Sword of the North – 5

Hana’s news raced across the snowfield.

[The humans inside the barrier have injured the tribe’s great warrior.]

The children of the earth gathered. Tribes living at the foot of the mountains, tribes living on the mountainside, tribes living far out on the plains.

Everyone brought their words and weapons and gathered before the great warrior.

“It is war.”

The chieftain, having finished the meeting, came outside.

“There is no need for war.”

The great warrior, standing before the chieftains, avoided their gazes as she spoke.

She had only shot one arrow and already received the young duke’s contempt. What would happen if she caused a war?

The memory of his hate-filled eyes made her tremble involuntarily.

“This is not for you to decide. The great warrior represents the glory of the Earth Mother. Since your blood has been spilled on the ground, the humans inside the barrier must pay the price.”

The one-eyed chieftain said.

“But I attacked first…”

“That was your mistake. From their perspective, they will think we are picking a fight over nothing. But it cannot be helped. This is because it is the tribe’s rule.”

“Chieftain.”

“The chieftain council, as well as the Great Shaman, have agreed. You should say no more.”

The group of chieftains passed by her.

“Ah….”

It’s because of me.

Because of me, the snowfield tribe is going to war.

How much sacrifice will be required?

She felt a heavy sense of responsibility for the innocent blood that would stain the earth.

If only I hadn’t done such a thing….

Then, she thought of the young duke again and bit her lip.

Bright red blood flowed from between her tightly clenched teeth.

The blood of the great warrior, who represents the glory of the Earth Mother, fell to the ground again.

‘Is self-harm not punished?’

She questioned the blood she shed herself, but no one paid attention.

The day of war was approaching.

The battle with the humans inside the barrier resulted in many sacrifices.

Three months after the start of the war, they had lost as many warriors as one tribe.

The barrier they had built was thick, high, and imposing.

Many warriors’ spears and swords had to be broken against a body tougher than any prey.

The great warrior should have appealed to stop the war around that time.

But she wouldn’t have done so if she hadn’t heard what a soldier on the barrier said during the fifth battle.

[Because of you bastards, our young duke can’t even get married! You savage bastards!!]

Even on the battlefield where arrows rained down, that voice was clearly heard.

I want to hear more details.

The great warrior picked up a spear that had fallen on the battlefield and threw it straight.

The taut muscles sent the spear flying in a straight line, piercing the shoulder of the shouting soldier.

The staggering soldier fell straight out of the barrier, and the great warrior grabbed the falling soldier and slammed him into the ground.

[What do you mean?]

[Wh, what.]

[The young duke can’t get married? What do you mean?]

[What kind of dogshit question… Uwaaaaaa!]

As the great warrior twisted the spear, the soldier’s scream grew louder.

[Answer. What is the reason the young duke can’t get married, and what does it have to do with the war?]

[Kuaaa, it’s, it’s obvious, why are you asking such a thing!!! How can we have a wedding during a war!!!]

In that moment, as if struck by lightning, her eyes flashed.

So… if the situation is during a war, they can’t have a wedding?

The corners of her lips slowly rose.

[It’s the savage great warrior! Aim there!]

Arrows flew towards the great warrior at the shout of the soldier on the barrier.

Using the dropped soldier as a shield to block them, she closed her eyes.

I think I’ve found a reason to wage this war.

The war dragged on.

It wasn’t that arrows flew and blood splattered every day on the battlefield.

The children of the earth, who had suffered a lot of damage, changed their strategy to guerrilla warfare, and the damage to the humans inside the barrier, who often had to go out to the snowfield to gather, increased.

Duke Biltenfrum, who guarded the barrier, was a cautious man.

As a duke who had steadfastly defended the north for decades, he did not emotionally deploy his soldiers.

However, there was one time when he led his troops outside the barrier himself.

When the warriors who had ridden out on horses for guerrilla warfare returned, a village where everyone, including women and children, was dead greeted them.

It was the duke’s warning.

The warriors who had lost their daughters and wives wept, and the emotion of revenge began to gnaw at their hearts.

The war that started with a drop of the great warrior’s blood was gradually building a tower of hatred.

After the annihilation of the village, Duke Biltenfrum, who had been on a roll, was beheaded and fell from his horse in the next expedition.

This was because he could not withstand the offensive of the barbarians who had ambushed him using the village as bait.

The terrible death of the Northern Grand Duke caused a stir throughout the empire, and the young duke became the duke.

That day, the young duke who had shown a broad mind and a bright smile disappeared, and another Duke Biltenfrum, who looked exactly like his father, was born.

