Barbarian Quest

“Long live Porcana! Long live King Varca!”

Praises of the people of Porcana filled the streets all over the kingdom.

His uncle was a great king. It was certain that the title of Great King would be attached to his name after his reign was over.

Louyan, who had such a great uncle, stood at the dock, gazing at the coastline. The maritime industry of the Porcana Kingdom was growing day by day. The trade along the coastline was flourishing with the rapid advancement of navigation technology, and the sea route to the north was incomparably faster than the land route.

Louyan stared blankly at the horizon. Every time he saw the endless sea, his heart swelled with a strange excitement.

‘My uncle is convinced that there is an Eastern Continent.’

Varca Baneu Porcana was Louyan's uncle. King Varca had countless legendary anecdotes and was a great king who turned the small kingdom of Porcana into one of the most powerful nations.

Louyan respected his uncle. Porcana was more prosperous than ever.

“Louyan, here you are.”

“Ah, Master.”

Louyan’s mentor was Gottval. He was responsible for Louyan’s education and was one of the two men whom he considered his father, with the other being King Varca.

He dusted off a wooden crate, making a place for Gottval to sit.

‘He has grown up well.’

Gottval smiled as he looked at Louyan standing at the dock. Although his childhood name was Salone, he now went by Louyan, meaning ‘man of Lou.’ Louyan had grown into a devout young man, fitting the name well.

“Did you have business at the dock, Louyan?” Gottval asked.

Louyan smiled and looked at the large sailing ship made for ocean voyages that were docked.

“Ah, the Phillion.”

Gottval also looked at the ship. Porcana was making significant efforts in ocean exploration.

‘The existence of the Eastern Continent is becoming increasingly certain.’

With active exchanges with the northern kingdoms, much progress had been made in research on the Eastern Continent. Based on oral traditions and artifacts, the continent of the east was hard to deny.

“The Phillion is about to set sail,” Louyan said as he watched the busy sailors.

Gottval sighed as he read Louyan’s eyes. He said, “His Majesty will not allow it. He couldn’t possibly send his heir into the dangerous sea.”

Louyan was highly likely to succeed Varca as the current king had only two daughters and no sons of his own.

“He could always bring in a son-in-law,” Louyan said.

“No one will be better than you,” Gottval replied.

“You overestimate me, Master.”

“It’s not an overestimation. I taught you myself, you know.”

Gottval laughed aloud.

‘Urich’s son.’

Few knew of Louyan’s biological father. A barbarian man who had brought down the empire, which was the pinnacle of civilization. That was the blood that flowed in Louyan’s veins.

‘But he grew up as a scholar.’

Louyan had a robust physique but was not as hulking as Urich. He was fond of books and had a rich academic curiosity.

“Looks like there are quite a few people gathered.”

The port was bustling with people from all over, and even nobles had come to see the departure of the large sailing ship named the Phillion.

Louyan glanced at the unfamiliar faces knowing that among them were likely spies from other countries.

“There are many who wish for our failure,” Louyan muttered. Many eyes were watching Porcana’s exploration of the Eastern Continent.

“It’s only been a little over a decade since the empire fell due to an overambitious national project,” Gottval reminisced.

“We are exploring, not conquering. We won’t repeat the empire’s folly.”

The empire’s effort to conquer the western lands, which turned out to be stirring a hornet’s nest, had brought about its fall. The westerners, stronger than expected, formed tribal alliances and fought the empire. Also among that alliance was Porcana, who joined hands with the Alliance to overthrow the empire and gain independence.

Porcana absorbed the empire’s wealth and advanced technology, making great strides under Varca’s rule. It was no exaggeration to say that this was the golden age of Porcana.

“Father Gottval! His Majesty calls for you!” A soldier waved and shouted from a distance. Gottval nodded and headed to the palace.

