Nares, Garam, Maru, Fortune-Teller, Cloud, and Hanee.
Excluding the smaller tribes, there were six major tribes in the west.
It was said that the smaller, unnamed tribes gathered to form one large tribe.
So, Nares was Nares, a great river was a great river, and Foot Cloud was Foot Cloud, but even when referring to a smaller tribe, they used the same name as for the larger tribe.
One adult decided to leave the tribe with their household.
However, if this adult was from the Nares tribe, they were roughly called the small Nares.
The largest tribe among them became the Great Nares, which was Rem's tribe.
Most of the western tribal society was structured this way.
There was a chieftain, a foremost warrior, and a chief sorcerer in these tribes.
These positions symbolized both power and martial prowess.
And Nares was like the parent of all the tribes.
The Great Nares was the largest of all the tribes.
From what Encrid had heard about the western tribes, this was the general structure.
There were plenty of people around to tell stories.
There was the Geom Nares, the Twins, and a warrior from the Maru tribe who would often visit.
After duels, there were those who would occasionally ask for guidance, and in times of rest after battle, what else was there to do but talk?
Gossip seemed to be one of the favorite pastimes of the westerners.
Perhaps that's why it was hard to find someone who was reserved.
These were the stories he had heard.
"It's hard to understand. Once a family, always a family, something like that."
Though Geom Nares said this, Encrid quickly understood.
After all, he had grown up in a village like that.
In the continent, in areas where monsters were rare, small villages often formed.
Not cities, but villages.
Clan villages where people with shared bloodlines lived together, and even when outsiders came, they were treated similarly.
Even without blood ties, they lived like family.
Encrid's village wasn't exactly a clan village, but it was similar in form.
It was a village formed by refugees displaced by war.
That was how the village began.
It wasn't large, barely over fifty houses, and it was filled with people wounded from various parts of the continent.
It was also where Encrid's dreams began.
Where there was a fruit seller carving out the rotten parts of apples.
Where there was an old waitress who roasted potatoes by the hearth.
Where there was a hunchbacked old woman, who was said to have once sold her body.
Where there were mercenaries who had fled from battles and skirmishes.
The village might have disappeared long ago if it wasn't for the relatively low threat of monsters and beasts.
It wasn't a place with any particular food or resources, nor was it valuable as a trade route, so it never developed into a city, but it was a place where people lived on stubbornly.
"I will repay what was given to me."
You could call it a declaration of departure.
Anyway, just before stepping forward, Geom Nares smiled, baring his fangs.
There was a clear sense of determination in his smile.
It was the fierce spirit of one who had staked their life.
'Retaliation, huh.'
It was a concept that existed in his village as well.
If you didn't retaliate, you would be seen as weak, and being seen as weak meant you would be a target for raids.
It wasn't exactly the same, but it sounded similar to Encrid.
Geom Nares wore a faded fur cloak with a wolf's head as a hood.
When he crouched down while wearing it, he might have looked like a wolf himself.
The veins on his forearms were still purple, but Geom Nares didn't seem like he intended to back down.
He was the warrior leading everyone, the foremost warrior.
As the foremost warrior of the Great Nares, how could he not participate in such a battle?
Of course, the westerners weren't just sitting idle either. They were also preparing for something.
They gathered warriors, resisted curses, and prepared in their own ways.
The one leading all of this was the chieftain of the Nares tribe.
"Oh, Sky God, watch over us."
The chieftain stood beside Geom Nares, hiding his anxiety.
If they ended things passively, the enemy would only grow more arrogant.
Normally, he would have advocated for patience, bringing up the concept of Utkeiora, the 'Dark Horizon,' but there was no time for that.
As soon as they realized they were cursed, the chief sorcerer took action, conducting several experiments to suppress the curse.
Even that had come with a cost, as the chief sorcerer and the foremost warrior had been affected by the curse.
In retrospect, had it not been for those two, the majority might have succumbed to the curse.
'Those two blocked the misfortune.'
It was like blocking a rushing river with a large rock. The small streams might have seeped through, but they had managed to stop the initial overwhelming flow.
They had bought time to gather soil and build a dam, so that even the small streams could be blocked.
That had been the plan.
Although the Fortune-Teller tribe was said to be the best at sorcery, this side had formidable talents too.
But then the two giants appeared. They threatened the five tribes gathered around the Great Nares.
The foremost warrior of the Maru tribe died in the struggle.
"I'll hold them off. Everyone, go to the Great Nares!"
He had stepped forward with three warriors, intent on protecting the entire Maru tribe.
Though he was better with a club than sorcery, he was a man who had demonstrated his skills with a club during the festival where the tribes gathered.
Even Rem had learned something from him once. But facing two giants was too much for him.
Those two giants were killed, though. By the foreigner who had come with Rem.
The shock the westerners, especially the Maru tribe, received was immense.
"Hero!"
It was only natural that someone from the Maru tribe shouted that out. It was understandable.
The chieftain of the Nares tribe continued to gather warriors after that.
It was to clear out those who were holding their ground at the sanctuary.
There would surely be giants, and the one behind all this as well.
Victory? There was no time to think about that.
If they didn't act, they would wither and die.
Honestly, if the giants had charged in with all their comrades earlier, the battle would have been over. But for some reason, they hesitated.
That bought them some time.
Resolving the curse and killing the two giants.
Those had become the turning points.
Despite this, the chieftain still felt uneasy.
The thought of stepping forward just to avoid being attacked kept creeping into his mind.
Would the giants be the only ones gathered at the sanctuary? Was that all?
Looking at the situation, something didn't feel right.
The more he talked with the returning Rem, the more so.
"The giants struck a few times and herded the tribes here like a hunting party? So a lot of warriors died and we ended up gathering like this?"
"Yeah, they probably did it to spread the curse."
The curse would only be effective if people were gathered.
"Indeed."
Rem, lost in thought, then asked,
"What happened after everyone gathered?"
"What do you mean, what happened?"
"Did the giants make any further demands or anything like that?"
If they were going through this much trouble, there must be a purpose behind it. That purpose might even be clear to see.
This was the west. It wasn't fertile land. Why would they attack here just to eat people? It wasn't worth it. They'd be better off raiding a few small villages beyond the frontier.
So why?
The chieftain couldn't even begin to guess the reason.
He just felt uneasy.
No demands, no more attacks. Just the passage of time.
It felt like desperation.
Better to fight now than wait to die from the curse.
"Let's go."
They had long known that a group of giants had gathered before the sanctuary.
The western warriors moved forward.
"Are you coming along?"
Hearing the voice from behind, the chieftain turned his head.
He saw someone speaking in a leisurely, carefree tone. It was the giant slayer, the savior of the tribe.
Black hair, three swords, black leather armor, and even equipment imbued with spells.
He carried an odd assortment of gear.
And yet, it all seemed necessary.
He didn't seem encumbered by all the gear, nor did he look awkward carrying so much.
At his question, Rem responded. The chieftain, listening in, could hear their entire conversation.
"They say they're coming because they're your partner."
Rem, standing next to the savior, said.
"Of course."
Ayul, standing by Rem's side, added.
The chieftain, both a father and leader, looked at his daughter. He couldn't stop her. He couldn't tell his daughter to stay back because it was dangerous while urging everyone else to fight.
A chieftain could never do that.
He was the eldest of the Great Nares, responsible for all these tribes.
"Let's crush them all."
The chieftain shouted again to conceal his anxiety.
Geom Nares made a small gesture with his hand in response. The warriors nodded and strode forward.
Encrid glanced back at the chieftain, who kept muttering.
Why was that man coming along?
"There might be more than just giants. There could be cultists too."
Encrid said.
"Seems like it."
"You knew?"
When he asked again, Rem lowered his voice and answered.
"Did you really think I've just been picking flowers?"
So that's what you've been doing.
"Your eyes are strange."
"No, they're not."
Standing beside them, Dunbachel tilted her head in confusion.
"There are a lot of giants gathered? You think this small group can handle it?"
Uncharacteristically, she sharply pointed out the issue.
"You've got to assess the situation first. You don't rush straight into a full-scale battle, you go to scout out the enemy's size, set up camp nearby, and prepare. Battles aren't just about charging in headfirst."
If they wanted a normal fight, that was true.
Luagarne chimed in at the right moment.
What she said made sense. Encrid knew that there were still many warriors left behind from this group.
For example, the Twins, Hira, and other sorcerers hadn't come along.
In that sense, this group was more like an advanced party for a full-scale battle.
While the westerners might be called barbarians, they weren't reckless enough to charge into battle without a plan or strategy.
Ten warriors riding Velopters followed from one side.
There were just over fifty others who could be called warriors.
Of them, less than twenty were useful in Luagarne's estimation.
"The rest better keep their wits about them if they don't want to die."
Luagarne seemed to have gained some kind of enlightenment, her gaze deepening and her speech slowing.
Whatever it was, Encrid didn't bother asking.
Well, in life, you have various thoughts, don't you?
Sometimes those thoughts help. If they seemed like a hindrance, they would quickly snap out of it.
From what he had seen of Luagarne, the Frog, she would do just that.
Encrid had faith in her.
The road ahead didn't feel particularly tense. It wasn't that kind of situation. There was no warning from his Sixth Sense either.
If they met, they'd fight and that was it.
There could be unexpected dangers or threats from the group of giants, but he didn't feel any tension.
The sanctuary was said to be a cliff with over a hundred caves.
"A long time ago, it was said that various animals, such as bears, tigers, wolves, and foxes, were turned into humans in these caves under the protection of the Sky God. Something like that."
