Chapter 207 |
The Sun Warriors had a tradition of taking a bath on the last evening of each week. Since the background of most of them was of a pagan religion, it was a practice deeply meaningful as a cleansing of the soul.
After dining with Urich, Harvald took a bath. The warm water of the tub melted his muscles. His strong northern physique, inherited from his northern mother, was evident.
'It was a long peace. Scholars said the era where swords won’t be needed will come soon, but we still need swords in this era.'
Harvald swept back his wet hair.
‘The plunderers from the west, and the ominous movements from the northerners.'
The empire had taken up arms once again. The Sun Warriors, the warrior group directly under the emperor, had made its way to the north. The warriors were going to kill their kin for the sake of the Sun God Lou and His Imperial Majesty.
'Kin.'
Although only half, Harvald still had the northern blood and sometimes felt intense emotions toward his fellow northerners.
"Devote yourself to Solarism."
The peaceful era, during which culture flourished, had ended, and the madness of war was taking hold of the civilized world.
Men who had fought in the past reenlisted or grouped together to become mercenaries. For some, war was an opportunity.
'His Imperial Majesty wants the north stabilized as quickly as possible.'
The empire had many pressing issues. Unruly groups were embedded all over the civilized world. They were opportunists who would stab the empire in the back at any chance if they were to show any sort of weakness.
Splash.
Harvald lightly slapped the surface of the bathwater with his hand, creating ripples in the tub.
Harvald touched his face. It was warm from bathing right after a drink.
Creak.
A single sound cut through the night air. It was a slight noise that could have easily been overlooked.
Gurgle.
Harvald dipped his mouth into the water, exhaling. His eyes narrowed.
Step.
Harvald, unfazed, watched the calm ripples in the bath. The waves were disturbed at regular intervals.
'Someone is muffling their steps and approaching my tub.'
Harvald submerged himself deeper into the tub and pretended not to notice the enemy's approach until they were closer.
Splash!
Sensing the presence of the enemy, Harvald surged from the bath like a lion leaping out of the bushes. He lunged at the approaching enemy.
Crunch!
After confirming that it was indeed an enemy, Harvald grabbed his throat.
'A man with a dagger.'
The intruder had no significant weapon, just a handy dagger with which he had attacked Harvald.
"Oooooooh!"
Harvald and the intruder shouted at each other. Their cries resonated powerfully.
'He’s not the only intruder. I can hear shouts from other places too.'
Harvald had his hand around the intruder's throat but had to withdraw his arm because of the dagger. The intruder’s thick neck prevented Harvald from taking him down in a single blow.
'This intruder is a typical northern warrior.'
Harvald thought of the combat skills he had learned and stepped back.
'A bunch of other guys must have been taking a bath like I was.'
The intruder knew of the Sun Warriors’ bathing customs and had approached knowing this. Harvald didn’t even keep any weapons near the tub, either.
"Do you still believe in Ulgaro? That god of war who led you to defeat?"
Harvald twisted his lips in mockery. Despite being fresh out of his bath and naked, his spirit was unbroken.
The intruder, undeterred by Harvald's taunts, gripped the dagger upside down and charged.
'The people of my mother, how foolish.'
Harvald dodged the dagger and tripped the intruder. He then grabbed the falling intruder's arm and twisted it behind him.
"Kagh!"
The intruder screamed as his arm bent and dropped the dagger. However, his fighting spirit remained, and he grabbed the dagger with his remaining hand to continue the attack.
'A shallow strike with the weaker hand.'
Harvald's eyes followed the dagger. He leaned back to dodge the blade.
"Surrender. You can still save your life."
Harvald's warning was futile. If the intruder had valued his life, he wouldn’t have invaded the imperial barracks in the first place.
'I guess I have no choice.'
Harvald swiftly moved his hand and snatched the dagger from the intruder’s.
Thwuk!
Harvald thrust his arm forward, stabbing the intruder in the solar plexus.
"Gurk."
The intruder's blood splattered onto Harvald.
"Any last words?"
Harvald held the collapsing intruder, waiting for his last words.
Northerners typically loathed the Sun Warriors with great intensity. In their eyes, the Sun Warriors were those who betrayed their own people as well as Ulgaro.
'He’ll probably use his last breath to curse me, or something along that line.'
Harvald remained composed, but the words that came from the intruder's mouth shook his calm.
"Oh, Lou, have mercy on these forsaken people."
"What?"
Harvald stumbled back as he looked at the bleeding intruder.
Clang.
A sun necklace glittered on the intruder's chest. He clutched the sun emblem as he collapsed to the ground.
'Why would a believer of Lou attack me?'
Harvald shook his head. He donned his coat and stepped outside. More than just a few Sun Warriors were attacked that night.
Four Sun Warriors died that night. The losses were minimal, but the fact that the attacks occurred right in the middle of the imperial barracks made the situation quite serious.
The commanders of the Sun Warriors convened a late-night meeting.
"How could they infiltrate so deeply into the barracks!"
"There must be an informant inside."
"You mean among us? That's impossible!"
“It would be more impossible to pull off an attack like this without one."
The arguments went back and forth.
