Rudell and his companions, who had treated the Bloodfur Tribe members, were crossing the snowy plains with them.
Not long ago, the sky had been clear, but suddenly dark clouds started gathering again, and soon, white snow began to fall.
“Hmm… something feels off.”
“Yeah, it seems like the snowfall is getting heavier.”
While looking at the scene, Rudell let out a low groan.
Leje also nodded and looked up at the sky with worried eyes.
“Kurt, can you ask how much longer we have to go?”
“Nu-shu, kuna-ha karna-da?”
“Kunku kapu pahana.”
“They say we’re almost there.”
When Rudell asked, Kurt translated for the Bloodfur Tribe member who was leading them…
“The map doesn’t seem completely wrong.”
Mumbling that, Rudell pulled out a worn-out map.
It was a ridiculously shabby map.
It was the map Rudell had received from Kahlan, but it didn’t provide much help.
The only useful thing was checking if the Bloodfur Tribe members were heading in the right direction.
So, after some time of crossing the snowy plains with the guidance of the Bloodfur Tribe members…
“Portrana! Karuna Krung Khan!”
“Looks like we’ve arrived.”
It seemed a Bloodfur Tribe member had spotted something, and with Kurt’s next words, Rudell and his group turned their heads.
What they saw was a half-destroyed imperial fortress and a large encampment surrounding it.
“That’s Korhan Fortress.”
Korhan Fortress.
It was a stronghold erected on the border between the Empire and the Eternal Winter Plains, serving as a key facility to defend the Empire from the Nord tribe.
Of course, now it was occupied by the Nord tribe.
At that moment, it seemed the Nord tribe members in the encampment had spotted them, and a commotion started filling the air.
A group of armed Nord tribesmen began rushing towards them.
“What are those guys? Are they coming to fight?”
“The atmosphere doesn’t feel good…”
“Fenrir, get ready.”
[Grurrrrrrr…]
At a glance, the Nord tribe’s demeanor was far from peaceful.
Leje and Silphier voiced their unease, and Eleor stroked Fenrir’s neck as she spoke.
“Is this really okay?”
“I’ll take the lead here. Hand me the parchment I got from the chieftain.”
“Give me the parchment I got from the blind man.”
“Here you go.”
As Kurt said this in response to Rudell’s question, Rudell handed over the rolled-up parchment to Kurt.
Kurt took the parchment and approached the Nord tribe members…
“Huff…”
Taking a deep breath, Kurt shouted loudly at the Nord tribesmen standing right in front of him.
“Onah! Anuka! Krung Khan!”
With a shout imbued with magic power, it spread out, causing the charging Nord tribe members to halt in their tracks and turn to Kurt.
Then, Kurt unfolded the parchment and showed it to them, and as the tribe members saw the Great Chief’s seal stamped on it, a stir began among the Nord tribe.
A moment later…
“Krung Khan…”
“Krung Khan…”
“Kanu Khan Kana!!”
The Nord warrior at the front began to lower his weapon and kneel, followed by the surrounding Nordic warriors who dropped to their knees as if they had done it all along.
“What on earth is happening?”
“W-well…”
“Good thing we aren’t fighting.”
Watching this scene unfold, a voice of disbelief escaped Leje’s lips, while Silphier and Eleor each offered their brief thoughts.
“What is going on?”
“The Great Chief’s authority is absolute. A parchment stamped with the Great Chief’s seal holds the same authority as the Great Chief himself.”
“Hmm…”
Rudell thought about how even the Empire’s imperial edict carries the same authority as the Emperor, letting out a low groan as he turned to Kurt again.
“So, where do we go now?”
“Kuno!”
“P-panu? Baruna?”
To his following question, Kurt called over a nearby Nord warrior, who stood up with a bewildered expression and looked at him with a tense face.
“Amu unada Krung Khan!”
“P-Pruu mui.”
A brief exchange occurred between the Nord warrior and Kurt, and the Nord warrior gestured for Rudell and his party to follow him, looking anxious.
“We can follow that guy.”
