Chapter 400

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 26, 2025

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After enjoying some water play with Kara, I returned to the academy.

Kara mentioned that I could stay in the palace for a night, but I adamantly declined.

It felt a bit like receiving special treatment, and if any strange rumors started circulating, it would be a headache for both of us.

“I’d actually be fine with it! Let’s make this a done deal.”

“… …”

“I’m just kidding. That would put our fathers in a tough spot.”

I chuckled internally. Even if I was joking, she would genuinely be disappointed.

If Kara were just an ordinary warrior and not a princess, wouldn’t she have charged in for a hug?

She’s completely shedding the barbarian skin and gradually evolving into a civilized being.

‘If only the conditions were just right…’

Even if she weren’t a princess, forming a bond would be impossible right now. The situation around us is far too grim.

Though the demon has been relatively quiet for now, we never know when or where it might strike. At least Tartar seems to be quiet.

In the next episode, rumored to be set in the Eastern Empire, the demon will likely make its move since it’s an area with less divine intervention.

“A few rumors trickling out wouldn’t be so bad. I’d definitely give Grace a good slap in the face.”

“Don’t you dislike Grace?”

“Not really. I don’t hate her. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

Kara stared at me intently as I trailed off. I merely gazed back blankly.

Then, with a laugh that seemed to mock me, she offered a not-so-subtle jab.

“You’re trying to hog all the tasty stuff for yourself, aren’t you? Who on earth likes that?”

“… …”

“You need to learn to share a little. Just because you’re getting married doesn’t mean I’ll give up on anything.”

That was a rather dangerous statement, but what could I say? Just a few years back, she lived a tribal lifestyle.

Until it’s all settled, it wouldn’t matter if she ate to her heart’s content. There’s something in that delicate gap.

Even if I were to marry someone else, I doubt she’d give up without a fight. I cautiously asked.

“… …Kara.”

“Why?”

“If I get married, would you still like me?”

“I wouldn’t mind just having your kids.”

“… …”

Hmm. I should avoid bringing this up again.

It feels like if I mention it, chaos will ensue due to cultural differences. Chaos would love that.

“Anyway, Grace needs to tone down her greed. She’s managing for now, but…”

“But…?”

“Once she eats the strawberry atop the cake, it’ll be a war. I’ll yank her hair out.”

That was such a civilized way of putting it, and yet not. That’s just classic Kara for you.

‘But why does Danyerin come to mind?’

The moment I heard about someone taking just the strawberries, Danyerin popped into my head.

She’s the girl who secretly enjoys touching me more than anyone knows. She’s not a princess; she’s more like a temptress.

Her boldness is something else, especially when she’s sneaky about it even with Grace around.

Luckily, Neoburi has been observing her and keeping her in check lately.

‘I’d love to ask, but…’

I really want to know how she’d react if someone else took just the strawberries, not Grace or Eli.

But Kara is quick-witted and can read my expressions all too well. Asking might lead to some significant trouble.

This is for me, but it’s also for Danyerin. The unspoken bond between us, perhaps.

‘Is there loyalty even in infidelity?’

Not sure about that. But one thing’s for sure: I need to protect until the Eastern Empire episode.

If I were caught before that… well, I suppose I’d deserve a slap or two. I’m particularly worried about Grace.

As I was lost in this muddled thinking, Kara spoke up in a curious voice.

“You look troubled. What are you thinking about?”

“Just… about the duel in two days.”

“Oh, that?”

“Yeah. Who’ll show up?”

In my mind, that was pretty quick-witted on my part. Kara readily accepted without suspicion.

She pondered for a moment before shaking her head and responding.

“Sorry, but I don’t know either. It’s randomly selected.”

“Even as a princess?”

“Right now, you’re just an academy student, aren’t you?”

That makes sense. I accepted it immediately.

Unless Kara was deliberately lying to me.

Depending on who the opponent is, she might be gathering intelligence beforehand.

Plus, there’s a day of free time before the duel, allowing for significant information gathering.

“I’ll head out now.”

“See you. I’ll officially greet you on your final day.”

