Barbarian Quest

Chapter 98

Harmatti sat in a chair. His shoulders were drooped, and his face looked at least a decade older in just half a day. Dark shadows fell across his wrinkled eyes, and his breath sounded metallic, like a dying old man.

‘He looks like a completely different person.’

Urich, too, was startled by Harmatti’s appearance. The man who had commanded countless soldiers and sought to engulf the kingdom now looked pitiful. The sight of a man who lost everything was tragic.

"We don’t need a guard anymore since Urich is here. Leave us."

Pahell gestured, sending the knight away. He grabbed a chair and took a seat near Harmatti.

"Uncle, I heard you wanted to see me," Pahell spoke calmly. Urich stood behind him.

"Oh, Your Majesty," Harmatti muttered. Pahell flinched and leaned back.

‘He's gone mad.’

Harmatti pulled at his hair, and the strands just broke off weakly.

‘He's alive, but at the same time... he really isn’t.’

Urich grimaced. From an outside point of view, it looked like it would be better for him if he were dead. His life was all he had left. He had thrown away everything that he had built for that life.

"Is he just rambling from losing it?"

Pahell clicked his tongue bitterly and rose to leave.

"My brother..."

Harmatti spoke slowly, making Pahell sit back in his chair.

"...always kept an eye on me," Harmatti murmured to himself.

"My father...?” Pahell asked. He seemed surprised.

"Your face is becoming more like my brother’s, Varca."

Harmatti’s eyes were empty. The entire conflict started with the king's collapse two years ago. The fallen king never woke up again, and he has been bedridden ever since. The kingdom needed a new ruler, and Harmatti was the man who stepped up. Duke Harmatti, born as Sarha Aneu Porcana, had all the rights to be a regent as the king's brother and a major noble. He stepped up to be the interim ruler of the kingdom.

"After being granted the duke title, I expanded my power, and your father thought I'd become a threat to you. Varca, if your father were well, I would have been purged. My informants constantly warned me of danger. I had no other choice."

"What are you talking about? You sound as if..." Pahell stuttered.

“...as if you were the one responsible for my father’s collapse.”

Harmatti looked up at Pahell with his shaded eyes. It was like there was a dark swirl of despair in them with no sight of hope. This was the unfortunate fate of a man who instinctively chose his survival. He had lost everything that was important to him. For that survival, he lost his pride and honor.

"It wasn't easy. One day, my informants just started dying or getting bought by your father, feeding me false information."

Harmatti was speaking like an old man telling his tales. His eyes were gazing into the past.

“Varca, you were oblivious. Your eyes... the eyes that were free from worldly greed... couldn’t see the ugly, silent battle that was going on within the kingdom.”

Pahell remained silent. He didn’t have any rebuttal against his uncle’s words. It was true that he was blind to the internal affairs of his kingdom. If he had been aware of it, he wouldn’t have had to flee out of his home.

“I was on edge each and every day. I didn’t know when your father was going to frame me for treason.”

“That is your own doing, uncle. You couldn’t be satisfied with what you had, so you had to expand your power.”

Harmatti opened his eyes wide. He stared at Pahell and spat out each and every one of his words clearly.

"Tell me, Varca. Why should I be satisfied with what I was given? I just expanded my territory, as any man would seek more land."

"You just described your rebellion."

"Being satisfied with feeding on the leftovers of someone else makes you a slave. Varca, I always had to be content with what your father left me. When I finally gained something on my own with my own power, he called it a rebellion and frowned upon it."

"If you want to keep that life of yours that you were so desperate for, do not try to justify your rebellion, uncle," Pahell warned him.

"Then, by chance, your father collapsed. Perfect timing, don't you think, my nephew?"

"Were you responsible for my father’s collapse...?"

Pahell’s hands were shaking. Harmatti shook his head.

"Your father cut off all my supporters in the palace. He was incredibly wary of me, so I couldn't do anything. Surprisingly, the person who contacted me was none other than..."

Pahell’s eyes widened. He rushed to his feet.

"Enough! That's enough, uncle. If you say any more..."

Harmatti laughed lowly. His rough voice carried on viciously.

"Damia, that cunning girl. She poisoned her own father's drink with her own hands. He probably would have never imagined that his precious little princess would do that, huh? Hehehe."

Pahell’s face contorted. He grabbed Harmatti’s throat.

"Do not lie to me! What are you trying to achieve here? Are you trying to split me and my sister? I will cut that tongue...!"

"Pahell!"

Urich shouted, and Pahell released his grip.

"Cough, cough."

Harmatti coughed, clutching his throat, glaring at Pahell.

"Damia isn't the kind of woman you think she is. If she had been born a man, she would have become king. Remember what kind of relationship I had with your father, Varca. To royalty, kinship is a terrible curse," Harmatti spoke to the end.

"Uncle!!!!"

Pahell lunged at Harmatti.

Schluck.

It was the sound of flesh being pierced. Harmatti, who was imprisoned the whole time, couldn't have had a weapon on him.

"Cough."

Harmatti coughed up blood, bending over as a dagger pierced his chest. It was a self-defence dagger Pahell had.

"Ah, ahh."

Pahell shook his head in disbelief as he looked down at his blood-stained hands.

"Dammit."

Urich was also shocked. He never imagined Pahell would stab Harmatti.

‘It's too late.’

Urich examined Harmatti's condition and shook his head. There seemed to be no chance of survival.

"Cough, ... so this is how I spend the life I struggled to save," Harmatti muttered. Urich scoffed.

"Why didn't you just live happily ever after with that life you struggled so hard to save?"

Urich commented on Harmatti's end.

"I thought about it and... I hated seeing him win."

