Barbarian Quest

Urich was looking at the sea. The salty smell reached his nose every time the waves crashed.

“The Edge of the World,” he muttered as he threw a pebble onto the surface of the water.

‘No one believes in the Edge of the World anymore.’

People now believed there was an Eastern Continent instead of a cliff where the seawater fell. In just twenty years, people's worldviews have changed.

Humanity had illuminated the darkness of ignorance, and the world kept expanding.

Ding! Ding!

As the bell rang at the appointed time, the recruitment officers dismounted their horses and called the potential sailors. Urich, being one of them, walked over along with the others.

Officials were busy recruiting sailors for the exploration of the Eastern Continents. One of the officers recognized Urich and pointed at him.

“It would be best to do something about that hair and beard, Kylios.”

“Suit yourself, but I do need to ask you a few questions, so come over here for a second.”

Urich was an extraordinarily strong man who had the strength that was essential for the hard life aboard a ship. Knowing that, the recruitment officer was already set on enlisting Urich but still had to ask a few routine questions.

“Where are you from?”

“Aryana of the north.”

“Any experience at sea?”

“None.”

Urich’s answer made the recruitment officer frown.

‘Is he serious? We're selectively picking only the most experienced sailors… and he has none?’

The officer's initial intention to recruit Urich completely vanished.

“Very well. I will not be enlisting you.”

“I’m confident I’ll do well.”

“Confidence alone isn’t enough. What the Porcana expedition needs are seasoned sailors.”

“Man, you can’t be doing this to me after I’ve been transparent with you.”

Urich’s voice grew louder.

Clink.

The guards stepped forward, placing their hands on their sword hilts.

“If you cause a disturbance, you’ll get a taste of our steel, Kylios.”

“I’m not trying to cause any trouble. I’m asking you to reconsider, that’s all. I learn quickly and will adapt fast.”

“Soldiers!”

Upon the official’s signal, the soldiers drew their swords and approached.

“Leave immediately. We don’t have time for games,” one soldier threatened.

Urich calmly looked around at the soldiers, sensing that a fight was imminent.

‘I didn’t come here to fight.’

Urich simply wanted to sail. He scratched his head and stood up.

“…If you don’t want me as a sailor, then how about as a soldier? If I knock down three of your men here, let me aboard the ship as a soldier.”

“Stop your nonsense!”

Urich slowly curled his fingers into a fist and looked up at the distant palace of Porcana with a sigh. If he spoke to Varca, he could get on the ship with no problem whatsoever.

‘I can’t reveal that I’m alive.’

Many things had happened in Urich’s absence while he was wandering the south for the past ten years.

The Alliance started to lose its center and waver as each chief led their army and declared independence after his disappearance. However, the consciousness of the Alliance and kinship that Samikan and Urich had established still remained, leading them to help each other and maintain alliances among themselves.

As expected, Belrua of the Red Sand succeeded the name of the Alliance. Although the Alliance that once dominated the west was no more, the tribes around the Sky Mountains formed another alliance with Belrua at its center.

Civilized people feared the western tribes uniting again under the Alliance. Thanks to the fear they deeply ingrained in the civilized world, the westerners successfully settled in the civilized lands, and their settlements thrived amidst the conflicts of various kingdoms.

‘There are more than just a few who would come to find me in a heartbeat upon hearing my name.’

Urich was a calamity just by being alive, and some civilized people even believed he was a disaster sent by the heavens. Disappearing right after toppling the empire, Urich remained a mythical figure.

‘The war would have never ended unless I either disappeared or died…’

Urich looked at the soldiers before him.

“Alright, bring it on, then.”

He spread his arms wide and drew an axe from his waist.

The soldiers flinched and halted their approach upon recognizing that their opponent was a barbarian who did not shrink before a crowd of armed soldiers.

‘This barbarian is skilled in combat.’

An extraordinary sense of intimidation emanated from Urich’s body. The soldiers exchanged glances, signaling each other as they all felt like their heads would fly off if they approached first.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The sound of hooves approached. A smile broke out on Urich’s fierce face as he glanced sideways.

‘You really came, Louyan.’

Urich couldn’t suppress his laughter. Although he didn’t deserve it, seeing Louyan made him happy. It was hard to resist the pull of blood relations.

“That’s enough,” Louyan, the heir of Porcana, spoke from his horse, looking at Urich from behind the recruiter.

“M-Master Louyan!” The recruiter recognized Louyan and shouted.

“This man is quite eccentric. Dismiss the soldiers.”

Louyan dismounted and stepped forward. A crowd had already gathered on the pier.

“Haha, you really are royalty after all, huh!”

Urich loosely lowered the hand holding the axe and laughed as he watched the soldiers and the recruiting officer comply with Louyan’s words. The power of status was still immense.

“I owe you for yesterday, Kylios.”

“If it’s a favor like that, you’re welcome to owe me anytime. So, who did you tell on me to?”

“I do not do such things. If you were a spy from another country, I’d already be dead.”

Louyan did not antagonize Urich.

“I just taught you a lesson not to wander alone.”

Urich shrugged and laughed.

“After I returned to the palace, I carefully formulated some hypotheses about who you might be. Well, it was too much to do alone, so I sought my master’s help.”

“So? Have you reached a conclusion?”

“Of course. My master wishes to see you.”

Louyan did not utter Urich’s name.

‘If this man is truly Urich as Master says, his survival must not be revealed.’

The fall of the empire happened right when Louyan was just beginning to walk, and Urich, the man standing before him, was the man responsible for it.

Urich scratched his head, looking at Louyan.

‘He’s clever. He figured out my name with just a few clues overnight. Gottval must have thought that if I survived, I would come here eventually.’

More people gathered, murmuring. Before attracting more attention, Urich mounted a horse and followed Louyan.