Time passed, and I left the palace. I arrived during a particularly hot part of the day, just as the sun began to set.

I gazed into the horizon dyed in sunset colors before starting to walk. I had memorized the path already.

Once night completely fell, it would feel as cold as winter. I better hurry.

‘Speaking of which, I didn’t meet Hector before leaving.’

I wonder if Hector has regained his identity after suffering my factual harm. Or is he still lost?

Unfortunately, I can’t check that myself. In the Soul World, it just ended up being an explanation.

Well, it likely wouldn’t escalate to a worst-case scenario. Normally, he’d sustain severe injuries and die during the duel in two days.

Specifically, it would be a self-destructive manner of dying by denying healing. Better that than becoming a fool of a king.

Little did I know that it would cause significant emotional scars for Kara and Tartar. I can be quite selfish, I suppose.

‘Will he fight again?’

Just how strong will Hector be once he regains his identity? A bit of competitive spirit stirred within me.

When we fought last time, it was too sudden, and there were too many unknowns.

That’s not the case anymore. I looked up at the sky while repeatedly clenching and unclenching my fists.

“Is this good enough?”

The sky was calm. Not a sound could be heard.

[Faith is rising!]

I wish these two days would pass quickly.

*******

Time does not flow as one wishes. It’s like a river, following its own course.

What this means is that I cannot skip two days just because I want to.

Today is the day before the duel event, the cultural experience time.

Cultural experiences are only for those who want to participate; it’s practically free time.

And I’ve decided to make full use of that free time. Tartar has plenty of fun cultures to offer.

“Before you go, write your name here.”

“What’s this?”

“The registration list for tomorrow’s duel. You’re going to sign up, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Want me to put you last?”

“Sure.”

Just as I was about to go outside, Antonio caught me and made sure I submitted my name.

Since there are quite a few participants, they plan to decide by Rock-Paper-Scissors, but I’ve been made an exception.

Just like how the Destruction King Hector is on the other side, we should have at least one secret weapon too.

Even if our secret weapon has already been exposed when we defeated the Queen Sand Scorpion. Strictly speaking, that wasn’t even a secret weapon.

“Sivar, where are you heading now?”

“Various places. How about you?”

“I have to study in the research room. There are so many fascinating herbs here. There’s hardly any in the desert, but the combinations are fresh.”

The non-combat-class Eli seems to like Tartar as well. Tartar compensates for its lack of resources with ‘skills.’

These skills include magic, herbology, cavalry skills, and so forth. If speaking well counts as a skill, then it fits.

With the geography and enough potential, this land has plenty to offer. Plus, there should be some resources once we dig into the desert.

‘I believe the desert is connected to the ocean.’

That’s not something I should worry about. That’s a matter for Hector to focus on once he properly awakens to his royal self.

The Hector era will likely be overwhelmed just by elevating the tribe to a nation. But that’s a story for when he becomes king.

As I’ve always done, I wrapped my body in cloth to avoid the sun. No matter the skin color, sunlight is still unforgiving.

‘Should I try to visit that pancake shop I went to the other day?’

I was feeling peckish, so it wouldn’t be a bad choice. I retraced my steps toward the pancake shop.

When I finally arrived at the shop, a familiar face welcomed me.

“Welcome! How can I help you?”

Though it seemed that the familiar face didn’t recognize me.

None of the features had changed, yet the difference in skin color was significant.

Who would believe that my skin had come close to the locals in just a few days? No one would.

“Three, please.”

“That’ll be 30 silver.”

“Huh? Didn’t you say they were 5 silver each?”

“Only for academy students.”

What kind of nonsense is that? I stared at the shop owner with a look of disbelief.

The shop owner remained indifferent even after seeing my face. It felt like they were saying to leave if I didn’t want anything.

I’d love to ask if they didn’t recognize my face, but I struggled to not make a joke and simply paid up.

“Thank you. But your face seems familiar. Your eyes are so red.”

“Just a mistake.”

“Hmm. Right? There’s no way my skin could turn black in just a few days.”

I held back a laugh as the shop owner prepared the pancakes. On top of that, a sweet date sauce was the bonus.

