studiobondurri Chapter 451: Expansion (4)
Chapter 451: Expansion (4)
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.
But no one cared.
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.
His story only made me more confused, but I continued listening.
“So what happened next?”
“Nothing much. He just looked at us, as if searching for someone, and then he said, ‘He’s not here,’ and left. And then we could finally breathe again.”
That was the end of his story.
I checked a few things before starting my deduction.
“How strong were the chieftains back then? Well... most of them were around my level.”
The King’s ‘mind control’ was absolute.
He had controlled eight high-level explorers with a single word.
And the range of his control seemed to be unlimited.
“You’re saying we couldn’t resist because it was a simple order? That’s ridiculous. We would have rather died than kneel before a stranger.”
The chieftain was certain.
If the King had ordered him to die, he would have done it without hesitation.
‘If it wasn’t an essence or magic... what did he do?’
I didn’t know.
But there was still a glimmer of hope.
“Ah, and the old mage from the Mage Tower only realized who he was after we knelt. He quickly followed suit.”
Maybe it doesn’t work on humans.
It was a possibility, but I couldn’t be sure.
The King might have only used his power on the chieftains.
‘...Anyway, it’s certain that the King has that ability.’
It was a valuable piece of information.
I asked one last question.
“What did he look like? Did he seem sick?”
“...I don’t remember. His age, his gender, even his voice... I can’t remember anything.”
Hmm... could it be that the King can manipulate memories?
Or maybe he used some kind of magic or item. Unlike mind control, there were many things that could achieve a similar effect.
“So, are you satisfied with my answers?”
“Sort of.”
“Really? That’s good to hear.”
He waved his hand dismissively, telling me to leave.
And...
‘This is strange...’
Something bothered me.
“Chieftain, can I ask you one last question?”
“Hurry up.”
“Why do you seem so indifferent? You must know what I’m planning to do as the new chieftain.”
He had told me before that we couldn’t survive if we hated humans.
That we had to endure, even if it was unfair.
It was a frustrating statement, but it was understandable from his perspective.
But...
“Why should I care? I’m not the chieftain anymore.”
He chuckled.
“I’m just a barbarian now.”
A warrior, not a leader.
“And...”
He continued,
“We’ve always been the ones who charged headfirst into battle. Does that answer your question?”
“...It does.”
“Good. Now leave. I’m hungry.”
I left the tent and found an empty one to sleep in.
And the next morning...
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
In front of over ten thousand warriors...
“Warriors, I, Bjorn, son of Yandel, swear on my honor as a warrior!”
There was no point in giving a complex speech.
They wouldn’t understand anyway.
So I kept it short and simple.
“We will become stronger! We will reclaim everything we have lost! And we will march forward!”
I looked at the city walls in the distance and declared.
And...
「Character’s position within the tribe has changed from ‘Ordinary Warrior’ to ‘Chieftain’.」
「Special stat ‘Approval Rating’ created.」
I became the Barbarian Lord.
______________________
「Character’s Approval Rating has increased by +1.」
「Character’s Approval Rating has increased by +1.」
「Character’s Approval Rating has increased by +1.」
「Character’s Approval Rating has increased by +1.」
「Character’s Approval Rating... 」
「....」
「....」