BXBX NOVEL Chapter 280: Barbarian King (1)
Chapter 280: Barbarian King (1)
“Ooh.”
Ketal gasped in admiration as he saw the city.
The villages of the barbarians they had seen so far were more like settlements.
They had no walls, and poorly built houses stood in disarray, resembling a slum.
It was understandable.
The impatient and ignorant barbarians would never bother to build a proper village.
As long as there was a place to lay down, they were content.
But the city before him was different—it was clearly planned, designed with care, and properly constructed.
Though it appeared dirty and broken in some parts, as if it hadn’t been well-maintained, the foundation was solid.
“Did the king design this?”
“Yes. Everyone tried to stop him, saying it was unnecessary, but he pushed ahead. He’s quite an unusual king.”
The barbarian grumbled, his face showing no understanding of why such a city was needed.
That was why Ketal was truly impressed.
He had tried to build a city like this once but had failed.
No matter how much he explained the importance of a stable territory beyond just a place to stay, the damn barbarians couldn’t understand.
“As long as we have somewhere to sleep, isn’t that enough?” they would say.
After much persuasion, Ketal had eventually given up.
What he had failed to do, the northern king had succeeded in.
Even though the barbarians here were somewhat more reasonable than those outside, it was still an impressive feat.
“The king is inside. Please, go in.”
“Alright.”
Ketal approached the city.
The barbarian guards, who were either standing on watch or simply lazing around, leaning against the walls and dozing off, were startled by the sudden appearance of the group.
“Who are you people?!”
“I’ll handle this.”
“Go ahead.”
At the leader barbarian’s words, Ketal nodded, allowing him to step forward confidently.
“We’ve come to see the king!”
The barbarian shouted loudly.
“To prove our strength by fighting against the mighty demon!”
“…Ah, I see.”
The guards nodded in understanding, lowering their weapons.
The barbarian shouted once more.
“And someone has come to challenge the king!”
“What?!”
The guards’ eyes widened.
The barbarian proudly declared:
“Our leader, Ketal! He has come to challenge the king for his throne, the ruler of the north!”
* * *
Upon hearing the declaration, the guards immediately sprang into action.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a challenger!”
“Come! Follow me! We’ll lead you to the king!”
With excited faces, the guards welcomed Ketal.
Darkul, watching, muttered in disbelief.
“Are these really guards?”
Guards were supposed to protect the city and safeguard the king.
Yet, they were happily leading someone who came to challenge the king.
It was absurd.
But Ketal wasn’t surprised.
After observing barbarians for so long, it didn’t faze him.
“Someone’s come to challenge the king?”
“Ooh! Must be a mighty warrior!”
Hearing the news, the barbarians of the city began to gather, eager to witness the one who dared to challenge their great king.
A crowd quickly formed.
[Make way! Marvel at my master!]
The holy sword, wanting to boast more about itself, shouted loudly.
Of course, no one but Ketal could hear it.
At last, they arrived at their destination.
It was a surprisingly ordinary building, one you’d hardly believe was the residence of a king.
To an outsider, it might even seem like the house of a commoner.
They stopped in front of the house.
After a brief moment of silence, the door opened.
“…What’s all this commotion?”
A barbarian emerged from inside the house.
He looked no older than his mid-thirties.
It was unclear whether that was his actual age, or if his powerful status had halted the effects of aging, but he seemed far too young to be a king.
Ketal’s eyes sparkled.
This barbarian was the master of the north.
The king of all barbarians.
The man gazed at the gathered barbarians for a moment before speaking in a tired voice.
“You guys really can’t go a day without causing trouble, can you? Do you get sick if you sit still?”
He pressed his eyes shut.
Despite being a hero, immune to fatigue, his face showed true exhaustion.
“So, what brings you here today? Did a brawl break out again and people ended up dead?”
“No! It’s not something so trivial!”
“I didn’t mean to imply it was trivial. A mass death is quite a serious matter.”
“It is trivial!”
