Chapter 16
Chapter 16
The Iron Emperor — Chapter 16
"So after those horned beast herds came in, the rutting season died down, but the problem is..."
The soldier explaining this had beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Since there weren't any particular issues, they'd put the mares back in their pens. That was where the Pukel Leader fought the mares that approached Gangsoe.
Jealousy.
Unlike horses, the Pukel herds were monogamous.
That was why, even when females outnumbered males, their population didn't easily grow.
Maybe that was why Gangsoe's eyes held a hint of regret, but he simply pretended not to notice. Then a competition began between the War Horses and the newly arrived males for the favor of the remaining mares — and they kept jumping over the palisades or smashing right through them.
So in the end, they had no choice but to just make an opening on one side.
What was interesting was that the monsters that used to occasionally attack, targeting the horses, stopped coming after the Pukel arrived. And every now and then, the male Pukel would go out and hunt orcs or goblins and bring them back.
The War Horses were not the type to just sit and watch when they saw those hunted spoils being offered to the females as if courting. One by one, they headed into the forest and came back carrying orcs and goblins crushed under their hooves.
With all this going on, another task added to the soldiers' routine was collecting the Pukel's leftover food scraps after meals. They'd been gathering up the old armor, axes, shields, and such that the food had been wrapped in(?).
And so a strange cohabitation of the two species began.
"......."
Having heard the full explanation, Jin-cheon looked at Gangsoe, his brow deeply furrowed. This horse-shaped monster that had smashed even a great white tiger of Jangbaek with a rear kick had, as it turned out, created a whole situation.
"Pfhihihing."
"......."
Seeing Gangsoe whinny as if delighted to see him enter the enclosure, Jin-cheon kept clenching and unclenching his fist. But when Gangsoe led the Pukel Leader over as though introducing his bride, Jin-cheon's anger subsided.
The white mane encircling its neck, the three horns rising from its head as if wearing Gangsoe's horse armor, its powerful-looking body, and its springy-looking legs — it pleased him.
But a moment later, regret flickered through him.
Whether these creatures could actually be ridden, and the fact that their numbers were small at around two hundred — that weighed on his mind.
"In the end, these aren't a solution either."
"That's right."
As if reading Jin-cheon's thoughts, Hwi-garam answered from beside him. Just then, Uru's voice rang out. Pushing a cart loaded with Minotaur carcasses, he was returning from a hunt.
"General, you've come!"
"Mm."
The soldiers bustled about, hunting the horned beasts—minotaurs—as if intent on wiping out the species. The slash-and-burn farmers at first felt the terror of death when told to find their habitats, but watching Minotaurs collapse into pincushions of arrows without even getting close, they gradually began to even enjoy it. It was the confidence of strength.
"Slice the monster meat separate and put it in."
"Yes."
"Ah, you seen this?"
"Mm."
"If them War Horses and these horned beasts make babies, we'll get some real sturdy ones."
Simple Uru. He just figured if they did the deed, babies would pop right out.
"Uru."
"Speak, sir."
"What do you figure comes out if a tiger and a cat do the deed?"
"That'd be... uh..."
At Jin-cheon's pointed remark, even simple Uru sank into thought. A little thinking made it obvious that nothing could come of it. Just then, Buru spoke from behind as he approached.
"The bastard's an idiot. Ya gotta think to know that?"
"Who's an idiot!"
Uru, who'd come running this way after hearing of Jin-cheon's return, fired back, unwilling to lose to Buru's scolding. But Buru clicked his tongue and spoke with contempt.
"If a cat and a tiger set up house, a cat-tiger comes out. What else would come out? A lynx and a cat-tiger's the same thing, y'know?"
"Yeah! That's right!"
Jin-cheon felt killing intent surge up for an instant. And just as that killing intent was about to erupt outwardly, a saving voice came.
"The likelihood of offspring being born between Pukel and horses is high, however..."
"They can breed?"
It was Risel, who'd been keeping quiet to the side. At his words, Hwi-garam shot back an incredulous question. Risel, hesitating a little, continued calmly.
"In truth, Pukel are known to be a byproduct of the God-Demon War a thousand years ago. It was then that the ancestors of the Pukel first set foot on this land as mounts for the Demon Tribe wielding demonic energy. The demons needed war mounts to oppose the unicorns of the God Tribe. At the time, wizards conducted investigations into the Pukel, and the results showed that, barring a few exceptions, their physical characteristics were almost identical to those of horses. While the differences in form are due to environmental factors, a theory was established that the ancestors of unicorns, horses, and Pukel were one and the same. Their reproductive structures were that similar."
"Oh."
As Hwi-garam voiced his admiration, Risel continued his explanation, seeming to gain a little confidence.
