Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Presently, Friend
It was a land without name .
An minuscule piece of land slightly southeast of Red Dragon's Lower Jaw .
An enclave of the Kingdom of the Dragon King .
A scattered few impoverished villages, a crumbling fort with no lord in residence .
There were several reasons why it was so desolated .
One is its proximity with the deep jungle .
An ancient dragon’s curse, or perhaps due to the dust storms from the Begaritto Continent, the nearby jungle hosts many terrifying monsters in its depth .
Even the most experienced adventurers have lost their lives venturing into its depth .
Yet the other nations in the Red Dragon’s Lower Jaw still coveted this land .
If any other power sent a force sufficient to tame the land, they'd surely interfere .
Of course, none could openly confront the Kingdom of the Dragon King .
But nor would they allow the Kingdom of the Dragon King to so easily occupy such a strategic location .
Moreover, dispatching sufficient forces to tame the land would certainly create a diplomatic incident with the Asura Kingdom .
It’s also so distant from the Kingdom of the Dragon King heartland .
If not cutting straight through the dense jungle, the only path to this territory from the Kingdom of the Dragon King is a long detour around the Red Dragon mountain ranges .
No matter how powerful the Kingdom of the Dragon King is, transiting a large military force through neutral territories takes a great deal of political capital .
In some cases, it’ll require monetary payoff as well .
While cutting through the jungles avoided the political cost, the tradeoff was the lives of many soldiers instead .
Various other reasons as well…
In any case, the Kingdom of the Dragon King has tried to develop this land time-and-time again and ended in failure .
To such a land, a man had been dispatched as its new lord .
His name, Pax Shione Jr .
With him, a dozen or so subordinates .
The numbers were too few .
Previous lords would arrive with hundreds of retainers, servants, and soldiers .
But his retinue was few in numbers .
Yet he was received warmly by the steward of the fort .
Doesn’t matter if the new lord will eventually run away, get himself killed, or lose interest altogether, at least he wouldn’t be so pointless as a steward without a master anymore . More importantly, the new lord of this desolate place is a member of the royal family . His head would surely go flying if he failed to treat the new lord with the utmost courtesy .
But Pax turned out more grounded and brilliant than the steward expected .
First, he united his people .
He had the few retainers he brought along recruit from the impoverished villagers . Selecting those with talent and motivation for education and training, bringing them under his patronage .
Despite offering little in compensation, there were many young people in the villages who didn't want to be stuck there all their lives, and Pax managed to attract more youths than anticipated .
Pax then contacted the lumberjack guild in a neighboring country and sold the lumber in his territory at a discount .
Normally, lumber from other countries would be very costly due to border tariffs .
But this lumber could be priced cheaply, because its sale was kept secret from his mother country .
No one could complain, with Pax the highest local authority around .
Then Pax assigned his new workforce to guard the lumberjacks .
Cheaply .
Cheap lumber, cheap escorts .
Using the profit to hire additional cheap labor from neighboring countries to develop the land cleared by the lumberjacks .
It’s initially tough going .
The young people from the impoverished villages were basically useless, and the ones hired cheaply were just as incapable .
Several times, Pax appeared in person to instruct them . Sometimes even fighting off monsters, protecting them with his own two hands .
The tough times continued .
Slowly and surely, Pax succeeded in gradually expanding and developing his territory, launching one initiative after another .
At times there were troubles, but Pax resolved each of them one by one .
As a result, the scale of the business gradually increased, and the funds and human resources have grown to a surplus .
It was smooth sailing .
Until one day, a lumberjack squad died mysteriously .
An eerie death .
Everyone laid prone at the base of a tree, with a large hole in their chest .
Their escorts with a similar fate .
When discovered, everyone thought it was a monster .
A monster attacked and destroyed the party .
There was evidence of scavenging . While rare for monsters to eat human remains, it’s not unheard of .
It happens .
