Barbarian Quest

Varca gnawed at his fingernails. He had to clutch his knee to stop his leg from shaking.

Click, click.

The carriage Varca was in moved. It had not yet left the capital of Hamel.

The empire had laid roads from Hamel to all over the world across the entire imperial territory. Thanks to these roads, it was possible to travel by carriage to the seven kingdoms, the south, and the north.

'This road too is a legacy of war.'

The roads that connected the world were laid not during a peaceful era but an era of war. The empire had early on realized the importance of supplies as it was conquering the seven kingdoms one by one. The roads served as a means of supply as well as a communication network to govern the vast lands.

'It’s already been done.'

Varca placed his hand on his chest. His heart was racing relentlessly.

'Count Whelan is right. We cannot remain a vassal state of the empire forever.'

They were going to have to break away from the empire eventually. The empire's support for Porcana was merely out of necessity.

'If we do discover the eastern continent... the entire Porcana Kingdom will become a mere outpost for the empire.'

Porcana had managed to retain its old territories because of its small size, but there were kingdoms like the Kerbat Kingdom which had lost half of its lands to the empire.

The kingdoms that had lost their power were no match for the empire. The first emperor of the empire, who unified the civilized world, adjusted the national powers so that even if the kingdoms united, they could not stand up to the empire. This balance has been maintained since then.

'But now, it's not just the kingdoms and the empire that are in play.'

There were barbarians from outside the civilized world. The barbarians of the south and north had been connected to the civilized world for a long time, but the plunderers from the west had appeared as suddenly as if they had fallen from the sky.

The army that crossed the forbidden Sky Mountains had plunged the civilized world into chaos. Some said it was a divine punishment for humanity's hubris in trying to cross the Sky Mountains.

Clunk.

The carriage stopped. It was still inside the capital.

"Dammit."

Varca had a bad feeling. He cursed to himself and leaned out of the carriage.

'Steel knights.'

There were several steel knights gathered. They were the pride of the empire. The knights had blocked Varca's carriage and were waiting for him to come out.

"Are you blocking the carriage of a king?"

There was a quarrel between the knights of Porcana and the empire's steel knights. No swords were drawn, but the atmosphere was sufficiently hostile.

"Your Highness Varca! His Majesty invites you to dinner tomorrow evening! If you leave now, His Majesty would certainly be disappointed."

The steel knight ignored the knight of Porcana and shouted directly at Varca. It was an extremely rude gesture, but the steel knights were the hands and feet of the emperor. It meant that this was the emperor's will.

‘Why now?'

All sorts of thoughts ran through Varca's mind.

"I have been away from my kingdom for a long time. I will send a letter to His Majesty with my apology," Varca responded composedly.

"I was commanded by His Majesty to deliver this dinner invitation for tomorrow."

The steel knight repeated the same phrase. He did not back down.

"Who do you think you're talking to...!"

The knight of Porcana shouted angrily. Despite the surrounding threats, the steel knight kept his eyes locked on Varca without even blinking.

"The ruler of the world invites His Highness of Porcana to dinner."

"I am aware that this is rude, but I truly must decline," Varca spoke as he extended his hand.

Despite his clear refusal, the steel knight did not budge and pressed on, "Please accept the invitation, Your Highness."

The steel knight bowed and waited for Varca's consent.

"Are the knights of the empire not taught basic manners!"

The knight of Porcana grabbed the steel knight by the shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, they were tangled. After a brief moment on the ground, the steel knight quickly subdued the knight of Porcana, bending his arm harshly.

"Your Highness, His Imperial Majesty has invited you to dinner."

The steel knight pressed his knee into the back of the Porcana knight as he spoke. His expressionless face seemed all the fiercer.

Crack.

The subdued knight's arm twisted as if it would break. The steel knight stared intently at Varca, silently pressing for an answer.

"Very well, then. I will return to the Swallow Residence and wait for further news."

Varca fluttered his cloak and climbed back into the carriage. The coachman turned the horse toward the Swallow Residence.

