Barbarian Quest

Chapter 131

Chapter 131

Yanchinus had been closely observing Urich, particularly 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.

‘What do you wish to do?’

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.

Clunk.

The barbarian dragged in chains, vomited blood, causing the nobles to step back to avoid the blood.

‘He’s a mess.’

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.

Grip.

Urich clenched his fist, feeling a sense of righteousness.

‘I cannot save that man. I’m only a warrior...’

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 the common enemy of the empire.

Urich and this western man were not related by any means, but they shared the same land and culture, and that was enough to echo in Urich’s heart. This man from his homeland 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 want to rip that mouth to shreds.’

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.

‘But what comes after?’

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.

‘Be cunning, Urich.’

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 relaxed 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 accept my offer anyway, whether you like it or not. The preparations will be completed in a year or three at the latest."

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.

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 am now nothing more than a courtesan,' 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, playing 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.

'Embracing Damia now might just break her.’

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.

'It tickles.'

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.

'You pity me? A barbarian like you? The one who drove me into this?'

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's laughter heard from outside.

"You'll regret this, Princess Damia," Urich gave his last warning.

"Regret? Do you think I would do such a thing?"

Slap!

Damia struck Urich's cheek hard.

'This bitch,' Urich thought, now fully alert, his last bit of sympathy gone.

"Better to be a regular 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, Damia lay 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 exclaimed from the next room, still filled with women's endless moans and screams. Urich had no desire to know what was happening there.

Creak.

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 months later, 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.