Even for the powerful lumberjack guild, even when well escorted, stuff like this was commonplace .
That's why the local people fear the jungle .
Then the incident repeated .
Another group of lumberjacks was annihilated .
Even adding additional escorts was to no avail .
Everyone died .
Everyone with a large hole pierced through their chests, lying face down at the base of a tree .
Not a monster .
Someone was the culprit .
Someone killed the strong lumberjacks and their escorts, and dragged them to the base of the tree .
A murder who kills for fun?
Or someone who wished to cripple the expanding territory?
The lumberjack guild stated that they’ll no longer send squads into the jungle until the mysterious deaths were resolved .
Therefore, Pax needed to investigate .
Fortunately, as a result of his previous policies, there was some room in his budget .
Pax used it to hire veterans from the neighboring mercenary guild, and had them escort him to investigate in person .
His original retainers were all sent by Rudeus .
They were all talented and followed Pax’s instructions .
Still, he didn’t make use of them here, because he was worried that there would be a saboteur in their mix .
If he didn’t weed them out now, it could stall out his plans .
Pax investigated numerous times .
He made a detailed map of the jungle and marked where each lumberjack squad had died .
Among the mercenaries were those skilled in information gathering, so Pax had them conduct background checks of his retainers and for any suspicious movements .
Fortunately, there was no traitor working under Pax .
Finally, a clue to the cause of death .
He noticed the trees where the lumberjacks died and laid down had something in common .
They were all Bashikara trees over a century old
These rare trees only grew in numbers in the dense jungles in this area, so their lumber could be sold for top dollars .
Some of the trees were even older, among them there were giants over four centuries old . That was why it wasn’t immediately obvious that they were the same species .
However, one of his men was familiar with forestry and determined that they were the same type of tree .
Pax, thinking that the tree might be a clue, decided to take a branch home .
By the time he realized, they were already surrounded .
Surrounding them were people with dark skin, wearing primitive clothing .
They accused Pax, "How dare you to break branches of the sacred tree!"
They said in Fight God Language .
Pax recognized the language and tried to apologize .
But his escorts did not .
Surrounded by hostile enemies that they didn’t understand, they drew their swords without waiting for Pax's instructions, fought, and were annihilated .
Even after losing his entire escort, Pax still tried to open dialogue with his opponents .
He tried to explain that he’s from the Kingdom of the Dragon King and apologized for violating their territory and damaging their trees .
If possible, let’s establish a peaceful relationship .
He offered .
But when they heard that Pax was the leader, they bound him up eagerly .
Pax was taken deep into the jungle .
It was their settlement .
Only those with dark skin and dark hair lived there .
Pax recalled from school lessons of a tribe from the Begaritto Continent that matched their description . They must be the indigenous population of the jungle, but that knowledge didn’t improve his predicament in any way .
Pax was dragged before the tribal chief .
The chief did not offer Pax an opportunity to explain himself either .
Informed that he’s the leader of the people that defiled the sacred groves, their chief declared that he would be sacrificed upon the next full moon to appease their gods .
They threw Pax into a wooden cell in the center square of the settlement .
Water was provided, but no food, as a form of cleansing before a divine offering .
At night, the village witch doctor would light bonfires and worship in a frenzy before him .
And thus, many days passed .
Pax attempted to escape several times, but the wooden cell was surprisingly well-built .
Even if he managed to escape, the settlement's warriors were all stronger than Pax, and they have the home field advantage .
He would never make it .
Then the day of the full moon arrived .
Pax was dragged out of his cell by a mighty warrior and presented to the village assembly before a bonfire on his knee, then pushed face down to the ground .
Pax struggled when he saw the dagger in the hands of the worshiping witch doctor .
He cried out .
Shouting I can't die here, help me .
Listing reasons why he must live, reasons why he wants to live .
And finally, desperately he begged for life .
But they were ruthless .
After finishing his prayer, the witch doctor pressed his dagger against Pax's back, right above the heart .
