Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Translator: Penny
Chapter 3
Barbaroi 2
She was far more talkative than she appeared.
The women of the tribe were taciturn and combative, like fighting cocks, preferring action to words. Agron had even exchanged more words with White Bison than with any of the women.
Thus, Agron was encountering a "womanly woman"—the kind he had only read about in books—for the first time.
So, city women outside the tribe really are chatterboxes.
He observed his companion, mentally cataloging this new knowledge.
Just because men and women are together doesn't mean they're engaging in lewd acts. City men are weak. City women are talkative...
Whether she sensed his thoughts or not, his companion chattered incessantly throughout their journey.
"...Anyway, I was transporting goods urgently and had to take a shortcut through a forest path I don't usually use. That's when I was ambushed by bandits. The guards I'd hired were killed almost immediately... Just when I thought I was about to suffer a terrible fate, Agron appeared."
"I see."
"At first, when a completely naked man showed up... I thought he was either with the bandits or just insane."
Even if a normal-looking person had appeared, she would have been anxious. But the man who actually showed up was a long-haired man covered in scars, making her almost lose all hope.
"But why is Lord Agron... shirtless?" she asked, her face flushing slightly as she glanced at his body.
Despite the scars, the way his muscles rippled with each step and his handsome face were more than enough to capture her attention.
Besides, in this remote mountain wilderness, she and Agron were the only people around.
"It's hot. This forest."
She looked startled for a moment before shaking her head.
Agron was a Barbaroi, a barbarian as the Empire called them.
This was the first time she had ever seen a Barbaroi in person.
"Um... Agron. It's winter here. Winter is supposed to be cold."
"You're talking nonsense. Winter? You must be mistaking it for spring."
"Huh? No, but—"
"There's no perpetual snow or ice stones. How can this be winter? I learned all about the seasons in books."
The Snow Spirit Labyrinth where Agron had lived was shrouded in perpetual, bone-chilling cold.
The only season he had ever experienced was winter; all other seasons were concepts he had learned from books.
People only know what they've seen and heard firsthand.
Some within the tribe even believed that weather like "summer" was a fabricated lie.
"Eternal snow...?"
Agron's words left her speechless, like someone who had swallowed honey and lost their tongue.
Where exactly did this man come from?
The only thing north of here is the Demonic Realm... Could he be from somewhere near there?
"Speaking of which, Agron, you're quite fluent in the Kingdom language. Do you normally use it within the tribe?"
"No, we naturally use our tribal language within the tribe. I learned the Kingdom language as a hobby."
"What? You taught yourself...?"
"To be precise, I already knew the Imperial Common Tongue, so learning the Kingdom language was just a matter of picking it up along the way."
Her eyes widened in surprise.
In the Kingdom, the use of the Imperial Common Tongue was almost exclusively reserved for specific social strata: royalty, nobles, and merchants who frequently traveled along trade routes. In practice, it was a language rarely learned by those who had no need to visit the Empire or interact with its people.
"Agron... why did you learn the Imperial Common Tongue?"
"I heard nobles are required to learn it."
"Ah─"
She nodded, as if finally understanding. Agron must have been part of the barbarian elite.
Is he like a tribal chief?
She was slightly shocked to learn that the barbarian could speak three languages: his tribal language, the Kingdom language, and the Imperial Common Tongue.
Of course, she couldn't be certain of his proficiency in the Imperial Common Tongue since she hadn't witnessed it firsthand. However, the mere fact that he had learned it hinted at a remarkably high level of awareness and sophistication.
"Agron, why are you going to the Veilain Fief?"
"My parents passed away. I'm going for the funeral."
"Ah... I... my condolences..."
But if he's a barbarian, wouldn't his parents be tribal members too?
Well, the Veilain Fief is vast. There might be various tribes in the outer regions beyond the lord's city.
After walking for two full days, the city's fortress finally came into view.
"Agron, should we put on our cloaks first?"
"Why cloaks?"
"They might intimidate people, and we don't want to attract unnecessary attention."
"The city's rules are strange."
"And just in case... you don't have any identification, do you?"
"What's identification?"
She nodded thoughtfully.
It seemed she would need to assist this barbarian benefactor until he reached his destination.
House Veilain.
In the Count's former study, the Majordomo, Knight Commander, Administrator, Secretary, and Collector gathered, swallowing deep sighs.
The sudden deaths of the Head of House and his wife had plunged them into utter chaos.
"We must hold the funeral immediately," Administrator Philip said, a thick cigar in his hand. "We can't postpone it indefinitely."
"Not yet," the Majordomo replied. "The Young Master hasn't arrived."
"Majordomo, you must forget about the Young Master. We haven't seen his face in over a decade."
"Administrator! That's going too far! Speaking of the rightful heir to the House in such a manner is an insult to His Excellency, the late Count!"
Majordomo Alfred glared fiercely at the Administrator through his monocle.
The Administrator wore a disgruntled expression, but he had no choice but to clamp his mouth shut at the Majordomo's sharp rebuke.
"Majordomo, I share the Administrator's opinion. We must hold the funeral quickly and discuss the succession issue to quell the family's turmoil."
"Oh, Lord Tank, even you?!"
"Even if the Young Master were to return, it would still be problematic. He's likely fully Barbaroi by now. How could we entrust this family to him?"
