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Chapter 276: To the North (4)

“Oh, really? You think you can take me?”

The man twisted his face in anger.

“I’ll kill you for real!”

Holy energy began to surge into the man\'s other hand, clearly intent on smashing Ketal\'s head with deadly intent.

With a grim expression, Ketal grabbed the man\'s hand.

Now, Ketal firmly held both of the man\'s arms, and the man thrashed wildly, trying to break free.

“You barbarian dog! Let go of me, damn it!”

‘…Wasn’t he supposed to be the calm type?’

The man\'s eyes were wild, almost crazed.

The holy sword muttered in curiosity.

[Is he really a believer? He seems more like a madman. Could it be that Elia is so merciful that she even accepts people like him as her followers?]

“Let go! I said let go!”

The man struggled violently, but it was clear he wasn’t in a state to listen to reason.

After some brief hesitation, Ketal released his restraint on his aura.

“Calm down.”

His words carried force, and his will filled the air.

The man\'s face instantly froze.

“W-What?”

The overwhelming pressure was too much for his mind to handle, but it paradoxically brought him back to his senses.

The madness in his eyes faded, replaced by confusion.

“W-What?”

“Have you calmed down? I have no intention of harming you.”

Ketal spoke calmly.

“Can you listen to what I have to say?”

* * *

Ketal managed to calm the man down and led him inside the building.

They sat across from each other, and Ketal explained the situation.

As the man listened, his expression gradually changed.

“Ah, I see. I’m sorry. I misunderstood.”

“I understand. It seems like you’ve been through a lot.”

“These brutes don’t understand a word I say. They’re like damn beasts... No, no, this isn’t the time to lose my cool.”

The man took a deep breath, rubbing the dark circles under his eyes.

“My name’s Darkul. I’m a follower of the Sword God and a fool who volunteered to come to the North to preach to these damn barbarians.”

“I am Ketal.”

“Ketal, huh?”

Darkul looked at Ketal with suspicion.

“…You look like a barbarian too, but you can actually talk, huh?”

“I’m an intelligent and reasonable person.”

At that, Darkul grimaced, as if he’d just seen a lion become a vegetarian—completely baffled.

“…Well, alright. If you say so.”

Darkul said it like he accepted the answer, but his expression showed he didn’t believe it at all.

He subtly moved further away from Ketal, still wary.

Ketal couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction.

‘He’s been through a lot, hasn’t he?’

“Anyway, you said you were sent here by the holy land of Elia?”

“Yes. Here’s the symbol and the letter.”

Ketal handed over the items he received from the church.

Darkul caressed the symbol fondly, his face filled with nostalgia.

“…Yeah, that’s the real thing. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this symbol.”

After reading the letter, Darkul spoke again.

“You’ve come to help the North, huh? Makes sense. We’ve been under constant attack from the demons, so we definitely need help.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Since he couldn’t explain everything about the demons, Ketal gave a vague answer.

Darkul glanced at him subtly.

Darkul was strong.

He had the strength of an elite warrior.

It was only natural for someone of his caliber to come to the North alone to lead the barbarians.

Because of that, he could sense the surface level of Ketal’s strength.

‘Top-tier, first-class.’

He was just on the verge of reaching the superhuman level, a very powerful individual.

‘He’s strong.’

It was because Ketal had met many superhuman and hero-class beings, but first-rate first-class fighters were still considered quite formidable.

Anyone at that level could easily become the captain of a kingdom’s knight order.

With that much power, Ketal would definitely be able to assist the North.

Darkul reached this conclusion.

“Hm... I knew things were getting chaotic. I was already thinking about whether I should get involved or not.”

Although Darkul had come to the North to preach, spreading the faith was no longer as important when evil was invading the world.

As a follower of his god, he had a duty to fight against evil.

The decision didn’t take long.

Darkul nodded.

“Alright, I’ll join you. I know a lot about the North, and I’ve got enough strength to be of help.”

“Oh, thanks.”

Ketal smiled.

Darkul asked,

“So, what’s the plan? Do you have any specific ideas?”

“Hmm.”

Ketal stroked his chin.

Right now, he needed to gather information about the foreign entity that had infiltrated the North.

He didn’t know what kind of being it was or how deeply it had infiltrated the region.

To find out, he needed to get a better understanding of the overall situation in the North.

When Ketal explained this, Darkul thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

“In that case, we should go see the king. The capital is the heart of the North, and all the information will flow through there.”

“Hmm? Can we really just meet the king like that?”

Ketal asked with a puzzled expression.

After all, a king was the highest authority, not someone you could just casually visit.

But then Ketal realized something.

“Normally, no. But this is the North, remember?”

“…Ah, right.”

Barbarians ruled the North.

For them, status and rank meant nothing.

Everything was proven through strength alone.

And the king was no exception.

Ketal clicked his tongue, realizing that he’d momentarily forgotten the barbarian way of life during his short time away.

“With your level of power, it won’t be hard to meet the king. You’ll be able to learn everything about the situation in the North from him.”

Darkul said casually.

Ketal nodded.

“That sounds good.”

The king of the North.

A hero-class warrior and the leader of the barbarians.

And, someone who possessed knowledge and common sense.

Ketal was curious about what kind of person the king of the North was.

Given that the king was once the chief of the barbarian tribes, his curiosity was even stronger.

There was no reason to refuse.

“The capital is about... if we move quickly, around a month’s journey from here.”

“A month, huh. I’ll be counting on you.”

