Tactless Fools
One of the halflings had fallen to the Marines this time, corrupted by the Changeling Curse. And it looked like he'd gotten properly pumped up, enough to offer his honor right to me.
"I-is this truly me?!"
"Big brother, it seems Brimbo's speech has changed too."
"Probably because that's exactly how he imagines a Nord."
Brimbo, who had been in the form of a young boy, had transformed into a strapping Nord man, and all the clothes he was wearing had ripped to shreds, leaving him pretty indecent at the moment. But he didn't seem to care a bit as he sent infinite gratitude to Grandmother Helga.
"Great Shaman!!! I shall repay this grace even in death!!"
"Hohohoho, somehow I feel like this halfling has more spirit than the other Nords."
To celebrate his voluntary enlistment, they even gave him the red clothes handed out to the Assai, and he was over the moon. Afterward, Brimbo spread the word to the other halflings about his enlistment. A fierce wave began crashing in their hearts.
"I-is that true!?"
"Then I'll enlist too…"
"Hahaha! Now's our chance, comrades!!"
From the looks of it, Brimbo wasn't the only one idolizing the Marines! Helga had given the okay, so she planned to just inscribe the curse on volunteers. But they all jammed fruit knives into their hands to show their resolve. The other Vikings watched this noble ritual solemnly.
And so, the halflings' Marine-ification began under Grandmother Helga's lead.
Pssshhhhhh!!
"Kiyoooooot!!!"
"I'm quitting being a halfling!!"
"Hahahahaha! This is such a HIGH feeling!!"
Ahh! Behold this touching sight!! Even the Vikings who had been making the halflings work out couldn't hold back their tears.
Clap clap clap clap!!!
"Sniff… Drengg! Is this what emotion feels like?!"
"Those weaklings have become so gallant─!!"
"Damn it!! Halflings!! I believed in you!!"
The halflings who had fallen to the Marines also wept buckets as they swore oaths.
"T-this is the world as seen by Nords…?"
"How can it be this beautiful…."
"Great warriors!! We shall never forget the grace of showing us the path of honor!!!"
"Warriors!! Thank you for teaching us honor!!!"
Soon, we bonded in camaraderie, celebrating the halflings' voluntary enlistments. Of course, there was one person watching this scene who turned pale as a ghost. Liri, the sole female halfling, had been burned white.
"Eh…? Uh-eh? Hweh?"
It was the words of the sister who had watched her little brothers fall to the Marines.
Now that the halflings were wearing red clothes and had become Assai, I asked Grandmother Helga if she wasn't pushing herself too hard.
"Worried about this old lady?"
"That Changeling Curse is basically great shaman-level, right? Of course I'm worried."
"Hohohoho, my grandson is the best, as expected."
Grandmother swept a chilling gaze over the shamans for a moment. Their bodies stiffened even more under that look.
"Tsk tsk tsk, if only these kids here acted even a little cute like my grandson… Anyway, it's what the spirits wanted too, so no need to worry."
"What? The spirits wanted the halflings to enlist voluntarily?"
Were the spirits of this land hardcore types like our ancestors?! What truly enigmatic mythical beings they are. But then Grandmother suddenly suggested I go out on a raid.
"You've built quite a systematic rank structure this time. How about testing it out and doing some scouting for the future?"
"Suddenly?"
Honestly, I wanted to launch a raid just like she suggested. But why was Grandmother Helga trying to send me outside the tribe?
The reason was crystal clear.
"Looks like that Dragon Horn Tribe is heading this way."
"Tch, you caught on right away."
"Don't worry too much, Grandmother. I don't run from hardship."
Father and Riman had kept mentioning the symbolism of the rune hammer. But I wasn't one to fear a crippled dragon.
"If they come, let them. But they'll have to beat me to get what they want."
"That's my grandson, hohohoho."
She seemed greatly relieved by my determined attitude.
"In return, to keep the Dragon Horn Tribe from pulling any stunts, mind if this old lady stays here a bit?"
"Father and Mother would love it. Stay comfortably in the tribe."
"Then excuse me for a while."
Afterward, I explained to Grandmother why I couldn't enter the longhouse right now, and we went to watch the Makgora for corporal positions together. Even if they were from other units, the division commander was watching! Our tribesmen put on a fierce show. Especially Hakon, who didn't want to disappoint his master and used a special technique.
Pok!!
"You're already passed out."
"W-what do you… Arrrghhh!!"
He jabbed his fingers into several points on his opponent's body, and exactly three seconds later, the guy collapsed unconscious. Who knew he had such a finishing move. Grandmother Helga was very pleased with her disciple's display. Before we knew it, night had fallen while watching the Makgora together. There was no way the couple's fight would drag on this long, and it felt wrong to leave Grandmother outside, so we headed straight into the longhouse. Thankfully, seeing the Thanes and Huskarls milling about normally suggested things had wrapped up well….
