Great Chieftain Tsarkhella
To be completely honest, Kubel's Soul Totem was far too useful a relic to part with willingly.
But if I kept it, the barbarian warriors would band together and march straight into the Empire. If I wanted to avoid a major headache, handing it over was the smarter play.
Of course, a rabble of barbarians would be wiped out in an instant if Urtega took the field. That was just how terrifying the Demi-God realm was.
The real problem was Stanasila Lindel. Operating under the title of Great Chieftain Tsarkhella, her very existence served as an impenetrable breakwater shielding the barbarian tribes. It came down to unresolved family ties—an emotion that certainly didn't fit Urtega, which meant Duchess Pitra's influence was undoubtedly pulling the strings.
"Phew..."
Anyway, whether by luck or misfortune, we ran into the barbarians before we even reached the heartland of Kubel's Claw, the largest barbarian tribe in the north.
"F-Found theeeem! The thieves of the sacred relic! The scoundrels who stole the pride of our warriors!"
"You wretched bastards! We'll slaughter every last one of you!"
"Return our warrior's honorrrr!"
It wasn't a chance encounter. They had built a temporary watchpost and were staking out the wasteland, and we had strolled right into their line of sight.
"Hmm..."
Judging by the sheer fury they had shown during the pursuit, I half-expected them to charge straight into the Great Forest, but apparently they hadn't. Smarter than they looked. Or rather, in this case, was Stanasila Lindel smart for keeping them on a leash?
"Surround them! Don't let a single one escape!"
"The enemy has a Great Warrior! Don't get reckless—hurl your axes from a distance!"
I smirked as I watched them scramble with bloodshot eyes and murderous intent. By the way, in their tongue, a "Great Warrior" referred to a Master.
"Impudent mortals... Avatar, would you permit me to dispose of them?"
Latipi, bristling with indignation, reached for her bow and sought my permission, but I shook my head.
"Nah, no need. Besides, I'm a human too. Isn't it a bit awkward when you talk like that?"
"Pardon? No, Avatar. You are far beyond a mortal—"
"Stop that nonsense. No matter what anyone says, I'm human. Don't you forget it."
"...Understood."
Her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head, looking so utterly dejected and pitiful. Even if she was a Master, in appearance she was merely a petite young girl, making it look like I was mercilessly bullying a child.
"......"
Without thinking, I reached out and stroked her lustrous golden hair. Color rushed back into her cheeks instantly, and a beaming, dopey smile spread across her face. Seriously, she was like a clingy golden retriever.
"Hey, instead of flirting, how about you handle the mess outside?"
"Weller, dear sister... why must you always be so sour? Can't stand seeing someone else happy for two seconds, can you?"
"...Quit talking out of your ass and do something about that."
Gritting her teeth, Weller jabbed a finger toward the carriage window.
Clang! Skrrrrt!
A hail of throwing axes and arrows pelted the carriage from afar, ricocheting uselessly off the defensive perimeter maintained by Muriel and Rebecca. It was quite a spectacle. Word must have spread quickly, because more barbarian warriors were converging on our position by the minute.
"Haaa, fine. I'm going, alright? I'm going."
Pulling Kubel's Soul Totem from my coat, I yawned lazily and pushed open the carriage door to step outside.
Cl-cl-clang! Zing!
Projectiles immediately flew straight for me, but Nemeth and Wendy's blades swatted them away effortlessly. The incoming strikes were packed with formidable aura, but against the Aura Blades of Masters, they didn't stand a chance.
"Nnngh~"
I stretched leisurely, scratched the side of my head, and waved Kubel's Soul Totem back and forth in front of the barbarian horde.
"Th-That's...!"
"Our sacred relic! It's the sacred relic!"
"Cease attack! Hold your fireeee!"
Assuming I was using it as a hostage or a threat, they abruptly halted their assault and glared at me with pure murderous venom.
"...What do you want, weakling civilized dog?"
"Oh, 'weakling civilized dog'? That's a new one. Pretty fresh insult, gotta admit."
Chuckling, I took a swig from my bottle and looked the barbarian spokesman up and down. Massive frame, a glistening bald head catching the sunlight, a bear-shaped shamanic ritual tattoo running from the right side of his face down his entire right flank, and bulging muscles ready to burst. I recognized him from my memories. He was Tsarkhella's right-hand man.