Ketal smiled and extended his hand.

Darkul grasped it and shook.

At least a month.

Whether that was a short or long time, Ketal and Darkul would be traveling together.

And for an enjoyable journey, it was important to know more about your companion.

With a curious look, Ketal asked,

“When I was told about you at the holy land, they said you were a very calm person.”

But here, things were completely different.

Without any warning, he attacked, trying to kill Ketal.

The house was half-destroyed, practically in ruins.

Darkul’s face twisted with frustration.

"There’s a reason. I wasn\'t like this from the start. Damn barbari—"

His words were cut off.

Because the wall collapsed.

Boom!

The already damaged wall, which had a hole punched through it, crumbled completely.

A barbarian appeared with a hearty laugh.

"Darkul! I’m here! This time, I’ll defeat you and claim the glory!"

"Argh!"

Darkul lunged at him in a fit, kicking the barbarian and smashing him into the ground.

"I told you! I told you to come through the door! Don’t break the walls! Do you know how much I\'ve had to shiver in this freezing north because of you bastards?!"

"Argh!"

Darkul stomped on the barbarian, grinding him into the floor.

The sound of bones cracking echoed through the air.

Breathing heavily, Darkul threw the limp barbarian outside.

"Ugh. Damn bastards. Now, where was I—"

Boom!

"I’ve arrived, Darkul! This time, I will defeat you and erase the shame of my past failures!"

"Argh!"

Darkul sprang up again in a fit.

* * *

It kept happening over and over again.

Barbarians would smash through the walls or ceiling, challenging Darkul to a duel.

And Darkul, in a rage, would break their limbs and throw them out.

After fending off fifteen barbarians, things finally quieted down.

"My house..."

Darkul looked around with a hopeless expression.

His house, already near ruin, was now completely destroyed.

The walls and ceiling had collapsed, leaving it little different from the outside.

Ketal asked, with a perplexed look on his face.

"...What’s going on?"

"Ugh. Barbarians. Damn those bastards."

Darkul ground his teeth as he spoke, practically spitting out his words.

He had come to the north for missionary work.

Naturally, the barbarians had resisted.

To them, who despised and denied gods, Darkul’s presence was unacceptable.

So they tried to kill him.

Darkul had expected this.

Calmly, he subdued all the barbarians that came at him with his superior strength.

For someone of his caliber, it wasn’t a difficult task.

And he said to them, gently:

“I am here to teach you. If you want to break my will, you must defeat me with strength.”

His goal was to gradually convert the barbarians through these long battles.

But that was his misjudgment.

"I shouldn’t have said that."

Darkul gritted his teeth.

Upon hearing his words, the barbarians made it their mission to defeat him.

That much was fine.

It was what Darkul had intended, after all.

In fact, he welcomed it.

But the problem was that those damn barbarians never rested.

Whether he was eating, resting, sleeping, or even when he was doing his business, they attacked him 24/7 without regard.

Rather than telling him to come out of the house, they preferred to smash through the walls.

Darkul desperately tried to reason with them.

He begged them to set specific times for their fights.

He even asked them not to destroy his house, promising he wasn’t going anywhere.

He tried to find a compromise.

But the barbarians didn’t listen.

At first, he endured it somehow, but even he had his limits.

Darkul couldn’t stand it anymore and began breaking their bones.

But with their monstrous vitality, they healed in just a few days and attacked him again.

This constant cycle gradually wore down Darkul’s nerves.

The once-gentle Darkul became increasingly ferocious.

"Those damn barbarians. I can’t even kill them because I’m an outsider. My only respite is when I beat them to a pulp and throw them out. That\'s the only time I get to rest."

"...Do they leave once they’re defeated?"

"Huh? Of course, that’s a given, isn’t it?"

"..."

The barbarians Ketal knew would keep coming until they died.

If they couldn’t move, they would crawl and try to bite with their teeth.

Ketal’s expression darkened.

Suppressing his emotions, he consoled Darkul.

"You’ve been through a lot."

"But it’s over now!"

Darkul grinned.

He had wanted to flee, but couldn’t because of his missionary duties.

Running away first would have meant failure.

But now he had a reason to leave.

Whatever Ketal said, Darkul had no intention of staying from the beginning.

"Now, let’s raise a toast! A toast! I was saving this drink for when I succeeded in converting a barbarian, but it’s good enough for now!"

"A toast. Sounds good."

Ketal drank with Darkul.

They had an open conversation, and most of Darkul’s words were complaints about the barbarians.

Ketal nodded in agreement to all of it.

As a result, Darkul’s view of Ketal filled with affection.

"You’re a good guy! Honestly, when I first met you, I thought you were a barbarian and we wouldn’t get along!"

"I’ve suffered enough from those barbarians too, so I understand how you feel."

"Yeah! Right? Those damn barbarians!"

Darkul enthusiastically continued.

"They bring me tiny animal hides or teeth, acting like they’re something great and demanding a duel! Was it the same for you?"

"No. They offered to give me their heart if I beat them. And when they lost, they actually ripped their heart out and gave it to me. It’s a pain, so I still have it stored in a corner."

"...Still, at least they asked for the duel respectfully, right? Unlike me, where they smash up my house and attack with no sense of decency."

"They tried to move into my house. Literally to fight me 24/7. I got fed up and turned their leg bones to dust and threw them outside. They crawled back three days later."

"..."

Darkul’s face filled with sympathy for Ketal.