The leading barbarian boldly ignored the king’s words and shouted with confidence.
“O King! Someone has come to challenge you for your throne! It’s this man right here!”
He gestured toward Ketal.
The king and Ketal faced each other.
‘As expected.’
Ketal was impressed.
The king lacked the savageness typical of barbarians, the violent emotions ready to explode at any moment.
He was calm, like a monk who had undergone long training.
‘Is he really a barbarian?’
Ketal was genuinely amazed.
And the king, too, found something surprising.
Staring at Ketal, he muttered in wonder:
“…You’re different from the usual barbarians.”
Though the two barbarians stood facing each other, the atmosphere was strangely subdued.
The king narrowed his eyes.
“And… you are strong.”
What he sensed from Ketal was no more than the power of a first-rate warrior, at best.
But that was only on the surface.
Even though Ketal had completely suppressed his aura, the king could vaguely sense his strength.
“…….”
The king silently observed Ketal.
When his gaze landed on Ketal’s ashen hair, his eyes wavered.
It was as if he had seen something that shouldn’t exist.
His face bore the expression of someone recalling a memory from the past.
But the king quickly reined in his emotions and asked:
“Are you here to challenge me?”
“For now, yes.”
“So, you’ve come here to become the king of the north and lead those fools. Why? You don’t seem as ignorant or foolish as they are.”
The king looked genuinely confused, unable to understand why anyone would want such a thing.
“I’d gladly pass on the offer, but… unfortunately, I’m the only one who can lead my foolish kin.”
‘I am their king, after all,’ the king muttered softly.
"This is the North. A world where only the strong survive. If you defeat me, all my rights and responsibilities will be transferred to you. Fight with everything you've got, stranger."
* * *
Inside the city, there was an arena.
It seemed to exist to prove the strength of the Barbarians, as the arena was enormous, not much different in size from a modern football field.
Ketal stood in that arena.
"Ooh..."
"To think I’d witness someone challenging the king in my lifetime."
Many Barbarians from the city had gathered to watch the duel.
Literally every single one of them, regardless of age, from children to elders, was present.
"Ketal, are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Hmm. If you say so... Winning... no, never mind, just do your best!"
Darkul left with a vague expression.
[Let's become king. King. Being famous is nice, you know? Everyone will be chanting your name.]
"Be quiet."
[Yes...]
The holy sword went silent, sulking.
Before long, the king appeared on the opposite side.
"......"
The king stared at Ketal with a rather ambiguous expression, as if something about Ketal reminded him of something.
"...I am the King of the North, Bayern. Destined to lead the Barbarians and carry the heavy burden of that duty. If you defeat me, all of that shall become yours."
The king introduced himself.
It was Ketal's turn.
He spoke quietly.
"I am a Barbarian, Ketal. I come from a world even colder and more frozen than this one."
"......!"
The king, Bayern, widened his eyes.
The vague suspicion he had turned into certainty.
"As the chieftain of the Barbarians, I led and ruled them. Since you wager your throne, I suppose I should wager something similar. If you defeat me, I will give up all my rights and duties to you."
Ketal grinned as he gripped his axe.
"I almost feel like conceding defeat right now. But that wouldn’t be right, would it? Let’s fight for each other's duties and rights."
"...You."
Bayern’s eyes trembled, as if he had realized where Ketal had come from, what he bore, and what he had done.
But his face soon calmed.
Bayern pulled out his axe.
"...Well, fine. I have a lot of questions, but now is not the time. There’s only one thing to do."
"Let’s prove our strength to each other."
Ketal smiled.
Bayern also smiled back.
The languid, weary expressions they both had were now filled with a murderous intent, with the will to fight.
"Huuh."
"Ah..."
In that moment, the air changed.
A chilling bloodlust and a suffocating will to battle pressed down on the space.
The Barbarians who had come to watch swallowed hard.
They instinctively took a step back, even though they were strong Barbarians, they felt fear for a moment.
They realized it.
A fight that they couldn’t understand, nor accept, was about to unfold here.
