Chapter 18

Chapter 18. Messenger Ungus (1)

In the meantime, half a year had already passed since Aslaf had come to the Rong tribe.

Aslaf often went hunting with Untet’s sons and became close to them. He also saved money by selling the animal hides and meat they hunted together at the market along with the fruit wine Iwan brewed.

However, his greater source of income came from teaching the Empire’s language and writing to members of the Rong tribe who did not know letters, or writing letters for them in their place.

Aslaf became known as a kind person who helped the Rong tribe.

On nights when the full moon rose, the Rong tribe offered animal blood to the moon, held rites, and drank alcohol. After that, everyone danced in circles around a bonfire.

They took turns singing, beating drums, and playing flutes. Then even the wolves in the forest would respond to the sound and let out long howls with them.

“Awoo- Awooooo-”

“Hoo- Hoo-”

The howling of wolves and the cries of owls joined the music of the deep night, making it even more exciting.

There were various religions in the Empire, but Aslaf, who had been born a wandering gypsy, did not particularly believe in any religion. So he participated in the Rong tribe’s rites without much resistance. The Rong tribe felt curious about Aslaf, a person of the Empire who looked different from them yet wore Rong tribe furs and joined their rites, and they tried to sit beside him.

“Sing, Aslaf. You sing well.”

Unbelin, who had finished singing, pointed to Aslaf as the next person to sing and pulled him by the hand.

“Wow, Young Master Aslaf is going to sing.”

“Let’s hear a song from the Empire.”

Everyone found it amusing that Aslaf would sing.

Aslaf was not particularly good at singing for a gypsy, but until he was ten years old and followed his mother around, he had lived by dancing and singing. The younger he was, the better the audience’s response had been, so he had stood onstage from the moment he began to walk.

“Ah, well, singing is easy.”

Aslaf walked out in front of the bonfire. Everyone watched curiously, wondering what song Aslaf would sing when he unexpectedly stepped into the center without refusing.

Aslaf sang a popular song the Gypsy tribe enjoyed singing. He did not only sing, but also danced while striking branches together in rhythm.

“My love, please look at me.

If I can see you, I’ll cross the river.

If you smile at me,

I’ll climb the castle wall just to see that smile.

If I can only hold your hand,

I’ll bring you the emperor’s crown.”

In any city, singing this song drew applause.

“That’s fun.”

“Oh, it’s good.”

“So this is what songs from the Empire are like.”

As expected, the Rong tribe found it fascinating and danced along to Aslaf’s song. Everyone spun around the bonfire as they danced.

“Yahoo!”

“Hiho!”

The Rong tribe danced and sang excitedly around the bonfire, one and all.

In the middle of all the lively fun, a furious curse suddenly sounded from somewhere.

“You bastard! Do you want to die?!”

Everyone was startled and looked toward the source of the sound.

Unbelin was grabbing Umkton, Umbeji’s son, by the collar.

While Unbelin had been dancing and singing, Umkton seemed to have approached his wife, Undine, grabbed her wrist, and tried to drag her away.

Undine had apparently been so afraid of him that she had not come out of her tribe’s village all this time, but had come to participate today thinking surely nothing would happen at a festival where everyone was together.

“What is the matter?”

Umbeji asked with a frown.

The music stopped, and it grew quiet. Only the crackling sound of firewood burning could be heard.

“It’s nothing.”

Umkton shook off Unbelin’s hand and swaggered forward. He glared at Unbelin and sneered.

“I only said a few words to an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while. How sensitive.”

Humiliated in front of everyone, Unbelin grew so angry that he approached as if he were about to strike him. However, his brothers grabbed him. Untet and all the people of his tribe glared silently at Umbeji and his son Umkton with eyes burning like fire.

“There will be no fighting on a sacred night.”

Umbeji warned the two of them. Considering that Umkton had been the one to do wrong first, it was an unfair ruling.

As if he had known his father would take his side, Umkton grinned and returned among the people of his tribe.

Unlike Umbeji, who openly sided with his son, Untet took his son Unbelin by the shoulder and whispered,

“You endured well. It is not time yet. Wait.”

Unbelin looked at Umkton’s back and clenched his molars.

“Just wait. If I catch you, I won’t let you go.”

Umkton’s tyranny, backed by Umbeji’s protection, grew worse with each passing day. He openly borrowed other people’s belongings and did not return them, or even took things by force.

Ungus, who brought valuable goods from the Empire, was one of those who suffered harm. Whenever Umkton liked something among the goods he brought, he often took it on credit and did not pay.

“The unpaid credit has piled up too much, so this is difficult for me now. I have to pay the merchants in the Empire for the goods too. Please settle your account.”

When Ungus pleaded with Umkton, Umkton reluctantly opened his purse.

“How much was it? Ten gold coins?”

“It is fifty gold coins.”

“What do you mean, fifty? It was ten.”

Ungus opened his ledger and showed it to him, but Umkton was unreasonable.

“Ten is right. Take ten.”

Ungus was so dumbfounded that his mouth fell open.

“No, ten is far too much. I said it is fifty. Look here.”

“Are you saying I’m wrong?”

“Please look at the price for each item here. You did take all of these.”

“Are you saying I’m lying? Are you insulting me?”

Umkton instead grew angry and shoved Ungus in the chest with his fist.

Ungus staggered and caught his balance so he would not fall.

“If you say one more thing that sullies my honor, I won’t let it go.”

“No, but even so, this is too much. What in the world......”

Ungus could not finish his sentence. Umkton had struck him in the mouth with his fist.

“Gah!”

Ungus spun around like a top and collapsed to the ground.

“I told you to shut your mouth. Do you want to get hit again?”