The steel knights disappeared only after confirming the carriage entered the Swallow Residence.

Slam!

After returning to the Swallow Residence, Varca punted the chair in the room. He sat on the bed, clutching his head.

'This means the emperor knows what I did.'

Varca's eyes trembled anxiously. He couldn’t help but think that he had been tricked.

It was a feeling he had experienced several times in his kingdom. No matter how clever Varca was, ruling as king without proper political support was difficult. The influential nobles of Porcana used Varca for their own gain.

Varca's power was still unstable in Porcana. Duke Lungell, who had conserved his strength by not participating in the civil war, played the role of the real power and restrained Varca.

‘One day, I will have my revenge.'

Varca took a deep breath to calm himself.

'Either it was a trap from the beginning with Count Whelan, or Count Whelan was deceived too.'

Varca was no longer a naive youth. He had already gone through countless failures and defeats. Even after becoming king, there were numerous instances where his subjects deceived him. There were plenty who criticized him for senselessly wasting the national treasury on meaningless expeditions to the eastern continent.

Varca waited in the Swallow Residence for the emperor's invitation. But nothing came his way the next day. Each time Varca tried to leave the Swallow Residence, steel knights came out of nowhere.

"His Majesty has invited you to dinner tomorrow evening."

There was only the same invitation. Varca had not seen the emperor's face for days.

"This is a clear insult! You are clearly being detained!"

Varca's attendants, who had accompanied him, were more furious and agitated than he was. Varca calmly surveyed the situation as he looked around the Swallow Residence.

Varca decided to take a walk in the garden to get some air.

Step, step.

Count Whelan and his daughter walked across from him.

"Greetings to the ruler of Porcana," Count Whelan said as he bowed respectfully.

"Ah, greetings, Count. And Miss," Varca also replied courteously toward the two.

"Your letter has been delivered, Your Highness. You just have to wait for the right moment."

Count Whelan said, glancing around cautiously. Varca almost let a chuckle escape at Whelan’s action, but instead, he replied with an innocent look.

"I hope that moment comes soon."

Varca looked into Count Whelan's eyes.

'So he did deceive me after all.'

Varca surmised that Count Whelan was a diplomatic envoy from Caselmaroni but also an extension of the emperor. Perhaps the king of Caselmaroni maintained a close relationship with the empire.

'The emperor was testing me through Count Whelan.'

Even without direct evidence, the circumstances and suspicions were enough to convince him.

Count Whelan greeted and tried to pass by Varca quickly. He did not want to take any risk of getting caught in his scheme. Whether Varca discovered Count Whelan's betrayal or not was of no concern to him. He had already reported Varca's intentions to the emperor and received ample rewards for his service.

"Ah?"

Count Whelan's daughter, Leslie, flinched at an unfamiliar touch. She saw a note stuck between her fingers and looked at Varca.

Varca smiled faintly as he looked at Leslie.

"What is it?"

Count Whelan asked his daughter, who had stopped abruptly. Leslie shook her head and hurried after her father.

"It's nothing, father."

Having returned to her room, Leslie unfolded the note with a perplexed expression.

'I wish to meet tonight. At the same place as earlier.'

The garden of the Swallow Residence became a rendezvous for lovers after sunset. It was natural for young noblemen and noblewomen to be drawn to each other.

The garden was poorly lit, but there were still occasional sounds of people.

"...You came. I've been waiting," Varca spoke as he pulled Leslie by the wrist.

"Ah..."

Leslie was listlessly dragged by Varca. His face, which was reflected in the faint moonlight, was beautiful even among women. The slight smile hanging on his face seemed to melt her brain just by looking at it.

His deep blue eyes drew Leslie's soul in like a deep lake.

'Get a hold of yourself, Leslie,’ Leslie told herself. Meeting up with Varca was a risky act.

'I followed my father’s instructions to bring King Varca to his secret meeting place.'

