Chapter 164: The Great Chief

Urich walked through a coastal village. Screams erupted everywhere as the raid began.

'This is a pretty big village.'

Urich led about a dozen warriors into the village hall made of logs. Inside, decorated with whale bones and such, the elders trembled.

"Urich, come take a look at this."

A warrior who had found something called out to Urich. Urich entered deeper into the hall.

"What, is it a treasure?"

"It looks like it. It's something I've never seen before."

The hall's storeroom contained the village's treasures, including pearls and crafts made of gold and silver to be used in trades. Among them, a warrior lifted a fist-sized figure.

"...'Jade,’" Urich murmured.

"Jade?"

"Let me see."

What the warrior held was a statue of pure green jade. The exquisite and intricate piece was not unfamiliar to Urich.

'It's not shaped like a dragon like that eastern artifact. It's a human figure, but in attire I've never seen. The sculpture has wide folds as if the clothes could flutter in the breeze any moment.'

Urich stared at the jade statue, entranced.

'This wasn't made by this tribe. Compared to other crafts, the craftsmanship and sophistication are on a different level.'

Urich approached the hall's elders with the jade statue.

"Where did this come from?"

Though they didn't speak the same language, Urich demanded answers while pointing at the jade statue. The elders trembled, stuttering. They pointed westward, where the only thing in sight was the sea.

Urich's eyes widened. His lips quivered softly.

"Bring the interpreter."

Urich waited for the interpreter, fixated on the jade statue.

'How did an eastern artifact end up at the western edge?'

Urich was convinced the jade figure and the eastern artifact from the empire came from the same place. Yet, the connection eluded him. The eastern artifacts must have crossed the eastern sea to reach the empire.

'This is the far end of the west.'

Two jade figures found at the ends of the continent.

Two interpreters were summoned by Urich, and they spoke with the elder.

"That thing was merely passed down from their ancestors. According to their legend, it was a gift from an outsider who drifted ashore. In exchange for the treasure, our ancestors provided the foreigner with food and care."

"Where is this outsider now?"

Urich looked at the statue. The depicted person's attire was unfamiliar, with loose tops and sleeves. It was something he had never seen elsewhere.

"After resting, the outsider built a boat and set sail westward, back to where he came from."

"What did this outsider look like?"

The interpreters relayed the question. The elders chatted among themselves, seemingly arguing as if their transmitted stories were slightly varying. Eventually, quieting down, one elder spoke to the interpreter.

"Black hair and black eyes."

The interpreter relayed this to Urich. It was as if he were struck by thunder. He recalled.

'There's a legend among us that beyond the eastern sea lies another land. One of our ancestors supposedly set foot there and returned. It's said people with black hair and black eyes live there.'

It was something Sven had said long ago. At the time, Urich had thought little of it.

'A jade figure and people with black hair and black eyes.'

It couldn't be a coincidence. But how could the same people be encountered at both the east and west ends?

"Urich, the other tribes are coming this way. Let's secure the treasure first."

One of the Stone Axe warriors spoke. Urich nodded and placed the jade figure into a leather bag tied around his waist.

The victorious alliance celebrated with a feast. They enjoyed food made from strange sea fish, commemorating the success of their expedition.

"We've reached the end of the west!"

"Who dares to stand against us!"

"Woohoo! Hooh! Hooh!"

The night sky was outshone by large bonfires everywhere.

Naked women could be seen all around. Warriors picked the ones they liked and embraced them before returning to the bonfires to drink.

The alliance had endured the harsh dry season through raids. For every warrior in the alliance, there was someone who had been raided and killed. Yet, no one felt any guilt. The west was always lacking resources, and some simply had to die.

The joy of survival. The warriors expressed their overflowing vitality with their entire bodies.

'East and west.'

Urich stood on the beach, looking out at the sea. He could see the village’s anchored fishing boats. Warriors seeing the sea for the first time frolicked in the salty water. They laughed innocently like children, having fun playing in the water.

'What lies at the end of this sea?'

Legend has it that the eastern continent lies at the end of the eastern sea.

'That outsider from the west had treasures from the eastern continent, and his appearance was probably the same since the features match. Black hair, black eyes.'

The curiosity was unbearable. Urich wanted to cross the sea right away.

"Shit."

Urich kicked the sand in frustration. He felt the weight of responsibility. He couldn't just abandon his duties and leave on a whim again.

'I am the chief.'

Urich was no longer a free man. He couldn't act on his curiosity and desires alone. His priority was keeping up with the mission of the chief.

As Urich gazed at the sea, Belrua walked up beside him.

"Is this what they call the sea? It’s amazing. That description ‘endless lake’ is spot on."

"Those from the Sky Mountains are seeing it for the first time."

The sea was vast. Belrua, too, was momentarily lost in admiration before speaking.

"Soon, Samikan is going to declare himself as the Great Chief."

"We chose Samikan as the leader of the alliance from the start of the expedition. Why act so surprised now?"

Belrua frowned.

"At that time, I didn't think Samikan’s ambition was this big. Honestly, I didn't expect us to reach the western end. I thought we'd raid around a bit after crossing the wastelands and return home."

"You underestimated Samikan."

Urich looked at the distant crackling bonfires.

"Urich, Samikan is a man of great ambition."

"You can’t do anything without an ambition like that. It's because of his ambition that we allied with him."

"For now, we are equals to Samikan. But will he still treat us as equals once he proclaims himself the Great Chief?"

Belrua scoffed, asking Urich.

Urich didn't answer.

