Barbarian Quest

Chapter 250

The battle between Porcana and the alliance entered a lull. The alliance army looked at Porcana's border fortress as they prepared for the next attack.

"We have about ten days until we face the imperial army," Georg said to Urich, looking at the map.

"So, we need to wrap this up before then," Urich replied.

"Why did you stop the attack, Urich?"

"Something felt off. I saw someone enter their fortress."

"Could it be a messenger from the imperial army?"

"Well, we'll find out soon enough."

Urich smiled as he looked at the fortress. Soon, the fortress gates opened, and a messenger from Porcana approached the alliance camp on horseback.

"We demand to renegotiate," the mounted messenger declared from a distance.

"Renegotiate? It was your side that refused our offer to negotiate in the first place. Are you asking for our mercy now? That’s a little too scummy for my taste," Urich sneered, twirling his axe.

The messenger's face turned pale, and his lips trembled.

"Mercy, Urich, remember mercy."

Gottval, the Sun priest beside Urich, spoke nervously. He wanted to resolve things peacefully somehow. Many people were groaning in pain in these times. The alliance was the key to ending the suffering of the groaning world.

"Prince Varca of Porcana will come out for the negotiation. His Highness said that would get you to agree to the negotiation."

The messenger pulled the reins and circled around. The horse's legs didn't stop, ready to flee at any moment.

"Hah! So that guy was Varca after all! I knew his vibe was different!"

Urich clapped his hands and laughed loudly out of nowhere.

"I remember you too, mercenary leader Urich."

The messenger squinted his eyes. Urich stopped twirling his axe and extended his hand.

"I accept the negotiation. The personnel and time will be the same as before."

"Understood. The same as before."

As soon as he finished speaking, the messenger hurried back to the fortress. Sweat was pouring down his face.

"Georg! Katagi! Rest time! Give the warriors plenty of food and drink to eat and rest."

Katagi approached Urich with a questioning look. He asked, "Great Chief, if they were to attack when we’re resting so openly...."

"It's fine. There won’t be a battle tonight," Urich said with confidence.

That night, Urich stretched out and slept deeply for the first time in a while. Just as he assured, there was no battle. Despite the warriors holding a feast with drinks and meat in plain sight, Porcana's army remained quiet.

Some of Porcana's nobles suggested that they should attack while the alliance was feasting. They thought they had a better chance of defeating a drunken, relaxed army.

"Are they resting because they believe my guarantee...."

Varca sat on the ramparts, looking at the glittering barbarian camp. Their singing could be heard all the way from the fortress.

‘Is it trust in me or is it a trap....’

Varca smiled bitterly. It had been a long time since he and Urich went their separate ways. Even now, four or five years later, was he the same person?

‘As much as I've changed, Urich must have changed too. We were both always growing.’

Back then, both Varca and Urich were just boys. At the end of the day, Urich, even with his warrior skills, was just a bulky barbarian who hadn't even reached twenty. Now, both Varca and Urich were undeniably adults.

‘Adulthood comes with many restrictions on actions.’

They were no longer free. There were too many responsibilities that came with following his heart. Adulthood meant such things. Infinite possibilities narrowed, and there was an obligation to meet the expectations of others.

Creak.

Varca brought a silver wine cup to his lips. It was wine heated with ginger in it. As his body warmed, sleepiness washed over him. The accumulated fatigue pressed on his eyelids.

‘I'm tired.’

A young man with no special skills had traveled all the way to Porcana on his own. He had nearly encountered bandits several times while camping and chose remote paths to avoid the empire's knights.

‘Without the experience of traveling with Sir Phillion and Urich, I would have surely died along the way.’

Nine out of ten nobles or royals of Varca's age wouldn’t make it home from such a trip.

"Lesley...."

He had wronged her. He often felt the guilt.

‘But even if I could go back, I wouldn’t do anything differently. It was the best choice.’

Varca staggered back to his makeshift tent. Soldiers and knights he passed bowed their heads to him.

‘They believe in me. They believe I will save them. They can hope for Lou's salvation in death, but in this world, I'm the only one they can rely on. Their lives and deaths are decided at my fingertips.’

