Chapter 63: Chapter 63: A New Status
Vikir sat in his military enclosure, stirring up the fire in the fire pit.
"... ... would you say you are there?"
A slight voice called from outside.
As Vikir left his leaf badge, he saw a young lady with dark hair and dim eyes gazing toward him with a timid articulation. It was the same young lady who had ascended first thing in the morning the earlier day and remained in line outside the tribal leader's encampment.
"The boss is searching for you, I've come to convey a message."
She probably came on a task.
Vikir promptly began walking toward the tribal leader's dormitory.
Then.
"Ok, hello, hello!"
The young lady shouted to Vikir.
When Vikir turned his head, the young lady was flushed red and stammering.
"Hello, thank you for barbecuing the meat a day or two ago, it was delicious!"
She must be referring to the cooking of meat in the hunting undertakings.
Vikir gave a quick nod and dismissed. "The tribal leader called me, I need to get rolling."
Even the heroes of Balak, who roam freely in all parts of the wilderness, are not allowed to misbehave, especially in the presence of the tribal leader Aquila.
Vikir entered through the drape and immediately saw a mounted falcon at the furthest end of the military quarters. Below it, in a large seat, sat Clan leader Aquila. A rough-looking woman, scars scattered across her face. She's not very tall, but her rich bird-padded shroud and the sense of power she exudes make you feel like you're facing a giant. Particularly, the large scar north of one of her eyes made the crowd feel threatened. Nicknamed the Night Fox, she is the current head of the Balak and their strongest champion. She has won over consecutive victories Hugo Les Baskervilles, patriarch and swordmaster of House Baskerville, and Morg Adolf, delegate and 6th class expert of House Morg. It is because of her that the Balak, who total approximately 300 in number, are feared by the realms and are known as the strongest warrior clan in the wilderness.
"Chieftain."
Vikir dropped to one knee and bowed his head in the way of his training.
Aquila, the Night Fox, the best bowman said to have ever lived since Adonai, the legendary archer who led the Balak at their peak hundreds of years ago.
She lifted her single eye and looked upon Vikir with esteem. Unlike Royal discourse, which circulates around its purpose in pleasantries and praise, Balak's is direct and raw.
"I see you got an oxbear this time. Thanks to you, we have tasty meat."
Aquila spoke with a gentle smile that belied her initial impression. Her voice was as majestic as Hugo's, but without the edge, and instead warm and gentle.
"No, Boss. I was just doing what I should do."
"There is no need to be modest. Well done is well done."
Aquila smiled even more warmly at Vikir's modesty.
Vikir was truly surprised that the intimidating night fox was capable of such a smile.
Finally, Aquila spoke.
"In recognition of your deeds of yesterday, I'm releasing you from your status. You are no longer a slave, but a member of our family."
From this moment on, Vikir was no longer a slave, but officially a member of the Balak family.
Then.
"...cough."
A sound of hollow coughing filled with disdain.
Vikir looked sideways to see a grizzled elderly man scowling at him with his mouth clipped shut.
"You must be the elderly person who used to spread debris on the essences of youthful trackers.
Ahmen, the shaman of Balak.
He was the most influential man in the town, aside from the boss, Aquila. He isn't popular with the young, who detest old customs and superstitions, but all the older, more seasoned trackers put their faith in him.
The saying "There are no skeptics down and dirty" is true. People who have weathered the storms of life are always looking for something to lean on in a deep way, and Ahmen saw exactly that.
"By the way, did I mention... Ahun was the son of that elderly person?
Ahun, the young tracker who generally bears everything to anyone who might be in the vicinity, looks uncomfortable in that area, and Vikir can see Ahmen's sentiments mirrored in front of him.
Clearly, he could do without Aquila's recognition of Vikir. And it's highly unlikely that Aquila doesn't know that Vikir has noticed.
"Hello, shaman."
Aquila turned her head to check Ahman out.
"... ... Yes, Boss."
"You don't like that I've accepted that boy as a member of the clan?"
Aquila asked bluntly.
Ahmen may be powerful in the clan, but a tribal leader's position is absolute. He immediately recognizes the bit of weakness in the most natural sounding way for Aquila and bows his head deeply.
"Of course not, it's just that I'm a little concerned about blood of Magnificent origin being bonded within the clan."
"That is not for a shaman to worry about. Your job is to ensure the rains are good when they come, the prey is good when the heroes go hunting, the fires are good when there's a conflict, the memorials are good when there's a death, and the wards are good when there's a plague."
At Aquila's simple words, Ahmen bowed his head deeply.
Behind him, he could see Aiyen clacking her tongue.
Well, it doesn't matter either way.
Aquila recognized Vikir's contributions to the hunting festival and elevated his status to full clan member.
Aquila looked down at Vikir's limp body.
"You seem to have healed quite a bit, I can't believe how quickly."
"Thanks to your care."
"It's over. I didn't handle anything. If I have any wisdom, it's in my daughter."
Aquila looked away and looked at Aiyen, who stood against the wall.
"...."
Aiyen looked away from her mother's gaze and muttered something else.
