Chapter 41: 41

Barbarian Quest

Chapter 41 – Barbarian Hunter (1)

Margrave Orkel quickly returned to his manor.

“Father! I have something to say…”

Margrave Orkel’s son, who turned fourteen this year, welcomed his father.

“Move.”

Margrave Orkel walked past his son without hugging him. He planned to leave the manor before the sun rose again.

‘A prey has appeared.’

A disturbing smile grew on Margrave Orkel’s face. He had no interest in his wife or his children; they were just tools to establish his House.

“Give me the report.”

Margrave Orkel called over his aides who were waiting at the gate.

“Urich’s Brothers passed the gate yesterday. We ordered people to track them. Based on the direction that they are headed, it seems they plan on regrouping in Balgma.”

“Send a letter to Duke Harmati. I will mobilize my soldiers to personally capture and return Prince Varca before he arrives in Balgma. Pick out ten of our strongest soldiers.”

“Are you saying that you plan on pursuing them past the border yourself? If the captain of the gate defense guards leaves his post…”

“I’ve already had enough of these formal positions. I will chase my prey. To where the real fight is.”

Margrave Orkel rubbed his hands together and laughed. He felt like his body was burning up.

‘He relapsed into his bad habit,’ thought one of his aides. Margrave Orkel was an excellent knight. He was someone who had made his name widely known throughout multiple battlefields despite being from a small kingdom.

‘Barbarian Hunter Orkel.’

It was a nickname he yearned to hear again after it had disappeared with the passage of time. This current era favored the assimilation of barbarians, and a nickname like that would only harm him. His nickname was something that only those who fought alongside him would remember.

“Leave at once. We will depart again after I shut my eyes for a bit,” said Margrave Orkel.

The adjuncts left the room, and Margrave Orkel stood up.

Knock, knock.

“Father, it is I.” It was his son. The margrave opened the door with a blank face.

“I’m busy. Can’t we talk later?”

“There is something that I have to say.”

Margrave Orkel sighed.

“I won’t be able to give you a lot of time. If you have something to say, say it and begone,” he replied.

“I want to study abroad. In the Empire’s capital, Hamel,” said his son. Margrave Orkel scowled.

“Why? You will have stupendous swordsmanship and military science education here. Or do you think that your father loses to the knights of the Empire?”

“It isn’t that, Father. I want to dedicate myself to academia. Right now, people say that there is a boom in academia in the Empire’s capital. Every single intellectual and scholar from the North and South are gathering in one place to have debates day after day, and—”

SLAM!

The son flinched at the sound of Margrave Orkel hitting the table.

“You’ve become influenced by such an unpleasant thing. It must be because of your mother’s constant coddling. Pursuing academics? When you are still extremely lacking in your physical strength training?! A man only needs to know the basics of reading and writing!”

“Father!”

Margrave Orkel didn’t budge to his son’s desperate request.

“You are pathetic. Today, I saw a certain warrior. He might have been an enemy, but he was a superb man. While we were pursuing him, his horse fell over from exhaustion. What do you think he did? He put his horse on his back and ran! A human ran with a horse on his back!”

Margrave Orkel got excited and shouted ecstatically. It was also the first time he witnessed a sight like that.

“No matter how strong you are, what’s the point of it?! Father. The era when people set achievements through the sword is over! There are no more enemies in this world! The North and the South have already been conquered! An enemy to cut down with a sword doesn’t exist anywhere!” shouted his son. Those words only enraged Margrave Orkel further.

“We will talk about this later. I’m going to bed now.”

Margrave Orkel cut his son’s words. His son stared at the ground with trembling lips.

“It is a new era, Father.”

The margrave didn’t even pretend to listen.

‘It didn’t change. Nothing did.’

After sending his son away, Margrave Orkel went under his study. It was his storage area.

“Haaah.”

The instant he came underground, he felt relieved. His wife, son, and every other complicated thing vanished from his head.

Margrave Orkel lit a candle, and the basement grew brighter. The shadows moved correspondingly with the flickering flame.

“Hokhan. You were a warrior that could truly be compared to a bear. I still vividly remember you killing five of my subordinates with your axe that was like the winter’s frost.”

Margrave Orkel spoke while touching the skulls that were displayed. Beneath it were also the dead barbarians’ weapons.

He touched it carefully, as if he were touching a significant other whom he had loved for a long, long time. He reminisced on his younger days while touching the skull.

“Zuzbo. A great warrior from the South called the Desert Wolf. The warrior who left the scar on my chest.”

Margrave Orkel’s face turned scarlet and was filled with pure joy. He recited the names of the owners of each skull out loud, reminiscing on his fights. This was his sacred ritual.

The skulls belonged to the enemies who threatened him. This was his collection.

