Cleanup
Cleanup
We do not kill guests who have traveled from afar.
As long as they do not bring harm to the host.
That is the unwritten rule that the barbarians of the Frozen Lands have upheld.
However,
"Kweeeeeeeek─!!"
A woman with a massive, obese frame, who had been flaunting her luxurious fur coat, let out a scream. This was because a powerful hand had suddenly flown in and struck her cheek.
Kudangtangtang-!
A loud crash rang out.
At the same time, her massive body toppled over.
The result of this violence, which had come without any warning, sent the people in the conference hall into a state of panic. Even the tribal chiefs, who had been radiating murderous intent toward the tax collector of the Unified Empire, were shocked out of their wits.
"Tsar Alexei?!"
"What on earth is this...!"
"You sure slapped her good! Doesn't look like it's your first time doing that!"
Astonishment.
And admiration.
Countless emotions exploded like a torrential downpour.
Alexei Berkut.
Who was he?
A Tsar who knew nothing of valor or pride.
A barbarian who feared war.
A gentle lamb who only acted as his uncle told him to.
Until now, the Tsar had only accepted the unreasonable demands forced upon him by the tax collector of the Unified Empire. But, as if to prove he was of the bloodline of the past Tsars, he unleashed violence in response to the insult that tarnished the pride of the tribes.
"You're crazy! You're absolutely insane...! To assault a tax collector dispatched by the Imperial Decree of Her Majesty the Empress...! The wrath and punishment of the Unified Empire will... wipe out all of you, you uncivilized barbarians of the Frozen Lands!!"
Her powdered face cracked like a spiderweb due to her rage.
Her massive jowls wobbled terrifyingly.
Her ugly upturned nose snorted fiercely.
A vicious expression appeared on the face of the tax collector who had been invoking the Empress of the Unified Empire.
"Tell the Empress. The wolves of the Frozen Lands will no longer tolerate this."
"What...?"
A coldly settled voice rang out.
It was a ruthless warning that brought to mind the blizzards of the Frozen Lands.
The idiot of the Frozen Lands, who used to tremble and obey even with the slightest intimidation, had changed completely. Facing the golden eyes that symbolized the Tsar's legitimacy, the tax collector of the Unified Empire realized how a bug caught in a spiderweb felt.
If I don't run, I die.
At the hands of the king of uncivilized barbarians.
Trembling all over, she racked her brain for a way to survive.
"The wolves of the Frozen Lands know no fear!"
"Tsar Alexei has finally made a decision...!"
"Ahem! Our Lead Rock Tribe will take the lead in opposing the pigs of the barrier!!"
The barbarians all boasted a violent nature that pursued struggle and valor.
And they had an emotional side that was easily moved and swayed.
-The wolves of the Frozen Lands will no longer tolerate this.
Those words moved the hearts of the barbarian tribal chiefs.
I had a habit of easily getting swept up in heated situations.
Whether it was spouting bluffs,
Or making excessive, unnecessary purchases,
Was it because of that simplicity that lacked judgment?
I had ended up reenacting the thought I had every time I read the weak-willed appearance of Alexei in the original work <Splendid Days of the Golden Empire>: 'If it were me, I would have at least slapped the tax collector.'
"Haa.... Come what may."
Thump.
I sat in the chair with a feeling of resignation.
I had the tax collector of the Unified Empire, who was trembling all over and begging for her life, detained. And immediately after arriving at what I presumed to be the Tsar's office, I first recalled information about the owner of this body.
"Alexei Berkut. Nineteen years old this year. Hobbies are reading and collecting. Despite being a barbarian, the very definition of simple-minded, he hates violence and killing. And although he is nominally the Tsar who rules the Frozen Lands, he is a puppet of his uncle, who controls numerous tribes under him."
A nephew suppressed by a powerful uncle.
He was in a situation no different from Danjong of Joseon.
Damn it.
Of all things, a barbarian Tsar.
It would have been better if I had become even one of the male protagonists of the original work.
"So..., this isn't some absurd dream, but I've really possessed Alexei Berkut?"
It's not some dream.
A stranger was being reflected in the mirror.
Curly black hair.
Orange eyes flashing red.
A pretty face that didn't suit a barbarian.
There's no mistake.
I have possessed Alexei Berkut.
I slammed the desk and writhed my whole body, resisting the sudden absurdity. But the absurdity that had just crashed down on me didn't budge.
"Tsar, may I come in?"
"Come in."
Knock, knock.
When I was throwing a fit by myself,
A slender, beautiful voice rang out.
It was the voice of a woman estimated to be in her 20s.
"As the Tsar commanded, I have detained all of the Unified Empire's tax collector and her attendants."