"Big brother, the vibe between Mother and Father feels… off."
"Little bro, you'll understand right away when you grow up."
"Ahem!! Son!!"
"Hohohoho… Ulfrik, really…."
The two had apparently gone at their reconciliation wrestling very intensely this time. Especially with all those bite marks on Father's neck—who knows how long they went at it. But then Grandmother dropped a bombshell.
"A new life has been conceived this time."
"What?!"
"Great Shaman!! Is that true?!"
M-Mother was pregnant? Tumstone realized he was getting a sibling and couldn't shut his mouth. As everyone congratulated them and Grandmother was about to reveal the gender of our family's newest member….
"Yarl!! The Dragon Horn Tribe has arrived!!"
"Ruining such a good mood."
"If those bastards were gonna show up this late, they should've just stayed home…."
The tactless fools had dumped cold water on everything.
The war with the Northern Imperial Army had ended. Not through negotiation, but by force.
"The Imperial Army was completely wiped out, not a single one left?"
"And it looks like they've even finished all the funerals."
"Damn it all!!!" Bam!!!
The Dragon Horn Tribe had hoped to regain some authority in this war somehow. But their carrier pigeons and messengers had all been pierced and killed by something. Of course, even in decline, they were once a mighty royal house. Temporary Yarl Arjen quickly figured out who was behind this bizarre event.
'L-Leydal!! Why the hell would you!!'
Even as the yarls staged their coup, the silent Black Raven Tribe had blocked their path forward. The current situation made no sense, but what was done was done. The royal house began searching for their next move to reclaim power.
"First off, the Bear Claw Tribe, which grew rapidly in this war, has boldly declared itself one of the top four tribes."
"The yarls who participated in the war seem to have acknowledged it."
"Tch, so we're not even on their radar anymore."
To represent the Nords, a tribe needed not just size, but something special: rune magic, mystical archery, shamanism, and so on. And the Bear Claw Tribe fulfilled every condition.
"Berserks…."
"I can't understand the ancestors' favoritism."
"Hundreds of them, not just one."
Thus, the Bear Claw Tribe had boldly emerged as a new powerhouse in the Sacred Land. They were a thorn in the side, but ignoring the tide of the times would be foolish. Arjen sent envoys with various gifts and negotiation proposals to the Bear Claw Tribe.
A few days later, the envoys arrived only at night and couldn't help but be flustered.
"Kiyoooooot!!"
"One more! One more!!"
"You got corporal this time, right?! Makgora right now!!"
"Hahaha! Come at me!!"
Yes, it wasn't like this last time…? The envoys were utterly dumbfounded by the completely changed Bear Claw Tribe. Still, the Yarl leading this tribe hadn't changed, so they could soon meet Ragna in the longhouse. Except, seated to Ragna's right on the high seat was Great Shaman Helga, and to his left was Ulfrik.
'Wh-why is the Great Shaman here?!'
'Damn, are they trying to obstruct us again?'
'No way they're backing the Bear Claw Tribe this whole time….'
The envoys found the Great Shaman Helga, more authoritative than even the king, extremely troublesome. Ulfrik scowled fiercely at the envoys.
They showed up ridiculously late but moved like slugs. Everyone else in the longhouse besides me was seriously pissed too. Anyway, the envoys droned on with boring, pretentious rhetoric before finally stating their purpose.
"How about forming a marriage alliance between our tribes?"
"What?"
"Huh?"
The unexpected proposal brought a brief silence to the longhouse. For starters, those guys─
'Grandson, those kids are aiming for you.'
'Ah, Grandmother, give a heads-up next time?'
I was startled by Helga's sudden telepathy. There's a saying: to catch a general, first capture his horse.
'Pulling every trick to get the rune hammer.'
'Hohohoho, they seem to have put some real thought into it.'
But what a letdown!! I thought they'd charge right at me, but they pull some imperial political scheme?! And the story that followed was even more outrageous. Naturally, Father had no intention of handing over me, the top bachelor prize.
"Ulfrik is the eldest son of our house. And he proved himself in the last war. He has more than enough right to marry whom he loves."
"That's truly a shame…."
"Then, Ragna, what about your youngest?"
Door in the Face—start with an excessive demand to get rejected, then present the real goal. That's the negotiation tactic they were deploying now?!
'What despicable trickery!!'
'Hmm, my grandson sees through their ploy right away—not to be underestimated.'
And so the meeting only piled up more dislike.