Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Uninvited Guest (2)
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From that day on, the sight of headless corpses rolling across the plains became a common occurrence. They were all members of the Margrave's delegations come to see me.
Though they called themselves a delegation, it was dubious to say they had come for peaceful exchange. Even from the perspective of the plains tribes, where fists flew before words, they approached as if half-ready for a fight.
"Hear ye, you ignorant scum scraping by on the empire's scraps in the borderlands!"
Clang—!
"His Holiness the Emperor, proxy of the Goddess, has personally issued an edict!"
Slice—!
"The one who slew the Black Dragon, come out and grovel at once, or tomorrow the Margrave's army will turn your village to rubble..."
Roll—.
The plains were vast, and the tribes lived independently in their own territories outside of winter. There was no way those fools knew which tribe the Great Warrior hailed from. And since they'd gone poking around every nook and cranny, the casualties piled up naturally.
I hadn't gone around begging them not to kill the delegations. I just stayed home, gnawing on dragon meat. It would've been weird to go out every morning to greet guests whose arrival time was unpredictable. And they weren't exactly welcome visitors anyway.
The Emperor's edict they'd brought was already in my hands. Surprisingly, it wasn't much. Strip away the pompous rhetoric, and it boiled down to something like, "You killed the Black Dragon? Congrats."
There was no mention of rewards for slaying Caladrak. So if they kept coming to find me, it had to be more than just delivering the letter. Some other purpose.
I waited leisurely, chewing my meat. They were the ones getting antsy anyway.
The Margrave's army knew nothing of the plains. Nothing of us. So who would knock next was plain as day.
"Gotta pick some good dirt."
I started preparing a gift for the visitor I'd soon meet, out in the backyard.
Imperial Edict of Isolation. The founding Emperor's decree banning all contact with the borderlands barbarians.
This absolute rule, which had protected the empire with walls both physical and ideological for five hundred years, was finally starting to crack. Just as Serath had feared—a single barbarian had slain the Black Dragon.
The current Emperor had publicly declared that anyone, regardless of status, who felled a top-grade magic beast would receive immense rewards. But bestowing gifts on a borderlands tribesman—not even a foreign adventurer—was a direct violation of the founding Emperor's decree.
Of course, the barbarians had no official channel to protest to the empire. Keeping their mouths shut solved that.
But living power doesn't take kindly to dead power tripping it up. The current Emperor was no man to sit idly by. In a thoroughly political move, a single order came down from the imperial court: review the abolition of the Imperial Edict of Isolation.
The recipients: Marquis Marcus, Margrave of the Shratma family and guardian of the north.
And Serath, supreme commander of the empire's 9th Legion Northern Defense Army.
"Lady Serath, it's Wagner."
Serath didn't stir from beneath her blankets. She didn't want to. But the situation left her no choice. To carry out the Emperor's orders, she had to bring a barbarian inside the castle walls. A barbarian she loathed with every fiber of her being. And she had to take his hand herself.
"I told you I'm unwell and taking the day off from duties."
"Even when you fell from your horse as a child and were badly injured, you handled work from your sickbed. You said the former family head, who was Defense Deputy at the time, was too busy running the country to manage family affairs, so you had to do it yourself."
Excuses didn't fly with her adjutant, who'd followed her from officer academy to the north. Wagner pressed on.
"We must meet that red demon. With orders from above, we can no longer stand by."
"......"
"Better the Northern Defense Army takes him than letting the Margrave, who knows nothing about them, snatch him away, don't you think? At least inside the fortress, we can stop him if he goes berserk."
"You lot?"
"......Lady Serath."
The deliberation didn't last long. With a sigh, Serath reached for her pressed uniform.
"Assemble a delegation at once. Round up village chiefs from nearby to smooth communication with the barbarians..."
"No need. Just pick an elite squad."
"Pardon?"
The north was a land shrouded in death. From the air you breathed to the food you ate, nothing came easy. The barbarians who'd survived that harsh soil were no different. To hold a proper talk with them, you had to be prepared for war if things went south.
"I'll go myself."
