Barbarian Quest

Vald, a warrior of the Rock Axe tribe, often had a recurring dream.

'I shouldn't have left him behind and ran for my own life.'

Vald was part of the warriors who climbed the Sky Mountains with Urich. He had left Urich behind, and Urich had disappeared after fighting the evil spirits of the mountains alone.

"Dammit!"

Vald woke up from his sleep, shouting and sitting up abruptly. His face was drenched with sweat. Despite sweat pouring down, his muscular body was cold.

Vald grabbed a leather water pouch hanging nearby. He drank the water in big gulps and wiped his mouth.

'I dreamt of that day again.'

Vald's jawline was sharp. Three years ago, when he climbed the mountain with Urich, he still had traces of boyishness, but now he was a fully grown adult warrior.

'It still feels like an illusion.'

That day's events were vivid yet unreal. As soon as they descended the mountain and arrived at the village, he told the shamans and the elders about what happened.

'You violated the taboo and were attacked by the spirits guarding the mountains!'

That's what the elders said. Vald shook his head.

"That wasn't an evil spirit or a ghost. It was a person just like us. Urich died saving us," Vald murmured to himself.

'Urich shouldn't be treated as a criminal who violated the taboo. He was a brave warrior. He deserves praise.'

Urich had stood alone against the enemies to protect his brothers. His actions were an example for warriors.

Because they had supposedly violated the taboo, the shamans didn't mourn Urich's death. Some even cursed that his soul wouldn't find peace.

'And the son of the tribe leader we hated eventually became the chief.'

Vald chuckled to himself. He had secretly thought Urich would become the tribe leader. Who else but Urich could lead the Stone Axe tribe? There were many elders who valued a warrior's spirit over the chief bloodline. If Urich hadn't disappeared, many would have supported him as the next chief.

'Did we ruin everything ourselves, Urich?'

The recklessness and curiosity of youth were grave sins.

The current tribe leader disliked Urich and his group, and Vald was still treated poorly. He didn't flatter the chief just to improve his status.

'Those who owed their lives to Urich eventually submitted to the chief. It's inevitable. I don’t blame them for what they did—they had no choice. I’m the one who’s just too principled.'

Isolated among the tribe warriors, no one joined Vald for his hunts. He hunted alone.

"I can't be losing sleep like this every day."

Vald rolled up the leather covering the window. It was still night, with the moon hanging in the sky.

Crackle.

Vald added a piece of firewood to the dying fire. The flames revived, warming the room.

Schring.

Vald took out his spear. He greased it with a lump of fat. There might be a fight soon, given the recent tensions between tribes.

‘I’ve been using this one for a long time.'

A tribal warrior cherishes their weapon. There were several reasons, but one was the difficulty of acquiring a new one.

Iron was among the most valuable items in trade. Its supply directly enhanced a tribe's warpower.

"Like the Red Sand Tribe, it'd be great if we also had a lot of iron."

The Red Sand Tribe was a tribe known for iron production. Thanks to their iron-rich land, many tribes lined up to trade their hides and meat for the iron of the Red Sand.

Vald, after repairing his spear, prepared to hunt, carrying also a bow and arrows. Being disliked in the Stone Axe Tribe, no one was willing to share any of their food with him for free.

"Hey, Vald. You're up early."

As morning dawned, some tribal members were already outside. Despite being ostracized, many greeted Vald. At the end of the day, they were still family living shoulder to shoulder and would unite against external threats.

"Gotta catch something if I want to survive."

Vald nodded in response.

The Stone Axe Tribe was considered one of the stronger tribes nearby. The foothills of the Sky Mountains were resource-rich, drawing envy from neighboring tribes. Except for extreme droughts, water was abundant, and the forests at the mountain base offered plenty of wild animals, fruits, and roots even for children to gather.

The Stone Axe tribe had about a thousand men, who were all warriors, which was a formidable number compared to surrounding tribes.

"Why don’t you swing by Gizzle’s? If you show him the hide of that wolf you caught last time, he’ll surely like it."

Gizzle was the name of the current chief and was the man who once opposed Urich. Without an exceptional warrior like Urich, chiefship usually followed bloodlines. If there was ever a conflict regarding two candidates, it was decided by a duel, or peacefully by splitting into a separate clan.

"Nah, it won’t look good if I crawl over to him now."

Vald declined with a smile, citing pride rather than old grudges.

Clang, clang!

The sound of the village bell signaled a visitor, not an emergency.

"What's going on?"

At the entrance to the village, around a dozen warriors were already gathered. The man who was standing on the watchtower squinted to identify the approaching figure.

“Someone’s coming. He’s alone.”

"An exile?"

Being exiled was one of the most feared punishments in the tribe. Once someone was marked as an exile by their own tribe, they were rejected by all other tribes as well as they believed there must have been a valid reason behind it.

"If it's an exile, just drive them away. Beating them is fine too."

Vald joined others at the entrance and stared into the horizon. A lone man was walking through the plains toward the village.

“He’s big, and so is his load. I hope he’s an exile.”

Exiles were fair game for plundering, but foreign guests were to be treated well. It was customary to treat guests as best as they could, regardless of the relationship between their tribes.

"Hm?"