"Thus, it has been passed down that the original ancestor of the horse possessed a horn. However, as horses raised on human lands lost their ferocity, their horns naturally degenerated. The unicorns that went to the Heaven Realm had their horns grow even longer as a tool for emitting Holy Power, developing into a single long horn. And the Pukel, influenced by the Demon Realm, came to possess three horns and robust muscles suited for combat. Artificial crossbreeding experiments regarding the interrelationship of these three species have also shown success."
"I see."
"Accordingly, this theory is called the Theory of Evolution, established by the Archmage Darwin a thousand years ago."
"See there, Uru. A cat-tiger, right?"
"Even a grub can wiggle, as they say."
Unlike with the slash-and-burn farmers, Hwi-garam confirmed the necessity of Risel, who possessed superior knowledge, while Jin-cheon sank into silence. Buru, who'd been swaggering, rolled his eyes at Risel and opened his mouth.
"So, where'd you go and pick up this here old fella?"
"P-pick up! Wait, could it be... the legendary..."
"And how'd he learn our talk so quick? Ain't he a strange one?"
When Buru hefted his huge axe onto his shoulder and glared, a sudden chill ran through Risel.
A giant Dwarf... There was only one kind of dwarf like that he knew of. The only dwarf tribe to leap onto the battlefield during the God-Demon War a thousand years ago. Called the bastard children of the legendary Titans, they were a dwarf clan renowned for their tremendous prowess in battle—he remembered the records.
Unlike typical burrowing dwarves, their bronze-hued skin and strength that looked overwhelming even at a glance matched the Titan Clan passed down in the texts. As he was thinking this, Buru approached with his axe, and Risel, terrified out of his wits, spoke.
"The ring has interpretation magic engraved on it, allowing conversation."
"That so?"
Buru's eyes glinted with momentary greed. Just then, Jin-cheon's low voice cut in, as if he'd reached some conclusion on his own.
"So a cat-tiger really was possible after all."
"......."
It was Jin-cheon, who had, in his own way, linked it all to the theory of evolution and reached a conclusion.
* * *
Having looked around the encampment further, the party decided to settle Risel's treatment. For some reason, Hwi-garam was sent out, and Jin-cheon, Buru, and Uru surrounded him. Sensing the strangely heated atmosphere, Risel felt his mouth go dry.
"Old man. Your name is Risel, was it?"
"Yes."
Jin-cheon's voice came out low, as if made of iron, and the pressure on Risel only grew.
"We are strangers to this place. From what I hear, people called wizards tend to know a great deal."
"Well, I suppose..."
"To be truthful, while I said I picked you up, it was abduction, yes. However!"
Killing intent began to seep into Jin-cheon's eyes.
"I cannot forgive attempting to harm Beron, who is our guide and one of my people."
"B-but he insulted me."
Risel began to make excuses while trying to evade the killing intent pressing in from all sides.
"I understand."
"Th-thank you."
In an instant, Jin-cheon withdrew his killing intent and let out a soft voice. Feeling the sweat running down his back, Risel swallowed.
"One who does not possess sufficient strength and carelessly insults another may well hasten his own death."
"......."
"But, old man, you should have recognized who I was. Not all servants are the same servant. If their master is great, even a lowly servant carries that formidable authority."
"Keuh-heuk."
As Jin-cheon's pragmatic voice rang out, piercing the sorrow of the powerless, every humiliation Risel had ever felt flashed through his mind in a single moment. As Risel's aged face hardened in wretchedness, a cold voice followed.
"I may not know this world, but the way humans live is all the same! The law of survival of the fittest cannot be escaped. Or did you expect me to take your side in the matter? It seems you saw me as some foolish young master steeped in flimsy heroism. Listen carefully. Do you not understand that the rewarding of virtue and punishment of vice does not mean good chastises evil, but that the victor owns everything! In the end, the strong take all."
"...Haah."
Everyone knows it, but no one says it so bluntly. And so Risel's aged face, letting out a deflated breath, could do nothing but keep trembling.
"At your age, you ought to know that much. I've heard that sorcerers — no, wizards, was it? — that such beings are rare. But, old man, you don't look all that rare in my eyes. In the end, it must mean you haven't the skill to be treated as such. Am I wrong?"
"......."
Risel, his head lowered, was shedding tears little by little. It was shame. How could he not know his own inadequacy? But still, he hadn't given up. The talk of being a wizard in name only — ever since his master returned to the Land of Mana (when wizards die, they are said to return to the Land of Mana), when the disciples divided the master's belongings, all he'd received was this one ring with nothing more than interpretation magic on it.
The meaning was mockery: since you're bound to be nothing but a wandering wizard drifting here and there anyway, at least take this.