Readying his muscles to pierce his---
□
"Wait!"
A voice echoed .
A booming voice .
The witch doctor stopped involuntarily, distracted by the noise, and the villagers gathered in the square were stunned as well .
Their warriors scanned the surroundings, searching for the source .
However, it was in the depth of the night, even under a full moon .
From the open ground lit by the bonfire, you cannot see into the forest .
Then the tribal chief stepped forward and shouted:
"Who is it?”
"Eh? Fight God Language . . . ? Um, eh . . . "
He murmured something .
Tracing that noise, several warriors discovered its origin .
It was from above .
Standing upon a treetop, outlined by the full moon .
The warriors readied their spears, pointing torches toward him .
A traveler .
Hemp cloak, ragged pants .
And a worn sword .
The looks of a traveler you can meet anywhere .
Except for the head .
Wearing a jet-black helmet on his head .
A full-face helmet with a crescent emblem engraved on the forehead .
Seeing the strange getup, the villagers stopped their movements and sighed .
"Who am I? hailing from the distant Magic City Sharia, for thousands of miles I traveled to rescue my dear friend . . . ”
The man in the helmet paused briefly .
Briefly lost for what to say for a moment .
But soon, he continued .
Looking a little chippy .
“His confidant, Sieghart!”
Hearing this name, this voice .
Pax opened his eyes wide .
"Bam!"
With a shout, Sieg leaped and spin-jumped onto the center square .
"I have kept you waiting, Pax!"
"Sieg . . . ! Why? Here . . . "
"Long story short, an informant gave me your rough location for a little cash . Then after arriving in the general area, using Sensei’s tracking techniques… It wasn’t hard to find this place . ”
Sieg explained casually, but in reality he impatiently rushed here .
In truth, when he heard from the steward that Pax went missing, his sights started to darken . When he found rotting corpses under the Bashkara tree, his world went completely dark .
He continued tracking, with a pounding heart, only to barely arrive in time .
Had he been late for a few moments, he would have missed it .
"I don't know who you are, but to interrupt our sacred ritual--"
"I am a disciple of the North God Kalman III, “North Emperor” Sieghart! I came as a guardian of my friend Pax! If you want to kill my friend, you must defeat me first!”
Sieg’s booming voice drowned out the village chief, echoing through the surroundings .
His voice full of confidence, which the surrounding warriors interpret as "performing a sacred ritual without defeating the guardian warrior would be an affront to God . "
And hearing his title, North Emperor, ignited their fighting spirit .
The two warriors holding down Pax released their hands and began to drum the ground with the end of their spears .
Following their lead, other warriors began drumming the ground with spears in unison .
Seeing this, the village chief was forced to bite his lips and shout:
"My name is Polpel, chief of the Ubaba Tribe! North Emperor Sieghart! I swear to the gods that our warriors will defeat you and slay the evil one who defiled our sacred grove!”
"Then allow me to introduce myself once more! Chief Polpel of the Ubaba Tribe, I am North Emperor Sieghart! I swear upon the name of my great father Rudeus! After defeating your warriors with my own sword, please become a friend of Pax!”
"Huh?"
“?”
Above both Pax and the village chief’s heads, question marks floated .
They did not understand the intent of Sieghart's vow .
However, the chief nodded, as to quickly tide over the ridiculous demand .
Drumming the ground with his spear, he shouted once more .
"Good! Then let the loser keep the winner's vow! We swear to all the spirits of the world that we shall uphold our sacred vows!”
" . . . I swear!”
“I, Chief Polpel of the Ubaba Tribe, also swear!”
While Pax was still flabbergasted, the village chief had already made his vows .
“Then, Great Warrior Herpel, step forth . ”
Don, Don, the warriors drummed the ground .
Not only the warriors, but all the people in the settlement pounded their feet in anticipation .
The warrior sitting beside the village chief .
Even on Sieg’s arrival he had remained unmoved .
