He could never be a warrior.


    Under Samikan, Six-Fingered lived a life of deceiving the heavens. Rebellious shamans lost their lives one by one, and only Six-Fingered, who manipted his omens ording to Samikan¡¯s will, rose to the position of priest of the Blue Mist.


    <i>¡®You¡¯ve kept quiet while I deceived you all my life, but now you decide to punish me?¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered resented the heavens. The heavens had given him an unjust fate.


    <i>¡®When I defied your will under Samikan¡¯s orders, you didn¡¯t even bat an eye...¡¯</i>


    It was so unfair. He was so aggrieved that he was on the verge of tears.


    He had falsified countless omens because of Samikan. Though every omen he dered was for the benefit of Samikan, the former Great Chief and the priest of the Alliance walked the path of sess rather than receiving punishment from the heavens.


    ¡°It was just onest time. I truly swore that if I could have gotten through this one time, there would never be a second. Heavens, oh, all-knowing heavens, why....¡±


    Six-Fingered knelt. He lit incense and murmured.


    <i>¡®Grant my wish just this once. By the will of heaven and earth, cast the shadow of death upon Urich.¡¯</i>


    The smoke spread thickly in the tent as Six-Fingered mobilized all his experience and knowledge.


    Outside Six-Fingered¡¯s tent, warriors were keeping watch. At a nce, they looked like they were guarding him, but in reality, they were simply making sure he couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°Man, I can smell his smoke all the way from here.¡±


    The warriors coughed, looking at the tent.


    ¡°He could burn his tent down at this rate. We should say something.¡±


    ¡°Better not. What if he curses us before he dies? He¡¯s a dead man, anyway. Let him do as he pleases just for tonight.¡±


    The warriors talked as they watched Six-Fingered¡¯s tent.


    Six-Fingered had falsely dered Urich¡¯s death. If Urich had been just a dayte in opening the gates, the Alliance Army would have retreated.


    Even the chiefs who disliked Urich couldn¡¯t protect Six-Fingered. It was obvious what would happen to him.


    ¡°Death to Urich... Anyone, please. Whether it¡¯s my ancestors or the spirits of the earth....¡±


    Six-Fingered fervently wished. He didn¡¯t care who was listening to his prayers, as long as they granted his wish.


    <i>Clink.</i>


    He reached into a box and felt something in his grasp.


    <i>¡®The ne that once saved Samikan¡¯s life.¡¯</i>


    The dented sun ne dangled in front of Six-Fingered''s eyes. It was the miraculous ne that had taken an arrow that was meant for Samikan.


    Six-Fingered had taken the ne when Samikan died, believing that it held power.


    ¡°Lou, was it?¡± Six-Fingered muttered, clutching the sun ne. The sun god Lou, was a god of the civilized people.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t believe in if it could save me from this predicament.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered¡¯s eyes gradually lost focus. He stared nkly into a dark corner.


    ¡ªI will skin you alive.


    Urich¡¯s voice echoed.


    ¡ªWhen wee back alive, you¡¯ll be begging me to kill you! Thete Samikan will be d to wee you with open arms!


    Belrua¡¯s threats lingered in his ears.


    <i>Shiver.</i>


    Six-Fingered trembled and wet himself. Yellow liquid trickled down his dried thighs.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t care who is listening to my prayers, please save me.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered repeatedly imagined Urich¡¯s death. He wanted Urich to die, even if it was at the cost of the Alliance¡¯s defeat.


    <i>¡®Please... grant me peace. I¡¯m asking you to put an end to this fear.¡¯</i>


    Six-Fingered iled his arms in the air.


    Not only did the fear not disperse, it only grew stronger.


    <i>¡®The heavens were not on my side.¡¯</i>


    The heavens favored Urich. They saved him with thunder and lightning and helped him time and time again. Six-Fingered trembled with betrayal.


    How could Urich have achieved such feats without the help of the heavens?


    <i>¡®You have been on Urich¡¯s side all this time, so couldn¡¯t you have sided with me just once?¡¯</i>


    But the heavens gave no answer. Six-Fingered wed at the ground in agony, blood flowing as his long nails tore.


    ¡°<i>Ah, aaaaaaah.</i>¡±


    He sobbed knowing that an unavoidable death was approaching. By tomorrow morning, bloodthirsty warriors would drag him out for judgment.


    When he stared into the darkness, it felt as if Urich¡¯s axe was flying toward him. Six-Fingered feared the morning. He was terrified of the passage of time.


    <i>¡®...Put an end to my fear.¡¯</i>


    He grabbed a handful of herbs and threw them into the censer. More smoke billowed out, nearly making the air impossible to breathe.


    * * *


    A day had passed since Hamel fell.


    Urich had a lot of things to take care of, but treatment came first.


    ¡°We won¡¯t kill you. Well, I guess you will if our Great Chief dies,¡± Georg said to the physician he was bringing to Urich. He had brought the physician of the imperial family who was caught while trying to escape.


    <i>¡®How did the empire... The center of civilization, Hamel, fell to some barbarians...¡¯ </i>the physician thought while trembling.


    The imperial pce was now guarded by those very barbarians.


    The Porcana-Alliance army controlled all of Hamel. The plundering had stopped, but gold and treasures were still being moved out of the pce. It was an amount of money that could pay off the mercenaries and still overflow, almost enough to buy a kingdom, to exaggerate a bit.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The door to Urich¡¯s room, which had originally been the emperor¡¯s bedroom, opened with a creak. His weapons hung on the walls, and his well-polished breastte gleamed on the armor stand.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    A loud, thunder-like noise startled the physician, who looked around in terror.


    The source of the noise was Urich¡¯s snoring. He had fallen into a deep sleep after staying awake for several nights, with his exhaustion evident in his breathing.


    ¡°Urich, wake up.¡±


    Georg grabbed Urich¡¯s shoulder and shook him awake.


    <i>Schring.</i>


    Urich instinctively grabbed the dagger under his pillow and put the de right against Georg¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s you? I was knocked out so hard that I didn¡¯t even hear youe in.¡±


    Urich shook his head. Normally, he would have woken at the sound of footsteps.


    ¡°Are you telling me he¡¯s the patient? He looks vigorous.¡±


    The physician clicked his tongue in awe at Urich¡¯s reaction speed. He was no different from a wild beast that had lived its entire life in the wilderness.


    <i>¡®So this is the man who stands at the pinnacle of the new world...¡¯</i>


    People with special skills, like the physician, survived. When times changed, it was always the rulers who died. A change in leadership didn¡¯t alter the social structure overnight. Farmers would still take their shovels and hoes to the fields, and shepherds would still lead their sheep up the hills.


    <i>Riiiip.</i>


    Urich flinched as the physician unraveled the blood-soaked bandage.


    The wound in Urich¡¯s back was practically a hole, smeared with crushed herbs.


    ¡°I got hit by a hammer with a spike,¡± Urich said, lying on his stomach.


    ¡°You should be grateful your bones aren¡¯t broken. Your muscles are as hard as armor.¡±


    The physician admired the muscture in Urich¡¯s back. A normal person would have found their spine shattered with the same hit, but Urich¡¯s well-trained body seemed to have prevented the worst oue.


    ¡°Everyone, out.¡±


    While the physician was treating Urich, Georg sent the surrounding warriors away.


    The warriors hesitated but left when Urich nodded.


    <i>¡®If they find out Urich is crippled, who knows what will happen? No matter how great Urich¡¯s achievements are...¡¯</i>


    Georg had lived with the westerners for a long time. While Urich would go down in history as a hero, he couldn''t keep the position of Great Chief with a crippled body. It was possible that the Alliance might split over who would be the next Great Chief.


    While the physician was treating him, Urich and Georg spoke in the tribalnguage.


    ¡°Urich, you need to make it clear who the next Great Chief is going to be before they find out that you¡¯re crippled.¡±


    ¡°Whoever it is, there will be opposition.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Even if you hand over the position to Belrua, there is going to be strong resistance.¡±


    ¡°I need to keep my status as Great Chief until things are settled. Who knows? If I¡¯m lucky, I might even be able to walk again.¡±


    Urich smiled while lying down.


    The physician, after examining the wound, looked at Urich.


    ¡°Sit up, please.¡±


    Urich sat on the bed as the physician instructed. The physician pressed down on Urich¡¯s legs and the soles of his feet. Finally, he tickled the soles with a feather.


    ¡°Can you feel this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Urich answered.


    The physician looked at Urich and Georg¡¯s expressions.


    ¡°I¡¯ve stitched up the wound and applied medicine for now. Please call me again if it gets infected and a fever develops.¡±


    The physician wrapped a bandage around Urich¡¯s waist.


    Georg ced his hand on the physician¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Will Urich be able to walk again?¡±


    ¡°That only Lou would know.¡±


    Georg firmly ordered the physician to keep silent before sending him out.


    Chiefs and warriors came to see Urich as the news that he was awake spread. There were many matters to report to Urich while he was resting, from the distribution of loot to various disputes awaiting his decision.


    Belrua pushed other warriors aside and stepped forward.


    ¡°Urich, we need to decide on how we¡¯re going to punish Six-Fingered.¡±


    At her words, the warriors raised their hands and shouted.


    ¡°Death to Six-Fingered!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s skin him alive!¡±


    The warriors who revered Urich despised Six-Fingered. Given that he was the one who almost got them to retreat while their Great Chief was still alive, their anger wasn¡¯t going to be appeased even if Six-Fingered were torn apart multiple times.


    ¡°Eh, do we really need to kill him?¡±


    Urich shrugged. The other warriors widened their eyes at his words.


    ¡°Of course, we must! We can¡¯t just kill him; removing his entrails wouldn¡¯t even make up for half of what he¡¯s done.¡±


    Belrua nodded in agreement with the warriors.


    ¡°Well, if everyone thinks he should die, then let¡¯s kill him. Bring Six-Fingered immediately and behead him.¡±


    Urich replied casually with a smile. Six-Fingered was no longer an interest of his as he was well aware of his grown power. He had be the undisputed ruler of the Alliance, andpared to him, a mere priest was nothing.


    <i>¡®Right now, no matter what I do, even if it¡¯s unjustly killing someone, no one would oppose me.¡¯</i>


    Absolute power was in Urich¡¯s hands. Whatever he said, no matter how unreasonable, became reality.


    <i>¡®Belrua is essentially the second-inmand, yet I could even kill her anytime I please.¡¯</i>


    Urich looked down at his palm. At this moment, everything in the world seemed to be in his grasp.


    <i>¡®Is this the absolute power Yanchinus had at his disposal...?¡¯</i>


    But it felt empty. The wealth and glory that everyone desired meant nothing to Urich.


    Six-Fingered¡¯s execution was to be held in the garden of the imperial pce, but the warriors who went to fetch Six-Fingered did not return for a while.


    The garden was soon filled with warriors who had gathered to witness the shaman¡¯s death, hoping for a rare spectacle.


    It was quite some time before the warriors who went to fetch Six-Fingered returned.


    ¡°Six-Fingered hanged himself.¡±


    The warriors opened arge sack they had brought, revealing Six-Fingered¡¯s corpse inside, dead with his tongue sticking out.


    Urich, sitting idly, looked at Six-Fingered¡¯s body and noticed something jingling and sparkling from his chest.


    ¡°Take that out.¡±


    Urich ordered a warrior to take the item from Six-Fingered¡¯s chest. It was a sun ne.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s how scared you were, Six-Fingered?¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at the dented sun ne and couldn¡¯t help butugh.

 Chapter 304

    <h4>Chapter 304</h4>


    Porcana gained immense benefits after the takeover of Hamel. They acquired Hamel''s technology and treasures, and the lords of the imperial territories near Porcana came forward to willingly be its vassals.


    Porcana had all the conditions to rise as a powerful nation, but Varca, who should have been the happiest man alive, looked at the corpse of a woman with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Sister.¡±


    Varca looked at Damia¡¯s body lying on the pyre.


    It was a wretched sight, and it was clear what she had gone through before her death.


    Varca hesitated with the torch in his hand. His sister was someone he had both loved and hated, but no matter how strong his hatred toward her was, the memories of the times they shared would not disappear. Damia was once the woman Varca loved and trusted most in the world.


    <i>¡®Why did you hold your knife against me?¡¯</i>


    They could have had a lovely rtionship as siblings, sharing childhood memories and growing old together,ughing.


    ¡°Water under the bridge,¡± Varca muttered.


    It was true that Damia had tried to kill him. It was also true that he handed her over to be the emperor¡¯s ything. At the end of their divergent paths, Damia died.


    All sorts of thoughts crossed his mind as Varca quietly set the pyre on fire and stayed until Damia¡¯s body waspletely consumed by the mes.


    By the time the acrid smoke permeated Varca¡¯s clothes, several footsteps were heard.


    ¡°Your Highness, we have found the child you mentioned.¡±


    Duke Lungell walked in followed by maids holding a boy.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Varca recognized Salone and strode forward. He lifted Salone and looked into his eyes.


    ¡°Is this boy Princess Damia¡¯s son?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him before. He is my nephew.¡±


    Salone was terribly frightened. He looked around for his mother, but she was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Who is his father? Surely not the emperor?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that this child is my sister¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°If he is the emperor¡¯s child, he could im the imperial throne. Porcana could even absorb the empire¡¯snds!¡±


    Duke Lungell eximed excitedly. The Porcana Kingdom had risen to the ranks of powerful nations through this war, and with its newfound strength, it was possible to even take the ce of the mighty empire.


    ¡°How many of the emperor¡¯s bastards do you think there are in the empire? Don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Varca shut down Lungell¡¯s hope.


    ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense. There is only one illegitimate son who can receive Porcana¡¯s support.¡±


    Duke Lungell dreamed of Porcana¡¯s revival as now was the time when Porcana could be as powerful as the empire.


    ¡°This child will grow up in Porcana. Make sure no unnecessary rumors spread, Duke Lungell,¡± Varca said as he pressed his finger into Duke Lungell¡¯s chest.


    Duke Lungell narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Your Highness, you have often opposed me until now, but if you intend to make Porcana a great power like the empire, I will offer my utmost loyalty. I will mobilize all my power to be your strong support.¡±


    Varca stared at Duke Lungell silently.


    This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Porcana¡¯s history. The small kingdom of Porcana was a key yer in bringing down the empire.


    ¡°...When the timees, perhaps.¡±


    It was neither aplete affirmation nor a denial. Varca looked at Salone.


    <i>¡®Urich¡¯s child.¡¯</i>


    Although Duke Lungell did not recognize it, anyone familiar with Urich might have suspected it at least once.


    <i>Step, step.</i>


    After Damia¡¯s funeral, Varca took Salone to Urich¡¯s quarters. Barbarians without shirts and with weapons in their hands were roaming the city known as the very center of civilization. It was a very unnatural sight.


    <i>Nod.</i>


    Warriors recognized Varca and greeted him. The Alliance had undergone many changes, and the warriors who had learned the ways of civilized society and the meaning of a king showed respect to Varca, understanding that he held a status equal to Urich.


    <i>¡®The world is changing, and so are the people.¡¯</i>


    The war had brought about rapid changes, recing old values with new ones almost daily, and those who couldn¡¯t adapt to the new values were left behind.


    <i>¡®I just have to keep going and hope my judgment was right in this chaos.¡¯</i>


    Warriors guarded Urich¡¯s quarters. Recognizing Varca, they opened the door.


    As soon as Varca entered Urich¡¯s quarters, his eyes widened.


    ¡°Urich, what in the world are you doing?¡±


    Urich was hanging from the ceiling, doing one-armed pull-ups while sweat dripped from his robust muscles onto the floor. Despite his severe injuries, he still didn¡¯t neglect his training.


    Varca was speechless, amazed that Urich could even move.


    ¡°Lying in bed all day was making my body ache even more.¡±


    Urich continued his pull-ups, switching hands, easily lifting hisrge frame using only his upper body strength.


    Finished with his training, Urich dropped to the floor. Then, using a crutch, he stood up and sat in a chair.


    Varca didn¡¯t bother asking about Urich¡¯s condition.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the kid?¡±


    Urich looked at the boy Varca was holding. There was a strange sense of familiarity.


    ¡°He¡¯s my sister¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°Damia¡¯s son?¡±


    Urich had heard about Damia¡¯s death, but it didn¡¯t affect him much. He only thought, <i>¡®A pretty but wicked woman has died.¡¯</i>


    ¡°What, do I have another sister that I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    Urich stared intently at Salone.


    Salone, frightened, hid behind Varca. His eyes were filled with tears as if he was missing his mother.


    "...You''re kidding, right?"


    Urich wiped his sweat and waved his hand dismissively.


    "Wow, I didn¡¯t even say a word. Blood ties really are something."


    Varca smiled faintly while Urich looked at Salone with a terrified expression.


    "Man, it was just one night..."


    "You must¡¯ve been as healthy as ever back then, too."


    Varca patted Urich¡¯s shoulder and stood up. He entrusted Salone to a maid outside and sat down with Urich, alone.


    "He really is my kid.¡±


    "I knew he was your son the moment I saw him."


    "How long have you known this?"


    "Before forming an alliance with the west."


    "You hid it pretty well, you sly dog. You''ve be a real snake since bing a king. It feels like just yesterday you were showing off your ass to some bandits..."


    Urich spoke with an uncertain tone, unsure whether he was excited or anxious. The news was certainly unexpected.


    "I thought about never telling you, but I figured you have the right to know you have a son."


    "I¡¯m not in a position to raise a child right now. If the chiefs of the Alliance found out about this kid, it would only cause more confusion."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to raise him. The boy will be treated as royalty. And who knows? If I can¡¯t have a son, he might even be my heir."


    Urich smiled bitterly, recalling something Georg once told him.


    <i>¡®Just as Georg said, I can¡¯t be a good father.¡¯</i>


    The news of having a son was overwhelming. He thought that the child in front of him would be an obstacle for him rather than feeling joy in discovering that he had a son and he felt ashamed of himself for thinking that way.


    Given how many seeds he had sown, there were likely other children he didn¡¯t know about. But he had never prepared to be a father.


    "Anyway, Urich, what do you n to do now? Even though you¡¯ve conquered Hamel, you won¡¯t be able to govern the imperial territories. Your army may be the strongest in the world, but the Alliance is still only a small organization, and that¡¯s not nearly enough to rule the imperialnds."


    The empire was the pinnacle of civilized world bureaucracy. The Alliance Army, which had just started to emerge from a tribal system, couldn¡¯t fully inherit the empire. The same went for Porcana.


    <i>¡®The empire will be divided back into its old duchies and kingdoms.¡¯</i>


    It was a predictable oue, something anyone with historical knowledge could foresee. The empire would return to the state it was in before the Great Unification of the first emperor.


    "I haven¡¯t thought that far ahead. For now, I think I¡¯m going to bring my army back to the west since I at least achieved my initial goal. My homnd is safe now and no one will be able to enve my brothers and kin."


    Urich felt relieved. He hadpleted his mission.


    Varca stared at Urich¡¯s face. The always burdened look on Urich¡¯s face seemed to have lifted, making him look years younger.


    "Urich, you might havepleted your mission, but mine is just starting. Before the war broke out, I seeded in venturing into the distant sea. We are building a port on an ind where there are no people. If we start exchanging with a civilization that¡¯s advanced enough to create intricate jade figurines, the crossing of the Sky Mountains will seem trivialpared to the changes that are about toe. In the future, the condition for being a great power may be less about how muchnd you control and more about owning the sea routes to the Eastern Continent, though that¡¯s just my thought."


    Urich''s pupils trembled. He could feel his heart beating, which he thought had stopped.


    "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make it happen. You¡¯re a smart guy."


    That¡¯s all Urich could say.


    Varca finished speaking and stood up, and just before opening the door to leave, he shouted, "There will always be a ce in Porcana for a daring barbarian who loves adventure!"


    Urich smiled instead of saying anything back.


    * * *


    A man who once held the highest position in the world had fallen to the very bottom of it overnight. Being a beggar on the streets would have been better than the position he was in now.


    Yanchinus was dragged around naked, forced to crawl through Hamel¡¯s square every day with a chain around his neck.


    Though the people of Hamel hesitated at first, it wasn¡¯t long before they starteding out to see the fallen emperor. Within a couple of days, people even mocked him.


    "Your Majesty..."


    "¡¯Your Majesty¡¯? Hah, he¡¯s the one who ruined Hamel."


    Though the plundering had stopped, the city of Hamel hadpletely fallen. All the wealth Hamel had umted was now in the hands of the Porcana-Alliance army.


    "<i>Cough</i>."


    The chains around his neck choked Yanchinus and made him cough, and his limbs were covered in wounds from being dragged along the ground.


    "Move faster."


    The warrior holding Yanchinus¡¯ leash barked in an angry voice. Though he didn¡¯t understand thenguage, he understood the meaning.


    <i>¡®Is this how my life ends?¡¯</i>


    He rolled his eyes and looked around to see the looks of contempt and pity.


    <i>¡®Who could I even me?¡¯</i>


    He crawled on all fours, an action no different from a beast¡¯s. The being that was once considered the noblest of all was behaving like something less than a ve.


    Some of Hamel¡¯s citizens took pleasure in Yanchinus¡¯ fall. For some reason, it was strangely satisfying to see the once-proud emperor in such a state.


    The emperor¡¯s authority had hit rock bottom. Even if a miracle happened and Yanchinus regained Hamel, his fallen authority would never be restored.


