泡芙影院

Chapter 30

“It’s alright. I will pray, instead.”

Urich took out the axe that had been sitting in the crackling campfire. An axe was a better tool than a sword for cutting off an arm.

“Oh, Lou, please give me the courage to overcome this pain,” Gottval muttered.

“This is going to hurt, priest,” Urich warned Gottval. He had taken it upon himself to cut off the priest’s arm as he had no intention of putting his pain off to someone else.

Nod.

Gottval nodded to show that he understood. His eyes were locked on Urich.

‘Gottval is not a frail man.’

Urich had never seen someone like Gottval before. His definition of a strong man equated to a strong warrior. Anyone who didn’t have the physical strength was simply weak.

‘No matter how big you talk, you tend to show your true weakness when your body is taking the toll.’

But Gottval was an exception. He was a strong man, even though his body was nothing close to that of a warrior.

“This might kill you, Gottval. Before we start, let me ask you something,” Urich said as he pulled up the priest’s sleeve.

“Go ahead,” Gottval answered as he opened his closed eyes. For someone who was about to experience such an excruciating pain, his eyes were shockingly serene. It seemed like he had already come to terms with what had to be done.

“Why did you get bit for me?”

“I was just trying to save you. I didn’t get bit on purpose. When you saved me from that arrow, I’m sure you didn’t think too much before acting, either.”

“That’s true,” Urich muttered, then raised the axe in preparation for the strike. Gottval hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“To be honest... My soul has a place to go. It’s quite clear to me that even if I die, Lou will guide me. That’s not the case for you. Your soul doesn’t have the eternal rest, yet.”

Urich’s eyes widened. He saw something in Gottval that he had never seen in anyone else before. He couldn’t put it into words, but he realized that he was an experienced warrior, but not an experienced human. There were more things for him to learn than the things he already knew.

‘If I could see the souls with my eyes, Gottval’s soul would be pure and bright. Are all priests like this?’

Gottval was a bright person. That was all that Urich could think of.

“You may not be a warrior, Gottval, but you are worthy of respect.”

Urich brought down his axe on Gottval’s arm. The flesh and muscles split, and bones were crushed. The cut wasn’t clean on the first strike.

Urich struck again. Gottval prayed with his splitting voice as he screeched in pain. Only the name Lou could be made out of his prayer, and the rest of the words trailed off.

The axe was brought down for the third time, finally severing the inflicted portion of the arm. Urich waved the soldiers over, who brought the hot iron plate and burned the cross-section of the severed arm.

Tssss.

Gottval muttered a stuttering prayer as he stifled his scream. He was sweating profusely and urinating out of sheer pain.

Urich stood by his side until the priest finally passed out and fell asleep.

“Phew,” Urich exhaled and dropped his axe. The rest was now up to the sky. If the venom had already moved up to his body because they weren’t quick enough, he would die. If his body couldn’t withstand the shock of having an arm cut off, he would also die.

‘If your god doesn’t take you, then you’ll live to see another day.’

Lou, the Sun God. Urich looked up at the sky. The night was yet to end, as it would take a long time for the sun to rise again.

“Where are you going, Urich?”

A mercenary asked Urich, who was walking toward the forest.

“I’m gonna take a piss. Why, you want to see my dick?” Urich retorted as he grabbed his groin over his pants. The mercenary gave him the middle finger and cussed.

Sss.

Urich stumbled deep into the forest. He was all alone.

Thud.

He put down his weapon and dropped to his knees. He then proceeded to pray, like a civilized man.

“If you don’t take Gottval...”

He staggered his breath and slowly opened his mouth.

“I’ll give you a shot. I’ll become a follower, Sun God.”

* * *

The exterminating squad returned to the city. The citizens of Havilond gave their warmest of welcomes with applauses and flowers. In their heroic welcome, the soldiers and mercenaries raised their arms in response.

“Well done, Sir Setton and Urich’s Brotherhood!” Count Havilond welcomed the squad with open arms. He had already prepared the banquet as soon as he heard the news of their return.

“Booo! You damned thieves!”

“Cult! Cult!”

The tied-up bandits followed the exterminators. People chucked stones and rotten vegetables at them, with some even pouring a bucket of fecal waste over their heads from their windows.

“Treats you right!”

