Sacred Land (2)
Empire stragglers tried to loot Ulfrik's group—and got caught red-handed. Naturally, the ones who went in first screamed their heads off and mostly died on the spot. The ones in the back at least chose to run.
One burly empire soldier, pale with terror, broke into the sprint of his life. But the situation looked real bad.
Thwack!!"Gahaaaa!!""Kreeee!!"
Horrific screams echoed from behind. Normally, you'd never look back. But an overwhelming presence in the wind made the soldier instinctively turn his head.
Musclebound freaks in nothing but red underwear stared at him with soulful eyes as they pursued.
'N-nooo!!' He didn't want to get caught by those guys!!!
Seized by an incomprehensible, primal terror, the empire soldier screamed as he bolted through the dark woods.
But the heavens weren't on his side.
Thud!!
"Guh?!"
"Huh? What the—?!"
"Whoa~ Money just rolled right in~?"
With the war raging, bandits were rampant in the already lawless far north. The soldier had stumbled right into one of those Nordic bandit crews lurking in the woods.
"Hahaha! Told ya today was our lucky day!"
"Right?!"
"Heh heh, so whaddaya say we do with this guy?"
"Chop off his limbs and feed 'em to the wolves?"
"Eek?!"
The bandits leered maniacally, plotting their fun with the soldier—until
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!!
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Uhmm…"
The red-underwear muscle freaks appeared right in front of the bandits.
"…………."
"…………."
"…………."
An awkward, embarrassing silence hung over everyone for a moment.
The bandits, who'd been grinning like psychos, glanced back and forth between the soldier and the freaks, then slyly sheathed their weapons. Suddenly sane, they just wanted out of there fast.
But the soldier, trembling all over, had a flash of insight. He'd crunched the numbers—and charged straight at the bandits instead.
"I-I'd rather die by you guys!!"
"Hey!! You crazy—!!"
"Hiii?!"
Right now, those psycho freaks were gunning for the soldier. But he'd rather take a normal death from the bandits. The bandits freaked out and bolted from him.
And so, under the moonlight, an impromptu game of deadly tag kicked off.
Mid-flight, the apparent bandit leader bellowed at the soldier chasing them.
"If you wanna die so bad, just man up and do it!!!"
"I don't wanna go to hell!!!"
"What a useless pack of sky gods!!!"
The "big decision" was the greatest sin among those preached by the sky gods. The bandits started cursing gods they didn't even believe in.
In the end, the blaspheming bandits and soldier exhausted themselves completely—and got nabbed by the red-underwear muscle freaks.
Soon, the freaks' apparent leader addressed the bandits.
"What tribe are you from?"
"W-we're a nameless little clan!!"
"That's right!! The empire invaded, so we were just running—!!"
Desperate to survive the unknown horror, the bandits spewed excuses. Naturally, their freak leader—Ulfrik—didn't buy a word.
Instead, he offered their one shot at survival.
"Enlist in Bear Claw Tribe right now!!"
"Pardon?!"
"C-can we really do that?"
Ulfrik's enlistment pitch was a golden ticket for the bandits. Wipe the slate clean, step onto an honorable path—and join the hottest tribe in the far north, Bear Claw.
Seeing hope light up in their eyes, Ulfrik grinned and tossed them something.
"I'm Ulfrik Ragnarson, warrior of Bear Claw Tribe. Show 'em that token, and they'll take you in."
"D-Drenggr Ulfrik?!"
"No way, the famous one… here of all places."
Caught off guard, the bandits accepted and headed for Bear Claw Tribe. Sure, they might bail midway. But Ulfrik figured once he and his warriors got back, they'd meet some fresh asses to kick.
"By the way, Ulfrik sir, what about this soldier?"
"Tch, thought he was some empire noble. Just a grunt. Sorry, so send him comfy to the afterlife."
"W-wait, if that's how it is, why the whole chase—!!!"
Kraaaaa!!
The soldier wailed at Nordic brutality, but in the end, all his sins forgiven, he departed for heaven.
Having crushed the failed looters and routed stragglers, Ulfrik's group returned to camp.
Hakon and some warriors guarding it welcomed them warmly.
"But why'd you come back empty-handed? Couldn't grab any weapons…."
"If we'd slipped, some would've gotten away. Anyway, camp's too bloody to crash clean."
"Tch, yeah."
"Drenggr sir, it's got character. Sleeping rough ain't bad."
The camp was a bloodbath, troubling Ulfrik's crew—but they had spoils.