The pancakes are one thing, but I can’t forget that sweet sauce. I should grab a few before heading back to the academy.

“By the way, have you heard the news?”

“What news?”

“An academy student defeated the Queen Sand Scorpion!”

That’s about me. I pretended not to know as I enjoyed the pancake.

Seemingly excited now that I showed interest, the shop owner began to chatter.

“Can you believe it? An academy student defeated something even the chiefs found difficult to defeat! Do you understand what that means?”

“I don’t.”

“Hah, young man, you should take an interest in current events. It means that the pride of the chiefs has been damaged!”

“Hmm?”

That was unexpected. I raised an eyebrow, showing my interest.

The Queen Sand Scorpion is hard to catch due to its habit of escaping into the sand, but besides that, it’s not difficult.

Even if it escapes, just grabbing its tail and pulling it out will do the trick. It just requires strength.

“So, I heard that many chiefs who have made great achievements in the tribal unification war are set to participate. It seems the Buwar tribe is also joining.”

“Buwar tribe…?”

“Yes, the very Buwar that had its tongue cut off by an academy student. Word has it they made quite an offensive remark, and it didn’t sit well with them.”

Seems the Buwar tribe isn’t favored much by the people. Given how openly they’re disparaging, it’s half clear.

I focused on the shop owner’s words as I devoured the pancakes. It felt like digging a little deeper would yield some fascinating information.

“Rumor has it that they’re quite angry due to either their pride or what happened to their brother. But who knows? You’d have to see it to believe it.”

“Are they strong?”

“Well, they say they are strong, but… I’ve never seen them fight myself.”

There’s an old saying about empty carts making the loudest noise. This saying fits here perfectly.

I nodded as I finished the last pancake. The shop owner widened his eyes in surprise.

“Wait. Did you finish already? That was fast.”

“I enjoyed it. But can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Do you know who that student that captured the Queen is?”

“No, I don’t know much else other than they’re said to be incredibly strong.”

“That’s me.”

I think it’s time to stop with the jokes. I’ve said enough.

When I revealed my identity, the shop owner’s reaction was different from what I expected.

I thought he’d be taken aback, blinking his eyes in surprise. But no, he seemed almost offended.

“Please stop joking around. Even if you’re an academy student, you’ve contributed greatly to the development of our Tartar. You’re deemed a hero.”

“That’s me. If you mention Sivar, I’m sure they’ll believe you.”

“Are you asking me to believe that with that dark skin of yours?”

“I tanned. It might be hard to believe, though.”

It’s true. I pleaded for them to believe me.

Did that plea work? The shop owner’s previously frowning face slowly softened, turning to surprise.

He must’ve realized my features hadn’t changed at all. He spoke with a somewhat hesitant voice.

“Um, are you really the student? The one who was taken away by the princess?”

“Yes, I captured the queen.”

“Unbelievable. Seriously? It wasn’t someone else?”

“If you don’t believe me, check for yourself.”

It’s an obvious fact, so there’s no reason to lie. I stood my ground.

This confidence must’ve made the shop owner crack a smile. He then shook his head.

“In the span of time, your skin darkened… I still can’t believe it. Did you really capture the queen?”

“Yes.”

“Haha! A hero stands here! I almost sent an innocent person to prison.”

“Prison?”

My question prompted the shop owner to explain while flipping pancakes.

“You see, there’s a law in Tartar law. If a warrior or hero is insulted or impersonated, they face a fine of one million silver or a ten-year sentence. However, legitimate criticism is allowed.”

“And legitimate criticism is…?”

“Those who lost their families to the warrior or hero. They’re the only ones who get a pass.”

“… …”

Not a bad law at all. It’s full of flexibility.

As I was digesting this in my head, the shop owner smiled and suggested,

“Let’s skip this silly talk. Want more pancakes?”

“Yes.”

“Help yourself. Just for today, they’re on the house.”

You’ll regret that.

I’ve got a conscience, so I’ll need to eat just enough before heading out.

‘How about fifty?’

That should be just right for me.