The bandits shambled on with dead eyes. Death was the only thing that was left for them. All the curses and mockery that they would receive would prevent them from finding an eternal resting place for their souls.

The exterminators were treated with rest, while the bandits were put into the prison.

“Look how amazing this is; this is the guest room of the inner castle! I haven’t felt a fluff like this in a long, long time,” Bachman remarked as he flopped down on the bed after his bath. Urich was sitting on his bed across from Bachman. He didn’t look as happy as his brother.

“Urich, are you still thinking about that priest?”

“No, not really.”

“Hmm, I think you are.”

“I told you, not really. Bring it up again and I’ll kill you.”

Bachman laughed at Urich’s threat and eventually shut his mouth.

‘Am I doing the right thing?’

Urich felt a mix of emotions. The oath he had made in the forest on the night of the incident echoed in his mind.

‘I can’t go back on my word.’

Urich intended to get baptized if Gottval survived the injury.

‘If I start believing in Lou, my soul will go to a different place from my forefathers and brothers. I won’t get to see them again.’

He was afraid. The possibility of ending up in a place without his brothers from the tribe was just as worrying as wandering the world of the living as an evil spirit. His shoulders trembled slightly, as he repeatedly asked himself.

‘Am I doing the right thing?’

He had no intention of backing out of the oath, over his dead body.

‘If Gottval would just die...’

Urich’s mind went to an extreme extent, then he shook off the thought. If Gottval were to die, he would be free from his oath with Lou, because he would be a stingy god who doesn’t even grant one wish. A god like that wouldn’t be worthy of Urich’s faith.

“Fuck!”

Urich blurted out out of nowhere, catching Bachman by surprise.

“D-did I do something wrong, Urich?”

“Whatever. Let’s go get drunk. Where’s the banquet hall?” Urich said to Bachman as he patted his shoulder.

The banquet was grand, as one would expect from a wealthy city. It was the best banquet that Urich had ever seen. The city’s most powerful men were gathered in the ballroom, extolling the virtues and merits of their Count and praising the valor of the guard captain Setton.

Buuuup!

Urich and the other mercenaries entered the banquet hall. One of the servants blew the trumpet to announce their entrance.

“The ‘Urich’s Brotherhood’ enter.”

The nobles and the wealthy men looked at Urich and the mercenaries.

“There they are, the mercenaries.”

Urich walked and looked around. There wasn’t a single second for his eyes, nose, and ears to rest. The sound of exotic musical instruments, food cooked with unfamiliar spices, the sweet waves of beautiful women, and jewelery with blindingly bright gems–Urich didn’t want to miss a single thing.

“My lord, please commend the mercenaries with the proper praise. They have played a crucial role in our success,” Setton whispered to Count Havilond.

“Oh? I’m surprised. Were you not against the idea of hiring a barbarian mercenary?”

“You were right all along, my lord. If we hadn’t hired Urich and his mercenaries, our number of casualties would have been significantly greater. They have earned their extra compensation.”

Setton admitted his wrong preconception. Count Havilond showed a faint smile as he heard the details of the mission from his guard captain.

“Welcome, my leader of the mercenaries! I heard all about your contribution. I’ve been told that you put on quite the performance,” Count Havilond said as he walked up to Urich.

“This is a fine banquet. I’ve never seen such a splendor,” Urich said in awe, making Count Havilond smile. Who wouldn’t love someone telling him that his banquet was wonderful?

“What are we doing here! Someone pour a drink for this fearless Urich!” Havilond said as he pointed at his servant. The servant then handed a bronze cup to Urich in a graceful motion.

The city’s powerful men stopped by to speak to Urich. Urich returned their greetings and observed their movements and outfits.

‘I wonder if I can be like them, too?’

Civilized people. People who possess and enjoy the civilization. What they had built surpassed the art of survival and fighting. They were after something more, something greater.

Urich’s Brotherhood saw another jump in their fame. Many people remembered the name of their mercenary squad.

“Phew.”

Urich felt the alcohol kicking in. He sat back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, where there was a dizzying array of paintings he had never seen before. He was told that it was a mural of a metaphorical representation of the Solarism mythology.

“Lou,” Urich mumbled under his breath.

Creak—

The doors to the banquet hall creaked open as a new guest entered.

“Oh my,” the nobles exclaimed in wonder.