“You guys are strong, just like when you were alive… but I… am aging.”

He groaned. He missed the days when he was still young and strong.

“No matter how skilled a warrior is, they cannot defeat time.”

Eventually, the old had their seats taken by the young.

‘But the young men these days don’t learn swordsmanship. They just roll around their pens.’

Margrave Orkel was frustrated that he had to leave the future to them.

“Great barbarian warriors! I long for the days when you were all still alive. A blade only shines when it has an enemy to defeat!”

Margrave Orkel then lay between the skulls and fell asleep. He dreamt of his radiant glory days. It was a bloody era, but memories were always reminisced with rose-tinted glasses.

The margrave woke up before the sun rose. The more he aged, the more sleep escaped him. Old age was a miserable thing.

“We are ready.”

His aides were waiting for him when he left the manor and stepped into the training grounds. They had picked the cream of the crop—the ten best soldiers that the gate defense guards had to offer.

“Let us start the hunt, gentlemen.”

* * *

* * *

Urich’s body wasn’t normal after running while carrying Kilios on his back. He tottered into the forest.

He couldn’t straighten his back as a consequence of his actions, moving around with a hunched back like an elderly person. His entire body was aching, but his waist was the biggest problem. He could feel that his spine was twisted.

“It’s ready, Urich,” said Fahel.

“I should probably start praying to Sun God Ru now.”

Urich laughed as he touched his Sol pendant.

“Is this really going to work?”

“I either die, live on as a disabled person, or get back to normal. It’s usually one of the three.”

“We really should pray to Ru, then.”

Fahel bitterly smiled. They were in the mountains now but were unsure if they were really safe. An enemy could pop out at any moment.

“I’m starting, Urich.”

The young prince was holding onto a rope that was bound around Urich’s chest. Urich’s body was already throbbing from having his back lifted.

“Fuu, fuu. Do it, Fahel.”

As Urich finished his words, he quickly bit into a branch.

‘Sun God Ru…’ recited Fahel.

Fahel pulled on the rope with all his strength while stepping on Urich’s lower back. It was a primitive treatment with questionable effects and was honestly no different from torture.

CRAAAAAACK!

It was an atypical sound. Fahel had an ominous feeling about it but kept pulling on the rope like Urich asked him to.

“UUUUUUUURGH!”

Urich’s entire body was trembling. His upper body was forcibly pulled back and the deviated bone was put back into place.

SNAP!

The branch Urich was biting into snapped. It splintered into his mouth, causing blood to pour out.

“Kuuurgh.”

Blood was bubbling in his mouth as his eyes rolled back.

THUD.

Fahel, dripping with sweat, finally released the rope.

“Urich?”

There was no response. He rushed towards Urich.

“Answer me! Urich!”

Urich lost consciousness and couldn’t respond.

‘Did he die?’

Fahel’s heart dropped and turned ice cold after that thought.

“Please, don’t die like this. You bastard!”

Suddenly, Fahel found the forest terrifying. It felt as if a mountain beast would suddenly jump out from any angle.

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“Sun God Ru. I request you, please, don’t take Urich’s soul just yet.”

Fahel sat down, curled up his body, and prayed.

Neigh.

Underneath the tree, Kilios was resting. Fahel slowly crawled over to the stallion and leaned against it.

“Did you really die? Urich… Are you dead?”

Fahel pulled his knees to his face. His entire body was shaking.

SWOOOSH.

The wind blew. It felt as if the trees were screaming at him.

‘Was being alone something this terrifying?’

Fahel was always protected by someone as he was growing up. He lived a life far from danger and difficulty.

Neigh.

If Kilios wasn’t here either, he would have surely cried in an unseemly manner.

“Urich. Y-You’re alive, right?”

Fahel crawled over to Urich and placed his finger near the mercenary leader’s nostrils. He wanted to confirm whether he was breathing or not. It was a knowledge he picked up from somewhere.

‘Is he really breathing?’

Fahel gulped. He calmly focused his senses on his finger.

“You’re alive. You’re alive.”

Urich was breathing. Fahel, relieved, sat down next to him.

“It’s a relief. It’s a relief.”

Fahel kept repeating those words over and over again.

“Haaah.”

He took a deep breath and pulled out bread from his pocket. He cut off a small slice of the hard bread to melt in his mouth.

‘If we arrive at the Empire…’

Fahel closed his eyes tight.

‘I will get my revenge for this humiliation.’

Fahel recited the traitors’ names. It wasn’t just one or two nobles that stuck themselves to Duke Harmati. No one knew that the King would fall into a comatose state. People believed that the King would keep his throne for at least another five years before Fahel’s succession.

‘Father collapsed before I was able to gather any forces. It might be Duke Harmati’s work.’