    "<i>Ha, haha.</i>"


    Yanchinusy on his back andughed. The warriors picked up clubs and beat the emperor, who once ruled everything under the heavens, like a dog.


    Dying in battle would have been better than this. He had missed the chance to die as a noble emperor.


    After crawling around the square all day, Yanchinus was thrown into prison at dusk, but his elbows and knees were so sore he couldn¡¯t even sleep properly.


    It was a humiliation he had to endure daily. He became a spectacle for the people, and as they lost their reverence, the citizens began throwing rotten fruits and vegetables at him. Unable to oppose the powerful Alliance Army, they directed everyst bit of their anger on Yanchinus.

 Chapter 305

    <h4>Chapter 305</h4>


    Gottval looked at the fallen Hamel. Someone''s victory was someone''s defeat, and just like that, Urich had be the best, which meant others could not.


    No matter who won, Gottval could only smile bitterly. Although he sided with Urich, the fall of the empire was not exactly joyful.


    <i>¡®In the end, Urich won.¡¯</i>


    A great hero was born. Even if Urich was a demon in the civilized world, no one could deny that he was an unparalleled hero.


    <i>¡®The one blessed by all gods.¡¯</i>


    He might be the one chosen by the era, as the Serpentines said.


    Gottval walked down the stairs leading to the underground prison where the warriors guarding the entrance recognized him and opened the door.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    In the dark basement, Gottval held a torch and inspected the prison.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Gottval spoke.


    Yanchinus, crouched in the darkness, lifted his head.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am Gottval.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re that one-armed priest.¡±


    Yanchinus had also heard of Gottval. A Sun priest yet a close aide of Urich, but was also reputed to be a man of high virtue. Even knights who had been captured and returned spoke well of the one-armed priest.


    ¡°Have this, Your Majesty.¡±


    Gottval took out bread and wine from his pocket. The bread, freshly baked that morning, still smelled delicious.


    ¡°You have my thanks.¡±


    Yanchinus did not refuse and devoured the bread and wine.


    ¡°I feel regret for this situation, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You side with Urich, yet you express regret to me?¡±


    Yanchinus wiped his mouth andughed.


    ¡°I do not take pleasure in watching the misfortune of others,¡± Gottval said.


    ¡°Those barbarians have plunged many civilized people into misfortune, and you belong to their army. Do they believe in Lou, Priest? You brought misfortune to the sons and daughters of Lou for the sake of those who did not believe in Him. You might not have done it yourself directly, but you certainly yed a part in it,¡± Yanchinus reproached Gottval.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    Gottval did not deny Yanchinus¡¯ words. If Urich¡¯s existence was a cmity, then Gottval was one of the people who had aided that cmity.


    ¡°A world that has lost the order of the empire will fall into misery and chaos. Many more people will die.¡±


    ¡°Yes, many will die.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your honesty.¡±


    Yanchinus grasped the bars and leaned his face forward, but the dignity of the emperor was nowhere to be seen on the revealed face. Only a wounded and weary vagrant remained.


    Gottval slumped down in front of the bars.


    ¡°All this time, I¡¯ve been thinking that I treated both the civilized and barbarians fairly. But in retrospect, I was partial to Urich. I was attached to this barbarian named Urich and arrogantly thought I could guide him on the right path with my own power.¡±


    ¡°Priests deceive themselves, thinking they can change people and the world with Lou¡¯s teachings. But in reality, it¡¯s the blood spilled by men and well-forged steel that changes the world. The order of the world was built by the power of the empire, not the mercy of Lou. Gottval, take a good look at a world without order.¡±


    Yanchinus'' eyes were cold, seemingly glowing bluish in the dark.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you were born with everything. From the moment Lou gave you life, you were destined to be the ruler of the world. Everything went ording to your ns, and you never had to bow to anyone.¡±


    ¡°That is indeed what people say. So? Are you envious of me?¡±


    ¡°To be born human and not envy the life of a monarch would be a lie. The emperor who possessed everything in the world... why couldn¡¯t you be satisfied and instead plunged the world into misery?¡±


    Yanchinus gulped down the remaining wine.


    ¡°People, including you, say I had everything. But you don¡¯t know me at all.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I had nothing. The empire, the world, they were all handed down by my father and grandfather. Nothing in this world was truly mine. What meaning is there in living a life ofcency with what you¡¯re given at birth? Priest Gottval, is there value and meaning in a life where you achieve nothing with your own hands?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than losing what you already have.¡±


    Gottval frowned as he sensed the madness and ambition that Yanchinus was radiating that seemed to be heating up even the damp underground air.


    ¡°Gottval, there is no meaning in a life ofcency because we humans were not born for that. Farmers want more farnd, and merchants want gold coins. Nobles wantnd and power, and kings want immortal achievements. Our nature is to be dissatisfied with what we have. The greatness of civilization lies in our greed.¡±


    Gottval remained silent.


    <i>¡®These are extremely selfish words, but....¡¯</i>


    In a corner of his heart, he thought Yanchinus might be right.


    ¡°Urich hates you, Your Majesty. He mes you for his misfortune.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hah</i>, the man who gained the world is upset? Urich gained immortal life! Even after he dies, people will remember him as a great conqueror.¡±


    ¡°Yet Urich is still an unhappy man. He never truly lived the life he wanted, and he resents you for it. When the status of emperor bes a mere mockery, Urich will skin you and cut your flesh bit by bit, killing you slowly.¡±


    ¡°That would be quite a spectacle,¡± Yanchinus said, seemingly undeterred.


    Gottval took out a small vial from his pocket.


    ¡°...This is the mercy you need, Your Majesty.¡±


    Yanchinus looked at the vial Gottval held out. The liquid inside sloshed.


    It was obvious that the liquid was for ending his life before experiencing a fate worse than death.


    <i>Drip.</i>


    Yanchinus poured the vial¡¯s contents on the ground, and then smiled and looked at Gottval.


    ¡°Gottval, I will remember your kindness. If I reach Lou first, I will mention your name. I respect the right of the victor, so... if Urich wants to give me a horrific end, then I must ept it with dignity.¡±


    Gottval nodded and stood up.


    ¡°I will remember your folly, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°We humans are always foolish.¡±


    Gottval ascended the stairs as Yanchinus''ughter echoed behind him.


    * * *


    Varca hurriedly came to find Urich. The cold air of early dawn still lingered.


    ¡°Urich, I have to leave.¡±


    Urich was up early, reading a book. It was rather awkward to see a hulking barbarian holding a tiny book in his hands.


    ¡°I heard the news earlier. The neighboring countries are finally starting to move, huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an unusual military activity. If my army doesn''te back to our kingdom, Porcana could be attacked.¡±


    ¡°You always have to be cautious about leaving your home unguarded. Do you want me to send some of my warriors to help?¡±


    ¡°Just the promised number should be enough. They probably won¡¯t go as far as attacking Porcana. It¡¯s more likely that they¡¯ll just try to negotiate after a show of force.¡±


    Urich closed the book and nodded. It was a book containing the history of the empire.


    ¡°I tried to read this thing, but there are still many letters I don¡¯t know, so I didn¡¯t get much of it. After all, a barbarian is still a barbarian.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of civilized people who can¡¯t read either.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for everything, Pahell.¡±


    Urich extended his hand for a handshake. Varca hesitated for a moment before grasping it.


    ¡°No need to thank me. I acted for the benefit of my kingdom and myself. Even after hearing that you had opened the gates alive, I waited until the Alliance Army had firmly entered Hamel before making a move. We were fully prepared to retreat if the breakthrough had failed.¡±


    Varca spoke frankly. The Porcana army had intentionally dyed entering Hamel.


    ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable decision. I would have done the same in your position.¡±


    Urich and Varca could no longer risk their lives for each other as their lives were not solely their own. Their perspectives changed along with their positions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pray to Lou for your speedy recovery.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Urich stopped Varca as he was leaving in a slightly trembling voice.


    ¡°...Salong, was it?¡±


    Varca burst into a clear, stream-likeugh as his blue eyes leisurely looked at Urich.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already forgotten your son¡¯s name? It¡¯s Salone. Of course, I¡¯ll give him a proper nameter, in the Porcana style. He¡¯s a son of Porcana, not the empire or the west.¡±


    Urich, who had initiated the conversation, felt awkward after realizing that Varca was resolute.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t give Salone to me even if I asked, would you?¡±


    ¡°Salone might be your son, but he is also a royal of Porcana. If my sister were alive, do you think she would have let you raise Salone? Urich, you¡¯re a great warrior and a wonderful friend, but... you wouldn¡¯t make a good father.¡±


    Urich gave a bitter smile and waved his hand.


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    They might never meet again. Neither Urich nor Varca was a free man.


    Varca responded with a faint smile and walked out steadily. A maid holding Salone met him as he left.


    * * *


    The empire had already fallen, but the chaos was just beginning. The civilized people who witnessed the empire¡¯s downfall did not dare to touch the west, but they also knew the barbarianscked the capacity to reign over the civilized world.


    <i>¡®As long as we wait, the era of the civilized people will return.¡¯</i>


    Everyone was just waiting for the westerners to go back to their home.


    Meanwhile, the northerners, on the verge of establishing their kingdom, were constantly eyeing the south as they aimed to seize more territory. The remnants of the Northern Imperial Army were absorbed by surrounding nobles, and powerful border lords dered themselves grand dukes, proiming independence from the empire.


    All that was left of the empire now was just its name, and the bureaucratic system they had established hadpletely copsed. Some called it a regression of civilization, while others fervently argued it was a step back for two steps forward.


    The Porcana army set off to defend theirnd, and the Alliance Army was resting and nning their next moves.


    Urich went out to the garden on crutches. As he dragged his leg and went outside, the warriors nced at him and bowed their heads.


    The Alliance warriors sensed that Urich¡¯s condition was serious. Despite daily visits from the imperial physician, he couldn¡¯t use his lower body properly. His injuries showed no signs of any recovery.


    <i>¡®What if Urich is crippled for the rest of his life?¡¯</i>


    It would have a tremendous impact.


    No matter how great a warrior, he couldn¡¯t stay as the Great Chief as a cripple. If Urich wasn¡¯t going to recover, he would have to step down from his position.


    Who would be the next Great Chief? No one could easily predict.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>.¡±


    Urich stood in the middle of the garden, breathing heavily. Walking with crutches alone took a tremendous amount of effort.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Urich bnced himself on one crutch and swung his weapon. The warriors who saw him felt both awe and pity.


    <i>¡®The great warrior has be crippled.¡¯</i>


    Urich was still young. He had aplished immortal feats even before reaching thirty, making others wonder just how much more he could have achieved if he had remained healthy. Many warriors had high hopes.


    <i>¡®Now that he¡¯s crippled, it¡¯s over.¡¯</i>


    The warriors respected Urich, but they couldn¡¯t follow a warrior who couldn¡¯t even run.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Sweat poured down Urich¡¯s face as he nonchntly switched between his sword and axe, swinging them.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    In the corner of the garden was a basin filled with water. Urich approached it to drink.


    <i>¡®A wooden barrel?¡¯</i>


    Next to the basin was a wooden barrel he hadn¡¯t seen before that wasrge enough for a small person to fit inside.


    Urich stared at the barrel and sensed a faint presence inside.


    ¡°...What do you think you¡¯re doing in there?¡± Urich said as he lifted the lid of the barrel.


    Inside was Basha, clutching a dagger.

 Chapter 306

    <h4>Chapter 306</h4>


    Basha knew that Urich swung his weapons in the garden at the same time every day and that he drank water from the basin during his short breaks. Watching Urich''s actions daily, she hid in a wooden barrel, waiting for him.


    She blinked and looked up at Urich. There were many other ways, but she deliberately chose to hide in a wooden barrel.


    <i>¡®If Urich is truly that man....¡¯</i>


    Basha still dreamed of the vige burning every night. She had lost everything to the barbarians. The monster made of hatred slowly raised its head.


    In the chaos where everything copsed, Basha saw a light in a barbarian who saved her as she trembled in a barrel, whom she could only describe as an apostle of Lou.


    <i>¡®There is no way that man was Urich.¡¯</i>


    Basha clearly remembered the shadow from that day.


    ¡°Were you hiding in here nning to kill me with that tiny knife?¡±


    Urich chuckled as he covered the sun behind him.


    Basha¡¯s lips quivered.


    ¡°There is no way...¡±


    She had vaguely known but couldn¡¯t ept it. No, she must never ept it.


    ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no way?¡±


    Urich scratched his chin, watching Basha¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Why, why.... The person who took everything from me....¡±


    Basha jumped out of the barrel and swung the dagger, but no matter how disabled Urich¡¯s leg was, he wasn¡¯t someone to be hit by Basha¡¯s attack.


    Urich grabbed Basha¡¯s arm and threw her into the rose bushes.


    ¡°Go back to Gottval, you dumb bitch.¡±


    Urich bared his teeth and threatened.


    The roses emitted a sweet scent as their petals scattered, but their thorns scratched Basha¡¯s skin, leaving wounds everywhere.


    ¡°You took everything from me...¡±


    Basha stood up. Entangled in the vines, blood dripped from the scratches on her skin, but she ignored the pain and walked up to Urich.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take my life too? Why did you save me?¡±


    Basha was certain that Gottval¡¯s words were not lies and that Urich was indeed the man from that night. The sight of Urich from inside the barrel matched the shadow from that day exactly.


    Urich looked down at Basha with an indifferent expression.


    ¡°Did Gottval tell you?¡±


    ¡°Answer my question! Why did you save me? You should have killed me along with the others! Why did you save me?¡± Basha screamed in fury.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. It would have been easier to just kill you,¡± Urich responded indifferently. Basha, even angrier, charged at Urich.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Urich grabbed Basha¡¯s head and mmed it into the ground. It was the same oue no matter how many times she tried. To Urich, Basha¡¯s movements were pathetic.


    ¡°Haha, if I had known you were such an idiotic girl, I would have just let you die.¡±


    Basha¡¯s face turned bright red. The moment she heard Urich''sughter, something snapped in her mind.


    ¡°Die! Just die!¡±


    Basha lunged at Urich again, swinging the dagger wildly but failing to even leave a scratch on Urich.


    ¡°Basha, to kill someone, there always has to be a reason. Hatred, grudges, revenge, retribution¡ªwhatever it is, there must be a reason like these. Sure, sometimes people kill for fun, but most don¡¯t kill without a reason.¡±


    ¡°What did my family ever do to you?! We... we were just living our lives in that vige! We had no reason to be killed by you!¡±


    ¡°But we had our reasons to plunder that vige, and that¡¯s all there is to it. Your family did nothing wrong, but we didn¡¯t do anything wrong to deserve the empire¡¯s invasion.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Basha aimed her dagger at Urich¡¯s throat, but Urich deftly leaned back, grabbed her by the arm, and threw her aside.


    After being mmed to the ground several times, Basha¡¯s body was a wreck. There was even a crackling sound in her bones


    ¡°But there doesn¡¯t always need to be a reason to save someone. I saved you because I wanted to. The reason you¡¯re still alive right now is because I feel reluctant to take back the life I saved, not because I like you.¡±


    Urich grabbed Basha¡¯s dagger. Despite holding the de, no blood seeped out as the dagger¡¯s edge was dull and Urich¡¯s palm was as thick as a bear¡¯s.


    Urich let out a long sigh.


    <i>¡®This is my karma.¡¯</i>


    Basha was the embodiment of the hatred and anger of the civilized people toward Urich. To ordinary people, the justification of war meant nothing. The harm that the Alliance caused the civilized world was enormous, and the number of people who lost their families to them was countless.


    A little girl living in an ordinary farmhouse lost everything overnight. It would have been stranger if she wasn¡¯t driven mad by hatred.


    The old Urich wouldn¡¯t have even tried to understand Basha¡¯s feelings. A warrior believed that understanding the pain of others would only dull their senses and that it was their way to kill anyone who got in the way.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry about what happened to your family, Basha. I apologize.¡±


    After saying that, Urich left the garden, using his crutches.


    ¡°I will get my revenge, I swear! One day, you will die by my hand!¡±


    Basha, slumped on the ground, shouted through her tears.


    * * *


    The heads of Srism sent a group of clerics to Hamel, aiming to establish friendly rtions with the Alliance.


    ¡°I am Gottval.¡±


    Gottval, whose reputation was well-known among the priests, greeted them.


    <i>¡®The priest who tamed the chief of the barbarians.¡¯</i>


    The priests showed respect to Gottval. Converting the western barbarians to Srism would be a great achievement.


    ¡°Do you know a woman named Basha?¡±


    ¡°She is staying here.¡±


    ¡°We have heard rumors that she calls herself a saintess.¡±


    ¡°It is merely a rumor. She is not a saintess, just a pitiable girl.¡±


    Gottval deliberately changed the subject as he was aware of the unpleasant rumors surrounding Basha.


    Gottval and the priests discussed ns for the future throughout the night. Gottval was a devout and well-regarded Sun priest who was also deeply rooted within the Alliance. From the perspective of Srism, Gottval was like a saint sent by Lou.


    ¡°His Holiness ns to designate a western diocese and appoint you, Brother Gottval, as its bishop.¡±


    Gottval immediately shook his head as if he had anticipated the proposal.


    ¡°This is all too soon. Unlike the northerners, the barbarians of the Alliance are the victors of war. We must gradually integrate ourselves into their society, not impose our ways on them.¡±


    Even the prestigious position of bishop meant nothing to Gottval. The priests murmured, praising Gottval¡¯s humility.


    While Gottval and the priests were talking, an apprentice priest wandered through the pce. His face was still youthful, retaining the look of a boy.


    <i>¡®Basha.¡¯</i>


    The apprentice priest went around the city, looking for Basha. He asked the servants who were going in and out of the imperial pce and eventually found the room where Basha was staying.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    The apprentice priest knocked on the door.


    Basha, with a fierce expression, opened the door and stared at the apprentice. She was nning to leave Hamel soon, knowing that her life was in danger if she stayed in the capital any longer. Although she had failed, the reality was that she had attempted to kill the Great Chief with many warriors as witnesses.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Basha eyed the apprentice priest¡¯s attire warily.


    ¡°I am Hume. I am still an apprentice, but I am walking the path of the clergy.¡±


    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re a cleric by your clothes. So, what brings you to me?¡±


    ¡°I have a message from Priest Gottval. May Ie in?¡±


    Basha frowned but nodded reluctantly upon hearing that the apprentice in front of her was sent by Gottval. Despite the various events, Basha still followed him, who had willingly forgiven her for trying to kill him.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°May I tell you my story for a moment?¡± Hume asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really interested.¡±


    ¡°No, you have a responsibility to listen to this story, Basha. I¡¯m sure you remember that among the Imperial Army, there were those who called you a saintess.¡±


    Apprentice Priest Hume red at Basha with a sharp gaze that was uncharacteristic of a priest. The intimidation made Basha flinch.


    ¡°You see, I was an orphan. I lived like an idiot, stealing in the back alleys of the city.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°But then there was one monk who took me in. Even then, I couldn¡¯t straighten out and continued my foolish ways. Eventually, I was caught by the guards and sentenced to have both of my hands cut off for stealing. Despite my foolish actions, this monk stepped forward and offered to pay the penalty in my ce. He bravely told the lord to cut off his hands instead of mine. Fortunately, the lord did not cut off either of our hands, and I swore never to do wrong again.¡±


    Hume nced around the room, taking note of itsyout. With the only escape being through the door, he could block the escape route if he stood in a straight line with the door.


    ¡°He sounds like a truly admirable person,¡± Basha responded perfunctorily.


    ¡°Indeed, a truly admirable person. I was away from him for three years to formally receive ordination.¡±


    Hume took a step closer. Basha stumbled and grasped the dagger hidden in her garment.


    ¡°If you have nothing more to say, please leave.¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s not umon to die while following the Imperial Army. One might be struck by a stray arrow on the battlefield. But you see...¡±


    A specific incident that urred during the height of her madness shed through her mind.


    ¡°Stand back, I¡¯m warning you,¡± she said with fear.


    ¡°He was not the kind of man to vite a woman. You whispered lies to people and you have tarnished his honor.¡±


    Tears rolled down Hume¡¯s face. The priest was like a father to him. He was not someone who would die from being overpowered while trying to vite a woman. Right from the moment Hume heard the news, he knew Basha was lying.


    ¡°...He tried to taint my body.¡±


    ¡°Can you swear by Lou?¡±


    Basha hesitated for a moment. Seeing that, Hume shook his head in self-mockery.


    ¡°I can''t take this anymore. What wrong did he ever do to you? Why did he have to die under such disgrace?¡± He said, dropping all politeness.


    Hume''s voice was filled with anguish and his eyes gleamed with murderous intent. All he wanted at this point was to kill the woman in front of him, with his faith in Lou not considered one bit.


    ¡°I-I...¡±


    Basha was flustered and saw Hume drawing a hook-shaped dagger.


    Karma sought Basha''s life. She stumbled backward and fell.


    ¡°When you die and meet Brother Aledor, confess your sins and beg for his forgiveness!¡±


    Hume''s movements were swift and practiced, befitting someone who spent their early years in the dark back alleys.


    <i>Screech!</i>


    Basha desperately grabbed Hume¡¯s hand and tried to push the dagger away, but it was difficult to resist his downward force. The de slowly sank into Basha''s chest.