"That man Urich is also suspicious! The attack happened on the day he came in here!"
"A man of his skills wouldn't just show up in the north without reason."
The Sun Warriors, who hated to accuse their comrades, turned their attention to Urich.
Harvald stood up angrily.
"Urich is my guest. He has a valid reason for coming to the north."
"Our suspicions are also valid."
Harvald and the other Sun Warriors were standing against each other. Harvald scowled and threw the bloodied sun necklace onto the table.
"This sun necklace was found on the intruder. He even muttered Lou's name as he was dying."
"Damn, so I wasn't mistaken. The one who attacked me also recited a Solarism prayer at the end."
"The converted northerners attacked us?"
The Sun Warriors were thrown into confusion. As their name suggested, they were a warrior group deeply imbued with religious hues.
'If they are northerners who believe in Lou, then they are no different from us.'
The Sun Warriors were able to overcome their feelings of guilt about betraying their kin thanks to their religious fervor. They had fought their own people under the guise of conversion.
It was common for civilized people who had the same faith to fight each other. But for the Sun Warriors, religious differences were the only reason for standing against their kin.
* * *
"This is some hospitality you’re showing me, huh?"
Urich muttered as he wiped the blood off his axe. Beneath his feet lay the body of an intruder with a split head.
The intruder had mistaken Urich for a Sun Warrior and attacked him. Urich, even while half-asleep, had detected the intruder and responded.
‘The northerners are actually going to challenge the empire.’
Urich sheathed his axe and waited for Harvald to arrive.
"I apologize for all this. It was my oversight not to have guards at your chamber,"
Harvald apologized as soon as he arrived at Urich's quarters. He was the one who had accepted Urich as a guest, thus he bore the responsibility to protect him.
"A warrior should be able to defend himself. What need is there for protection? Keke."
Urich laughed, interlocking his fingers.
"Also, though I hate to tell you this, it looks like you must stay here for a while. It seems we may have an informant within the barracks. Some of the warriors are suspicious of you."
"Huh? Do I look like I have any time to waste to you? You were the one who brought me here, Harvald."
As Urich retorted, Harvald bowed his head in shame.
"Once this is all over, I will provide you with a travel pass with the guarantee of the Sun Warriors. So, please."
The Sun Warriors vetted everyone who had recently entered the barracks. Given the high likelihood of an informant, no one was allowed to leave. They were also keeping an eye on each other.
'I can’t believe we have to suspect each other...'
Harvald gritted his teeth.
The funeral for the deceased Sun Warriors had ended. Simply waiting around wasn’t going to make the informant come forward.
The Sun Warriors set out with the imperial soldiers to reclaim the northern villages that had declared autonomy. Urich was among their ranks as a guest.
After several days, it was almost confirmed internally within the Sun Warrior Division that Urich was unlikely to be the informant. With the expedition underway, there was hardly anyone keeping an eye on Urich.
The Sun Warriors continued to pour their effort into identifying the enemy within.
"Urich, the surveillance on you is lax. We can get away from the Sun Warriors at any time. I was able to make contact with the other warriors as well," Georg said after returning from his rendezvous with the other warriors from the west.
The warriors were following Urich from a distance.
"There's no need to leave them just yet. If we’re going to meet the northern warriors, it might be better to stay with the Sun Warriors for now."
"If there really is an informant within the Sun Warriors like they’re saying... we might find them first."
"Exactly."
Urich calmly looked out over the campsite. It was still hard to tell who the informant might be.
"That’s that, but… Urich, you really were famous in the society here."
"I told you. See? I don’t lie."
Urich grinned and looked at Georg's face. Georg seemed somewhat dismayed.
‘Man, I shouldn’t have taken Urich's words so lightly. Dammit! He really was friends with a king!'
It was frustrating. Urich's connections were impressive even by civilized world standards. He was acquainted with high nobilities, a king, and even the emperor, who considered himself the ruler of the world.
'With such connections, one would have no problem whatsoever living comfortably for the rest of his life...'
The more time Georg spent with Urich, the less he understood him. Urich had forsaken guaranteed riches and glory to roll in the mud and bleed in the flames.
'Is he doing all this just to protect his people?'
Suddenly, Georg was seeing Urich in a different light. Georg already knew he was a great warrior, but learning about his background made him seem even greater.
'How many would throw away such wealth and glory to fight alongside their people?'
Georg watched Urich's silhouette flicker by the campfire. As the fire shifted, so did the shadows across Urich’s face, making it seem slightly different each second.
'Urich has motivations that are deeper than honor or his love for his people. What he truly desires isn't social success or immortal fame.'
Georg and Urich spent time by the fire. Before they went to sleep, a man approached them.
Urich and Georg looked up at the man.
"Harvald told me about you. Urich the Armor Breaker. My warriors spoke of you every now and then. I was hoping I’d see you someday."
The man wore armor that had steel plates added on top of a full bear hide. His face, appropriately wrinkled, radiated the aura of a seasoned warrior.
"If you're Harvald's superior, you must be the leader of the Sun Warriors."
Urich tilted his head and studied the man's face.
"I am Commander Alfnan. My friends call me Alf."
Alfnan sat down in front of Urich.