Knight Commander Tank spoke with a bulldog-like ferocity, causing the Majordomo to grunt and hesitate in his response.
If only he had studied in the Empire instead...
The fact that Agron had been entrusted to the Barbaroi Tribe to escape the witch's curse was a secret known only to a select few within House Veilain.
But that small group was the problem.
"The elders of House Veilain and their close relatives won't stand for this," Secretary Lekan said.
"Then what do you propose?" the Majordomo asked, his voice losing some of its earlier forcefulness. "That we cast aside the rightful heir and let some distant relative inherit the family?"
The Administrator, who had been reprimanded earlier, cautiously spoke up again.
"Majordomo, I am one of the few retainers who still remembers Young Master Agron. I cherish his memory, but my loyalty to House Veilain comes first. The Veilain Fief requires a more capable successor."
"I share the Administrator's opinion," Elder Alfred said. "Do you think Barbaroi can even read? Let alone speak the Kingdom language? We're lucky if he doesn't just bark and eat with his bare hands."
Knight Commander Tank grumbled as if he had personally witnessed Agron's barbaric behavior.
The office fell into a sudden, heavy silence.
Everyone was speechless at Tank's appalling words.
Bang!
The office door burst open, and a group of people rushed in.
"What's this? Why hasn't the funeral begun?"
"Baron Ludicain, you've arrived."
The council members rose abruptly to greet the man entering the office.
Ludicain von Veilain.
As the highest-ranking member of House Veilain's collateral branch and Ludicain's son, Theo von Veilain was unofficially second in line to the succession—in short, a man with considerable influence within the family.
"Get the funeral for my brother and his wife arranged immediately! Before the stench of rotting corpses permeates the entire estate!"
"Baron, Lord Agron hasn't arrived yet. We need an heir present to conduct the funeral rites—"
"Hey, Majordomo! I heard he hasn't returned in over a decade. Isn't that as good as him being dead?!"
"Baron, we can't—"
"You fucking old man!"
Ludicain seized Alfred, the majordomo, by the collar.
"From now on, I'm in charge of House Veilain. You'll do as I say! If not, we can delay the funeral and prepare the heir succession declaration first!"
"Baron, even so, this seems like an excessive measure. Young Master Agron is still alive..."
The Majordomo couldn't shake off the Baron's hand, but he stubbornly persisted in voicing his opinion.
"That's why we need to proceed quickly. Why can't you understand?"
"Baron, we will ensure the rest of the arrangements proceed smoothly."
Before Ludicain's eyes could turn cold, Knight Commander Tank rose and restrained him.
Their gazes locked briefly in the air.
"Hmm, hmm. Very well, let the Knight Commander and Administrator handle the details."
"Yes, Baron. Please focus on preparing the funeral eulogy."
As the Baron's party departed, accepting the Knight Commander and Administrator's bows, the Majordomo slumped heavily into his chair, his face etched with grief.
"You... since when have you been... with Baron Ludicain?"
"Majordomo, someone might misunderstand if they heard that."
"The Administrator is right. We're just vassals acting for the good of the House. Don't speak as if we're traitors."
"Do you really think such a brazen excuse will work, Lord Tank?!"
"Tsk, tsk. With that attitude, His Excellency, the New Count, won't appoint you to any position."
Only now did the Majordomo realize why they had wanted to hold the funeral before waiting for Lord Agron.
Under the guise of reorganizing the House, they planned to discuss the succession and install Ludicain's son, Theo, as the new Head of House.
"Then I'll take it there are no objections. I trust the Secretary and Collector will also offer their 'correct' opinions when discussing the new Head of House."
The Knight Commander and Administrator cleared their throats and left the Majordomo's office.
"Majordomo... what do you plan to do now?" the Secretary asked with a wry smile.
"I honestly don't know. Even if Young Master Agron arrives on time... given the current situation, there's no way to stop this."
He rubbed his increasingly wrinkled face, wishing this nightmare would end quickly.
The Administrator presided over the meeting.
As if his tongue had been oiled, he smoothly raised the issue of succession, adding a recommendation for Baron Ludicain of the collateral branch.
"...He is the most senior member of the lineage and an excellent lord who manages his current fief with remarkable skill."
"Then Theo, his son, will receive the succession ceremony, I presume?"
The family elders exchanged opinions, while Ludicain watched the scene from afar with a satisfied smile.
"If there are no objections, then we shall proceed—"
"Young Master Agron is still alive."
At that moment, the Majordomo rose from his seat and declared in a short, firm voice.
"Bah! He's as good as dead to the family!"
"Baron, rules are rules," the Majordomo calmly retorted to Ludicain's outburst.
"That damn old man...!"
Ludicain glared at his opponent as if he wanted to tear him apart alive.
It was one thing to drop your nose into a perfectly cooked meal, but this was beyond reason. All that was left was to scoop it up with a spoon, yet the old man was making such a fuss and blocking him, even though he had no intention of inheriting the family himself. Ludicain couldn't understand it.
"Ah, right. The Head of House does have a son, doesn't he? I almost forgot, he's been so quiet."
"But didn't they say he was sent far away?"
"We've sent word. He'll be here soon."
"Fuck! How long are we supposed to wait? Let's just finish this now—!"
At that moment, the conference room door burst open, and a guard shouted urgently.
"S-sorry! There's some barbarian causing trouble outside, so I came to report...!"
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny