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Chapter 67

Episode 67 Unfair Deal (4)

From that day on, Vikir became a hero in Ballak.

He revealed the truth behind the epidemic that had been weakening Ballak’s warriors, that it was actually caused by the cheap drugs secretly distributed by foreign traders. He exposed how these traders had been reaping huge profits from their secretive trade while Ballak suffered losses.

Furthermore, he even developed a strategy beyond the fire arrows, creating the oil barrel arrow tactic, which propelled him to sudden fame as a hero.

He had won over the favor of the Ox Bear, a creature only brave warriors could hunt, which helped resolve the food shortage in the tribe. Because of this, his hospitality was even greater.

Was that the reason?

“You may enter the Hero’s Spring.”

Chieftain Aquilla granted Vikir’s request with a pleased expression.

Perhaps she had been considering how to accommodate Vikir’s request due to her daughter’s constant rebellious behavior.

With such a strong justification, there was no one daring to oppose it.

Even the stubborn elderly leaders who had initially objected were now looking at Vikir with approving smiles.

“……Mmm.”

Only the shaman Aheuman swept his beard down with an expression that conveyed his displeasure.

This was because Aheuman had a history of falsely diagnosing warriors who had become sick due to drugs as being under a curse. These false diagnoses had earned him a reputation and bolstered his position through his shamanistic authority.

Though Vikir’s actions greatly improved the mood and vitality of the Ballak tribe, Aheuman found himself in a rather unfavorable situation.

His influence had diminished significantly, and his power of speech had weakened.

So, even when Vikir mentioned entering the Hero’s Spring, Aheuman still couldn’t oppose as he once had.

Aiyen approached Vikir with a cheerful smile and brought her lips close to his ear.

“……”

And said nothing.

Vikir raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Do you have something to say?”

“No?”

“Then why bring your lips close to someone else’s ear?”

“Just felt like it.”

Aiyen still smiled mysteriously.

She spoke again.

“Since I’ve brought them close, should I say a few words?”

“What is it?”

“I think Aheuman was up to something with those traders.”

“Why?”

“…I just have a feeling.”

Aiyen’s instincts, honed through hunting, were exceptionally sharp, sometimes allowing her to predict outcomes even without concrete evidence.

Vikir also agreed with Aiyen’s words.

The difference between him and her was that he could discern Aheuman’s suspicious actions not just through instinct, but also through reason.

Aheuman had explained that the drugs traded by the merchants were similar to epidemics and that they were curses that could only be treated through shamanistic rituals.

By framing it this way, he had established his authority as a shaman and bolstered his own position, even as his granddaughter Ahwil suffered from complications due to the drug use.

Moreover, Vikir still remembered the merchants’ words spoken in the imperial language.

“Who do you think you are, putting your hand in this sacred trade? This is a trade blessed by the forest deity!”

“The Forest Deity himself blesses this sacred transaction!”

“Even Ballak’s shaman blesses us on behalf of the Forest Deity…!”

Although the last merchant seemed to realize his mistake and stopped speaking midway, Vikir had already sensed the situation’s direction.

When Vikir provided a translation of what the merchants had said in their own language to Aiyen, her eyebrows shot up.

“Of course, we can’t just leave this guy alone! After enjoying free food, he’s now cozying up to foreign forces…!”

“Calm down. It’s still circumstantial. We don’t have solid evidence, do we?”

“Are we just going to stand by then!?”

As Aiyen’s frustration boiled, Vikir eventually spoke up after a moment of silence.

In a low voice, Vikir spoke, and Aiyen’s eyes narrowed.

“…Shall we go with that plan?”

“Yeah. If we wait a bit longer, he’ll reveal his own tail.”

“Hmm. It’s not a bad strategy.”

Aiyen pondered for a moment.

But given her personality, her contemplation didn’t last long.

“Alright then. Your plan seems good after all. But for now, let’s focus on what’s immediately important.”

Upon Aiyen’s words, Vikir nodded.