Varca was a king who understood the weight and responsibility of life. People were not tools. Each one was their own person with emotions and stories.

‘I am the master and father of Porcana.’

As soon as Varca lay on his bed, he fell into a deep sleep as if he had died.

Sss.

Time passed, and the dawn chill tickled Varca's body. Varca quietly opened his eyes.

He had a modest meal and offered a devout morning prayer. When he returned to the tent, his squire was waiting while tending to his armor.

Clank.

After donning his armor, Varca flipped his chain hood back and mounted his horse. The coat over his armor bore the crest of a fishing boat from Porcana. His long cape billowed, covering his horse's hindquarters.

"Your Highness!"

"Please...."

As Varca rode by, the soldiers murmured prayers. Duke Lungell and the knights followed behind him.

"Open the gates!"

At the knight's shout, the soldiers released the pulleys.

Creeeak!

The gate descended to form a bridge. Varca urged his horse forward, leading the way out.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Only the sound of hooves quietly spread. By noon, ten men from the alliance camp also rode out to meet them.

Click.

The horses stopped. Negotiators from both sides faced each other, observing their opponents.

"I almost didn't recognize you," Urich spoke first.

"Your face has gotten even rougher. Women probably run away just seeing your face, right?"

Varca smiled faintly. His eyes were fixed on Urich's face.

‘How many more battlefields has he been through?’

Even when they first met, Urich was a warrior covered in scars. But now, he had even more. Burn marks mottled his forearms and neck. The fact that he was standing in front of Varca alive with such injuries was a miracle.

"Well, let's get started with the negotiations, Pahell."

Urich crossed his arms and gestured with his chin. It wasn't a time for a warm embrace. They were opponents who would have to draw swords if things went wrong.

"Your demands?"

"The same as before. Open the way and provide food. Then there will be no plundering. I swear on my tribe and my name."

"You know how unreasonable that demand is. The moment we let you into our territory, we are practically turning against the empire. The empire and the emperor gifted me the throne."

"I also played a decently large part in you securing that throne."

Urich tilted his head sideways. His bright yellow eyes stared at Varca.

"The empire is not the only issue. Surrendering to the barbarians and opening the way? Porcana's dignity and honor would be in ruins. The entire world would laugh at us."

"Then Porcana will have to see the same end as Langkegart."

Urich smirked. Duke Lungell and the knights frowned at his words.

‘I can't back down for your sake. The lives of my brothers depend on my decision.’

The same went for Varca. This wasn't a situation where he could concede just because of their friendship.

"We'll talk alone! Step back!"

Varca stretched his hand toward Duke Lungell and the knights.

"That is dangerous, Your Highness! That man is a barbarian who can snap a neck with his bare hands!"

"If I die here, duke, you will gain command, and the soldiers' anger will only boost their morale. Wouldn’t that actually be a good thing for you?" Varca said with a grin.

He calmly rode closer to Urich. Urich also sent his warriors back and stepped forward alone.

Soon, they were close enough to hear each other's breathing.

"Wow, I could just grab you by the neck and drag you away from here. If I took the king hostage, they would surely open the way, right?"

Urich rolled his shoulders and swung his arms.

"Drop the lousy plan. I'd bite my tongue and die before I let that happen."

Varca stuck out his tongue and smiled.

"I’m sorry it came to this. But I can't back down here. Honestly, I’m not confident we can beat the imperial army if we have to face them on the plains. There is no fighting ground that is ideal for us in the empire's flatlands."

"The lands good for farming were all taken by the empire. Only the vassal states are left with mountains."

"You can't stop my army with that fortress."

"Maybe not, but with enough luck, we might be able to hold out until the imperial army arrives. And I’m sure you know that as well, which is why you asked to negotiate."

Varca hit the mark. The naive boy of the past was gone.

"Stop probing and lay your cards on the table, Pahell."

"You show yours first."

A vein popped on Urich's forehead. He clenched his fist tightly.

"If you weren't my friend, I'd have smashed your head in by now. What cards do you think I have? Passing through Porcana is our only option."

"No, I’m saying we should talk about the future, beyond all that. How far do you plan to go with the empire?"