Fahel lay on the ground and went into deep thought.

‘I wonder if Elder Sister Damia is doing alright. Even though Duke Harmati wouldn’t lay his hands on her… I am still worried about her.’

The royal princess had no reason to die in a struggle of power. Because no matter who became king, a princess was an excellent political tool.

Neigh.

Suddenly, Kilios stood up. Fahel also focused on listening to their surroundings.

Rustle.

“I’m sure I heard something over here.”

It was a human’s voice. Fahel panicked, checked his surroundings, and then jumped into a bush.

‘Damn it. I couldn’t hide Urich.’

Fahel only hid himself.

‘I’m pathetic,’ he thought.

“Look over here. There’s a horse.”

“Is it his horse?” One of them pointed at Urich. “He still isn’t waking up.”

“Are you sure he isn’t dead?”

They were bandits. The men wore ragged clothing and had dark faces, as if they had rubbed charcoal on it. These men might have been closer to vagrants than bandits.

‘Three of them.’

These men were people who ambushed travelers for a living.

“So, are we going to eat horse meat for dinner?”

“You idiot. Why would we eat it when we could earn so much more from selling it?”

“Would they even buy a horse? Hmph.”

“Of course they would. What are you going to do if they don’t?”

The bandits were talking and cackling with each other. When they placed their hands on Kilios, they were met with fierce resistance.

Neeeeeeigh!

Kilios raised its front legs to threaten the bandits.

“What? How are we going to drag around a horse like this? Let’s just turn it into meat.”

“Look at this weapon. It’s fairly sharp. It’ll probably sell for a lot! Or should I just use it myself?”

The bandits snickered and giggled while playing with Urich’s equipment.

“We should cut off his head just to be safe. Looking at his size, he must be good at fighting,” said a bandit while lifting a rusted weapon.

‘At this rate, Urich is going to die. I have to help him.’

Fahel was trembling. He couldn’t find the courage to act. He didn’t even have confidence that he could win the fight.

‘How can I beat them? That’s impossible. But…’

Fahel’s eyes widened. His chest was hot. He kept wavering between taking a brave action and staying silent.

“Hey, look over here! There’s someone hiding! KAHAHA!”

A bandit appeared behind him. The bandits weren’t a group of three but of four.

“U-UWAAAAH!”

Fahel tried to pull out his sword, but the bandit grabbed his wrists and restrained him.

“KUAHAHAHA! You’re a pretty-looking guy, aren’t ya? Did you think you could swing a sword with arms like that?”

The bandit then laughed with his mouth fully open, emanating a disgusting smell.

“D-Do you know who I am?! You bastards!” shouted Fahel as he struggled.

“What? Are you a prince of some place or something?”

SMACK!

A bandit kicked Fahel in the stomach. The young prince heaved and curled up again.

“Aaargh. Keok—”

A bandit dragged Fahel by the hair and pulled him towards the others. Fahel was completely surrounded by the bandits.

“Hey, how long has it been since we last saw a woman?”

“Over a month, at least. Keke.”

“If he’s this pretty, he’s much better than some cheap girls at a brothel.”

The bandits spoke while gazing at Fahel. One of the bandits already started to pull his pants down.

“Yuck. I’m not interested in men. You guys can do it. I’ll just cut that guy’s neck and come back. Even if he is unconscious, we have to make sure of it.”

“Do you think we’re into men? We’re just using a pretty-looking hole.”

Fahel was terrified. He started to struggle, but the bandits hit his face hard.

“Stay still. Or do you want me to cut off your neck right here, right now?”

A bandit placed his blade on Fahel’s neck, and the prince trembled.

‘This can’t be. This really can’t be. Sir Phillion… Elder Sister Damia…’

The bandits tied his arms onto a tree and had his rear forcibly stuck out. A bandit’s coarse hands lowered Fahel’s pants.

“Haha, it really is some pampered young master. Look, his butt is white like a baby’s. Is he actually a prince somewhere?”

The bandits picked lots to choose the order.

“Ahem. So I’m first. Ptoo, ptoo.”

The bandit spat on his hands and touched himself.

‘Instead of being humiliated like this…’

Fahel tried to bite his own tongue.

CRAAACK!

It was the sound of bones breaking. The bandits that were preparing to assault Fahel turned around.

Urich was standing up with a bandit’s head in one hand. The head was twisted around, as if it were an owl’s head.

“Fuuu.”

Urich let out a deep breath. His aching body still hurt.

“I will never do something like that ever again. My back will really break if I do it another time. Shit, what’s going on? Fahel, you were into stuff like that? I really can’t understand the civilized. I really, really can’t.”

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Urich clicked his tongue while looking at Fahel and the bandits.

“Shut up and save me already you fucking bastard!” shouted Fahel.

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