But after heralded and beckoned by the assembly, with a spear clutched he finally stood .
A tall man, full of muscle .
Perhaps 2 meters or more in height .
When he arrived before Sieg, there was almost the difference between an adult and a child .
But Sieg was not afraid .
He folded his arms in defiance and looked up at him .
“I announce myself a third time . I am North Emperor Sieghart! Guardian of Pax, with whom we swore to live and die together!”
"My name is Herpel, proud warrior of Ubaba! I’m the one who will defeat you!”
Herpel's voice ranged as loudly as Sieg .
The voice, combined with the surrounding drumming, made Herpel look even more intimidating and looming .
Pax became anxious .
The circumstances, and his fatigue after days of drinking only water, made him nervous .
"Sieg . . . "
"Pax, be reassured . I'm invincible . I’ll be victorious even against the strongest foe . "
“I’ve never seen you so confident even during our time as students, that’s why I’m so worried . ”
“Then let’s blow away your worries . ”
Sieg said, placing a hand on the shaft of his sword .
The dark blade of a great sword glowed faintly from the bonfire .
This child… no, this average-sized swordsman, wielded the heavy weight of hi sword with unusual ease .
The sword "Moon Glitter" .
Sieg unsheathed the sword with ease with one hand, then held it with both hands .
Holding the sword straight, he stood posed .
"I’m coming!"
Although their language was different, Herpel understood his intent .
No words needed between warriors .
Herpel held his spear by his hips, roared, rushing fore .
"Goaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Sieg’s voice overcame Herpel’s roar .
Then they collided .
It wasn't their weapons that struck .
It was their shoulder .
Their pose, even their tactics, the same .
Not totally understandable .
Herpel could read him .
Reading Sieg’s intent, to blow away his opponent with blunt force shoulder tackle, then quickly deliver the killing blow .
Yet he stood his ground .
As if to say, “for a puny warrior like you, I’d blow you away instead . ”
“! ?”
At the moment of contact, he saw a steep cliff .
The moment of impact, he had thought of plunging down the bottom of a deep chasm .
But it quickly turned out to be an illusion .
Because cliffs don't return with momentum .
"Ahh!?”
Herpel found himself spinning in midair before smashing into the ground .
Having been large bodied from an young age, he had only been felled three times in his life .
The first when he first trained with his father, when he was young and knocked down .
The second time when he was young and eager, when he challenged a giant monster sized three times his own and flung away .
This was the third time .
Ever since he was fully grown and recognized as an Ubaba warrior, never once was he beaten .
Even more so by an opponent smaller than himself .
Fell on his bottom he saw before him a desperate sight .
The figure of Sieg, his muscles bulging and tense, readied to release his power .
With his sword held by his waist, drooping toward the ground, he inched forward .
“North God Style Mystery!”
Herpel did not understand the meaning of his words .
But he could sense something terrible coming .
"Moonlight Split!"
Sieg's sword swung .
From the bottom up, as if to split him in two .
The slash, as if using the ground as a sheath, was faster, more powerful, and more overwhelmingly destructive than any Herpel has ever witnessed .
The shockwave came .
The slash, as if splitting the air in two, gave Herpel his first life experience of being blown away from a shockwave .
The surrounding warriors and villagers were similarly swept away .
The momentum of the shock wave did not cease, shattering the bonfire, blowing it far away .
The momentum turned into twin tornadoes, reached the village chief house beyond the bonfire, crumbling it into piles of wood .
They landed on a big tree way back and made a loud, creaking noise .
Finally, an open space remained .
The bonfire extinguished, only the light of the full moon illuminated the darkened space .
It was quiet .
In that quiet space, only Sieg stood .
Sieg's sword pointing towards the heavens, shining in the moonlight .
"Do you see? This is my power! The power of Pax's friend!"
He thrust his sword on the ground and shouted .
But there was no one around .
Just Sieg .
