Chapter 473 - The Return of the Prodigal Son

Chapter 473 - The Return of the Prodigal Son

Enkrid had difficulty following their conversation.

"Should I call it the return of the fool?"

The chief greeted Rem warmly.

He knew of Rem's skills.

In a situation like this, to have someone called a hero return...

But it wasn't a time to relax.

Even with Rem here, there was no room for hope.

That was the truth.

'No matter how skilled Rem is, fighting those two monsters at the same time will be difficult.'

The chief recalled the two giants threatening his tribe. His bright expression quickly darkened, then brightened again.

Still, good things were good things.

Even if he felt like pissing himself under the pressure, if he didn't enjoy the present, then what was the point of living?

"Welcome back."

The space beneath the round ceiling made of stiff fabric was wide

enough to have a small fire lit.

Though the fire wasn't large, the fact that it was regularly replenished with wood was a luxury reserved for the chief alone.Over the fire, flat meat was roasting on a long pole.

It was a rat, its blood drained, insides removed, and roasted by pressing it. The organs were poisonous, so this was the safest way to cook it.

It had been a long time since he'd seen such western-style rat roasting.

Sitting in a furry chair, the chief greeted Rem, his face changing from bright to dark and back again. He glanced nervously at Ayul and cleared his throat loudly.

He hadn't become chief because of his remarkable fighting abilities.

He had become chief because of his good reputation, not because he was a great warrior.

And because of that, this current crisis felt all the more overwhelming.

Still, it was encouraging that he was managing to hold up.

In any case, the western tribes were in a complicated situation.

"I came for your magic," Rem suddenly said, getting to the point.

The chief blinked a few times, thinking.

He had known Rem was someone who always thought of himself first, even back then.

It was probably because of this selfishness that he had left his tribe behind.

"It's difficult right now," the chief replied, shaking his head.

"Why is it difficult?"

"The holy land was taken by another tribe."

"…Taken?"

The holy land was the land that all the tribes gathered to protect.

It was a place of rituals and spirits, a place where their traditions and souls resided.

The western tribes usually buried their dead in this holy land, so it also served as a cemetery.

In short, it was the land they were willing to risk their lives to protect.

To have it taken away?

Now that he thought about it, it seemed strange.

It had started when the giants had taken over a village, and the situation had escalated from there.

Originally, the western tribes were nomads, wandering in search of pasture.

So why were they gathered like this? Large-scale meetings like this were rare.

Maybe once or twice a year, usually in autumn when there was plenty of food, or before spring when food was scarce.

But now, the situation was different.

They had gathered because something was wrong.

"Since you left, nothing has gone right," Ayul interjected, seizing the opportunity to criticize.

At this point, Rem didn't bother to listen to her complaints.

He figured he would deal with Ayul's mood later, even if it meant taking a hit from her axe.

'It's my fault,' he thought.

Everything that had gone wrong was his fault.

Enkrid and Lagarne weren't wrong.

Though Dunbakel probably didn't know anything, she had spoken the truth.

"That's how it happened."

The chief's face darkened again.

One problem after another had come up that he couldn't deal with.

It wasn't just that he couldn't sleep because of the pressure; his eyes were becoming darker from the stress.

If he wasn't killed by a curse or a blade, it felt like the pressure might eventually be the end of him.

Where should he begin? The chief thought for a moment and then spoke.

"Do you know about the cannibals?"

Of course, Rem knew about the cannibals of the western lands.

Those who lived by eating others, no matter how many times they were killed, always reappeared.

They were a fighting tribe, skilled in battle.

Before leaving, Rem had split the head of the strongest of the cannibals, thinking their tribe would crumble without their leader.

But had they survived?

The chief didn't explain in detail, just cutting to the chase.

"One day, suddenly, a giant cannibal appeared."

The western tribes were practical, valuing survival over etiquette.

Because of this, they had developed clear terms for ambiguous situations, like "Urkiora" and "Dullskyun," which described situations that weren't quite what they appeared to be.

