Chapter 60

The Sun Warrior’s armory was one of the best in the world. All kinds of steel weapons from the Imperial smithy were hung along the walls, even along with a few pieces of full plate armor.

“What do you think? Isn’t this nice?” A few of the warriors said to Urich as they showed him around the armory.

The Sun Warriors was composed of northerners, southerners, and barbarian half-bloods. As they had the title ‘warriors’ instead of ‘knights,’ they were allowed to act with more freedom. They welcomed the outsider, Urich, and revealed their armory.

“This is amazing, how can a blade be this sharp? Can I have one?” Urich asked, thinking about the axe that broke on him during the last duel.

“Join us, then you can have whatever you want,” the Sun Warriors said to Urich as they laughed.

“This place is better than I thought. I thought you’d all be like Harvald.”

“Harvald is on the stricter side. But the higher-ups do prefer guys like him, haha.”

The Sun Warriors chuckled. Among them, many of them had spent their younger days outside of civilization. Even though they had become civilized after their conversion to Solarism, they still had a touch of barbarianism to them.

Woosh!

Urich grabbed one of the double-bladed axes and swung it lightly. The sound of it ripping through the air was different. The essence of metallurgy was contained in the weapon.

Not all steel was the same. The quality of steel varied from place to place, and the heat treatment it underwent changed its properties. The steel that had the name ‘Imperial steel’ was the highest grade of steel that was used to forge weapons.

The weapons created by civilized people through research and study.’

They were on a different level than the tribal weapons. Back in Urich’s tribe, metal weapons were made from low-grade metal ores or scrap iron poorly hammered together.

‘I want it.’

Urich’s imperial steel sword was nearing the end of its lifespan. Regardless of how good a weapon was, it was still an expendable item.

“You want it, don’t you? Of course, you do. You are a warrior who knows the value of weapons,” The Sun Warriors bantered with Urich.

“Just give me one, I’ll pay for it,” Urich said, almost like a whine, and the Sun Warrior shook his head.

“This isn’t something that’s for sale, Mr. Armor Breaker.”

“So, you brought me here just to make fun of me? What a terrible person.”

Urich put the weapon back in its place.

“The Sun Warriors are always lacking warriors. There aren’t that many people who fit the criteria of being both an excellent warrior and of barbarian blood. The skilled warriors often never want to convert, and those who have usually only did so to survive in civilization, so they lack the true faith and quality as a warrior.”

That was the reason why the Sun Warriors were so keen on Urich. His ability as a warrior was already vouched for by Harvald.

“Hmm.”

Urich stroked his chin. The Sun Warriors weren’t the super-strict organization that he thought they were. It was quite a flexible group with a lot of different people.

“But then I’d have to serve the emperor. Yuck, the thought of having someone above me just pisses me off.”

Urich waved his hand as he looked at the Sun Warriors. They were all hefty men, a different class from the regular soldiers.

“Then who are you using your strength and sword for?” The Sun Warriors stood tall and asked. They were men who had devoted their swords to the emperor.

“You sound like Harvald. It’s not worth answering your question.”

“The violence that we possess is evil, no matter how we try to put it. Its only use is to harm other people. However, if we devote that sword to the sun god Lou and the emperor, we can be righteous.”

“You say that harming and conquering your own people is righteous. That itself is pretty disgusting,” Urich retorted as he twisted his mouth.

“We have no words for that criticism. We certainly oppose our own people. However, the correct change comes with sacrifice.”

“Pointing your swords at your own family and brothers is something that even dogs wouldn’t do, no matter how you try to put it.”

Urich said sharply. Like Sven, he also felt a foundational hatred toward the Sun Warriors. With his values, it was difficult for him to accept them.

‘I can’t approve of their ways. I’m no different from Sven.’

To Urich, betraying one’s tribe and brothers was unacceptable. He could forgive anything else but that. In his eyes, the Sun Warriors was a group that had leaned toward evil.

“Urich, you may have converted, but you still haven’t shed your barbarian identity.”

