Chapter 7
The calm before the storm.
There was no better way to describe the current situation of our tribe.
At least everything looks peaceful on the surface.
Our deal with the Western Volcano Tribe had been completed.
The potatoes were growing well.
The barbarians were eating again and slowly recovering their strength.
But...
This wasn’t real peace.
I sat inside Chief Zakan’s tent and stared at the old bone calendar in front of me.
A red mark showed today’s date.
Four empty spaces followed it.
Beyond those was a large circle painted the color of blood.
Four days.
That was how much time remained until the Red Moon.
We had borrowed the military strength of the Western Volcano Tribe.
But I still couldn’t relax.
Burta.
Would that greedy beast really only protect us?
What if he used the chaos of the Red Moon to swallow our tribe?
Could he really look at our large, plump potatoes and feel no greed whatsoever?
There were too many variables.
And as expected, we had far too few cards to play.
“Chief.”
Zakan was leaning against the wall, sharpening his greatsword.
Scrape. Scrape.
The blade moved rhythmically against a rough whetstone.
“I am listening.”
“We need a plan.”
“A plan?”
“A plan for the night of the Red Moon.”
Zakan’s hand stopped.
He put down the sword and looked at me.
“We already have a plan. We made a promise with Volcano Tribe. Warriors do not break promises.”
“That is how the Rock Tribe thinks.”
Seriously, you innocent teenage chief...
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the world truly ran on honor and promises?
But whether it was my old world or this savage one, people were ultimately driven by benefit.
I remembered Burta’s greedy eyes when he saw the E-Rank Potatoes.
I had seen eyes like that many times in my previous life.
[Success! You resist Barbarian Mind.]
I glanced at the System message.
Then I explained.
“Listen carefully, Zakan. When someone weak possesses something valuable, someone stronger takes it.”
Zakan’s deep but innocent eyes stared at me.
“Burta is curious. He wants to know how potatoes like these appeared in dead land.”
I leaned toward him.
“If he discovers that we can grow them from the ground, do you still believe he will simply protect us?”
Zakan frowned.
He was simple, but he wasn’t stupid.
Actually, compared to the others, he was quite intelligent.
He understood what I meant.
“He will try to take it.”
“Exactly. Either he kills us and takes this land, or he turns us into slaves.”
I lowered my voice.
“We are still weak. You are strong, but you cannot defeat Burta yet.”
“...”
Zakan didn’t argue.
But his fists tightened in frustration.
“So we hide it.”
I continued.
“Until we become strong.”
I met his eyes.
“Until you become stronger than Burta.”
Zakan slowly nodded.
Determination entered his eyes.
I carefully explained what our tribe needed to do when the Red Moon rose.
Zakan nodded several times.
Did he actually understand everything?
Well...
There was no other choice.
If I wanted to survive, I had to trust them.
“Gather the tribe. Give them the order.”
“Understood.”
Zakan stood and went outside.
A little later.
The central clearing of the village.
Every member of the Northern Rock Tribe had gathered.
Around forty people.
Half were teenagers who still hadn’t lost the childishness in their faces.
The other half were children who barely reached my waist.
“Waaaah! Shaman!”
“Izak! Steam potatoes!”
The children laughed innocently.
They knew nothing about the terror of the Red Moon approaching them.
They knew nothing about the possible threat from the neighboring tribe.
Their innocent minds were simply happy that they could eat until full today.
I glanced at Zakan’s stiff expression.
Something hurt inside my chest.
How hard had Zakan struggled alone to protect those smiles?
BOOM!
Zakan struck the ground with the tip of his greatsword.
A heavy vibration spread through the clearing.
The noisy crowd instantly went silent.
Whenever the chief appeared, his presence dominated the atmosphere.
He might have been young, but the pressure he gave off was not childish at all.
“Rock Tribe. Listen.”
Zakan’s voice rang through the clearing.
“After four more sunsets, the Red Moon will rise.”
“...!”
The tribesmen’s faces hardened.
Red Moon.
The fear contained in those two words was instinctive.
The memory of the night their parents and elders had died covered in blood remained like trauma inside the children.
“I fight! I will fight!”
“I fight too! I am brave warrior! I avenge Father!”
Several hot-blooded young warriors raised their weapons.
But I could see it.
They were covering their fear with anger.
Zakan shook his head.
“No. This time, Rock Tribe does not fight.”
“What?”
“What does Chief mean?”
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Not fighting?
Wouldn’t that simply mean dying?
“We bought Western Volcano Tribe.”
“Huh?”
“How do you buy a tribe?”
“Does that mean we become Western Volcano Tribe?”
The children looked at one another in confusion.
Of course they didn’t understand.
They had no concept of employment.
“No.”
Zakan continued.
“We bought Volcano Tribe’s swords.”
He pointed toward the distance.
“They will fight monsters for us on the night of the Red Moon. Then we give them potatoes.”
“That is cowardly!”
“Only cowards do that! I will fight!”
As expected, complaints immediately erupted.
Especially from hot-blooded idiots like Malko.
Avoiding battle was shameful to a barbarian.
Zakan quietly looked down at them.
Then he spoke in a low but powerful voice.
“A true coward...”
Everyone fell silent.
“Is someone who hides without paying a price.”
His gaze swept across them.
“A true fool is someone who charges into battle without preparing.”
“...”
“We paid a fair price. We bought their strength with potatoes that we worked hard to grow.”
Zakan straightened his back.
“That is not shameful.”
His voice grew stronger.
“It is wisdom.”
He looked at me.
I nodded.
The entire crowd became quiet.
There was something strangely convincing about Zakan’s words.
“Look at yourselves.”
He continued.
“We are young. We are not ready yet.”
He placed his hand on his greatsword.
“That is why we bought them.”
His expression hardened.
“Survive.”
The young warriors stared at him.
“Live. Become stronger.”
