Chapter 138
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 138
After much deliberation, Einar decided to serve Lucian.
This was a land where the means to satisfy one’s desires were already limited. For a man born into this world, the only things worth achieving were power, strength, and a legacy.
However, power had already slipped through his fingers, and as for strength, the gap between them was so vast that comparison was impossible. If he wanted to leave even a shred of his name behind, he had no choice but to follow Lucian.
“If my Lord keeps his promise, I shall serve you with my life.”
“I give you my word.”
Lucian accepted Einar’s oath of loyalty with satisfaction.
Though he had been defeated, Einar was still a man with the caliber to be a chieftain. He was a rare talent who could gather the will of the tribespeople and minimize the friction during the integration process.
“From now on, I entrust all matters regarding this land to you. If there is anything to be wary of or if you have advice, report it immediately. If the tribespeople have grievances, gather them and bring them to me.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“My Lord?! Why are you setting me aside and using this human instead?!”
Gunstein was aghast at Lucian’s words.
Calling it ‘handling the snowfields’ was a nice way of putting it, but in reality, it meant Einar was being entrusted with the affairs of every tribe they would conquer in the future. The moment they conquered another tribe, Einar would be granted authority even greater than that of Gunstein’s father, Ivar.
And yet, Lucian was entrusting this to Einar—a newcomer—rather than Gunstein, who was already by his side.
“It may have only been a few days, but I served my Lord first! If you entrust it to me…!”
“Are you confident you can do better than Einar? I heard you couldn’t even build a proper faction of your own.”
“…”
The blunt truth left Gunstein tongue-tied.
Governing and managing others was a skill best handled by those with experience. There was no way Gunstein, who hadn't even managed to form a faction capable of opposing his brothers, possessed such experience.
Lucian looked at the dejected Gunstein, gave a smirk, and patted him on the back.
“Don’t feel too wronged. There’s a right person for every job.”
“But…”
“Instead, I’ll give you a gift when we return. That one gift will be far better than the half-baked Dragon’s power your brother absorbed.”
“…?!”
At those words, not only Gunstein but even Einar widened their eyes in shock.
Even if it hadn't worked on Lucian at all, it was still the power of a Dragon. Simply absorbing it granted strength incomparable to what one had before—and Lucian was promising a gift better than that?
“Does… does such a thing truly exist?”
“It certainly does. Look forward to it.”
The gift Lucian mentioned was, of course, Nectar.
Strictly speaking, a Dragon’s Heart was a greater treasure than Nectar, but that was only true if a human could handle it. For those like Ivar and his sons, who could only absorb power in tiny trickles, it was far better to amplify their existing strength with Nectar. It was several times easier to handle amplified internal mana than mana absorbed from an external source.
‘Authority is a cheat-like ability, but even that can only be used for a fleeting moment unless it’s backed by a massive amount of mana.’
Unless one could continuously supply a vast amount of mana like Lucian, the duration of an Authority would be a mere blink of an eye. To reach a higher stage, it was better to take Nectar and then master a proper swordsmanship style.
Having decided on Einar’s role, Lucian gathered his retainers at the chieftain’s residence.
“Now that the Blue Dragon Tribe is in our hands, it’s time to decide our next course of action.”
“Next course of action? Can’t we just head back now?”
“If the Blue Dragon Tribe were the only ones in these snowfields, we could. But the problem is that there are still five tribes I haven't met yet.”
Of the original thirty-five tribes, only twenty-four remained after the departure of the nine tribes, and even most of those had vanished over the passage of time. Currently, only six tribes remained, including the Blue Dragon Tribe.
“I heard the Blue Dragon Tribe is the most powerful and has the largest population. They say the other five tribes would barely be able to match them even if they all joined forces.”
“Yes. However, the difference in population isn't that great. Our tribe is strong because we have a high ratio of warriors and because the Prophet’s magic exerts great power.”
“Right, that’s the problem. The fact that the numbers are similar. It would be a waste to just leave them be.”
Following Einar’s explanation, Lucian brought up his main point.
Lucian now possessed the Dragon’s Heart and even the artifact that controlled the cold. It was now possible to use the artifact to open a path through the snowfields and return later with an army.
“If I return leading the Blue Dragon Tribe, everyone will know my words were true. I could simply conquer the rest with an army later. But would a tribe conquered by an army follow me as the Blue Dragon Tribe does?”
“It would be difficult.”
It was Marius who answered this time. As someone who knew both the Empire and the snowfields well, he could clearly see the consequences of such a decision.
“Unlike the Empire, people here are not accustomed to the concept of conquest. Even if you force them to submit through invasion, they will only see Your Grace as a foreign invader and will not offer true loyalty.”
“But I can’t spend as much time on each one as I did with the Blue Dragon Tribe. If I leave Asagrim neglected for too long, problems will arise there as well.”
Hans was currently managing Asagrim. Even if Lucian had given him an intensive six-month education, it was clear that Hans lacked experience in territorial management. The mere fact that he was Lucian’s closest confidant would keep the rabble in check for a while, but that wouldn't last forever.