"Baigelman, right?"
"!? You bastard... how do you know my name?"
"Who knows? How do you think?"
When I sneered mockingly, his face flushed as red as a boiled octopus.
"Well, that hardly matters. Baigelman, you want this totem back, don't you?"
"...Hand it over nicely, and we'll let you leave with your lives."
"Oh, really? That's actually all I wanted. Perfect. Here."
"Ngh!?"
When I casually tossed the totem through the air, a flustered Baigelman scrambled forward and caught it with both hands.
"Your totem was pretty handy. Served me well. We're square now, right? We're taking off."
"...Warriors! The sacred relic has returned to our hands at last!"
Ignoring my words, Baigelman bellowed to his men, his eyes rolling back in fury as he glared at us.
"All that remains is to punish the wretched bastard who dared mock the pride of warriors!!"
"WROOOAAAR!"
"Kill him! Slay the imperial dog!"
"Rip him to pieces!"
Watching the barbarians raise their weapons and roar so loud the wasteland seemed to shake, I merely shrugged.
"Baigelman, breaking your word the second you get what you want? That's not very manly. And you call yourself a proud warrior?"
"Shut your mouth! The audacity of a thief knows no bounds! Do you think returning stolen property erases your sin?! You will pay the price with your life before you ever set foot out of this wasteland!"
"Well, can't say you're entirely wrong about that."
Nodding, I lit a cigarette and took a deep, lingering drag.
"Pffft... But tell me something, Baigelman. Do you actually have the power to back up that talk?"
BOOOOOOM!
"Urgh!?"
"Khhk...!"
"Th-The pressure... of a Great Warrior...!"
The moment my words fell, six Masters unleashed their aura simultaneously. The crushing presence instantly broke the barbarians' momentum, draining the color from their faces. I hadn't explicitly asked for this kind of dramatic display, but seeing it in action felt damn good. Gotta love how quick on the uptake they all are.
"Back then, I had to think about my return route, so I went out of my way not to slaughter you guys. But now? No need for courtesy. I could butcher every last one of you and bolt straight back to the Empire, and that'd be the end of it. The proof of my restraint is this very moment. Look around. Is your Great Warrior 'Tsarkhella' anywhere in sight?"
If I had killed even a single barbarian warrior, that woman—Stanasila Lindel, who was fiercely protective of her tribe—would never have stayed away this long. In fact, she probably would have invaded deep into the Great Forest to intercept us long ago.
"Phew... This is your final warning, Baigelman. Clear the road. Otherwise, you all die here."
"K-Khhk...! W-We cannot...!"
"Throwing away your life when there's an easy way out isn't the warrior way, is it? Am I wrong?"
"Y-You... damn coward...!"
Flushed scarlet with humiliation, Baigelman gripped his battleaxe until his knuckles cracked, and a blazing energy surged through his bear shamanic ritual tattoo.
"You dare lecture me on the way of a warrior?! A pampered imperial dandy who knows nothing of true battle! You dare threaten us after desecrating our sacred relic?! We! Will! Never! Yield! I will show you what a true warrior is made of!"
"...Well, if that's your choice."
Deciding there was no need to waste the Absolute Ring set on this, I gestured with my liquor bottle and gave a slight nod.
"Kill them. All of them."
The instant the order left my lips, Nemeth, Wendy, and Lira surged toward the enemy line. Muriel, Rebecca, and Cacciola stayed behind to guard me.
"......"
Even though the barbarian ranks had swelled to several hundred, I wasn't worried in the slightest. A Master was an asymmetric strategic asset that could only be checked by another Master. Wiping them out wouldn't take more than a few minutes.
"HA—HAHAHA! What an absurd bunch of bastards! This is so ridiculous it's actually making me laugh!!"
"...What?"
Just before the Masters' Aura Blades could reap the lives of the front-line barbarians, a boisterous voice echoed across the wasteland, ringing in our ears.
Crackle-crackle-crack!
At that exact moment, a vibrant azure lightning bolt tore through the space between our vanguards and the barbarians, wildly scorching the earth.
"Khhk?!"
"Ugh!"
"What in the—!"
Engulfed in the flash for a split second, Nemeth, Wendy, and Lira were pushed back, retreating to our side.
"...Damn it."