    Hume¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. His purpose for visiting Hamel was entirely different from the other priests; revenge was his sole focus.


    <i>¡®Is this my fault?¡¯</i>


    Basha¡¯s eyes stared at the ceiling as Hume tried to kill her.


    <i>¡®But I had no choice.¡¯</i>


    Basha had killed an innocent person for her own ends.


    <i>¡®All I wanted was revenge...¡¯</i>


    But Hume was no different. He just wanted revenge for someone dear to him.


    <i>¡®I am no different from Urich.¡¯</i>


    Basha sighed and released her grip.


    <i>Schluck.</i>


    With Basha''s sudden surrender, Hume''s de plunged into her heart with ease.


    Basha shuddered, looking up at Hume. She saw his face, drenched in blood, smiling with the sess of his revenge.


    ¡°Mom, Dad...¡± Basha muttered through her tears as her heart grew cold.

 Chapter 307

    <h4>Chapter 307</h4>


    Basha was dead. The apprentice priest, Hume, confessed to the crime and turned himself in.


    But who was going to punish Hume? Basha was an enemy of the Alliance and merely a guest of Gottval. As if those weren¡¯t enough, she even had a record of trying to kill Urich.


    The only person who felt sorrow over her death was Gottval.


    Even the priests whom Hume had apanied to Hamel did not anticipate his sudden actions and left his fate entirely to the Alliance. From the higher-ups of Srism¡¯s perspective, diplomatic rtions were far more important than the life of a single apprentice priest.


    ¡°I had to take revenge,¡± Hume said, bowing his head. He sat in a chair, under arrest.


    Gottval stood before the apprentice priest. After hearing Hume¡¯s words, he responded, ¡°I believe you. It is most likely true that Basha killed an innocent person. She was mentally unstable, after all.¡±


    But Basha had been improving since being put under Gottval¡¯s care.


    <i>¡®If she were given a little more time, she might have been able to let go of her hatred and anger....¡¯</i>


    Basha died without ever finding peace. Gottval was deeply saddened by the fact that she died full of red and ck emotions.


    <i>¡®Oh, Lou, why did this little girl have to die carrying such terrible emotions?¡¯</i>


    But there was no answer from Lou.


    Basha died hating Urich and the barbarians.


    <i>¡®She was killed by the person who hated her, Hume.¡¯</i>


    The beginning and the end were chains of hatred. Humans lived true to their emotions, and that made forgiving someone unconditionally almost impossible. Neither Urich nor Basha, nor even Hume who walked the path of a priest, could ovee their emotions.


    ¡°You should have forgiven Basha, Hume.¡±


    ¡°She is the woman who killed the man who was not only my teacher, but like a father to me. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she even used him of being a rapist. How could I possibly forgive such a woman?¡±


    ¡°Lou wishes we do so, and it is the right thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the sermons. I will ept any punishment. If I faced the same situation again, I would take revenge once more.¡±


    ¡°Encouraging revenge is the way of the barbarian god.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems the barbarian god is closer to us humans.¡±


    Hume''s attitude was firm. His rough nature was evident in his speech.


    <i>¡®He was never suited for the path of a priest. Aledor must have been a truly remarkable man to lead someone like him on the priestly path.¡¯</i>


    Urich merely nodded upon hearing of Basha''s death, so Hume''s fate was put in Gottval''s hands.


    ¡°Hume, you said you would ept any punishment.¡±


    ¡°I know better than anyone that what I did was wrong. Revenge is wrong, but if not me, then who would have punished her?¡±


    ¡°Lou is watching. In time, all our actions will receive rightful judgment....¡±


    ¡°I''ve had enough of such outdated talk. I wanted Basha to receive a punishment that I could see with my own eyes. If the price of revenge is my own death, I will ept that as well.¡±


    Gottval sighed. He poured a ss of water and handed it to Hume.


    ¡°What will change if I kill you? Would that bring Basha back? Those who care for you will grieve your death and hate me for carrying out the judgment. The world will only be worse.¡±


    Hume drank the water, unable to bring himself to look directly at Gottval.


    ¡°You are as remarkable as they say,¡± he said, still averting his gaze.


    ¡°I have only one proposal. Do you know Urich, the leader of the Alliance?¡±


    ¡°You ask if I know him? Is there anyone in the world who doesn¡¯t know the name of the man who brought down the empire?¡±


    ¡°My decision is that you will serve Urich. If it¡¯s my request, Urich will dly ept it as well.¡±


    Hume was greatly taken aback at an entirely unexpected sentence.


    ¡°Where did thate from...? It¡¯s not that I refuse. I¡¯m just curious about the reason.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a clear reason myself,¡± Gottval said with a smile and patted Hume¡¯s shoulder.


    Hume''s pupils dted further. For a moment, he wondered if Gottval had gone mad.


    ¡°You really are serious? This isn¡¯t some joke?¡±


    Gottval nodded in response. Scratching his head, Hume epted Gottval¡¯s decision.


    * * *


    Urich often went out to the garden, which was the only open space in therge yet stifling pce.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re in the garden again.¡±


    Gottval came looking for Urich with Hume.


    Urich alternated his gaze between Hume and Gottval, then shrugged. Gottval then told him about what he was nning to do with Hume.


    ¡°You¡¯re making the man who killed Basha serve me?¡±


    Urichughed heartily at Gottval¡¯s exnation. Hume, standing beside Gottval, felt somewhat ashamed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it would be amusing, Urich?¡± Gottval said.


    ¡°It definitely sounds fun!¡±


    Urich did not reject Gottval¡¯s suggestion and willingly took Hume as his servant.


    ¡°Ah, and Urich, I have one more request.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Forgive the emperor¡ªat least enough to allow him to have a proper end.¡±


    ¡°Drop that subject. And besides, Yanchinus is no longer the emperor. He¡¯s my ve.¡±


    Urich responded coldly about the emperor.


    ¡°What do you gain by keeping Yanchinus in a state of neither living nor dead?¡±


    ¡°It serves as an offering for my dead brothers. Gottval, do not test the limits of my kindness. I¡¯ve already said no to that.¡±


    Gottval nodded and stepped back.


    Urich watched Gottval walk away before turning his head to Hume.


    ¡°Your name is Hume, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    Hume¡¯s body trembled slightly.


    <i>¡®The very man who brought down the empire...¡¯</i>


    There were all sorts of rumors.


    <i>¡®Some even say he eats people.¡¯</i>


    Hume waited quietly for Urich to speak.


    ¡°How did it feel when you killed Basha?¡±


    ¡°I felt like I did my job.¡±


    ¡°So this wasn¡¯t your first time killing. If it was, then you wouldn¡¯t have felt that way, no matter how much of an enemy she was to you.¡±


    Hume nodded affirmatively. He was from the backstreets and indeed had experience in killing.


    ¡°...Why did you spare Basha? I heard she attacked you.¡±


    ¡°I spared her because she wasn¡¯t a threat to me. She failed in her revenge, but you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s simple logic, really. Basha was weak, and you were stronger than her. And I am alive because I am strong enough not to die even when others resent and hate me.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you killed so many people?¡±


    Despite his fear, Hume squeezed out the question. He was curious about Urich.


    ¡°I had no choice. I know it might sound like a cowardly excuse, but it¡¯s the truth.¡±


    Urich chuckled. He watched Gottvalpletely disappear in the distance and then whispered in Hume¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Gottval give you an earful about showing mercy and love, and whatnot?¡±


    ¡°Gottval is a great man. I was the one who did the wrong thing knowing fully well what was right.¡±


    Hume expressed his respect for Gottval. Gottval would make the right choice even if it meant his own death. He was a priest to be a role model for all.


    ¡°Gottval is an excellent priest, but he¡¯s quite old-fashioned,¡± Urich said as he walked briskly, leaning on his crutch. His upper body strength was so great that he moved faster than Hume, even on crutches.


    <i>¡®Does he even need my help?¡¯ </i>Hume thought as he hustled to keep up with Urich.


    Though they had just met, Hume could tell how extraordinary Urich was. He even thought that the rumors about Urich not being human might be true.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you did anything wrong. If someone I cared about was killed, I¡¯d seek revenge with all my might too. If what Gottval says is true¡ªthat it¡¯s right to forgive without seeking revenge... the order of our world wouldn¡¯t hold. The reason why people don¡¯t recklessly harm others is because they know there will be retaliation if they do.¡±


    In tribal societies, order was maintained through revenge. If someone killed a father, his son would grow up and seek revenge. If the father had a living sibling, that sibling would avenge the death. Honorable revenge was both a right and a duty.


    ¡°But if we encourage revenge, the cycle of violence would never end. Though I¡¯m not by any means in a position to say this,¡± Hume said.


    Urich sneered, ¡°Hah, that¡¯s where you priests are wrong. The cycle ends if the target of revenge is stronger. Basha ultimately couldn¡¯t avenge herself and died. What is right and wrong is simply a matter of perspective; the civilized perspective, the barbarian perspective, the religious perspective... we all have different ideas of what¡¯s right and wrong.¡±


    Hume found Urich fascinating. He was a barbarian with exceptional eloquence. During his time with Urich, he learned a few things.


    <i>¡®Urich does not eat human flesh, and if you watch quietly, he¡¯s simply an extraordinary human being.¡¯</i>


    Urich was also human. In fact, if one shed their preconceptions, Urich was a more intelligent person whomunicated better than most civilized people.


    <i>¡®Above all, his perspective is broad. I understand why Gottval acts alongside Urich.¡¯</i>


    Urich had crossed into the civilized world at an age that could be considered young. Spending several years in the civilized world during a period of significant value shifts, he gained the ability to see the world from various perspectives. Even as he reached an age where his thinking could have solidified, he remained flexible in his thoughts.


    <i>¡®Is this man really the leader of the barbarian army that destroyed the civilized world...?¡¯</i>


    If Hume had met Urich in ordinary circumstances, he would have just thought of him as an interesting barbarian.


    But unlike Hume¡¯s tranquil life, the situation within the Alliance was rapidly changing.


    <i>¡®Urich has be crippled.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Why doesn''t he step down from being the Great Chief? Has he suddenly developed a thirst for power?¡¯</i>


    There were talks among the warriors of the Alliance. It had been over two months since they had conquered Hamel, but Urich hadn¡¯t given them any significant orders while keeping them in Hamel.


    Georg visited Urich daily to report on the situation of the Alliance.


    ¡°The White Foot Tribe says they are returning to the west,¡± he reported.


    Urichy eating the fruit handed by some of the emperor''s women who had surrendered to the Alliance. Most of them were forced to serve the emperor anyway.


    ¡°The peaches are well-ripened. No, I¡¯m not talking about those peaches, I¡¯m talking about the peaches on you,¡± Urich joked, pping a woman¡¯s butt.


    The womanughed, hitting Urich¡¯s chest with her fist. They looked as affectionate as lovers as Urich was a remarkably gentle manpared to the twisted emperor.


    Georg watched Urich for a moment and shook his head.


    <i>¡®He¡¯spletely rxed after the war. He¡¯s not like his old self.¡¯</i>


    Georg sighed deeply and proceeded to advise Urich.


    ¡°Only more tribes are going to leave the army. You need to decide whether to return west or settle in the civilized world.¡±


    ¡°Let them go home if that¡¯s what they want. If they want to settle, they can take their army and take anynd they want. They have me and the Alliance supporting them, so what¡¯s to worry? Isn¡¯t that right, my prettydies?¡±


    Urichughed, fondling therge breasts of the women.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the other stuff, but this achievement of Yanchinus definitely has to be acknowledged. Gathering and monopolizing women like this? It makes conquering Hamel worthwhile, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Georg¡¯s brow furrowed deeply at Urich¡¯s words.


    ¡°I have something to say, Urich. Please dismiss the women.¡±


    ¡°Uh-oh, youdies go. My subordinate is angry.¡±


    Urich exaggeratedly shooed the women away, pping their butts as they dispersed.


    It seemed that Georg had pondered on a decision for a long time and had finally made up his mind.


    ¡°Urich, I have many mercenaries who are willing to follow me.¡±


    ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re quite some man now, leading others.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to tell you that I¡¯m leaving and I¡¯m taking those men with me.¡±


    Urich, who had been joking around until now, leaned forward. Georg was a valuable talent.


    ¡°Where to? Porcana?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading north. The establishment of the northern kingdom is just getting started there, so they are going to need someone like me.¡±


    ¡°Even if you went there, would you really get better treatment there than in the Alliance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be as good as here right away... but Urich, you don¡¯t seem to have any intention of founding a nation. My goal was to be the chancellor of the country you would establish¡ªto rise from a ve to a chancellor. You know I¡¯m a realist, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Urich looked at Georg with aplex expression.


    ¡°Then should I found a nation now?¡±


    Urichughed as he spoke. It was an obvious joke to anyone who heard it. Founding a nation wasn¡¯t something to be done on a whim, and establishing one that was centered around the westerners would require Urich¡¯s entire remaining lifetime.


    Georg shook his head as if he was exhausted by Urich¡¯s demeanor.


    ¡°The movement within the Alliance is unsettling. If something happens to you, I¡¯ll lose all the influence that I¡¯ve built here. Hell, I might even be killed by those who don¡¯t like me, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to leave before that happens.¡±


    Urich, having listened to all of Georg¡¯s words, extended his hand for a handshake. Georg walked over and grasped his hand.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve decided, then I won¡¯t stop you. Thank you for everything, Georg.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful to you as well. I will forever be proud of serving a great warrior and hero. Take care of yourself.¡±


    Georg nodded and left the room.


    Urich stared nkly at the door Georg had closed behind him.


    <i>p.</i>


    After a while, Urich pped his hands cheerfully to bring out the women who had been hiding, who then rushed out and embraced him again.


    ¡°What a wicked subordinate he is. Leaving just like that.¡±


    ¡°Hah, that guy isn¡¯t a subordinate; he¡¯s a friend,¡± Urich replied with augh.

 Chapter 308

    <h4>Chapter 308</h4>


    The Alliance Army quietly remained stationed in Hamel. As time went by, the citizens of Hamel naturally returned to their normal lives.


    Urich retained the bureaucrats of Hamel and even used the emperor¡¯s private funds to aid in the city''s reconstruction.


    <i>¡®Who would have thought the one who destroyed our city would work to rebuild it?¡¯</i>


    The bureaucrats of Hamel, protected by Urich himself, yed along with his contradictory actions regardless of how puzzled they were and used their well-developed system to help Hamel remain functional despite having its ruler changed overnight.


    ¡°We¡¯ve captured anyone with the snake tattoo, Great Chief,¡± the chief of the Karkar Tribe reported to Urich. The Karkar Tribe, known for its strong warrior spirit, had always maintained a good rtionship with the outstanding warrior Urich and had always supported him, even now when he was crippled.


    The remnant Serpentines disturbed the city''s order. They were no different than a criminal organization that took advantage of the city¡¯s chaos. Urich deployed warriors to root them out.


    <i>¡®This is what Trikee would have wanted.¡¯</i>


    Urich, leaning back in his chair, nodded slightly.


    Serpentism had deviated far from Trikee¡¯s ideals and had seemingly regressed into barbarism. The lower ss, filled with hatred and anger, justified their violence under the name of Serpentism. Urich did not tolerate such behavior.


    ¡°Do you remember the Marganunds, Great Chief?¡±


    The chief of Karkar tossed a leather sk of milk wine. Urich caught it and gulped it down.


    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s the ce we swept clean.¡±


    Urich chugged the milk wine and tossed the empty sk aside.


    ¡°I want to settle there. Even in the west, our tribe is located on the outskirts. Unlike the tribes near the Sky Mountains with abundant forests and game, we will find no rest even if we return home.¡±


    Marganu was the agricultural heart of the empire. Despite the devastation brought by the Alliance Army, many nobles coveted thend that remained fertile and was sure to flourish again in a few years.


    Although Marganu was about to be a center of conflict, a group backed by the Alliance settling there would deter invasions for years as civilized people feared the Alliance. If the Alliance were to move once again, they would have no problem reducing a few kingdoms to rubbles.


    Urich pondered, stroking his chin and pulling at his rough beard, before nodding.


    ¡°But can the Karkar Tribe alone control Marganu?¡± He asked the chief of Karkar.


    ¡°There are three or four other tribes that share our intentions,¡± the chief replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed you all managed toe up with such a great n without me knowing.¡±


    There was a hint of sarcasm in Urich¡¯s words. Even the Karkar Tribe, close to Urich, had acted without his knowledge.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, I know you don¡¯t care much about what we do, Great Chief.¡±


    Urich burst intoughter at the chief¡¯s words.


    The Karkar chief, being quite close with Urich, was also the first to notice his indifference.


    ¡°I sincerely hope your settlement seeds. If there¡¯s anything you need, I will support you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Those words are enough. What we needed most was the Great Chief¡¯s blessing.¡±


    The chief of the Karkar Tribe raised his fist in farewell. Urich watched him leave.


    The Karkar Tribe, along with several small to medium-sized tribes, left the Alliance and headed for Marganu. Some civilized mercenaries also joined them, dreaming of settling there.


    Following the Karkar, more tribes aimed to settle in the civilized world. The fertilends of civilization where anything and everything grew with ease was worth abandoning their barren homnds for.


    The Alliance Army slowly fragmented as each tribe imed fertilends that once belonged to the empire, but the Great Chief Urich did not hinder this trend.


    Though the western tribes scattered to variousnds, their tacit alliance remained. Even as time passed, their sons and grandsons would remember their blood ties.


    <i>¡®...If enough time passes, who knows? Perhaps we too will crumble to dust before time.¡¯</i>


    Urich smiled as he approved the settlement of yet another tribe, knowing that it would be difficult for the settled tribes to maintain their traditions.


    Urich had crossed into the civilized world at a young age and had adopted values different from his brothers. In this new age, children of the west would be born in the civilized world and grow up unaware of the barrennds of the home of their ancestors. They would understand their roots only through the stories of their fathers and grandfathers.


    <i>¡®They¡¯ll likely be more familiar with shovels and hoes rather than axes and swords.¡¯</i>


    It was his genuine hope. He wished they would value what they earned through sweat more than what they seized through bloodshed.


    <i>¡®May they gain enough to share with others in thisnd...¡¯</i>


    Warriors always took from others, but farmers could share what they had.


    However, it was impossible to impose a farmer¡¯s way on men who had grown up as warriors. A warrior could only die as a warrior, just as Sven of the north did. That was the right way for them.


    One day, Belrua came to see Urich.


    ¡°Urich, I¡¯m going back home,¡± she said.


    ¡°You stayed longer than I thought you would,¡± he replied as if he already knew this day wasing.


    Urich looked down at Belrua from the emperor¡¯s throne. They once stood shoulder to shoulder, but now there was a gap between them as wide as the distance they had fallen apart.


    ¡°There was much to see here.¡±


    Belrua shrugged and smiled, and Urich smiled back.


    ¡°Did you get what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°I got enough.¡±


    She had acquired the Imperial Smithy. The cksmiths of the empire had no choice but to teach Belrua their skills, though some stubborn ones had bathed in boiling oil.


    ¡°So are we going to see some steele out of the west?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be as good as the ones here, but still better than before, I suppose.¡±


    The secret of imperial steely in Hamel¡¯s high-quality iron and the effort of its skilled cksmiths. They melted the iron in mechanical furnaces operated with watermills, and the craftsmen repeatedly hammered the heated iron countless times in order to forge it. To create a single sword, the smiths worked day and night, slowly cooling and hammering the de. The more they waited and hammered, the tougher and more resilient the iron became.


    Even if they were to implement the same process in the west, the facilities and quality of iron in the west couldn¡¯t produce steel like the empire¡¯s. However, learning advanced metallurgy was a significant leap forward regardless.


    ¡°You¡¯re not settling here like the other tribes. I guess the Red Sand Tribe doesn¡¯t need to move since they were well-positioned to begin with,¡± Urich said.


    ¡°What about you? You seem to be staying here endlessly,¡± Belrua asked in return.


    ¡°I¡¯ll move when the time is right.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re like an old goat now. Not resting but staggering as you wait to die.¡±


    ¡°If I stagger, wouldn¡¯t it be good for you?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re still young, Great Chief Urich. Don¡¯t act like you¡¯ve got nothing to live for.¡±


    Belrua felt sorry for Urich. Was it because he had achieved his goal? Or was it the frustration of bing crippled? Urichcked the energy he once had and showed no desire to move forward.


    <i>¡®No matter what anyone says, Urich was a shining warrior. It was as if his entire body was screaming that he was alive.¡¯</i>


    Belrua thought she might never see Urich again.


    ¡°Belrua, take this before you go.¡±


    Urich pulled out the meteorite dagger. It was a treasure he had received from Belrua.


    ¡°I gave it to you as the Great Chief. I have no reason to take it back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you. It¡¯s a gift for Samikan¡¯s son. There, is that eptable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll love receiving a gift from his father¡¯s enemy.¡±


    ¡°Tell him toe find me with this when he¡¯s ready to kill me. That way, it¡¯ll be easier for me to recognize him.¡±


    Belrua hesitated before putting the meteorite dagger into her pocket. With that, she too led her people back to the west.


    The number of Alliance troops staying in Hamel was now just over five thousand. For now, a summon from the Great Chief would gather arge army, but over time, the cohesion of the Alliance would weaken.


    Settled tribes would seek friendship with nearby tribes or lords of civilization, and Urich¡¯s influence would not easily reach those who had returned home.


    Hume observed Urich closely, thinking that he could not understand him at all.


    <i>¡®If he were someone who coveted power, he would be wary of his forces dispersing like this.¡¯</i>


    But Urich did not try to hold onto his power. He merely watched as his group scattered and became the seeds of the future. Even though he had the power to shake the civilized world again, he did not wield it.


    Half a year had passed since the Alliance upied Hamel. The civilized kingdoms had begun to wage war, fighting among themselves fornd while leaving the Alliance untouched. The Northern Kingdom, which had just sessfully established itself as an independent kingdom, was too busy consolidating its interior to worry about the wars happening in the south.


    The Alliance that was once united around Great Chief Urich slowly diminished. Some groups disliked this change in the Alliance, and the voices of the warriors gradually grew louder.


    ¡°If I were the Great Chief, I would start a war immediately.¡±


    ¡°How much longer do we have to stay here?¡±


    The warriors wanted to see blood. They were pure warriors who had neither settled nor returned home. Those who worshipped Urich like a god were the ones who grew more and more dissatisfied with the peace.


    Discontent began to sprout. Even the myth-like achievements of Urich started to fade.


    When Urich had just conquered Hamel, he was like a god to the warriors. Many would have jumped into mes at hismand. If Urich had continued his conquests and achieved repeated victories, he might have truly be a god.


    The Beast of the Apocalypse who had burned down the civilized world and reverted it to an age of barbarism¡ªa terrifying god of disaster.


    But that wasn¡¯t what Urich wanted for himself. He stopped at being human.


    On a fine day, Urich called for Gottval, who was one of the few people Urich could still talk to.


    ¡°Ah, there you are, Gottval. How¡¯s the proselytization work going? Good?¡±


    Urich was enjoying a pic in the garden with women by his side who giggled, tickling his chest. Gottval was used to such scenes.


    ¡°The person I most want to convert is sitting right in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time you gave up?¡±


    Gottval sat in front of Urich. Urich had the women flirt with Gottval, but he remained unaffected, continuing his conversation with Urich.


    ¡°Priests have been ced beside the chiefs who settled in othernds. In exchange for reading letters and helping with internal affairs, they were granted permission to proselytize. Actually, some of the chiefs have already converted.¡±


    Srism quickly infiltrated the Alliance. Even warriors with military power had to adapt to the culture of the civilized world to survive, and the easiest way to assimte into a new culture was conversion.


    <i>¡®Conversion is the easiest way to gain recognition from the civilized people, just as I did.¡¯</i>


    There was a time when Urich also imed to be a follower of Srism. For a foreign stranger like Urich, bing a Srist was a way to secure his status.


    ¡°How long will you stay by my side?¡± Urich asked Gottval.


    ¡°Until you find peace.¡±


    The womenughed, covering their mouths at Gottval¡¯s words.


    ¡°That sounds like a love confession, Father.¡±


    Gottval only smiled at the women¡¯s teasing.


    ¡°Quiet, women. Use your hands to peel grapes instead of running your mouths,¡± Urich said, opening his mouth.


    The women found even his harsh words endearing. They liked Urich to an unusual degree, more than just loyalty to a powerful man.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t really tell why, but Urich seems to have a charm that captivates women,¡¯ </i>Gottval thought as he watched Urich and the women.


    After devouring a bunch of grapes, Urich leaned close to Gottval.


    ¡°I have a favor to ask, Gottval. You¡¯re the only one I can trust with this.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s something I can do, I will.¡±


    ¡°You know I have a kid, right?¡±


    ¡°A kid? You sure about that?¡± Gottval said with a rare hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°Well, the only one I acknowledge, anyway. No matter how many kids I have, I¡¯m not a good father. I really am a terrible man.¡±


    ¡°King Varca would raise him well.¡±


    ¡°Probably. Although kids don¡¯t grow up exactly as their parents wish... Anyway, Pahe... I mean Varca, is a king. He has tons of other responsibilities besides raising a child.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. King Varca is a man with big goals and will do many things in the future.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do as a father for my son. So, I want to at least give him the best teacher I know,¡± Urich said, then fell silent.


    ¡°Are you asking me to be that child¡¯s teacher?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking even though you know exactly what I mean. Is that a rejection?¡±


    Urich stared intently at Gottval, knowing how hard it was to find someone as learned and virtuous as him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, but...¡±


    ¡°I can trust you with this. Varca will also be pleased if you be his teacher.¡±


    ¡°I will teach the child to be a devout Srist.¡±


    ¡°If he grows up in the civilized world, that¡¯s inevitable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a difficult request to refuse....¡±


    As soon as Gottval agreed, Urich¡¯s expression brightened.


    ¡°Thank you, you really are the best! I¡¯ll have the letter sent right away!¡±


    An excited Urich called for Hume, who took Urich¡¯s dictation and wrote the letter.


    Not long after receiving Urich¡¯s letter, Gottval left Hamel. One by one, people around Urich began to leave.


    <i>¡®Urich is acting strange.¡¯</i>


    Hume, who had served Urich for half a year, felt uneasy. Looking around Urich, there were hardly any close associates left around him. His actions seemed like those of a man preparing for death.


    <i>¡®And yet, I¡¯m still here with him,¡¯ </i>he thought.


    If a man like Urich were to die, there was no way his associates would be safe. The repercussions would be immense.

 Chapter 309

    <h4>Chapter 309</h4>


    A pale-faced man was locked in an underground cell. Scars from knife cuts were clearly visible on his ankles and wrists where his tendons had been severed, leaving him unable to use his hands and feet.


    <i>Wheeze, wheeze.</i>


    Only the faint sound of Emperor Yanchinus'' breathing filled the air.


    ¡°You¡¯re a tenacious one. After all that, you still want to live?¡± the warrior assigned to guard the cell sneered.


    Yanchinus had endured six months of humiliation and torture, living a life where death would have been a sweet release. Almost daily, he was dragged to the square to be mocked, and there was no part of his body left unscathed by prolonged torture.


    At first, there had been attempts to rescue the emperor. But those efforts had faded away until no one even joked about rescuing the crippled emperor anymore.


    ¡°Drink this. If you die, the Great Chief will be displeased. <i>Ptui</i>!¡±


    The warrior spat into the watery gruel before handing it over. His orders were simple: <i>¡®Keep him alive and make him suffer for as long as possible.¡¯</i>


    The warriors faithfully followed Urich¡¯smand.


    Initially, Urich would asionally visit to watch Yanchinus from a distance. But at some point, even his interest in Yanchinus had vanished.


    ¡°Maybe the Great Chief has forgotten you even exist...¡±


    Yanchinus was now a nobody. He had lost even the dignity of an emperor, and even if he somehow managed to escape by miracle, recovering in his current state was impossible.


    <i>Slurp.</i>


    Yanchinus shamelessly devoured the gruel spat on by the warrior. It was the closest thing to food that he would be getting all day.


    The guard, witnessing Yanchinus'' bizarre obsession and madness, clicked his tongue in disgust. It was unsettling even for the onlooker.


    <i>¡®If it were me, I¡¯d have killed myself before ending up like that.¡¯</i>


    The former emperor seemed almost monstrous, desperately clinging to life. What he had be now was beyond the realm of typical human thought.


    ¡°He really is different, huh? A being who was once at the very top of the world. Be careful, he might try to eat you alive,¡± the guard said to the warrior taking the next shift.


    Yanchinus pushed the empty bowl outside, then crawled on his knees to a corner.


    <i>Rustle.</i>


    He curled up under his violet eagle cloak, using it as a nket. It was the same cloak he clung to even when he was being thrown into the underground prison, but its once brilliant violet color had be dull and nearly ck.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s cold.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus was reduced to skin and bones. Parts of his yed skin had not healed and had hardened away from his flesh.


    His life of being well-fed and healthy had allowed him to survive this long, but even he had reached his limit. The cold of death had seeped into his organs, and it wasmon for him to cough up blood.


    <i>¡®What have I been doing with my life to this point?¡¯</i>


    The empire had risen quickly and fallen just as swiftly. The once mighty empire crumbled before the axes of the barbarians.


    There was nothing to do in prison. Numerous mistakes became apparent as he just pondered over past events. Life was always about wanting just a little more, just a bit more. One often only had to think one step further, but no one could retrace a path already taken.


    Nobody could live a life without mistakes. Peopleughed at fools who made mistakes, but everyone was bound to eventually do foolish things in life.


    Even those cold and ruthless enough to kill their own parents made mistakes as they too could not surpass human limitations. Life was inherently unpredictable, and people relied on gods, trying to put fate on their side, hoping their idiotic mistakes would be hidden by divine intervention.


    <i>¡®I was curious about a barbarian named Urich.¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t just Yanchinus. Many civilized people were fascinated by the same barbarian.


    <i>¡®But I should have severed that curiosity and killed him. My mistake was keeping someone who wouldn¡¯t act ording to my will so close to me.¡¯</i>


    If Yanchinus had not favored Urich, would he have dared to cross the mountains again? Urich followed the paths paved by civilized people to cross the mountains. He had never crossed the mountainspletely on his own.


    <i>¡®I practically told him everything... I even told him in advance that I would conquer the west...¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus¡¯ shoulders shook as a wheeze-likeugh escaped him.


    <i>¡®How arrogant of you, Yanchinus. Father always warned me to be wary of those around me.¡¯</i>


    Even Urich, who had be an unparalleled hero, couldn¡¯t foresee and prepare for the unknown. He only managed to thwart the empire¡¯s conquest because he knew what Yanchinus was nning to do.


    If you know when the enemy ising, even the underdog has a chance. The Alliance¡¯s victories always seemed miraculous, but they were never just random miracles.


    <i>¡®Victory alwayses from human effort. It¡¯s never up to chance.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus pondered this countless times. He reviewed years of decisions, but it always led to one conclusion.


    <i>¡®I, Yanchinus, lost to Urich.¡¯</i>


    There was no room for chance or miracles. Urich had meticulously prepared and focused solely on Yanchinus and the empire and charged at them.


    <i>¡®When I realized I needed to face Urich and the Alliance with full force, it was already after the tide had turned. My decisionsgged behind the flow of the world.¡¯</i>


    Past emperors had mostly led wars personally, going into battle and making judgments on the field.


    <i>¡®I was toote in leaving Hamel. Instead of sending generals, I should have led the troops against Urich myself. Then I could have judged in real-time alongside Urich. But I stayed in the capital, acting reactively.¡¯</i>


    It was only at the war¡¯s end that Yanchinus and Urichmanded from the same battlefield, but by then, the empire was already at a significant disadvantage.


    <i>¡®I thought victory was all but certain at the sewers.¡¯</i>


    But there was a ghostly feint. The barbarians moved through Hamel as if they were fully aware of the city¡¯syout, weaving through its back alleys to evade the empire¡¯s eyes. Even Yanchinus hadn¡¯t anticipated such tactical maneuvers.


    <i>¡®...Urich won because he had another trick up his sleeve.¡¯</i>


    Yanchinus had anticipated and prepared for the sewer invasion. That was impressive foresight on its own, but Urich was a step ahead.


    Yanchinus¡¯ flow of thought was always the same. It was the same daily reflection.


    <i>¡®I am tired.¡¯</i>


    He closed his eyes as he felt that sweet sleep wasing.


    <i>¡®If I close my eyes like this, will I be able to wake up tomorrow?¡¯</i>


    There was no certainty with his body growing weaker by the day. But regardless, his eyelids fluttered and then fell.


    ¡°Get up!¡±


    The guard poked Yanchinus just before he fell asleep. Yanchinus jerked awake and sat up, showing no trace of dignity or majesty.


    Updat??d fr??m .


    ¡°The Great Chief is calling you.¡±


    The guard grabbed Yanchinus by the arm and lifted him, regardless of whether he understood or not, and dragged his limp, unresistant body along.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Yanchinus mumbled awkwardly. His pronunciation was unclear because all his teeth had been pulled out during torture.


    There was no understanding anyway. As he was dragged along, Yanchinus looked at the familiar surroundings.


    <i>¡®How long has it been since I¡¯ve seen the imperial pce....¡¯</i>


    It was Yanchinus¡¯ home. Passing through the well-maintained garden, his pce came into view.


    <i>Creeeak.</i>


    As the door opened, a long banquet table came into sight where Urich was sitting at the end.


    ¡°How have you been, Yanchinus?¡±


    Urich was tearing into chicken smeared with spices. He licked his fingers and gestured to Yanchinus with his chin.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Yanchinus twisted his body and sat down on the chair with difficulty. Though his body had weakened, his eyes remained unchanged.


    ¡°This is delicious. Try some, I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t had meat in a long time,¡± Urich said as he pushed a dish of pork toward Yanchinus, who stared nkly at him.


    ¡°Oh right, it¡¯s probably hard for you to eat with those hands. I forgot.¡±


    Urich twisted the corners of his mouth and pped his hands. A woman who once served Yanchinus came out, dressed in nothing but a thin cloth.


    ¡°Go and serve the emperor! Tear the meat with your hands and feed him, like a mother bird feeding her chick!¡±


    Urich pped the woman¡¯s buttocks andughed.


    <i>Chew, chew.</i>


    Yanchinus chewed the meat with his gums and forced it down. His mouth moved, but his eyes remained fixed on Urich.


    ¡°Thank you for the grand hospitality.¡±


    Yanchinus wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. We cripples should stick together.¡±


    Urich patted his thigh. He even brought out fine wine to host Yanchinus.


    Yanchinus ate the food and drank the wine without saying much, not even asking why he had been summoned. He was solely focused on filling his stomach.


    The woman serving Yanchinus broke out in a cold sweat. Watching Yanchinus sent chills down her spine.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve always known he was a cold-blooded person without pity orpassion... but is he really human like us?¡¯</i>


    The tendons in his hands and feet were severed, and his skin was peeled off in ces like a spotted cow. Yet, Yanchinus just calmly ate in front of Urich and did not spit a single curse toward his enemy who had taken everything from him.


    ¡°That was quite good. It¡¯s been a while since I had a proper meal.¡±


    Yanchinus wiped his mouth. He couldn¡¯t eat as much as before, as his body was so weak that it struggled to digest the meat. In fact, he felt like he could vomit at any moment.


    <i>¡®I guess I can¡¯t break Yanchinus with pain.¡¯</i>


    Urich smirked. He hated Yanchinus. If only Yanchinus hadn¡¯t tried to conquer the west, his life would have been different.


    ¡°So, Urich... did you call me here to kill me now?¡± Yanchinus asked as he raised his head, his sunken eyes gleaming with a twisted light.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to forgive you, Yanchinus. Today is a day I show you mercy.¡±


    Urich pulled an axe from under the table and struck it into the table.


    ¡°Forgive?¡±


    Yanchinus let out a dryugh.


    ¡°Yep, forgive.¡±


    ¡°Urich, I respected you as the victor. Forgiveness is not a word that should be used between us. We are simply the victor and vanquished.¡±


    Hearing this, Urich tilted his head to the side while Yanchinus continued to speak andugh.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t made the decision to cross the Sky Mountains, you would have spent your whole life rolling around with beast-like women in that destend.¡±


    Urich¡¯s valor was widely known. Even the civilized people knew of his story, and bards had turned it into songs. It was rare to find someone who didn¡¯t know how Urich came to the civilized world.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If you hadn¡¯t sent your people over in the first ce, even I wouldn¡¯t have easily dared to cross the Sky Mountains.¡±


    Urich agreed readily. Crossing the Sky Mountains on one¡¯s own was like a distant dream, and if he had tried to cross alone, he would have buried his bones in the mountains like many of his ancestors.


    Cause and effect were linked together, and Urich and Yanchinus were deeply connected even before they knew each other. Yanchinus¡¯ ambition had brought Urich to the civilized world.


    <i>¡®As my people say, I am the one who brought an end to the empire.¡¯</i>


    As Yanchinus covered his mouth and coughed, blood droplets spattered onto the table through his bony fingers.


    Urich scratched between his teeth with his nail and picked out a meat scrap before taking a deep breath.


    ¡°I never intended to forgive you. I wanted to torment you to the end, to make you taste regret. I waited for you to fall into despair and struggle.¡±


    Yanchinus did not break. Even when branded with a hot fire poker between his thighs, a groan was all that escaped his mouth.


    ¡°Urich, you know this too, don¡¯t you? We must not be human... We must never despair or grieve like ordinary humans. Those in our positions must be different in every way as if we transcend humanity. Only then will people look up to us. We must act as if we have been chosen by the gods, like superhumans, even if we¡¯re just an ordinary human at the core.¡±


    Urich burst outughing.


    ¡°You¡¯repletely right, wearing a mask for too long makes you forget who you originally were.¡±


    ¡°I forgot myself even before I put that mask on. No, I wonder if I even existed in the first ce. I was destined to be an emperor from birth.¡±


    An emperor had to be great. People naturally demanded extraordinary greatness from Yanchinus. Even a slight mistake was always criticized byparing him to his great-grandfather and father.


    ¡°So are you asking for pity? Who would pity someone who had everything from birth, no matter what you try to tell them? How much would peopleugh if those who had to abandon newborns because they had no food to feed them heard you?¡±


    Urich sneered, but he actually understood where Yanchinus wasing from and knew that those in high positions were forced to embody the dignity that came with it. Great Chief Urich had to prioritize the duties of a great chief over his own identity.


    <i>¡®Neither Yanchinus nor I ran away from that duty.¡¯</i>


    Urich chose his duty by his will, while Yanchinus was born into it.


    ¡°Leave us.¡±


    Urich dismissed the servants. Only Urich and Yanchinus remained at the table.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Urich pulled the axe embedded in the table. Yanchinus¡¯ eyes followed the de.


    <i>Clench.</i>


    Urich gritted his teeth. Though he hated to admit it, he felt a slight kinship with Yanchinus; one that was simr to the love-hate rtionship he had with Samikan. Despite their different methods and goals, they were both driven by their ambitions and desires.


    Like fish in a drying pond, they constantly struggled. Even if their frantic movements turned the pond into muddy water, and they drowned in that mud, they never stopped moving forward. Even if the ce they leaped onto was drynd, they didn¡¯t just sit still and wait for death.


    Those who changed the world were always those mad with desire.


    Yanchinus¡¯ ambition caused the fall of the empire, but thanks to Yanchinus, exchanges between the west and civilization began, ushering in a new era.


    ¡°<i>Hooo,</i> Rx your neck. It¡¯ll hurt a lot if it doesn¡¯t end in one stroke.¡±


    Urich steadied his breath and swung his arm holding the axe backward. It had been a long time since he beheaded someone himself.


    All sorts of thoughts filled Yanchinus¡¯ mind as he closed his eyes and awaited Urich¡¯s judgment. But soon, everything became quiet, and his thoughts converged into a single point as the world turned from ck to bright.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    His head slid off his body cleanly.


    Yanchinus vividly felt his death. It was a bizarre experience to remain conscious even after his head fell off his body.


    <i>Blink.</i>


    It was only for a moment, but Yanchinus saw it.


    <i>¡®Cunning bastard.¡¯</i>


    It was no coincidence that the winner was Urich.

 Chapter 310

    <h4>Chapter 310</h4>


    Urich caught himself dozing off.


    <i>Tick, tick.</i>


    The fishing rod in his hands trembled slightly. He yawned and pulled on the rod.


    A minnow wriggled as it was reeled in.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t even enough for a bite.¡±


    Urich threw the minnow hooked on the fishing line back to the flowing water, then went back to staring nkly at the river.


    It was a river not far from Hamel. Urich often came here with just Hume and a few warriors and spent his days fishing as a pastime.


    <i>Crack, crack.</i>


    Urich stretched his neck from side to side to loosen up, sitting next to a basket of water with only two fish swimming in it that were caught by his clumsy fishing.


    ¡°Wake up, Hume. Don¡¯t just sleep, chat with me or something.¡±


    Urich woke Hume up after casting another bait. Hume, who had been dozing off against a tree, opened his eyes.


    ¡°<i>Yawn</i>, did you catch anything? We should head back soon.¡±


    ¡°Just wait, I feel like I¡¯m going to catch a big one today.¡±


    Urich smiled as he sipped the wine he brought.


    <i>¡®Fishing is what he does after conquering Hamel...¡¯</i>


    Even Hume often wondered about Urich''s actions, not to mention the warriors who felt the same way. They often came to Urich urging for military action, but Urich just shook his head every time.


    <i>¡®Five thousand warriors are idly wasting away.¡¯</i>


    Those who wanted to settle and those who longed for their homnd had all left. The remaining five thousand warriors were those who wanted to share glory with Urich, missing the days of reveling in bloodshed.


    ¡°Only the pure warriors still remain by my side.¡±


    Urich looked at his rough hands which were strong enough to kill a man without any weapons. He too was a warrior, so he fully understood the hearts of the warriors who stayed.


    <i>¡®Pure warriors do not settle. They constantly strive to fight and conquer.¡¯</i>


    People only stop when they are satisfied. Just as only a hungry beast goes hunting, only the people who have not fulfilled their desires continue to advance.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s not wrong for those born and raised as warriors to crave battle.¡¯</i>


    Urich stared at the flowing river. There were fish that tried to swim against the current, whereas others went with the flow.


    There was no absolute good or evil in the real world. When goals shed, one just med the other as wrong, and that was exactly how things were between barbarism and civilization. Everyone simply lived to the best of their ability given their circumstances. Civilization was not inherently right, nor was barbarism inherently wrong.