As time passed, people would lose their fear, so Lucian needed to finish his work and return as quickly as possible.
While Lucian’s group was deliberating, Einar, who had been quiet until now, spoke up.
“I do not know much of the world beyond the snowfields, but it will not be difficult for my Lord to bring the five tribes under his command.”
“What? Why is that?”
At Lucian’s question, Einar replied with a smile.
“Because to them, my Lord will not be a mere foreigner, but a savior who will lead them out of this land.”
The Blue Dragon Tribe boasted the greatest power among all the tribes, but that didn't mean they were in a position to do whatever they pleased. The other five tribes were competitors, but they were also the few people they interacted with and the only channel through which they could obtain external specialties.
Thus, the surrounding five tribes maintained a strange peace, praising the Blue Dragon Tribe as the strongest while remaining entirely free from their interference.
‘It’s unstable, and there’s no telling when it might break, but this peace should last until I die.’
Otar, the chieftain of the Black Hawk Tribe, was quite satisfied with this dynamic in the snowfields. There was nothing more he desired, nor was there anything more he could hope for.
‘In any case, the sons of the snowfields will soon be buried under the snow and vanish.’
It wasn't just Otar; anyone with a modicum of awareness predicted the same future. Every year, the number of children born grew smaller, and those who fell ill never rose again. No matter how much they avoided battle, someone’s blood was always spilled over matters of folly or pride.
In a situation where even flora and fauna were becoming increasingly scarce, what future awaited them other than extinction?
‘If this is a life that will soon vanish without a trace, I might as well spend my remaining time in peace.’
Some would call him a loser for saying this, and others would look at him with contempt, calling him pathetic. But what else could Otar do? Even the strongest warrior was nothing more than a piece of meat before these fierce blizzards.
Rather than facing even greater despair by trying to resist fate, it was more productive to submit and contemplate how to spend the time he had left.
It didn't take even a single day for Otar’s outlook to be shattered.
“…What did you just say?”
Otar stared at the messenger from the Blue Dragon Tribe with an expression of utter disbelief. Despite Otar’s sharp gaze, the messenger continued without blinking an eye.
“I said you must kneel before the new King immediately and serve him. Refusal means death, so think carefully before you answer.”
“You’ve gone mad…!”
Otar clenched his fists at the messenger’s bold voice. He was furious, but there were so many points to argue that he didn't even know where to start.
“Has the new chieftain of the Blue Dragon Tribe lost his mind? Not only has he styled himself a King, but he intends to start a war?”
He knew the title of King existed. An absolute ruler, a chieftain among chieftains, who governed a ‘nation’ formed by the alliance of dozens of tribes. However, since no chieftain was truly qualified to claim the title, it was regarded as nothing more than a legendary rank.
And yet, someone had not only openly declared himself King but had even sent a declaration of war.
“Does he intend for us all to die together? Surely he knows what happens when a war breaks out in these snowfields!”
“Only you shall die.”
“What?”
“His Majesty comes from the lands beyond the snowfields. Once the war is over, we shall move to the land of salvation outside the snowfields. It matters not if the Black Hawk Tribe vanishes.”
“…?!”
Otar froze in his tracks at the messenger’s words.
Relocating the tribespeople to the lands beyond the snowfields? They could go to a land of salvation where everyone could survive, instead of this land of death?
“Don’t… don’t lie to me.”
“It is no lie. You must know that our Prophet came from the lands beyond the snowfields.”
“Is one or two people crossing the same as moving an entire tribe?!”
He had heard the stories about the Blue Dragon Tribe’s Prophet coming from beyond the snowfields. But that was a story of a tiny few coming and going under very specific conditions. If an entire tribe moved as one, their pace would be slow, and it wouldn't be strange if they all died in droves during the migration.
“I see now that you are mocking me! Using such pathetic trickery to try and reign over the five tribes…!”
“The King can stop the blizzards of the snowfields.”
“...!”
“Not temporarily, but permanently. Do you still think it impossible to migrate beyond the snowfields?”
Despite the messenger’s smug tone, Otar could not find it in himself to be angry. If those words were true, it meant the Black Hawk Tribe also had a chance to reach the land of salvation.
No matter how much he claimed to have accepted the fate of extinction, did Otar truly enjoy such a destiny? He had simply lived in resignation because there was no other way.
But now, a man from a foreign land possessed the Authority to save the entire tribe.
“…I cannot trust your tongue alone. I must see for myself if that man truly possesses such power.”
“And if the King proves his Authority? Will you kneel before him then?”
“I swear it. If he truly possesses such Authority, Otar, Chieftain of the Black Hawk Tribe, will be the first to kneel.”
Otar answered immediately without a moment’s hesitation.
The Authority to stop the blizzards and his individual strength as a warrior were separate matters, but did that even matter now? If he could save the Black Hawk Tribe, he would gladly kneel even to a weakling.
Satisfied with Otar’s words, the messenger gave a wide smirk.
“Do not ever forget that oath.”