"What?"

"As I said, letting you into our kingdom means Porcana turning against the empire. If you achieve what you wanted in Porcana and simply leave, Porcana will be isolated. We need a firm commitment."

Urich's expression brightened. Varca was positively considering accepting the alliance into the Porcana borders.

The relationship between Varca and the emperor was already strained. Even if they reunited after brushing off the past, things weren’t going to be great in the end.

‘Urich doesn't know that the relationship between me and the emperor is already strained. I need to use that to my advantage and extract as much as possible.’

Varca observed Urich's slightest expressions and hand movements. Urich was easy to read because he wasn't much different inside and out.

"Our goal is to make it so the empire can't threaten the west for the next hundred years... well, ideally, we would bring them down completely. My thought is to push for the liberation of the seven kingdoms. It would be good if the northern kingdom could get established as well. That should keep the empire distracted from the west," Urich said, folding his fingers one by one.

"Do you understand what that means? It means destroying the order of the civilized world. If the kingdoms gain independence, wars will become more frequent than now. Porcana would also have to protect itself from neighboring kingdoms and the empire's threats. We would have to pour a lot of money into strengthening our military power."

"To be honest, that’s not my concern... but I know it matters to you."

Urich scratched his chin.

"Promise a defense treaty. Ten years from the end of this war. The armies of the west will participate in all of Porcana's defensive wars. And five hundred of your warriors will stay in Porcana as mercenaries for those ten years, with you paying for their stay. The minimum support force will be five thousand, and even this is me conceding big time. There's no guarantee you’ll stay alive or that the army will remain intact for that decade."

It was the biggest gamble of Varca's life. If the treaty Varca proposed were successful, it would be hugely beneficial in the long run. It would be like borrowing five hundred well-trained warriors for free for ten years. If the western plunderers succeeded in dealing a significant blow to the empire, Porcana could even borrow that prestige through the defense treaty.

‘I'm cornered.’

Even if he reconciled with the empire, their alliance would be precarious. The future was just as uncertain if he allied with Urich.

‘But I trust Urich more than the emperor....’

The scale in Varca’s heart tipped ever so slightly. If it weren't for his personal relationship with Urich, he would have sided with the emperor despite the uncertainty. Making a treaty with an untrustworthy barbarian was unthinkable.

‘Urich isn't just a barbarian to me. He's a trustworthy friend.’

Varca's lips and fingers trembled.

‘Is it okay for me to decide the fate of my kingdom based on my personal friendship? Did I choose what's best for the kingdom objectively, or am I making a foolish decision just because I want to trust Urich? What if the empire manages to end all these conflicts without suffering much damage itself?’

If the empire won, Varca would be imprisoned, and Porcana would suffer horrific exploitation. Varca knew the cruelty of Emperor Yanchinus better than anyone.

"I need to ask my smarty-pants advisor what he thinks about your demands, but even I think they’re a bit obsessive for just opening the way. With that being said, am I safe to assume Porcana will be fighting alongside us in this war? I’m talking about being allies, you know," Urich said as he bared his teeth and extended his hand.

‘Oh, Lou, please guide my mission and fate. Since you commanded me to reclaim the eastern continent... I trust Porcana won't fall. Prove that my choice was right.’

Varca closed his eyes and prayed. Slowly opening his eyes, he extended his hand to clasp Urich's. Urich's thick hand was still rough.

"Pahell, to be honest, I thought you might help me without any strings attached."

"So do you resent me? You've risked your life to help me several times before. I know I should do the same for you... but now I have something more important than my own life. This kingdom and its people."

"If Phillion heard that, he would be happy that you’ve become a good king."

After their handshake, the two stepped back. Urich called Georg to prepare the paperwork.

When Duke Lungell heard Varca's words after he came back, he raged at the idea of an agreement with the barbarians, but after hearing the terms of the treaty, his eyes widened, and he stroked his chin.

If things smoothly went as planned, Porcana might rise to become a nation with great power. At the end of the day, Duke Lungell was also a noble on the ship called Porcana. The rise of Porcana was in Duke Lungell's interest as well.