Left alone again, Louyan looked at the dock and saw that sailors were being recruited on one side. The exploration of the Eastern Continent was extremely dangerous and carried a high likelihood of not returning alive. However, the high pay and the goal of exploring the Eastern Continent appealed to many sailors.

Men who considered themselves seasoned sailors flocked to Porcana, and among them were northerners who had come to follow their ancestors’ sea routes. Many northerners were skilled sailors, and Porcana actively recruited them.

‘If the legend is true, then the northerners have succeeded in navigating to the Eastern Continent in the past.’

In fact, the large sailing ship was made of northern timber, which was strong and water-resistant, making it ideal for shipbuilding.

‘It was probably difficult to navigate to the Eastern Continent back then, so exchanges must have gradually diminished, reducing the continent’s existence to mere legends. The routes to it must have been forgotten in the process as well,’ Louyan thought as he stroked his chin. His turquoise eyes were deep and sharp.

“Ooooh! Look at that!”

A loud shout erupted from where the sailors were being recruited.

Louyan also moved through the crowd toward the commotion. Some people recognized him and bowed their heads.

“How many crates is he carrying?”

Louyan followed the crowd’s gazes as the people exclaimed in admiration.

“Hooaaaah!”

A man with a messy beard and hair was carrying three boxes stacked on top of each other. Even though he was wearing clothes that covered his body, his muscles were so large that their outlines were prominent.

“Y-you pass!”

As soon as the announcement was made, the man put down the boxes, dusted off his hands, and gave a thumbs up as if what he had just done was no big deal.

“Great choice, mister. Where else would you find a worker like me?”

The man patted the recruiter's shoulder with a cheeky grin, who looked at him with a dazed expression.

“What is your name?”

“Uri… uh, Kylios.”

“Kylios, got it. Take this identification tag and come back tomorrow,” the recruiter said, handing over a wooden tag.

Kylios nodded and pushed through the crowd before suddenly noticing Louyan among the spectators.

‘He’s staring at me.’

Louyan also stared back at Kylios without backing down. Under Kylios’ shaggy hair, a pair of yellow eyes shone bright.

“Hmm.”

Kylios glanced at Louyan for a while before clearing his throat and disappearing.

‘Why was he staring at me?’

Louyan was curious about the man named Kylios. He gathered himself and tailed him all the way into the increasingly complicated alleyways where the presence of people dwindled.

‘Where did he go?’

Louyan lost track of Kylios. Just as he turned a corner, Kylios had vanished without a trace.

“Hey, mister. You sure are good at sneaking around like a stray cat.”

Louyan felt a chill as soon as he heard that voice. Kylios had appeared behind him.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean any harm.”

Louyan quickly apologized. Kylios’s beard and hair were so thick that even his facial features were hard to see.

‘He must be a barbarian.’

Louyan assumed that Kylios was likely a northern barbarian who came to Porcana after hearing about the exploration of the Eastern Continent.

“When you find a dangerous person, you shouldn’t follow them alone. You could get yourself killed.”

Kylios drew a dagger and twirled it in his hand, moving it so fast it looked like there were multiple blades.

Louyan flinched and stepped back, sweating profusely. He only then realized how foolish his action was.

Kylios laughed at Louyan’s reaction. Despite looking quite aged, his laugh was as cheerful as a boy’s. He asked, “What business does a Porcana royal have with someone like me?”

Louyan's eyes widened at the question.

“You know who I am?”

“There’s an emblem of the Porcana royal family engraved on the button holding your cloak. A herring and a fishing boat,” Kylios said as he pressed his finger against the button on Louyan’s cloak.

‘He recognized the engraving from that distance… His eyes are impressive.’

Louyan scratched the back of his head awkwardly and laughed. He tried to explain himself, “I was just curious why you were staring at me for so long.”

“I was only looking because you’re a royal of this place.”

Kylios stroked his unkempt beard and circled around Louyan, scrutinizing him closely.

