Chapter 284

The failure to capture the emperor meant that the war was not yet completely over. Despite the recent victory, there were many unsettling movements within the Alliance Army as the Porcana-Alliance army marched toward Hamel.

The authority of the tribal shamans was declining day by day as the number of warriors seeking shamans before battles had dwindled due to many seeking priests or healers from the civilized world for their wounds. Everyone knew about the discontent dripping from Six-Fingered's face.

"When I had that disease last time, I got better quickly by taking the medicine from the people here."

"That guy in white clothes stitched up my wounds really well, too."

For the warriors, there were practical benefits to seeking out civilized people. No matter how important tradition and faith were, going to the civilized people could save their lives immediately.

The astrology and healing arts the shamans had learned their entire lives were outdated techniques, and they slowly fell behind the modern sciences of civilization. The number of followers dwindled as the shamans became less useful.

"Even the Great Chief keeps that one-armed priest by his side all the time."

The warriors' words reached Six-Fingered's ears. Even the Great Chief, the leader of the warriors, kept the Sun priest close, so the common warriors had no reason not to do the same.

"Dammit."

Six-Fingered, the leader of the shamans of the Alliance, chewed on his nails.

‘This is not the future I envisioned for the Alliance.’

The warriors were led by Urich and the shamans by Six-Fingered. That was the dual power that he had envisioned. With the despotic and tyrannical Samikan gone, he thought Urich and he would share power equally.

‘Traditionally, the chief and the priest share power. That is our way.’

In most tribes, the chief and the priest held equal authority, which was why even Samikan could not directly deny the Six-Fingered’s influence.

"Six-Fingered, we may end up losing even more authority than when Samikan was around. Their faith is eroding the hearts of our warriors."

An old shaman muttered with discontent.

"Samikan was brutal, but at least he didn't bring the religion of civilization into our midst. The current Great Chief, Urich, seems to trust the Sun priest more than us."

Some shamans even expressed that they missed Samikan. Everyone knew that Six-Fingered had a hand in Samikan's ousting.

Six-Fingered looked over the shamans and thought, ‘They're subtly trying to put the blame on me.’

Six-Fingered was also entangled in various political relationships. Just as there were various factions under Urich, Six-Fingered also suffered from multiple factions, and not all shamans followed him just because he was the priest of the alliance.

"I understand your concerns."

Six-Fingered waved his hand dismissively, ending the meeting.

"We must not lose our traditions, Six-Fingered."

"If the Great Chief and the warriors lose their faith in the heavens, divine punishment will come."

The shamans, as they left, each added a word to Six-Fingered.

Six-Fingered watched the shamans' hunched backs as they left before adding dried leaves to the censer to produce more smoke.

Sssss.

He mixed various herbs according to the recipe passed down through ancient oral, producing a pungent aroma.

"Oooooh, uuuuuum, mm."

As he saw all sorts of visions, Six-Fingered’s body trembled and his eyes rolled back. His soul left his body, traveling across the blue sky that swirled into various colors like a rainbow. The rainbow hues stormed like a typhoon, and at the center of it, Six-Fingered felt supreme pleasure.

"Oh, great heavens..."

Six-Fingered wept. He had deceived and manipulated the will of the heavens many times.

‘Please forgive me and guide me to the right path.’

The trembling continued as he repeatedly fell asleep and woke throughout the night.

Intoxicated, Six-Fingered regained his senses only by dawn. Holding his throbbing head, he stepped outside the tent to feel the fresh air gently slapping his face.

‘Over there, was it?’

Six-Fingered crossed the camp in search of something.

"Priest Six-Fingered, what brings you here?"

Warriors who were on guard blocked his path. It was a highly disrespectful action, but they were loyal subordinates of Urich who only followed the orders of the Great Chief and had no fear toward anyone else, including Six-Fingered.

"I'm here to see Gottval, the one-armed priest."

"Gottval?"

The warriors who were stationed to guard Gottval frowned. Six-Fingered's schemes were precisely what they were protecting the one-armed priest from.

"You must get permission from the Great Chief, first."

"Permission? Me? Are you telling me that I need the Great Chief's permission just to see a prisoner?"

"Gottval is not a prisoner but a guest of the Great Chief."

"Are you worried I might harm him?!"

While Six-Fingered was fuming, Gottval came outside after hearing the commotion.

"What is going on?"

Six-Fingered was not fluent in Hamelian, but there was an interpreter with Gottval, so communication was not a problem.

"I would like to talk with you."

Six-Fingered looked Gottval in the eye. Gottval nodded even before the interpreter could translate, as he had learned bits of the tribal language and could also sense Six-Fingered's intention from his expression.

"Let's talk inside."

Gottval awkwardly spoke in the tribal language as he opened the tent door.

‘Sun decorations.’

As soon as Six-Fingered entered the tent, he frowned at the unfamiliar decorations that Gottval had used to make the inside of his tent like a temple of civilization. The prayer area was covered with furs with visible knee imprints where he had prayed.

Six-Fingered felt a revolting aversion, but he forced his expression to remain neutral as he sat down.

"I will keep this short. Do not mess with the faith of our warriors." Six-Fingered said as he raised his black-painted face where only his hostile eyes and yellow teeth stood out.

"I have never tried to shake them. It merely happened naturally—I have never forced my values onto your warriors."

"Rubbish! I know that you came here to proselytize."