"Uh, um.... Ah.... Good work."
There were two reasons why I stuttered as soon as I faced the woman who entered the office.
First.
Because I didn't know how to act like Alexei.
Second.
Because I was facing a bewitching beauty with flowing silver hair.
Was it because I had dealt with a venomous middle-aged woman who boasted a massive body? Facing a beautiful woman who was the exact opposite, I felt a tension that stiffened my whole body.
Neat silver hair that resembled eternal snow.
Violet eyes as cold as ice.
And a pure white scarf, along with countless daggers armed all over her body.
The features were distinct and firm.
The process of guessing her identity was not difficult. Because she was a character who appeared in every scene where Alexei, the sub-villain, recalled the past.
"Tsar?"
"It's nothing. I was just lost in thought for a moment."
Milena.
Great Warrior of the Gray Wolf Tribe.
Chief of the Imperial Guard protecting the Tsar.
And Alexei's childhood friend, one year his senior.
She was the only pillar of support for Alexei, who was an isolated loner. And she was also the person who followed him even at the moment when Alexei was exiled due to the rebellion of the tribes.
"Your tone has changed."
"Is that so? Well..., just think of it as a late puberty. Anyway, how are the tribal chiefs reacting? The tax collector of the Unified Empire must be grinding her teeth, though."
"They were all welcoming. Until now, the tax collector has insulted the pride and honor of the Frozen Lands, and also committed the grave sin of intimidating the Tsar. I believe she is a great sinner who wouldn't be punished enough even if we cut off all her limbs and threw them to the Frost Trolls."
"That's intense."
It was novel and surprising.
To spout such cruel words without hesitation.
A barbarian is a barbarian.
Just because she is a beautiful woman doesn't mean her nature changes.
Once a fight starts, she would swing her sharp daggers at the enemies without hesitation.
"I apologize for my rudeness. The Tsar dislikes cruel words."
"It's fine. I couldn't help it either and slapped the tax collector."
"Yes, I heard it right next to you. That you said the ugly bitch was smoking in a way that was an eyesore...."
"......."
What on earth did I say.
Like Adam and Eve who ate the fruit of good and evil, shame washed over me.
What on earth must Milena, who watched the scene, have thought? It was even more embarrassing because it was no different from a reflex action close to instinct.
"Tsar?"
"Milena, I am going to give you an order."
"The warriors of the Gray Wolf Tribe and I will carry out the Tsar's order with our lives."
"There's no need to risk your lives.... By the way, do you like hunting?"
I delivered the order to Milena.
Then Milena accepted it without hesitation.
An expulsion order was issued to the tax collector and attendants of the Unified Empire. Because of the sudden expulsion order, the delegation of the Unified Empire had to experience the humiliation of being chased out into the snowy plains in the coldest dawn.
Neither the hides of magical beasts,
Nor pure silver and magic ore,
I will not give up any more resources.
It was Alexei's warning and ultimatum to the female and male protagonists who represent <Splendid Days of the Golden Empire>.
"I'll kill them! I'll definitely kill them...! To inflict the humiliation of a lifetime on the tax collector and delegation of the Unified Empire! That arrogant brat of a Tsar...! I will kill every single one of these uncivilized barbarians of the Frozen Lands! If Her Majesty the Empress only raises a punitive force, a massive extermination will unfold across the entire Frozen Lands!"
I must purify them.
I must erase the dirty barbarians.
The tax collector, who had begged Alexei for her life, showed a completely changed appearance. She spat out murderous intent while wrapped in her luxurious fur coat like a blanket.
"Keuheok!"
"It's an ambush!"
When they entered the snow-covered valley,
A surprise attack on the delegation of the Unified Empire took place.
"Wh-who on earth... would attack the delegation of the Unified Empire...! Could it be, the barbarians sent by the Tsar?!"
The assassins who attacked the delegation of the Unified Empire were all wearing white masks and cloaks, which were camouflage colors suitable for the snowy plains. They carried out a one-sided slaughter, proving they were elites tempered by numerous real battles.
"U, Uaaack!!"
The knights who were guarding them all fell.
At that, the tax collector couldn't handle her massive body and fell on her butt.
"Save me! Please, please save me! If you take me to Tsar Alexei, it's clearly something that happened because of a minor misunderstanding and mistake..., so I will persuade the Tsar, for the peace of the Unified Empire and the Frozen Lands...!"
"......."
The beauty with flowing silver hair did not answer.
As soon as she drew her sharp blade, she stabbed the tax collector's neck.
Keuk...!
Keuk, keuheok...!
The tax collector writhed while spitting out bloody foam.
Then, Milena drew new daggers in both hands and approached the lackey of the barrier.
