Chapter 25: Baptism (1)

Chapter 25 – Baptism (1)

Urich and the mercenaries arrived in the city for the first time in a while. It was the first city that they arrived in after passing four small villages and fiefs. They were excited by the city’s atmosphere and started cracking light jokes.

“I’m telling you the truth. That girl’s boobs were as big as your head.”

“You idiot. What girl has boobs as big as my head?”

“Ah, I’m telling you the truth. It was damn big. You don’t believe me at all.”

“I would rather believe it if you said your dick was as long as your forearm.”

The mercenaries bickered with each other. Urich’s mercenary group was small, so if they rented out one or two inns, they would be able to house them all.

“Damn it, we’re finally out of the wilderness.”

Donovan scratched his head vigorously. If they weren’t able to arrive at a city, they were forced to continuously camp outdoors. It was because small villages didn’t have the houses to accept a mercenary group. They were lucky if they were able to find a barn to avoid the wind.

“If it’s here, there might be some work for us.”

Bakman looked at the bustling street.

“What’s this city’s name?”

As Urich asked, Bakman thought for a second then answered.

“Havirond. It’s a city that has a lot of commercial activity thanks to its geographical location. Before I was a gladiator, I was a porter for merchants, and I’ve come here a couple of times.”

Bakman was quietly knowledgeable. After he stopped being a fisherman and before he became a gladiator, he worked various jobs.

There were a lot of inns in a commercial city. The vast majority of them had a tavern in the halls of the first floor. The edges of the first floor and the second floor were all rooms. Urich and the mercenaries completely rented out a big inn.

“Now, every day is costing us money. If we aren’t able to find a big job, we’re going to be out on the streets.”

Bakman was unpacking as he spoke cautiously.

“Shut up. Let’s just drink for now.”

Urich tapped on Bakman’s shoulders and dragged him down.

“Are they the ‘Urich’s Brothers’?”

“The ones that thwarted the Silver Lions?”

“They really don’t have a lot of members. At most, there are only thirty of them.”

“They blocked the Silver Lions with those numbers?”

“I heard that it’s really true that they fought against the Silver Lion Mercenaries.”

The tavern customers whispered amongst themselves while looking at ‘Urich’s Brothers’.

The mercenaries, who already puffed their chests with pride, started talking.

“Hah, we are the famed Urich’s Brothers. The mercenary group with our leader, Urich the Barbarian!”

“The Silver Lion guys were pretty strong. If I wasn’t a bit careful, my head would have flown off.”

The mercenaries were full of all sorts of bluffs. Nobody restrained themselves. The more prestige their name had, the better it was for them. And taking on requests with higher rewards would become easier. The only credence a mercenary group with small numbers had was their ‘reputation’.

“We made them talk a lot on purpose. Since we have to let people know that we arrived here.”

Donovan, who returned from unpacking, spoke to Urich.

“Alright, alright. What do we do now?”

Urich smiled while looking at the mercenaries. Even though he was the leader, he always asked for the others’ opinions first. Because of that attitude, people like Donovan weren’t hostile toward him. He treated all mercenaries fairly regardless of his personal feelings.

‘While I don’t have my brothers from home anymore, the guys here are my brothers.’

Urich took a vow. To think of the mercenaries that he fought shoulder to shoulder with as his brothers.

“We have to find work first. We should also gather information. There is probably a lot of work for mercenaries to do here. In the worst case, we can always escort merchants. And the remaining members shouldn’t drink alcohol while holding women, but sleep in the wilderness and take care of maintenance for our weapons and armor.”

Donovan spoke coldly.

“I’ll take around three members and go gather information. Donovan, you should take care of the equipment.”

Bakman, who was highly sociable, was the first to speak. Donovan nodded.

“I have somewhere to go. I’m sorry, but take me out of your plans.”

Sven quietly raised his hand. His voice was heavy. Because of his shaggy beard, he looked like the oldest member there.

“Somewhere to go?” asked Urich.

“If it’s a city like this, there should be a slave market.”

“There should be. What about it, though? You’re not planning to become a slave again, are you? You can go to the Hill of Swords while being a mercenary, old man.”

Urich liked Sven. He had a similar atmosphere to the tribe warriors back home.

“A few of my kind are probably being sold there. If you’ll allow me, I want to save even one more of my kind.”

None of the mercenaries spoke back after that. Who would oppose a man wanting to prevent his kind from being sold as slaves?

“I’ll go with old man Sven, then. I’ll leave the remaining stuff to Bakman and Donovan.”

Urich only had one sword on his waist before leaving the inn with Sven.

“Old man, how old are you? I can’t see your face properly because of your beard and hair.”

They walked on the street. Because two barbarians with massive physiques were walking, paths would naturally open for them.

“Hm… I don’t know either. I’ve never counted my age since my coming-of-age ceremony, youngin.”

“Old man, I’m the leader. Are you going to keep calling me youngin?”

“Even if you are, you’re still young. BWAHAHA.”

Sven laughed heartily. He searched for the slave market while stroking his spit-covered beard. As it was a commercial city, the slave market was also massive.

“Should we buy a female slave for our mercenary group as well? Just like when we were a gladiator troupe. What do you think?”

Urich spoke while looking at the naked female slaves. They were waiting for their masters with their faces down, and passersby would stealthily try to touch their bodies.

“Female slaves when we don’t have Horus? …Forget it. Even if you buy a female slave, the rough men in the mercenary group will break her until she isn’t human anymore. Horus was an intelligent man who knew how to handle slaves.”

“You were a slave too, though, old man.”

“My body was a slave, but my soul wasn’t,”

“Haaah, stupid wordplay like that…”

Urich clicked his teeth.

“My soul is always headed for the Hill of Swords. To the hill where our kind’s progenitor ‘Ulgaro’ is waiting.”

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“Ulgaro or whatever. Just look around for now.”

Urich looked at the scenery of the slave market while whistling. More than tens of people were being sold as slaves as if they were objects. Well, here, people were objects.

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Clang.

Sven brought almost all of the money he had. He had enough to buy at least one slave.

“Hm.”

He carefully looked around the slave market, picked one, and whispered into his ear while walking by.

“Choose, brother. Will you live as a slave or come with me to the Hill of Swords?”

The chained Northerner responded. Because they were speaking in their mother tongue, the other people couldn’t listen in on their conversation.

“Of course I will go to the Hill that Ulgaro is waiting at, brother.”

The Northerner responded with sharp eyes. After hearing that, Sven negotiated with the slave merchant and handed over the money.

The slave merchant confirmed the amount then released the Northerner’s shackles.

Clang.

The released Northerner glared at the slave merchant as if he wanted to kill him immediately. He swore at the man in an unfamiliar tongue.

“Stop it. Do you want to be arrested by the guards and die?”

Sven dissuaded him.

“Is he joining our mercenary group now?”

Urich asked while looking at the Northerner. Sven said something in the Northern dialect and answered Urich.

“This man is a warrior. He was fated to die while working strenuous physical labor. But because he can now go to the Hill, he will be a more devoted warrior than anyone else. Like me.”

Sven was an ascetic warrior. No one ever saw him waste his money by using it extravagantly. He always saved it and used it to free his kind.

“If I were the old man, I would probably do the same too. If my brothers were caught as slaves, that is. If I needed to, even if I had to spill some blood…” Urich muttered without finishing the sentence.

“Be cautious of the passions of youth, Urich. Sometimes, there is a need to be patient,” said Sven. Urich opened his eyes wide and had a strange smile.

“I’m a very patient person, Sven. I just know when I don’t need to hold myself back.”

Sven looked at Urich with narrowed eyes. Urich was a young and strong warrior. Anyone could tell that he was going to be big in the future. He wanted to support him for a long time if possible.

They soon returned to the inn that the mercenaries were staying at. Those who left to gather information returned one by one when it became evening.

“Urich, there’s a good job. It’s a direct request from the lord.”

Bakman relayed the information as he ordered beer. He sat in his seat and massaged his leg as he had been walking all day.

“Direct request from a lord?”

“It looks like he’s gathering mercenaries to support his militia in a bandit subjugation. Listen, Urich. This is a city. Not one with a small lord, but one that has a real, rich noble as its ruler! If we negotiate well, we’ll probably be able to receive lots of rewards! Let’s change all of your equipment with that money. How long are you going to go around in that leather, huh?”

“I’m comfortable in this. Iron armor doesn’t suit me,” responded Urich as he waved his hand.

“Anyways, I made an appointment for tomorrow, so let’s go meet the lord.”

Bakman patted Urich’s back. Urich had a light smile.

“It isn’t confirmed, but let’s drink to our fill tonight. Life is short…”

As Urich spoke, the mercenaries finished the sentence.

“And there is a lot of alcohol to drink! WOOH!”

The mercenaries finished their mugs in an instant and slammed the table. The inn owner shook their head after hearing the sound of wood being split.

* * *

* * *

Havirond had an inner castle at the center of the city. The outer wall protected the entire city, and the area within the inner walls was where the nobles resided. A fief that had developed into a city like this was affluent and sturdy. They were essentially the key locations of each region.

Step, step.

Urich and a few of the mercenaries entered the inner castle. An attendant guided them.

“Wow, this castle is really well-made.”

Bakman spoke while looking at the hallway in the inner castle. The windows were made from stained glass, so each window had a different color of light coming through.

“Did someone make that statue as well?”

Urich spoke while looking at the busts of people that were displayed along the hallway. They were elaborate sculptures that looked like real people. Urich’s eyes were restlessly moving, trying to look at all of the artworks.

‘Barbarian, this is the masterpiece of the civilized.’

The attendant was conceited even though it wasn’t his. The saga of ‘Urich’s Brothers’—with their leader, Urich the Barbarian—had spread all the way there through the mouths of bards.

“You’re not allowed to touch those. Those are the busts of previous lords. If one were to break by any chance… it would be difficult to handle with just a considerable amount—”

The attendant was speaking with a snooty posture then opened his eyes wide.

“Huh? What did you say? Haaah?”

Urich knocked into a bust as he turned around. The bust wobbled and fell off its pedestal.

“Ah shit, I almost broke it.”

Urich spoke naturally while swiftly catching the bust with the tip of his foot. It was a skill akin to a circus trick.

“Hieek!”

The frightened attendant quickly lifted the bust and put it in its place.

“Did you say it was expensive? If it’s something expensive, put it in a safer place. Since you put it out like this, it gets in the way.”

It was Urich who reprimanded the attendant rather than the other way around. The mercenaries behind Urich snickered.

“I-I’ll take you to His Lordship right away. Don’t touch anything here, and follow me!”

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The attendant spoke frantically. Urich had to leave without fully satisfying his curiosity and with only just a taste.

‘Amazing. Really amazing. The civilization thing that the people here achieved is amazing.’

Urich honestly admired it. The writing, art, and structures that the civilized here were able to accomplish. To Urich, all of it was no different from a bewitching beauty.

—————

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