The Bomb That Detonated (2)
Barbarian warriors hold honesty as the highest virtue.
For that very reason, they are utterly uninhibited when expressing their emotions, never attempting to sugarcoat their words or conceal their true feelings.
Yes, precisely like the lot currently crowding around me.
"Sniff, waaagh! To think the Belteogeo held such a secret...!"
"Did such a true warrior truly exist in ancient times?! Ahh! O Kubel! Look down upon that solitary warriorrr!!"
"To become a beacon of light for warriors who were losing their honor and pride to the brutal climate and starvation!"
"To conquer the trial of the god all alone—just how mighty a warrior was he...?!"
Burly, hulking brutes wept so hard that tears and snot poured down their faces in torrents, their boulder-like muscles flexing and twitching with every sob. It was... genuinely a sight I never wished to behold.
Amidst them all, only Tsarkhella grinned meaningfully, her eyes glittering with ambition.
"Not bad at all. Who could have guessed such a tale lay hidden behind the Belteogeo... Yeah. I can definitely make use of this. Scribe. You got every word, right?"
"Yes, Chieftain! Every single syllable, without missing a speck!"
"Well done. Now then... Alzen. Would you mind telling us another story?"
"......"
Sipping liquor fermented from Belteogeo milk, I stared intently at Tsarkhella.
Myths, legends, and religious narratives are vital building blocks when laying the foundation of a nation. The difference between having them and lacking them yields an enormous disparity in solidarity, cohesion, and a shared sense of belonging.
She was undoubtedly glittering with excitement because she intended to exploit these very tales when proclaiming her barbarian kingdom.
"Sure, it's not like it's difficult... But I'd appreciate it if you cleared away the blubbering fools surrounding me first."
Since I had nothing better to do than drink anyway, I gave an indifferent nod.
"Bwahaha! Excellent! Hey, you lot! How long are you supposed warriors going to sit there bawling like babies?! You're making the liquor taste foul just by being an eyesore! And bring more booze! Drinks are mandatory when listening to tales like this! Ah, and bring a mountain of meat, too!"
"Understood!"
And so, for nearly the entire day, I rambled on about myths and legends concerning the barbarian tribes.
It did not take long for the attitudes of the barbarian warriors to shift—whether they had previously shunned me because of my demonified left arm, kept their distance due to my history of stealing Kubel's Soul Totem, or simply eyed me with prejudice as a pampered imperial.
Of course, that hardly meant we had grown close enough to be called comrades... but since we were never going to see each other for very long anyway, this level of familiarity was plenty.
Raked by a biting wind, the dawn sky over the Wasteland possessed a crisp, vast splendor that held a bewitching power, practically demanding that one lose oneself in it.
Staring into that immense expanse for long enough naturally stirred philosophical ponderings regarding the sheer insignificance and solitude of mankind.
"...Lord Han-gil."
As I sat drinking, treating the sky that filled my vision as my only appetizer, Muriel quietly spoke up.
Turning my head, I saw those who could be called my inner circle—Muriel, Rebecca, Cacciola, and Lampon Pashtra—gazing at me with troubled, anxious eyes.
"Yeah. What is it?"
"...As of now, there has been no notable reaction."
At her report, a smirk broke across my lips.
"From who?"
I had a decent guess, but I asked anyway just to be certain.
"Lady Vivian seemed entirely incapable of understanding. It appears she simply cannot fathom the reality that 'Kang Han-gil' entered the body of 'Stanasila Alzen.'"
"...Was Vivian always that dull?"
"No. It is not that... She appears to be consciously avoiding the thought entirely. In my personal opinion... she seems terrified of accepting it."
"Ah... A defense mechanism, then. Right. That makes sense."
Thinking about it rationally, that was only natural.
If you discovered one day that the contents of a family member had suddenly been swapped out... anyone would be terrified, and being unable to easily accept the truth, denial would be the first response.
An agonized, disorienting shock was practically guaranteed, and not just anyone had the stomach to dive headfirst into the center of that tempest.
Even if the subject was the scoundrel Stanasila Alzen, that was simply what family meant.
"Lady Nemeth was surprised, but showed little concern. Seeing as Lady Latipi reacted similarly, it is likely due to the innate disposition of elves. Alternatively, it may stem from the protection of the World Tree bestowed upon you, Lord Han-gil."