“A man mustn’t forget his roots,” Urich answered, and that shut up the Sun Warriors.

‘This man is not fit to be a Sun Warrior.’

The Sun Warriors did not try to convince Urich any further.

“Thanks for showing me your armory, I’ll see you all around.”

It wasn’t too long before Urich was summoned by Pahell. He left the barracks and returned to the Swallow Residence. On his way, he stared at the other palaces.

‘They acted like they were going to show me everything, but this is the only place I can freely roam.’

He felt like he was locked up in a prison.

‘I’d be better off leaving the palace and going around the city.’

Urich entered Pahell’s room with a lot of thoughts in his mind.

“You’re here.”

Pahell greeted Urich as he was speaking with Phillion. His face brightened up.

“When do I get to see that emperor guy?”

Urich yawned.

“It’s not that easy. It seems like the emperor doesn’t think much of me. We might have to wait quite a while,” Pahell smirked.

“You’re a royalty! A high and mighty man! Where did that confidence go, you bastard?”

Urich smacked Pahell on the back. Pahell stumbled like he was about to fall over.

“I’m a mere firefly under the moonlight compared to the emperor,” Pahell chided himself. He felt his miserable plight.

“Cheer up, Pahell. Why did you go through all that hell just to get here? To go home empty-handed and serve the throne to your uncle on a plate?”

It was Urich’s way of cheering up his friend. Pahell showed a bitter grin. He signaled Phillion to leave the two of them alone, so Phillion bowed his head and left the room.

“Urich, you’ve already done more than enough as the mercenary leader. No matter how much reward I give you, it won’t make up for what you’ve done for me. And on top of that, I don’t have the money on my hands to pay you any additional reward, or even the expenses of the mercenaries if our stay here gets any longer than what we’ve expected.”

The mercenary squad wasn’t going to betray Pahell easily. They would certainly persevere without the support for their expenses for the last bit of their stay out of anticipation for their final reward. However, mercenaries were mercenaries. If Pahell ended up not being able to pay them anymore, they would eventually leave, or in the worst case scenario, sell him over to Duke Harmatti, even if their leader Urich was against it.

“Put that depressing stuff away.”

“So, I’m not asking you this as your employer.”

Pahell said solemnly as he crossed his fingers. He smacked his lips nervously before looking up at Urich.

“You’re a man, Pahell. Stop acting like a little girl and come out with it already.”

Urich tapped on the table with his fingers.

“In order for me to get an audience with the emperor, we need another way. We need to make the emperor become interested in a small-time prince like me.”

Pahell came to a decision after a lot of thinking, but he didn’t like what he had come to. His relationship with Urich was good, and he didn’t want to make a request that would ruin what they had.

‘But I’m going to be king.’

A king had to make decisions that were greater than their personal feelings.

“So?”

“If you truly think of me as your friend... I’m asking this as your friend, Urich. Enter the jousting tournament and win. Bearing my name, as my knight.”

Pahell shut his eyes, then opened them again. He couldn’t look at Urich’s face. He knew better than anyone that it was an unreasonable request.

‘Even if Urich declines, I have nothing to say. It’s a ridiculous request.’

But if Urich did decline, their relationship would never be the same. That was the price of asking for something with a friendship on the line. It was practically a threat using friendship as a hostage.

Pahell had decided to make that request bearing that request in mind. It was the decision of a king.

“Is that what you were thinking about? I just have to fight with your name, right? Fighting’s what I’m the best at.”

“Huh? Hmm?”

Pahell replied dumbfoundedly to the unexpected answer. Urich had accepted his request without any hesitation.

“I’m not like you, Pahell. Fighting and killing a few people doesn’t mean much to me. If it’s a request that small, feel free to ask me any time. We all have our own specialty, so we should help each other with it, right?”

“Even as I make this request to you, there’s nothing I can do for you.”

“...sometimes friends just do things for each other, without expecting anything in return. You’re asking me to do this as your friend, not as your mercenary.”

