Barbarian Quest

Chapter 163

The air between the Phergamon and Stone Axe warriors was so tense it was palpable.

The outcome of the fight was as clear as day. Urich and the warriors would not leave this place 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.

‘Even if this is the end, stay calm.'

Urich extended his sword forward. There was no fear in his yellow-glowing eyes.

'The warriors I've seen were dignified until the end. They did not fear death, and they faced their own demise standing straight up.'

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 uniformly composed.

'I want to be such a warrior too. A warrior who does not flee from death. A man who accepts an unjust life and the world as it is without bending over.'

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 blame you. That's what being a warrior is. Now, come at me, if you dare."

Urich crossed his arms and clashed his weapon. A crisp sound of metal echoed.

The Phergamon chief waited for the Stone Axe warriors to be ready. There was no ambush.

Clench.

The Phergamon chief clenched his fist raised in the air. The Phergamon warriors lowered their drawn bowstrings.

"So, you've really come 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 chief laughed. Seeing his laughter, the Stone Axe warriors relaxed 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 relationship 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 outcome 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 into laughter. They enjoyed the food and drink provided by the Phergamo Tribe. The spirited warriors clapped their hands and shook their bodies, mingling with warriors much smaller than themselves.

The night deepened, but Urich did not get deeply drunk.

'The Phergamo Tribe is a place with honorable warriors. They won't promise one thing and do another, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious.'

Around him, warriors lay 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 flames seemed to burn away his thoughts, calming his mind.

Rustle.

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 our language very well."

"I'm used to learning new things."

The Phergamon chief laughed as he placed his hand over the bonfire.

"When you reach this age, you know, it becomes 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 becomes 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.

‘Speaking in imperial terms, it's like having five hundred cavalrymen from a single count's territory.'

The Phergamo Tribe could fight alone and be stronger than most tribes.

"Once you become chief, you start thinking about the safety of your tribe first. Then, it inevitably becomes 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 advice comes from my experience. Young Chief Urich, whether you accept 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 significantly larger.

'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.'

Whether a choice was right can only be known after the results come in. Hence, a chief, making decisions on behalf of everyone, constantly worries about the unseen future, searching for the right path.

'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 outcome.'

Success is deemed bravery, and failure, recklessness.

'If we could always know the correct answers, life would be pretty boring.'

Urich chuckled and added more wood to the campfire.

* * *

"Chaaaaarge!"

The warriors of the alliance cried out.

Buuuuuup!

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 unprecedented large-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.

Tududududu!

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.

"Here come the human hunters!"

"The dwarfs are coming 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 homeland!"

Chikaka, leading the group of goat warriors, shouted.

"Phergamooooo!"

The goat warriors shouted as they pulled their bowstrings. They swiftly maneuvered to the enemies' flank 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 claim the spoils will be us, the Stone Axes!"

Urich looked back, raising his axe in the sky. Blood dripped from the blade.

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.

'Even Samikan would find it difficult to hastily gather a large force. If he summons warriors without being able to pay them their due, the hard-earned status of Samikan could also waver.'

Urich wiped off the blood and looked up at the sky. The expedition was nearing its end.

'The smell is briny and bitter.'

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.