Ch.1Chapter 1: Big Trouble.

Far from the center of the continent lies the vast Luktios Plains in the south.

As far as the eye can see, there’s nothing but the horizon across this expansive, barren plain. In its center, countless people have gathered.

Soon, thunderous cheers and noise erupt.

Thump! Thump!

“UOOOOOOH!!”

Thump! Thump!

“UOOOOOOH!!”

Bare-chested, muscular men create a magnificent sound by pounding axes, hammers, and greatswords against the ground.

Each one possesses bulging muscles and stands at least two heads taller than ordinary people.

Yes, these individuals with extraordinary physiques are commonly known as:

Barbarians, savages, or crudely put, brutes.

But they call themselves Geruntu, meaning “great warriors.”

Standing on a wide, flat rock before them is a man.

His muscles are more developed than anyone else’s.

His silver hair, tough as a lion’s mane, is tightly tied back, and he sports a full silver beard.

Despite his silver hair, his face is that of a robust middle-aged man.

His piercing golden eyes immediately reveal that he is no ordinary person.

He takes a deep breath and shouts with all his might.

[We Geruntu must change!!]

“UOOOOOOH!”

Is this the volume a human voice can reach?

The silver-haired man’s words cut clearly through the roars of what appears to be tens of thousands of people.

Thump! Thump!!

[It is unacceptable that we, with our superior bodies, are pushed to the edge of the continent!! While those weaklings occupy the center! Sadly, this proves that our history and traditions are outdated compared to theirs!!]

Thump! Thump!!

“UOOOOOOH!”

His name is Balok, the great warrior and chief of the Karos tribe.

He is undoubtedly one of the most exceptional warriors in the thousands of years of Geruntu history.

And now, he is about to leave an indelible mark on Geruntu history.

The first unification!

He is the first Geruntu to unite all tribes after long inter-tribal wars.

He was dissatisfied with the current state of the world.

Why should the superior Geruntu live on the periphery while those pale, weak creatures inhabit the fertile center?

After careful consideration, he reached one conclusion.

Magic! The very magic they had rejected was the reason.

[While it’s right to follow great history and traditions! I, Balok, hereby declare that I will not follow useless traditions that have kept us on the periphery for thousands of years!]

Countless warriors chant Balok’s name.

“Balok-hu! Balok-hu!”

Balok raises his voice even higher.

[I am Balok! I am the Conqueror! Geruntu, will you follow me, Balok, the first Kwan?! I will make the central continent the land of the Geruntu.]

“UWAAAAAAAA!!”

The barbarians’ roars shake the atmosphere.

Birds flutter away at the sound, and wild animals flee.

Balok raises his hand high to calm the excited barbarians.

The plains fall silent in an instant, and Balok continues his speech.

[But unfortunately, the central people are strong! As much as I hate to admit it, that is a clear fact.]

The silence deepens as no one wants to miss Balok’s words.

[To drive them out from the center, we need preparation. So I, Balok, once again declare in my name!!]

What follows from Balok is shocking to the Geruntu.

[From this moment on, the Geruntu will learn from the central civilization! I’m not saying we should abandon our history and traditions! I’m saying we should embrace better ways to defeat them!! A new era will begin. See the results with your own eyes!!]

All the barbarians roar at Balok’s final speech.

“UWAAAAAAAA!! Balok-hu!! Balok-hu!!”

Balok mutters one last sentence quietly.

“We will rule the continent!”

***

From a young age, Balok was an exceptional warrior of his tribe.

More talented than any Geruntu in history, he loved his tribe and race, with their strong and proud warrior blood, more than anyone.

That’s why he wanted to prove it.

That the Geruntu were the most superior race on the continent.

With youthful ambition, Balok set off toward the central continent.

After traveling the world for ten years, Balok realized why the great Geruntu lived in such remote areas.

The Geruntu were lacking and ignorant. He understood why all other races called them “barbarians.”

