“… … .”
“… … .”
Silence fell in the square. No one opened their mouths. He just stared at Ragnar with his mouth open in silence.
It was so quiet that you could even hear the sound of needles falling in the snow. In the meantime, someone barely opened his mouth.
“Lord, Warchief.”
Loghain, who had just finished his speech, went downstairs and barely spoke a word in a trembling voice.
“why… … ?”
That one word represented everyone’s feelings. The nobles of the north, the territories under them, and even the barbarians under Ragnar.
Ragnar looked up at the sky and said.
“I had a dream.”
“… … .”
“The dream of running side by side with legendary heroes. The dream of recreating ancient glory in the present. And dream of spreading your name beyond them.”
As a child, others dismissed it as bullsh*t. The adults of the tribe thought it was a dream that would disappear someday, even though they were proud of it.
It’s a child’s stroke that can be said because you don’t know the reality. But Ragnar had a talent.
“I was born with a blessed body. The head wasn’t bad either. It may be conceited, but I thought he was born with qualities no less than those of the old heroes.”
Indeed it was. Among the old legends, there were many that looked inferior to the achievements of Ragnar today.
Even in ancient times, it would be an exaggeration to say that he was one of the greatest heroes, but at least he would have been able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the prominent people of that time.
“So I ran for my dream. You challenged the feat of a hero, became the mightiest warrior, and united your divided countrymen.”
As Ragnar recalled, he looked into the distance.
“It was fun. It was really fun. Because every time I challenged and overcame, I knew I was becoming something better.”
“… … .”
“My heart raced. I thought I had a cause. It felt like a revelation from heaven. There were times when I believed that great spirits gave birth to me for the sake of the North.”
Thinking about it now makes me laugh. To that extent, Ragnar was intoxicated with dreams. I was immersed in a dream and happily floated in the sky.
“There was a sacrifice while running. Blood flowed. It was fine though. All deaths were meaningful. The lives of those who perished were not in vain, and there were always consequences.”
That’s why I took it even more. The death of a colleague was the seasoning of an epic. The image of himself stepping forward and advancing toward that death stood out even more.
united the divided tribes. He also rose to the position of chieftain. It was an honor comparable to that of the first Warchief, Agrim.
“He made a name for himself at the time. He made achievements that would make him a great man in the future. Still, it wasn’t enough. Because I wanted to become an immortal hero.”
And a feat worthy of becoming a hero was in sight. The reunification of the entire northern kingdom and the revival of the throne after fighting for over a thousand years. Independence and freedom from an empire oppressing the north.
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“I thought I had a cause. I thought I was the only one who could save everyone. I was still drunk with dreams.”
Even when his nemesis Luke appeared, it was fine when he heard Bjorn deny Ragnar. Because it all felt like an ordeal.
Even if something is wrong, you can correct it. There are no perfect heroes anywhere. I held on to my dream even in the face of reality.
“… And you paid the price.”
Ragnar looked beyond Loghain to the place where the warriors were. Half of the warriors who died in the first dragon’s fire. In the ensuing battle, the warriors killed were half again.
Those who survived were at most a quarter. Rogaine cried out at the look in Ragnar’s eyes.
“Warchief, we… … !”
“I know even if you don’t tell me.”
Ragnar stopped Loghain from speaking.
“You guys are warriors. Death is always there. You must have always been prepared Saving a warrior’s life is a virtue, but sometimes it’s an insult to a warrior.”
“That’s right! I gave up my life when I entered your command, so why do you hesitate to sacrifice for the cause!”
“I am not hesitant to make sacrifices.”
I have made a lot of sacrifices so far. I could do it in the future if needed.
“It was only then that I realized it for the first time.”
“What do you mean!?”
“That the sacrifices of the warriors could have no meaning in themselves.”
“… … !”
Loghain’s eyes widened violently.
* * *
The second silence followed for a long time. Amidst the suffocating air, Loghain pursed his lips.
I want to refute right away, but I can’t seem to find the words to say. In the end, it was Ragnar who spoke first.
“The deaths of the warriors who died then meant nothing.”
“Warchief!”
“You should know.”
Ragnar spoke emotionlessly, as if listing the facts.
“It didn’t even help to kill the dragon. It didn’t even save my life. It is not the cornerstone of something that will come in handy later.”
“… … .”
“It’s just dead. Because the dragon flew there by chance, I was unlucky to die within range of its flames.”
Loghain’s fists clenched. I was mad to refute, but I had nothing to refute. The death of the warriors could not be wrapped no matter how hard they tried to wrap it.
they’re just dead There was no grand narrative, no great meaning.
“It wasn’t until I realized that fact that I finally woke up from my dream.”
The euphoria of floating in hot water is gone. All that was left were two feet firmly rooted in the ground and the cold reality.
A bitter smile formed on Ragnar’s lips.
“It’s funny when you think about it now. It is not possible for human beings to live gloriously all the time. Glory is always only a moment in life.”