The warriors looked at the outsider with a puzzled look. The approaching stranger stopped, still quite a distance away from the entrance, and spread his arms.

"IIIII’m baaaaack!"

The man shouted. His thunderous voice reached the village even from afar.

"Urich?"

Vald was the first to recognize the voice and rushed forward, shoving those in front of him out of the way.

'It can't be.'

He thought that Urich was surely dead. Certainly, after three years of no news.

Tribal warriors were typically in light leather, and many were even shirtless.

'What is that? Is that an armor made of iron?'

Urich’s attire was different from that of the usual tribal warrior’s. His chest was protected by a shiny steel armor, something that the tribe couldn’t even dream of. Tribes never even considered using their scarce iron for armor.

"Wow, Vald. Perfect timing for a welcome."

Urich greeted Vald nonchalantly as if they'd only been apart for a few days.

"Urich!"

Vald ran to him with a yelp, embracing him with his two arms and bumping their shoulders together.

"Goddammit! You're alive, alive! My brother Urich was alive!"

Vald cheered and waved to the tribespeople.

"Urich? Is it really that Urich?"

The warriors who were standing around the entrance questioned each other in disbelief.

"Urich has returned."

The elders and shamans said Urich had received the curse of the mountains, but the fact that he was a renowned warrior of the tribe was undebated. Urich's return deeply moved the other warriors in many ways.

"What the hell happened? Everyone thought you were dead, you bastard!"

Vald grabbed Urich's cheeks with both hands.

"Why would I die? It's a long story. Let's go inside first. My whole body aches like it's going to break."

Exhaustion was evident on Urich's face. Crossing the Sky Mountains was no ordinary feat, and his body felt like it was creaking at all joints.

'But I've bought a lot of time. Without Regal, they won't be able to complete the pioneer road as easily.'

Urich had thrown Regal and the expedition members off the cliffs of the Sky Mountains. Without Regal's extensive knowledge of exploration, it would be difficult to quickly complete the pioneer road Yailrud.

'I can already see the emperor raging.'

Urich smiled faintly as he entered the village.

"Urich, you’re back!"

"The blessing of the mountains must have been with him!"

"Urich's return is going to scare many."

The warriors patted Urich's shoulder. Whatever the situation was, they welcomed their brother's return.

"Where's my tent?"

Urich looked around the village.

"It was given to someone else a long time ago. Let's go to mine for now."

Vald patted Urich's shoulder. The rest of the villagers who came out for the morning air widened their eyes at the sight of Urich.

"U-Uuuuurich?"

"It's Urich!"

Even before his disappearance, Urich was a highly anticipated warrior in the tribe. Few villagers didn't know him.

"What exactly happened?"

Urich entered Vald's tent.

"Good, good. This is it. Get me a drink first."

Urich felt the familiar warmth. He took off his leather garments, set down his heavy load, and sat leisurely in front of the fireplace.

"Damn, you really make me curious. Bloody hell."

Vald brought out some liquor. It was a fruit wine made from various crushed and fermented fruits.

"Yuck, this is basically vinegar."

Urich grimaced as he sipped the fruit wine from a buffalo horn cup.

"Just drink it. You've become more sensitive over the past three years. Now tell me what happened. Everyone thought you were dead," Vald sat down and said.

"I was taken by them. That's how I crossed the mountains."

"Beyond the mountains..."

Vald said softly. His heart was pounding.

"As you know, the ones we ran into that day were humans. There were always people living beyond the mountains."

Urich calmly recounted what had happened. He explained to Vald what lay beyond the mountains and the kind of people who lived there.

'Beyond the mountains is not a world of spirits.'

Vald felt an itch all over his body. He wanted to shout out loud.

"They have much more advanced technology than us."

Urich drew his imperial steel sword and passed it to Vald.

Schriiiing.

Even the sound of the sword was extraordinary. It was like a well-crafted piece of art. The mirror-like blade gleamed in the light.

“You’re telling me this is iron? There’s no way. How does it shine like this?"

"That's a sword made with the most advanced technology from beyond the mountains. They have loads of weapons that ours simply cannot compare to."

Vald looked at the imperial steel sword as if he were enchanted by it. His touch was gentle as if he was handling a sacred object.

'A warrior can't help but recognize the value of a weapon.'

Urich smiled contentedly.

'I want it.'

Vald felt the urge. Any warrior would naturally think that way in front of a good weapon.

Woosh!

Vald swung the sword lightly, satisfaction appearing on his face. Only the wealthy warriors in the tribe possessed swords, as it was difficult to make due to the high amount of iron required.

"This is a really nice sword, Urich."

Vald smacked his lips and handed the sword back to Urich. He believed every word Urich said. There was no reason for Urich to lie, and the immediate evidence was right in front of him.

While Urich and Vald were catching up, other warriors approached the tent. Urich, sensing their presence, turned around.

"Urich, the chief and the elders are waiting for you."

Another warrior entered the tent and announced. Outside the tent, elite warriors wearing fancy feathered hats were waiting for Urich.

"...I was waiting for that."

Urich stood up and said.

Vald looked at Urich with anxious eyes. The current chief, Gizzle, never liked Urich. Nothing had changed.