* * *

The alliance did not have the entire west under its control. There were still many small and large tribes that had not succumbed to it. However, there was no tribe untouched by the alliance's influence. The gap between tribes united under the alliance and those independent was bound to grow.

Samikan had led this expedition successfully. His popularity was high and his support was firm. He wielded strong power throughout the alliance.

'I have to become the Great Chief while my power is at its peak.'

Samikan did not wait for the alliance to return to the Blue Mist. He called himself the Great Chief while his power was at its zenith.

All the priests and shamans of the tribes gathered to discuss. Shamans were those who interpreted the will of the heavens and preserved the traditions of the tribe. The priests debated how to view the unprecedented position of the Great Chief.

"Samikan is only the Great Chief of the Sky Mountains tribes. He has not been recognized by the spirits and the earth outside of that."

Shamans from tribes distant from the Sky Mountains agreed with this statement. Interpreters conveyed the message between the shamans and priests of the different regions.

"I agree with that statement. While I acknowledge Samikan's power and strength, that alone does not qualify him for the position of the Great Chief. We have our own traditions, just like you do."

The Great Chief was a position that was going to represent all. Samikan had representativeness among the tribes of the Sky Mountains, but not among others.

"Hah, drop the nonsense. Isn't power and strength all that's needed for a Great Chief?"

Six-Fingered, from the Blue Mist tribe, spoke up. He was also a priest of Samikan.

"You're the one talking nonsense! What do you mean power and strength are everything?"

"I will be honest with you. Samikan will kill anyone who obstructs his ascension as the Great Chief. If you want to live, you better keep your mouth shut."

As Six-Fingered warned the other shamans, they stood up in uproar.

"Are you threatening us right now? Is that what this is?"

"We will inform our chief of this matter!"

"You've crossed the line, Six-Fingered!"

Hearing their uproar, Six-Fingered shook his head in annoyance. He raised his six fingers, calming the shamans. His six fingers waved like ripples.

"It's not a threat, just the truth. Do you think I'd be safe if I opposed Samikan? If I don’t bring him good news, my head is just as gone as all of yours."

Other priests fell silent, sighing. Six-Fingered continued cautiously.

"...Some of you may know, but before we crossed the wastelands of the dry season, we even lied about the omens. I told them that if Samikan didn't get an omen that fit his needs, he would have our heads."

"What an outrageous...!"

The shamans who heard this for the first time expressed their outrage.

"Do you think the other chiefs will protect you if you rebel against Samikan now? Labeling one or two tribes as traitors and wiping them out is nothing to him. Samikan has more than enough power to do such a thing."

Six-Fingered's words were painfully accurate. The alliance had succeeded in its expedition and reached the end of the west. Warriors praised Samikan as a great figure, and his power had peaked. Opposing Samikan now was madness, and that's why Samikan had claimed the title of Great Chief, even if it seemed a bit early.

"If Samikan seeks to be acknowledged by the heavens as the Great Chief, we have no choice but to comply..."

A heavy silence followed.

The shamans had no choice. Samikan did not respect the shamans. He was a man who used shamans as political tools.

Six-Fingered spoke up, breaking the heavy silence.

"But if Samikan uses the will of the heavens and spirits as his tools, then so should we."

"You're the one who said opposing Samikan means death, Six-Fingered."

"There cannot be two suns in one sky..."

Hearing Six-Fingered's words, the shamans listened attentively. They understood Six-Fingered's implication.

"Are you speaking of Urich?"

Currently, in the alliance, only Urich had a reputation comparable to Samikan's.

Although Belrua of the Red Sand was also one of the three major chiefs, her inherent limitations as a woman made it difficult for her to be recognized by other tribes.

Urich led the strong Stone Axe force and performed as well as Samikan during the expedition. On top of this, his feat of crossing the Sky Mountains was still talked about among warriors.

"Though he is my chief, Urich violated the taboos of the Sky Mountains."

The priest of the Stone Axe Tribe spoke. He felt guilty for the sins committed by his very own chief, which often kept him awake at night.

"In the end, we will all end up violating the taboos. Urich crossing the Sky Mountains is no longer a sin. It has become an achievement."

Too much had changed. Changes that would not have occurred even in decades all happened within a year. Worldviews and values shifted, and what was right or wrong became unclear.

The shamans, who governed the way the world was viewed, were thrown into confusion. Everyone pondered which path to follow.

"The Sky Mountains, known for accepting no one, accepted Urich. That man, who was born from the earth without parents, must have been blessed by the heavens. It's not a false omen. There's no other way to explain the path Urich has taken up to this point. A man who should have been cursed for violating the taboo liberated his tribe and became the chief. How could he have achieved this without the blessing of the heavens and ancestors?"

The shamans murmured at Six-Fingered's words.

"Are you suggesting we make Urich the Great Chief? The alliance we've built will be broken!"

"That is quite a jump to the conclusion. No, I am talking about acknowledging Samikan as the Great Chief and transferring power to him while also supporting Urich. Urich is a warrior who does not cater to Samikan's whims and stands by his convictions. Just looking at his act of crossing the mountains against the taboo, he's not someone who easily bends his will."

The shamans nodded in agreement. Urich wasn’t a man who would act solely according to Samikan's wishes. Since they had sworn brotherhood, Samikan could not harm Urich on a whim, either.

"Proposing that we support Urich to keep Samikan in check... I would have never expected such words to come from the priest of the Blue Mist, Six-Fingered."

"As I said earlier, I'm not safe from Samikan's hand either... Keke."

Six-Fingered laughed softly.

The shamans looked at each other before unanimously recognizing Samikan as the Great Chief.