Harmatti dropped his head. Urich laid Harmatti down and looked at Pahell.

"Get a grip, Pahell. Look at me. Take a deep breath. In, out. In, out."

Urich took a deep breath in and out and matched his breathing with Pahell. Gradually, Pahell stabilized as he followed Urich’s breathing.

"I-I killed my uncle. I shouldn't have killed him like this, but I was... I was angry."

Pahell's face was that of a terrified boy. Urich calmly took Pahell's dagger.

"Don't worry. This is not a big deal."

To Urich, things like this were trivial. He was used to killing people even over minor disputes. But Pahell was not a murderer like Urich. He still had the sensitivity to grieve and mourn someone's death.

Schring.

Urich drew his sword and deeply stabbed Harmatti's chest, transforming the wound from the dagger into one made by a sword.

"Pahell, Harmatti tried to kill you, and I protected you by stabbing him."

Urich spoke calmly and placed the dagger beside Harmatti. It looked like Harmatti’s failed assassination attempt on Pahell.

There would be rumors, but no one would question Harmatti's death. Harmatti was a man who should have been dead already. After showing such a disgraceful end at the fall of his castle, no one would sympathize with him.

"Ugh, ugh. Sister... why."

Pahell was in agony.

"...It's a lie. Uncle's last words were a lie. If I had kept him alive, his lies would have caused chaos in the kingdom," Pahell muttered to himself, and Urich quietly looked at him.

‘It didn’t sound like a lie.’

Urich had his own experiences with Damia. She was not like the ordinary women he’d met.

'She was a dangerous woman.'

She was the one who plotted to kill a man who showed interest in her to escape. That's not some common, easy-to-find cold-heartedness.

'The way she so easily suggested killing someone means she's experienced in such murderous plans.'

Urich had been wary of Damia ever since their meeting. She was a beautiful woman who easily distracted men's attention. The essence Urich saw in Damia was far from a kind-hearted woman. She was not the woman Pahell always missed and talked about.

"Hmm."

Urich hummed and helped Pahell up.

"Hey! There’s been an assassination attempt! Call a doctor!"

Urich shouted as he left the room. The knights who were on standby rushed in.

Harmatti died attempting to assassinate Prince Varca, unable to endure the humiliation and resentment. The knight assigned to search Harmatti before their meeting was beheaded for negligence. This became the known story of the incident and what would be recorded in history. The truth was irrelevant.

* * *

The news of the prince's victory reached the royal palace first. On the faces of the ministers and high officials, joy and anxiety intermingled. Among them were those who had implicitly supported Harmatti. If the prince returns to the palace, such dissidents might be identified and punished. It has always been the case that the subordinates under a king are purged whenever there's a change of power.

"Sir Phillion! I have some fine wine; would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"

Powerful men who wouldn't even spare a glance for a mere knight were now speaking to Phillion in a very friendly tone.

"I appreciate the offer, but I have much to do before the prince returns. I will remember your kindness instead," Phillion declined politely.

"If there's anything I can help with, just say the word!"

There were more than a few making such offers.

Phillion was close to the prince. He had lost his fingers, which were almost as important as his own life to a knight, to save the prince’s life and was known to be trusted and followed by the prince like a parent. The courtiers and nobles in the royal palace approached Phillion to gain favor with the new king.

"Ah, there's still so much to do."

Phillion sighed deeply as he looked at the approaching nobles. Although he was a hero, he wasn't of high enough status to disregard high nobility, and it was not in his nature to be stingy or act superior.

‘I hope the prince returns as soon as possible.'

The palace was still in a state of unrest. The confusion would only settle once the prince returned with his army.

'The king doesn't have much time left.'

Phillion had seen the face of the unconscious king recently. His face was lifeless. Renowned doctors had given up, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if the king died at any moment.

'It would probably be best if we could finish the coronation before His Majesty passes.'

Phillion regularly met with the bishop to check on the coronation proceedings.

'As soon as the prince arrives, we can proceed with the coronation.'

Even while talking with the nobles, Phillion was lost in his thoughts. The dark shadows were thick under his eyes. Since arriving at the palace, he had barely rested.

"You look very tired. I have something perfect for you. This is deer antler velvet from a stag I hunted myself. It was a huge stag, probably a gift from Lou himself."

One noble offered Phillion his deer antler powder. He had been receiving several gifts besides this as well.

'I never thought I'd be treated so well like this.'

He was pleased. Before this journey, he would have been a knight who faded into obscurity without any notable achievements. Now, he had become a hero whose name would go down in history.

Phillion now had the honor he longed for such a long time and was a knight respected by others. His body was tired, but his steps were as light as a boy's.

"Sir Phillion."

Even the patrolling guards greeted Phillion first, showing their respect. Respect and loyalty were some of the greatest virtues of a knight.

'I've made it. Perhaps I secretly desired this,' Phillion thought a materialistic thought with a mischievous smile, careful not to let others see.

'The sun.'

As Phillion headed to his office, he looked up at the sky.

‘Could my soul be saved?'

Phillion carried a great sin. He had broken his oath to Lou for the sake of loyalty.

Loyalty and faith, both were important values for a knight. Which one should be prioritized? Some betrayed their lord because of Lou's teachings, while others betrayed Lou for their lord.

Phillion hadn't yet received forgiveness for his sin from Lou. A part of him was always uneasy. If he died like this, he would become a wandering evil spirit.

'But it's too early to think about death. Well, if things go well, I might receive absolution.'

Phillion shook his head. Instead of worrying about distant matters, he decided to focus on the urgent tasks at hand. There were many pressing matters piled up on his desk like a mountain.

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