Chapter 44
Chapter 44
The Iron Emperor — Chapter 44
"Let's gather first."
Million's voice roused the people who had been mired in anxiety. The gazes fixed on the Gauri soldiers, clustered together and giving off the smell of hearty food, were all complicated. And it was also true that seeing the Gauri recruits from slash-and-burn farming backgrounds, who looked just like them, stirred something in their hearts.
But for most of the people, whose distrust of the entity called a nation was deeply rooted, even that sight seemed like a performance meant to deceive them.
"What do we do?"
"Even if we refuse to follow, will they really not attack us?"
"No, more importantly, was there ever a country called Gauri?"
"Let's all quiet down for a moment."
Once they had gathered, Million quieted the chattering crowd and began to lay out the thoughts he had organized.
"First of all, I don't know of any country called Gauri either. I've wandered the continent, traveling from battlefield to battlefield and working as a mercenary, but I've never once heard of a place called Gauri. And the appearance of those people is also something I've never seen before."
"I've heard that people from the northern regions have black hair and yellowish skin, though?"
"That's right!"
A man who had worked as a merchant spoke up in response to Million's words. But Million shook his head and replied.
"I've seen many mercenaries from the northern regions, and they're completely different. Northerners have eyes closer to a dark blue, but their eyes are closer to a dark brown. On top of that, their equipment is of a form I've never seen before, and their horses are different from the horses of the north as well as the rest of the continent. I saw the earlier battle, but no country puts that kind of horse armor on a horse's entire body."
"But those people...."
"Yes, and the monstrous strength of those horses, too...."
A chill ran through the people as the image of the horses trampling orcs to pulp flashed through their minds. Caught up in the growing suspicion, one man spoke up in a trembling voice.
"Then just who in the world are those people...?"
"I don't know. I've watched knights conduct battle from a distance in the past, but they don't even compare. No country except the Empire operates such a large knight order, after all."
"Then, you don't mean...."
"It isn't the Empire."
"Then where?"
At Million's words, the people wore expressions that seemed to agree with him. The Empire had no reason to come all the way out here. Honestly, wouldn't simply pressuring the Haian Kingdom be enough? Even if these people didn't know much, anyone who had lived in Haian knew that much at least.
"Could it be... the Demon Realm?"
"Gasp!"
"Demon!"
"That can't be!"
The moment someone's words slipped out, the faces of the people instantly went pale. There was, of course, no way they had ever personally seen anyone from the Demon Realm, but the thought someone had casually tossed out dragged the atmosphere into darkness.
Million, watching the people babble incoherently in every direction, let out a sigh and denied their suggestion, as if to put them at ease.
"It doesn't appear to be that."
"But...."
"If they were that many members of the Demon Tribe, would they be conquering slash-and-burn farmers instead of conquering the world?"
"Ahem."
"Well, true enough."
At Million's curt words, the person who had suggested the idea and the people who had agreed with him exchanged awkward looks. In actual fact, everyone could tell that with their level of military power, they didn't even have to bother with this kind of troublesome task.
"The problem is their conditions. Why they set those kinds of terms, that's...."
"Hmm."
"Hooo."
At Million's silence, the people fell into silence as well. That sight frustrated Million. He had gathered people to discuss things, but everyone was just gauging each other's reactions and rolling their eyes—gathering together like this had no meaning at all.
'Though truthfully, there's nothing they could do even if they did speak.'
He couldn't blame them either, since he was just as short of a suitable solution himself.
"Million, earlier you seemed to know someone there...."
"Hmm, they were friends I often met when using the temporary shelter during hunting trips."
"Are their words really true?"
"Hmm."
It was only natural that various thoughts raced through their minds. However, if they hadn't known their military strength, that would be one thing, but having witnessed it right before their eyes, there was no reason for them to stage a play just to absorb them. And the smiles of Beron and Hawk among the cheering people, as seen through Million's eyes, were genuine.
"Just in case, if we ask to meet them...."
"Ah, would that even work?"
"That doesn't make sense."
"Excuse me...."
A young man who had been on lookout duty ran up to the people who had scoffed, thinking someone had made a ridiculous suggestion.
"What is it?"
"Two men named Beron and Hawk are here. They’re asking to see Mister Million. What should I tell them?"
"......."
For a moment, words failed everyone.
"So... what should we do?"
"Bring them here."
"Yes."
When Million nodded, the young man ran back. A moment later, Beron and Hawk walked in, their expressions bright.
"Million!"
"Beron! Hawk!"
"You rascal! Thank goodness we weren't too late!"
The three men embraced each other the moment they met, expressing their joy. Having shared their delight, they immediately began checking on each other's well-being.
"Million, is your body all right?"
"I'm perfectly fine."
"Then that's what matters!"
After exchanging greetings, Million immediately asked a question to resolve his own and the villagers' doubts.
"But, Hawk, are you staying together with Beron? No, more importantly, where in the world did those soldiers come from? They absolutely don't look like the army of the Haian Kingdom."
"Ah."
At Million's question, the two men's faces grew slightly somber. At that sight, tension settled over the expressions of the people seated around them. It was then that Beron opened his mouth.
"Our village has already been destroyed."