Now, even though the term "giant cannibal" sounded strange, it was true.

"Do the two have some connection?"

"Did you suspect it was the ones you sent from the continent?"

Rem ignored Ayul's words and looked at the chief as he continued speaking.

"The cannibals disappeared, and the giants appeared in their place."

What did this mean? Was there no connection, or was something happening over there too?

It was unclear for now.

"These bastards attacked and wiped out two tribes."

The chief picked up a thin piece of firewood and struck it against his palm.

"Do you have any idea where they came from?"

"No."

So, should they just kill the giant cannibals?

While Rem was thinking, the chief spoke again.

"And I don't know what they ate, but the soothsayer tribe went completely mad."

The soothsayer tribe was a group of shamans.

Individually, they were nothing special, but together, they could become a huge threat.

They were masters of collective magic.

"Are you serious?" Rem asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought maybe you caused this by blowing some wind through here," the chief said, ignoring Ayul's nonsense.

"Yeah."

The chief nodded, momentarily ignoring Ayul.

The collective magic had indeed been triggered.

"Was it a prayer? A ritual?"

Both were forms of collective magic, but they differed.

A prayer was small-scale, but a ritual was large-scale.

If this had been used to attack them, it would have been a serious problem.

That they had managed to defend against it was impressive.

"Over a hundred people have died from a blood-changing ritual, and even more are struggling to survive."

Rem blinked in shock.

So, what was the situation now?

Had the giants and the soothsayer tribe joined forces?

Why?

Could they even work together?

He had seen the giants on his way here.

He noticed that some of the expected members were missing.

A large pot had replaced where the Nare tribe had been guarding, and the fences had been broken.

"Did the Mura tribe suffer too?"

"They did. Some survived and sought refuge with our tribe."

That was good.

"And there are outsiders too. People say they saw fairies or strange magicians."

"I thought you might have sent them," Ayul said.

Rem tuned Ayul out, but the chief's words about the outsiders caught his attention.

What had happened while he was gone?

Was there a gold mine in the western lands?

Why was everyone coming here?

While the holy land was important, it wasn't just because of the tribes.

Why was everyone causing such chaos?

"If you didn't send them, why should it concern you?"

Ayul, still pouting, shot a few more barbs at Rem.

"Enough, Ayul."

The chief scolded, but Ayul ignored him.

In the middle of their conversation, Juol interjected with more details.

The Nare tribe and smaller tribes like Maru and Garam had also been attacked.

"The two giants are just too strong."

The two monstrous giants were wreaking havoc.

"The chief shaman tried to block the curse with a ritual, but she collapsed. She might die from the curse now."

The eldest shaman, the one most skilled in magic on the continent, had collapsed while preparing for a ritual. Rem briefly pondered whether what he had done was just a misfortune or something worse. But then he decided.

"The two giants will be fine."

He was confident in his ability to take down such creatures. They weren't a problem for him.

"...You might struggle. If you trust the Frog you brought, then I think it's better you take her with you," Juol said.

The chieftain tossed a log into the campfire.

The log held against the flames for a moment, then caught fire.

The flames surged, causing the fire to flare up brightly.

Shadows stretched across the ceiling.

"I'm fine. Two giants won't be a problem," Rem said again.

"The problem isn't just the giants; it's their numbers," Juol responded.

"How many times have you fought them?" Rem asked.

"Twice," Juol replied.

Both times they had lost, and because of that, they had lost their way to the holy land as well.

"Even with the guardian spirits?" Rem asked.

He pressed Juol for more details on the terrifying giants.

Though it was hard to judge just from hearing about them, it seemed they didn't fight like knights.

Before the curse struck, several skilled warriors had tried to stop them.

"What about the continental people in the frontier?"

Juol responded, "They won't help. It seems they have no intention of intervening."

The western region was divided between frontier lands and native lands. While there had been some outposts, they had recently seen little human activity.

'What's going on?'

Rem's mind was troubled.