Because both Pax and the village chief were also blown away .
Finally, a shadow approached him .
A giant man with dark skin .
Herpel of the Ubaba Tribe .
With some difficulty he walked up to Sieg, holding his upper arm still that was broken by the impact .
"Why didn't you kill me . . . "
"Because I swore in my father’s name, to defeat you and befriend you with Pax . I do not kill my friends . ”
" . . . I admit defeat . "
Herpel said, kneeling down, hanging his head . Their surroundings began abuzz .
Those who had been blown away returning .
Warriors, villagers, the village chief, and Pax .
To witness .
The moment of kneeling, the moment of defeat of a Ubaba warrior .
Pax and the village chief walked toward them .
" . . . The duel has concluded . It is our defeat . I shall respect our vows and forgive your Lord . You may go . ”
The village chief said with a grim face .
The battle of Sieg and Herpel .
A result every warrior on the ground can recognize .
Sieg beat Herpel by force, without signs of treachery .
A clear win or loss without a doubt .
"The next time we meet, let’s fight again with the full spirit of our warriors . ”
But this is not the end .
Today, they lost this duel .
But if we return and try to cut down the sacred tree once more, the battle will start anew .
Even though the village chief and his warriors both bore witness to Sieg’s strength, they’re a proud people .
"Village chief . That was not my vow . '
" . . . ? “
It was Sieg that complained of the result .
"I ask you to become Pax's friend . "
"…Friend?”
"Friends and allies . Polpel, chief of the Ubaba Tribe . Please cooperate with us as friends, and we shall avoid things our friends hate as well . ”
An unilateral demand .
A surprise to Pax as well .
Makes him want to ask, “why are you deciding this on your own?”
But this wasn't a bad deal for Pax .
They are a strong people, with intimate knowledge of the jungle .
With their cooperation, they will surely become a powerful ally for the future of the territory .
The jungle is a place to reclaim, but there are ways to utilize the jungle without clear cutting the land .
Some clearing might be unavoidable, but based on the conversation thus far, there seemed to be room for negotiation . Aide from those trees deemed sacred, lumbering the land should still be possible since they can converse in Fight God Language .
For the tribal chief, there’s little benefit .
Until now, this tribe has lived on the land without inconvenience .
Pax was the so-called invader that they have tried to fight off .
There was no reason to join hands .
But the chief swore an oath .
Swore to all the spirits that govern this world .
The winner’s vow .
It was of the utmost importance to Ubaba .
"Then we shall . From this day forth the Ubaba Tribe are friends with Pax . We shall be allies! “
The chief loudly proclaimed .
Thus, the Ubabas became Pax's friends .
"Now, a banquet to witness those who became friends! “
“…”
"And when we’re done, rebuild my broken house!”
And that evening, a feast between strong-armed friends was held .
□
After the rather abrupt feast, Pax and the Ubabas quickly negotiated a simple treaty between their two peoples .
Afterwards, led by the warriors back to his fort, Pax asked Sieg .
"Well, Sieg . . . I wonder if I'm dreaming . "
"Dreaming?"
“That my chest was already pierced and you coming was but a fever dream? Everything ended so quickly and smoothly, it’s rather confusing . ”
When Sieg heard the words, he pinched Pax's cheeks nonchalantly .
Pax's soft cheek pulled, causing severe pain .
"It hurts! It hurts! Stop it!"
"If it's a dream, would it hurt?"
"No, the Sieg I know won’t pinch my cheeks, so maybe it’s a dream after all . "
"Time to face reality . ”
Sieg shrugged .
He then put his hand on Pax's shoulder .
"I'm going to reply to that day . "
" . . . Reply to that day?"
"I'm coming with you to fulfill your ambitions . "
Pax was a face of surprise .
As if biting down on something he closed his lips .
Nodding, slightly teary .
"Thank you . . . I knew . . . you would say that . . . "
Pax said as he cried .
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