Ch.68Short Break (2)

“…So. You volunteered for enlistment?”

“That’s correct.”

At Elunka’s confident response, I wondered if this was really happening.

After all, these were the same people who had shown murderous intent toward us after being forced to do duck walks—no, duck walks—around the village ten times. I couldn’t comprehend how they suddenly wanted to surrender.

It felt like they might be under some kind of mass hypnosis.

So I asked Elunka one more question.

“Is it really true that they’re willing to serve the ulus?”

“Yes. After the duck walks, we made them do jumping jacks, squats, weighted squats with rocks on their backs, and so on. Those who initially begged to be killed ended up pleading for their lives.”

“…”

Jumping jacks meant burpees, squats meant squats, and weighted squats meant weighted squats.

By cruelly putting these prisoners who had never exercised through such routines, they had regained their will to live.

Well, exercise is truly great…

“I must have misheard.”

“You heard correctly. This is the power of leg training.”

I felt the same shock as when Munglig had asked me that bizarre question about feeling the microscopic trembling of muscles.

I couldn’t tell if Munglig had corrupted Elunka or if Elunka had fallen into depravity on his own.

But what I heard was actually what Elunka said, so I could no longer deny reality.

“Does that really work… I mean, well done.”

Whatever the method, I couldn’t deny that it benefited us.

So there was no need to think negatively about it.

But it seems like he’s acting more and more like Munglig… must be my imagination?

As if summoned by my thoughts, Munglig entered the ger.

“Great Khan, about half of the prisoners have volunteered for enlistment.”

Munglig’s expression, which had been seeking praise, immediately soured when he saw Elunka.

“People who do leg exercises must be evil people. I’ve never heard such agonizing screams in my life. Torture would have been more merciful to them.”

Apparently, Munglig had witnessed yesterday’s lunges around the village ten times.

In response to Munglig’s protest, Elunka shrugged and replied nonchalantly.

“Torture is too harsh a word. This is clearly a persuasion method, and we provided adequate rest and buroktan after the exercise.”

“Are you saying that even after seeing them unable to walk on their own legs, crawling around?”

“I didn’t know Lord Munglig was so compassionate. They were prisoners, and we simply gave them a chance to live. We even helped them build strong legs so they could serve as soldiers of the great ulus.”

“Stop with your smooth talk, Lord Elunka. As you know, those new to exercise need solid upper body strength first. A person can only stand upright when they have strength in their upper body.”

“We are humans before we are nomads. As humans who naturally walk on the ground, isn’t it logical that leg muscles are more important?”

A tense battle of nerves.

The atmosphere was very serious, but from my perspective listening to this conversation, I wondered if this was really a topic worth arguing about.

Wasn’t it good that prisoners had become allies, regardless of how?

So I stepped forward to mediate between the two.

“Elunka is right.”

When I first spoke in Elunka’s defense, Munglig looked like he had lost everything.

“B-brother…”

“And Munglig is also right.”

“G-Great Khan.”

This time, Elunka looked like he had lost his country.

To stop this insane argument about whether upper body muscles or leg muscles were more important, I needed to act a bit crazy myself.

So I struck a pose, revealing my body that I had been consistently training.

“Upper body muscles help wield a sword to protect the ulus, and leg muscles are a great help when riding horses.”

“…”

“…”

“So both upper and lower body are important. I will not allow any further debate on this matter.”

With these words, I struck a side chest pose I had seen at bodybuilding competitions.

It was a killer pose that showcased my quadriceps, forearms, and chest muscles all at once.

“Look at this.”

“Ohhh…”

“This is… the dignity of the Great Khan…!”

Munglig and Elunka gazed at my body with reverent looks.

Under their uncomfortable stares, I belatedly came to my senses.

I felt like I had gotten caught up in the moment and done something unnecessary.

But since I couldn’t take back what had already happened, I could only smile.

Little did I know that this moment would become the origin of the tradition where the Great Khan, as chairman, would strike this pose to begin meetings at the Kurultai in the distant future.

* * *

The ulus was able to rest as much as possible on the way to Xingqing.

Additionally, with the ulus’s unique local recruitment, they were able to build up a larger force than when they had first set out on the expedition.