"......"
"Princess Arpe displayed a state of mind I could not decipher. It seems tied to her peculiar sense of possessiveness... She appeared furious, yet strangely delighted at the same time."
"Pfft. Really? She never changes, does she..."
"As for Lady Weller, her true thoughts remain entirely unreadable."
"......"
"Lira... is deeply suspicious. She glares at you with razor-sharp eyes from time to time, seemingly locked in inner turmoil. For now, she represents the greatest risk."
"......"
Once Muriel finished speaking, a heavy silence settled over the chilly, wind-swept Wasteland.
"Say, Muriel. Did you really go around probing everyone like that?"
"I did."
"I don't think I ever ordered you to do that."
"...I apologize if I caused you displeasure. However, it was an essential measure to prepare against potential danger."
"Is that so."
Nodding nonchalantly, I flopped backward, resting my head squarely upon Lampon Pashtra's plush, pillowy thighs.
...Whoa. I couldn't see her face at all thanks to her massive chest.
Hell, forget her face—it blocked out more than half of that grand, beautiful sky.
No matter how many times I looked at them, their sheer volume never failed to leave me in awe.
"Ah...! Tee-hee, Lord Alzen~"
Her eyes went wide in brief surprise, but then she peeked out from behind the deep canyon of her cleavage, grinning foolishly as she began to stroke my hair.
"Are you drunk, Pashtra?"
"Yeees~? Nooo~ I'm not drunk at aaall~"
"...So, what do you think, Pashtra?"
"Yeees~? About whaaat~?"
"About the fact that I'm Kang Han-gil, not Stanasila Alzen."
"Hmm~? Hmm..."
Tilting her head as if thinking hard for a moment, she suddenly burst into a lighthearted giggle.
"I don't really know~ It's too complicated~"
"...Is that so?"
"But~ hmm~ it doesn't matter~ Whether you're Lord Alzen or Lord Han-gil~ I will always be on your side~"
"......"
I had expected nothing of the sort from Pashtra, so hearing such a profound, unwavering answer left me staring blankly up at her face.
"...Now that's genuinely touching."
"And why is that, Lord Han-gil?"
"Hm?"
Muriel suddenly chimed in, glaring intently into my eyes.
...She actually looked slightly irritated.
What brought this on all of a sudden?
"What's wrong?"
"Hah... Lord Han-gil. I, too, said the exact same thing as Pashtra previously."
"Uh, well..."
Carefully reading her expression, I offered a wry smile—making sure to convey the heavy nuance that of course I remembered that.
"How could I possibly have forgotten that? I just wanted to praise Pashtra, that's all."
"......"
Subtly averting my gaze from Muriel's narrowed, half-lidded glare, I took another sip of alcohol.
"Haaah... So, what do you plan to do now?"
Just then, Rebecca, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, let out a heavy sigh and spoke up. Beside her, Cacciola was also staring directly at me, studying my reaction.
"...What do you mean, what do I plan to do? What, should we strike first and butcher them all?"
"That's not what I meant... but aren't we in an extraordinarily difficult situation?"
"Difficult. Immensely difficult. But well..."
Gulping down the booze, I let out a feeble chuckle.
"Things'll work out somehow, won't they?"
"Hey, saying something so irresponsible is..."
"Listen here, Master-ya. When you act like that, it just makes the rest of us confused. You need to set a clear direction and lead us properly."
At Cacciola's sharp reprimand, I sighed and looked back up at the sky.
...Well, I couldn't see a thing thanks to Pashtra's breasts, but honestly, this view felt a hell of a lot better than the sky anyway.
"Even if you say that, there's very little action I can take right now. As long as the fact remains that 'Kang Han-gil' took over 'Stanasila Alzen's' body... the initiative belongs to them."
"Who exactly do you mean by 'them'?"
"Sister Weller and Lira. And... well, maybe Arpe, though she's a bit ambiguous."
Just as I went to light a rolled cigarette, a piece of dried fruit was pushed into my mouth, and I chewed on it reflexively.
"Ehehe... Is it tasty, Lord Han-gil~?"
Watching Pashtra stroke my hair with that goofy, beaming smile, I could feel the heavy weight pressing down on my chest growing astonishingly lighter.