Even then, he hadn't been able to say a word. Because he was weak. Because he was lacking. And now it had reached the point where his very identity as a wizard was being doubted. Even when anger rose, he had ultimately failed and been dragged here to suffer insult. And by someone other than a dragon, no less....
Seventy-five years of a lifetime's regrets streamed down through his eyes.
"I will give you an opportunity."
Risel raised his head. The man who had laid bare every piece of his wretchedness and trampled on it was saying he would give him a chance. Tears and snot clung to his white beard as it hung down. Jin-cheon's mouth opening came into Risel's view.
"It is not a great wizard that I need. No, in truth, I merely need someone who possesses much knowledge of this world. In that respect, I've heard that wizards are also scholars. And at that moment, I saw an old man who looked as though he could disappear from this world this very day without anyone noticing. So I picked you up. Abduction? Heh. Is the word abduction meant for such circumstances? Do you realize it would not have been strange if I had beaten you to death then and there? You are alive only because you were the first to catch my eye."
"...Euh-heuk."
Risel lifted his head, his face contorted, and burst into even louder sobs. But he did not avoid Jin-cheon's eyes or lower his head in shame. It was simply resentment toward himself.
"Will you drift about like a beggar as you do now, insulted by a rich man's servant and treated like a fool by your peers? Or will you cling to me and live?"
"...What."
It was not even persuasion — it was coercion. No, not even coercion. He was telling him to throw away even a wizard's pride.
"I ask you one last time. I need you. Will you cling to me?"
"Then what will you do for me?"
The flowing tears and snot had stopped, and there was no more humiliation. Only then did Jin-cheon relax his cold voice and form a strange smile.
"As I said earlier, I do not leave alone those who trifle with my family or my people. If anyone carelessly disrespects you... I'll smash them to pieces."
"...I will serve you as my master."
He put forward neither a moment's hesitation nor pride. Because it was reality. And who knew? The thought crossed his mind — if he could gain even something from a dragon, that would be good. And he believed that this man, who had torn him apart so ruthlessly, would keep the words he'd just spoken.
"Buru, Uru. You two see to serving him from now on. He is the one who will teach you."
"Uwek!"
"At our age, what're we learnin'!"
"Everything about this world."
"Ehh?"
"Do you two intend to wage war without any plan?!"
At Jin-cheon's single sentence, they shut their mouths like clams.
"In any case, we cannot simply huddle in this place forever. We must know this land to decide our path."
Buru and Uru's eyes were changing. And slowly, they rose from their seats and walked before Risel. Then they bowed their waists and called out.
"I am Eulji Buru."
"I am Eulji Uru. Please teach us well, sir."
"Ah... I understand."
Risel was bewildered by the situation that had suddenly transformed.
He'd thought he would be treated as nothing more than a servant, but they told him to teach those legendary clansmen of towering pride. And those very dwarves, the kind who wouldn't even bow to him, lowered their heads and asked for instruction. As Risel stood there, not knowing what was what, Jin-cheon slowly extended his hand.
"Well... for now, don't rely on that item or whatever it is, and start by learning the language. Until you've learned the language, I'll hold onto that item or whatever it is."
"What?"
"Do I look like the sort who covets such things?"
"......."
Unable to bring himself to answer yes, Risel handed over the ring.
Chapter 6 — The Burning Earth
"......."
Go Jin-cheon, having stepped out of the barracks, gazed at the people hurrying busily about. No matter how much they tried to live proactively, these were people who had been accustomed to passive lives from the start, and in many ways they differed from his own soldiers. But one fortunate thing was the children. The object of admiration that the children, running about with such energy, would look up to was unmistakably the soldiers of Gauri.
Humans' fundamental desire is strength. And in a place like this, where cultural life could not flourish freely, what could be found most easily was precisely that — a yearning for strength.
Every time monsters came, the sight of them trampling the creatures with ease, and going a step further by heading out to hunt them as if it were sport — their strength was more than enough to captivate the children. It contrasted all the more with the days when they, in the slash-and-burn village, had lived in constant fear of monsters.
"Hairukka, nwan. (Good day, my lord.)"
"......."
On his third lap around the area, yet another old man greeted him. But Jin-cheon's expression was not bright. He merely gave a nod, then returned to staring at his own finger.
"......."
Even though he'd put on the ring he'd temporarily(?) taken from Risel, Jin-cheon couldn't understand a single word of what they were saying. Naturally, without speaking the activation word, there was no way the power would activate — but there was no way Jin-cheon would know that.
"Is it broken?"
Jin-cheon felt needlessly apologetic. Slowly taking off the ring, he resolved to return it by the end of the day. And he was thinking he ought to at least bring a bottle of ogre blood to feel less guilty.