Umkton cracked his fingers and threatened him.

Blood flowed from Ungus’s mouth as he staggered to his feet. His lips trembled, but he said nothing. His clenched fist shook, but he could not swing it at Umkton. Since Umkton’s father, Umbeji, was the great chief, he had no idea what retaliation might come if he struck him.

“Hmph. Why run your mouth so cheaply and invite a beating?”

When Ungus did not resist, Umkton mocked him and leisurely left.

There were many people in the marketplace watching them, but no one stepped forward to stop Umkton or take Ungus’s side. They had no need to earn Umbeji’s hatred by siding with Ungus, who lived in the Empire and was not close to his own tribe.

After hearing the news, Aslaf went to Ungus’s house.

“What happened? I heard you had a quarrel with Umkton.”

Ungus’s face was red, as if he had been drinking for a long time with an expression full of resentment. His swollen lips were bruised blue.

“I’ll kill him. That son of a bitch.”

He stared into empty air and muttered like a madman.

He had suffered a tremendous loss all of a sudden, then had been beaten as if he were the guilty one, so of course he had to be furious.

“This is why the Rong tribe is no good. They’re all like beggar bastards. The Rong tribe should fall. Uncivilized barbarian bastards.”

Ungus poured curses on his own people and gulped down liquor. For Ungus, who was also familiar with the Empire’s commerce and legal system, it may have been even harder to accept.

“There are corrupt officials in the Empire too. No matter what society you live in, there are days when you suffer injustice and rotten luck.”

Aslaf patted his back and handed him the alcohol he had brought.

“Here, drink and forget it.”

At that, Ungus seemed overcome with emotion and cried sorrowfully, sobbing loudly.

“Young Master Aslaf is the only one on my side.”

After wiping his tears, he clenched his fist and trembled.

“I will definitely take revenge.”

To the Rong tribe, revenge was important. In the Empire, private retaliation was forbidden, and society operated through law and agreements. But among the Rong tribe, who had no law, revenge and punishment had the effect of restraining people from committing crimes, so it was encouraged as something natural.

Of course, since that revenge was highly subjective, it was a system where unfair things were bound to happen. But in Rong tribe society, when one suffered injustice, letting it pass without revenge was considered more shameful.

That did not mean anyone could take revenge either. Those without strength and power often endured and let things pass because they feared later retaliation.

“I will repay this humiliation.”

“How?”

“What should I do? Please find a way for me, young master. Aren’t you wise?”

Drunk and slurring, he clung to Aslaf and begged him to help.

“You have a good mind, young master, so please lend me your wisdom.”

“It’s your revenge, so you should find the method.”

Aslaf stepped back without getting involved, but still gave him a hint.

“Think about what talents you have. Use them.”

“My talents?”

Ungus stared at Aslaf with blank eyes.

Aslaf nodded.

“What talents do I have?”

“You have many. You can do things other Rong tribe members can’t. You can read and write, trade with the Empire, and you said you were a mercenary in the Empire before.”

At Aslaf’s words, Ungus seemed to sober up all at once. His eyes flashed with a serious expression, and he fell into thought. He went beyond lamenting and truly searched for a way to take revenge on Umkton.

As Aslaf had said, if it came to a one-on-one contest, he, who had seen and learned many things in the Empire, was smarter and superior to Umkton.

“With your talents, you just have to use what Umkton wants most as bait and hook him.”

At Aslaf’s words, Ungus’s expression slowly brightened. Aslaf smiled inwardly to himself as he watched the change in his expression.

‘By now, something must have come to mind.’

Ungus had a mind, so Aslaf’s hint must have made him think of something.

Ungus had once deceived the entire Rong tribe by delivering a forged letter from Alexei I. It had probably been the boldest, most nerve-wracking gamble of his life. He would never have forgotten the thrill he felt when he succeeded at something so difficult.

So naturally, he must have thought of using a forged letter to take revenge on Umkton.

Whether Ungus was provoked by his words and succeeded in his revenge or failed, there was nothing bad in it for Aslaf. If he succeeded, Aslaf would earn Ungus’s trust, and if he failed, that would be that. Even if Umkton noticed and punished Ungus, it would only mean Ungus, who had deceived Alexei I and the Rong tribe, was paying for his sin.

“Then I’ll be going now. Rest well.”

“Talking with you makes me feel relieved, young master. Thank you for coming.”

After Aslaf left, Ungus took out parchment and wrote a letter. Then, in the dark middle of the night, he took it and went to Umkton’s house.

Knock, knock.

At the sound of the window being tapped, Umkton opened it, and a letter flew into the room.

“Who is it?!”

Umkton shouted and went outside to look around, but it was too dark to see anything.

“What crazy bastard is this?”

He grumbled as he returned to his room and read the letter that had fallen on the floor.

“Huh? What’s this?”

The letter said the following.

[Lord Umkton,

I wish to meet and speak with you alone.

I am afraid of people’s eyes, so please come alone to the water mill.

From Undine]

Undine was Unbelin’s wife.

A smile spread across Umkton’s face as he read the letter.

“That’s what I thought. What woman could refuse this Lord Umkton? The son of the great chief, no less.”

Thinking Undine had sent him a letter asking to meet, he went straight to the water mill by the village riverbank. Thoughts of Undine’s bare flesh numbed his reason, and he ran there without the slightest suspicion.

It was the middle of a pitch-dark night, so he could see nothing.

“Undine.”

Umkton felt along the wall with his hand and went inside.

“Where are you? I’m here.”

Only the creak of the waterwheel and the sound of flowing water could be heard.

“Undine?”

He heard signs of someone in one corner.

Umkton moved toward the sound.