‘Now then...’
What would be the difference between the hero-class barbarians outside and those inside?
A look of expectation crossed Ketal’s face.
Boom!
Bayern moved first, charging towards Ketal.
The sheer force of his movement shattered the floor of the arena.
Bayern gripped his axe tightly and rushed at Ketal.
'Hmm.'
Ketal briefly considered how to respond to the attack.
It wasn’t fast enough to be unavoidable, so evasion seemed like the cleanest option.
Just as he was about to dodge, he caught sight of Bayern’s eyes and hesitated.
There was a feeling in Bayern’s eyes, as if he were testing Ketal.
Show me your strength.
Seeing the meaning in his gaze, Ketal bared his teeth.
"That’s good."
In that case, he wouldn’t retreat either.
He braced himself and charged as well, gripping his axe tightly.
The two axes collided.
Clang!
Strength clashed against strength, and a deafening sound filled the air.
Those nearby were blown away by the shockwave, unable to withstand the force.
"Everyone, back off!"
This distance wasn’t safe from the clash of their power.
The Barbarians hurriedly moved back.
Some, however, moved closer, saying they would rather die witnessing such power up close.
And their decision wasn’t entirely wrong.
It wasn’t every day one could witness a clash of hero-class beings, even in a lifetime.
To burn brightly at the end of life was also the Barbarian way.
Clang! Clang!
They swung their axes without taking a single step back.
Every time the axes clashed, the air shattered, and the ground cracked.
Clang!
The axe blades ground against each other.
While their axes were locked, Bayern raised his other hand, clenching his fist with immense power.
Ketal smiled and clenched his fist in response.
Their fists collided.
Boom!
The air exploded.
Half the Barbarians barely held on, desperately keeping themselves from being blown away.
It was fortunate the arena was somewhat distant from the city.
Had it been near, the city would have been destroyed by the aftershocks of their battle.
"A... ah..."
The spectators looked up at the sky in shock.
The sky, once filled with clouds, had cleared completely.
The sheer force of their clash had blown away all the clouds.
Pure physical strength.
The power of their bodies.
It was shaking heaven and earth.
"Ooh! Ooooh!"
"Woaaaah!"
A roar erupted from the crowd.
This was the essence of the power they had longed for.
The Barbarians howled in frenzy, exhilarated by the overwhelming strength.
"Hahahahaha!"
Ketal burst into laughter.
His face was full of admiration.
"Strong! Impressive!"
Ketal was genuinely surprised.
Of all the beings he had encountered outside, Bayern was the strongest and toughest.
Even the ancient dragon Ignisia’s hand had been shattered by his punch, but Bayern remained unscathed.
This meant that a mere human’s body was tougher and stronger than an ancient dragon’s.
Ketal marveled at Bayern’s strength.
‘To think there’s a Barbarian outside with such power!’
It was astounding.
This was a level of strength he had only seen inside.
Ketal felt exhilarated.
Meanwhile, Bayern was equally shocked by Ketal’s strength.
‘He’s a monster.’
Bayern had been attacking with all his might.
Each swing of his axe carried deadly intent, aiming to kill his opponent.
But Ketal responded with ease, his movements light and unburdened.
Bayern could tell.
Ketal wasn’t even using his full strength.
‘Where could such a powerful being have come from?’
Bayern’s face, once filled with shock, slowly settled into a calm expression.
"...No, it makes sense. If it's from there, the possibility is more than enough."
With a strange tone, Bayern muttered and readied his axe once more.
He looked at Ketal with steady eyes.
"You are stronger than I am."
Bayern could tell.
Ketal was far stronger than he was.
Even beyond the raw strength, just from the way Ketal introduced himself, it was clear.
"But I am king."
[PR/N: This line goes hard ngl. I like Bayern.]
Bayern was the ruler of the North, the king of the Barbarians.
That meant he was the strongest Barbarian.
"I have my pride. At the very least, I will draw out your full strength."
With those words, Bayern's aura began to rise.