HBWnovel Chapter 280: Barbarian King (1)
Chapter 280: Barbarian King (1)
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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.
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.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]