Chapter 20

020.

‘Just…… what in the world is this Rock Tribe?’

After recovering somewhat, Burta, chief of the Western Volcano Tribe, looked around the village with a dumbfounded expression.

Until only a few hours ago, what weighed on him more heavily than physical pain was crushing guilt.

‘I did something terrible to the children of the Rock Tribe.’

The shame that had filled Burta’s mind until he passed out into sleep last night.

The failed hunt led by Karga was something he, as chief, had to take responsibility for on the honor of the Western Volcano Tribe.

That was the barbarian way.

But the monster he had never seen before was far stronger, smarter, and more persistent than he had expected.

Burta had arrogantly pursued the monster, only to be cornered and suffer fatal injuries.

‘I should have taken responsibility somehow.’

Of all places, the final desperate battle with the monster had taken place near the Rock Tribe.

No matter how desperately he had been pursued, he should never have brought that monster into this fragile village where only young children lived without a single adult…….

“Chief. The Rock Tribe is finished now. Everything is destroyed.”

Huku, who had been nursing him by his side, spoke in a subdued voice.

Burta did not answer Huku, but inwardly, he agreed.

“It is remarkable that warriors this young managed to kill the monster, but…….”

Huku trailed off and let out a deep sigh.

As the one who had brought the wounded Burta to the Rock Tribe, he probably also felt responsible for this disaster.

Even though they had miraculously killed the monster, with the very foundation of their livelihood shattered, there was no way the children of the north could endure life in this barren frontier.

“……I will take responsibility for the children of Rock.”

Burta clenched his fist as he spoke.

“I owe them both a debt and a favor. I will take the children to Volcano, feed them well, train them, and make them into fine warriors.”

Needless to say, Zakan, chief of the Rock Tribe, would grow into a great warrior, and several of the other children also possessed excellent fighting spirit.

But there was someone else Burta was even more concerned about.

‘Izak.’

The young shaman said to have received the revelation of the ancestral god.

A child with eyes that seemed to see through everything.

From the moment Burta first saw the boy, he had been unable to stop himself from looking at him.

‘Just how did he know the weakness of a monster he had never seen before?’

If Izak had not bought them time by throwing the ash, Zakan’s attack could never have succeeded.

A miracle Zakan could never have accomplished alone.

Because Izak had designed everything perfectly, Zakan had been able to move, and because Izak trusted Zakan, he too had been able to stand before the monster without hesitation.

‘They truly are…… desirable children.’

And that was not all.

What happened after the monster was slain was even more astonishing.

As though he knew exactly how the monster would behave, Izak dug traps, built barricades, and encouraged the children.

Granted, the plan failed midway because of one deranged human, but even when the plan collapsed, he improvised, bound the monster’s movements, and ultimately killed it.

‘He is no ordinary barbarian.’

Even so, Burta smacked his lips bitterly.

The boy was remarkable, but the price of killing the monster had been far too great.

With its village fence destroyed, the Rock Tribe would unfortunately find it difficult to recover its former state.

Yes.

Burta had been certain of that.

At least until only a few hours ago.

“Heave-hooo! Pull! Barbarians, you need to pull just a little harder!”

A strange, overly energetic voice suddenly rang out from the collapsed village entrance, breaking Burta’s thoughts.

“We don’t have much material left. Still, I’ll weave the usable debris diagonally and put up an emergency temporary barrier first!”

It was the same human man they had been arguing over whether to kill or spare just last night.

As he sweated profusely, waved his arms around in the air, and shouted instructions, the Rock Tribe kids frantically dug into the ground and raised heavy wooden pillars.

“We are! Barbarians fixing home!”

“We are smart, so we make home strong.”

Each time the kids pulled on the ropes while shouting incomprehensible slogans, an arched temporary fence of geometrically crossed beams rapidly took shape at the ruined village entrance.

Honestly…… to Burta, the so-called temporary fence looked far sturdier than the old one.

‘That man. Is he truly a craftsman?’

Burta watched the bizarre scene, speechless.

Just how had that young shaman recognized the true value of that human in such a short moment and put him to perfect use?

If it had been Burta, he would have immediately cut off the insolent man’s head according to the law for destroying the village.

Watching the Rock Tribe village being rebuilt with such vitality, Burta trembled at the fresh shock.

‘It could be…… changed!’

The land inherited from their ancestors.

Barbarians had simply lived as they inherited it, within the barrenness permitted by nature.

If a tent occasionally broke in the wind or a fence grew old and rotted, all they did was repair it in the same shape as before.

But before Burta’s eyes, the Rock Tribe that had believed and lived that way…… was developing.

Into something better than before.

“Potato! Potato! POTATOOO!”

At that moment, something round caught Burta’s eye as he stood lost in admiration.

“What is that now?”

Burta flinched and took a step back.

A round, yellow object was scurrying around the children’s feet as though supervising them.

It bobbed the three leaves on its head up and down while adding enthusiastic cries…….

“Ch-Chief. A potato is walking around…….”

Huku beside him stared with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

“Ah, you’re awake, Burta.”

While Burta and Huku were reeling from the sight they had never seen before.

A calm voice came from behind them.

They flinched and turned around to find Izak standing there, holding a basket filled with large, fresh potatoes.

Burta merely blinked as he looked down at the huge potatoes in his arms.

.

.

.

In front of Izak’s vegetable patch.

“Farm…… ing?”

Burta sat facing Izak, frozen as he doubted whether he had heard correctly.

“That’s right. This is the potato field I am growing.”