Leslie understood the ways of the world, unlike other young women of her generation. But she was also a young woman who dreamed of love. When presented with a royal youth who was so perfect that he seemed like he would only exist in the songs of the bards, it was natural that she was irresistibly drawn to him. Initially, she just wanted to enjoy some frivolous fun with a handsome young man.

"Have you ever seen the sea?"

"I have not. There is no sea in Caselmaroni."

"I would like to show you the sea of Porcana someday. The sea is especially beautiful at night. When you’re admiring the reflection of the moon on the waters, you simply lose track of time."

Varca brought up such casual topics. Leslie was swept away by his words as if they were magic. She knew she shouldn’t get close to Varca personally, but being with him felt like her soul was blossoming.

It was the magic of Porcana's royalty. The bloodline of Porcana had the power to turn those of the opposite sex into fools, just as Damia had devoured the lives of many men...

Leslie had met Varca in secret behind her father’s back several times. Count Whelan was aware of her frequent visits to the garden of the Swallow Residence, but he thought little of it.

Blindly picking a random nobleman was infinitely better than her asking his permission to marry a peasant or servant after bearing their child. But never in his dreams had he imagined that it would be Varca.

Varca did not rush things. The emperor's surveillance did not reach the garden where men and women met in secret. He was patient, slowly cultivating his relationship with Leslie.

‘He’s not like other men.'

It was no surprise that Varca was different. He had practically been educated under Damia his whole life. Every little act of Varca was filled with respect for women.

'Even my father thinks of me merely as a pretty tool, but this man respects me.'

Leslie had been led by her father’s command to lure Varca to their meeting place. She had done this job several times and therefore was used to faking her smiles.

But in front of Varca, she could show her real smile.

Rustle.

The sound of rustling leaves spread low. In a corner of the garden, Varca and Leslie lay side by side. Young couples passing by saw the two shadows lying down and respectfully went to find another spot. It was sort of an unspoken rule and etiquette of the garden.

"You truly are a mysterious person. To be honest, I never thought I could feel this way. After all, men are all fools."

Leslie ran her fingers over Varca's chest. Their clothes were disheveled. They had been meeting for a fortnight, and they had already been intimate a few times.

Leslie couldn't contain her smile as she was filled with this newfound fulfillment.

"Caselmaroni and Porcana will become allies by blood. And when that happens, we can officially..."

Varca caressed Leslie's cheek as he spoke. His naive eyes were like those of a puppy. Overwhelmed by irresistible emotions, Leslie hugged Varca tightly. She wondered if this was what having a child felt like.

‘My father and I are deceiving such a good man.'

Leslie was tormented by heavy guilt. Until now, she had lured men at her father’s behest without a second thought.

'This man is truly my soulmate.'

Leslie was ashamed to face the sun. She could no longer bear her own contradictions.

"Your Highness."

"I would prefer you call me Varca, or even Pahell."

"Pahell?"

"It’s what my old friend occasionally calls me. It’s a name known by very few."

"Then I would like to call you Pahell since only a few know of it. Only a few people... including myself."

Leslie blushed. She felt like she had become someone special to Varca.

"Pahell, Pahell... Pahell."

Leslie murmured the name several times. She then steeled her expression.

“There is something I must tell you."

Varca sat up in surprise at Leslie’s solemn declaration.

"I truly hope that you are not breaking up with me."

"No, I would never do that. But please forgive me, Pahell. My father and I have been deceiving you. My father, Count Whelan, while he is indeed a noble of Caselmaroni, is also practically a servant to the emperor. Your letters likely never made it to Caselmaroni."

Varca's eyes widened as he shook and grabbed Leslie's shoulders.

"W-what are you saying, Leslie?"

Leslie couldn’t dare to look at Varca.

"Please forgive me, Pahell. Please don't leave me."

Leslie confessed everything and shed thick tears. Pahell hesitated for a moment, then embraced her tightly.

"There must surely be a way for us to still be together," Pahell reassured Leslie.

Leslie smiled, relieved by the confirmation of their love. Lost in her emotions, she could not notice the twisted smile on Varca’s face.

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