Chapter 5: The Ultimate Gender Equality Stomach Punch
Frey raised his gauntlet to block and charged forward. Dozens of arrows flew in unison, covering him.
Ting! Ting!
Most of them missed due to poor accuracy or bounced off the gauntlet even if they hit.
"Listen well. The true power of the Blue Flame Fist is..."
In fact, when Sirian repaired the gauntlet, she had told me how to use it.
This action was just a means to activate that ability.
Kwaaang!!!
"?!"
Bravely breaking through the enemy's arrow barrage, Frey's iron fist slammed into the center of the wall.
"Haha... Do you think that trick will work?!"
Feeling the ominous momentum, Ayla checked the still intact wall and let out a sigh of relief.
Well, not yet to be relieved.
Whoosh!
Flames erupted from the exhaust ports at the rear of Frey's gauntlet.
Though a weak flame that seemed about to be extinguished by the cold, ...
"One more!"
Contracting the muscles in his back, he braced his legs on the ground and swung with full power.
Kwaaaang!!!!
"Kyaa?!"
Thud thud...
When Frey punched again, the bodies of the barbarians standing on the wall, including Ayla, began to shake violently.
- The longer the fight continues, the more powerful it becomes as it awakens from sleep. That is the true power of the Blue Flame Fist.
"Unlike me, this gauntlet has a rather laid-back personality."
"What do you mean..."
The barbarians who had been intimidating moments ago looked terrified, and Frey couldn't help but laugh.
"S-stop it! That guy is trying to bring down the wall by himself!"
Siege weapons aren't necessary.
On this frozen ground, hauling or assembling them would require enormous labor.
Whoosh whoosh!
When Frey cranked the gauntlet's power to the limit, an unstoppable torrent of flames raged.
After taking dozens of arrows fired by the enemy and two heavy barricades, the exhaust ports spewed even fiercer flames.
"Elbow Rocket!!!"
"G-grip tight!!"
Kwaaaang!!!!
Soon, with all his might, striking the wall, a deafening explosion rang out.
The entire scene in front was swallowed by white light, unable to see ahead...
Kurururung!!!!
"Kyaak?!"
"S-save me!!!"
The ropes holding the wall together snapped, and the logs were shattered and split miserably.
The barricade that had firmly protected their village began to collapse helplessly.
"Kueu..."
"It's quite usable."
As the swirling dust slowly settled, the scene revealed was truly a hellscape.
Scattered around were broken trees, and the barbarians lay beneath them or unable to steady themselves from the impact of falling.
In fact, most soldiers were in a state where combat was impossible.
"All troops! Suppress them!"
""Yes!""
Since the enemy was in a half-ruined state, Frey ordered the soldiers waiting in the rear to charge and end the battle quickly.
"Don't make me laugh!!"
Nevertheless, whether the title of chieftain was real or not, Ayla, despite being injured, gripped her axe and charged madly.
Whoosh!!!
"Ouch."
Her strike enveloped in anger was indeed sharp and fierce.
The simultaneous attack aimed at neck and legs might have split a normal unit in two, but...
Kwajangchang!!!
"W-what...?"
"The weapon is too soft."
When the fully heated Blue Flame Fist struck the center of the axe, the axe blade was shattered like glass.
"Uuuuuk...!"
Ayla gripped nothing but a wooden stick, glaring fiercely at Frey.
Just from her eyes, it felt incredibly ruthless...
But there was no reason to be tense against an opponent as pathetic as a wooden stick that could be shattered with one punch.
"...Not yet."
Crunch!
But Ayla, instead of yielding, raised her bare fist and took a stance.
I admired her spirit inwardly.
Separately from her lack of physical strength compared to me, her unyielding spirit was more than enough value.
Twung!
"You..."
"This is how it should be."
That's why, moved by her barbarian spirit, I discarded my weapon myself.
"Are you pitying me?"
"No, when fighting women and children, I give it my all."
"Heh... good."
Ayla, with a dazed expression at my attitude, clenched her fist and answered.
"I won't go easy on the first strike."
"I'll make you regret discarding your weapon to the bone!!!"
Soon, her fist rushed at my face.
Paak!!!
The head hit frontally swayed greatly, and a clear blood droplet spurted from the corner of her mouth.
"Haha, how is it!"
"Now it's my turn."
"Eh...?"
Whoosh!!!
Seeing Ayla startled by my quick recovery of spirit, I punched without hesitation.
"Aguek..."
