Chapter 215 |
The northern warriors felt relieved after seeing Urich and Bilker getting along nicely. Using Bilker to form an alliance with the plunderers could be a great asset for them moving forward.
The feast ended soon after Urich and Bilker left. Georg and the western warriors set up camp outside the village.
“Blargh!”
Bilker fell to his knees and vomited even before reaching his home. Urich patted Bilker's back, chuckling.
Krika frowned at the sight of Bilker throwing up.
‘He drank so much knowing he couldn’t handle it… he ate a shit ton, too.’
Rats gathered around the spot where Bilker vomited. Krika shooed them away with his spear.
“Ohh, the night sky in the north is spectacular indeed. It feels like my heart is opening up,” Urich said, stretching his arms.
Krika didn’t respond to Urich. He just waited for Bilker to pull himself together.
Bilker couldn’t move due to his pounding head.
Urich gestured at Krika.
“You said it was Krika, right? Why don’t you go get him a cup of water?”
“I’m a guard, not a servant.”
“Same thing, no? Come on, do it for this guy.”
Urich shrugged. Krika sighed and entered a nearby house to fetch some water.
"Here’s the water...?"
Krika, emerging from the house, widened his eyes in shock. Urich and Bilker were nowhere to be seen. It had only been a moment.
“Shit! They’ve already gone that far!”
Krika’s eyes widened. Urich was carrying Bilker over his shoulder and leaping over the wooden wall.
‘How can he move so quickly while carrying that pig?’
Urich was leaping around with Bilker over one shoulder. Krika grabbed his spear and sprinted as fast as he could to catch up to him.
‘Why is he kidnapping Bilker?’
Krika didn't understand the situation, but he chased after Urich anyway.
“Hup.”
Urich took a deep breath before jumping down from the wooden wall. A large cloud of dust rose as he landed with a big thump. Bilker, hanging from his shoulder, choked as he vomited.
“Blargh, kugh. Kaagh.”
Bilker was all over the place. His body kept jolting and the scenery was different every time he opened his eyes.
‘I feel like I’m going to die.’
Each movement Urich made jabbed his shoulder into Bilker's stomach and chest. It was enough to make anyone sick, not to mention someone who was under the influence of alcohol.
“Huh, he’s caught up already. That’s pretty quick.”
Urich glanced at Krika, who was right on his tail.
“Release Bilker right now and I’ll let you leave in one piece!” Krika shouted. He had come alone without even getting a chance to call reinforcements.
‘That man killed Yorcan the Giant, so he's certainly not someone to take lightly. But today, I’m going to risk my life.’
Krika gripped his spear firmly.
“Well, it’d be better to teach you a lesson here before I go any further,” Urich said, tossing Bilker aside and opening his arms.
‘No weapons?’
Krika was taken aback upon seeing Urich's bare hands. His anger boiled. He was ready to put his life on the line, but Urich stood there bare-handed without a weapon.
“Draw your weapon, Urich,” Krika said as he lowered his spear as if he were warning him.
“If I draw mine, you'll die.”
“I am a warrior.”
Krika didn’t attack first. He waited for Urich to draw his weapon.
Urich tilted his head, eyeing Krika.
“Right, my bad. If you want a life-and-death battle, it’s only right that I oblige.”
Schriiiing!
Urich drew his steel sword. The metallic sound resonated as the sword traveled along the scabbard. The cold sound of steel was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
The bright yellow eyes locked in on Krika. Krika suddenly felt like he was facing a predator. His body tensed, and his fingers grew sluggish.
‘Shoot!’
By the time he came to his senses, Urich's sword was already coming down on him, about to split open Krika's head. Krika instinctively stepped back and thrust his spear forward. It was a well-trained movement.
Whoosh.
The blade of Krika's spear grazed Urich's hair. Urich grinned broadly, taking another step forward. He decided to move in boldly.
'Not bad, he has combat techniques ingrained in him. Not only did he avoid my attack, but he even managed to counter it!'
Urich smiled contentedly.
Krika was a well-trained young warrior. Fifteen or sixteen years old at most, he was a warrior teetering between boyhood and manhood. His potential, especially at this age, was boundless.
'But he's got a long way to go.'
Urich threw his sword forward. Krika never expected him to throw a sword like an axe.
Clang!
Krika swung his spear wide, deflecting the sword. His posture was awkward.
"Hup!"
Urich didn’t miss the moment when Krika's posture faltered. He grabbed Krika's spear shaft and yanked it toward him.
Krika, still holding the spear, was pulled forward. Urich lightly kicked him in the stomach.
"Kyugh!"
Krika's body flew into the air. It felt as if his insides were being twisted. If he hadn't been wearing multiple layers of leather, he would have died after his organs burst.
‘I’m blacking out.'
Krika couldn't stand up right away. His whole body ached as if it was on the brink of shattering.
'As expected of a warrior who killed a giant. It all happened in a blink of an eye.'
All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind. The darkness in his vision eventually faded, and he saw Urich turning away.
Krika confirmed that he could move his limbs again.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
Krika roared as he forced his body to stand, which felt like it was moments away from crumbling to the ground. He held his spear and aimed it at the back of Urich's head.
'Don't blame me! It's your fault for letting your guard down before finishing me off!'
Krika was sure. His spear was aimed precisely and accurately at Urich’s head.