‘So he knows that I’m a royal, but his attitude is still…’

Louyan found Kylios's behavior strange. Everyone was supposed to be cautious in front of a royal, and the Porcana family was known to be especially intimidating.

Suddenly, Kylios grabbed Louyan’s hand, examined his palm, and even patted Louyan’s arms as if inspecting his body.

“You’ve grown up gently, only handling a sword a few times. Your build seems sturdy, but it’s just genetics. You haven’t trained, so your flesh is soft. Have you ever cut a person?”

“N-no, I haven’t,” Louyan answered without even realizing, intimidated by Kylios's forceful demeanor.

“You’ve never killed anyone, even at this age? My goodness, these civilized people…”

Kylios clicked his tongue and patted Louyan’s shoulder.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way now.”

Louyan bowed and tried to leave.

“Gottval taught you very well, huh! Even someone like me gets a proper goodbye,” Kylios muttered.

Louyan's eyes widened at the mention of Gottval’s name.

“… Who are you?”

“Just a passerby.”

“Don’t play with me.”

Louyan was on high alert, thinking that the man before him might be a spy from another country.

Swish.

Louyan grabbed the hilt of his sword.

“Keke, show me what you got!”

Kylios rummaged at his waist and drew an axe.

Schring!

Louyan drew his sword without hesitation. Though he lacked real combat experience, he had basic swordsmanship training befitting royalty.

Clang!

Kylios hooked Louyan's blade with his axe and struck downward.

‘Such immense strength!’

Louyan lost his balance and staggered as if his body was being pulled by the force of the blow.

Thump!

Kylios kicked Louyan’s body with his front foot, flinging him into a pile of trash in the alley.

“You’ll die if you stay lying down like that! Get up!”

Kylios charged with a roar. Louyan barely managed to raise his sword and roll to the side.

“Huff!”

Louyan’s senses sharpened. He coldly observed Kylios’s movements.

Clang!

Their weapons clashed again and again, and Louyan was pushed back over and over.

“Use your legs too! Move!”

Kylios shouted as he stepped on Louyan’s foot to trap him, then swung his elbow wide.

Thud!

Kylios’s elbow struck Louyan’s face.

Louyan spat out the blood pooling in his mouth.

“You son of a…”

After seeing his own blood, rough words escaped Louyan’s lips as his teal eyes glinted fiercely.

“Son of a what? I’ve lived twice as long as you! I don’t know who your father is, but I sure would like to see his face!”

Kylios kicked Louyan again, this time in his chest. Louyan gasped for breath and coughed.

‘This is what I get for ignoring Gottval and my uncle’s advice to have guards with me at all times…’

His head was all over the place, unable to understand how things had come to this. He barely managed to ask, “Are you here to kill me?”

Kylios just laughed, spinning his axe. He stomped on Louyan’s hand and snatched his sword.

“Wow, you use a fine sword. Mind if I keep it?”

Without waiting for Louyan’s answer, Kylios took the sword.

Louyan’s heart pounded. It was his first time standing on the brink of life and death.

‘I thought tomorrow was a given.’

But it wasn’t. No one knew when death would come, and right now, the shadow of death loomed behind him. Even his royal status meant nothing before death.

Kylios stared intently into Louyan’s eyes.

“This must be your first life-or-death fight, isn’t it? For a first-timer, your moves weren’t bad. That’s worth some praise.”

Kylios stretched his arm and swung the axe.

Crash!

Louyan wet himself as the axe lodged between his legs. Fortunately, the axe had embedded itself in the ground.

“This will be a valuable experience. The fear you felt today will save your life one day.”

Kylios sheathed his weapon, seemingly having no intention to kill Louyan.

“Do you think you’ll get away with treating a royal like this?”

“I’ll be at the docks tomorrow as well, so if you’re upset, bring some knights and come find me. Go ahead, run and tell someone what I did to you like a little girl.”

Louyan’s face turned red with anger.

Kylios shrugged and laughed. He turned and walked away down the alley.

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