This airheaded brand of healing was ridiculously potent... If I were as pure and simple as Pashtra, would I ever have to deal with stress?
"...Lord Alzen..."
"Hmm..."
On the other hand, it seemed Pashtra's airheaded therapy had little effect on the other women. Seeing them look down at me with grim, worried expressions as if pitying my plight, I offered a bitter smile.
"I'm sorry to you girls. If the worst comes to pass... we might end up having to fight them."
"...Please do not worry, Lord Han-gil. I will remain on your side until the very end."
"I feel the same way. No matter what happens, I will protect you with my life."
"Sigh... Nothing for it, I guess. We already decided to see this through to the bitter end..."
I stared at the three of them as they declared their stances one by one, before an impulse welled up from deep within my chest, prompting me to stretch out both arms.
"Mmh..."
"Ah... hah, hah...!"
"Honestly, in front of everyone like this..."
Quick on the uptake, Muriel immediately nestled against my chest; Rebecca flushed instantly, letting out hot, ragged breaths against my collarbone; and Cacciola, despite grumbling, blushed furiously as her hands subtly caressed my ribs.
Feeling their soft, gentle warmth, I once again looked up toward the clear, magnificent sky.
...Naturally, all I could see was Pashtra's cleavage.
"Hey, the mood around your party seems pretty weird, don't you think? Especially between you and Weller."
The next day, as Tsarkhella dragged me by the hand toward some unknown destination, she tossed the question casually over her shoulder. I glared at her back.
"You're not asking that because you genuinely don't know, right?"
"...Ahem. Ah, well..."
As expected, she had seen it coming to some degree.
"I mean, it's not like that was something I could help! What was I supposed to do when you were acting so suspicious? Who told you to make it so obvious in the first place? If you were gonna act, you should've done it properly."
"Oh, look at you."
When I chimed in sarcastically at her shameless attitude, she unexpectedly peered back at me with a guilty, tentative expression.
"Still... there's no way that kid Weller didn't notice your true identity, right? Didn't she catch on a long time ago?"
"She caught on ages ago. It's just that I never gave her definitive confirmation, and she deliberately refrained from bringing it up."
"Ah... So that was the dynamic? Hmm... Then Mother and Father must be in a similar boat, right? Gasp, wait, if Mother gets 'definitive confirmation,' wouldn't things blow up completely?"
Having pieced the situation together from mere fragments of information, a grave look fell across her face.
She really was sharp and quick-witted.
Then again, according to the lore, she was the single most talented individual among the current direct bloodline of the ducal house, so I supposed it was only natural.
"Well, what's done is done! Can't be helped! Just leave the ducal house and come live with me! Living with a barbarian tribe is plenty fun and exciting once you get used to it, you know?"
"...What is wrong with this woman... Haaah..."
Shaking my head, I let out an exasperated sigh.
"Let me tell you right now: I have zero intention of marrying you. None whatsoever."
"Why? Because you already have another woman in your heart?"
"No, simply because you're not my type. I like women with massive tits and fat asses."
"......"
A murderous glare shot back at me, but I didn't care in the slightest and merely smirked.
"Hmph. Doesn't matter. If push comes to shove, I'll just pounce on you and devour you."
"...I know it's a bit late to ask, but do you seriously lack conventional values or any aversion to taboos?"
"I don't give a damn about that crap. I found a man I like, so I'm going to make him mine. Even if that man happens to be an unknown entity inhabiting the body of my younger brother."
"You crazy lunatic..."
Shaking my head in utter disbelief, I looked around at the village scenery.
Children running around clutching weapons, barbarian warriors preparing food or weaving cloth... Strangely enough, there were no clearly defined gender roles here.
Women would go out on patrol or join the hunt, while men handled the cooking, cleaning, and household chores.
Seeing a bear-like barbarian warrior delicately needlecrafting with hands the size of pot lids was... truly an indescribable sight.
"By the way, where the hell are you dragging me?"
"Huh? Didn't I tell you?"
She tilted her head, then grinned playfully.
"We're going to get your Shamanic Ritual Tattoo! Didn't you say that was the price you wanted?"
"Ah. Right, that."
Boosting my stats was serious business.
Nodding in satisfaction, I obediently matched her stride.