Chapter 166: Collision

Having returned from the expedition, a grand festival was held at the campsite of the alliance. Warriors shared the spoils of their raid, boisterously eating and drinking. The night was even more lively than the day.

"Belrua, come have a drink. What are you so busy with?"

Urich called out to Belrua as she passed by while he was drinking with the warriors. There weren’t many who had the authority to offer a drink to Belrua of the Red Sand.

"Shut up," Belrua responded harshly. Urich frowned.

"You’re so aggressive on such a good day."

"Must be nice, Urich the Son of the Earth," she snapped back.

Hearing this, Urich shut his mouth.

'The Red Sand Tribe must be pretty unhappy with how the situation is unfolding.'

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Blue Mist and Stone Axe had gained quite a lot through the western expedition. Especially, Samikan and Urich, attained divinity, standing distinctly higher than other chiefs. However, Red Sand did not secure such benefits.

‘Samikan and I are still equals, but Belrua has become someone who is technically beneath us.'

Urich felt sympathy for Belrua, but it didn't bother him much. He too was merely caught in the political currents.

"I don't have the luxury to sit and gossip with you over drinks."

Belrua left in annoyance. Urich shrugged and watched her back, then took another sip of his drink.

Urich had heard about the internal strife within Red Sand through various rumors.

'The support for Belrua within Red Sand is waning.'

'Being compared with other chiefs in the alliance, it's like a festering sore that's finally burst.'

'Many warriors think she's fallen behind because she's a woman chief and couldn’t earn the respect of the other chiefs.'

'Even if the Red Sand supported a woman chief, it all means nothing if other tribes don't acknowledge it.'

There was much opposition within the Red Sand Tribe. Among the three chiefs, only Belrua failed to acquire divinity. Many warriors blamed her for this.

"New warriors joining the alliance don’t want to accept a woman chief ruling over them. There are many places where the reputation of Red Sand doesn't carry weight the same way it did back home."

Vald picked his ear as he spoke. He often went around to gauge the mood of other tribes for Urich.

Despite all this, Red Sand still remained an important tribe for the alliance. It was a key trade hub geographically, and its metalworkers were irreplaceable talents.

"It's unfortunate for Belrua, but it's not really any of our concern," Urich spoke calmly.

Whether female or male, one was responsible for protecting their own status. Belrua earned her position as chief with her ability, but if she can't defend it, she must step down, whatever the reason may be. That was the harsh reality.

"Aaaargh!"

A scream echoed. The drumming stopped, and the warriors looked up.

"If anyone questions my legitimacy, draw your weapon. If you think you can replace me, take my head as proof!"

Belrua shouted with blood smeared over her face. Beneath her feet lay a Red Sand warrior with his entrails spilling out.

Swoosh.

Belrua swung her large sword, decapitating the warrior. She used a weapon larger than most to prove her prowess as a warrior equal to any man.

"Oooh!"

The warriors shouted upon seeing the blood. Though they didn't know the details, they were excited by the fight itself.

"I am Belrua of Red Sand. I am your leader! If you have complaints, draw your weapon now! Are you planning to whisper behind my back like a bunch of little bitches?"

Belrua spread her arms and shouted. Veins bulged on her neck which was marred by burns.

The Red Sand warriors remained silent. Belrua was an exceptional warrior and blacksmith. No one within Red Sand could deny that.

'But having been caught out like this, the same issues will continue to trip Belrua up.'

The fundamental discontent within the Red Sand Tribe remained unresolved. They wanted to stand equal with the Stone Axe and Blue Mist tribes.

* * *

The feast was reaching its end. After the feast, the chiefs would gather to decide their future course.

Some chiefs would return to their tribes, while others would stay at the alliance's base for more power.

"Urich, wake up."

Samikan entered Urich's tent.

"Huh?"

Urich lifted his head, groggy from a hangover. He pushed away the legs of women that were almost covering him. The stale, white signs of lovemaking still lingered all over their thighs.

There were three naked women inside Urich's tent alone. All of them had come willingly the previous night, hoping to carry Urich's seed.

Urich, recognized as the son of the earth, had embraced many women. For a warrior with a strong body, spreading his seed was also one of his duties.

"Noah sent this from our tribe. He said you'd like it."

Samikan pulled out a cloth bag and opened it.

Rattle.

Barley grains spilled into Samikan's hand.

Urich, ignoring the women, abruptly stood up. The women, who had been sleeping soundly, stirred and opened their eyes.

"Mmm, hmm? What, you want to go for another round?"

The women cooed sleepily, but Urich paid them no attention.

'Barley...'

Urich snatched the bag of barley from Samikan. It was definitely barley.

"If you're up, put your clothes back on, ladies. We men have matters to discuss."

Samikan tapped the women's buttocks, hinting they should leave. The women grumbled as they hurriedly dressed.

"Hah, I didn’t actually think they’d grow here."

Urich still seemed in disbelief as he fiddled with the barley grains. Thick barley grains fell through the gaps in his fingers.

"Are we supposed to eat this? It doesn't taste that great, that’s for sure."

Samikan also sat down, chewed on a barley grain, and grimaced.

"If you cook it into a porridge with some other stuff, it's quite edible. And it fills you up nicely, too."