“Oh, Lou,” some were even on the verge of tears.

Urich stared at the entrance with his eyes slightly closed.

Swish.

There was an empty sleeve. A one-armed priest entered the banquet hall with the help of an aide.

“Gottval.”

Urich, who was leaning back in his chair, sat up on the edge of his seat.

“Oh my, are you alright, Father Gottval?” Count Havilond greeted the priest with a rather exaggerated motion. Gottval nodded in response.

“The fever is down now. I think the danger has passed.”

“Surely, it is the blessing of Lou. You must still have a lot left to do in this world.”

“I believe so, as well. It is a sign from Lou.”

The nobles and the wealthy men recited a short prayer as they looked at Gottval. Then, the joyful music resumed along with the drinking. Everyone enjoyed themselves as they called out their god’s name.

“Your god didn’t take you,” Urich said as he sipped on the wine in his cup.

“It must mean that I still have something to do down here,” Gottval moved his hand to pray, only to realize that he no longer had his right hand. There was nothing below his right forearm anymore.

‘Did Lou answer my prayer?’ Urich quietly stared at Gottval. He was the first priest of Solarism that he had ever met, and it was difficult to understand his way of thinking.

“You must be leaving soon.”

“Yeah, I’ll be gone as soon as I am well enough.”

“We’ll continue our lessons until then, though now I only have my left hand. We have books in this city, so I can get you some textbooks, as well.”

Urich nodded. As Gottval was getting up to leave, he said to the priest in a drunken voice.

“I want to get baptized.”

Gottval turned his head stiffly to look at Urich.

“Could you... say that again, Urich?”

“Baptize me. I want you to do it.”

Gottval smiled faintly.

“Now it’s certain that Lou didn’t take me for a reason. I have a mission.”

* * *

Half a month had gone by. In a short period of time, Urich had learned much.

Urich found himself in the Sun Temple, head-deep in its bath. The water was mystical with a sweet scent from the flower petals that floated on the surface. Underwater, his senses were blurred. There was a dull sound of water.

Splash.

Urich finished his bath and walked down the marble hallway without a single thread on his body. Two boy monks came up to him with towels and wiped him dry.

Clamor, clamor.

The baptismal witnesses stood to the left and right of the marble hallway, waiting for Urich.

“Silence.”

The muttering stopped. At the end of the hallway stood a one-armed priest in a red robe: Gottval.

‘Lou, the Sun God,’ Urich thought to himself as he lifted his head to look up at the solar sculpture. Lou was just a sun. That’s all he was.

‘Why am I getting baptized?’

Urich took another step forward.

‘Because of the oath I made? Why did I make such an oath?’

Urich was now standing before Gottval.

Click.

Windows opened everywhere, including the ceiling of the temple. The noon sunlight poured into the temple.

Urich stood in the center of the light. His hair, still damp, glistened like a gem. As he knelt, his muscles twitched. His extremely well-defined muscles were visible through his skin down to the fibers. His body was like a chiseled statue.

Nobody in the room could imagine that Urich was a barbarian. The man who was kneeling in front of them had a beautiful body that almost seemed holy.

‘I...’

Urich still wondered. He closed his eyes, then opened them again. Gottval was waiting for him.

“Oh, Lou, your lost son wishes to return to your embrace. Please, lead him with your mercy...”

“Lead him.”

Gottval recited the baptismal prayer, and the witnesses standing to his right and left echoed his words. Bachman, Donovan, and a few other mercenaries were among them, with the exception of Sven, who was absent.

‘I want certainty.’

Only at the end of the ceremony, was Urich able to gain introspection.

‘I want to make sure that my soul doesn’t wander after I die.’

Urich nearly died in the last battle. It wasn’t that he was afraid of death itself, but the possibility of having nowhere to go afterward frightened him. Urich needed his afterlife.

“...will be the guide of your soul.”

The long ceremony had finally come to an end. Gottval closed the thick manuscript.

Urich stood up. His sun-dried body felt refreshed, almost feeling like a rebirth.

“These are my personal words, Urich. You are a brave, fearless warrior, and perhaps you will go down in history. But I want you to remember this. Love others and show mercy. Then, your soul will only grow stronger,” Gottval whispered in Urich’s ear after the ceremony.

“That’s a tough ask, priest man,” Urich bared his teeth and smiled.