Considering his current circumstances, it was urgent to focus on recovering his strength.

Eventually,

As night fell, the beautiful full moon appeared in the sky.

The jungle seemed to have forgotten yesterday’s bloody affair within a day, creating a quiet atmosphere.

When the bright, round moon rose, the water’s surface opened up as if trying to swallow it.

Ssss…

The sound of the breeze rustling through leaves.

And then, with a strange shift in perception, the valley split open, and beneath it, hot water began to gush and bubble.

The Hero’s Spring.

A hot spring blessed by the divine power of Adonai, the guardian deity who led Ballak’s glorious past.

Even among Ballak’s warriors, this was a sacred place not everyone could enter.

Vikir stood alone in front of the hot spring.

From the deeper parts of the spring where the hot vapor rose, it seemed like there were traces of sulfur gas simmering.

In the shallow parts of the spring, a few small animals had already come to soak their bodies.

Even when Vikir approached, they didn’t seem to move.

It seemed that there was an unspoken rule among the animals entering this hot spring, disregarding the food chain, to avoid showing their teeth to each other.

Vikir removed all of his clothes.

Then, closing his eyes, he gently pushed aside the rabbits, the round-eyed creatures, and the hedgehogs to sit down in the hot spring.

“……!”

It was indeed a rather surprising effect that his eyes began to narrow.

As he entered the hot spring water, his internal organs began to stabilize rapidly.

“It seems the old shaman wasn’t making a fuss for no reason. He must’ve wanted to enter as well.”

The flow of mana became even smoother, and his bones and muscles found their proper places.

Perhaps there was a similar effect here to the Styx River that flowed within Baskerville.

While Hero’s Spring’s effects were slightly inferior to the Styx River, the advantage was that there was no age limit for using it.

However, it could only be used once or twice a year, on nights when the full moon appeared.

Vikir soaked in the hot spring and contemplated various thoughts.

He had already been here for quite some time.

Was Baskerville without him running smoothly? Was the Underdog City doing well?

…Well, it was probably running quite well.

“Though Chief Chihuahua might be sulking about it.”

Vikir chuckled and turned his head.

At that moment, something entirely unexpected came into his sight.

Even Vikir, the renowned warrior, was taken aback.

“Surprised?”

Out of nowhere, Aiyen had silently entered the hot spring beside Vikir.

With a bright smile, she lowered her body beside Vikir, not wearing a single thread of clothing.

Vikir thought to himself upon seeing her.

‘Even I, who have lived through the era of destruction, didn’t sense her approach. I must learn this stealthy movement.’

It would surely be helpful in his future endeavors.

As Vikir was making strategic considerations in his mind,

“……”

Aiyen, who had approached Vikir’s side, slumped down with an air of disappointment at Vikir’s lack of reaction.

“Even though you’re a man now, don’t you feel anything seeing a woman’s naked body?”

“Don’t you usually walk around naked?”

“That’s different. Being completely naked and barely covered are not the same.”

What on earth was the difference?

Vikir didn’t have any words to respond, so he simply turned his head back to its original direction.

Before long, Aiyen approached his side again, leaned her back against him, and opened a bottle of alcohol.

“Be grateful to Lord Adonai. This hot spring was discovered by him.”

“Adonai. I’ve heard of him”

“Really? That makes sense. He’s quite remarkable. The only one who could match Madam Eight-Leg in a duel. Now that you’re an esteemed Ballak, show respect to him. Also, take pride in being his descendant.”

Upon hearing her words, Vikir was surprised from two angles.

First, the Ballak’s sought descendants not in bloodline but in spiritual connection.

Second, the divine Adonai was capable of dueling with Madam Eight-Leg.

‘An archer who could fight even with that monster.’

How high of a level would one need to achieve that? With his current level, Vikir had a long way to go.

Then,

Aiyen turned her head.

Her delicate nose almost touched Vikir’s shoulder, creating a very short distance between them.