The young duke, who had become the duke, tore apart the limbs of eleven warriors and displayed them on the barrier.

The great warrior tied the imperial citizens who came out to gather to horses and ground them to death.

When the duke kills a barbarian,

The great warrior massacres the humans inside the barrier.

Hatred accumulates, and tears gather.

The first drop of blood is forgotten, and the wheel of senseless killing turns.

“I caught you like this.”

The great warrior, who had taken the duke’s kick with her shoulder, recalled the now-faded past.

The relationship between the two that started with the Saberfang.

And war and hatred.

“Your eyes, full of hatred, are now sweet.”

The great warrior showed a blood-stained smile.

Even as his heel was still crushing her shoulder, the great warrior smiled.

She was pleased to see the duke’s face so close.

The war that started with an impulsive arrow.

The great warrior had felt heavy-hearted about the war that she had triggered.

She heard the cries of warriors groaning in pain and the cries of tribesmen wailing as they parted with their loved ones even in her dreams.

That’s why she needed something to hold on to.

She needed something to rationalize.

The reason to continue this war.

The reason to win this war.

“That is you. I will have you!”

She picked up the greatsword with her good arm and swung it.

A wavering sword path, and the man in the duke’s body did not miss the gap.

“I told you, you don’t need a weapon, right?”

As the man finished speaking, the great warrior felt a strange sensation.

A sharp wind blew once.

“?”

The sensation of holding the greatsword disappeared.

It wasn’t a problem with the sensation in her hand. Before she knew it, her body was collapsing.

When she came to her senses, she was kneeling in front of the duke.

Before she knew it, a small sword was in the duke’s hand.

“Ha-“

To cut the tendons of her legs and cut off her arms without her even realizing it.

The great warrior had a dumbfounded expression at the overwhelming difference.

“Did you hide your skills?”

“Do you think so?”

At the man’s question, the great warrior shook her head.

Then, as if realizing something, her eyes widened.

“You. You’re not the duke.”

At the great warrior’s words, the duke slowly nodded.

“Why do you think so?”

“I’ve faced the duke dozens of times. The movement of swinging the sword, the way he holds the sword… everything is different from the duke.”

“You have a good eye.”

The man in the duke’s appearance was genuinely impressed.

“I want to ask you something.”

The great warrior said, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Speak.”

“Where is the duke?”

“He’s dead. I took over this body at the point when he died.”

“…I see, did that attack kill the duke? I guess I was too caught up in the fight and couldn’t control my strength.”

The great warrior frowned in pain. It was clear that the pain was not caused by the sword.

It was clear that it was a pain that gnawed at her heart from a deeper place.

“Yes. I can only enter the body of someone who is dead or beyond recovery.”

“Then the duke’s soul is already.”

“He must have gone to the afterlife.”

“I see….”

The great warrior lowered her head and looked at the earth.

The great warrior’s blood fell to the ground.

“Hehe….”

The great warrior laughed as she looked at the blood that was staining the ground.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was thinking that it was the price for coveting something beyond my means.”

“Who said that humans who challenge are beautiful?”

“That’s a nice saying.”

The man with the duke’s face stuck the sword into the ground and watched the gradually ending battle situation.

From the moment the great warrior knelt, the barbarians could not think of rampaging any further.

They resisted the soldiers’ spears, but were pierced and fell from their horses.

“Then will you continue to live in that body?”

“I guess so. Until I die.”

The man said as if he was bored.

“You. You asked about the Tattoo earlier, right?”

The great warrior had been proud, showing off the blue Tattoo engraved on her body. The man who remembered that nodded.

“There is something I lied to you about.”

“What is it.”

“There is also a Tattoo that engraves personal disgrace.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. It’s a Tattoo that is engraved on a defeated warrior.”

The great warrior straightened her back.

Even though she was kneeling, her eyes did not waver.

Sweat-soaked and disheveled black hair hung down to her shoulders.

She barely raised her remaining arm.

“Here.”

The place her index finger pointed to was her neck.

“Engrave a long, horizontal Tattoo here.”

“…I see.”

The man who understood her words nodded.

“The color of the Tattoo is red, and the tool for engraving is a sword.”

As soon as the great warrior finished speaking, the man pulled out the sword he had stuck in the ground and slashed horizontally.

With the sword swung in a straight line, the great warrior’s head flew into the sky.

In the last moment, what entered the great warrior’s eyes was a clear blue sky without a single cloud.

“……I don’t feel good at all.”

The man muttered, looking at the same sky that the great warrior had seen.

It was the sky of the twenty-second world.