Pahell was about to tear up, but he held it in. He bit down on his lips and nodded.

‘I will be the king.’

His resolve grew stronger. He looked at Urich, who was scratching his chin as he shook his head from side to side.

“Uh, but what exactly is a jousting tournament? It’s a fight, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be asking me.”

His words made Pahell spit out a hollow laugh and choke on his own spit. A drop of tear fell.

‘How amazing is this guy? He accepted my request even without knowing what he was getting himself into.’

* * *

The history of jousting tournaments was not deep. It only emerged as a new culture in various parts of the empire about five years ago.

The last major war that the empire fought was against the barbarians during the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians a decade ago. Wars that were on the national scale were over, but the localized land disputes between the nobles persisted. They constantly fought to take each other’s lands, and they still needed excellent knights to do so.

‘How can we find good knights?’

The nobles found a way through the jousting tournaments. Unlike a typical sword fight, this was a new competition that utilized all the combat skills that were required of a fine knight.

These tournaments became a good source of money and a gateway to rise the ranks for wandering knights, but it was only for those who could already afford a warhorse and knightly gear. Poorer warriors still had no chance of making a name for themselves without going to war.

“Jousts are divided into mounted and foot combat.”

Phillion explained the details of the jousting tournament. Urich listened as he leaned against Kylios.

“Do I have to use a lance in a joust? I’m not saying that I can’t use a lance, but it’s not exactly my favorite.”

“You don’t have to, but nine out of ten competitors do. All the winners in the past were also lancemen. The lance is such a superior weapon that no other weapon is even worth considering, at least not in this competition. It’s not called a jousting tournament for nothing!”

Phillion emphasized. He taught Urich how to hold the lance; close to the armpit, putting the momentum of the horse on the tip of the lance.

“A proper cavalry charge with a lance is unstoppable, although there are very few armies that have that kind of cavalry... anyway, the first man to fall to the ground in a mounted battle is put at a disadvantage. The odds are stacked against them, so many end up forfeiting the match.”

“Hmm.”

Urich stroked his chin. He knew the intimidation of a cavalry. It was very difficult for an infantryman to face a cavalryman. The intimidation of a large horse wasn’t to be taken lightly, and even Urich had to fight with all his power to go against a cavalry.

“It will be a completely different way of fighting from what you’ve gotten used to. You have to wear the hefty metal armor with a shield in one hand and a lance in the other.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better for one of your guard knights to do this? Not someone like me.”

“As much as it hurts our pride, you with a quick lesson would have a much higher chance of winning the tournament than any of us...”

Phillion said bitterly. Urich was a first-class warrior. Even out of all the warriors and knights that Phillion had seen, he was top. Despite his young age, Urich was rich in experience, and it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that his sheer strength was a blessing from god. Urich’s level of combat skills was the result of talent, which could not be approached by effort alone.

‘If such a warrior could absorb the egoistic mindset of civilization... what a knight he would be! It’s terrifying to think about, but I want to see it with my own eyes.’

Phillion held a mock joust with another guard knight. He showed Urich the flow of the match through demonstration.

“You do pretty well for someone who doesn’t have fingers in his right hand, Phillion!” Urich shouted as he watched on.

‘That’s a lot coming from the very man who cut them off.’

Phillion chucked and stroked the warhorse that he had borrowed. He urged it along at a leisurely pace and held a mock match with the guard knight.

Urich, unlike his words, had his eyes wide open as he studied every moment of the mock match. His pupils followed every move that Phillion made.

‘He’s watching and learning well. He is indeed clever.’

Phillion knew that Urich’s intelligence was out of the ordinary. Urich had been learning how to read and write from Pahell from time to time, and Pahell was always amazed at Urich’s ability to learn. Once he learned something, he never forgot.

“Alright, that’s enough demonstration. Let me try. Come on, Sir Phillion.”

Urich said as he patted Kylios. Kylios released a steam of breath as he waited for Urich to mount him.