"S-send a letter to my house, they'll pay ransom! Treat me like a proper POW!!"
"Who the hell started this ransom crap?"
"Talk about a noble way too into his war games."
"Tch, classic empire."
An empire noble had been among the camp raiders. Ulfrik had zero interest in his ransom talk.
"War's on—getting paid'll take forever. You want me to drag around a parasite like you?"
"B-but—!!"
"Plus, no way to know if you're lying."
Decision: Squeeze info fast, then heaven-bound.
As Ulfrik pondered extraction, the Huscarls made an offer.
"Ulfrik sir, hand this empire scum to us?"
"And we'll take those three trainees too."
"No need to dirty your hands…."
"No, sir. It's necessary work."
Ulfrik pondered, sighed deep, then relented. The baffled trainees followed the Huscarls.
Deep in the woods, the Huscarls emotionlessly shoved something into the noble's mouth.
Glurk!! Glurk!!
"Mmph!! Mmph!! Mmmph!!!"
"""…………."""
Something was about to happen. The trainees realized quick—but the Huscarls spoke calmly as they worked.
"The glorious path always casts shadows."
"Dirty, ugly business."
"But… necessary."
For their lord Ulfrik, walking the glorious path, the Huscarls tested how far the trainees would go.
Their resolute answer was set.
"Everything… sir."
"If it aids the Drenggr's path, anything."
"My honor belongs to him already."
"…Good."
"Ready?"
Nod….
Bright light inevitably breeds dark shadow. The trainees learned to bloody their hands.
The empire troops raided our camp this time. We turned it around and stripped 'em instead. Thanks to yesterday's work, we got a haul of intel.
"Handled clean?"
"Sent him painless at the end."
"Good enough. The trainees?"
"Said they were going for a walk."
Even with their odd streaks, yesterday's job must never get routine. Gotta prep gifts for those future-hardened trainees.
"Anyway, who were these empire invaders?"
"Interrogation says northern empire nobles."
"Motive's crystal clear."
"You raided that small city smooth, right Ulfrik sir? These guys got glory-blind and poked the hornet's nest."
"Tch tch tch… Little bird following the stork gets its legs ripped. Proverb on a winning streak today."
Fighting spirit and foolhardy bravado are worlds apart. But these half-assed clowns' stunt convinced northern empire nobles our land was worth hitting?
"Odds of reinforcements from other empire regions?"
"Slim."
"Odd bit: Northern overlord Duke Erven sat this out."
"Some marquis is leading instead."
"Sheesh, just a marquis?"
How much did they underestimate us Nordics and this land to pick that? Good for Bear Claw Tribe, though.
"Setting our course here. First, Hakon? Keep tracking Helga granny's position."
"I'll try to avoid overlapping paths with master and ours."
"Good. We spread the battlefield wide."
Empire crushed minor tribes and clans without yarls. Homeless now, they're wandering like free agents on the FM market.
Like yesterday's bunch, we'll scoop 'em all into our tribe.
"Thinking long-term, Drenggr?"
"Gotta max the tribe while we can."
"Warehouses and supplies are stocked—perfect timing."
"Yeah. And now, the finale!!"
Thud!!!
"We rally allies and hit the invasion's heart!!"
"""Yaaaaah!!"""
Simple's the truth!! To win a war, just lop off the head!! Since we're rampaging anyway, let's blow this board wide open!!
As Ulfrik and his warriors moved to expand the game,
A yarl draped in massive white wolf pelt faced the empire troops.
"Jeha hahahaha!! The empire just shows up outta nowhere?!"
"Right, pops!!"
"Whaddya think, big bro?!"
"Our boys been lookin' scrawny—perfect timing!!!"
One of the Nordics' mighty top three tribes. White Wolf Tribe's yarl.
Riman Stormwolfson roared with laughter, charging the empire with his rough warriors.
The ambushed empire troops panicked hard.
Krunchhh!!
"I-ice on the weapons?!"
"Dammit!! Don't touch those weapons!!"
"Jeha hahaha! Too late, empire!!"
Runes flared on Riman's massive axe swing, unleashing a brutal blizzard.
As Riman and White Wolf wielded unique rune magic to shred the empire—
Kabooom!!
"Huh? What's that now?"
"Beats me…?"
Blue lightning suddenly hammered the empire's rear.
Another tribe jumping in? One way to find out.
"I'll go check myself!!"
"Bring it back, big bro!!!"
"Don't hog 'em all!!!"
Brimming with curiosity, Riman plunged through the battlefield.