“Are you really the person we think you are?” Louyan asked indirectly.

“We’ll see what Gottval says,” Urich neither confirmed nor denied.

“My mother died because you and your army invaded Hamel.”

“So, are you seeking revenge?”

“But you are my uncle’s reliable ally. In the nobility society, revenge is entangled with complex interests.”

Despite his words, Louyan showed no particular resentment.

‘I hardly remember my mother… And she wasn’t very well spoken of either.’

Louyan had always carried a contradiction that Damia was his biological mother but also a political rival who had threatened Varca, whom Louyan respected.

Creak.

As the castle gate opened, a priest who was missing an arm ran out. It was the now aged and grizzled Gottval.

“Long time no see,” Urich said as he scratched his chin awkwardly.

Gottval reached out and brushed Urich’s messy bangs back, revealing the gleaming bright yellow eyes that were hidden underneath.

“U-Urich! Oh, Lou, my goodness!” Gottval shouted unintentionally and then covered his mouth.

Louyan stared at Gottval and Urich as Gottval greeted Urich and embraced him warmly as if he were his long-lost family member.

“To see you standing here on two legs! We shouldn’t just stand here, come on, let’s head inside quickly.”

Seeing Gottval’s joy, Louyan felt reassured that he had done the right thing.

‘In any case, this person must be important to Master.’

Louyan followed Gottval and Urich inside. Gottval’s private reception room was modest but exuded a priestly reverence.

Gottval even brought out his treasured wine to welcome Urich.

“Master, is this Urich the Plunderer?”

“He is also a friend of His Highness,” Gottval replied.

Gottval and Urich’s eyes met over Louyan’s shoulder.

‘Louyan doesn’t know that Urich is his real father, and Urich probably hasn’t told him, either.’

This was something that had to be hidden for Louyan’s sake. The achievements Urich had amassed were significant enough to greatly influence his descendants. There were already several young men in the west who claimed to be Urich’s sons.

‘If someone is acknowledged as Urich’s son, many warriors would gather under him.’

King Bilker of the north garnered massive support simply because he was a descendant of Mijorn the Brave. The position of being Urich’s son was not just proof of lineage but a status.

Varca had also separated Louyan and Urich to prevent such repercussions.

“Where have you been all this time, Urich? I didn’t think you were actually dead, but I didn’t expect you to be wandering around alive like this.”

There were all sorts of rumors surrounding Urich’s sudden disappearance, including tales that claimed Lou’s divine punishment had fulfilled its mission and returned. Because he disappeared rather than died, Urich’s fame reached the status of a legend.

Urich only laughed when he heard the rumors and stories about his whereabouts. Like the Sword Demon Ferzen, disappearance sparked more imagination than a confirmed death.

“I went to the south, and I also brought Hume along with me.”

“Hume? Ah, you mean the man who killed Basha. What’s he doing now?”

“He ate some snake meat in the south, got sick, had diarrhea and vomiting, and eventually died. I tried to save him, but it was no use.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Enough time had passed for a child to grow into a young adult, and Gottval had completely forgotten about Hume.

“I went to the south and chased the traces of Serpentism. Most of the people there believe in a sun god not too different from yours in Solarism.”

“Southern sun worship is the same deity as sun god Lou, only with different methods of worship and doctrines.”

“There, I also learned how to mummify people. It’s not as hard as I thought. You just remove the organs, like when you’re drying meat…”

Urich recounted his experiences with a smile on his face.

Louyan listened attentively from the side, not interfering with the reunion of the two now-aged men.

“Thank you for faithfully fulfilling my favor. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

Urich had entrusted Louyan’s education to Gottval, and now he was seeing the results with his own eyes.

“It was a pleasant experience for me as well.”

Louyan tilted his head, puzzled by the conversation. He asked, “What is this favor you talk about?”

“That’s none of your business,” Urich said with a hearty laugh and roughly shoved Louyan’s shoulder.

Louyan blushed, showing his displeasure. Having lived among civilized people all his life, Louyan had no experience mingling with barbarians, and even the western army stationed in Porcana was at the border, making it difficult for him to encounter them at all.

“Louyan, His Highness will be pleased to hear the news of Urich. Since we cannot have anyone else know about this, it would be good if you delivered it personally,” Gottval said with a smile. Louyan nodded and left the room.

Once Louyan’s presence faded, Urich laughed even louder and clapped Gottval on the shoulder.

“You raised him up so well! He lacks a bit of manliness, but I guess that’s inevitable, growing up under a civilized priest!”

“I didn’t do much. He’s naturally curious, just like you. He sought knowledge on his own without anyone telling him. By the way, are you not going to tell him that you’re his father?”

“Do you think I have the right to do that? I don’t. As much as I hate to say it, my son was a heavy burden to me. I was exhausted back then.”

“I understand.”

“You might, but he won’t, nor should he.”

Urich smiled bitterly at the fact that he was being drawn to his bloodline late in life. Perhaps he had come to Porcana with the hope of meeting his son.

‘It must be because I’m getting older.’

As people age, they become more attached to their bloodline. They have children to create a replica of themselves and continue their existence, just like how Old Sven was obsessed with his grandson.

‘Sorry Sven, but what you had was a misguided notion. It was nothing but a pathetic act.’

Urich intended to quietly board a ship to the Eastern Continent without informing anyone. He didn’t want to soften his resolve by reuniting with Varca and Gottval.

And just as he feared, his resolve had weakened.

‘…There’s also the option of staying and settling here.’

He could gradually get closer to Louyan and then reveal he was his father. With Varca and Gottval, his later years wouldn’t be boring. Even his thumping heart wasn’t as vigorous as in his youth.

“Urich, what are you going to do now?” Gottval asked.

Urich simply returned an awkward smile. He himself didn’t know what to do.

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