    It was a simple truth, but it was one that people ignored. To survive in this harsh world, they needed to believe they were right, and others were wrong. Everyone thinks they are the most justified.


    <i>¡®Basha¡¯s revenge was justified, and so was Hume¡¯s.¡¯</i>


    And Urich did not think his actions were wrong either. To save his people, he had no choice but to overturn the civilized world by force. Even if innocents suffered, it was inevitable, because if the civilized did not suffer, his brothers of his homnd would instead.


    <i>¡®There is no such thing as a perfect world where everyone is satisfied.¡¯</i>


    If there were absolute righteousness, life would be very easy. There would be no need to ponder what is right or wrong.


    But the world was full of contradictions, and right and wrong changed constantly.


    In the civilized world, Ulgaro of the north was seen as evil that knew nothing more than plunder and destruction, whereas in the barbarian world, the sun god Lou would be seen as weak prey.


    <i>¡®But if there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s clear...¡¯</i>


    Urich touched his heart.


    <i>¡®In this unclear world, I have to do what I believe in.¡¯</i>


    If one fears that their good might be another¡¯s evil, they will do nothing. A half-hearted altruistic life was one chosen by cowards. In fact, those who chose it were not altruistic but merely afraid of others¡¯ judgment.


    Urich pulled on the fishing rod again, but no fish were caught.


    ¡°Another miss. Didn¡¯t you say you were feeling like you were going to catch a big one?¡± Hume, eager to return, teased.


    ¡°Ah, the big one is finally here,¡± Urich muttered, looking at the empty hook. His ears twitched like a wild animal¡¯s.


    <i>Twang.</i>


    It was the sound of a bowstring. An arrow flew.


    Urich¡¯s lips twitched as he tilted his head to dodge the arrow.


    The warriors who had followed as guards were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°E-enemies!¡± Hume shouted in panic, ducking and looking around.


    ¡°See? I told you I was going to catch a big one today.¡±


    Urichughed, staring at the bushes.


    ¡°Are you there, Great Chief?¡± A hearty voice called out.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± Urich replied, crossing his arms. Three warriors emerged from the bushes, stepping cautiously.


    ¡°It would have been disappointing if the mighty Urich died to an arrow.¡±


    A warriorughed, tossing aside his bow.


    ¡°Thanks to your gentle shooting, I managed to dodge it.¡±


    Urich''s joke made the warriorsugh. They were former chiefs and head warriors who stayed in the army despite the others settling down in civilization or returning west to their homes.


    <i>¡®We believed that one day, our Great Chief would rise again and start a war.¡¯</i>


    Even if one was paralyzed from the waist down, there were mounts in the civilized world that mademanding still possible. Those who remained were likely ones who believed in Urich more than anyone else.


    Three warriors approached.


    Hume, standing beside Urich, flinched and stepped back. He was neither Urich''s guard nor strong enough to fight real warriors.


    <i>¡®Assassination.¡¯</i>


    It was clear that the warriors hade to kill Urich after their umted discontent toward him had finally erupted.


    ¡°How many agreed to this? Who is my sessor?¡±


    Urich asked, lifting a basket of fish and biting into the flesh of one that was still alive. The fish, being eaten alive, thrashed its tail, pping Urich''s cheek.


    ¡°That doesn''t matter. When you die, one of us will take your ce. Then we will continue the war.¡±


    ¡°There is no such thing as an army that wins forever. You need to know when to stop.¡±


    Urich threw the half-eaten fish into the river. The fish''s blood dispersed in the water.


    ¡°You might think it''s time to stop, but we don''t.¡±


    Urich stared at the warriors raising their weapons.


    ¡°You came to kill me with just the three of you?¡± He asked the warriors.


    ¡°Three is more than enough against a cripple.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you''ve underestimated me.¡±


    Urich shrugged andughed.


    Meanwhile, Hume, standing behind him, trembled in fear and thought, <i>¡®Today is the day that I pay the price for killing Basha.¡¯</i>


    If Urich died, Hume would die too. There was no chance the warriors would leave a witness alive.


    ¡°Today, the Great Chief will go missing. He will finally be gone.¡±


    Urich was a divine figure in the Alliance with an immense number of followers that was iparable to Samikan''s time. No matter how esteemed a warrior, if they killed Urich and took his ce as Great Chief, they would be avenged by someone before long. The ideal method was to assassinate Urich and disguise it as a disappearance.


    ¡°This could¡¯ve all been avoided if I had properly named a sessor and stepped down,¡± Urich muttered, grabbing an axe.


    ¡°If you knew that, why did you hold onto your position? We didn''t want to do this either. You are a great warrior. If you choose war even now, we will fight by your side with our lives.¡±


    Urich rummaged through his bag and took out another axe, holding one in each hand.


    <i>¡®Two axes?¡¯</i>


    A quick-witted warrior sensed something was off. It wasn¡¯t unusual for a warrior to carry one axe with him at all times, but bringing two axes to a simple fishing trip was strange.


    ¡°I, Urich of the Stone Axe Tribe, saved my brothers and sisters from the greed of the civilized people. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing boasting about it, but it was something to be proud of. It was tough and grueling, but it was worth all the trouble.¡±


    Urich spun the two axes in his hands. Every warrior in the Alliance knew he was a master of axe throwing, so they approached cautiously.


    Urich closed his eyes thinking about the battle, then opened them again.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve regretted my choices many times, but....¡¯</i>


    But Urich still achieved his goal, and even if he could go back, he would still make the same choices again because he believed they were the right ones.


    Urich loved the people of his home. They were his brothers.


    ¡°...But this time, I will save the civilized people from the barbaric violence.¡±


    Urich the barbarian admired civilization. That sentiment hadn¡¯t changed.


    The warriors'' eyes widened and then twisted with hatred. Despite them being the ones who came to assassinate the Great Chief, they were the ones who felt more betrayed.


    ¡°Great Chiiiiiiief!¡± They cried.


    The words that should have nevere out of Urich¡¯s mouth carried the truth that the warriors of the Alliance had been ignoring.


    <i>¡®Urich kept the civilized people closer than his brothers.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s closest aides were always civilized people, and the discontent that umted exploded with those words.


    One warrior charged like a bear with his axe prepared to lose a limb.


    <i>¡®He might be a warrior blessed by the heavens and earth, but...!¡¯</i>


    The warrior was confident that he could beat a crippled opponent.


    Urich and the warrior crossed paths. The sound of flesh being cut and bones breaking filled the air.


    But the warriors and even Hume fell speechless at what happened next.


    ¡°The hardest thing in the past six months was...¡±


    Urich wiped the blood off his axe on his pants as the head that once belonged to the charging warrior fell to the ground.


    ¡°Enduring the doctor''s tickling of my soles every evening.¡±


    Urich limped. His gait seemed ufortable, but he was standing firmly on both legs. He swiftly beheaded the warrior with everyone present as witnesses.


    ¡°G-Great Chief!¡±


    The warriors were shocked and left speechless.


    Even Hume, who was always by Urich¡¯s side, didn¡¯t know about the condition of his legs. He had been hiding the state of his legs from others for over half a year.


    <i>¡®Was he waiting for his army to naturally disband...?¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t like he could move his legs this much from the start. For the past six months, Urich had been secretly undergoing rehabilitation, and it was only three or four weeks ago that he was able to stand on both legs again.


    ¡°Come at me, my brothers. If you want something, you have to seize it with force!¡± Urich shouted as he straightened his posture.


    The warriors¡¯ expressions wereplex. While they were furious at the betrayal, they were also pleased by the return of the greatest warrior. Joy and anger were mixed.


    ¡°Why are you not leading us again? Why...¡± A warrior asked with a trembling voice.


    ¡°I told you, this time I¡¯m going to protect the civilized people,¡± Urich was firm.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we can¡¯t understand, Great Chief!¡±


    Urich threw an axe at the warrior who shouted. The fierce axe flew and struck the warrior¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°<i>Aaaargh!</i>¡±


    The warrior screamed. While he managed to prevent his head from being split, the axe buried in his shoulder had shattered bone and lodged deeply.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no intention of gaining your understanding. This is my life. The only person who needs to understand it is myself.¡±


    There was no room for right or wrong. The warriors had their reasons for being disappointed in Urich, and Urich had his reasons for betraying their expectations.


    Life was a series of shes with others. Ultimately, only those with deeper roots and firmer resolve were able to achieve their will.


    A warrior swung his de in anger.


    Urich read the trajectory of the de and ducked. He felt an electric sensation as the de grazed his hair. The senses of the battlefield awakened, and the thrill surged, reaching the fine hairs on his skin.


    <i>sh!</i>


    He swung his axe to cut the warrior¡¯s ankle and send him copsing sideways.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Urich jumped again and drove his knee into the fallen warrior¡¯s head with his weight. The warrior¡¯s skull caved in and shattered.


    Thest standing warrior charged, thinking to attack before Urich could regain his stance as he was slow to stand due to his legs still being a hindrance.


    Urich threw the axe he was holding. The warrior raised his sword to block it as if he was expecting it.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich¡¯s axe was deflected. Now weaponless, Urich grabbed the sword the dead warrior had held and swung it.


    ¡°<i>Oooooh!</i>¡± Urich shouted. His muscles bulged and his veins stood out.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The sword Urich swung was like a hammer with a force that no other sword than an imperial steel sword would have handled.


    The warrior blocked, but Urich¡¯s strength overwhelmed him. A long gash appeared on his muscr chest, widening and splitting vertically. Blood flowed like a waterfall down his chest.


    ¡°<i>Kugh.</i>¡±


    The warrior retreated, clutching his chest with a wound deep enough to be fatal.


    ¡°You are still as amazing as ever, Great Chief.¡±


    Urich smiled bitterly. The warriors he had just killed were his brothers too.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this.¡±


    Urich spun the sword, preparing for the final blow.


    ¡°If you were going to apologize, you shouldn¡¯t have done it in the first ce. <i>heh</i>. Regardless of the reason, we tried to kill you, Great Chief, so there really is no need to apologize.¡±


    Urich took a step forward and swung the sword widely. The warrior¡¯s head fell cleanly.


    As Urich looked at the bodies of the dead warriors, his eyes gleamed yellow.


    Emotions surged, making his nose and eyes tingle. Even after seeing and hearing so much, the world was still difficult. Was this the best way? No matter how many times he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t be sure. He merely embraced the unease and took a difficult step forward.


    After staring at the bodies for a while, Urich grabbed his knees and stood up.


    ¡°Hume, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°H-huh? Go where?¡± Hume, startled, answered in confusion.


    ¡°If we stay here, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    Hearing that, Hume hurriedly followed Urich.


    ¡°W-where are we going?¡±


    ¡°First to the south...¡±


    Urich trailed off, taking arge look around. His eyes, which had been scanning the south, finally turned east.


    ¡°Then to the east.¡±


    Urich walks on.

 Chapter 311: Epilogue

    <h4>Chapter 311: Epilogue</h4>


    ¡°Long live Porcana! Long live King Varca!¡±


    Praises of the people of Porcana filled the streets all over the kingdom.


    His uncle was a great king. It was certain that the title of Great King would be attached to his name after his reign was over.


    Louyan, who had such a great uncle, stood at the dock, gazing at the coastline. The maritime industry of the Porcana Kingdom was growing day by day. The trade along the coastline was flourishing with the rapid advancement of navigation technology, and the sea route to the north was iparably faster than thend route.


    Louyan stared nkly at the horizon. Every time he saw the endless sea, his heart swelled with a strange excitement.


    <i>¡®My uncle is convinced that there is an Eastern Continent.¡¯</i>


    Varca Baneu Porcana was Louyan''s uncle. King Varca had countless legendary anecdotes and was a great king who turned the small kingdom of Porcana into one of the most powerful nations.


    Louyan respected his uncle. Porcana was more prosperous than ever.


    ¡°Louyan, here you are.¡±


    A man with a gentle appearance and a priest¡¯s attire walked through the crowd.


    ¡°Ah, Master.¡±


    Louyan¡¯s mentor was Gottval. He was responsible for Louyan¡¯s education and was one of the two men whom he considered his father, with the other being King Varca.


    He dusted off a wooden crate, making a ce for Gottval to sit.


    <i>¡®He has grown up well.¡¯</i>


    Gottval smiled as he looked at Louyan standing at the dock. Although his childhood name was Salone, he now went by Louyan, meaning ¡®man of Lou.¡¯ Louyan had grown into a devout young man, fitting the name well.


    ¡°Did you have business at the dock, Louyan?¡± Gottval asked.


    Louyan smiled and looked at therge sailing ship made for ocean voyages that were docked.


    ¡°Ah, the Phillion.¡±


    Gottval also looked at the ship. Porcana was making significant efforts in ocean exploration.


    <i>¡®The existence of the Eastern Continent is bing increasingly certain.¡¯</i>


    With active exchanges with the northern kingdoms, much progress had been made in research on the Eastern Continent. Based on oral traditions and artifacts, the continent of the east was hard to deny.


    ¡°The Phillion is about to set sail,¡± Louyan said as he watched the busy sailors.


    Gottval sighed as he read Louyan¡¯s eyes. He said, ¡°His Majesty will not allow it. He couldn¡¯t possibly send his heir into the dangerous sea.¡±


    Louyan was highly likely to seed Varca as the current king had only two daughters and no sons of his own.


    ¡°He could always bring in a son-inw,¡± Louyan said.


    ¡°No one will be better than you,¡± Gottval replied.


    ¡°You overestimate me, Master.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an overestimation. I taught you myself, you know.¡±


    Gottvalughed aloud.


    <i>¡®Urich¡¯s son.¡¯</i>


    Few knew of Louyan¡¯s biological father. A barbarian man who had brought down the empire, which was the pinnacle of civilization. That was the blood that flowed in Louyan¡¯s veins.


    <i>¡®But he grew up as a schr.¡¯</i>


    Louyan had a robust physique but was not as hulking as Urich. He was fond of books and had a rich academic curiosity.


    ¡°Looks like there are quite a few people gathered.¡±


    The port was bustling with people from all over, and even nobles hade to see the departure of therge sailing ship named the Phillion.


    Louyan nced at the unfamiliar faces knowing that among them were likely spies from other countries.


    ¡°There are many who wish for our failure,¡± Louyan muttered. Many eyes were watching Porcana¡¯s exploration of the Eastern Continent.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a little over a decade since the empire fell due to an overambitious national project,¡± Gottval reminisced.


    ¡°We are exploring, not conquering. We won¡¯t repeat the empire¡¯s folly.¡±


    The empire¡¯s effort to conquer the westernnds, which turned out to be stirring a ho¡¯s nest, had brought about its fall. The westerners, stronger than expected, formed tribal alliances and fought the empire. Also among that alliance was Porcana, who joined hands with the Alliance to overthrow the empire and gain independence.


    Porcana absorbed the empire¡¯s wealth and advanced technology, making great strides under Varca¡¯s rule. It was no exaggeration to say that this was the golden age of Porcana.


    ¡°Father Gottval! His Majesty calls for you!¡± A soldier waved and shouted from a distance. Gottval nodded and headed to the pce.


    Left alone again, Louyan looked at the dock and saw that sailors were being recruited on one side. The exploration of the Eastern Continent was extremely dangerous and carried a high likelihood of not returning alive. However, the high pay and the goal of exploring the Eastern Continent appealed to many sailors.


    Men who considered themselves seasoned sailors flocked to Porcana, and among them were northerners who hade to follow their ancestors¡¯ sea routes. Many northerners were skilled sailors, and Porcana actively recruited them.


    <i>¡®If the legend is true, then the northerners have seeded in navigating to the Eastern Continent in the past.¡¯</i>


    In fact, therge sailing ship was made of northern timber, which was strong and water-resistant, making it ideal for shipbuilding.


    <i>¡®It was probably difficult to navigate to the Eastern Continent back then, so exchanges must have gradually diminished, reducing the continent¡¯s existence to mere legends. The routes to it must have been forgotten in the process as well,¡¯ </i>Louyan thought as he stroked his chin. His turquoise eyes were deep and sharp.


    ¡°<i>Ooooh!</i> Look at that!¡±


    A loud shout erupted from where the sailors were being recruited.


    Louyan also moved through the crowd toward themotion. Some people recognized him and bowed their heads.


    ¡°How many crates is he carrying?¡±


    Louyan followed the crowd¡¯s gazes as the people eximed in admiration.


    ¡°<i>Hooaaaah!</i>¡±


    A man with a messy beard and hair was carrying three boxes stacked on top of each other. Even though he was wearing clothes that covered his body, his muscles were sorge that their outlines were prominent.


    ¡°Y-you pass!¡±


    As soon as the announcement was made, the man put down the boxes, dusted off his hands, and gave a thumbs up as if what he had just done was no big deal.


    ¡°Great choice, mister. Where else would you find a worker like me?¡±


    The man patted the recruiter''s shoulder with a cheeky grin, who looked at him with a dazed expression.


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Uri... uh, Kylios.¡±


    ¡°Kylios, got it. Take this identification tag ande back tomorrow,¡± the recruiter said, handing over a wooden tag.


    Kylios nodded and pushed through the crowd before suddenly noticing Louyan among the spectators.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s staring at me.¡¯</i>


    Louyan also stared back at Kylios without backing down. Under Kylios¡¯ shaggy hair, a pair of yellow eyes shone bright.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i>¡±


    Kylios nced at Louyan for a while before clearing his throat and disappearing.


    <i>¡®Why was he staring at me?¡¯</i>


    Louyan was curious about the man named Kylios. He gathered himself and tailed him all the way into the increasinglyplicated alleyways where the presence of people dwindled.


    <i>¡®Where did he go?¡¯</i>


    Louyan lost track of Kylios. Just as he turned a corner, Kylios had vanished without a trace.


    ¡°Hey, mister. You sure are good at sneaking around like a stray cat.¡±


    Louyan felt a chill as soon as he heard that voice. Kylios had appeared behind him.


    ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±


    Louyan quickly apologized. Kylios¡¯s beard and hair were so thick that even his facial features were hard to see.


    <i>¡®He must be a barbarian.¡¯</i>


    Louyan assumed that Kylios was likely a northern barbarian who came to Porcana after hearing about the exploration of the Eastern Continent.


    ¡°When you find a dangerous person, you shouldn¡¯t follow them alone. You could get yourself killed.¡±


    Kylios drew a dagger and twirled it in his hand, moving it so fast it looked like there were multiple des.


    Louyan flinched and stepped back, sweating profusely. He only then realized how foolish his action was.


    Kyliosughed at Louyan¡¯s reaction. Despite looking quite aged, hisugh was as cheerful as a boy¡¯s. He asked, ¡°What business does a Porcana royal have with someone like me?¡±


    Louyan''s eyes widened at the question.


    ¡°You know who I am?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an emblem of the Porcana royal family engraved on the button holding your cloak. A herring and a fishing boat,¡± Kylios said as he pressed his finger against the button on Louyan¡¯s cloak.


    <i>¡®He recognized the engraving from that distance... His eyes are impressive.¡¯</i>


    Louyan scratched the back of his head awkwardly andughed. He tried to exin himself, ¡°I was just curious why you were staring at me for so long.¡±


    ¡°I was only looking because you¡¯re a royal of this ce.¡±


    Kylios stroked his unkempt beard and circled around Louyan, scrutinizing him closely.


    <i>¡®So he knows that I¡¯m a royal, but his attitude is still...¡¯</i>


    Louyan found Kylios''s behavior strange. Everyone was supposed to be cautious in front of a royal, and the Porcana family was known to be especially intimidating.


    Suddenly, Kylios grabbed Louyan¡¯s hand, examined his palm, and even patted Louyan¡¯s arms as if inspecting his body.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up gently, only handling a sword a few times. Your build seems sturdy, but it¡¯s just gics. You haven¡¯t trained, so your flesh is soft. Have you ever cut a person?¡±


    ¡°N-no, I haven¡¯t,¡± Louyan answered without even realizing, intimidated by Kylios''s forceful demeanor.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never killed anyone, even at this age? My goodness, these civilized people...¡±


    Kylios clicked his tongue and patted Louyan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡±


    Louyan bowed and tried to leave.


    ¡°Gottval taught you very well, huh! Even someone like me gets a proper goodbye,¡± Kylios muttered.


    Louyan''s eyes widened at the mention of Gottval¡¯s name.


    ¡°... Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Just a passerby.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y with me.¡±


    Louyan was on high alert, thinking that the man before him might be a spy from another country.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Louyan grabbed the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Keke, show me what you got!¡±


    Kylios rummaged at his waist and drew an axe.


    <i>Schring!</i>


    Louyan drew his sword without hesitation. Though hecked realbat experience, he had basic swordsmanship training befitting royalty.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Kylios hooked Louyan''s de with his axe and struck downward.


    <i>¡®Such immense strength!¡¯</i>


    Louyan lost his bnce and staggered as if his body was being pulled by the force of the blow.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Kylios kicked Louyan¡¯s body with his front foot, flinging him into a pile of trash in the alley.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you stay lying down like that! Get up!¡±


    Kylios charged with a roar. Louyan barely managed to raise his sword and roll to the side.


    ¡°<i>Huff!</i>¡±


    Louyan¡¯s senses sharpened. He coldly observed Kylios¡¯s movements.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Their weapons shed again and again, and Louyan was pushed back over and over.