Barley was a grain with many uses. It could be fed to livestock, and, during gladiator times, there were gladiators who stuffed themselves with barley to the point of bursting to bulk themselves up.

"I honestly don't see what's so great about this thing, brother."

Samikan opened his eyes lazily.

"If we succeed in growing barley, many things will change. It means we can secure food continuously and consistently without only relying on hunting and gathering."

"... Like how they do it beyond the mountains?"

"Agriculture is the foundation of civilization. In the world beyond, one farmer can support many people. The rest can live with various professions. Beyond the mountains, not every man needs to be a hunter or warrior to survive, and that's why they could develop."

"Hmm, I don’t know. Those men sound like weaklings to me. Shamans are the only weaponless men we need. Otherwise, what’s the point of being born with a dick?"

"With that kind of thinking, we'll never catch up to them."

Samikan's eyebrows twitched at Urich's words.

"We're all warriors, brother."

"Beyond the mountains, there's more to life than just being warriors. You need to respect different ways of living. This barley will be the beginning of that."

Urich closed his eyes briefly. He remembered the golden fields he had seen long ago.

"...To think you, of all people, would say such things."

Samikan chuckled dryly. But both Noah and Urich emphasized the importance of agriculture. Samikan might not understand it easily but didn't dismiss it lightly either.

‘Whatever it is, if it can make us stronger, I'm all for it. Even if I don't understand, if Noah and Urich say it's right, then it must be.’

Samikan wasn't a man to impose only his own views. He always adapted flexibly to changes around him. Sometimes, one had to bend with the wind in order to not break.

"Kirungka, take the warriors back to the village first. They must all be homesick."

Urich entrusted the Stone Axe warriors to Kirungka. Most of the Stone Axe warriors left the alliance's base after the feast, heading back to their home villages to boast of their exploits and rest.

Urich, Vald, and about fifty Stone Axe warriors headed toward the territory of the Blue Mist Tribe. Other chiefs also followed Samikan to visit the Blue Mist Tribe.

Samikan became the Great Chief, and Blue Mist became the capital and center of the alliance.

"But the place where the alliance's forces should gather is the Stone Axe Tribe," Urich mentioned casually.

Samikan, walking beside him, lifted his head, and asked "Is it because of that pioneer road, that Yailrud or whatever?"

"If they cross that, then the Stone Axe Tribe is the first thing they’ll run into."

"What about other paths?"

"That's the only path their forces can cross. Any other way is suicide. Trust me, brother."

No one knew the Sky Mountains as well as Urich. This was true across both civilization and the west.

‘Forming a brotherhood with the Stone Axe was the right choice, even if it took releasing all the hostages.'

Samikan was satisfied with his past decision. Urich turned out to be more exceptional than he thought. Although he didn't scheme like Samikan, Urich's political sense was no less keen. Had they become enemies, they would now be warring as two factions.

'Thanks to Samikan, the west became united much faster than I expected. He really is an impressive man. I couldn't have dared to do it alone.'

Urich and Samikan became brothers due to their similar political interests. They had never hunted together, nor did they share their childhood.

Yet, they recognized and relied on each other more than anyone else. They clearly understood that they needed each other.

The Blue Mist Tribe was busy with the rainy season but welcomed Samikan's return grandly. Samikan nodded as he heard about what had happened in the village during his absence.

Step, step.

Noah Arten approached from the direction of the lake.

"Noah!"

Samikan embraced Noah, exclaiming.

"I heard you succeeded in the expedition. Impressive. You've achieved a magnificent feat."

"It's all thanks to you! Anyway, I see the forest over there is completely gone. The shamans are quite enraged and saying that we should execute you for burning down the forest."

"We didn't burn all of it. We just cleared enough land to kickstart our agriculture. A burnt forest makes good farmland."

Noah Arten was a knight, not a farmer. However, he knew at least the basic knowledge of agriculture. That alone was significant knowledge in the west.

"The southern barley was the only thing that managed to grow out of all the crops you planted, Urich," Noah said Urich.

"I had my doubts, but at least we got one."

Urich clenched his fist. Joy surged up to his throat.

"This is as significant as succeeding in the expedition. If only we can successfully cultivate the barley fields."

The other chiefs didn't immediately grasp the importance of crop cultivation. There was much talk about why it was necessary to go through such trouble. But Samikan forcefully pushed for planting barley.

"The tribes with good land will manage to grow barley. The land of the Phergamo tribe is especially fertile."

Urich also passed barley seeds to Chikaka.

"We’ll give it a try."

Chikaka nodded.

Several chiefs stayed in the Blue Mist Tribe to learn about barley farming. Agriculture had many variables and was hard to learn overnight, and neither Noah nor Urich were excellent farmers.

But they did their best. They didn't ignore even the smallest possibility.

"It’s true that all this is unnecessary at this very moment. In fact, it only makes things harder by taking up the hands needed elsewhere. Most will likely fail."

Urich told the other warriors. Cultivating barley now wasn’t going to make it a staple food. Warriors still remained warriors, and they needed to hunt. There was no guarantee that clearing the land for barley cultivation was going to make it any more successful.

"But this for the future, maybe for our descendants. To ensure those who aren’t born yet can live by sweating, not bleeding."

Not everyone understood what Urich was saying. But there were some who nodded. And that was enough for now.