"I will not deny that, but like I already said, I have never forced anyone. Treating the wounded is only natural, and because of that, the warriors came to know Lou's mercy and love."

Gottval spoke calmly. He looked directly at Six-Fingered who was waving his six fingers strangely like spider legs.

Gottval shook his head briefly, trying to shake off the dizziness that made him feel as if he were caught in a spell.

‘I knew I’d clash with him someday as long as I stayed with Urich.’

Urich had warned Gottval that the more influence he gained within the Alliance, the more anxious Six-Fingered would become and that he should watch out for the priest of the barbarians.

‘The dark faith of the barbarian tribes will only dissipate in the light of Lou.’

Even the northerners who believed in Ulgaro eventually succumbed to the organized power of Solarism. Solarism was a religion that was as well-structured as the nations of civilization, making it easier to spread even faster in the west where each tribe's faith system was ambiguous.

Since Urich, the pinnacle of the west, was favorable toward Solarism, the warriors had no hesitation in accepting it.

“Do not interfere with our lives and ways any longer.”

“That is not possible.”

Gottval was not one to bend his will out of fear of death. If he were, he wouldn’t have remained in the Alliance until now.

‘This is a problem, especially since he has the Great Chief’s protection.’

Six-Fingered would have killed Gottval long ago if it were possible.

Six-Fingered sighed deeply and let out a phlegm-laced laugh as he leaned back in his chair.

‘My people are winning the war in this foreign land, yet I am losing the battle against this new faith.’

Six-Fingered laughed for a long time before leaning forward. He extended his six fingers and said, “In that case, teach us your medical skills.”

It was a groundbreaking proposal. The reason warriors sought treatment from the Sun priests was the proven superiority of civilized medicine. Six-Fingered sought to secure his influence by humbling himself.

After a moment of thought, Gottval spoke, “Send me your young shamans, preferably those who speak some Hamelian. The more people who can save lives, the better.”

Gottval always practiced Lou’s tolerance and love, such as using his medical skills on friend and foe alike.

“Understood.”

Six-Fingered stood up, shaking his staff. That evening, young apprentice shamans who were quick learners and had no aversion to new knowledge visited Gottval as promised.

“Are you teaching the barbarians?”

Basha frowned as she watched from behind. Though she was studying the doctrine of Solarism under Gottval, her eyes still gleamed with hatred and anger.

“They asked to learn first, so there is no reason to refuse to teach them.”

Gottval taught the apprentice shamans how to suture wounds and use herbs from the civilized world while also occasionally reciting Lou’s teachings.

“As they learn our medicine, they will also learn about our faith.”

This was the reason Gottval accepted Six-Fingered’s proposal so easily.

“I just can’t understand you, Father Gottval. These are the people who burned our villages and cities... how could you teach them so calmly? If you gave me a knife, I would cut all their throats.”

Basha’s voice gradually rose. The shamans who understood Hamelian glared at her.

“They understand our language too, Basha. Watch your words.”

“If these less-than-beast bastards know their sins, they shouldn’t be learning from us so shamelessly!”

“Basha!”

Gottval raised his voice and Basha flinched at the rare scolding. Though she had only been following Gottval around for a couple of days, she recognized his greatness as a Solarist. Sometimes, it even felt like a halo shone behind him.

‘He is an uncorrupted priest.’

Gottval was as devout and righteous as the pilgrim who had saved Basha, which made her behave more than usual.

“Basha, do you remember the barbarian who saved you?”

“Yes, I do. He was Lou incarnate in the body of a barbarian.”

“Lou borrowed the body of a barbarian to save you, which means that these people too will one day return to Lou’s side.”

“T-that’s...”

Gottval did not tell Basha about Urich, thinking that she might react negatively if she found out.

‘The meeting between Urich and Basha wasn’t a mere coincidence. It was a miracle.’

Basha made her belief that she was saved by Lou who was incarnated as a barbarian the foundation of her faith.

‘She might not be entirely wrong. It’s possible that Lou temporarily borrowed Urich’s body to save her.’

Gottval had also witnessed miraculous scenes around Urich where it felt as if transcendent beings were protecting him. Every time he saw such scenes, his sense of mission to guide Urich on the right path only grew stronger.

“Let go of your hatred and anger, Basha. If you truly wish to understand Lou, that’s where you must start.”

Gottval spoke soothingly, to which Basha twisted her lips reluctantly.

“Why do you never say this stuff to the barbarian leader Urich? He wields more violence than anyone else and uses hatred and anger as his strength. Is it because you are his subordinate?”

“Urich does not fight out of hatred nor anger. I know Urich better than you do, and I met him even before this war began. Indeed, warriors like Urich burn with anger and hatred when they fight, however...”

“Then he is the one who violates Lou’s teachings more than anything.”

Basha retorted as if she had found a flaw in Gottval’s argument. She had never won a debate with him.

“Basha, there’s something you need to understand. Urich does not hate or despise civilized people; actually, it’s quite the opposite. But the reason why the Great Chief Urich still fights is because he loves his people more than the civilized ones.”

“That’s a strange way to describe someone who killed hundreds of civilized people, Father.”

“Humans, unlike gods, are imperfect and cannot love perfectly. To love someone more means to love someone else less. Basha, no one can understand Urich’s suffering, not even me.”

Basha merely frowned as she couldn’t comprehend Gottval’s words and was at a loss for what to say.