    ¡°Use your legs too! Move!¡±


    Kylios shouted as he stepped on Louyan¡¯s foot to trap him, then swung his elbow wide.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Kylios¡¯s elbow struck Louyan¡¯s face.


    Louyan spat out the blood pooling in his mouth.


    ¡°You son of a...¡±


    After seeing his own blood, rough words escaped Louyan¡¯s lips as his teal eyes glinted fiercely.


    ¡°Son of a what? I¡¯ve lived twice as long as you! I don¡¯t know who your father is, but I sure would like to see his face!¡±


    Kylios kicked Louyan again, this time in his chest. Louyan gasped for breath and coughed.


    <i>¡®This is what I get for ignoring Gottval and my uncle¡¯s advice to have guards with me at all times...¡¯</i>


    His head was all over the ce, unable to understand how things hade to this. He barely managed to ask, ¡°Are you here to kill me?¡±


    Kylios justughed, spinning his axe. He stomped on Louyan¡¯s hand and snatched his sword.


    ¡°Wow, you use a fine sword. Mind if I keep it?¡±


    Without waiting for Louyan¡¯s answer, Kylios took the sword.


    Louyan¡¯s heart pounded. It was his first time standing on the brink of life and death.


    <i>¡®I thought tomorrow was a given.¡¯</i>


    But it wasn¡¯t. No one knew when death woulde, and right now, the shadow of death loomed behind him. Even his royal status meant nothing before death.


    Kylios stared intently into Louyan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This must be your first life-or-death fight, isn¡¯t it? For a first-timer, your moves weren¡¯t bad. That¡¯s worth some praise.¡±


    Kylios stretched his arm and swung the axe.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Louyan wet himself as the axe lodged between his legs. Fortunately, the axe had embedded itself in the ground.


    ¡°This will be a valuable experience. The fear you felt today will save your life one day.¡±


    Kylios sheathed his weapon, seemingly having no intention to kill Louyan.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll get away with treating a royal like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be at the docks tomorrow as well, so if you¡¯re upset, bring some knights ande find me. Go ahead, run and tell someone what I did to you like a little girl.¡±


    Louyan¡¯s face turned red with anger.


    Kylios shrugged andughed. He turned and walked away down the alley.

 Chapter 312

    <h4>Chapter 312</h4>


    Urich was looking at the sea. The salty smell reached his nose every time the waves crashed.


    ¡°The Edge of the World,¡± he muttered as he threw a pebble onto the surface of the water.


    <i>¡®No one believes in the Edge of the World anymore.¡¯</i>


    People now believed there was an Eastern Continent instead of a cliff where the seawater fell. In just twenty years, people''s worldviews have changed.


    Humanity had illuminated the darkness of ignorance, and the world kept expanding.


    <i>Ding! Ding!</i>


    As the bell rang at the appointed time, the recruitment officers dismounted their horses and called the potential sailors. Urich, being one of them, walked over along with the others.


    Officials were busy recruiting sailors for the exploration of the Eastern Continents. One of the officers recognized Urich and pointed at him.


    ¡°It would be best to do something about that hair and beard, Kylios.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s done before we set sail.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself, but I do need to ask you a few questions, soe over here for a second.¡±


    Urich was an extraordinarily strong man who had the strength that was essential for the hard life aboard a ship. Knowing that, the recruitment officer was already set on enlisting Urich but still had to ask a few routine questions.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°Aryana of the north.¡±


    ¡°Any experience at sea?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    Urich¡¯s answer made the recruitment officer frown.


    <i>¡®Is he serious? We''re selectively picking only the most experienced sailors... and he has none?¡¯</i>


    The officer''s initial intention to recruit Urichpletely vanished.


    ¡°Very well. I will not be enlisting you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll do well.¡±


    ¡°Confidence alone isn¡¯t enough. What the Porcana expedition needs are seasoned sailors.¡±


    ¡°Man, you can¡¯t be doing this to me after I¡¯ve been transparent with you.¡±


    Urich¡¯s voice grew louder.


    <i>Clink.</i>


    The guards stepped forward, cing their hands on their sword hilts.


    ¡°If you cause a disturbance, you¡¯ll get a taste of our steel, Kylios.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to cause any trouble. I¡¯m asking you to reconsider, that¡¯s all. I learn quickly and will adapt fast.¡±


    ¡°Soldiers!¡±


    Upon the official¡¯s signal, the soldiers drew their swords and approached.


    ¡°Leave immediately. We don¡¯t have time for games,¡± one soldier threatened.


    Urich calmly looked around at the soldiers, sensing that a fight was imminent.


    <i>¡®I didn¡¯te here to fight.¡¯</i>


    Urich simply wanted to sail. He scratched his head and stood up.


    ¡°...If you don¡¯t want me as a sailor, then how about as a soldier? If I knock down three of your men here, let me aboard the ship as a soldier.¡±


    ¡°Stop your nonsense!¡±


    Urich slowly curled his fingers into a fist and looked up at the distant pce of Porcana with a sigh. If he spoke to Varca, he could get on the ship with no problem whatsoever.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t reveal that I¡¯m alive.¡¯</i>


    Many things had happened in Urich¡¯s absence while he was wandering the south for the past ten years.


    The Alliance started to lose its center and waver as each chief led their army and dered independence after his disappearance. However, the consciousness of the Alliance and kinship that Samikan and Urich had established still remained, leading them to help each other and maintain alliances among themselves.


    As expected, Belrua of the Red Sand seeded the name of the Alliance. Although the Alliance that once dominated the west was no more, the tribes around the Sky Mountains formed another alliance with Belrua at its center.


    Civilized people feared the western tribes uniting again under the Alliance. Thanks to the fear they deeply ingrained in the civilized world, the westerners sessfully settled in the civilizednds, and their settlements thrived amidst the conflicts of various kingdoms.


    <i>¡®There are more than just a few who woulde to find me in a heartbeat upon hearing my name.¡¯</i>


    Urich was a cmity just by being alive, and some civilized people even believed he was a disaster sent by the heavens. Disappearing right after toppling the empire, Urich remained a mythical figure.


    <i>¡®The war would have never ended unless I either disappeared or died...¡¯</i>


    Urich looked at the soldiers before him.


    ¡°Alright, bring it on, then.¡±


    He spread his arms wide and drew an axe from his waist.


    The soldiers flinched and halted their approach upon recognizing that their opponent was a barbarian who did not shrink before a crowd of armed soldiers.


    <i>¡®This barbarian is skilled inbat.¡¯</i>


    An extraordinary sense of intimidation emanated from Urich¡¯s body. The soldiers exchanged nces, signaling each other as they all felt like their heads would fly off if they approached first.


    <i>Clip-clop, clip-clop.</i>


    The sound of hooves approached. A smile broke out on Urich¡¯s fierce face as he nced sideways.


    <i>¡®You really came, Louyan.¡¯</i>


    Urich couldn¡¯t suppress hisughter. Although he didn¡¯t deserve it, seeing Louyan made him happy. It was hard to resist the pull of blood rtions.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Louyan, the heir of Porcana, spoke from his horse, looking at Urich from behind the recruiter.


    ¡°M-Master Louyan!¡± The recruiter recognized Louyan and shouted.


    ¡°This man is quite entric. Dismiss the soldiers.¡±


    Louyan dismounted and stepped forward. A crowd had already gathered on the pier.


    ¡°Haha, you really are royalty after all, huh!¡±


    Urich loosely lowered the hand holding the axe andughed as he watched the soldiers and the recruiting officerply with Louyan¡¯s words. The power of status was still immense.


    ¡°I owe you for yesterday, Kylios.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s a favor like that, you¡¯re wee to owe me anytime. So, who did you tell on me to?¡±


    ¡°I do not do such things. If you were a spy from another country, I¡¯d already be dead.¡±


    Louyan did not antagonize Urich.


    ¡°I just taught you a lesson not to wander alone.¡±


    Urich shrugged andughed.


    ¡°After I returned to the pce, I carefully formted some hypotheses about who you might be. Well, it was too much to do alone, so I sought my master¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°So? Have you reached a conclusion?¡±


    ¡°Of course. My master wishes to see you.¡±


    Louyan did not utter Urich¡¯s name.


    <i>¡®If this man is truly Urich as Master says, his survival must not be revealed.¡¯</i>


    The fall of the empire happened right when Louyan was just beginning to walk, and Urich, the man standing before him, was the man responsible for it.


    Urich scratched his head, looking at Louyan.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s clever. He figured out my name with just a few clues overnight. Gottval must have thought that if I survived, I woulde here eventually.¡¯</i>


    More people gathered, murmuring. Before attracting more attention, Urich mounted a horse and followed Louyan.


    ¡°Are you really the person we think you are?¡± Louyan asked indirectly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what Gottval says,¡± Urich neither confirmed nor denied.


    ¡°My mother died because you and your army invaded Hamel.¡±


    ¡°So, are you seeking revenge?¡±


    ¡°But you are my uncle¡¯s reliable ally. In the nobility society, revenge is entangled withplex interests.¡±


    Despite his words, Louyan showed no particr resentment.


    <i>¡®I hardly remember my mother... And she wasn¡¯t very well spoken of either.¡¯</i>


    Louyan had always carried a contradiction that Damia was his biological mother but also a political rival who had threatened Varca, whom Louyan respected.


    Creak.


    As the castle gate opened, a priest who was missing an arm ran out. It was the now aged and grizzled Gottval.


    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Urich said as he scratched his chin awkwardly.


    Gottval reached out and brushed Urich¡¯s messy bangs back, revealing the gleaming bright yellow eyes that were hidden underneath.


    ¡°U-Urich! Oh, Lou, my goodness!¡± Gottval shouted unintentionally and then covered his mouth.


    Louyan stared at Gottval and Urich as Gottval greeted Urich and embraced him warmly as if he were his long-lost family member.


    ¡°To see you standing here on two legs! We shouldn¡¯t just stand here,e on, let¡¯s head inside quickly.¡±


    Seeing Gottval¡¯s joy, Louyan felt reassured that he had done the right thing.


    <i>¡®In any case, this person must be important to Master.¡¯</i>


    Louyan followed Gottval and Urich inside. Gottval¡¯s private reception room was modest but exuded a priestly reverence.


    Gottval even brought out his treasured wine to wee Urich.


    ¡°Master, is this Urich the Plunderer?¡±


    ¡°He is also a friend of His Highness,¡± Gottval replied.


    Gottval and Urich¡¯s eyes met over Louyan¡¯s shoulder.


    <i>¡®Louyan doesn¡¯t know that Urich is his real father, and Urich probably hasn¡¯t told him, either.¡¯</i>


    This was something that had to be hidden for Louyan¡¯s sake. The achievements Urich had amassed were significant enough to greatly influence his descendants. There were already several young men in the west who imed to be Urich¡¯s sons.


    <i>¡®If someone is acknowledged as Urich¡¯s son, many warriors would gather under him.¡¯</i>


    King Bilker of the north garnered massive support simply because he was a descendant of Mijorn the Brave. The position of being Urich¡¯s son was not just proof of lineage but a status.


    Varca had also separated Louyan and Urich to prevent such repercussions.


    ¡°Where have you been all this time, Urich? I didn¡¯t think you were actually dead, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be wandering around alive like this.¡±


    There were all sorts of rumors surrounding Urich¡¯s sudden disappearance, including tales that imed Lou¡¯s divine punishment had fulfilled its mission and returned. Because he disappeared rather than died, Urich¡¯s fame reached the status of a legend.


    Urich onlyughed when he heard the rumors and stories about his whereabouts. Like the Sword Demon Ferzen, disappearance sparked more imagination than a confirmed death.


    ¡°I went to the south, and I also brought Hume along with me.¡±


    ¡°Hume? Ah, you mean the man who killed Basha. What¡¯s he doing now?¡±


    ¡°He ate some snake meat in the south, got sick, had diarrhea and vomiting, and eventually died. I tried to save him, but it was no use.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    Enough time had passed for a child to grow into a young adult, and Gottval hadpletely forgotten about Hume.


    ¡°I went to the south and chased the traces of Serpentism. Most of the people there believe in a sun god not too different from yours in Srism.¡±


    ¡°Southern sun worship is the same deity as sun god Lou, only with different methods of worship and doctrines.¡±


    ¡°There, I also learned how to mummify people. It¡¯s not as hard as I thought. You just remove the organs, like when you¡¯re drying meat...¡±


    Urich recounted his experiences with a smile on his face.


    Louyan listened attentively from the side, not interfering with the reunion of the two now-aged men.


    ¡°Thank you for faithfully fulfilling my favor. I don¡¯t know how I can ever repay you.¡±


    Urich had entrusted Louyan¡¯s education to Gottval, and now he was seeing the results with his own eyes.


    ¡°It was a pleasant experience for me as well.¡±


    Louyan tilted his head, puzzled by the conversation. He asked, ¡°What is this favor you talk about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± Urich said with a heartyugh and roughly shoved Louyan¡¯s shoulder.


    Louyan blushed, showing his displeasure. Having lived among civilized people all his life, Louyan had no experience mingling with barbarians, and even the western army stationed in Porcana was at the border, making it difficult for him to encounter them at all.


    ¡°Louyan, His Highness will be pleased to hear the news of Urich. Since we cannot have anyone else know about this, it would be good if you delivered it personally,¡± Gottval said with a smile. Louyan nodded and left the room.


    Once Louyan¡¯s presence faded, Urichughed even louder and pped Gottval on the shoulder.


    ¡°You raised him up so well! Hecks a bit of manliness, but I guess that¡¯s inevitable, growing up under a civilized priest!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do much. He¡¯s naturally curious, just like you. He sought knowledge on his own without anyone telling him. By the way, are you not going to tell him that you¡¯re his father?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I have the right to do that? I don¡¯t. As much as I hate to say it, my son was a heavy burden to me. I was exhausted back then.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°You might, but he won¡¯t, nor should he.¡±


    Urich smiled bitterly at the fact that he was being drawn to his bloodle in life. Perhaps he hade to Porcana with the hope of meeting his son.


    <i>¡®It must be because I¡¯m getting older.¡¯</i>


    As people age, they be more attached to their bloodline. They have children to create a replica of themselves and continue their existence, just like how Old Sven was obsessed with his grandson.


    <i>¡®Sorry Sven, but what you had was a misguided notion. It was nothing but a pathetic act.¡¯</i>


    Urich intended to quietly board a ship to the Eastern Continent without informing anyone. He didn¡¯t want to soften his resolve by reuniting with Varca and Gottval.


    And just as he feared, his resolve had weakened.


    <i>¡®...There¡¯s also the option of staying and settling here.¡¯</i>


    He could gradually get closer to Louyan and then reveal he was his father. With Varca and Gottval, hister years wouldn¡¯t be boring. Even his thumping heart wasn¡¯t as vigorous as in his youth.


    ¡°Urich, what are you going to do now?¡± Gottval asked.


    Urich simply returned an awkward smile. He himself didn¡¯t know what to do.

 Chapter 313

    <h4>Chapter 313</h4>


    Urich spent several days staying as a royal guest while refraining from meeting people to keep his identity hidden.


    Gottval noticed that Urich was growing bored and asked him to teach Louyan martial arts. He was being considerate in his own way.


    Louyan and Urich stood in the training ground alone without any servants.


    Louyan took two wooden swords from a weapon box and tossed one to Urich.


    ¡°Urich, they say the world is round like a ball. Master Gottval doesn''t seem to want to believe it, but schrs from the empire are almost certain. They say it can¡¯t be exined otherwise after their measurements,¡± Louyan said, holding the wooden sword.


    Culturally, Porcana was practically the sessor of the empire after having absorbed its remnants after its fall. It actively employed imperial schrs and technicians, which was necessary even if it was just for the sake of the exploration of the Eastern Continent.


    ¡°The world is round? That¡¯s nonsense. Then why don¡¯t we slide off and fall?¡±


    Urichughed, holding his belly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but it will be revealed someday. In the future, it will bemon knowledge that the world is round.¡±


    Louyan drew a circle on the sandy ground with the wooden sword.


    ¡°<i>Hah,</i> I don¡¯t believe those desk-bound fools. I only believe what I see with my own eyes. That¡¯s my way.¡±


    ¡°They call people like you outdated.¡±


    Louyan chuckled. In response, Urich spat on the ground and grinned fiercely.


    ¡°Men need to be beaten up a bit to grow up, but it seems you weren¡¯t hit enough. Probably because you grew up without a father.¡±


    Louyan attacked first, showing off a swordsmanship that was neat and close to the textbook that was clearly learned from an excellent knight.


    <i>ck!</i>


    Urich deliberately shed the wooden swords to defend. The two engaged in a power struggle as their wooden swords stuck together like mas.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Urich kicked up the sand on the training ground, spraying it onto Louyan¡¯s face. Louyan spat and closed his eyes, covered in sand.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Urich didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and knocked Louyan back with the wooden sword and pushed him with his forefoot.


    ¡°Kicking up sand like that?!¡± Louyan grumbled, wiping his face with his sleeve after falling over.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can teach you consistently over a year or two. What I¡¯m teaching isn¡¯t swordsmanship, but how to fight. Tricks you can use in realbat.¡±


    Urich tapped his shoulder with the wooden sword,ughing.


    ¡°Such dirty tricks...¡±


    ¡°You have to do even worse things in a real battle. No matter how dirty, surviving is what matters. You¡¯ve only learned the basics of fighting. I¡¯m sure the knights knew that as well, but they probably didn¡¯t teach you past that because they knew you weren¡¯t interested in swordsmanship to begin with.¡±


    From a distance, realbat was ugly. One had to roll on the ground, struggling for survival while targeting the opponent¡¯s vital spots.


    ¡°If you know I¡¯m not interested in all this, then why are you teaching me?¡±


    ¡°Fights don¡¯t always happen because you want them to. If someonees to kill you, you have to fight with all your might. For example, let¡¯s say King Varca dies suddenly. And let¡¯s say that in that gap, Duke Lungell marries Varca¡¯s daughter to his son and tries to im the throne.¡±


    ¡°Duke Lungell wouldn¡¯t do that. He is loyal to the royal family.¡±


    ¡°Hah? Before you were even born, Duke Lungell was the man who didn¡¯t support Varca in the Porcana civil war and bided his time instead. He has always been aiming for power. The only reason he¡¯s loyal now is because Varca¡¯s royal power is strong. Your perspective is still narrow and immature. You are going to face unimaginable hardships in your life.¡±


    ¡°I did hear that Duke Lungell was once a political opponent of the royal family, but...¡±


    Louyan trailed off. By the time he started to grasp the political aspect of his life, Duke Lungell was already a loyal servant to the kingdom, and he couldn¡¯t imagine the duke leading a rebellion.


    ¡°Even Hamel and the empire, which seemed like it wouldst a thousand years, fell by my hand. There¡¯s no such thing as absolute in this world. It would be nice if you never had to fight... but when the timees and you have to fight for your life, today¡¯s lesson will help. Now, if you heard what I said, get up!¡±


    Urich tapped Louyan¡¯s leg with the wooden sword. Louyan, getting more heated, attacked Urich fiercely.


    As the wooden swords shed rhythmically, Urich rolled his eyes around to use the terrain to his advantage.


    Rolling on the ground, Urich quickly grabbed a pebble and threw it. Louyan, hit on the forehead by the pebble, was dazed.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    Urichughed at Louyan rubbing his bruised forehead.


    ¡°Always watch your surroundings. It¡¯s the basics to scan your surroundings before you start a fight. Especially if you get ambushed in a disadvantageous situation, you need to use the environment to your advantage.¡±


    Urich taught Louyan how to win fights. At first, Louyan grumbled, but he gradually epted Urich¡¯s methods. The training sessions took ce daily from noon until evening.


    ¡°Oof, my body aches. I gotta take a breather. Let¡¯s take five, Louyan.¡±


    Urich sat down and drank water. The torso he revealed was nothing short of intimidating.


    <i>¡®How is he still alive with a body like that?¡¯</i>


    Louyan couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Urich¡¯s body. His skin was tattered like a rag, with no unscarred areas. Particrly prominent was his right forearm, marked by deep lightning-shaped burn scars, and a long horizontal scar across his abdomen.


    Even Louyan, who had no interest in a warrior¡¯s life, felt a sense of respect as he realized that Urich¡¯s body told the story of how fiercely he had lived. Living such a superhuman life earned him the right to be respected by others.


    <i>¡®The man who led a barbarian army and brought down the empire that was standing at the pinnacle of civilization.¡¯</i>


    He barely remembered the times when Hamel ruled. Since childhood, the empire had been a symbol of downfall for Louyan. The empire¡¯s copse seemed inevitable but seeing the very man who had brought about its downfall made him realize the magnitude of that achievement.


    ¡°You had everything in your grasp, so why did you put it all down?¡±


    Louyan also sat down in front of Urich and drank water. Sour sweat dripped from his hair.


    ¡°Because that position wasn¡¯t what I wanted.¡±


    Urich stood up with a limp. His current body easily broke down with just a slight exertion, and even now, his legs were numb from the unusual vigorous activity.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to the Eastern Continent,¡± Louyan said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been curious about it for a long time,¡± Urich replied.


    The exploration fleet was set to depart as soon as the preparations wereplete. Every kingdom was paying attention to Porcana¡¯s voyage, knowing that discovering the Eastern Continent would bring about an even greater change than crossing the Sky Mountains.