Ragnar didn’t even know that obvious fact. After coming of age, everything was a glorious life. There were no defeats, no failures.
Someone’s sacrifice was a process made for success. Even though I made a lot of sacrifices, I didn’t even experience that I didn’t get anything.
If it didn’t succeed as a result, the sacrifice was just a dog’s death.
“I considered myself the chosen one. The world revolves around me, and I knew my ambitions would always succeed. I believed that those who followed me would always be with glory.”
All of that was broken in this test. Luke was overwhelmingly stronger than Ragnar, and Bjorn had a vision of the northern future and farther.
There was no Ragnar who was stronger than anyone else and wiser than anyone else. Gradually, impatience developed. I was overcome with anxiety that I might not really become a king.
“When my arrogance was broken, I had to weigh my ambitions and the future of the North on the scales. And weighing the two, I got the wrong way.”
“… … .”
“At one point I was putting my ambitions above everything else. Being for the North has already become a half-excuse. I was just living a childhood dream.”
I want to become a hero and leave an immortal name. Only childish dreams were all that Ragnar had. Later, he wanted to abandon his people for his dream.
Without even realizing that it was not the king who abandoned his people in the first place.
“I was not a vessel for the king.”
“Lord, Warchief.”
“But I know who should be king.”
The one who chose abundance over glory. A person who would rather see a child full than an honorable death. Ragnar met eyes with Bjorn under the podium.
Then he slowly walked down and met his eyes.
“… … .”
“… … .”
For a while, the two looked at each other without speaking. And then, Ragnar got down on one knee.
With everyone’s mouths wide open, the two chatted casually.
“King, please take care of the North. Take care of us all without discrimination.”
“I swear to my ancestors, as long as my hands can reach, I will fully embrace the son of the snowfield.”
Bjorn raised Ragnar up with his own hands. Even when Ragnar got up, he did not forget the example he had for Bjorn.
People realized at that moment. That the King of the North was born in this spot.
-Waaa!
Cheers resounded throughout the estate.
* * *
catastrophe. There was no other way to explain it. The aristocrats who had assumed that they would serve Ragnar as their king were stunned as one.
“Heh heh, in the world this is happening.”
“Who would have known that the warchief would yield the throne?”
“I still feel like a dream.”
Reactions of disbelief came from all directions. Wasn’t he the warchief who would do anything for the throne?
I heard about the change of heart, but I was still very dubious. I wondered if there might be some other reason.
“Isn’t it good for us anyway?”
“What a good thing! It’s none other than Lord Bjorn!”
“He’s an imperial nobleman and knows how to see reality.”
Laughter broke out among the nobles as the surprise passed. No matter who was elected, they had to obey, but as long as nobles are human, they have their likes and dislikes.
In that sense, Bjorn was the best candidate for the northern nobility.
‘Because he is from an imperial aristocrat, he knows the internal situation well and is aware of the dynamics between the nobles.’
‘Since you know roughly the circumstances of each territory, you won’t make unreasonable demands or plans that deviate from reality.’
‘Above all, since he is from the pure North, there is no need to worry about gossip.’
Despite these many advantages, I saw that there was no possibility of being elected because he was pushed behind by the warchief. But at the end, a miracle happened.
Everyone wanted to say a toast.
“Now, everyone, calm down! There is still a lot left to do!”
At that time, Viscount Torvern clattered his palms and refreshed the atmosphere. I understand the excitement, but just because a king is elected doesn’t mean everything is over.
There are mountains of problems to solve, including coronation procedures and dates and the King’s residence.
“Let’s have a toast later! At least the coronation procedure and date have been set before we can rejoice to the fullest!”
“Heh heh, I guess that’s the case too.”
“Well, it seems like there are things to be done before that.”
Viscount Thorburn’s gaze slipped to Marquis Serge. The face of the Marquis, who was stared at, was rotten and chapped.
‘It’s over.’
It wouldn’t have known if the election of the king had been fuzzy, but once the king had been decided, the fall of the marquis was an established fact.
Although they won’t be punished before the coronation, they won’t be much different from death row inmates waiting for their execution date.
Seeing the Marquis like that, Viscount Thorburn was delighted.
‘It seems like ten years of congestion is going down.’
How long were the years of honor and disgrace? The downfall of the Marquis, whom I thought would be hanging from the top of my head for the rest of my life, was truly worth seeing.
Suddenly, Viscount Thorburn remembered what happened yesterday. The image of Luke, who confidently said that Bjorn would become king, was vivid even now.
‘Anyway, how did Sir Luke know about this? There was no way the warchief would have told Sir Luke in advance.’
The viscount, lost in thought for a moment, shook his head. He is a person with too many hidden things to measure with the standard of a criminal.
Thinking about him was as pointless as solving a problem with no answer. The Viscount just decided to enjoy the current victory.
After that, he would be busy preparing for the coronation ceremony.