Due to her nose being crushed and lips torn, her face that had been somewhat tolerable was swollen and puffy.
"Whoa..."
Wilhelmina, who had been watching the fallen barbarians from afar with a contemptuous expression, ignored it.
"Huaaaaaaaa!!!!"
But Ayla, who had been hit on the head and was dizzy, still didn't yield and threw punches...
Puk!!!
She hit my abdomen, but it was blocked helplessly by my firm muscles.
"Gender Equality Stomach Punch!!!"
When the opponent's attack was blocked, I poured all my strength into Ayla's vulnerable abdomen and punched.
"Kkheuk...?"
A scream burst from her vital organs, and snot and tears flowed messily.
"I thought you only do this to me, but to other women too..."
"When?"
At this, Wilhelmina's gaze towards me became sharp, having seen my ultimate Gender Equality Stomach Punch.
"Hey! It's your turn!"
I turned my head away from Wilhelmina's cold gaze and urged Ayla.
"Hah... hah, strong."
"You too."
Even with her body in ruins, she stood in her place with a wild smile befitting a northern warrior.
"Good, this is the final blow!"
"...Ah."
Since it might be the final exchange, I gathered all the mana in my body and prepared...
Thud.
"..."
"Hm?"
In the end, she couldn't hold on and collapsed.
"You won, huh..."
"Yeah."
Frey and Wilhelmina looked down at her with bewildered expressions.
- M-madness, Chief...
- Did we lose to these weak civilized people...?
Meanwhile, the barbarians, seeing fallen Ayla, all murmured with faces full of despair.
After the battle, the injured including Ayla were transported to the village for treatment.
"Uuuut..."
"Hey, if you're conscious, get up."
And I approached the bed where Ayla was lying and lightly shook her shoulder.
"...Am I dreaming?"
"Yeah."
Her face wrapped in bandages all over barely opened her eyes and uttered in a weak voice.
"What are you going to do with us now? Make us slaves?"
Soon, Ayla's blue eyes trembled anxiously as she looked up at me cautiously.
"Um, well."
But I shook my head, denying the words.
Slaves...
While war prisoners are common, I think a bit differently.
They are like dead weight: low labor efficiency and no taxes.
Hard to conscript, and if mishandled, they might turn into noble soldiers, hindering economic development.
Such burdens shouldn't exist in my territory.
"Then, kill them?"
"Instead, I'll make you slaves of capitalism."
"...Huh?"
In fact, I had intended from the beginning to incorporate them into our forces.
By working hard and paying taxes, and faithfully performing national defense duties, otherwise we'd be in trouble.
"Present two choices to the tribesmen. Mandatory two years of service at the salt mine, or three years of service as soldiers in the territory."
"Then..."
"Of course, I'll pay wages. Designate one day off per week as holiday, and sick leave can be used when sick."
Instead of shortening the service period at the dangerous salt mine with high injury risk and high workload, I set a longer soldier service period.
"What happens after that period ends?"
"Free citizens."
"What...?"
Ayla shouted in shock at my words.
Meaning we respect their will and are willing to accept it.
In the end, to surpass other named factions with the scale of this territory, integration is the only way.
"After mandatory service, do what you want. Work in other jobs and receive salary, or extend the service period again to become a soldier."
"If we rebel?"
"..."
Ayla asked a fairly sharp question.
Ultimately, even if we accept the immigrants, conflicts with other cultures and conflicts among people cannot be avoided.
"Since you're weaker than me, it doesn't matter."
"...!"
But they are a tribe that worships strength.
Since I overwhelmingly defeated her, they will naturally submit.
Also, with units that correct the satisfaction of generals and public order within the country, there were no major difficulties.
Even I have an S-rank charm stat, so incidents of betrayal will decrease even more.
"Why, do you want to fight one more time?"
"Heh, no."
Ayla answered with a smile at my question.
"Please take care from now on, new chieftain."
"Huh? Yeah."
I tilted my head at her words for a moment, then left without caring.
Click.
"..."
Ayla quietly stared at the man who had turned his back and left.
"..."
She had thought she was a great warrior until now.
But after being pierced by the punch that crushed her abdomen, she realized she was a weak woman.
Also, recalling that moment, naturally her inside heated up, and a painful moan escaped.
"I... made me like this..."
Even now, thinking of that sensation, her body trembled with a strange feeling.
"What is this feeling...?"
She lowered her head with a strange emotion towards the new chieftain.