    ¡°Are you sure your body is fit for such a strenuous journey?¡±


    ¡°If I can¡¯t endure it, then I¡¯ll just die there,¡± Urich answered calmly with a smile.


    ¡°Even the best racehorses have rest days. You need to rest adequately to run better the next day.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about me? What an honor!¡±


    ¡°His Highness and my master hope you stay here in Porcana.¡±


    ¡°And you? What do you think? Do you want me to stay?¡±


    Urich nced sideways, uncharacteristically seeking approval.


    ¡°What makes you think I would want you to stay?¡±


    ¡°...Just asking. You know what, let¡¯s call it a day. I¡¯ll see you back here tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able toe for a while starting tomorrow. There will be a banquet with many nobles attending, and I have to make an appearance as well. Try to hide your identity well, Urich.¡±


    With that, Louyan walked ahead of Urich.


    ¡°Good grief.¡±


    Urich scratched his head and watched Louyan¡¯s retreating figure.


    <i>¡®Pathetic, Urich.¡¯</i>


    Throughout his life, he had survived countless hellish battles. However, despite his numerous heroic achievements, in front of Louyan, he was nothing more than a lousy father who couldn¡¯t fulfill his role.


    * * *


    Urich sat in front of a basin filled with water, took out an axe, and checked the condition of the de with his fingers.


    <i>¡®Louyan resembles me.¡¯</i>


    Urich trimmed his beard and hair, which he had grown to hide his face, while looking at his reflection in the water. Even though he grew it to cover his face, it needed trimming from time to time.


    As Louyan grew, he increasingly resembled Urich to the point where anyone close to Urich could guess his lineage just by looking at his face.


    <i>¡®They probably know it already but are just keeping quiet. Especially Duke Lungell, he must know by now that Louyan is my son.¡¯</i>


    Duke Lungell and Urich frequently faced each other in the past. Given the circumstances, it was highly likely that the duke was aware of Louyan¡¯s lineage.


    <i>¡®Pahell evaluated Duke Lungell as loyal, but people don¡¯t change that easily. With the king having only daughters, it¡¯s enough to rekindle Duke Lungell¡¯sst ambitions.¡¯</i>


    Urich had once stood at the pinnacle of power. To survive, he had to constantly suspect those around him and always assume the worst.


    <i>¡®The atmosphere in Porcana is chaotic due to the Eastern Continent expedition fleet.¡¯</i>


    Various thoughts crossed his mind, and he was worried about Louyan¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Am I overthinking this?¡±


    Urich looked at his reflection in the water. He felt contemptuous of himself for trying to act like a father now.


    Urich trimmed his beard and hair just enough to obscure his facial features. Once he was ready, he turned to watch the nobles entering the pce.


    As one would expect from a banquet that was honoring the Eastern Continent exploration, many guests came from foreign countries, and with the proportionally increased security, the once quiet pce had be quite lively.


    ¡°Is that a barbarian lord? Well, Porcana does have its rtions with barbarians...¡±


    Despite some foreign nobles passing by with ufortable nces at Urich, it had be quitemon for barbarians to blend into noble society.


    Chiefs from the Alliance Army settled in civilizednds and ruled over civilized people with their armies. The kingdoms, valuing their abilities, often granted titles andnds to the western chiefs to strengthen their military.


    In this new era, no one found it strange for a burly barbarian like Urich to be in the pce. There were even other guests entering the banquet hall who were also of barbarian origin.


    <i>¡®As time passes and eras change, people¡¯s perceptions change as well.¡¯</i>


    Urich experienced the change in the values of the civilized world firsthand. He hovered around the banquet hall, observing the situation.


    Gottval noticed Urich and approached him. He asked, ¡°Ah, here you are, Urich. Are you nning to join the banquet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just watching. There¡¯s something that¡¯s bothering me... though it seems like I might be overthinking.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about Louyan?¡± Gottval asked.


    Urich, with his face reddened, answered, ¡°A while ago, I left Louyan with you and Pahell. You see, I wasn¡¯t really attached to him back then.¡±


    ¡°As people age, they naturally be more attached to their descendants. They seek a child to carry on their legacy.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you have children.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you think I don¡¯t?¡±


    Gottval looked at Urich with a grin. Urich, startled, stammered, ¡°Y-you have a kid?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. It was just a joke. If anything, Louyan would be my son,¡± Gottval said calmly.


    ¡°Yes, Louyan is indeed your son. I have no right or reason to take that from you.¡±


    Urich looked at Louyan greeting guests from a distance. Among the noble guests, servants moved around carrying food.


    ¡°Duke Lungell will also be here,¡± Gottval said as if he read Urich¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Is he really a loyal liege now?¡±


    ¡°Only Lou knows a person¡¯s true nature, but if it helps you put your mind at ease, King Varca is excellent at judging people.¡±


    ¡°He is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for anyone not to gain any insight while sitting on the throne. A king without it doesn¡¯t stay king for long.¡±


    ¡°Lungell is no easy opponent.¡±


    The Duke Lungell Urich remembered was a cunning and ambitious man, like a snake.


    Urich and Gottval exchanged drinks in a corner of the banquet hall, surveying their surroundings, though it was difficult to stay too quiet due to the nobles constantly approaching Gottval.


    ¡°Priest Gottval, my son was born recently. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could bless him. I will offer amplepensation...¡±


    Nobles mored to receive his blessings. Gottval was a highly respected priest, and even the bishops who governed the dioceses did not treat him lightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you be.¡±


    Urich stepped away from the bustling crowd around Gottval and wandered around the banquet hall with a drink in his hand. As the night deepened, the band¡¯s music grew louder, and theughter and chatter made his ears ring.


    ¡°Ah, Duke Lungell. I was thinking you might not make it this time, but you did!¡±


    The music paused for a moment and nobles gathered at the entrance as Duke Lungell, a powerful figure in the kingdom, arrived.


    <i>Step, click. Step, click.</i>


    Duke Lungell entered the banquet hall, leaning on a cane.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s Duke Lungell?¡¯</i>


    Urich stared at Duke Lungell. The sharp middle-aged man he remembered was gone. His back was hunched, and his hair was white. The man who was being called Duke Lungell looked like any other old man.


    <i>¡®It really is him.¡¯</i>


    Upon closer inspection, Urich noticed that the traces of his past appearance remained.


    King Varca, noticing Urich¡¯s expression, chuckled and whispered to him, ¡°Surprised? His illness has softened him a lot.¡±


    Urich chuckled bitterly. Duke Lungell was already an old, weakened man waiting for his death after exhausting his vitality. He felt foolish for having been on guard against such a man.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Duke Lungell showed respect to Varca despite his difficulty in mobility. Things werepletely different from what Urich had imagined.


    <i>¡®Much time has passed. It¡¯s obvious that things are different from what I knew.¡¯</i>


    Urich drank his wine without worry. asionally, some people showed interest in him, but since he disguised himself as a knight of insignificant barbarian origin, their interest quickly faded.


    However, after ncing around, Duke Lungell walked over to Urich, leaning on his cane.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re alive after all,¡± Duke Lungell said, raising his white eyebrows.


    Urich, who had his arms crossed,ughed and replied, ¡°You recognized me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been looking at Louyan all this time. The age fits, and that build is notmon even among barbarians.¡±


    Duke Lungell let out augh that sounded more like a wheeze. When Urich handed him a full ss of wine, he turned it down, saying, ¡°The doctor advised me to avoid alcohol.¡±


    After politely declining the ss, Duke Lungell sat beside Urich seemingly needing to catch his breath.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯de if you were alive. Anyone can see that Louyan is....¡±


    ¡°You already knew.¡±


    ¡°Everyone who knows, knows. They just choose not to speak up, fearing it would cause another conflict and war.¡±


    Urich and Duke Lungell started talking. Even though they weren¡¯t particrly close back in their younger days, they shared many memories and their conversation flowed as if they were old friends reunited.


    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d seed. My n was to just hit the empire hard enough, persuade His Highness to make a treaty with the empire, and then retreat.¡±


    ¡°Good thing you didn¡¯t. If you had betrayed me, I¡¯d have chased you down and smashed your skull.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoho</i>, that temper hasn¡¯t gone anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go get some more meat. You want some?¡±


    Urich picked up a te and stood up.


    ¡°My body needs porridge more than meat.¡±


    ¡°Aging is a sad thing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not far off either.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d better die before I get that old.¡±


    Duke Lungellughed heartily at those words.


    Urich took his te and went to the roast pig. There was a young man already in line who nced at Urich.


    ¡°You can go ahead,¡± the sharp-looking young man offered to let Urich go first. Somehow, the young man¡¯s face seemed familiar to Urich.


    ¡°Why are you letting me go first?¡±


    Urich asked, looking at the young man.


    ¡°You have a western ent. ¡®We must yield and help each other.¡¯ It¡¯s something my mother always emphasized.¡±


    The young man spoke in anguage that Urich missed. Urich smiled and patted the young man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You have a wonderful mother. It would be rude to refuse, so I¡¯ll gratefully ept your offer.¡±


    Urich cut the meat first and put it on his te.


    <i>¡®The fact that he looks familiar means I¡¯ve seen him somewhere...¡¯</i>


    Urich prided himself on having a good memory, but he couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen the young man.


    Urich looked back. The young man cut arge piece of meat and stabbed a dagger into it, seemingly taking the food somewhere.


    <i>¡®My eyes are getting worse with my age.¡¯</i>


    Urich blinked. His right eye¡¯s vision had deteriorated significantly from the lightning strike. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he woke up one day to find himself blind.


    ¡°H-huh?¡±


    He realized that it wasn¡¯t the young man¡¯s face that was familiar, but the dagger stabbed into the meat on the te.


    <i>¡®Meteorite dagger.¡¯</i>


    The unique pattern indicated it was indeed the meteorite dagger that should have been in Belrua¡¯s hands.


    <i>¡®Tell him toe find me with this when he¡¯s ready to kill me. That way, it¡¯ll be easier for me to recognize him.¡¯</i>


    That was what Urich said to Belrua as he handed her the meteorite dagger.


    He then realized the identity of the familiar face.


    <i>¡®Samikan¡¯s son.¡¯</i>


    Samikan¡¯s son was holding the dagger stuck in the meat and was approaching Louyan.


    With Urich gone, Samikan¡¯s son had lost his target for revenge. If he knew there was someone certain to be Urich¡¯s bloodline, what would he do? A warrior¡¯s course of action in this situation could not be more obvious.


    ¡°<i>Oooooh!</i> Stop right there!¡±


    Urich threw his te down and dashed forward, pushing aside those in his way with his arms, and broke through the tables and chairs that tripped him.


    ¡°S-st... stop, <i>argh</i>!¡±


    The startled guards tried to stop Urich in his path but were knocked down by his fists. A charging Urich was essentially a boar in human form.

 Chapter 314

    <h4>Chapter 314</h4>


    There was no one who could stop the charging Urich. He went straight for the young man holding the meteorite dagger.


    <i>¡®Why?¡¯</i>


    Despite his eyes trembling, the young man¡¯s well-trained body moved before he could even think, reflexively raising his meteorite dagger to face Urich.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    As Urich and the young man shed, the tableden with food toppled over.


    ¡°<i>Ooooooh!</i>¡±


    Even amidst the chaos, Urich reached out and managed to grab the young man by the neck.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Then he squeezed as if he would snap it.


    The young man, with veins bulging on his face, held the dagger upside down and stabbed Urich''s forearm.


    <i>Schluck!</i>


    Urich flinched as his arm was stabbed. Taking advantage of the moment, the young man kicked Urich''s jaw.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    The kicknded so forcefully that Urich¡¯s head snapped back. The young man smiled in satisfaction.


    <i>¡®I have no idea why he''s attacking me, but...¡¯</i>


    The young man was sure Urich would fall after seeing his upper body sway until it almost touched the ground.


    But the smile on the young man¡¯s face quickly vanished, and he was soon faced with a chill that made him feel as if he were facing a beast.


    <i>Kiiiing.</i>


    The young man saw a sh of bright yellow light in Urich¡¯s eyes. Just before falling, Urich straightened his upper body and reached out.


    ¡°<i>Kugh!</i>¡±


    Using the momentum to his advantage, Urich swung his fist.


    Urich¡¯s punch struck the young man¡¯s chest. The young man felt as if his heart and lungs had stopped from the impact.


    <i>¡®It feels like I¡¯m fighting a beast.¡¯</i>


    The fallen young man watched Urich striding over. With his arms wide open and strides long, Urich was terrifying.


    <i>¡®I need a bigger weapon. He¡¯s not someone I can take down with a dagger.¡¯</i>


    But there was no time to find another weapon. The hulking Urich was already looming over the fallen young man, exuding dominance as only his menacing eyes shone with the light behind his back.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    Urich flinched and turned around. Soldiers had entered the banquet hall and shot at Urich with crossbows, lodging arrows into his thighs.


    <i>Thwip!</i>


    As three soldiers fired their crossbows in session, another arrow deeply pierced Urich¡¯s side.


    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡±


    Gottval rushed at the soldiers to restrain them, but the soldiers were just doing their job, which was to stop anyone who was causing chaos in the banquet hall.


    ¡°That hurts....¡±


    Urich limped, clutching his bleeding side where the arrow was embedded, still not taking his eyes off the young man with the meteorite dagger.


    A flustered Louyan ran between the young man and Urich.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?! No, we need to get you some treatment first!¡±


    ¡°Treatment? What treatment? This thing¡¯s going to heal on its own with some pressure and spit. Move aside. I need to kill that guy first,¡± Urich said, looking over Louyan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°That man is an envoy from the Alliance!¡±


    ¡°I know. He¡¯s also the guy who is going to try to kill you.¡±


    Urich looked at the fallen young man and noticed that he bore a striking resemnce to Samikan.


    ¡°Why would an envoy from the Alliance want to kill me?¡±


    Urich couldn¡¯t answer. To exin why Samikan¡¯s son was targeting Louyan, he would have to reveal his lineage.


    ¡°There seems to be some misunderstanding, but it doesn¡¯t matter. If you want to keep fighting, I¡¯ll oblige.¡±


    The young man stood up, still holding the meteorite dagger. He red fiercely at Urich; his fighting spirit undeterred by Urich¡¯s intimidation. It was clear he had been trained as a warrior.


    The banquet hall turned into a mess in the blink of an eye. While the attendees murmured, trying to grasp what had just happened, Varca tried to contain the situation before it got any worse.


    ¡°Stop! What is the meaning of thismotion in the banquet hall? I will be the one to judge who is right and wrong. Sir Aktur, arrest those causing the disturbance!¡± Varca quickly called the soldiers and shouted.


    <i>¡®Don¡¯t cause any more trouble, for now, Urich.¡¯</i>


    As if he read Varca¡¯s intention, Urichplied with the arrest without resistance.


    ¡°We need to get him some treatment first. If we don¡¯t...¡±


    Gottval looked at the arrow lodged deep in Urich¡¯s side. It was clear it had prated deeply enough to reach his organs.


    ¡°...Gottval, I don¡¯t know if you know this, but that guy is the son of Samikan, whom I killed. We need to stay alert,¡± Urich muttered as he tried to stagger out of the banquet hall.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    As soon as Urich walked out the door, he copsed forward.


    ¡°Uri...!¡±


    Gottval started to shout but covered his mouth. He called the soldiers to carry Urich to the infirmary.


    * * *


    Urich, feeling like he was submerged under water with his consciousness hazy, had a dream.


    <i>¡®The snow-covered Sky Mountains.¡¯</i>


    From the ce closest to the sky, Urich looked alternately to the east and the west. To the west were his brothers, and to the east was an unknownnd. In that spot, Urich had to make a decision.


    Urich prioritized the curiosity of the unknown over thefort of his brothers and tribe waiting for him back home.


    ¡°His whole body is burning up!¡±


    ¡°We must save him! Don¡¯t die like this, you idiot!¡±


    As Urich opened his eyes and then closed them again, he heard some familiar voices.


    <i>¡®Is there such a thing as a choice without regrets?¡¯</i>


    He had made countless choices, but he still couldn¡¯t be sure which ones were right and which were wrong.


    <i>¡®What if I hadn¡¯t crossed the Sky Mountains? What if I had returned to my brothers?¡¯</i>


    Emperor Yanchinus was already carrying out his Barbarian Inclusion Policy. Perhaps the westerners might have settled in the civilized world without engaging in war with civilization.


    <i>¡®What if I hadn¡¯t escorted Pahell...?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Should I have raised Louyan myself?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®If I had solidified the Alliance from the position of Great Chief, things would be very different now.¡¯</i>


    Then, he opened his eyes. The bed hey on was soaked with blood and sweat, requiring the sheets to be changed several times.


    ¡°Urich, are you awake?¡± Gottval asked, looking at Urich.


    ¡°Where is Louyan?¡±


    Louyan¡¯s safety was the first thing that came to Urich¡¯s mind.


    ¡°He¡¯s perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°What about the other guy?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean the young man you attacked?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dangerous. He was targeting Louyan.¡±


    ¡°...That young man is an envoy of the Alliance, and I¡¯ve seen him several times already. If his goal was to harm Louyan, he would have done something about it a long time ago.¡±


    Urich''s eyes widened as he realized he might have made a mistake. As heughed hollowly, he coughed up blood that backflowed into his throat.


    ¡°Ugh, my blood is ck,¡± he said.


    ¡°You still have a severe fever. It¡¯s not an injury to be ignored, and if you don¡¯t get ample rest...¡± Gottval trailed off. He had been nursing Urich for two days. He thought to himself, <i>¡®The wound is festering. It¡¯s not a good sign. Lou might take Urich away.¡¯</i>


    In the past, Urich was someone who recovered quickly regardless of the severity of his injury or wound. Even when it seemed fatal, he shook off the shadow of death and got back up as if it were nothing.


    <i>¡®Is the blessing gone? Or is it that Lou is taking Urich because his work in this world is finished?¡¯</i>


    Gottval sensed the aura of death lingering around Urich¡¯s body.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Someone entered the room where Urich was resting. It was the young man Urich had attacked.


    ¡°Are you really... that Urich?¡± The young man asked, pointing with his index finger.


    ¡°Which Urich?¡±


    Urich grabbed his side and raised his upper body, involuntarily furrowing his brows from the pain.


    ¡°The former Great Chief Urich.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess I am <i>that</i> Urich.¡±


    Urich chuckled, but his eyes red sharply at the young man.


    ¡°I am Karcha, the son of Samikan and Belrua.¡±


    Karcha took a step forward. His well-trained body was still growing, and unlike Louyan, he was a thoroughly trained warrior.


    ¡°Revenge for your father is both a warrior''s duty and right. Pick a time and ce, Karcha. Even tonight would be fine by me,¡± Urich muttered with a serious look on his face.


    However, Karcha held his stomach andughed. ¡°What kind of old-fashioned talk is that? Why should I avenge a father I¡¯ve never even seen? Besides, I heard it was an honorable duel.¡±


    Karcha shrugged and sat nonchntly in front of Urich.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t seek revenge, others might look down on you.¡±


    ¡°That would be if people knew you were still alive. Do you think I¡¯m so idle that I would waste my life seeking revenge on an old man living in seclusion?¡±


    ¡°O-old man?¡±


    ¡°What, are you saying you¡¯re not an old man? If someone who was in their prime when I was a baby isn¡¯t an old man, then what is he?¡±


    Karchaughed, revealing sharp teeth. He skillfully spun the dagger in his hand and then handed the hilt to Urich. The de of the meteor iron dagger still gleamed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard your stories from my mother several times. My mother, Belrua, always said you wouldn¡¯t die.¡±


    They exchanged a few more probing words, and Urich learned why Karcha hade to Porcana.


    ¡°Is the sessor of the Alliance ying the diplomat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m traveling to the kingdoms precisely because I intend to inherit the Alliance. I won¡¯t be able to travel around like this once I be the Great Chief, so I need to experience and see the kingdoms of the outside world while I can¡ªjust like you did, Urich.¡±


    Urich looked at Karcha. As one would expect from Samikan¡¯s son, his intelligence shone through his words, and he had a charm that made people want to follow him. He was a young man suitable to be the leader of any group.


    "I¡¯m saying this out of caution, but the reality is that I did kill your father."


    "So if I ask you to die for my revenge, will youply?"


    "Hmm, no, not really."


    Urich scratched his cheek.


    "I¡¯m not willing to risk my life for some meaningless revenge. I will be the Great Chief one day, and then I will gain more fame than my father and you!" Karcha dered boldly.


    "Kekeke, you truly are Samikan¡¯s son, no doubt about that!"


    Urichughed, clutching his stomach.


    "Urich! Your wound is reopening! "


    Gottval tried to stop him, but Urich couldn¡¯t stop himself. His wound indeed reopened, staining the bandage around his side red.


    "...But why did you attack me?"


    "I thought you were going to attack Louyan."


    "Porcana is a loyal ally of the Alliance. Why would I attack their heir?"


    Karcha still couldn¡¯t understand why Urich had attacked him.


    "...It was just a feeling. My instincts are usually pretty urate."


    Karcha looked at Urich with a dumbfounded expression.


    "You attacked me with the intent to kill for such an absurd reason?"


    "Yeah, that was my bad. I apologize."


    "Forget it. If you¡¯re going to go senile, do it gracefully. Don¡¯t drag innocent people into it."


    Karcha was ambitious and rude, but Urich didn¡¯t dislike him for it.