Old traditions, which seemed to invite divine punishment if broken, were restricting the Geruntu.

While some of these traditions strengthened the tribe, many were outdated.

So he decided.

Discard the useless and learn what’s better.

Maintain traditions that strengthen us and dispose of those that don’t!

And to devour the central continent.

Balok felt that a unified nation was necessary.

No matter how strong the Geruntu were, disunited strength was not fearsome.

After decades of war, Balok finally established a nation.

He called himself Kwan, meaning king, and appointed tribal chiefs who supported his views.

He purged all chiefs who were content with their miserable reality and insisted on preserving traditions.

But this wasn’t enough to drive out the central people.

They needed to learn.

Especially magic! He was convinced that if the barbarians could possess that mysterious power to control nature, no race on the continent could surpass the Geruntu.

When the barbarians declared their nation, the central continent was in turmoil.

These already formidable brutes were now forming a country?

Armies were deployed at the borders of nations adjacent to the barbarians, and everyone was on high alert.

But the cautious Balok did not hastily antagonize the central humans.

He declared an end to the barbarians’ millennia-long policy of isolation.

And he made a ten-year peace treaty with the central continent, promising cultural exchange.

It was a historic event.

The central continent, realizing Kwan Balok’s sincerity, breathed a sigh of relief and demanded proof of peace.

The barbarians would send the Kwan’s son,

And the central continent would send some noble children, to learn each other’s cultures.

In truth, this was an unfavorable condition for Balok.

The central people sent children of lower nobles, while Balok sent his actual son.

Balok Kwan knew this.

It was an unavoidable choice due to the power difference.

And tomorrow.

Balok’s youngest son would depart for the imperial educational institution in the center.

In a sizeable tent—Balok’s tent—Balok sits on a massive chair, with a man of similar build kneeling before him.

“Listen, my son.”

The Great Warrior! The first king of the barbarians!

Among many other impressive titles, the son responds to that Balok.

“Speak, Kwan.”

He is the last-born among his many children.

Rumors had circulated about his strange behavior in recent days, but the busy Balok hadn’t paid attention.

Some whispered that the strange youngest son had been chosen as a sacrifice.

Looking at his youngest son before him, Balok thought:

‘He’s the only one.’

A child born from a central continent mage he had met by chance while returning to his tribe after wandering the continent.

After sharing love with her, he had this child.

But no one knows that the youngest son has mixed central blood.

Despite concerns about the mixed blood, contrary to his worries, his son possessed a physique surpassing his own. And he was the only one who might have magical talent.

“Your role is significant. You will be the stepping stone for our Geruntu to advance into the central continent. Can you do it?”

Balok’s son stares into the air for a moment before answering flatly.

“…I’ll… try.”

His tone lacks confidence, but it can’t be helped.

He had tried to learn magic himself but found it impossible.

However, if he inherited even a little of his mother’s blood, his chances would be higher than his father’s.

“That’s enough. Go rest, you’ll need to leave early tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

Watching his son leave, Balok sighs.

He’s started this endeavor, but even he questions whether it will succeed.

Naturally, it’s difficult for barbarians to learn magic. No, it’s extremely difficult.

Each race on this continent has its specialization.

Barbarians have strong bodies and strength, elves have spirit magic and speed, dwarves have crafting and endurance, and ordinary humans are moderate in all abilities.

To exaggerate slightly, asking a barbarian to learn magic is like asking a mermaid with fin-like legs to run quickly on land.

It might be possible, but highly inefficient.

But Balok thought differently.

A mermaid who can move even a little on land might create variables even if caught by humans.

He’s not expecting a 9th Circle Archmage to emerge from the Geruntu.

It’s enough if they can avoid being defenseless against enemy magic.

Because the Geruntu are that strong.

Swoosh-

After leaving his father’s tent, Balok’s son Balt clutches his head as soon as he returns to his own tent.

Then he lets out a deep sigh.

“Haah…”

‘This is bad.’