"Gasp!"
"Just as I thought!"
"Then our village is...."
At Beron's words, the people instantly plunged into commotion. Sensing that his words had caused a slight misunderstanding, Beron urgently spoke again.
"Ah, no, it isn't what you're all thinking. We were saved, rather."
"Beron, what do you mean by that?"
"Everyone, please be quiet."
When Million asked with wide eyes, the commotion subsided and everyone's attention focused on Beron. As if burdened by their stares, Beron scratched the back of his head and showed a smile.
"Haha, well, it seems this will be a long story, so let's sit down and talk."
"Oh dear, we were so flustered we forgot our manners. Please, sit down."
"Hngk!"
Just as he settled his rear onto a seat, a short yelp slipped out of Hawk's mouth. Startled by this, Million asked with a worried expression.
"What! Were you injured or something?"
"Ah... no, that's...."
"Kee-hee."
Hawk, clutching his backside and half-standing awkwardly, felt burdened by Million's excessive worry, while Beron, who knew the secret of Hawk's rear end, stifled his laughter.
"The truth is...."
Beron laid out everything in detail, from the betrayal of the mercenaries they had brought in as a self-preservation measure to the story of Baron Alvin raiding Hawk's village. At that, life began to return to their faces.
"Then if we follow them, our safety...."
"Right!"
As the villagers' faces brightened and hopeful words began to spill out, Beron's expression suddenly hardened. And unlike the warm atmosphere so far, he began to speak in a slightly heavier tone.
"If you think like that, you'll end up nothing but slaves."
"S-Slaves!"
"Slaves, he says!"
The word Beron had spat out cast a shadow back over the people's brightening faces. Million was just as surprised, and he spoke up with a bewildered expression.
"Slaves? What does that mean?"
"Sigh."
As Beron sighed, Hawk spoke up in his place with a bitter expression.
"He means it literally. Everyone from our village except for seven households lives as slaves. Well, even if they're slaves, aside from having a bit more work, they might actually be comfortable—but still, they are clearly slaves."
"I don't understand what you mean at all."
"That is...."
At Million's question, Beron met his eyes and answered.
"At the very least, in Gauri, you have the right to enjoy freedom, but there is also a responsibility that comes with it. And that is, that you must take up the sword."
"The sword?"
"To protect that freedom, you take up the sword, and to win, you band together, an army is formed, and a nation is built. In the end, the component of that nation is me! It means, starting with me, I protect it first so that I can enjoy my rights."
"......."
"That is the reason you must take up the sword."
What came out of Beron's mouth was a shock to them. The concepts of a nation and the reason for taking up the sword were completely novel to them. For them, if the nation pressed a sword into your hand, you had to take it, and if it told you to fight, you had to fight. They had never once attached meaning to it. Someone spoke up with a trembling voice.
"You've been saying 'Gauri' over and over—what exactly is that?"
When a question about Gauri came from somewhere, Beron puffed out his chest and replied.
"It is the place that put a sword in my hand, and the nation I will live in from now on."
"Where in the world is this nation located that...?"
"It's a nation established right here, at the Central Lake of the Reganza Mountains."
"......."
"The Central Lake?"
At Beron's abrupt yet confident tone, the people could do nothing but open their eyes wide. The idea that a nation existed here, in the monster heaven known as the Reganza Mountains, was one thing, but the fact that Beron spoke of it as if it were the most natural thing in the world left them utterly speechless.
They discussed this and that after that, but Million's heart was growing complicated because of the reason for wielding the sword that Beron had mentioned. And, about this nation called Gauri as well....
Wham—!
"Squee-eeal!"
"You damn pig! Let go right now, you bastard!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
"Squeal! Squeal! Squeal! Squee-eeal!"
"It won't let go! Hurry up and tear it off!"
In front of a soldier who had been hammering away with a club for some time lay a beaten orc that was nearly half-dead.
"Dammit."
"Deputy, again?"
"Hoo, these pig bastards make it impossible to take your eyes off them."
At another soldier's words, Buyeo Gi-yul exhaled and answered irritably, club still in hand.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
"Squee-eeal!"
"Good grief."
The sound of clubs striking and the squealing of orcs being beaten echoed through the night air from other directions as well.
There was a reason they were beating the orcs. A problem had arisen after they had herded the orcs to one side. When the orcs hit by the arrows of Eulji Uru's archer unit lay collapsed as if dead, the other orcs had caught and eaten the orcs that were stretched out on the ground.
When Giyul, who was passing by at the time, had seen it, he had never imagined they would eat their own kind. Even though they clearly hadn't been fed, the orcs in one corner were eating something, so he had approached just in case. What he saw then was an orc picked almost completely clean except for its skull, with only bones left.
The orcs thoroughly turned even their dead kin into food, but the Gauri army had no way of knowing, and no way they could have known, about this habit of theirs. What's more, the orcs that were eaten had merely been unconscious and unable to come to their senses.
In the end, the Gauri army had no choice but to strengthen their surveillance not out of concern for the atrocity itself but out of worry over the reduction of their labor force. Yet despite this, the orcs still bit off and devoured the limbs of their fellows who lay collapsed as if dead.