    Urich drank some water to moisten his dry lips.


    "As someone who has been the Great Chief before, I have a piece of advice for you. As your influence grows, keep someone who can oppose you close to you¡ªsomeone who can tell you when you¡¯re wrong."


    Karcha scoffed and crossed his arms.


    "I don¡¯t need such outdated advice. If I ever need one, I¡¯ll learn it from my own failures."


    "Then I gave the wrong advice. Before anything else, you need to watch how you use that tongue of yours and keep it safe."


    Karcha just grinned in response, showing his teeth.


    "Do you have any message for my mother? She¡¯ll be happy to hear you¡¯re alive."


    Belrua was also another reason for Karcha¡¯sck of obsession with revenge. She had a fondness for Urich, and Karcha had grown up under her care.


    <i>¡®No matter how famous he was in the past, he¡¯s just an old relic now.¡¯</i>


    For Karcha, revenge was a duty and justification that didn¡¯t move his heart. He would seek revenge if it was necessary for honor and prestige, but in his eyes, Urich was just a ghost of the past, as good as dead.


    "Is Belrua doing well?"


    "Until the year beforest, she beat me at arm wrestling."


    "Then that¡¯s good enough."


    "Take care of yourself."


    Karcha left without hesitation. Even Urich, a legend among his people, was just a figure of the past to him.


    <i>¡®You¡¯re going to be someone greater, Karcha. You have no reason to look up to that man,¡¯</i> Karcha thought to himself and did not look back.


    But Urich watched Karcha¡¯s back. The shadows of Samikan and Yanchinus seemed to loom over the young man¡¯s shoulders. His determination to pursue his ambition reminded Urich of the men he once knew.


    <i>¡®If Karcha and I had lived in the same era, we would have undoubtedly been rivals and shed.¡¯</i>


    But the two men were from different generations, walking on the samend but living in different worlds.


    Gottval skillfully changed Urich¡¯s bandages with his one hand.


    "Gottval."


    Urich looked at Gottval¡¯s face. The once-young priest had be a saint revered by all.


    "...I suppose I¡¯ve aged."


    "You¡¯re not that old, but you¡¯re not young either. Well, if you were the Urich of your prime, Karcha wouldn¡¯t have walked out of this room on two legs."


    Gottvalughed as he tied the bandage.


    "My instincts failed me twice in a row. For a warrior, losing your sharpness and dulling instincts is fatal. A warrior has to always gamble with their life in uncertain situations. Your instincts and body are all you can rely on with swords and arrows flying at you on the battlefield."


    "If I may add, you should believe in god as well."


    "I¡¯m serious."


    "I too am serious."


    Gottval stared at Urich.


    "Even if I suddenly want to believe in Lou, it doesn¡¯t mean faith will suddenly spring forth."


    "Urich, your wound from the arrow is badly infected. The pus has built up deep inside, and you¡¯ll suffer from fever every night. To put it bluntly, you could die."


    "From just an arrow wound? Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll heal soon."


    But even as Urich said this, he broke out in cold sweat.


    "Sooner orter, we all die," Gottval continued.


    "Herees the sermon again," Urich responded indifferently.


    "Urich, why don¡¯t you believe in Lou? It¡¯s not like you already have a god you believe in, do you?"


    "There¡¯s nothing to lose by believing in Lou, but... I only believe in what I¡¯ve seen with my own eyes. That¡¯s my way."


    "Then you won¡¯t be able to believe in Lou until the day you die."


    Gottvalughed bitterly.

 Chapter 315

    <h4>Chapter 315</h4>


    Urich spent his time lying in bed. The fight in the banquet hall was dismissed as a simple misunderstanding and was passed without much consequence, thanks to Varca''s overwhelming authority that no noble dared to protest.


    "Trying to cover it up was quite a headache for me, too," Varca grumbled. He visited Urich almost daily.


    <i>¡®Urich¡¯s condition isn¡¯t good.¡¯</i>


    Three days had passed since the incident, but Urich''splexion had only darkened.


    <i>¡®In terms of treatment, we¡¯ve done everything we could. Now, his fate is in Lou¡¯s hands.¡¯</i>


    Varca smiled, hiding his gloom.


    ¡°I''m sorry. I thought that with me gone, Samikan¡¯s son would try to harm Louyan instead.¡±


    ¡°You dumbass, how would he even know that Louyan is your son?¡±


    If Louyan¡¯s birth had spread to the west, countless warriors would havee looking for him by now. If Urich had been a bit more cautious and thoughtful, none of this would have happened.


    <i>¡®I''ve lost my touch.¡¯</i>


    Urich, feeling he wasn¡¯t the same as before in many ways, looked at his hands. Meeting a spirited young man like Karcha made him feel even more deted.


    <i>¡®Ferzen and Sven were active warriors until they were nothing but wrinkles...¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s prime had burned more fiercely than anyone else''s, and perhaps that¡¯s why his firewood had burned out just as quickly.


    <i>¡®Am I already washed up? Hah...¡¯</i>


    A hollowugh escaped him. He no longer had the sharpness and wit he once possessed.


    <i>¡®How depressing.¡¯</i>


    Urich sat up, clutching his side.


    ¡°I heard your wounds won¡¯t heal very easily this time. Even the invincible Urich is just a human after all, huh?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m human. What else could I be?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem very human in the past.¡±


    Urich and Varca reminisced about various past events, and time flew by as they talked about old times. However, Varca soon got up to leave.


    ¡°I have to get going. Duke Lungell asked to meet; though I can already tell that he wants to talk to me about supporting his son as his sessor once he¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Right, it seemed like he didn¡¯t have much time left himself. Anyway, if you¡¯re busy, go ahead.¡±


    Urich watched Varca¡¯s back.


    Varca was still in his prime. Unlike Urich, who was a warrior, Varca was at the peak of his powers as king. This was the time for him to push through his policies and projects.


    <i>¡®Must be nice.¡¯</i>


    Urich envied Varca. If life were a story, Varca was in the middle of his tale, and the time for him to reap his rewards was just around the corner.


    <i>¡®Am I going to die from an arrow wound because of some dumb mistake? How Sven and Ferzen wouldugh if they saw me now...¡¯</i>


    Sven and Ferzen, regardless of the specifics, had met their ends like warriors. Urich wanted to live and die like them.


    He had survived countless life-threatening injuries, but now, he was on the brink of life and death because of a single arrow.


    <i>¡®I never imagined this kind of end, but I wonder how many people actually get the death they want?¡¯</i>


    Urich saw the horizon in the distance as he gazed quietly out the window, half-lidded.


    <i>¡®If my life is nearing its end, it might be better to stay here.¡¯</i>


    Porcana was sufficient for Urich¡¯s remaining days.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    Not long after Varca left, the door opened again. Urich, slightly wary, grasped the handle of the axe beside his bed. Being alert at any sound was an old habit.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to split my head with that axe now?¡±


    Louyan walked in.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you.¡±


    Urich smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°Your rampage caused quite a stir. I had a tough time trying to handle it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve said this today, but I really am sorry.¡±


    Louyan nced at Urich¡¯s side. He had heard about Urich¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Forget about boarding the ship.¡±


    The departure of the expedition fleet was less than a fortnight away.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not in great shape right now, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s bad enough for me to hear that from you,¡± Urich said, dismissively.


    ¡°I think I have the right to tell you that.¡±


    Louyan raised his eyes to meet Urich¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Urich asked.


    ¡°I said what I said. You thought Samikan''s son, Karcha, was attacking me and charged in. I had a vague suspicion before too, but that confirmed it.¡±


    Louyan said no more. Urich also fell silent.


    The awkward silence was broken by Urich¡¯s uneasyughter.


    ¡°Haha, this isn¡¯t the most touching reunion, is it?¡±


    ¡°Seeing youe back after all this time, only to die like this, is pathetic. If I ever have children, I won¡¯t be a father like you. Urich might be a great hero, but he¡¯s a terrible father.¡±


    Louyan ruthlessly poured out harsh words at the patient, but Urich had nothing to say back.


    <i>Grit.</i>


    Urich clenched his teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Louyan. Your existence was a burden to me. Hell, I even thought of you as a nuisance. Your fathers are Gottval and Varca. I don¡¯t expect to be treated as a father.¡±


    ¡°To me, you¡¯re just the stranger Urich. But to my teacher and His Highness, you¡¯re a dear friend. If you feel any regret toward me, don¡¯t disappear again and stay where you are right now.¡±


    Louyan bowed his head slightly and stood up. He said only what he wanted and left.


    Urich remained sitting on his bed, staring nkly after Louyan had left.


    * * *


    Louyan didn¡¯t say a single wrong thing. Urich was the one who had abandoned his son. If he truly intended to take responsibility, he would have taken Louyan with him, no matter what.


    <i>¡®Is my atonement ying the role of a good friend beside Gottval and Pahell, whom Louyan loves?¡¯</i>


    Urich smiled. He too loved Gottval and Varca; they were people he would protect even at the cost of his own life.


    Time passed quickly as Urichy in bed. He spent his days doing nothing, and even after sleeping to his heart''s content, each day felt lethargic.


    ¡°It seems Louyan still doesn¡¯t know that you are his father.¡±


    Gottval, who came to visit him, whispered so. Urichughed at those words. He didn¡¯t bother to tell Gottval everything.


    <i>¡®Cunning kid.¡¯</i>


    Louyan had effectively issued a warning to Urich alone. Using Urich''s guilt and his status as his son, Louyan had told him not to leave Gottval and Varca''s side.


    ¡°You''re much better now. As long as you don''t overexert yourself, you should live,¡± Gottval said as he changed Urich¡¯s bandages. The thick pus that used to ooze out had significantly reduced.


    ¡°I told you; I won''t die just from being hit by an arrow.¡±


    ¡°It''s not time to be so sure yet. I¡¯ve said this already, but don''t push yourself too hard,¡± Gottval sternly warned, knowing that Urich had just barely managed to avoid death.


    <i>¡®If Urich moves around just because he feels stiff in bed, his wound will reopen.¡¯</i>


    Gottval repeated his warnings, worried about Urich, but Urich only listened absentmindedly, scratching his ear.


    ¡°Gottval, do you want me to stay in Porcana?¡±


    ¡°It would be nice if you did. It would greatly strengthen His Highness as well.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    The people who were like family and brothers to him wanted him to settle down.


    <i>¡®Urich will settle in Porcana.¡¯</i>


    Gottval was almost certain. The exploration fleet was set to depart tomorrow, but Urich was still severely injured. On top of that, Porcana was where Louyan, his own blood, was.


    <i>¡®There will be plenty of time to persuade Urich in the future.¡¯</i>


    Gottval nned to persuade Urich several times to return to Lou¡¯s embrace. As people age, their hearts tend to soften. Urich was not an exception, and Gottval believed that he would eventually seek God.


    ¡°Rest well, Urich.¡±


    Gottval finished the treatment and left.


    Night deepened. Urich, lying in bed, opened his eyes and slowly dressed himself.


    ¡°It still stings.¡±


    Holding his side, Urich staggered to his feet. He wandered around the room, gathering his belongings which consisted of just a waist bag and a few weapons. The weapons clinked each time he moved.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know what the right choice is.¡¯</i>


    Urich had always made choices. This time was no different.


    <i>¡®Is this journey worth betraying everyone''s hope?¡¯</i>


    A part of Urich longed for afortable life, but that wasn''t his way.


    Urich grasped his creaking knee and stabilized it by tying it tightly with a piece of cloth.


    ¡°<i>Hoo</i>.¡±


    His body was deteriorating. The sharp, youthful Urich was no more.


    <i>¡®Trying to be a good father now would just beughable.¡¯</i>


    He climbed out of the window. Though his body was broken, that was only inparison to his younger self. He was still a warrior with a muscr build far above average.


    <i>¡®What I can show Louyan is not some advice or teachings, but my way of living.¡¯</i>


    He blinked as he inserted his fingers into the gaps in the wall and climbed like a spider.


    <i>Drip.</i>


    The bleeding in his side soaked the bandages and the overflowing blood dripped down.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>, this is killing me.¡±


    Urich stuck out his tongue, looking down from the wall. A slip could send him plummeting to his death.


    People feared many things in life, and the brave warrior Urich was no different. He feared the unknown afterlife, losing his brothers, and defeat. Life was a series of fears, like wandering in the dark.


    <i>¡®Even now, I¡¯m afraid.¡¯</i>


    He feared disappointing Varca and Gottval.


    <i>¡®If I leave like this, Louyan will probably hate me.¡¯</i>


    Urich¡¯s eyes trembled. Louyan¡¯s reproach was still vivid in his mind.


    <i>¡®Do I really want to see the Eastern Continent? Or am I just stubbornly clinging to my way of life like Sven?¡¯</i>


    Despite being an adult man who understood responsibility and duty, Urich still wandered and worried like an adolescent boy. Life happens only once. Whether young or old, the problems one faces are first-time experiences in one¡¯s life and it is impossible for humans to live knowing the correct answers in advance.


    Urich walked out of the pce into the night. In Porcana, he was just a barbarian with weapons clinking on his back.


    His vision asionally blurred as if shrouded in fog, and he limped when his legs sometimes went numb. When it rained, his entire body ached, making it difficult to get out of bed.


    People like Gottval told Urich that he had done enough. They urged him to rest for the rest of his life, having lived earnestly.


    <i>¡®That''s not living, that''s dying.¡¯</i>


    To Urich, resting was merely waiting for the inevitable death while looking back at the past life.


    ¡°<i>Hah.</i>¡±


    Urich scoffed. For some, such rest might be a valuable life. Some think dying in bed surrounded by family is a happy ending.


    ¡°...But that¡¯s not me.¡±


    Urich touched his side and noticed blood was seeping out profusely.


    <i>¡®Stop whining, you damned body!¡¯</i>


    Urich forcefully squeezed the pus from his side. So much ck blood mixed with pus gushed out that he wondered if he might die from excessive bleeding.


    Leaning against the wall, Urich gritted his teeth to the point of them nearly breaking and endured the pain. His fingers and lips trembled.


    ¡°<i>Huff, huff.</i>¡±


    Even though the days were not that cold yet, hot breaths mixed with a metallic taste puffed out.


    Urich raised his eyes and looked at the ship docked at the harbor and saw fourrge sailing ships that were set to sail tomorrow.


    <i>¡®This is my life, the one I have to choose. It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s for Louyan or Gottval. Don¡¯t use others as an excuse, Urich.¡¯</i>


    Urich pulled himself up.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m not going to live as a good friend to Pahell and Gottval, and I won¡¯t live as Louyan¡¯s father either. It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m scolded or praised.¡¯</i>


    What mattered was always one thing. The center of life is oneself.


    Born as Urich, he must live as Urich.


    * * *


    Knock, knock.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Urich.¡±


    Gottval hade to change Urich¡¯s bandages, but when he knocked on the door, there was no answer, only silence.


    Though today was the historic day of Porcana''s expedition fleet setting sail to Gottval, Urich¡¯s recovery was more important.


    ¡°The sun rose hours ago; are you still sleeping?¡±


    Gottval turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.


    ¡°Urich?¡±


    Upon seeing that the bed was empty, Gottval threw down the bag he was carrying and looked around the room.


    ¡°Godda...!¡±


    Even Gottval couldn¡¯t hold back his curse.


    <i>¡®Where on earth did that crazy man go with his body in that state!¡¯</i>


    It was going to be a problem wherever Urich went. He neededplete rest without moving around.


    <i>¡®His stuff is also gone.¡¯</i>


    Gottval¡¯s eyes reached the window that was swung open, with the dust on the windowsill swept clean as if someone had passed through.


    ¡°Urich....¡±


    Gottval¡¯s gaze, looking out the window, reached the harbor where the expedition fleet was making its historic departure in the distance.


    ¡°A horse! Get a horse ready!¡±


    Gottval shouted over the window to the stablehand. The stablehand, despite not knowing the reason, hurriedly brought a horse at Gottval¡¯s urgent yelling.


    Gottval ran to the stable. The famously polite man didn¡¯t even thank the stablehand and hurriedly mounted the horse.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve known you for a long time... but you still only choose actions that are hard to understand, Urich.¡¯</i>


    But the ships had already receded and were mere dots on the horizon before Gottval could even reach the harbor.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Gottval nearly fell off the horse. He hit his knee on the ground but didn¡¯t care as he ran toward Varca.


    ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t tell me....¡±


    Varca looked at Gottval with a worried expression.


    <i>¡®Is Urich dead?¡¯</i>


    It wasn¡¯t unheard of that a person could die overnight because of a sudden worsening of their injuries. Judging by Gottval¡¯s pale face, something must have happened to Urich.


    ¡°He¡¯s on the ship. He¡¯s on that ship right now!¡±


    Gottval gasped for breath and pointed at the ships that already looked like dots on the horizon.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d he¡¯s not dead, at least,¡± Varca said as he calmed Gottval down.


    ¡°He¡¯s on the ship with his body in such a bad condition, Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but I¡¯m sure that was what he wanted. Well, it would have been nice if he¡¯d given us a heads up, but he probably thought we would try to stop him if he did.¡±


    Varca pulled his cloak tighter and looked at the horizon.


    <i>¡®In the end, you left, Urich.¡¯</i>


    Varca smiled faintly. He felt a sense of relief as if he knew this would happen.


    <i>¡®It wouldn¡¯t be Urich if he just stayed quiet.¡¯</i>


    Gottval, on the other hand, was resentful of Varca¡¯sck of reaction.


    ¡°We should send a fast ship this instant to bring Urich back. He won¡¯t survive the voyage in that condition.¡±


    ¡°Father Gottval, I intend to respect Urich¡¯s choice. Even if it means he dies, that is.¡±


    Varca was resolute. Gottval, whose face was nothing but a frown at first, slowly thought of something and nodded.


    ¡°You are right, Your Highness...¡±


    Gottval gazed sadly at the horizon.


    After dispersing the people at the harbor, Louyan noticed Gottval and approached. Gottval looked up at Louyan sadly.


    ¡°Louyan, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Is it the fact that Urich is my father? Or that he¡¯s on one of those ships?¡± Louyan spoke nonchntly.


    Gottval¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He responded, ¡°You knew Urich was your biological father?¡±


    ¡°Even a fool could¡¯ve figured it out after seeing how you kept trying to bring me and Urich together.¡±


    ¡°What about the fact that he was on the ship? How did you know that?¡±


    Louyan smiled, baring his teeth, holding a list of crew members in his hand.


    ¡°I checked the list of the crew this morning. There was a sailor named Kylios on the Phillion.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him? Urich is your father. You might never see him again.¡±


    In response, Louyan scratched his cheek and said, ¡°My father is not Urich, but a priest named Gottval.¡±


    Louyan knew that Gottval and Varca would be saddened by Urich¡¯s departure, but even though he knew this, he ignored the name Kylios on the list. There was no logical reason; he just felt it had to be that way.


    Louyan patted Gottval¡¯s shoulder infort before turning his gaze back to the horizon.


    Each person has their own life, and they are the protagonist in them. One cannot bind another¡¯s life just because they are family or friends. All rtionships pass by, and in the end, one faces death alone. No one apanies another to death, and the only one responsible for their own life is oneself.


    * * *


    The expedition fleet, led by the Phillion, embarked on a voyage with no definite end in sight. Whether they would starve and die meaninglessly at sea or discover something worthy of great records, no one knew.


    Life was unfair, and the world was cruel. Human effort was but a drop of water that was unable to go against the currents. Humans were born iplete and died still iplete. No one finds the answer to life, and people live relying on swaying intuition and fragile, illusory values.


    ¡°Hey, Kylios. How long are you going to lie there?¡± A crew member asked.


    ¡°My stomach hurts a bit.¡±


    ¡°Geez, if the captain finds out, you¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    Urich stood awkwardly on the deck, watching the recedingnd.


    <i>¡®I can''t see thend anymore.¡¯</i>


    It was the first time he hade so far out on a ship. There was nothing in the vast ocean. They were setting out to find the Eastern Continent with only imperfect knowledge and iplete information to rely on.


    <i>Thump, thump.</i>


    His heart pounded at a sight he had never seen before. This was nothing like going out a short distance on a fishing boat.


    <i>¡®I never imagined the sea would be like this.¡¯</i>


    Inwardly, he had pretended to be worldly-wise and acted like a sage who knew everything about the world, but that was an arrogant delusion.


    No matter where he turned his head, there was only the horizon, and it sparked in him a sense of fear. He had lived his whole life with his feet touching the ground. An unfamiliar fear brushed against his skin.


    ¡°Hey, are you hurt? There¡¯s blood dripping off you,¡± a sailor who was observing Urich spoke. Finding a corpse just a day after setting sail would be troubling for the sailors too. For superstitious seafarers, an ominous sign quickly turned into an unfortunate oue.


    ¡°Aren''t you scared? We can''t see anynd. If the ship capsizes, we¡¯re all dead,¡± Urich muttered.


    ¡°Enough with the ominous talk. Is this your first time at sea? You might be anxious now, but you¡¯ll get used to it soon. But that¡¯s that; you¡¯re still bleeding. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    It had only been half a day since they set sail, but everything was already unfamiliar. Urich was in a different world from thend. All his senses were on edge as if he were reborn. Urich had left the familiar world ande to a new one.


    His lips twitched. Just one step forward, and he was surrounded by countless unknowns.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    The barbarian Urichughed.


    ¡ªThe End¡ª


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