Urich twisted his head without even turning around. The spear's blade skimmed his cheek. Urich opened his eyes wide and glared at Krika and clenched his fist.
Crunch!
Urich's fist was aimed at Krika's side. Krika barely managed to lower his left arm to block it in time. The heavy blow fractured his left arm and still struck his side.
Krika rolled on the ground three or four times.
"You managed to block that with your left arm. That punch was meant to kill you." Urich said.
He strode over and stood beside Krika, who was on the ground.
Krika curled up like a fetus. His whole body was aching to the point of going numb, and he felt like he couldn't breathe.
Urich looked down at Krika.
"Live and become a great warrior, kiddo."
Urich turned his back and walked toward Bilker, whom he had tossed aside.
"W-where am I…? Urich?"
Bilker finally came to his senses after vomiting and looked around. He was shocked when he saw Urich and the state that Krika was in.
"You just got kidnapped by me. I’ll escort you nicely like a little princess," Urich said with a grin, patting Bilker's cheek.
"D-did you kill Krika?!" Bilker shouted in anger for the first time.
Urich was taken aback by the unexpected reaction and shrugged.
"I didn't kill him—though this would be more humiliating for someone who came at me fully prepared to die. But hey, you can even make a manly face, not bad!"
Bilker breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Krika was not dead. He staggered over to check on Krika's condition.
"Run, Bilker," Krika said, panting from the ground.
"How would I run away by myself…"
As Bilker muttered awkwardly, and Krika grimaced.
"You call yourself a descendant of the great warrior Mijorn, you pathetic bastard!" Krika spat blood on Bilker's face.
Bilker wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve and stood up. Urich grabbed Bilker by the nape and pulled him along.
"Come on, let's go. Tubby princess."
"Wait, hold on a second!" Bilker struggled and tapped Urich's arm.
"Why? You want to get beaten up too?"
"N-no, I mean, we have to take Krika along."
"Huh?"
"If you're taking me, you have to take Krika too!"
Bilker pleaded desperately. Urich made an annoyed face.
"Are you two, you know, in that kind of relationship? I've seen some folks who prefer the rear end, but..."
"Huh? What the hell? No, Krika failed to protect me. Even if he makes it back to our encampment, they'll hold him accountable, and he'll be executed. If you're taking me, you have to take him too! I'll follow you without making any fuss, so please..."
Urich scratched his head.
'Is this fat guy actually Mijorn’s descendent?'
Even Urich was beginning to question it. By any northern standard, let alone the bloodline of Mijorn, Bilker was woefully inadequate as a man.
"Fine, stop whining."
Urich raised his fist and knocked Krika on the head. Krika’s eyes rolled back as he fainted.
"I-I didn't ask you to kill him!"
"I didn't kill him! Guys like him would rip my throat out with their teeth if they’re not knocked out. Unlike you, Krika is a real warrior."
Urich said as he slung Krika over his shoulder. Bilker shut his mouth and followed Urich.
"Huff, huff."
Bilker was almost out of breath just trying to keep pace with Urich. Urich slowed his steps slightly as they headed to the agreed-upon location.
'We need to get as far as possible before they realize Bilker is missing.'
The reason Urich had gone to the northern encampment was to kidnap Bilker. Capturing the bloodline of Mijorn would encourage the northern people to unite.
As the leader of the western plunderers and the one who killed Yorcan the Giant, Urich was able to easily gain the trust of the northern people.
"Kylios!"
Urich smiled as he saw a horse galloping from the horizon. Behind it were Georg and the warriors who had come out ahead of them.
"Goddamn, this kid was so slow. Put this fat kid on a horse."
Urich grumbled. Bilker flinched, feeling like he was at fault. This behavior made Urich even angrier, provoking him to kick Bilker in the butt.
Georg looked at Urich's back.
"Isn't the one slung over your shoulder a guard warrior?"
"That fat guy kept whining, so I just brought him along. He's a dangerous one, so tie his wrists tight and don’t leave anything sharp around him. He might be young, but he’s a proper warrior, this kid."
Urich warned. The western warriors tied up Krika and secured him to a horse.
Urich continued to walk without sleep.
Meanwhile, Bilker, riding a horse, nodded off and nearly fell off several times. Without Urich nearby, his head would have been cracked open long ago.
"Well, you've managed to capture the descendant of Mijorn. It’ll make a good symbol. After all, Mijorn's reputation and fear even managed to reach all the way to Langkegart, where I lived," Georg remarked, glancing at Bilker.
It didn't matter what kind of boy Bilker was or what his disposition was. His value was solely in being a descendant of Mijorn.
"Do you think someone like him can function as a man? I’m not going to raise my son like that," Urich commented.
"Do you even have a son, Urich?"
"I've scattered my seed all over, so there's got to be some somewhere, right? Keke."
Urich chuckled. His bloodline was likely out there. Among the lives carried by the women of the west, his descendants were undoubtedly present.
"You probably won't make a good father," Georg remarked.
"Huh? Why is that?"
"It's just obvious. You're not the type to be devoted to a family."
Urich couldn't argue with Georg's comment. Georg, sensing he had the upper hand, continued with excitement.
"Not a lot of people who make history turn out to be good fathers. It's hard to be both a hero and a good father. Even if you were just trying to be one of them, mastering it takes a lifetime of effort. And there is a plethora of people who can't manage even that."
Georg grinned.