Finally, Aquila made some noise.
"Now that you are formally a member of the Balak, let me know what you want. You are one of my own, and I have not been able to birth and raise you, so I will give you something in return."
When she had finished, Aquila spoke softly.
"There are many eligible girls in the village. If you wish, I will find one of them and secure her as your mate. Or a slave, if that is not what you desire. I have many girls from other clans that I've captured as prisoners of war."
There was a short murmur from outside the tent.
It was the murmuring of the village women who had been lined up outside the clan leader's quarters since dawn.
But Vikir shook his head.
"I appreciate the offer, but the mate is fine."
Wives and female slaves alike were being proposed to increase rates of birth, a ploy to exploit the human tendency to settle where children are born.
When Vikir declined the offer, Aquila seemed to consider for a moment.
"Hmm.
You don't want a woman, do you? That's rare. Most of the men among the outcasts want women."
In truth, most of Balak's people were strikingly handsome and beautiful. Their bodies were built for hunting and training, and their eyes and hair were unusually healthy and vibrant, unlike those of other clans. The fighters of the Balak are unusually attractive compared to other clans of the Savage. Due to occasional bondings of blood from the outside world, they've never developed inbreeding diseases. Perhaps that is why invaders from the outside often targeted Balak women. Of course, almost all of them are reduced to wolf's food by her arrows.
Meanwhile, Aquila tentatively wrinkled the sides of her nose a bit. She seemed to be thinking.
"So, what do you think I should give you, half of the oxbear hide you caught?"
Oxbear hides are a very valuable treasure. Vikir almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the offer to cut it in half. Splitting an animal's hide in half reduces its value to one-tenth of what it is worth, and as someone who knows value, that's not something I want to see.
All at once.
"...!"
Vikir felt a glance shoot to his side.
Aiyen was glaring at him eagerly.
"You remembered everything that I said to you, didn't you?
That look, the look that spoke with her eyes.
Aquila looked sideways at her daughter, as if she were not used to seeing her like that.
Aiyen is still angrily conveying messages to Vikir, unaware that Aquila has seen her.
Eventually, Vikir shouted out, as Aiyen had instructed him to before.
"Material rewards are fine. However, I was wondering if you would like to bathe in the Wellspring of Courage?"
Before answering Aquila's call, Aiyen had insisted that Vikir mention this as his desired reward.
Surprisingly, Aquila frowned.
"...hmm."
If even Aquila, who was quite amenable to Vikir, could react this way, what about the others?
Most of the elderly men swallowed their snorts in disdain.
Shaman Ahheman, who was in the front row, snapped.
"You fool! Why should you speak before me?"
As if he couldn't take it anymore, Ahheman stepped forward and bowed before Aquila.
"Chieftain! For ages, it has been only the proud warriors of Balak who have been allowed to bathe in the Wellspring of Courage!"
The murmuring around them grew louder.
Ahun, standing at the entrance to the military enclosure, spoke mockingly.
"The Wellspring of Courage is only for those who have proven their strength. How could you do such a thing."
Aiyen, standing on the other side, shouted out.
"Vikir has already proven his strength. He captured an oxbear and submitted it to this hunting festival!"
"Hmph. I guess I was just throwing rocks at him from behind when he was hunting."
"And you have a back like that from being hit by a stone?"
Ahun's body began to shake as Aiyen gestured to the bandages and casts wrapped around his abdomen.
At Aquila's question, Vikir thought for a moment, then nodded.
"... .The Wellspring of Courage. Do you know what it is?"
A small spring flows far beneath the waters of Balak's holiest site, the Tomb of the Chiefs, where the very bravest and strongest of Balak's greatest warriors are buried. It was said to be blessed by the great ancestors and to heal every internal injury and wound by simply taking a dip. However, the water level is very low, the water takes half a day to collect, and the effects are halved if too many people enter, so the Balak only allow access to warriors who have earned special recognition from one generation to another.
"Patriarch, that's too much to ask, how can you allow an outsider who's only just arrived to enter the sacred grounds... ... !"
"But he's an exceptional candidate, having captured an oxbear, so it might not be a bad idea to encourage him for once."
"Nonsense! Since when did the Wellspring of Courage become a place where anyone can bathe!"
"Heh, but he doesn't look like he's even grown, so we should be kind to him since he's part of the family."
The elders around him are also arguing. Some were okay with the capture of the oxbear during a time of need for the entire clan, while others were not.
Aquila was secretly tempted to grant Vikir's request, but she was definitely too weak to use the oxbear hunt as an excuse. Some, including Aheman, were not quite enthusiastic about having Vikir as a member of the family in the first place, and were even more vehemently opposed to the Wellspring of Courage.
Aquila wanted to grant her daughter's request if she could, but it was a bit of a hassle with the shaman and his hostile forces so strongly opposed.
All at once.
Ding, ding, ding, ding.
A loud bell suddenly rang out from the top of the lookout that stood on the perimeter of the clan's enclosure, the village.
At the same time, a guard shouted.
"The outsiders have arrived!"
Something had happened in the village.
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