“…For these reasons, we now have a total of 55,000 troops, combining 35,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry who surrendered.”

At Elunka’s report, the khans couldn’t help but look puzzled.

This was because forces typically diminish during war.

But since their forces had actually increased, they couldn’t help but wonder if they had heard correctly.

Unlike these khans, Yesugei, the leader of the ulus, praised the achievements of the two men.

“This is largely due to Elunka and Munglig’s merit. In recognition of their success in persuading the prisoners, I will bestow upon them ten rolls of silk, five horses, and perfume.”

“We are grateful for the Great Khan’s boundless generosity.”

“We express our gratitude for your generosity, Great Khan.”

As Munglig and Elunka achieved great merit and received rewards, the khans’ eyes began to show interest.

Some khans approached them, asking for their secret in persuading the prisoners.

“How did you persuade the prisoners, Khan Jadaran?”

“Yesterday you were circling the village in a strange posture, is that related?”

To the khans showing interest, Elunka shrugged and answered.

“Yes. This is due to the excellent power of leg exercises…”

“Nonsense! The prisoners were first persuaded when they saw excellent triceps.”

At Munglig’s words, Elunka tried to protest,

but remembering what Yesugei had said yesterday, he nodded without arguing back.

“Of course, the upper body is important too. Ahem.”

Though with a sour expression.

Although Gurkhan had mediated, he hadn’t abandoned his beliefs, so this tension was inevitable.

Munglig also respected Elunka for not compromising on his exercise beliefs, so he didn’t push him any further.

Anyway, unlike the two engaged in this subtle tension, the khans could only roll their eyes trying to understand the situation.

“Exercise…?”

“Upper body? Lower body?”

“What are they talking about?”

The nomadic life was closely tied to exercise, but it was solely for survival.

Therefore, the concept of exercise to build muscle was unfamiliar.

As a result, they couldn’t understand what Elunka and Munglig were saying at all.

“If one can accumulate training through exercise and fill the body with the power of ancestors and the energy of the ulus, it can be a great help in persuading prisoners.”

“…What connection do exercise, ancestral power, and the energy of the ulus have?”

When these unrelated words were combined, some khans who felt the disconnect questioned Munglig.

As Munglig tried to answer, Elunka stepped forward and provided an answer.

“Whether big or small, muscles are needed to embody the ancestors and the ulus in one’s body. Lord Munglig and I simply informed the Western Xia prisoners, who were like young lambs, of this fact. The prisoners, moved by this, realized their mistakes and forgot their guilt for resisting the ulus and their resentment toward the ulus people.”

Elunka was calmly spouting nonsense.

The khans tried to refute this, but since Munglig, who had just been in a battle of nerves with Elunka, was nodding and giving a thumbs up as if agreeing, it was difficult to argue.

Again, Elunka and Munglig were Yesugei’s close aides.

With them saying this, the khans had no choice but to agree for now.

“…?”

“…I-is that so?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying… b-but anyway, it’s thanks to those muscles.”

“S-so if we have those muscles, we can also achieve merit?”

Seeing the khans showing interest in muscles, Elunka and Munglig’s eyes began to gleam.

The khans couldn’t help but shudder at their looks, which were clearly those of people who had found fresh initiates.

“I-I think we misspoke.”

“Please forget it.”

“Not at all. That attitude of wanting to learn about muscles! I think it’s very admirable.”

“That’s right. As the khans are leaders of the ulus and want to set an example, we should certainly help.”

Munglig was looking at the khans interested in exercise with a strange gaze.

Some khans who had spoken these words waved their hands and strongly declined.

“N-no, I think I misspoke…”

“I think it will be fine.”

“Don’t refuse. If you have muscles, the Great Khan will be pleased too.”

Elunka had now joined in to support Munglig.

Though they were only two, with Munglig’s enormous build and Elunka’s impressive legs surrounding them, the khans, with their relatively small frames, couldn’t help but be cornered.

The khans felt an indescribable pressure emanating from their bodies.

They found themselves nodding involuntarily just to survive.

“A-alright.”

“I-I’ll l-learn about this… muscle thing.”

“You’ve made a good choice.”

“Welcome.”

Elunka and Munglig welcomed the new initiates with open arms.

In their minds, plans were already forming on how to train these new recruits.