Chapter 177

Chapter 177

"B-barbarian."

Georg whispered, not wanting to die. Urich nodded in satisfaction and placed the axe blade on Georg's shoulder.

"Yes, the barbarian you’ve all been waiting for is finally here."

Urich joked, holding Georg's nape loosely and baring his teeth.

"I-I am a slave. I-I’m not a soldier here."

"I can tell from your clothes. That's why I targeted you. You see, I see pretty well in the dark."

Urich and the Blue Mist warriors had descended the mountains and passed through Yailrud. They had silently eliminated a patrol unit they encountered along the way.

After crossing the mountains via Yailrud, the warriors were on standby in the distant forest, and Urich infiltrated the Arten outpost alone. He knew the layout of the outpost, but many parts had changed due to the expansion work that had been done. There was now even a moat under the wooden fence, making it difficult to enter without going through the fortress gate.

"Are you finally invading?"

"Why would I tell you that? Just lead me to the gate, and I'll spare your life."

Urich urged Georg. Strangely, Georg remained calm.

"Over there, there should be soldiers on patrol right now. This side is where the slave tents are located, guarded by two soldiers at the entrance."

Georg laid out the soldiers' locations in detail. Urich was the one surprised this time and stared at Georg.

"You’re helping me?"

"Well, I have my reasons. Anyway, that’s that, but you're fluent in Hamelian."

"I have my reasons too."

Urich scanned Georg from head to toe.

‘He’s skin and bones from not eating properly. And has lots of bruises.’

It was clear to Urich that Georg had been treated poorly.

"There are two hundred soldiers and five hundred slaves here," Georg said as he crouched behind a tent.

"Are you talking about the slave soldiers?"

"That’s five hundred slaves ready to revolt at any time given the signal. The imperial army did not keep their promise of freedom."

Georg said as he gritted his teeth. He wasn't interested in why or how Urich spoke the language of the empire.

‘It's important that a barbarian who we can communicate with is here.’

Even if the slaves helped the imperial army against the barbarians, there was nothing for them to gain. They would either die from the labor or, if a battle broke out, be used as human shields by the imperial army.

"If you're going to attack this place, I'll help."

"...Are you serious? You are aware that I’m a barbarian, aren’t you?"

"If I persuade them, most of the slaves will revolt. All I ask in return is that you promise us freedom. This war isn't ours. We were forcibly brought here to fight against our wills."

Urich believed Georg's words. He knew how slaves were treated in the civilized world. They were treated no better than livestock.

"Lead the way." Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

Urich followed Georg to the tents where the slaves were sleeping.

Crack.

Urich quickly snapped the necks of two soldiers guarding the entrance. Witnessing Urich's lethal skills, Georg was terrified. Human life was extinguished with such ease.

‘He’s an incredible barbarian. There’s a reason he infiltrated the outpost alone.’

Georg knew that the moment he betrayed Urich, he would meet the same fate. It took Urich no longer than taking in a single breath to kill a person.

"Get up but stay quiet."

There were three slave tents, each housing over a hundred slaves sleeping clumped together.

‘What a pitiful state.’

Urich also clicked his tongue as he looked at the lying slaves. Their conditions were no better than living corpses.

"W-what's happening?"

"Shh, be quiet."

Georg quietly woke the slaves, one by one, silencing them. They squirmed in the darkness, focusing on Georg's words.

"The barbarians are about to invade."

"W-what did you say?"

"Keep your voice down."

"W-we're all going to die, aren't we? W-we have to run away."

While the slaves were chattering, Urich stood behind Georg. Urich's shadow was significantly large. Just by his build alone, he didn't look like a starved slave.

"I'm Urich, the so-called barbarian you've been talking about."

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers passed by Georg, chattering among themselves.

Georg wolfed down the hardtack, nearly choking on it. Once the soldiers had moved away, he returned to where Urich was.

"That was impressive."

Urich was genuinely admiring how Georg handled the situation by improvising.

"The first lie might be doubted, but a second lie mixed with truth is not so easily questioned."

"You're a liar then. I shouldn’t trust you."

"I may be great at lying, but I’m not a liar."

Georg corrected Urich with a faint smile on his face. They approached the armory, evading the patrol.

"I haven't gotten your name yet."

Urich grabbed a weapon and said to Georg.

"It’s Georg Artur."

"Artur? Are you a noble?"

"Nope, it's a surname I made up."

"Hmm, you’re an eccentric. Well, who cares."

Urich surveyed the surroundings. He took advantage of the moment when other patrols were not looking and swiftly slit the throats of two guards stationed in front of the armory. It was an assassination as silent as a cat and as ruthless as a storm.

Splash!

Covered in blood, Urich dragged the bodies to a shadowed area.

Creeeaaak.

Georg opened the armory and entered. Inside were not only the gleaming standard-issue weapons of the imperial army but also various crudely made arms piled up.

"I'll call the others to arm themselves from the armory. The main gate is straight ahead from here. Urich, when we start the uprising, the forces at the main gate will swiftly be drawn here as well."

"... I’ll see you again if we’re both alive after the battle."

Georg watched Urich disappear back into the shadows.

‘What a remarkable barbarian, coming in here alone.’

It was no ordinary courage. The imperial army would never see it coming that there was a western barbarian so fluent in the imperial language.

‘I am going to be a free man. And then...’

Georg clenched his fist. There was something he needed to do.

* * *

The Blue Mist warriors were waiting in a forest away from the outpost. They desperately wanted to light a fire but resorted to sharing their body heat with each other instead to avoid being caught out by the enemies.

"We shouldn’t have sent Urich alone. This is too reckless, even for the Son of the Earth."

The available force of the Blue Mist warriors was around five hundred. Over a hundred had died, and most of the survivors were not in a condition to fight. Several needed amputations of legs and arms, and among them, there were many who were not going to survive much longer. Just as Urich predicted, not even half would return in one piece.

‘We didn’t even cross the mountain's peaks and we’re in this state. How in the world did Urich do it?’

Had the warriors attempted to cross the peaks, they wouldn’t have avoided annihilation. There was a reason the mountains had long been taboo.

"Truly, without the heavens' permission, one cannot directly cross the mountains."

The warriors murmured. Their crossing of the mountains was solely thanks to Yailrud. The great bridge built by human hands defied the heavens' will, allowing the passage of humans in and out of the mountains.

"Urich is the Son of the Earth. We shouldn't measure him with our standards. He’s just like Samikan."

The Blue Mist warriors spared no praise for Urich.

"Even so, to go in there all alone..."

"Urich told us he could do it. Trust him. Doubting Urich is the same as doubting our Great Chief Samikan."

"But Urich already lost in battle once before, and that was also in the mountains. The Son of the Earth doesn't always win."

That single defeat in the mountains became a blot on Urich's sacredness.

The Blue Mist warriors waited anxiously in the forest for Urich's signal.

"If he manages to open the gates of that fortress by himself..."

The warriors fell silent, gazing up at the dense stars.

Beeeeeeeeep!

Urich's whistling arrow whistled long and loud. The warriors grabbed their weapons and stood up, having eagerly awaited just this signal.

"...Let's go, brothers. Urich is waiting for us."

The warriors roared and cut through the forest.