Invaders, giants—whatever they were—they were only moving if there was something to gain.

Why else would they keep fighting without compensation?

It was clear that these giants were after something.

The image that flickered in his mind seemed almost clear but still not fully understood.

But for now, his task was clear: defeat the giants.

"Ah, the greatest warrior of the west has arrived," Ayul's voice echoed.

'Before anything else, I should calm Ayul down.'

If he didn't, an axe might fly at the back of his head. One thing was certain: to stabilize this land, they would need to fight a lot.

'It really does seem like a misfortune.'

If it hadn't been for that, Ayul and the rest would have died, and Rem would never have arrived in time. Listening to the chieftain, it seemed like they were on the verge of destruction.

'They'll probably accept this situation,' Rem thought.

At least the chieftain, Ayul, Juol, and Hira would probably step in.

On the way here, he had asked Hira to look after Enkrid.

'The captain's here too.'

They wouldn't lose a fight, not with a few monsters attacking.

"Two giants? I can handle that."

"I told you, if you trust the Frog, it might work. Honestly, I don't want you to step in. The situation's darker than you think," Juol warned, as someone who knew Rem's abilities well.

"Why do you say that I shouldn't step in?" Rem asked, curious.

"If we lose you, there will be no hope left."

It was a grim statement.

Juol had always been the optimistic one, and for him to speak like this meant they were cornered.

"I'll be fine. Do you think I've just been sitting around doing nothing?" Rem replied.

"Others have already fallen to the giants, including your teacher," Juol said.

Rem's eyebrows twitched at those words. The Maru tribe's leader was also his teacher, the one who had taught him how to wield an axe. He had been the last real opponent Rem had faced before leaving.

"They couldn't even last long," Juol added.

Rem's gaze turned to the chieftain, silently asking if it was true. The chieftain nodded.

"Right now, we don't even have enough warriors. We can't scatter—if we do, we'll all fall. If we stay and wait, we'll starve," the chieftain explained. He wasn't an idiot. The problem was, there was no place left to retreat.

"I understand. For now," Rem said, but paused and looked up at the shadows cast by the flames. Then he spoke again.

"Let's check on the curse situation."

"You can't even use magic," Ayul remarked with a sharp tone, but moved immediately.

Although Ayul had a bitter edge to her words, she was someone who would do whatever it took for the tribe. She understood that Rem's arrival was a stroke of luck. If he hadn't arrived, they might have fought to the death.

'Is this a crisis or an opportunity?'

Rem thought, perhaps this situation allowed Ayul to hold his temper. At least it gave them time to explain things. He began to walk, wanting to see those affected by the curse. First, he needed to assess the situation.

As he left the tent, the chieftain called out from behind.

"Go on, take a look. You truly returned. My new son."

The term "new son" referred to the husband of the chieftain's daughter. He was the father of Ayul and the leader of the tribe.

"Sorry I'm late," Rem replied, and Ayul added from beside him.

"Really late."

Rem understood. That's why he had no words. Without speaking further, he moved on, with Ayul leading the way and Juol following.

'It feels like the situation is really, really bad.'

Rem, having just arrived from the outside, felt the crisis more acutely than those trapped inside. As he walked, he formulated a conclusion: it would be difficult to stop the giants at all, not without confidence.

'The longer this goes on, the weaker the tribe will become due to the curse.'

Once the giants came, it would be easier than breaking a child's wrist to tear the tribe apart.

Giants, especially man-eating ones, could be cruel easily.

'But why?'

If the goal was to bring together nomads and herders without a home, to unite them, that would be the purpose, right?

But what would they gain from the west?

As Rem thought, he began to understand what the invaders—whether giants, foreigners, or the curse—were after.

'People?'

Outsiders, giants, curses—three things combined could form a certain picture. But there was still too little information.

'This is going to be troublesome.'

As they reached the tent, Ayul gave Rem an occasional side-eye, which he noticed.

When they reached the tent, a voice suddenly shouted.

"Fainting, no—it's a miracle!"

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