She was confident she could find him. Unlike the Margrave, she had a guess who felled the Black Dragon. She even knew his name.
It had drilled into her brain from eight years of them shouting it like a boast.
Red Demon Ivar. Surely Ivar Gorgonoff, son of Wolfhead Kashyrn.
"Ivar, big trouble!"
"The Winter Witch! The Winter Witch is here!"
No need for the commotion—everyone knew. The air seeping into the tent was frigid.
That aside, she got here faster than expected. Looks like they have some info on our tribe after all.
I bundled up and stepped outside. The Karangal were howling noisily. The tribe's warriors had gathered, weapons in hand.
Beyond the fence, I saw the Northern Defense Army's banners. They'd camped not far off, clustered like porcupines.
"Ivar! We've been waiting!"
"The Great Warrior emerges to smash the rats crawling from their holes, ignorant of their place!"
As I appeared, the warriors' morale shifted. I calmed those itching to charge and Harald asked,
"Grak says they're here for you."
"Yeah."
"Gonna fight?"
"Depends on how they play it."
Truth be told, actual combat was unlikely. It wouldn't be like the Serath I knew.
If she wanted me dead, she'd have ambushed. No reason to broadcast her presence with mana like this.
As expected, soon a group detached from the imperial camp and approached. Serath rode at the front.
They carried a white flag, but none in the tribe knew its meaning. Before anyone could hurl stones, I took Harald and Grak and advanced to the plain's center.
"Serath Icefern, supreme commander of the empire's 9th Legion Northern Defense Army."
Eight years since I'd heard her name. I already knew it, but her saying it herself proved the situation had changed.
Guess there's reason for talk now. I dismounted my Karangal and extended a hand.
"Ivar Gorgonoff."
Serath glanced at my offered hand, then cut straight to business.
"Ivar, the empire summons you."
"Why?"
"Because you slew the Black Dragon."
"First time we've talked this long. But is lording over me from your horse how you imperials do things?"
At my demand for a proper explanation, Serath sighed. She dismounted and explained why she wanted to take me to the empire.
"The imperial court—our head honcho—is considering ending hostilities with your kind. To that end, we need to bring you in first and figure out who you are."
"To Valterion?"
"What? No, nothing like that."
She seemed startled I knew the capital. Most of the original story's events happened there. Pity.
Still, you can't fill up on the first drink. It took eight years just to face-to-face like this. Real progress.
"The Imperial Edict of Isolation hasn't been lifted, so I can't send you beyond Shratma lands. It's the Margrave's territory ruling the north."
"What exactly do I do there? Take some test?"
"Various things. Tea parties, hunts, knighting ceremonies... You wouldn't get it. No worries—I'll guarantee your safety at least."
I see. If they deem me harmless, they'll lift the edict and give the Black Dragon slayer's reward. Probably the power-hungry Emperor's whim.
"What'll it be? Coming or not?"
In my heart, accepting made sense. Not out of longing for civilization or for Serath.
Come next winter, they'd crumble anyway. And I'd have to be the one to shatter them.
If I had to go to the empire regardless, better as a guest than an invader scaling walls. It'd cut allied losses too.
One problem, though: my status had grown too big for solo decisions.
To the plains tribes, sending the Great Warrior into enemy central was insanely risky. They needed compensation at least.
"Winter Witch, we can't hand over the tribe's Great Warrior for empty words."
"And who are you?"
"Harald, son of the Black Tusk, chieftain of the Stonegar Tribe, and Ivar's brother."
Harald stepped in then. He had something in mind.
Something to ease worries after sending me to the enemy. Or equal to my value, demandable from them.
For the first time since settling the plains, we were in position to make requests of civilized folk. They couldn't refuse even unreasonable ones.
"Fine, what do you want? If it's food, we've brought plenty to hand over."
"We can just take yours."
"Hostages then? Everyone I brought is the empire's finest elite. But you'd have to guarantee their safety too."
"Hostages? What's that?"
He really has a plan? Signaling me closer amid my unease, Harald grabbed my shoulder and thrust me at Serath.
"Want to take Ivar? Become his wife."
"What...?"
Should've sewn that mouth shut.