What was that called again? A self-fulfilling prophecy? Or was it something else? Whatever it was, witnessing the absolute worst-case scenario unfold right before my eyes made a curse slip from my lips.
"I was really hoping we could avoid running into her..."
As the blinding lightning—crisscrossing through the air like jagged scrawls—gradually subsided, a beauty with snow-white skin, dark reddish hair, and traditional barbarian garb exposing plenty of flesh strode into view. Except... she was quite small.
"...Huh? Lady Vivian...?"
The first one to react was Lira, who turned to look at me with utter bewilderment plastered across her face.
"Lord Alzen. Th-That woman..."
"Haaa... You'll find out soon enough, so be quiet."
Scratching my head in annoyance, I took a step forward.
"Chieftain Tsarkhella of the Kubel's Claw tribe, I presume?"
"Hoh? You know who I am and still pulled a stunt like that? You've got guts pouring out of your—w-wait...?"
Sporting an arrogant smirk, she had been radiating aura and crackling lightning through her shamanic ritual tattoos, but she suddenly froze with a blank expression.
"...Y-You... Have we met somewhere before...?"
"Ha, that hurts. Has it been so many years that you forgot your own little brother's face?"
"...Little brother? No way..."
"Good to see you, big sis. Stanashila Aljen greets you."
I gave a careless nod and waved my bottle. Her dazed expression instantly blossomed into a brilliant, radiant smile.
"WAHAHAHA! Well, look who it is! Isn't it my little brother from back home?! I heard rumors about you and was surprised enough, but what in the world are you doing out here?! Wait, before that—were YOU the bastard who stole our totem?!"
"Yep. Long time no see, sis. I just borrowed the totem for a bit. And as you can see, I've already returned it."
I pointed toward the totem in Baigelman's grasp, and she glanced sideways at it.
"I know! Actually, I was watching the whole thing from earlier!"
"Is that so...? Whew, in that case, I'd really appreciate it if you just let us pass... Any chance of that, big sis?"
"Mmm~"
She crossed her arms and tilted her head in deliberation, and my mouth curled into a deep frown. I knew her personality all too well.
"Not gonna happen! That's that, and this is this!"
Yeah, of course it would turn out like this.
"Is that so? Hmmm... well, guess there's no helping it."
Just as I focused my mind to activate the Absolute Ring set, the carriage door flew open, and a lavish, blooming outline burst into the open air. It was Weller, clad in her usual voluminous, opulent dress.
"Sister Lindel?! Is that really you, Sister?!"
"Uh... Weller? You're here too? What on earth is going on... Why are you two together when you've always hated each other's guts?!"
"Is that what's important right now?! You damn wretched sister!"
Weller screeched in a sharp, furious tone, causing Tsarkhella to flinch and shrink her shoulders back.
"Wh-Why are you mad...?"
"Why?! WHYYY~?! Did you really just ask why?! You goddamn deserter! Do you have any idea what the ducal household went through after you ran off like that?! Do you have any clue how much hell we had to endure?!"
"Ahem, w-well... Weller, listen before you misunderstand. I believe this path was my calling. I was fated to live like this. So..."
"SHUT UP!"
"Eep!"
Tsarkhella swallowed a squeak at Weller's terrifying, frost-cold fury, trembling as she took a hasty step backward.
"...Great Chieftain...?"
"Great Chieftain... what is your relationship with these people...?"
"N-No! That's not... a-ahem! Anyway! You people stole our sacred relic! So you have to pay the price!"
Clenching her petite fists tightly, she released waves of primal, beast-like aura. It was obvious to anyone watching that she was desperately trying to change the subject, but even knowing that, the presence of a Master wasn't something anyone could take lightly.
"So first! We fight and subdue you! We'll talk after that! Don't worry, I won't kill you!"
Bzzzzzzzt!
Releasing a chilling blue radiance from the lightning-shaped shamanic tattoos across her skin, she charged straight at us without another word. Even after seeing how many Masters were standing on our side, she still lunged in without hesitation. Truly, her guts knew no bounds. An incorrigible battle maniac to the core.
"...Yeah, sure, have it your way, big sis."
Losing all desire to use the Absolute Ring set, I patted Weller on the shoulder and took a step back. Moments later, Master clashed against Master, and violent shockwaves began to tear through the wasteland.