Rem had shared that story.
Rem walked, picking his ears, while Ayul beside him urged him to be on guard, saying that there were more than just giants.
"Don't worry. They don't know anything, so they'll have to take a lot of hits."
Luagarne's speech had become strange.
"What do they not know?"
For a brief moment, she displayed sharp insight but quickly lost it again, becoming as clueless as their enemies.
Recently, Dunbachel seemed to have given up on thinking entirely.
Other than sleeping, training, and being scolded into bathing, she didn't do much.
Encrid, listening nearby, agreed with Luagarne's words.
What didn't they know?
The enemy didn't know him, nor did they know Rem.
The two giants had been killed, so they'd be on guard, right?
They would.
So what?
Luagarne had said he was stuck between a Junior-Knight and a full Knight.
What does that even mean? Who cares?
He didn't need to know. He'd just do what he always did.
Encrid found the idea of swordsmen ranking themselves by titles amusing.
So, if a low-rank soldier fought a mid-rank soldier, would the mid-rank soldier always win?
If a Junior-Knight fought a Squire, would the Junior-Knight always win?
Fights didn't always start on well-prepared ground, with a call to battle and a fair duel.
The battlefield was a place where lives were on the line. You had to be prepared to die at any moment.
Just because someone was a Knight didn't mean they couldn't be killed by a Junior-Knight.
Complacency leads to defeat.
Defeat leads to death.
So always give your best.
'Maybe I can ignore the sorcery for a bit?'
The ferryman supposedly devoured all curses, after all.
As he walked, contemplating various things, Encrid regained his focus.
That was one of his skills.
He never let his guard down, even against children.
After being stabbed in the stomach by a twelve-year-old once, he had learned his lesson.
It was around the time they reached the sanctuary.
Several small hills came into view.
They stood before what could be called a canyon, flanked by tall mountain ridges.
On the broad land ahead, dozens of giants stood gathered. They looked almost like an army.
At a glance, there were over thirty heads.
They weren't perfectly trained soldiers, though. They weren't lined up in neat rows.
It was a clumsy formation, but seeing such massive figures gathered together was still overwhelming.
A few westerners gulped.
Damn, it looked like the enemy was already fully prepared for battle.
"So, you were the stranger."
An old man spoke from the front of the giant group.
At first, he hadn't been noticed, thanks to his large companions, but there were indeed humans lined up there.
The old man in the center had spoken.
He wore a long cloak and held a wooden staff, the typical appearance of a sorcerer.
On either side of him stood several people, all dirty and unkempt, likely Dunbachel's friends. They hadn't washed in so long their faces were pitch-black, which made their eyes stand out even more.
One of them licked his lips, revealing white eyes and black teeth—clearly a sorcerer.
Seeing that, Encrid tensed his toes.
Luagarne had been helpful during their time in the Lake of Experience.
She had taught him how to deal with sorcerers.
How to handle a sorcerer.
"Hey, I am the one who..."
Whatever the sorcerer was about to say, the first rule was to strike before they could finish speaking.
Encrid did just that.
With strength in his toes, he pushed down with his left foot. The muscles in his thighs tensed as he dug his foot into the ground. The force propelled his body forward.
It was a charge, similar to the Knight's strike.
It was much faster and more explosive than the technique the Junior-Knight of the Red Cape Knights had shown in the battle at Aspen.
Most of the westerners probably couldn't even see Encrid's movement.
Boom!
The ground exploded. Dirt shot up like a fountain.
Crash!
Before anyone realized it, the blade of Aker's sword had already sliced diagonally through the sorcerer's body.
Flesh and bone were cut, making a sound like splitting wood.
He had sliced through the sorcerer's mouth just as he had been about to speak.
However, there was no deathly aura in the sorcerer's eyes.
His form became blurry, and another identical figure appeared behind him.
"You bas..."
He tried to speak again, but this time, a flash of light from Encrid's left hand pierced his face.
The second rule when dealing with a sorcerer: Don't give them a chance to speak.
"Your temper is as bad as ever."
Rem kicked off the ground and charged forward too.
Without any time to be surprised or say anything, the chaos of battle began.
In Rem's view, fighting in a melee with giants was something to avoid, but...
Honestly, it didn't matter now.
Seeing Encrid and Rem, Geom Nares also charged in. After all, they had come to fight, so there was no point in talking.
It was simply time to repay what had been done to them.
( Hey readers, I hope you're enjoying the novel so far. I have reduced the pricing of the chapters of this novel. Interested readers can now buy at the discounted price. Thanks for the regular support guys.)
[T/L: Please support me AND read further chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans.]
[T/L: Subscribe for a membership on my Buy Me a Coffee page and receive 15 extra chapters upon joining, along with daily updates of one chapter: buymeacoffee.com/revengerscans ]