Seeing that, Kurt trailed behind, and Rudell and his party began to make their way toward the half-destroyed fortress, following Kurt.
There weren’t many destroyed buildings, and there were also people who seemed to be from the Empire living here.
Considering that usually, people from the Nord tribe enslave Empire citizens when they occupy a place, this situation was unexpected.
“What’s going on? The Nord tribe is just leaving the Empire folks alone.”
“That means this situation isn’t ordinary for the Nord tribe either.”
The condition inside the fortress was much cleaner than Rudell expected.
Thinking that the chieftain might be a lot wiser than he had originally thought, Rudell replied accordingly.
Thus, Rudell and his party crossed the city and headed towards the inner fortress.
When they arrived at the inner fortress, where the Empire flag was down and a flag that looked like it belonged to the Nord tribe was raised, they were guided by the Nord tribe towards the castle gate.
“Bu-na! Ma-a!”
At that moment, a Nord warrior guarding the entrance blocked their way.
About half again as large as ordinary people.
Warriors, clearly resembling the chieftain’s elite guard, approached Rudell and his party with weapons drawn.
“Buona Mana Krung Khan.”
Then, Kurt stepped forward and, like before, showed the warriors the parchment sent by the chieftain.
The warriors bowed their heads and stepped aside, allowing Rudell and his party to open the door and step into the inner fortress.
Passing through a hall that was better preserved than he expected, Rudell and his companions arrived in front of a certain room inside the inner fortress, where Kurt once again showed the parchment to the warriors guarding the door.
With their heads down, the warriors opened the door, revealing a throne.
On it sat a man, on a magnificent throne that once belonged to the lord of this castle.
“So, you’re that famous hero, huh?”
With jet-black hair and a long-grown beard.
Red eyes and a gigantic build that would make anyone else look small, his body was covered in muscles.
His body was filled with scars that looked like signs of battle, and all the equipment he wore exuded an atmosphere of incredible worth.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Dagruul. Chieftain of the Nord tribe and a descendant of the great Mother Land.”
“I am Rudellheit Weinstein. It may be modest, but I bear the title of hero.”
Rudell politely bowed his head to Dagruul, who stood up to introduce himself.
Rudell politely bowed his head towards Dagruul, who was introducing himself after getting up.
“So, you said you wanted to see me? Speak your business.”
“I would like you to stop hostilities with the Empire.”
His question was as blunt as it could get.
From Rudell’s perspective, there was no need to beat around the bush.
“Stop hostilities with the Empire?”
“Yes, and I will provide information regarding the mass proliferation and rampaging of monstrous beasts currently happening in the Eternal Winter Plains.”
An unyielding demand like that was something to absolutely avoid in a negotiation.
Negotiation is ultimately a give-and-take affair.
If you give something, you expect to receive something in return, and if there’s something to receive, then surely there’s something to give.
“I’ll have to decline.”
“…”
However, as soon as Rudell heard Dagruul’s answer, Dagruul clearly expressed his refusal.
But Rudell wasn’t flustered.
He never expected this would be an easy acceptance from the get-go.
“Do you know about the life of the Nord tribe?”
“The strong take, and the weak lose.”
“You know it well. Why should we, the strong, accept a deal with you?”
Repeating the same words he had when he first met Kahlan, Dagruul sat back down on his throne.
It was a clear sign that he didn’t want to continue the conversation, but Rudell didn’t back down.
If he was going to retreat, he wouldn’t have come this far in the first place.
Moreover, Rudell had already experienced such a situation once, so he knew how to respond.
“Because you are weak and we are strong.”
“Oh…?”
At those words, Dagruul narrowed his eyes and looked at Rudell, rising to his feet once more to face him.
“Can I take that as a challenge?”
“If you wish.”
It would have been great if they could solve this through conversation, but Rudell never had that expectation.
So there was only one choice left.
“Good! Very good!! It’s been a while since I’ve encountered a worthy challenger!!”
With those words, Dagruul beamed and burst into a hearty laugh.
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