The moment I emerged from the pit after the duel with the chieftain, the warriors, who had been cheering excitedly, suddenly fell silent and stared at me.
They seemed to be waiting for me to say something.
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”
I let out a war cry, and the warriors roared in satisfaction.
Ugh, my ears.
Swoosh.
I glanced down at the pit as I basked in the cheers of the warriors.
The elders were carrying the defeated chieftain away.
It was a lonely sight, the end of a warrior.
It was just the natural order of things.
The winner and the loser.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
A celebration erupted, even though there were no preparations. The warriors who could play instruments started drumming, while the others just pounded their chests.
Everyone danced and drank, their voices echoing through the sanctuary.
They built a bonfire, and meat, which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, was roasted and shared.
And as the sun began to set…
“Great warrior! Where are you going?!”
“Peace.”
I left the noisy celebration and headed towards the residential area. The warriors I encountered along the way tried to talk to me, but they seemed more interested in enjoying themselves than in celebrating my victory.
Step, step.
The further I walked from the center of the festivities, the darker and quieter it became.
Thump! Thump!
The distant sound of drums echoed through the forest path.
Ainar, who had disappeared during the celebration, was walking towards me from the opposite direction.
“Bjorn? What are you doing here?”
She seemed surprised that I was leaving the festivities.
“I’m going to see the chieftain. Where is he?”
“In his tent.”
“Is he awake?”
“Well, he was sleeping until a while ago.”
“So you were just there?”
“I was a bit worried.”
“Really?”
I didn’t ask her what she was worried about. She had been learning from the chieftain while I was gone.
She must have felt conflicted.
And she probably had a lot to say.
“But congratulations, Bjorn! I found out later that you’re the first! No warrior has ever become chieftain at such a young age!”
“So I’m the youngest?”
“Y-yes! That’s right! The youngest! Isn’t that amazing?”
Hmm, it was new information, but it didn’t feel real.
“Anyway, if you’re going to see the chieftain, why don’t we go together?”
“But weren’t you just there?”
“Haha! What does it matter? I was heading this way anyway!”
“Alright.”
We walked towards the chieftain’s tent, chatting idly.
We talked about the duel and the chieftain’s condition.
His injuries were almost healed.
“The elders are all stingy! They said he would heal without potions, so I had to force them to use them! Can you believe that?!”
“…….”
“And the coming-of-age ceremony! I said we should at least give them proper shoes! But those stubborn elders kept talking about tradition! I told them I was being rational!” Ꞧ𝙖𝐍ο𝖇ЕȘ
“Ainar.”
“Huh?”
“You’re supposed to say ‘irrational’ in that situation.”
“Ah… really?”
She scratched her head, embarrassed.
And…
Step, step.
We walked in silence for a while.
Ainar spoke again as we approached the chieftain’s tent.
“Bjorn.”
She slowed down and walked behind me, then she patted my shoulder.
“You’re better than me. You’re smart, you’re strong, and the warriors follow you naturally.”
So she wasn’t completely indifferent.
“Ainar—”
I turned around to say something, but she cut me off.
“So take care of them.”
“…?”
“You’ll do a much better job than me! The other warriors will think so too!”
I didn’t know where she got the ‘150 times better’ figure from, but I just nodded.
“I will.”
“Really? Then that’s enough. Go ahead. I’m going to join the other warriors and have some fun.”
“Okay. See you later.”
She turned around and walked away, and I entered the chieftain’s tent.
“You’re here.”
The chieftain was awake.
And he looked surprisingly well.
Did Ainar use a potion on him? His body was still a bit swollen, but that was all.
Creak.
I pulled up a chair and sat down.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Really?”
Well, I was just being polite.
I got straight to the point.
“When will you hand over the position of chieftain?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
It was an unexpected answer.
“I thought it would take longer. You have to inform the other warriors.”
“The news has already spread throughout the city. They’ll come if they want to.”
Hmm… he’s not wrong.
The number of warriors who had come to the sanctuary after hearing the news had increased exponentially as the celebration continued.
“But… you seem quite relaxed, considering how hard you fought.”
His second question was out of personal curiosity.
“I never thought it was the right position for me. Of course, I’m still disappointed that I lost.”
“I see.”
“So why did you challenge me?”
He seemed to be sure that I had another reason for coming here. I chuckled and revealed my true intentions.
“I want to hear about the King.”
“…The King?”
“Yes, what kind of person is he?”
I would be the chieftain tomorrow.
It was time for me to learn about the kingdom’s secrets.
______________________
“The King…”
The chieftain leaned back against the wall and chuckled bitterly.
“Once.”
“Huh?”
“I only met him once.”
It was surprising.
I thought he knew a lot about the King, judging by his fear.
“It was during the Holy Artifact War… over thirteen years ago. I had just become chieftain. I attended the Tribal Council with the ambition of reviving our declining tribe. That’s where I saw him for the first time.”
His gaze was fixed on the empty space before him, his breathing ragged.
As if he was reliving that day.
“…What happened?”
“At first, it was just an ordinary council meeting. The dwarf and the beastman were talking about something I didn’t understand, and I was busy arguing with the elf and the old mage from the Mage Tower, who was representing the humans.”
“The Mage Tower? Shouldn’t the King be the one representing the humans?”
“He should be, but that’s how it’s always been since I became chieftain. The humans were always represented by someone else.”
“I see…”
It was new information to me.
As an ordinary warrior, I had no access to information about the Tribal Council.
“Anyway, that’s what made that day special.”
The King’s appearance, a once-in-a-lifetime event.
But the chieftain still didn’t know why the King had appeared during the meeting.
“I was arguing with the old mage, and then I looked up, and he was there. None of us recognized him at first. One of us even tried to kick him out, asking who he was. But…”
“…But?”
“He only said one word.”
Kneel, my subjects.
The moment those words left his mouth, the chieftains forgot their words, their questions, and their doubts. They just knelt before him.
And…
“We spoke words we didn’t even know we knew.”
“What words?”
“Your Majesty.”
It was a chilling experience, the chieftain said. He had felt a sense of helplessness, as if his will had been completely suppressed.
But I was more interested in something else.
‘Mind control… Is he a mage?’
What was the source of the King’s power?
There were no essences or magic that could control someone without physical contact.
The only possibility was magic.
But the chieftain shook his head firmly.
“It wasn’t magic or an essence. It was like… his voice had power. It felt like it was engraved in my blood and soul from the moment I was born. That he was my King, my master.”