With her face slightly flushed from alcohol, Aiyen spoke.

“Those merchant bastards.”

“Hmm?”

“I knew they were taking advantage.”

Aiyen’s face grew redder, perhaps due to the memory of haggling for diamonds and corn.

“I had a vague idea, but it was satisfying to give them a proper blow this time. I’m not used to being taken advantage of. Even if you hadn’t told me, I would’ve overturned them someday.”

“Is that so?”

Vikir chuckled softly.

In response, Aiyen’s eyebrows twitched.

“Don’t laugh. I really knew.

!

“Scratch it, and it wounds; hit it, and it shatters; expose it to fire, and it burns away. What’s eternal about that? What’s eternal?”

As Aiyen spoke these words, Vikir didn’t have much to say in response.

Indeed, what were the criteria that divided civilization from barbarism?

Vikir, usually not concerned with such trivial matters, pondered for a moment about this insignificant question.

Meanwhile,

“….”

While Vikir was lost in thought, Aiyen was preoccupied with an entirely different concern.

In fact, tonight, she intended to conclude things in this place.

Because of her wounded pride, she felt awkward asking herself to choose herself with her own mouth. She wanted to move things along naturally in such a natural setting and atmosphere.

‘I would’ve done a fortune reading, improved my reputation in the village, and as the Chief’s wife, it wouldn’t be so bad. By healing myself here tonight, I could solidify my position and recovery would take its course afterward.’

Aquilla, her mother, had given similar advice in the past.

So, Aiyen had mustered the courage to even bring her cherished alcohol and was currently bathing in the hot spring next to Vikir.

However,

“But if you enter, doesn’t it diminish the mysterious effects of the hot spring? Why did you come in? Chief surely said I was the only one allowed in, didn’t he?”

As Vikir was now sitting there considering such matters, Aiyen was baffled.

“….Is that really important right now? True Ballakins don’t dwell on trivial matters like that.”

“It’s not that important, but I just asked. I’m not nitpicking; it might be better to be clear about it. Well, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

Vikir responded with an indifferent expression, turning his head slightly, which caused a vein to pop on Aiyen’s forehead.

“….You want me to show you what it means to be clear?”

In an instant,

…Splash!

A whirlpool appeared.

Aiyen suddenly stood up from her spot, poking and pressing Vikir.

Vikir still had a calm expression, but his pupils widened slightly, hinting at his surprise.

Aiyen noticed this and, with a mischievous smile, climbed onto Vikir’s body.

“You stay put, slave~”

“….”

“This master will take care of you…”

Right at that moment,

Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!

Countless whirlpools erupted from the other side of the spring.

Through the hazy steam, a few shadows started to appear.

“Wow, it’s Commander!”

“Vikir Hyung!”

A group of children unexpectedly rushed over.

“???”

Aiyen lifted her dumbfounded gaze.

Even Vikir, who was sitting below her, turned his head.

For some reason, Ballak’s children were rushing into the hot spring.

Upon closer inspection, they were all children who had suffered from the side effects of the drug trade conducted by the merchants.

Naked, they approached Aiyen and Vikir with splashes and giggles.

“Commander, let’s play together!”

Upon hearing this, Aiyen yelled in frustration.

“Hey, you brats! Don’t you know that the mysterious effects of the hot spring diminish when you guys come in? Who told you to come in here looking at you!”

“Chief did!”

Responding in unison, the kids’ words led Aiyen to slap her forehead with her palm.

She had been teased by her mother. Worse yet,

“The story is different. A true Ballakin wouldn’t nitpick over such trivial matters…”

Vikir was making a serious point.

Aiyen let out a deep sigh.

The children who had entered the hot spring were already happily playing with the rabbits, hedgehogs, squirrels, and other animals that had been there earlier.

Vikir, on the other hand, was completely immersed in the hot spring, focused solely on recovering his body.

Aiyen spread her arms wide toward Vikir, resigned to everything.

“Welcome to the official ranks of the Ballak.”