When Izak pointed to the humble field where green leaves sprouted from dark, fertile soil, another bolt of lightning struck Burta’s mind.

And no wonder.

The Northern Frontier had been cursed, dead land since the beginning of time.

It was common knowledge that edible crops for barbarians could never grow here.

Only inedible grotesque plants used as monster feed and poisonous vegetation grew thickly.

For the lush green color of life to bloom in the middle of such a land of death was a miracle beyond anything barbarian common sense could accept.

“H-how…….”

“Thanks to the ancestral god’s blessing, I can farm.”

Izak answered indifferently as Burta stared blankly at the field.

“Is that really…… possible?”

“You’re looking at it with your own eyes and still can’t believe it?”

When Izak gestured toward the vegetable patch with his chin, Burta fell silent.

Then, with trembling hands, he reached toward the green leaves in the air.

As though he did not dare touch such sacred life.

‘He truly…… truly is a barbarian who received the ancestral god’s revelation!’

This was real.

Even harboring doubt toward Izak was an act of blasphemy against the ancestral god!

“Th-then……! That moving potato I saw in the village earlier?”

“Ah, it’s a spirit. An earth spirit. The ancestral god sent it.”

“I see…… it was a divine messenger.”

As though realizing something, Burta’s enormous body collapsed onto the dirt with a thud.

“The ancestral god…… chose the children of Rock.”

Kneeling, Burta murmured in a voice filled with despair and awe.

Without knowing that, he had thought of taking the children of Rock to Volcano and raising them?

What an arrogant thought!

Toward these great children chosen by the ancestral god and even given an earth spirit.

Burta looked up at Izak with reverence and fear, then slowly bowed his head and cried out to the ancestral god in a trembling voice.

“BARBARIAAAAN……!”

.

.

.

Did he really understand that right?

Looking down at Burta, who was kneeling on the dirt and bowing madly toward the potato field all by himself, I felt strangely uneasy.

Anyway, I no longer had to worry constantly about the Western Volcano Tribe discovering that we were secretly farming.

Burta had even sworn to keep the secret himself, so I probably did not have to watch his reactions anymore.

After bowing to the potato field, Burta noticed Potatodori toddling around and respectfully bowed to it too.

“Potato?”

“Great Earth Spirit! Messenger of God!”

Potatodori looked somewhat uncomfortable as the huge muscular man kept bowing his head before it.

“You seem to have recovered quite a bit.”

That means hurry up and leave.

After following Potatodori around and making a fuss for quite some time, Burta apparently finished what he was doing. He stood up, dusted off the dirt, and turned toward me.

“Thanks to you, I endured. I plan to leave today. And…… also.”

Burta hesitated as though he still had something to say.

“Soon, I will formally invite you to the territory of our Volcano Tribe. Please…… I hope you will come, so that I can properly repay this favor.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You must……! You must come, Izak. A barbarian never forgets a debt. You must!”

Ah, I don’t want to.

It sounded troublesome, but unable to withstand Burta pleading so desperately, I finally nodded.

“Then that’s that. I have a troublesome matter to deal with right now, so I should go. I’ll say goodbye in advance. Take care.”

When I quickly turned away, Burta hurriedly approached.

“A troublesome matter? If it is something I can help with, I will. Has something happened to the tribe?”

Help? A barbarian?

I was about to snort and refuse him immediately…… when I suddenly remembered his Intelligence stat of 13 that I had seen with Peeking.

Burta was an extremely intelligent barbarian.

And the fact that he had survived to this age probably meant he had experienced many things.

Maybe he could provide a clue about this mysterious incident.

“Hmm…….”

But actually trying to say it out loud was embarrassing.

“Tell me. Young warriors normally grow by learning from adults. Ah, though you are an exception.”

“Well…… ahem, ahem!”

I cleared my throat a few times, glanced around, then lowered my voice.

“It’s that the potatoes…… keep turning into stones. Do you know why?”

“……???”

See? Damn it. Burta looked at me like I had just said something insane.

“The potatoes do what?”

Damn it.

I know! I know! It sounds incredibly weird, right?

But it really happened. There was definitely one more potato that had turned into a stone, making four in total!

“It’s true.”

“Sorry, but I have never heard anything that strange in my life. Are you sure they are ordinary stones?”

“……!”

Huh!? Why didn’t I think of that?

“Thanks, Burta! Safe travels!”

Come to think of it, they might not be ordinary stones.

And I had a skill that could check.

Ignoring Burta shouting something behind me, I dashed straight to the warehouse, where Malko was still staring at the potatoes with a serious expression.

“BARBARIAAAAAN-!”

The moment I charged into the warehouse, I let out the Warrior’s Roar without thinking about anything else.

Malko jumped straight up from where he had been sitting.

“Eeeek! You scared me, Izak!”

Not my problem.

[Skill ‘Peeking’ activated.]

All right, what are you!

A special stone, right?

Right?

==========

[Ordinary Pebble]

Condition : Normal

==========

“…….”

“Izak?”

Malko poked me repeatedly in the side, but I could not move from the overwhelming sense of loss.

The potato…… the D-rank potato that made you twice as full when eaten and became incredibly delicious had turned into a completely worthless ordinary pebble.

Who the hell was doing this, and why?

Fine. If this is how it’s going to be, let’s see which one of us wins.

And so, while glaring at the potatoes and guarding the warehouse…… I eventually dozed off.

- Rustle, rustle.

A small sound woke me.

And my eyes met its eyes perfectly.

The potato thief brazenly stealing a potato right in front of me.